Matthew 26:36-46 – See the note below.
36 Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane [1068- “oil press”], and said to His disciples, "Sit here while I go over there and pray."
37 And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be grieved and distressed.
38 Then He said to them, "My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death; remain here [3306- “to remain, abide, to stay, to continue to be present”] and keep watch [1127- “to watch, to keep awake, spiritual alertness”] with Me."
39 And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will."
40 And He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, "So, you men could not keep watch [1127] with Me for one hour?
41 "Keep watching [1127] and praying that you may not enter into temptation [3986- “a putting to proof, attempt, trial, proving”]; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."
42 He went away again a second time and prayed, saying, "My Father, if this cannot pass away unless I drink it, Your will be done."
43 Again He came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy.
44 And He left them again, and went away and prayed a third time, saying the same thing once more.
45 Then He came to the disciples and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is at hand and the Son of Man is being betrayed [3860- “to give into the hands (of another), to give over into (one’s) power or use”] into the hands of sinners.
46 "Get up, let us be going; behold, the one who betrays [3860] Me is at hand!"
NASU
The Garden of Gethsemane was the last place Jesus would spend time with some of His disciples before being arrested, and then crucified. Though the exact location is unknown, it’s generally accepted that it was a garden across the Kidron Valley on the western slope of the Mount of Olives, paralleling the eastern part of Jerusalem (see the Bible study Back To Jerusalem for more on the great significance of this location in regards to the return of Christ). Because of the meaning of its name in Hebrew (“oil press”), it’s very likely that the garden was a grove of olive trees in which was located an oil press.
Knowing that great suffering lie just ahead for Him, the Bible says that while Jesus was praying, “His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” (Luke 22:44) He even cried out to the Father, asking Him, “if possible, let this cup pass from Me.” It wasn’t possible though. He would have to suffer terribly, and then die, paying the price for our sin so that we could be forgiven and live eternally. There was no other way. His pure sacrifice would be the only one accepted by the Father on our behalf.
Eventually, after much wrestling with the Father in fervent, agonizing prayer, Jesus would come to “the point of death,” a death within to His will where He would declare, “yet not as I will, but as You will.” It was because of this humble submission to the will of the Father that all authority was given to Him in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18). Paul spoke of this in his letter to the Christians in Philippi;
“Being found in appearance as a man, He [Jesus] humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
(Philippians 2:8-11/NASU)
As I said, Gethsemane means “oil press.” In Jesus’ time, olives were pressed to extract the oil. Without this pressure, the oil could not be gained. Spiritually speaking, this is exactly how we as Christ’ followers gain the oil necessary to keep our lamps lit, thereby allowing us to see the “Way” we should go in order to be allowed entrance into the quickly approaching wedding feast of the Lamb (Matthew 25:1-13).
The purchase Jesus spoke of in His parable of the ten virgins is one that can only be made through the exchanged life; ours for His. As Simon the sorcerer discovered, though, you cannot purchase this oil with money (Acts 8:9-24). Through the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness (Luke 4:1-14), the way is revealed for us to receive the power of the Holy Spirit.
Right after He was baptized by John the Baptist, Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, was led around in the wilderness for forty days, “being tempted [3985- “to test, to try, to prove”] by the devil.” As pictured in type by the children of Israel after they were set free from the bondage of Egypt, the wilderness is the proving ground of God where He tests His followers. Its purpose is to remove all dependence on the flesh, and to build total trust in what the Lord can and will provide for us. It is this heart transforming process that prepares us to receive the that which the Father promised.
Afterwards, when the devil had finished every temptation, and lost, “Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit.” (Luke 4:14) The Greek interpreted as “power” is dunamis (doo'-nam-is) which means, “strength, ability, power, force (especially miraculous power).” It was this same dunamis that Jesus commanded His disciples to wait for in Jerusalem in order to be His witnesses (Luke 24:49). I believe that it is only after we have been tested and proven that we will come out in the power of the Holy Spirit. Like Jesus, it’s only when we have been emptied of our fleshly passions and desires that we can be filled with the power of the Spirit.
As we look back throughout the history of Christianity, it seems that only a few have ever fully experienced what is available to us. It’s my belief, as well as personal experience, that the reason for this is that the devil offers a counterfeit experience so that God’s people never receive the true baptism of the Spirit which is a heavenly force he has no answer for. His is a baptism without fire (see Matthew 3:11), without suffering that the flesh naturally gravitates toward. He offers a “Pentecost experience” without the suffering of Calvary (see the Bible study The Word Of The Cross).
In the instructions for the holy anointing oil, the Lord said to Moses that it was not to be poured on man’s flesh (Exodus 30:32). This is a picture, in type, of the requirements of God for His anointing oil of the Holy Spirit. It will not be poured out on those who are clothed in their flesh, rather than the Spirit. We must first have our fleshly nature cleansed by the Spirit so as to be made ready for His empowering, anointing oil to be poured out on us.
The Lord then said; “Whoever shall mix any like it or whoever puts any of it on a layman [2114- “strange another, a stranger, a foreigner, a prostitute or harlot”] shall be cut off from his people.” (Exodus 30:33) They were not to put it on just anyone, by any manner, but according to God’s order so as not to be removed from God’s people (see the Bible study Cut Off for more insights from the New Testament on the possibility of Christians being cut off from God today).
Watching And Praying To Not Enter Into Temptation
Like Jesus, every Christian must pass through the Garden of Gethsemane, the “oil press” of God, before gaining the oil of the Holy Spirit that is required to enter into the wedding feast of the Lamb and take possession of the promised resurrection life. It’s in this wilderness-like place of Divinely orchestrated pressure on our souls, as we wrestle with God, that we can overcome the sentence of death within us by learning to not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the “dead to self” (2 Corinthians 1:10). It is here, in a place of vigilant watchfulness, with the help of the Holy Spirit, that we learn to overcome during our time of testing and proving (i.e. temptation) in order to be set free from the bondage of our sinful nature (Matthew 26:41).
As we saw, oil can only be brought forth from olives through pressure. Jesus’ victory over physical death came first through His agonizing death to His own will (Matthew 26:42). His willingness to submit to the Father’s will was the key to His receiving the Father’s authority. It’s our route as well.
This is the place to obtain the oil necessary to keep our lamps burning. The foolish virgins were unwilling to come here, subduing the sinful nature, bringing it into submission to the will of the Lord. The Bible says that the Lord gives the Holy Spirit (i.e. the “oil”) to those who obey (Acts 5:32).
Temptation; The Testing Of Our Faith
James 1:2-4 – See the note below.
2 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials [3986- def. in Matthew 26:41 above],
3 knowing that the testing [1383- “trustworthiness, a testing, a proof, genuineness”] of your faith produces endurance [5281- “steadfastness, constancy, endurance; a patient, steadfast waiting for”].
4 And let endurance [5281] have its perfect [5046- “complete, perfect, brought to its end, finished”] result, so that you may be perfect [5046] and complete [3648- “complete in every part; i.e. perfectly sound (in body); entire, whole (1 Thessalonians 5:23)”], lacking [3007- “to leave, to be left behind, to fail or be absent”] in nothing.
NASU
In this passage, James encourages us by letting us know why we “encounter various trials.” The testing of our faith is to produce endurance in us. Like a runner, without it we will not have the spiritual stamina to persevere under trial (see James 1:12 right below), thereby finishing the race and receiving the prize of salvation (i.e. bringing our faith to “completion” per James 2:18-26), the “crown of life” (see Revelation 2:10). This is the “perfect result” that occurs when we say as Christ, “yet not as I will, but as You will.” Pentecost was the result of those who, by faith in what Jesus commanded them to do, steadfastly waited in the upper room for His word to happen (Luke 24:49). By our acting in faith to what we have heard the Lord say to us, we will become “perfectly sound (in body),” “lacking nothing,” not among those who will be “left behind.”
James 1:12-16 – See the note below.
12 Blessed is a man who perseveres [5278- “to stay under, remain, to bear patiently, endure”] under trial [3986- def. in Matthew 26:41 above]; for once he has been approved [1384- “accepted, proved, tried, pleasing”], he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.
13 Let no one say when he is tempted [3985- “to try, make trial of, test”], "I am being tempted [3985] by God"; for God cannot be tempted [551- “untempted, untried, not liable to temptation to sin”] by evil, and He Himself does not tempt [3985] anyone.
14 But each one is tempted [3985] when he is carried away [1828- “to draw away, to lure forth”] and enticed [1185- “to lure or catch by a bait to deceive”] by his own lust.
15 Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished [658- “to bring to an end, accomplish, brought to completion”], it brings forth [616- “gives birth to”] death.
16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.
NASU
Temptation is the testing of our faith. Once we have been “approved” by the Lord per our response in our trial/temptation, we “will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.” James makes it clear that God doesn’t tempt us, but allows the enemy to tempt us in order to prove our hearts, revealing to all, including us, whether it be weak or strong.
For conception to occur there must take place a union between two. In this case it is our joining together or partaking of that which we lust after. Once conceived, sin comes forth causing a death-like experience to take place. When a Christian is drawn away by their lust and hits the bait pile so to speak, death is always the result. There is no life in sin. It eventually leads to a spiritual death; separation from Christ.
This is why a Christian who does not repent from sin, will end up like those Jesus rebuked in the church in Sardis who had a reputation that they were alive, but, He said, were dead (Revelation 3:1-6). He warned them to wake up because their works had not been completed in His sight (see my book Works And Salvation). If they did not repent, He would erase their name from the book of life.
(This note is for James 1:12 from the Bible study The Test.)
As with Revelation 2:10, James also refers to the necessity of the Christian to persevere in order to receive the crown of life. To persevere is “to remain, to persevere, to endure, to hold fast to one's faith in Christ (Matthew 10:22).” It is “the word of My perseverance” (Rev. 3:10), all to be “approved” by God in order to receive the crown of life.
It is the testing of our faith that produces endurance; “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials [3986], knowing that the testing [1383] of your faith produces endurance [5281- “steadfastness, endurance, a patient enduring, cheerful or hopeful endurance”]. And let endurance have its perfect [“complete, perfect, finished”] result, so that you may be perfect and complete [3648], lacking in nothing. (James 1:2-4/NASU) (See “The Perfect Result” in my book “The Resurrected Bride”, p.61-67) To be “complete” [3648] is by definition “complete in all its parts, in no part lacking or unsound, complete, entire, whole.” The same Greek word is used by Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:23 in describing our being sanctified “entirely” which means “complete to the end, wholly.” He continues, saying; “may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete [3648], without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (See the Bible study Noah; A Sign Of The End.)
Revelation 2:10 – See the note below. Faithfulness is essential for receiving “the crown of life.”
10 'Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, so that you will be tested [3985], and you will have tribulation [2347- “a pressing, pressing together, pressure”] for ten days. Be faithful [“trustworthy”] until death, and I will give you the crown of life.
NASU
NT:3985 peirazo (pi-rad'-zo)
(Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance)
from NT:3984; to test (objectively), i.e. endeavor, scrutinize, entice, discipline:
KJV - assay, examine, go about, prove, tempt (-er), try.
(Thayer’s Greek Lexicon)
1. to try whether a thing can be done; to attempt, endeavor: with an infinitive (Acts 9:26)
2. to try, make trial of, test:
a. in a good sense (Matthew 22:35)
b. in a bad sense: to test one maliciously, craftily to put to the proof his feelings or judgment (Matthew 16:1)
c. to try or test one's faith, virtue, character, by enticement to sin (James 1:13 f)
d. After the O.T. usage:
1. of God; to inflict evils upon one in order to prove his character and the steadfastness of his faith (1 Corinthians 10:13)
2. by impious or wicked conduct to test God's justice and patience, and to challenge him, as it were, to give proof of his perfections (Acts 15:10)
Jesus said to the church in Smyrna to not fear what they were about to suffer at the hands of the devil. If they would be faithful until death He would give them the crown of life. This is what happened to Joseph when he was cast into prison. After he was tested and proven to be faithful (i.e. “approved” by God), “the King sent and released Him”! (See Psalm 105:17-20 in Binding And Loosing.)
To be tested and proven faithful is to be established in the covenant. To be established is to be made ready, prepared to enter in (see Genesis 6:17-18 right below). If we are not prepared to enter into the presence of God we will die (Hosea 6:1-3). It is God’s love for us to revive us before crossing over into our eternal inheritance in Christ, “that we may live before Him.” (Hosea 6:2)
The Lord said to Shelley and I years ago; “Come to the other side.” The way over has been hidden ever since because we were not ready, we were not prepared to enter His presence. It wasn’t time (Gal. 4:4). It was for our protection. He is beginning to reveal His way to us now, though, so as to make ready His people for His return. When we are prepared through obedience to what the Spirit is saying to the church, then “the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you.” (2 Peter 1:11/NASU) All this tells me that He is getting close to returning! (See the Bible study The First Trump, The Last Trump, and The Great Trump.)
Daniel 1:8-20 – The test that proves from where or what we have been partaking/eating at. Longing for the Lord’s appearance (2 Timothy 4:8), eating from His table rather than the devil’s which includes the religious system void of the Spirit, will affect our appearance when He comes. As with Daniel and his friends before King Nebuchadnezzar, the Lord will deal with us as well according to what He sees in our appearance when we stand before Him after our testing which reveals whether or not we are approved or considered reprobate, or disqualified. (See the Bible study The Appearing And Perfecting.)
12 "Please test your servants for ten days, and let us be given some vegetables to eat and water to drink.
13 "Then let our appearance be observed in your presence and the appearance of the youths who are eating the king's choice food; and deal with your servants according to what you see."
14 So he listened to them in this matter and tested them for ten days.
15 At the end of ten days [see Revelation 2:10] their appearance seemed better and they were fatter than all the youths who had been eating the king's choice food.
NASU
1 Peter 1:6-9 – (See Proverbs 27:21.) See the note below.
6 In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed [3076- “to make sorrowful, to cause grief”] by various trials [3986- def. in Matthew 26:41 above],
7 so that the proof [1383- “trustworthiness, a testing, a proof, genuineness”] of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested [ by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ;
8 and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,
9 obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.
NASU
Peter says that we are “distressed by various trials” when it’s “necessary.” Our reaction to the trial/temptation proves the genuineness of our faith, whether it is strong or weak. He says that when we stand firm in the Lord in our “fiery trials” (see the passage below in Peter’s exhortation), it is “more precious than gold” to Him (see 2 Thessalonians 1:3-5). Our incentive to stand firm, by faith, through our temptations and trials is that we will obtain as the outcome of our faith, “the salvation of our souls.”
1 Peter 4:12-13 – See the note below.
12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal [4451- “ignition, a burning, a refining; calamities or trials that test character”] among you, which comes upon you for your testing [3986- def. in Matthew 26:41 above], as though some strange thing were happening to you;
13 but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation.
NASU
Peter tells us that “fiery trials,” or “trials by fire” are a regular part of the Christian’s refining process (i.e. sanctification; see Malachi 3:1-4 which refers to the Lord’s refining fire used to purify His people before He appears for judgment). The Holy Spirit is encouraging us, informing us why they happen in our lives. He says that we are to “keep on rejoicing” while experiencing “the sufferings of Christ.” That is a difficult thing when you are in the middle of them. I need the Holy Spirit to help me remember why.
Hebrews 3:5-12 – See the note below.
5 Now Moses was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken later;
6 but Christ was faithful as a Son over His house whose house we are, if we hold fast [2722- “to retain, detain, keep secure, to possess”] our confidence [3954- “freedom in speaking, free and fearless confidence, cheerful courage”] and the boast of our hope firm [2722] until the end. [Jesus taught this very thing in Matthew 10:22, and 24:13.]
7 Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says, "Today if you hear His voice,
8 Do not harden your hearts as when they provoked [3894- “irritation, provocation”] Me, as in the day of trial [3986] in the wilderness,
9 Where your fathers tried [3985] Me by testing [1381- “an examination, testing”] Me, and saw My works for forty years.
10 "Therefore I was angry with this generation, and said, 'They always go astray in their heart; and they did not know My ways';
11 As I swore in My wrath, 'They shall not enter My rest.'"
12 Take care, brethren, lest there should be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving [570- “unfaithful, faithlessness”] heart, in falling away [868- “to remove, desert”] from the living God. [The great apostasy Paul referred to in 2 Thessalonians 2 that would occur right before the return of Christ.]
NASB
The children of Israel were in the wilderness for forty years. Jesus was forty days in the wilderness. The children of Israel rebelled against the Lord and died in the wilderness. Jesus held fast to the Father, obeying Him while resisting the temptations of the devil, resulting in the life of God being poured out within Him. Because of this, His life is given to us when we repent and obey God, as He did. He came forth in the power of the Holy Spirit by holding fast to the Father (Luke 4:14). So will we. Jesus showed us the way in which we should go to be able to enter into eternal life. Otherwise, as the writer of Hebrews warned us, we will end up as the children of Israel who rebelled against the Lordship of God along the way, and were not allowed to enter into His rest. The “if” in verse 6 means it is a conditional promise.
To “know” God’s ways is to join yourself together with them by doing them. In that close, intimate relationship, they give birth to His life. To not know His ways is to not practice them. It is this heart of rebellion that the writer of Hebrews warns Christians to not partake of lest we be denied entrance into the eternal rest in Christ. It is what he refers to as an “evil, unbelieving heart.” Unbelief, after turning to the Lord, is the unfaithful, faithless heart of the apostate, harlot church.
1 Corinthians 10:11-14 – See the note below.
11 Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.
12 Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall [4098- “to fall, to fall down, used of descent from higher place to a lower”].
13 No temptation [3986] has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted [3985] beyond what you are able, but with the temptation [3986] will provide the way of escape [1545- “a way out, an escape”] also, so that you will be able to endure it.
14 Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.
NASU
In this passage, Paul is warning us as Christians (see verses 1-10) to not rebel against the Lord’s leading as the children of Israel did during their journey to the Promised Land. As he said, they were written for our instruction, “so that we would not crave evil things as they also craved.” (v.6) It would cost all but Joshua and Caleb their physical life, and their eternal life, picture in type by the Promised Land that they never entered. In our time of temptation (i.e. testing), God has promised to provide a way of escape for us, “so that you will be able to endure it.” Thank-you Lord! (See the Bible study The Escaped Remnant.)
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