In the Garden of Gethsemane

 

“He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, ‘My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.’ Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.’” *

During the summer of 2010, Al and I joined our life-long friends, Joe and JoAnn Payne on a twelve-day tour of the Holy Land.  After the tour of Israel which focused mainly on the places Jesus and His disciples had been, there was a week-long extension following the travels of the apostle Paul in Greece and Turkey. It was an unforgettable experience, one that made the Bible come alive.

At the beginning of the trip, we traveled extensively by bus around the Sea of Galilee, the region where Jesus spent a great deal of time during His three years of ministry. One day though, we traveled across a portion of the large lake on a replica of a fishing boat similar to those used by fishermen in the first century, including some of His disciples. Dancing the “Hava Nagila!” on the deck of the boat was memorable!  

While our tour group was in the town of Capernaum, on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, we saw the ruins of an ancient synagogue dating back to Jesus’ time, along with excavated houses, one of which may have belonged to His disciple, Simon Peter. Capernaum is said to have been the headquarters of Jesus when He was in the region of Galilee.

Huge round millstones for grinding grain and heavy stones for crushing olives had also been excavated. We learned that the olive presses were called “gethsemanes.” The process of making olive oil required first the crushing of the olives by rolling a huge stone in which a handle had been inserted, over them. This was done using man power or powered by animals, resulting in a thick pulp.

Oil was then extracted from the pulp. There were up to four pressings, with the first yielding the purest olive oil and the last producing the heaviest oil, used for light and heat.

 When we visited the Mount of Olives, overlooking the city of Jerusalem, a few days later, I finally understood how the Garden of Gethsemane got its name. Dr. Wood, our leader and teacher, addressed the group as we sat on benches in a quiet, shaded area of the garden.

In Jesus’ time, olives were harvested and pressed into oil there. He asked us to think about why Jesus met with his disciples on the Mount of Olives.  Secluded? Near Jerusalem? Symbolic of what lay ahead for Jesus?

 Jesus knew that the time of His arrest was near. That night in the Garden of Gethsemane, He was feeling overwhelmed with sorrow. He wanted Peter, James and John to stay close by His side, keep watch with Him and pray.

Great pressure was upon Him, knowing that He would have to bear the punishment for the sins of all of mankind, everyone…no exceptions. Three times, He asked that God would keep Him from the awful suffering and agony of the crucifixion “…if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me.” After each petition, He repeated an affirmation “Nevertheless, not my will but Thine be done.”

 Jesus came to earth to carry out God’s will. Nothing would stand in His way of doing that, not even His own pain. Just as the olives were crushed under the weight of the gethsemane, so He willingly died for us in order that we might be saved from our sins and have eternal life.

Why? His love for us is hard to fathom!

There are times in our lives when we find ourselves heartbroken, crushed by grief. The prayers of those who care about us sustain and encourage us to keep going. Above all, Jesus understands and will carry us through the pain.

May we commit ourselves to doing the Father’s will, knowing that there is a place prepared for us in heaven…a place where we will be with Him forever.

“…weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.” (Psalm 30:5 NIV)

Happy Easter!

* Mat. 26:37-39 NIV