The Garden

It is important we understand that Jesus freely chose to endure the degradation, agony and cruelty that He was about to experience. In Matthew’s gospel, Jesus demonstrated his understanding of the events which would take place. He told them, "We are going up to Jerusalem now. There the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and scribes, who will condemn Him to death. They will turn Him over to the Gentiles, to be made sport of, flogged, and crucified. But on the third day, He will be raised up."

In preparation, He went off alone to pray to His heavenly Father in the Garden of Gethsemane for strength before His ultimate test. He gave insight into the frailty of His human nature, in seeking special support from His three beloved disciples: Peter, James and John. He told them, "My soul is sorrowful even unto death”.

He asked them to stay awake to pray with Him during this first period of His torment. He departed from them a short distance to pray fervently to His Father. He was overcome with unspeakable sorrow, as we believe all of the sins of the world were displayed before Him. After a period of time, He went back to His three chosen disciples and found them asleep. A second, and again a third time, He asked them to pray and be on the alert.

His suffering was so extreme. Luke commented in his gospel that His sweat turned to drops of blood. Medical science recognizes the phenomenon called Hemathidrosis.  As a result of an outpouring of adrenaline into the circulation, microscopic blood vessels called capillaries go into spasm. When the muscles surrounding the vessels become fatigued, the vessels dilate and rupture, resulting in the excretion of a mixture of sweat and blood through the skin. This condition would have left Jesus weakened from blood loss and emotional exhaustion.

While praying. Jesus cried out, "Father, if it is Your will, take this cup from Me." His humanity was pleading: “Does it have to be this way? Is there no one else who can bear the suffering?"  His Father answered:  "There is no other way."  Jesus responded, "Not my will, but Thine be done."  Jesus' dreadful agony had begun. He must have been drained to the point of collapsing. He felt that He was totally alone, abandoned by His Father and His disciples. Jesus returned to His three disciples and awakened them from a sound sleep.

Please take a moment to feel the abandonment that Jesus must have felt as He cried out to His Father in the garden!