The Passion Began in the Garden of Gethsemane
Article #4 on the Passion of Jesus Christ
“…I am persuaded that the Passion began in Gethsemane.”
– C.H. Spurgeon, Christ in Gethsemane
The scenes of Gethsemane presented by the Evangelists are shocking. Stop and look here for a little while and you will find many learned men silently gazing in admiration and wonder. Famous orators are speechless to explain the mysteries of Gethsemane.
“We have thus come to the gate of the Garden of Gethsemane, let us now enter – but first, let us take off our shoes, as Moses did, when he saw the bush which burned with fire and was not consumed. Surely we may say with Jacob, ‘How dreadful is this place!’” – C.H. Spurgeon, The Agony in Gethsemane
“May we not conceive that as in a garden Adam’s self-indulgence ruined us, so in another Garden the agonies of the second Adam should restore us? Gethsemane supplies the medicine for the ills which followed upon the forbidden fruit of Eden. No flowers which bloomed upon the banks of the four-fold river were ever so precious to our race as the bitter herbs which grew hard by the black and sullen stream of Kidron.” – C.H. Spurgeon, The Agony in Gethsemane
The Garden of Gethsemane was chosen by God. Readers of the Gospels are made to pass through here before ascending Calvary to gaze upon the Cross. There is a fight in every conflict. There is a battle in every war! But there is a beginning and ending to every one of them. Nevertheless, the last battle of the war often brings to bare the most dangerous and destructive weapons in the arsenal. The onslaught is so gory and gruesome that the warriors wouldn’t dare to write down the details.
If indeed, here, in the Garden of Gethsemane, the sins of the world were imputed into the body of Jesus Christ for the very first time, then this is the beginning of the greatest conflict the world has ever seen. It begins at Gethsemane and ends at Calvary. However, mysteriously, the Garden of Gethsemane was conspicuously absent of any human adversary when Jesus Christ entered into the throes of sorrow! No wonder. The legal proceeding of imputation isn’t something that brings conflict man to man. This is where the conflict between God and man is shifted to a Substitutionary Sacrifice. The divine wrath which was restrained will then be suddenly released, and in the annihilation of the Sin-Burdened Sacrifice it will be exhausted; this brings the holy heart of an angry God to a place of sweet and solemn satisfaction at justice being served.
“Now the mere dying you could bear, as martyrs have done, but not the dying with all that weight of sin legally placed upon you! Oh, who can tell what must have been the horror which took hold upon the Savior, and how true must have been His expression when He said, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even unto death”? The Holy One in the sinner’s place! An angel in a dungeon! The God of Heaven veiled in human flesh to be hung upon the gallows as a malefactor–start as you think of it and then try to conceive, if you can, what must have been the horror of His soul!” – C.H. Spurgeon, The Suffering Christ Satisfied
Consider the circumstances from the vantage point of the sinless Son of God. Every stormy tempest has its first clap of lightening and then the roaring of thunder. The flash of the same can be seen from east to west. The imputation of sin in the Garden marks the beginning of something men and angels had never seen before! Something changed in the heaven above. A comprehension of this change is needed to correctly interpret what was happening on earth below from Gethsemane to Calvary. The suffering and death of Christ and the martyrs of Church History is a helpful comparison.
Granted, the earthly elements of suffering weren’t pleasant to the righteous soul of Jesus Christ. This is clearly visible during the Passover Feast, how the Messiah was “troubled” in part because of the imminent betrayal of Judas (John 13:21), and how all the other disciples would soon be offended in the process (Matt. 26:31, Mk. 14:27). The fact that the Son of God was “despised and rejected of men” certainly contributed to the sorrow of the whole ordeal (Isa. 53:3, 4). However, the sorrow that was felt coming from the horizontal circumstances is unworthy to be compared to the crushing weight of the vertical situation at hand.
The earthly and human injustice suffered in martyrdom is a load that was easy to be borne by martyrs, for they have seen and beheld the satisfaction of divine justice in Jesus Christ. No matter what they suffer! “If God be for us, who can be against us?” (Rom. 8:31). One man with God is a majority. Earthly hate cannot breach the impregnable gates of Heaven’s love, when God has taken up residence in the souls of redeemed men and women (Jn. 21:18-19).
“Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world.” – 1 Jn. 4:4
“Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us.” – Rom. 8:37
If sinners raise their hands in violence against martyrs, horizontally, and the physical harm of such brings about death, it pales in comparison to the Arm of God being reared against sinners. When sinners are angry with the saints, man to man, it’s nothing compared to when God is angry with sinners. Even so, martyrdom is mild in this respect, only because “the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us” (Rom. 5:5). However, if the sin of the whole world could be placed upon one sinless Man, then the Arm of God would be raised in violence against that Man! If the full volume of divine wrath against sinners could be concentrated on one Man, vertically, no matter the earthly circumstances of the situation, horizontally, how do you think this Man would feel at such a time? It all began in the scenic and otherwise peaceful Garden of Gethsemane.
“Tell me, ye who hear Him groaning,
Was there ever grief like His?
Friends through fear His cause disowning,
Foes insulting his distress:
Many hands were raised to wound Him,
None would interpose to save;
But the deepest stroke that pierced Him
Was the stroke that Justice gave.”
As we approach this dreadful moment in time where Jesus Christ formally and legally became a sinner in the sight of God, and hereby began to justly suffer under the wrath of God, we must come to understand the legal and ceremonious process of imputation according to the Law.
Animal Sacrifices in the Old Testament
The transition of the legal identity of the Son of God happened instantly, upon the imputation of sin, as demonstrated in the animal sacrifices of the Old Testament. A basic understanding of this legal process in the Law will enable us to realize the enormity of what took place when the Lamb of God took away the sin of the world.
“Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” - John 1:29
“And He is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” – 1 John 2:2
The animal sacrifices of the Old Testament never truly redeemed anyone (Heb. 9:15). Legally speaking, the blood of animal sacrifices never remitted anyone’s sins in the accomplishing of a real atonement before God. However, that doesn’t mean that the LORD didn’t really forgive anyone. Rather, every occasion in which real divine forgiveness was granted at the offering of an animal sacrifice for an atonement (Lev. 4:20, 26, 31, 35; Num. 14:19, 15:25-26), the LORD truly forgave the believers of the Old Testament because they were putting their faith in a message of the Gospel communicated through typological shadows – and hereby they were unknowingly putting their faith in Jesus Christ.
The merit was in the message being communicated to believers, not the actual blood of the beasts being slain. Therefore, God was providentially forgiving mankind by looking ahead – through the power of divine foresight – to the coming of Jesus Christ, who alone has the ability to “take away sins” in an atonement (Heb. 10:4, 11) for the accomplishing Sof a true and lasting “reconciliation” (Heb. 2:17).
“Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.” – Rom. 3:24-26
“And for this cause he is the Mediator of the New Testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first Testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.” – Heb. 9:15
“For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God. Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;” – Heb. 10:4-12
“Not all the blood of beasts
On Jewish altars slain,
Could give the guilty conscience peace,
Or wash away the stain:But Christ, the heavenly Lamb
Takes all our sins away,
A sacrifice of nobler name
And richer blood than they.
My faith would lay her hand
On that dear head of thine,
While like a penitent I stand,
And there confess my sin.My soul looks back to see
The burdens thou didst bear,
When hanging on the cursed tree,
And knows her guilt was there.Believing, we rejoice
To see the curse remove;
We bless the Lamb with cheerful voice,
And sing his bleeding love.”– Isaac Watts
The Old Testament sacrificial system was fundamentally problematic (Gal. 3:19). If indeed all the sins of the “past” (Rom. 3:25), namely those which were committed under “the first Testament” (Heb. 9:15), were never truly atoned for or taken away from mankind for the first 4,000 years of Church History, this clearly means that the animal sacrifices of the Old Testament were fundamentally insubstantial. Mere shadows and figures of the real thing would not settle the conflict of divine justice for an eternity (Col. 2:17, Heb. 8:5, 9:9, 24, 10:1, 11:19, Rom. 5:14, 1 Peter 3:21).
“For the Law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.” – Heb. 10:1
The restraint of the Godhead in these times could be characterized as the divine forbearance of justice. Even though forgiveness was granted, the LORD still had the desire to execute justice; through restraint God withheld His hand in preference to mercy. As long as justice wasn’t truly served, then the inward turmoil of the Godhead persisted until the appointed time came for the divine satisfaction of justice at the Cross (Rom. 3:25-26).
This provisional forgiveness of God was a temporary grant in the middle of an unsolved problem – an allowance that could not continue for too long because it would eventually warrant an accusation of injustice – calling into question the righteousness of God in forgiving sinners. Nothing else but the precious blood of Jesus Christ, the spotless Lamb of God, could substantiate forgiveness for sinners (Rom. 3:25-26, 5:9, Eph. 1:7, 2:13, Col. 1:14, 20, Heb. 9:14, 22, 12:24, 13:12, 20, 1 Pet. 1:2, 19, 1 Jn. 1:7, Rev. 1:5, 5:9, 12:11). Therefore, in the fullness of time, the Son of God was “set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood”, and this became a public declaration of two things:
#1. “[God’s] righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God” – Rom. 3:25
#2. “[God’s] righteousness: that He might be just, and the justifier of [sinners] which believe in Jesus” – Rom. 3:26
Jewish believers in Jesus have come believe that God never respected the death of animals on behalf of humans. Nor did the LORD esteem the blood of animals as something that is substantially precious and legally capable of remitting the sins of mankind. Therefore, from eternity past, and for the first 4,000 years of Church History, it was always the plan of God that “the sins of the whole world” throughout all time would be borne by the Man, Jesus Christ.
“Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of Him that was to come. But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one Man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification.” – Rom. 5:12-16
“For since by man came death, by Man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.” – 1 Cor. 15:21-22
Sin was not brought into the world through animals, and neither can it be taken out of the world by animals. The sin problem didn’t begin with animals, and neither will it end with animals. Since by man came sin and death, through the 1st Adam, even so by Man comes justification, righteousness, life, and the resurrection of the dead through the 2nd Adam (1 Cor. 15:45-49). Animals cannot impose themselves into the equation to solve the problem. The writer of Hebrews is very bold to say, “it is not possible” (Heb. 10:4)! However, the possibilities that have now been achieved through the incarnation and sacrifice of Jesus Christ are realized through the same framework of laws institutionalized in the Old Testament.
The Legal & Ceremonious Process of Imputation in the Old Testament
“Wherefore the Law was our Schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.” – Gal. 3:24
Even though animal sacrifices are unworthy to be compared to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, this comparison is made for the purpose of instruction, so that the true meaning of the Cross would be effectively communicated to those who are ignorant of the Doctrine of Justification by faith in a legal atonement. Specifically speaking, through Scripture we are enabled to see how the Old Testament imputation process sheds light on the Passion of Jesus Christ.
“And if the whole congregation of Israel sin through ignorance, and the thing be hid from the eyes of the assembly, and they have done somewhat against any of the commandments of the LORD concerning things which should not be done, and are guilty; When the sin, which they have sinned against it, is known, then the congregation shall offer a young bullock for the sin, and bring him before the tabernacle of the congregation. And the elders of the congregation shall lay their hands upon the head of the bullock before the LORD: and the bullock shall be killed before the LORD.” - Lev 4:13-15
“And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness:” - Lev 16:21 (Lev. 26:40)
The imputation process of animal sacrifices in the Law were gravely ceremonious before the LORD. If anything was amiss the provisional forgiveness granted in the shadow atonement would be null and void. In either of the two cases cited, with bulls or goats (Heb. 10:4; Lev. 4:13-15, 16:21), the men had to lay their hands upon the head of the animal and confess the sins for which they wanted an atonement before the LORD, and this symbolized the passing of the sin by imputation into the animal. Literally, this was a solemn and ceremonious act of legal proportions where the men were “putting” the iniquities, transgressions, and sins of the people “upon the head” of the animal (Lev. 16:21). Fearfully, when the transmission of sin was complete, then the killing of the animal commenced before the LORD (Lev. 4:15).
“The act of transference of sin to the victim next calls for our attention. You will have noticed, in reading the chapter, that our Lord’s being made sin is set forth to us by the very significant transfer of sin to the bullock, which was made by the priest, or by the elders of the people, as the case might be.” – C.H. Spurgeon, The Sin Offering
“This laying of the hand does not appear to have been a mere touch of contact, but in some other places of Scripture has the meaning of leaning heavily, as in the expression, “Your wrath lies hard upon me” (Ps. 88:7). Surely this is the very essence and nature of faith, which does not only bring us into contact with the great Substitute, but teaches us to lean upon Him with all the burden of our guilt, so that if our sins are very weighty, yet we see Him as able to bear them all. And mark, the whole weight of our iniquity taken off from us, who must have been crushed to the lowest hell thereby, and laid on Him who took the weight and bore it all, and then buried it in His sepulcher forever.” – C.H. Spurgeon, The Sin Offering
Considering the circumstances, imagine the painstaking effort of Aaron the High Priest on the Day of Atonement, as is detailed in Leviticus 16:1-34, when the annual responsibility to confess over the animal “all the iniquities of the children of Israel” fell upon his shoulders. A comprehensive account of the annual sins of the Israelites would have been kept by the Priesthood for this very purpose. With great concern each sin of every kind would have been recorded throughout the year so that it might be recollected and confessed on the Day of Atonement. Furthermore, with the sacrificial blood coming from “the goat of the sin-offering” (Lev. 16:15-16), Aaron was required to go into the sacred grounds of the Most Holy Place to sprinkle the Mercy Seat to make an atonement.
Howbeit, we know that Aaron the High Priest, and the Priesthood, and all the sacrifices of every ceremonious process of atonement contained in the Law, and especially those of the Day of Atonement and the Passover, were only shadows of a reality which was to be realized in Christ. Herein, the Schoolmaster directs us to open our eyes and see the enormity of what was taking place in the Passion of Jesus Christ.
“For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.” – 2 Cor. 5:21
“Here be careful to observe who transferred the sin. God the Father laid on Jesus the iniquities of us all. Man could not make Christ sin. Man could not transfer his guilt to another.’ – C.H. Spurgeon, Christ-Our Substitute
Knowing that it is impossible for mindless animals to intercede on behalf of men, whether in dying or in living, we can look with a discerning eye to behold the real thing happening with Jesus Christ the Righteous (1 Jn. 2:1). The Son of God was born into “the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin” (Rom. 8:3), that through “the body of Jesus Christ” there might be an Atonement (Heb. 10:10). The imputation of sin into the body of Jesus Christ is the key to understanding the Passion of Jesus Christ. Without controversy, this legal transmission of sin is exactly what brought unspeakable anguish upon “the Man of Sorrow” in the Garden of Gethsemane (Isa. 53:3).
“Thou shalt make His soul an offering for sin” – Isa. 53:10
“He shall bear their iniquities” – Isa. 53:11
“He bare the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressors” – Isa. 53:12
“the LORD hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all” – Isa. 53:6
“He is brought as a Lamb to the slaughter” – Isa. 53:7
“for the transgression of My people was He stricken” – Isa. 53:8
“Will not your love be excited when you think of the difficulty of this imputation? ‘He has made Him to be sin.’ None but God could have put sin upon Christ. It is well said that there is no lifting of sin from one person to another. There is no such thing, as far as we are concerned, but things which are impossible with man are possible with God.” – C.H. Spurgeon, Christ Made Sin
Everything else Jesus Christ ever suffered is peripheral compared to the very moment of imputation and the following ≈15 to 17 hours from Gethsemane to the Cross. With the physical and earthly torments of the Cross directly in view, Jesus Christ would not have prayed to be saved from it, when in fact He came unto this hour for the expressed purpose of it (John 12:27). The incarnation is for the crucifixion. Even though the Cross was a brutal instrument of execution, it did not intimidate the Son of God! The imputation of sin was the real cause of sorrow and anguish in the Passion of Jesus Christ.
“Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows” – Isa. 53:4
“[God] hath put Him to grief” – Isa. 53:10
“[God] shall see the travail of His soul, and shall be satisfied” – Isa. 53:11
In the bearing of the sins of the whole world, as a sin-burdened sacrifice, Jesus Christ was simultaneously burdened with the sorrow, grief, and travail of sinners. Not only did Jesus Christ take our sins to the Cross, but he also took our sorrows. The very moment Jesus Christ became a sinner in the sight of God the Father by imputation, He would have spiritually perceived the wrath of God directed toward His Person. This is a vertical situation that only the Lamb of God would behold. The imputation of sin at that moment necessarily meant that Jesus Christ must face the wrath of God for the next ≈15 to 17 hours, from the Garden of Gethsemane to the very moment of death on the Cross.
