Gethsemane

By

Shelby G. Floyd

July 22, 2007

After our Lord ate the last Jewish Passover with his twelve apostles (Mark 14:17), established his own Memorial—the Lord’s Supper (Mark 14:22-25), then they all sung a hymn and went to the Garden of Gethsemane (Mark 14:26, 32). Jesus went there to pray and to encourage his apostles to watch and pray lest they would enter into temptation (Mark 14:32, 38).

Gethsemane means “oil press,” no doubt a place where the olives were pressed out to become the oil that was a staple in that ancient economy and way of life. “Oil Press” then is symbolic of the “press” Jesus would be going through mentally, emotionally and physically in his cruel death on the cross.

We see something of the emotional press that Christ underwent on this night in Gethsemane. He took the “inner circle”—Peter, James and John deeper into the garden and said unto them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death” (Mark 14:34). Mark describes his emotional state as “deeply distressed and troubled” (Mark 14:33). John describes his “oil press,”

"Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say?’ Father, save me from this hour'? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!” (John 12:27, 28).

When we are going through troubled times, let all of us trust God and always seek to do his will. As in all things, Christ is our example. Copyright © 2007 Shelby Floyd All Rights Reserved