Topical Bible: Prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane

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The Prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane is a profound event in the life of Jesus Christ, recorded in the Synoptic Gospels: Matthew 26:36-46, Mark 14:32-42, and Luke 22:39-46. This moment of deep spiritual anguish and submission to the Father's will occurs shortly before Jesus' arrest and subsequent crucifixion.

Location and Context

Gethsemane, meaning "oil press," is a garden located on the Mount of Olives, just outside Jerusalem. It served as a place of retreat and prayer for Jesus and His disciples. The events in Gethsemane unfold after the Last Supper, as Jesus prepares for His impending suffering and death.

The Agony of Jesus

In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus experiences intense emotional and spiritual distress. He takes Peter, James, and John with Him, asking them to keep watch while He prays. The Gospel of Matthew describes His sorrow: "Then He said to them, 'My soul is consumed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with Me.'" (Matthew 26:38).

Jesus' prayer reveals His humanity and His submission to the divine plan. He prays, "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me. Yet not as I will, but as You will." (Matthew 26:39). This plea demonstrates His desire to avoid the impending suffering, yet His ultimate commitment to fulfilling God's will.

The Disciples' Weakness

While Jesus prays, the disciples struggle to stay awake. Despite His request for them to keep watch, they fall asleep multiple times. Jesus admonishes them, saying, "Watch and pray so that you will not enter into temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak." (Matthew 26:41). This highlights the human frailty and the need for vigilance in spiritual matters.

Divine Strength and Submission

In Luke's account, an angel appears to strengthen Jesus during His prayer (Luke 22:43). This divine assistance underscores the gravity of the moment and the necessity of divine support in fulfilling His mission. Jesus' prayer intensifies, and "His sweat became like drops of blood falling to the ground." (Luke 22:44), illustrating the extreme anguish He endures.

The Resolve of Jesus

After praying three times, Jesus returns to His disciples, finding them asleep each time. He finally declares, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour is near, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us go! See, My betrayer is approaching!" (Matthew 26:45-46). This marks His resolute acceptance of the path laid before Him.

Theological Significance

The Prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane is a pivotal moment that encapsulates the dual nature of Christ—fully God and fully man. It reveals His genuine human emotions and His divine obedience. This event emphasizes the importance of prayer, submission to God's will, and the necessity of spiritual vigilance. It serves as a profound example of faithfulness and surrender in the face of overwhelming trials.

Nave's Topical Index

Matthew 26:36
Then comes Jesus with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, Sit you here, while I go and pray yonder.
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Mark 14:32
And they came to a place which was named Gethsemane: and he said to his disciples, Sit you here, while I shall pray.
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Luke 22:45
And when he rose up from prayer, and was come to his disciples, he found them sleeping for sorrow,
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Library

Going to Gethsemane, and Agony Therein.
... which was named { ^a called} Gethsemane [The name Gethsemane means a ... But the place
was now a garden. ... came upon Jesus he fortified himself against it by prayer. ...
/.../mcgarvey/the four-fold gospel/cxxiii going to gethsemane and.htm

M. Grant. The Garden of Gethsemane.
... 2 'Twas a garden, as we read, At the foot of ... on flame: Therefore they, as well as
he, Visited Gethsemane. ... sat; Or might join with Christ in prayer; O, what ...
/.../various/book of hymns for public and private devotion/452 7s m grant the.htm

C. The Agony in Gethsemane. Ch. 22:39-46
... upon the ground.45 And when he rose up from his prayer, he came ... disciples, under
the shadow of the night, went forth to the Garden of Gethsemane, a favorite ...
/.../erdman/the gospel of luke an exposition/c the agony in gethsemane.htm

Our Lord in the Garden
... home in my garden, said the owner of Gethsemane to our ... was His wont to go out to
that garden," says one ... that Passover week, so full of preaching and of prayer. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/whyte/lord teach us to pray/xi our lord in the.htm

Gethsemane
... slowly made His way to the garden of Gethsemane ... instructing them; but as He neared
Gethsemane, He became ... visited this spot for meditation and prayer; but never ...
//christianbookshelf.org/white/the desire of ages/chapter 74 gethsemane.htm

Gethsemane
... and intensified conflict increased the earnestness of the prayer. ... we see in the agony
of Gethsemane something much ... broke the stillness of the garden, but it ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/maclaren/expositions of holy scripture e/gethsemane.htm

Prayer --The All-Important Essence of Earthly Worship
... crowning periods of the life of Jesus we find Him in prayer"at the ... descended upon
Him; just prior to the transfiguration, and in the garden of Gethsemane. ...
/.../bounds/the reality of prayer/iii prayerthe all-important essence of.htm

The Agony in the Garden. (Matt. , xxvi. ; Mark, xiv. ; Luke, xxii. ...
... CHAPTER V. GETHSEMANE. Section 280. The Agony in the Garden. (Matt., xxvi.; Mark,
xiv.; Luke, xxii.). In prayer and retirement Christ had prepared himself for ...
/.../section 280 the agony in.htm

Elijah --Passionate in Prayer
... at midnight, and the importunate widow, and all ending in the Garden of Gethsemane. ...
and you yourselves cast out." There is passion in that prayer, and in ...
/.../whyte/lord teach us to pray/vi elijahpassionate in prayer.htm

The Gethsemane Prayer
... for prayer, He makes our will the measure and condition of prayer. ... Gethsemane has
its lessons of humble supplications as Jesus knelt alone in the garden. ...
/.../bounds/the reality of prayer/xii the gethsemane prayer.htm