Jesus in Gethsemane

1921

Rev. William Bishop Gates, preaching in the First Presbyterian church last night at the second of the services being held each night during Holy Week, chose for his text, "The Cup Which the Father Hath Given Me, Shall I Not Drink It?" John 18:11. His theme was "Jesus in Gethsemane." He said in part: "George Matheson, that blind preacher of Edinboro, has deeper insight than other people into spiritual things because he is blind. I bring to you tonight some of his thoughts taken from one of his volumes 'Studies in the Portrait of Christ.'

"Gethsemane was Jesus' suppressed Hour. His grief had been long repressed. At last his sorrow broke forth. His work on earth was done and it is when work is done that sorrows assert themselves.

"Overwhelming grief expresses itself sometimes in numbness and stony apathy; sometimes in rebellion, the sorrow being diverted into anger; sometimes in a torrent of expression in which the sorrow finds outward play. This last was the sort of sorrow that overwhelmed Jesus in Gethsemane, as he cried out: 'If it be possible, let this cup pass from me.'

"What was 'the cup?' Surely something connected with his death. It was not mere recoil from physical death. Jesus whose soul was steeped in the thought of immortality, and who had just raised Lazarus from the dead could not fear physical death, nor was it physical pain. If hundreds have gone to the stake in serene confidence for Jesus' sake, surely the 'Captain of our Salvation' would not blanche at physical pain. Nothing personal could have brought such agony to Jesus. What He shrank from was not His share in the cup of suffering, but THE WORLD'S share. Jesus' life had revealed the infinite possibilities of righteousness. What awful unrighteousness on the part of man His murder at their hands would reveal. To kill him was to trample the love of the Father under foot. It meant the death not of a man but the death of purity, holiness, justice, mercy and love. Jesus felt himself standing alone in Gethsemane. There was no other who could breathe the divine air that He breathed. They were about to kill Him who had brought this divine air to the world. He was standing alone. It was the cry for communion with the world that Jesus uttered, — with the world which ought to have had but had not, appreciation and love for Him who brought the revelation that He brought."

—Olean Evening Herald, Olean, NY, March 22, 1921, p. 5.

Garden of Gethsemane

1917

The site of the garden of Gethsemane, on the western slope of Olivet has been recently enclosed — there is about a third of an acre — and is maintained by the Franciscans. Eight olive trees of very great age are among the interesting features of the garden, and it is thought, with some probability, that they may have sprung from the roots of those which were there in the time of our Lord.

Three special sites are shown to travelers — the one known as the Chapel of the Agony, in a cave, and revered by the early pilgrims, the place where the three disciples slept and the spot where Judas gave the kiss of betrayal. The last two are not mentioned by the early chroniclers and have possibly been added at a much later date. In an age when few could read and write and when there were no convenient guidebooks sites and objects were pointed out quite innocently as memorials of the details in the story which pilgrims were following. It must be remembered that vast numbers of pilgrims today — especially Russians — cannot read and expect to see marked the exact spots of the gospel incidents. When a simple minded peasant has traveled hundreds of miles to see the holy places and is shown the scene of the denial of St. Peter he will undoubtedly expect to be told where the cock crew.



Old Easter Customs

The English people formerly had two very large cakes divided among the congregation at the church on Easter. In 1645 parliament forbade this by law, providing that the money spent for cakes should in future be used to buy bread for the poor.

"At Easter let your clothes be new
Or else be sure you will it rue."

The boys in the north of England will tell you that if you do not put on something new on Easter day some misfortune will befall you.

Underneath most Easter customs and carols lies the symbol of Christ's resurrection.