Travail

“Then they went to a place called Gethsemane; and Jesus said to His disciples, “Sit down here until I have prayed.” He took Peter and James and John with Him, and He began to be deeply distressed and troubled [extremely anguished at the prospect of what was to come]. And He said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved and overwhelmed with sorrow, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch.” After going a little farther, He fell to the ground [distressed by the weight of His spiritual burden] and began to pray that if it were possible [in the Father’s will], the hour [of suffering and death for the sins of mankind] might pass from Him. He was saying, “Abba, Father! All things are possible for You; take this cup [of judgment] away from Me; but not what I will, but what You will.” And He came back and found them sleeping, and He said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Were you unable to keep watch for one hour? Keep [actively] watching and praying so that you do not come into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the body is weak.” He went away again and prayed, saying the same words. And again He came back and found them sleeping, because their eyes were very heavy; and they did not know how to answer Him. He came back a third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough [of that]! The hour has come. (Mark 14:32-41)

The word TRAVAIL means to suffer the pangs of labor (as in childbirth) and to toil or exert oneself. It also means to be burdened with difficult, painful hardship. Anyone reading this who has given birth to a child knows exactly what travail means in the physical. It’s almost difficult to put into words how both awful and beautiful it is. We see here in the scriptures a form of that travail as a labor of the spirit!

Jesus even used childbirth as an example to his disciples when foretelling of His crucifixion, death, and resurrection. He said “A woman, when she is in labor, has pain because her time [to give birth] has come; but when she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish because of her joy that a child has come into the world.” (John 16:21)

Jesus was in deep travail in the Garden of Gethsemane, as He knew His time of crucifixion and death were imminent. This event was described in all four Gospels (Matthew 26:36-56, Mark 14:32-52, Luke 22:40-53 and John 18:1-11). The scriptures tell us that Jesus was distressed, sorrowed, troubled, grieved, and overwhelmed, but it is the Gospel of Luke that gives the most poignant description of His travail:

“And being in agony [deeply distressed and anguished; almost to the point of death], He prayed more intently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down on the ground.” (Luke 22:44)

This is such an important description in many ways. To labor so great in a task that one’s sweat contains blood is a scientific possibility, but a rare occurrence. It denotes the depth of Jesus’ determination to obey the will of God the Father, even unto death (Philippians 2:8).

This act also fits the scene in which it is taking place. The word we know as Gethsemane is actually made up of two Hebrew words GAT and SHMANIM. Gat means a winepress. Shmanim means oils. Together they mean “the place where olive oil is pressed.”

We know that biblically OIL IS A BIG DEAL! In the Bible, oil was used to appoint, anoint, and consecrate people for their divine and holy purpose, set forth by God. Today, we receive our appointment, anointing, and consecration through God’s Holy Spirit Who comes to dwell in the believer of Jesus Christ. Thus oil is symbolic of God’s Spirit and presence.

But what is so interesting about Jesus’ travail in the garden of Gethsemane is the symbolism of olives being pressed for their oil. His suffering (in the garden and on the cross) allowed the Holy Spirit to be poured out on those who believe in Him, like olives that are pressed for their oil which is poured out on God’s chosen vessel.  He was being pressed, with a great burden, knowing that He alone was to be the atonement for the sins of mankind, and that for Him to fulfill this purpose, He would have to suffer and die in glory! THANK YOU LORD JESUS for taking my place and paying my price for my sins!

So how does this spiritual travail apply to the believer today? We most definitely are not bearing the burden Jesus Christ bore. But we, as believers and followers of Christ (which means ANOINTED ONE btw 😊), will experience times of spiritual travail.

I love how bible teacher James Goll describes this experience:

“Travail takes place after you have carried something in your heart for a period of time, but it comes on you suddenly. Travail can be associated with the prayer of tears, but does not require it. It is preceded by nurturing the promise; later the strategic time comes to push that promise forth through the prayer canal. Finally you realize that the promise has been born, and you are greatly relieved when the delivery is over!”

“The prayer of travail is God desiring to create an "opening" to bring forth a measure of life or growth. If the "opening" was already in place, there would not be the need for travail. Just as the "opening" of the natural womb is enlarged to bring forth the baby, so travail creates an "opening" or "way," whereas before the opening or way was closed. With travail, there is always a way opened for life, newness, change, or growth.”

Can I just stop right here for a moment?

When Jesus said “…“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6), he was also referring to Himself being the Way-Maker! And that for us to receive the promise of eternal life with God, we would have to be born again of the Spirit through Jesus Christ. Can I get a HALLELUJAH!!!! And Jesus made this possible by His travail here on earth!

In Goll’s article on travail called “Eight Barren, Desperate Women,” He discusses this process of spiritual travail and even uses the story of Elijah praying for rain in 1 Kings 18 as an example of this experience.

“Now Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink, for there is the sound of the roar of an abundance of rain.” So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he crouched down to the earth and put his face between his knees, and he said to his servant, “Go up, look toward the sea.” So he went up and looked and said, “There is nothing.” Elijah said, “Go back” seven times. And at the seventh time the servant said, “A cloud as small as a man’s hand is coming up from the sea.” And Elijah said, “Go up, say to Ahab, ‘Prepare your chariot and go down, so that the rain shower does not stop you.’” In a little while the sky grew dark with clouds and wind, and there were heavy showers. And Ahab mounted and rode [his chariot] and went [inland] to Jezreel. Then the hand of the Lord came upon Elijah [giving him supernatural strength]. He girded up his loins and outran Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel [nearly twenty miles].” (1 Kings 18:41-46)

I love the imagery here! Elijah knew that rain was going to come, even before there was an “outward” sign of the rain. Just like a heavily pregnant woman who knows she will soon be holding a baby. Elijah then went away and began travailing in prayer, so much so that he was doubled over with his head between his knees. Now I don’t know how much you know about childbirth, but at the height of a woman’s labor (as she is pushing), often a woman’s knees are pointed back towards her head, and it is a process that can take several “pushes” before the baby is born. Elijah experienced that process of “pushing” in prayer as he would pray and ask the servant to see if there was a sign of the rain. If there was no sign, he would “push” in prayer again, then ask again. Eventually, a small cloud was manifested and Elijah rejoiced! He knew that small cloud would grow, and that it would produce much rain.

Can I encourage you today? Whatever the Lord has put in your heart and spirit to do, He will be faithful to bring it forth, as long as you are willing to “push” in prayer, to “push” in faith, to “push” in hope. Be willing to “push” past what you see in the natural (your circumstances/ situation) and take hold of God’s promise in the spirit until it manifests in the natural.

Trust this: God would not plant a seed in you and then abandon you. He assures us in Isaiah 55:10-11

“For as the rain and snow come down from heaven, and do not return there without watering the earth, making it bear and sprout, and providing seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so will My word be which goes out of My mouth; It will not return to Me void (useless, without result), without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.”

The process of travail is not easy, I can assure you of that. But it is sooo worth it! Like the process of childbirth, which can be agonizing and you may even say in the midst of it “I’m never doing this again!,” yet all the pain and trouble is forgotten once you have that beautiful prize in your arms.

Like Jesus, you may find yourself in a garden of “pressing,” surrounded by darkness, all alone, but this can be the place of your greatest breakthrough! Notice that Jesus had three of his most trusted disciples follow Him into the garden, but when it came down to travailing and bringing forth the promise, Jesus was by Himself. There are going to be times when you will not have people on the sidelines there to cheer you on, or to encourage you to keep going, but God is always with you! He will be the one to bring the promise forth and He will be the one to Whom all the glory is due. No one will be able to lay claim on the breakthrough, but God!!!

And take heart, all the trouble and pain will be forgotten as soon as you take hold of the manifestation of God’s promise to you. You will, like Elijah, gird yourself up and outrun the enemy in glorious victory! Stand fast in your faith. Hold on to God, Who is steady and unchanging. And press on!

Paul said it perfectly in Philippians 3:13-14 “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”

So I encourage you brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ, PRESS ON! The prize is within your grasp. Just reach forward to those things that are before you! PRESS ON, PRESS ON, PRESS ON.

God bless you!