Road to Easter | Road to Gethsemane | Pastor Eleah Tercero

Read:  Luke 22:1-46

On the road to Gethsemane, we meet three individuals who teach us a few things about God and about ourselves. 

We first meet Judas. He had walked with Jesus, he had seen the miracles, he had heard the teachings, but he preferred the certainty of money and influence over intimacy with Jesus. We learn that…

1. Proximity does not equal intimacy: Just because we have grown up around church or heard about Jesus, or even seen him work in the lives of our friends or family members, it does not mean we have come close for ourselves. 

Next, we see the disciples in the upper room. Jesus expresses his grief to them, tells them about the new promise and the new kingdom he has come to establish, but they get distracted by comparison and figuring out who was the greatest among them. 

2.  Power does not equal privilege: Jesus came to establish an upside down kingdom where leaders are called to be servants, where the first are called to be last, and where power is meant to be given away. In this Kingdom, power does not come with privilege, it comes with a towel and a bowl of water. 

And finally, we make our way to the Garden of Gethsemane, or “the garden of crushing” as it translates. We finally get a glimpse of just what it is going to take to fully bring this kingdom of Heaven to Earth. 

For this Kingdom to be established, the King would have to be crushed. He would have to perform the ultimate act of sacrifice, love, and humility. Not as a conquering hero, destroying his enemies, but as a crucified savior, loving them. Jesus shows us that in this kingdom, it is about…

3.  Surrender over certainty: In a powerful moment of tension, we see our Savior surrender his will to the will of His Father. The way to bring this heavenly kingdom would cost Jesus everything. And because of his love for the Father and his love for the world, he lays down his will and prepares to pick up a cross. 

5 Discussion Questions for Young Adults

1. Judas chose certainty (money, influence) over intimacy with Jesus. In what ways are we tempted to do the same in our own lives, and what does true intimacy with Jesus actually look like?
2. How can someone be close to church or spiritual things but still distant from God? What are practical ways we can move from proximity to genuine relationship?
3. The disciples were focused on status while Jesus was talking about sacrifice. Why do you think we so naturally drift toward comparison and recognition, even in spiritual spaces?
4. Jesus redefines power through servanthood. What would it look like in your daily life (work, church, relationships) to live as if “power comes with a towel and a bowl” instead of privilege?
5. In Gethsemane, Jesus models surrender over certainty. What is an area of your life right now where you are being invited to trust God and surrender your own plans or desires?