Gethsemane- He Gets Us

Everyone loves beautiful gardens, and botanical gardens proudly welcome a staggering 4 million visitors each year. The sheer beauty and awe that these splendid creations evoke captivate our minds as we stroll through these landscapes. However, there’s one garden of profound importance, that surpasses them all in significance—the Garden of Gethsemane.

Mark 14:32-36 – And they went to a place called Gethsemane. And he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.”… and began to be greatly distressed and troubled. And going a little farther, he fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him.  And he said, Abba, Father, …Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”

Gethsemane: The Olive Oil Press
Hebrew word for Gethsemane is GatSh’manim. This comes from two words: gath, which means the press; shmanin, is the word for olives. Olive oil played a crucial role, from being used in everyday lampstands to serving in ceremonial cleansing by priests.

Farmers used sticks to knock olives from trees. The olive press involves two stones, one large atop and another beneath, effectively crushing the olives to extract oil. Alternatively, men could also press olives underfoot to obtain the desired olive oil.

This holds great significance as it symbolizes Jesus undergoing beating, crushing, and piercing for our redemption. Let’s look at some things that happened at this Garden.

Garden of Agony
Gethsemane was indeed a garden where Jesus went through deep agony. Here he was:

  • Pressed, Tempted, Surrendered. As Jesus prayed, his sweat resembled blood drops. Tempted like any other man, he implored the Father to spare him from the impending death, but submitted to the Father’s will. Mark Chapter 14 depicts this distressing moment as a moment when He was deeply troubled and He fell to the ground. Notice that the reason for this agony stemmed from the realization that, for the first time, He would be separated from the Father, and it was not an attempt to evade His mission.
  • Pressed and Punished. Equally important is the fact that the reason for his agony was that the cross was going to be the full unleashing of the wrath of God the Father, and the sin of the whole world was going to be laid upon the sinless Son of God. That includes our sins, and the sin of generations past, present and future.

Garden of Betrayal
Gethsemane showed the deepest betrayal. Jesus spent three and a half years with 12 disciples, loving and teaching them about God’s mysteries. But when He needed help, no one was there. Judas Iscariot betrayed Him, and even His trusted friends—Peter, James, and John—fell asleep instead of praying with Him.

Garden of Victory
Gethsemane is the garden where the journey to victory started. Here, the decision to obey the Father’s will, no matter the cost, was made. The completion of this process happens in another garden, the Garden Tomb, but Gethsemane marks the beginning of it all.

Life Application
As we go through the various seasons of life, let us remember what our Savior did for us. Unconditional love, sacrificial love, and love beyond measure was demonstrated in the garden of Gethsemane.

If you’ve been feeling hopeless, agonizing about what tomorrow will bring, remember that Jesus has experienced the same. Prophet Isaiah calls Jesus “a man of suffering, and familiar with pain” (Isaiah 53:3).

If you’ve ever felt betrayed by loved ones, know that you’re not alone—He has experienced it too. On the other hand, pause and consider if, inadvertently, you’ve betrayed the love of our Savior. It may not involve 30 pieces of silver, but perhaps it’s dedicating 30 hours a week to other priorities that overshadow your time with the Lord.

If you’ve been feeling unattractive, lonely, or ignored, remind yourself – He has been there as well! Prophet Isaiah says Jesus was “like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him…” (Isaiah 53:2).

Going through the pain of Gethsemane, Jesus tasted all these for us so that He can hold our hands and walk us into the garden of victory! So take heart, when the enemy tells you all is lost, point him to the Garden of Gethsemane and proclaim that victory was won! Gethsemane is where it all began.

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