Jesus Prays in the Garden of Gethsemane
Artwork by An Unworthy Christian
The account of Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane is a poignant moment of deep anguish and surrender before His arrest, which leads to His crucifixion. This event is recorded in the Synoptic Gospels—Matthew 26:36-46, Mark 14:32-42, and Luke 22:39-46.
Jesus goes to the Garden of Gethsemane with His disciples after the Last Supper, leaving most of them at a certain point while He takes Peter, James, and John further into the garden. He expresses to them His overwhelming sorrow and distress, urging them to stay awake and pray to avoid falling into temptation.
Jesus then moves a little away from them to pray alone. He falls to the ground or kneels, deeply troubled by what He is about to face. In His prayer, Jesus addresses God as "Father," showing His intimate relationship with God. He prays, "O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt." This "cup" symbolizes the suffering and death He is about to endure. Jesus' prayer reflects His human desire to avoid suffering, yet ultimately, He submits to God's will, showing His complete obedience and trust in the Father.
Jesus returns to find the disciples asleep, despite His request for them to stay awake and pray. He wakes them, emphasizing the need to pray to resist temptation. Jesus goes away a second and then a third time to pray, each time expressing His willingness to do God's will, and each time He finds the disciples asleep upon His return.
This episode culminates with Jesus' resolve to face His betrayal and arrest, as He wakes the disciples with the words, "Rise, let us be going: behold, he is at hand that doth betray me."
The prayer in Gethsemane is a profound moment of Jesus' human vulnerability and divine submission. It highlights His humanity in feeling deep distress and seeking comfort from His Father, and His divinity in accepting God's will, demonstrating His role as the obedient Son who sacrifices Himself for humanity's salvation.
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