THE AGONY IN THIS GARDEN WAS A PRELUDE TO THE VICTORY ON THE CROSS. Here Jesus, the substitute of His people, received the cup of wrath from the hand of His offended Father. It was the wrath of God, what we had deserved; the punishment we should have endured; the Son of God in our nature, in our stead, for our salvation, was punished by divine justice. No human hand touched Him, no human voice spoke to Him, when He sweated great drops of blood falling down to the ground. It was the baptism He expected, and O how great was His love, the baptism He came to undergo! See the wonderful sufferer, hear His dreadful groans, listen to His heart-breaking sighs; heaven and hell are astonished, only man remains unaffected. Beloved, He is our surety. He is paying our debt, redeeming our souls, purchasing our happiness, and making our peace. He went to Gethsemane that we might not go to hell. He was punished that we might be spared. Often, very often, visit this sacred spot; here by faith have fellowship with Christ in His sufferings. O my soul, I charge thee to visit Gethsemane, and visit it very often for fellowship with Jesus!

For Meditation:
Go to the garden, sinner, see
Those precious drops that flow;
The heavy load He bore for thee:
For thee He stooped so low.