The Jesus Way
Each week our staff members have prepared 5 Days of devotional readings for you. Please follow along as we study to participate in The Jesus Way.
WEEK SIX - The way of the Garden
Day One | A Reflection from Both Gardens by Steven Rossi
As we continue through the “Way of Jesus”, we make our way into Gethsemane to follow Jesus in the Way of the Garden. We know that Jesus is both fully human and fully God, but here in The Garden of Gethsemane we see Jesus’ humanity on full display. In this quiet, dark, and almost ominous scene before His arrest, Jesus faced the weight of the suffering He would soon endure for all of humanity’s sins. It is here where we see all that Christ’s life has been leading to and where he is tested between following his fear and being obedient to the Father’s will. The way of Jesus here in this garden teaches us how to face life’s hardest moments with honesty, vulnerability, and a heart fully surrendered to God’s will.
In Gethsemane, Jesus prayed, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death” (Matthew 26:38). He felt the immense pressure of His coming situation and still prayed, “not as I will, but as You will” (Matthew 26:39). This is a clear moment of emotion where we see Jesus’ humanity on full display, and we see Jesus choose obedience even when it meant unimaginable suffering. His willingness to submit to the Father’s will, despite His deep anguish, shows us how to trust God, especially when life is hard.
The story from the Garden of Gethsemane echoes another garden, the Garden of Eden. In this Garden Adam and Eve faced their test. They could follow God’s command and trust Him, or they could assert their own will. They chose the latter, disobeying God and ushering sin into the world. The Garden of Eden, though meant to be the center of their relationship with God, became the birthplace of humanity’s brokenness. Where Adam and Eve said, “My will be done,” Jesus, in Gethsemane, said “Thy will be done.” While Eden was the place of humanity’s fall, where our relationship with God was shattered by disobedience, Gethsemane became the place of Jesus’ obedience, where the path to redemption began. Simply put, the biggest difference between the two gardens is that Jesus chose what Adam and Eve could not: to trust God fully.
In following Jesus, we are sure to face our own moments in a garden. There will be times when doing what God asks feels difficult, painful, or simply undesirable. We may be unsure why things happen or why our life feels so hard, but in those moments, we have a choice. We can be like Adam and Eve or like Jesus. We can choose to follow our own way, or like Jesus, we can be honest to God about our desires, but ultimately submit to God’s will.
BIBLE READING: Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-10; Matthew 26:36-46
THINKING DEEP
Why was it so significant that Jesus is both fully human and God? How might submitting to God’s will be easier when we remember his humanity and deity at the same time? When comparing the two garden experiences, which choice do you think would be more difficult?
DO WHAT JESUS DID
Identify times in your life when you can remember being tempted between following God’s plan and following your own. Pray now while you are not in such temptation and ask God to prepare your heart to follow Him no matter the cost.
In Gethsemane, Jesus prayed, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death” (Matthew 26:38). He felt the immense pressure of His coming situation and still prayed, “not as I will, but as You will” (Matthew 26:39). This is a clear moment of emotion where we see Jesus’ humanity on full display, and we see Jesus choose obedience even when it meant unimaginable suffering. His willingness to submit to the Father’s will, despite His deep anguish, shows us how to trust God, especially when life is hard.
The story from the Garden of Gethsemane echoes another garden, the Garden of Eden. In this Garden Adam and Eve faced their test. They could follow God’s command and trust Him, or they could assert their own will. They chose the latter, disobeying God and ushering sin into the world. The Garden of Eden, though meant to be the center of their relationship with God, became the birthplace of humanity’s brokenness. Where Adam and Eve said, “My will be done,” Jesus, in Gethsemane, said “Thy will be done.” While Eden was the place of humanity’s fall, where our relationship with God was shattered by disobedience, Gethsemane became the place of Jesus’ obedience, where the path to redemption began. Simply put, the biggest difference between the two gardens is that Jesus chose what Adam and Eve could not: to trust God fully.
In following Jesus, we are sure to face our own moments in a garden. There will be times when doing what God asks feels difficult, painful, or simply undesirable. We may be unsure why things happen or why our life feels so hard, but in those moments, we have a choice. We can be like Adam and Eve or like Jesus. We can choose to follow our own way, or like Jesus, we can be honest to God about our desires, but ultimately submit to God’s will.
BIBLE READING: Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-10; Matthew 26:36-46
THINKING DEEP
Why was it so significant that Jesus is both fully human and God? How might submitting to God’s will be easier when we remember his humanity and deity at the same time? When comparing the two garden experiences, which choice do you think would be more difficult?
DO WHAT JESUS DID
Identify times in your life when you can remember being tempted between following God’s plan and following your own. Pray now while you are not in such temptation and ask God to prepare your heart to follow Him no matter the cost.
Day Two | Perfect Submission by Emily Rossi
This past year in High School Ministry, we closed out our 2023/2024 school year by studying the book of Jonah. It’s a story that is familiar to most and we can giggle about how smelly or gross it would be to be swallowed by a giant whale and what we would do trapped and bored in the belly of a fish for 3 days and 3 nights. But as we dove into scripture deeper, we learned so much about God’s will. God asks Jonah to get up and go to the great city of Nineveh, and Jonah turns and runs the opposite direction. Of course, his consequences as you read on, are catastrophic. I haven’t personally met anyone who has spent time in the belly of a giant fish, but I know from experience that when we don’t do what God asks of us, there are consequences. Yet God, in his mighty power finds a way to make his glory and grace known, even in the story of Jonah.
In God’s great grace for Jonah, he gives Jonah a second chance and releases him from the belly of the fish. He finally obeys the Lord and a miraculous thing happens: the king of Nineveh steps down and orders his city to pray earnestly to God. They stop their wicked ways, and the Lord does not carry out his destruction of the city. Then Jonah, in his imperfect submission, is annoyed at God and regrets his obedience. But God, in this Old Testament story, shows his great love and mercy for all people, including the once wicked people of Nineveh.
What a contrast we see between Jonah’s unwilling submission to God’s commands and that of Jesus in Luke 22:39-46. Jesus is distraught here. He truly begs the Father for another way and is anguished to the point of sweating drops of blood. In earnest prayer we see our Savior humbly submit himself to God’s will despite his own emotions, feelings, and will. Could you imagine if he had chosen differently? That’s a dark thought that leaves us forever separated from God. Thank you, Jesus, for giving us the perfect example of obedience. When we carry burdens and feel darkness and pain and suffering, we can remember that Jesus carried the weight of the sin of the world. Yet His complete submission to the Father's will resulted in eternal redemption for all humanity! May we seek the same posture as Jesus, knowing that His will brings glory and honor to God!
BIBLE READING: Jonah 1:1-3, 15-17; Jonah 2:10; Jonah 3:3-10; & Luke 22:39-46
THINKING DEEP
Listen to the old hymn “Blessed Assurance” or look up the lyrics. Have you rested lately in the fact that Jesus paid it all for you? Spend some time with him praising him for what he has done!
DO WHAT JESUS DID
Do you know what the Father’s will is for you? Are you willing to follow it no matter the cost, like Jesus did? Do you have friends or family to hold you accountable to walk in the Lord’s will? Find someone this week who you can talk to about it and spend time in prayer submitting to God’s perfect will.
In God’s great grace for Jonah, he gives Jonah a second chance and releases him from the belly of the fish. He finally obeys the Lord and a miraculous thing happens: the king of Nineveh steps down and orders his city to pray earnestly to God. They stop their wicked ways, and the Lord does not carry out his destruction of the city. Then Jonah, in his imperfect submission, is annoyed at God and regrets his obedience. But God, in this Old Testament story, shows his great love and mercy for all people, including the once wicked people of Nineveh.
What a contrast we see between Jonah’s unwilling submission to God’s commands and that of Jesus in Luke 22:39-46. Jesus is distraught here. He truly begs the Father for another way and is anguished to the point of sweating drops of blood. In earnest prayer we see our Savior humbly submit himself to God’s will despite his own emotions, feelings, and will. Could you imagine if he had chosen differently? That’s a dark thought that leaves us forever separated from God. Thank you, Jesus, for giving us the perfect example of obedience. When we carry burdens and feel darkness and pain and suffering, we can remember that Jesus carried the weight of the sin of the world. Yet His complete submission to the Father's will resulted in eternal redemption for all humanity! May we seek the same posture as Jesus, knowing that His will brings glory and honor to God!
BIBLE READING: Jonah 1:1-3, 15-17; Jonah 2:10; Jonah 3:3-10; & Luke 22:39-46
THINKING DEEP
Listen to the old hymn “Blessed Assurance” or look up the lyrics. Have you rested lately in the fact that Jesus paid it all for you? Spend some time with him praising him for what he has done!
DO WHAT JESUS DID
Do you know what the Father’s will is for you? Are you willing to follow it no matter the cost, like Jesus did? Do you have friends or family to hold you accountable to walk in the Lord’s will? Find someone this week who you can talk to about it and spend time in prayer submitting to God’s perfect will.
Day Three | The Cost of Discipleship by Jason Gaither
Luke 14:33 - “So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.”
As a Christian, I have struggled with how Luke 14:33 is to be interpreted and applied to my life and how to follow Jesus literally. Should my family sell everything we own or give it all away? Is this what Jesus wants from us? Given the broader teachings and actions of Jesus, it does not seem that he requires literal abandonment of all possessions. Once again, we see that Jesus is speaking hyperbolically in Luke 14:33. But, in a sense, when we decide to follow Jesus, we do give up everything to him: our lives, our ambitions, our relationships, our talents, and our stuff. We recognize that God is the true owner of all that we consider to be ours, and we commit it all to him and his purposes.
Practically speaking, this means we will make tangible sacrifices in our lives, sometimes very costly ones. We will give a considerable amount of “our money” to God’s work in the world. Similarly, we will give a considerable amount of “our time” to the mission of the church, even as we seek to devote every moment to living missionally in our part of the world. As we do, we will discover the freedom and joy that comes from dying to ourselves and living to Christ.
THINKING DEEP
How do you respond to the message of Jesus in Luke 14:33? Is Jesus asking you to give something up to follow him more completely? What is the cost of not following Jesus?
As a Christian, I have struggled with how Luke 14:33 is to be interpreted and applied to my life and how to follow Jesus literally. Should my family sell everything we own or give it all away? Is this what Jesus wants from us? Given the broader teachings and actions of Jesus, it does not seem that he requires literal abandonment of all possessions. Once again, we see that Jesus is speaking hyperbolically in Luke 14:33. But, in a sense, when we decide to follow Jesus, we do give up everything to him: our lives, our ambitions, our relationships, our talents, and our stuff. We recognize that God is the true owner of all that we consider to be ours, and we commit it all to him and his purposes.
Practically speaking, this means we will make tangible sacrifices in our lives, sometimes very costly ones. We will give a considerable amount of “our money” to God’s work in the world. Similarly, we will give a considerable amount of “our time” to the mission of the church, even as we seek to devote every moment to living missionally in our part of the world. As we do, we will discover the freedom and joy that comes from dying to ourselves and living to Christ.
THINKING DEEP
How do you respond to the message of Jesus in Luke 14:33? Is Jesus asking you to give something up to follow him more completely? What is the cost of not following Jesus?
Day Four | An Emotional Jesus by Emily Rossi
In Matthew, we see Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane moments before he is going to be crucified. It’s one of the most personal glimpses into the relationship between Jesus and God the Father. Jesus, whose soul is “crushed with grief to the point of death” went to his Father with his deepest trouble. He also trusted the perfect plan God had for his future, even though it would cost him his life. Jesus trusted the will of his Father and prayed for God’s will to be done.
Throughout every story in Matthew, we see Jesus behave calmly, trusting the Father at every turn. Jesus relied on the Father to guide him, strengthen him and work through him. Jesus trusted that the Father’s will for him was perfect and right, just as we can. Jesus taught the disciples to live their lives the same way. He warned them that very soon he would be arrested and put to death for the sake of the world. If you read through Matthew chapter 26, you'll see the situation reaches a new level of intensity. The hour was at hand, and the circumstances were falling into place to put God’s plan into motion.
In these verses, we get a glimpse of Jesus as being fully man and fully God. We see his humanity in his anguish and grief. He was distressed as he was betrayed and abandoned by his disciples. Jesus was suffering in his soul as well as in his body. It was a sorrow that leads to death.
Every one of us has felt or can identify with deep sorrow on some level. At some point in our lives, most of us have felt these deep emotions, maybe even to the point of wishing we would die instead of suffering so much. These feelings are human. As we see here, even Jesus felt this way.
BIBLE READING: Matthew 26:36-46, Isaiah 55:1-13 and Luke 22:42
THINKING DEEP
Sometimes it’s easy to think that God doesn’t understand our sorrow and pain. We may tend to get angry and question why he would allow bad things to happen. The question is, do you turn to the Father in these times? Do you follow Jesus’ example and cry out to God with open arms, relinquishing your will for his? He brought his true raw emotions before the Father in prayer. Jesus knew that with the perfect sacrifice of his life on the cross he was accomplishing the will of the Father for all people for eternity.
DO WHAT JESUS DID
Do what Jesus did. Sit still. Cry out to God. Open your heart to what God may have for you in your sorrow, in your deep fear and unanswered questions and give your will to Him. Submit your way to Him no matter the cost and rest in Him knowing that his plans and purposes are greater than ours.
Throughout every story in Matthew, we see Jesus behave calmly, trusting the Father at every turn. Jesus relied on the Father to guide him, strengthen him and work through him. Jesus trusted that the Father’s will for him was perfect and right, just as we can. Jesus taught the disciples to live their lives the same way. He warned them that very soon he would be arrested and put to death for the sake of the world. If you read through Matthew chapter 26, you'll see the situation reaches a new level of intensity. The hour was at hand, and the circumstances were falling into place to put God’s plan into motion.
In these verses, we get a glimpse of Jesus as being fully man and fully God. We see his humanity in his anguish and grief. He was distressed as he was betrayed and abandoned by his disciples. Jesus was suffering in his soul as well as in his body. It was a sorrow that leads to death.
Every one of us has felt or can identify with deep sorrow on some level. At some point in our lives, most of us have felt these deep emotions, maybe even to the point of wishing we would die instead of suffering so much. These feelings are human. As we see here, even Jesus felt this way.
BIBLE READING: Matthew 26:36-46, Isaiah 55:1-13 and Luke 22:42
THINKING DEEP
Sometimes it’s easy to think that God doesn’t understand our sorrow and pain. We may tend to get angry and question why he would allow bad things to happen. The question is, do you turn to the Father in these times? Do you follow Jesus’ example and cry out to God with open arms, relinquishing your will for his? He brought his true raw emotions before the Father in prayer. Jesus knew that with the perfect sacrifice of his life on the cross he was accomplishing the will of the Father for all people for eternity.
DO WHAT JESUS DID
Do what Jesus did. Sit still. Cry out to God. Open your heart to what God may have for you in your sorrow, in your deep fear and unanswered questions and give your will to Him. Submit your way to Him no matter the cost and rest in Him knowing that his plans and purposes are greater than ours.
Day Five | Falling onto Our Faces in Prayer Like Jesus by Steven Rossi
In Matthew 26:39, we find Jesus in one of His most vulnerable moments: “And going a little farther, He fell on His face and prayed, saying, ‘My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.’” This scene in the Garden of Gethsemane is one of profound submission and trust. Jesus, fully aware of the agony and suffering that awaited Him at the cross, earnestly prayed to the Father. Yet, in His humanity, while He expressed a desire to avoid the upcoming pain, He still yielded completely to God’s will, saying, “not as I will, but as You will.”
Hebrews 5:7 gives further insight into this moment, stating that Jesus “offered up pray
ers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to Him who was able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverence.” Even as He prayed for deliverance, Jesus' deepest desire was to fulfill the will of the Father, which meant enduring the cross for the salvation of humanity. His reverent submission was not about escaping suffering but rather about trusting in the Father's perfect plan.
Jesus' submission in Gethsemane shows us what it means to align ourselves with God’s will, even when it’s hard or painful. When I ponder the scene of Jesus physically prostrate, I marvel at how the King of the universe, would humble himself in this way. The man worthy of all glory, honor, and praise, lowers his head and body in an uncharacteristic act and example to us of how to worship the Father in trust and submission. His example teaches us that true worship and obedience come when we submit our desires, even our fears, to God’s greater purpose.
This same call to humble submission is echoed in Job 38, where God responds to Job from the whirlwind, questioning, “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?” (Job 38:4). God’s response reminds Job, and us, of the vastness of God’s wisdom and power, and how limited our understanding truly is. In recognizing God’s greatness and our place in His creation, we can respond in worship, just as Jesus did in the garden. We are invited to lay down our will and trust in God’s perfect plans.
When we understand God’s rightful place as the sovereign Creator and our rightful place as His creation, we are freed to worship Him fully. Through worshipful submission, we can experience the peace and joy that come from trusting in our loving and sovereign God.
BIBLE READING: Matthew 26:38-39; Hebrews 5:7; Job 38
THINKING DEEP
Jesus was obedient to the Father in all aspects of attitude, physical posture and submission to the Father’s will. In what ways can you follow His example? i.e. submitting to the will of the Father over my own will? Bowing myself showing my submission?
DO WHAT JESUS DID
Read Job 38 and allow yourself to be put into the proper perspective of who you are and who God is. How big, powerful, and significant are you, in light of who God is? If you are able, posture yourself in such a way, like Jesus did, that your whole self is submitted to the Father. Worship God in all his power and might and seek His will for your life!
Hebrews 5:7 gives further insight into this moment, stating that Jesus “offered up pray
ers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to Him who was able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverence.” Even as He prayed for deliverance, Jesus' deepest desire was to fulfill the will of the Father, which meant enduring the cross for the salvation of humanity. His reverent submission was not about escaping suffering but rather about trusting in the Father's perfect plan.
Jesus' submission in Gethsemane shows us what it means to align ourselves with God’s will, even when it’s hard or painful. When I ponder the scene of Jesus physically prostrate, I marvel at how the King of the universe, would humble himself in this way. The man worthy of all glory, honor, and praise, lowers his head and body in an uncharacteristic act and example to us of how to worship the Father in trust and submission. His example teaches us that true worship and obedience come when we submit our desires, even our fears, to God’s greater purpose.
This same call to humble submission is echoed in Job 38, where God responds to Job from the whirlwind, questioning, “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?” (Job 38:4). God’s response reminds Job, and us, of the vastness of God’s wisdom and power, and how limited our understanding truly is. In recognizing God’s greatness and our place in His creation, we can respond in worship, just as Jesus did in the garden. We are invited to lay down our will and trust in God’s perfect plans.
When we understand God’s rightful place as the sovereign Creator and our rightful place as His creation, we are freed to worship Him fully. Through worshipful submission, we can experience the peace and joy that come from trusting in our loving and sovereign God.
BIBLE READING: Matthew 26:38-39; Hebrews 5:7; Job 38
THINKING DEEP
Jesus was obedient to the Father in all aspects of attitude, physical posture and submission to the Father’s will. In what ways can you follow His example? i.e. submitting to the will of the Father over my own will? Bowing myself showing my submission?
DO WHAT JESUS DID
Read Job 38 and allow yourself to be put into the proper perspective of who you are and who God is. How big, powerful, and significant are you, in light of who God is? If you are able, posture yourself in such a way, like Jesus did, that your whole self is submitted to the Father. Worship God in all his power and might and seek His will for your life!
