Luke 22:44, (KJV)

“And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.”

We know that no scripture is of any private interpretation, so if I were to be presumptuous maybe you would do well to bear with my folly for a little bit, but if it be that what I say matches the Word of God then it can help you as it does me. As one of the words in this passage… Hebrews 2:1 also says

Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.

The context described how Jesus was ministered to in prayer by his earnest prayer and was enabled to pray more earnestly, but his disciples didn’t fall asleep for weariness, but for sorrow will weary the flesh. If you want to look for yourself check the link in the verse above. Luke being a physician would have not only been familiar with the phenomenon of sadness exhaustion, and would have focused on this part of Christ’ life.

And The first word of the verse is and, which while being a conjunction sometimes carries the weight of an increased proclamation.

Being the second word, this word is in the place that Christ represents to us and is not just a state of being verb, but has other implications in scripture linking this passage to 1 Corinthians 4:12, And labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it: pointing towards the passion of Christ toward the Church in the garden is an example for us to have the same kind of faith even if it’s just people speaking evil of Christians.

Agony is the fifth word, like unto death that has five letters and was in preparation for his crucifixion. Christ couldn’t have been in agony over his own demise because of his actions before pilot and on the cross. As far as I know this is the only mention of the word agony in the entire scripture; therefore, without this agony or the death of Christ there could not be the grace that was shown to man for us to be reconciled to God. In fact in the psalms it was prophecied of him with a related word, anguish…Psalm 119:143, Trouble and anguish have taken hold on me: yet thy commandments are my delights. As in Jeremiah 6:24, We have heard the fame thereof: our hands wax feeble: anguish hath taken hold of us, and pain, as of a woman in travail. The agony was for us as Christ was the second Adam and the part of Adam made from his lower rib was cursed in Genesis 3:16 to have increased sorrow and conception. This Agony was for a birth, and the sweat was as a woman in travail.

Prayed is in the seventh position, the position of perfection for no small reason. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much is what the Bible says, and Jesus had no lack in any of those things. Most of us in agony and sorrow would simply fall asleep, but Jesus labored in prayer. He left this high calling to his followers, and so as a pastor it’s your job to follow him by prayer continually and as a layman it’s your job to pray for the pastor.

Beyond this we have a describing passage that includes a phrase replete in the Word of God, “As it were”. This phrase is used to descibe God’s appearance to the 74 elders of Israel, a plague of leprosy, and the fire of the cloud of smoke as it sanctified the temple. It’s always an appearance in estimation, and as such could be justifiable to say they were drops of blood or to say they were just great drops of sweat. The importance is placed upon as women in labor often sweat profusely till they drop down completing the picture of Christ birthing the church.

In the end of the day what does this even matter to me? It’s a nice thought, but what use is it in my life? The answer is plain in the suffering that the most excruciating pain that can be endured Christ went through before enduring the cross as well despising the shame. What shame do you have to suffer for Christ? He offered to buy, birth, and make you his bride to “whosoever will”. What more could he have done for you and yet men reject him, for lack of willingness all because of one word… pride. All this he did for you inorder to help you overcome that little nagging pride. We can’t expect Karen’s, Homosexual’s, Narcissist’s, or even other Christian’s to get over their pride when we don’t let the Word of God dwell in us to overcome our pride first? Judgment must begin at the house of God.