Introduction
‘Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, ‘Sit here while I go over there and pray.’ Matthew 26:36
Apart from His upcoming crucifixion, this must have been one of the most agonising events in Jesus’ life, and as we go through the account, we can only imagine the emotional and spiritual pain Jesus is going through.
Gethsemane
The name Gethsemane means ‘oil press’, which suggests that the garden was a grove of olive trees in which was located an oil press. The Garden of Olives as it is also called is located to the east of the Kidron Valley, between the path up the mountain and the busy Jericho Road.
John tells us that when Jesus had finished praying, He and His disciples went and crossed the Kidron Valley and went to a garden on the other side, John 18:1.
The Kidron valley east of Jerusalem, separating the Mount of Olives from the Temple Mount, was the route taken by David when he fled from the city because of Absalom, 2 Samuel 15:23 and it has a significant place in the history of the nation, in 1 Kings 15:13, it’s where Asa burned the ‘abominable image’, in 2 Kings 23:4ff it’s where Josiah burned the idolatrous vessels out of the temple, in 2 Chronicles 29:16ff it’s where it involved in the cleansing of the temple by Hezekiah.
From the altar of sacrifice in the temple, there was a channel down to the brook Kidron, and through that channel, the blood of the lambs drained away.
When Jesus crossed the brook Kidron it would still be red with the blood of the lambs which had been sacrificed. The ‘valley’, ‘cheimorrhos’, literally means, ‘winter-flowing’, a stream which flowed only in winter or after heavy rain. A ‘garden’, ‘Gethsemane’ means ‘oil press’, Luke 22:39.
It was a private garden, Mark 14:32. ‘Place’, ‘chorion’, an enclosed piece of ground, so the owner must have given permission for Jesus and the disciples to use it.
The owner was probably a friend of Jesus as Jesus often went there. Notice Luke 21:37, this probably means that Jesus and His disciples used to shelter there, sleeping in the open air, and probably in this very garden.
The Garden
Located on the slopes of Mount of Olives, precise location unknown, the present ‘Garden of Gethsemane’ is very old, and the original garden must have been close by, but nobody can say with certainty exactly where it is.
This wasn’t the first time Jesus came here to pray, Luke 22:39 / John 18:2 and so, it’s easy to understand why Judas knew exactly where Jesus would be when it comes to Him being arrested.
‘He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Matthew 36:37
Mark tells us that whilst they were in the garden, Jesus left the other eight disciples at a distance, but took Peter, James and John, in their inner circle of friends with him to a quiet isolated place in order for Him to pray, Mark 14:32-33 / Matthew 26:37 / Matthew 4:21 / Matthew 17:1.
‘Then he said to them, ‘My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.’ Matthew 26:38
Matthew and Mark tell us a little more detail about Jesus’ emotional state, ‘My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,’ Matthew 26:38 / Mark 14:34.
While Jesus went to pray, they were to stay and keep watch, and pray that they won’t fall into temptation, Mark 14:34 / Luke 22:40.
It’s clear that even though the disciples seem to be oblivious to what Jesus was going through and about to go through, Jesus Himself knew exactly what was coming up.
He knew that the cross was awaiting Him, and He knew He was about to carry the sin of the world on His shoulders, John 12:27 / Hebrews 5:7.
It was time to express exactly what was going through His mind, it was time and go and pour His heart out to His Father, and so He asked Peter, James and John to stand guard and keep watch because He knew that the mob was coming with Judas, His betrayer, to arrest Him.
Jesus First Prayer
‘Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.’ Matthew 26:39
Luke only records Jesus first prayer, Luke 22:41-42. Jesus’ outpouring of His heart towards His Father, shows the real love He had for His Father, Matthew 26:39 / Mark 14:35-36 / Luke 22:41-42 / Matthew 6:9. This highlights the closeness of their relationship, a Father and Son relationship.
Remember earlier Jesus taught the disciples to pray, ‘our Father’, Matthew 6:9, but notice here that Jesus addressed the Father as ‘My’ Father, if this doesn’t show us that God the Father was the unique Father of the Son, and the Son was the unique Son of God the Father, I don’t know what will, John 3:16.
We know that all things are possible for God, but if mankind was to be saved, then this couldn’t possibly be removed. Jesus knew exactly what was coming up, ‘the cup’ symbolised suffering and He knew the eternal destiny of mankind was upon His shoulders, Matthew 20:22.
We know that He gladly went to the cross but not without expressing very real human emotions about it, He was fully Deity, but He was also fully human.
His choice which on the surface seems simple enough, was either His Father’s will or His own, Mark 14:36 / Luke 22:42 / John 6:38, but His human side was full of sorrow, as God in the flesh He knew what the plan was but as a human, the thought of it was overwhelming, Hebrews 5:7, He knew He had to be obedient even unto death, Philippians 2:8 / Hebrews 5:8.
‘Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. ‘Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?’ he asked Peter. ‘Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.’ Matthew 26:40-41
The disciples were sleeping when Jesus returned, Matthew 26:40-41 / Mark 14:37 / Luke 22:45-46. He specifically asks Simon a question and seems surprised that he was asleep, Matthew 26:40 / Mark 14:37.
Notice why the disciples fell asleep, they were ‘exhausted from sorrow,’ Luke 22:45. Scientists have actually proven that sleeping really helps relieve stress and anxiety.
Jesus asks them to watch and pray, Matthew 26:41 / Mark 14:38 but notice He didn’t ask them to pray for Him, they had to pray for themselves as they were about to go through their own spiritual ordeal.
We often get the impression that Jesus’ left the disciples, prayed and a few moments later comes back to the disciples, but notice that Jesus actually prayed for ‘one hour’, Matthew 26:40 / Mark 14:37, which implies, that the words we have recorded for His prayers were all that He actually said, He obviously must have waited on some kind of reply from the Father and was in agony for that period of time.
Falling into temptation is a real danger for all Christians because the flesh is weak, Matthew 26:41 / Mark 14:38. This is the reality of sin, we may not want to sin or purposely get involved in sin, but we should never underestimate the power of those temptations which can lead us into sin, Galatians 5:17 / James 1:13-14.
Jesus Second Prayer
‘He went away a second time and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done. When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy.’ Matthew 26:42-43
Jesus now prays for the second time and pray the same prayer as before. Once again, His choice which on the surface seems simple enough, was either His Father’s will or His own, Mark 14:36 / Luke 22:42 / John 6:38.
The first prayer of Jesus was asking God if it was possible to remove the cup of suffering which was coming His way but here, He acknowledges that it’s not possible, in other words, there is no other way to save mankind, so His Father’s will, will be done, Mark 10:38-39 / Isaiah 50:5.
Because the disciples ‘eyes are heavy’ Matthew 26:43 / Mark 14:40, tells us they were under a lot of stress too, probably because of everything which has happened up to this point, especially during the Last Supper. They too were emotional, physically and spiritually exhausted. The disciples were so tired they didn’t know what to say to Jesus.
Jesus Third Prayer
‘So, he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing.’ Matthew 26:44
Jesus now prays for the third time and prays the same prayer as before, Matthew 26:43-44 / Mark 14:41.
Why did He repeat His prayer in Gethsemane?
Plummer, in his commentary, says the following.
‘We may reverently suppose that He Himself knew that the first utterance of the prayer hadn’t been complete in its success. His human will wasn’t yet in absolute unison with the will of his Father and, in this way, we may trace progress between the first prayer and the second.’
‘In both cases, the prayer is made conditional, but in the first the condition is positive, and in the second it is negative. ‘If it is possible’ has become ‘If it is not possible’, and there’s no longer any petition that the cup be removed. We may believe that in the third prayer, even if the same words were used, the ‘if’ has become equivalent to ‘since’, ‘since this cup cannot pass from me, thy will be done.’
While they were sleeping Jesus was receiving another kind of strength, He received strength from an angel, Luke 22:43-44 / Matthew 4:11 / Hebrews 1:14.
Theory
There is a theory about what’s going on here in reference to ‘drops of blood,’ Luke 22:44. Although this medical condition is relatively rare, according to Dr Frederick Zugibe, it’s well known, and there have been many cases of it, the clinical term is ‘hematohidrosis.’
Around the sweat glands, there are multiple blood vessels in a net-like form and under the pressure of great stress, the vessels constrict. Then as the anxiety passes ‘the blood vessels dilate to the point of rupture. The blood goes into the sweat glands.’ As the sweat glands are producing a lot of sweat, it pushes the blood to the surface, coming out as droplets of blood.
Now I said that this was a ‘theory’ and I’m not denying this condition exists, however, I don’t believe this is what’s happening here with Jesus.
Notice Luke the physician’s words, he says, ‘his sweat was like drops of blood,’ he uses the word, ‘like’ which tells us that it wasn’t actually drops of blood but ‘like’ drops of blood. In other words, His sweat wasn’t literal blood, but the sweat fell from His face as if it were blood.
When writers of the Bible are trying their best to describe something which they find difficult to explain, they often use words like, ‘seems like’, ‘looks like’, ‘sounds like’, Acts 2:1-3.
If this text shows us anything, it shows us the intensity of His anguish, He knew exactly what was coming up and as a result, he’s sweating so hard, Luke writes that it looked like blood falling to the ground. No wonder an angel came to strengthen Him.
‘Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour has come, and the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners. Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!” Matthew 26:45-46
When Jesus returned, He asks if the disciples were still sleeping and reasting, Matthew 26:45 / Mark 14:41 / Luke 22:45-46. The betrayer, that is Judas, is coming with the mob, Matthew 26:46 / Mark 14:42, and they need to be alert, this isn’t the time for sleeping but a time for spiritual warfare preparation.
As Christians we must always be on our guard, we must always watch and pray because our enemy the devil is seeking to destroy us, 1 Peter 5:9.
While the disciples are still sleeping, the time has now come for Jesus to eventually go to the cross, it was the time of the betrayal, the trial and the crucifixion of the Son of God, John 2:4 / John 12:33.
The time had come to fulfil the eternal scheme of redemption that God had planned before the foundation of the world, Ephesians 3:8-11 / Revelation 13:8.
It was time for Jesus, the head crusher to fulfil the promise of Genesis 3:15. Satan would be crushed by the sacrifice of the Son of God. However, the heel of the Son would be bruised by the necessity of His death on the cross. It was time for Jesus to pay a sacrificed price for our deliverance from sin.
As predicted by Jesus, the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified, Matthew 26:1-5. Jesus has no intention of trying to run away and hide, He’s headed straight towards the mob like a man who’s fully embraced the will of His Father. Jesus chose the will of His Father whilst Judas chose the will of his own pocket, John 12:6 / Matthew 26:15.
What exactly was Jesus struggling with? Have you ever wondered what Christ’s struggle was all about? What was the source of Jesus’ great stress and anguish?
Clearly, He was in intense spiritual agony, but the reason for that anguish is because He has to make a decision. The same decision that Adam had to make and the same decision that you and I have to make.
Will I do what I want? Or will I do what God wants? God asked such a small thing of Adam, He put him in a beautiful paradise, and told him to have anything he wanted, but just don’t touch that one tree, Genesis 2:17, that’s all He asked of Adam.
But what did He ask of Jesus? He asked Him to go and hang on a tree. That’s what Jesus was wrestling with and when He left Gethsemane, we know what His decision was because He didn’t back down.
Do you know why? Jesus died before He was killed. He died to self, He died to personal ambition, He died to personal desire. He died before He was killed, Jesus didn’t moan, He didn’t walk to the cross like a victim. He marched to the cross as a man who had fully embraced the will of His Father, John 10:17-18.
Jesus had to make that decision, but He didn’t have to choose to carry it out. Throughout His ministry, He could have stepped back into heaven at any time.
Even the devil knew that, as you know from Matthew 4 after Satan had failed to tempt Jesus, God sent angels to care for Jesus, Matthew 4:11. I believe Jesus could have returned to His Father right there and then. And again, in Matthew 17 when Jesus spoke with Elijah and Moses, He could have returned with them.
He could have avoided the cross, but not if He wanted to accomplish the longing of His Father’s heart. His Father loved the lost children of the world and their only hope, was a perfect substitute, to take the penalty that they deserve. Jesus loved His Father and He knew what His Father wanted.
Conclusion
We only get a tiny glimpse, and we can only but imagine the agony which Christ went through here in Gethsemane, but we must never forget that He went through it all and chose His Father’s will in order for sinners to be saved, even today. When He was faced with a difficult decision, and His closest friends let Him down, He poured His heart out to His Father.
As Christians today, we too will have many times in our lives when we’re faced with our Gethsemane moments, there will be times when we feel let down by our family, friends, and even brothers and sisters in Christ, but it’s then, we need to fall on our knees and pray from the depths of our soul for guidance from our Father.
Crucifixion certainly was an agonising experience, the victim slowly suffocated as he grew gradually weaker and finally unable to pull his body up against the nails to breathe.
But others have suffered similar executions with less dread than Jesus. There must be something Jesus feared besides pain. Several passages teach that Jesus bore the sins of the world on the cross. Isaiah 53 / 1 Peter 2:24 / 2 Corinthians 5:21.
The question is, will we accept His will for our lives or will we resist and chose our own?
If Jesus Is God, Does That Mean He Was Praying To Himself?
The question is a common question which some Christians struggle to understand or explain to others and it’s a question that other religious groups such as the Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Oneness Pentecostals use to try and ‘prove’ that Jesus couldn’t have been God in the flesh.
The simple fact is that God is a Spirit, John 4:24, and Jesus was and is a physical being. So, while the two are one, John 10:30, they are also separate entities. Think of Jesus as the physical form of God, Colossians 1:15.
When Jesus said that He and His Father are One, He was saying that though He has the form of a man, He also has the same divine nature as God the Father, this is exactly what Paul stated in Philippians 2:5-8. Jesus, therefore, has two natures, He is both God and man.
It’s clear from Paul’s words that while Jesus was on Earth, He put aside His Godly powers and made Himself only human, working through the power of the Holy Spirit, in submission to God’s will for Him, and praying to the Father for guidance.
He did this to give us an example of how we should live, working through the power of the Holy Spirit, in submission to God’s will for our lives, and praying to the Father for guidance.
According to the New Testament, there were several people who knew that Jesus was God in the flesh, the Gospel writer John knew that Jesus was God, John 1:1, the apostle Paul knew that Jesus was God, Colossians 1:15, the Hebrew writer knew that Jesus was God, Hebrews 1:3 and of course Jesus Himself knew that He was God, John 10:30 / Hebrews 1:8.
Remember we’re speaking about the humanity of Jesus, as a man, He like the rest of us, got tired and hungry, He cried, He got angry, saddened etc, all these references speak of His humanity, that is Jesus being a real man.
Passages of Scripture which describe Jesus’ limitations are referring to His humanity. He lived His life as a true man, depending upon His heavenly Father day by day, just as we are expected to do.
Even His miracles and supernatural knowledge were enabled by the Holy Spirit, not accomplished by switching back and forth between His divine and human natures.
Jesus was completely human, but He also has a divine nature, notice the following:
AS GOD
Jesus is worshipped. Matthew 2:2 / Matthew 2:11 Matthew 14:33 Matthew 28:9
Jesus is prayed to. Acts 7:59 / 1 Corinthians 1:2
Jesus was called God. John 20:28 / Hebrews 1:8
Jesus was called the Son of God. Mark 1:1
Jesus is sinless. 1 Peter 2:22 / Hebrews 4:15
Jesus knew all things. John 21:17
Jesus gives eternal life. John 10:28 / John 17:2
The fullness of deity dwells in Jesus. Colossians 2:9
AS A MAN
Jesus worshipped the Father. John 17
Jesus prayed to the Father. John 17:1
Jesus was called man. Mark 15:39 / John 19:5
Jesus was called the Son of Man. John 9:35-37 Jesus was tempted. Matthew 4:1
Jesus grew in wisdom. Luke 2:52
Jesus died. Romans 5:8
Jesus has a body of flesh and bones. Luke 24:39
Why did Jesus pray to the Father despite being God Himself? Like so much of Jesus’ life as a man He left us an example to follow, which includes praying, remember the disciples didn’t know how to pray so Jesus had to teach them how to pray, Matthew 6:10-14 / Luke 11:1.
While on earth He modelled dependence on God and that prayer is more important even than food or rest. God is our source of life and strength and hope and we must remain connected to Him, we must remain connected to God the Father through Christ. Jesus demonstrated this by remaining in visible fellowship with the Father, Philippians 2:8 / Hebrews 2:17-18.
Jesus was fully God and fully man and He left us an example of what we must do when we hunger, thirst, get weary and sorrowful, just like Jesus we should cry out to our Father in Heaven. It’s all about our relationship with the Father and Jesus gave us the supreme example in prayer, John 13:15.
As a man, Jesus needed to pray and when He was praying, He wasn’t praying to Himself but to God the Father. Jesus prayed to God the Father because it was an appropriate, natural, and essential part of His mission on earth. His prayers set an example for us to grow in intimacy with our Heavenly Father.
