"Not My Will, But Thine, Be Done"

Two gardens.

The first called Eden, where our first parents, Adam and Eve lived in the presence of God until the Fall. In Hebrew, Eden means, "delight or pleasure." That would be an exceptional delight AND pleasure, living in God's presence. We all lived in the presence of God before we were born. Those of us who have been given the opportunity to come to earth to experience mortality had shown in the pre-existence that we would follow God and be obedient to Him. Living with Him, we were obedient by sight.

Now it was time to take the next step in our growth and progression, requiring that we leave Gods presence. It was time to show that we would still follow Him, this time by faith. In leaving the first garden, the only way to return to Gods presence would be to follow a Savior on a difficult but necessary journey on a path leading us through a second garden.

Gethsemane.

An olive garden, on the slope of the Mount of Olives near Jerusalem. In Hebrew, Gethsemane means, "olive press."

At harvest, the branches of the olive tree are beaten to cause the olives to fall. A first grinding or crushing under heavy crushing stones yields a pure virgin olive oil which is clear and free from impurities. Anciently, this was skimmed off by hand. The crushed olives then have additional weight applied and, under tremendous pressure, release a bitter brownish red oil.


It was in this second garden, which bears the name of the olive press, that Christ willingly first shed his blood for us. Under the tremendous, crushing pressure of so much more than just our sins, Christ began the atonement necessary to redeem us from the Fall that occurred in the first garden.

 "And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and he sweat as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground." Luke 22:44 with JST

 Alma's words in the Book of Mormon give us greater insight into what Christ began in Gethsemane and completed on the cross at Golgotha:

"And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.  And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities. Now the Spirit knoweth all things; nevertheless the Son of God suffereth according to the flesh that he might take upon him the sins of his people, that he might blot out their transgressions according to the power of his deliverance; and now behold, this is the testimony which is in me." Alma 7:11-13

 

Pains, afflictions, temptations, sicknesses, death, infirmities.

Very last on the list: sins and transgressions.

 

A bitter cup, from which he willingly drank so that when the time comes, we can return to live in God's presence once again. How bitter? Christ tells us in his own words: 

 

"Therefore I command you to repent—repent, lest I smite you by the rod of my mouth, and by my wrath, and by my anger, and your sufferings be sore—how sore you know not, how exquisite you know not, yea, how hard to bear you know not. For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent; But if they would not repent they must suffer even as I; Which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit—and would that I might not drink the bitter cup, and shrink—" D&C 19:15-18

 

 

How can we ever, ever thank Him?!! How is it possible to ever show enough gratitude to someone who saves your life?

 

We can do what the sacrament prayer asks us to do every week:

Always, always remember Him

 

We can also learn, like Christ, to always say to our Father no matter what trials or challenges we face:

"Not my will, but thine, be done." Luke22:42

 

 





Posted by Sister Montgomery

Additional References:
The New Testament Made Easier, Part One, Second Edition by David J. Ridges
The Infinite Atonement by Tad R. Callister
emp.byui.edu/.../Olive%20Tree/olive%20tree%20horticulture.htm‎