The Savior’s Suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane: II

The Savior’s Suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane: II

·         Christ chose to retire to the Garden of Gethsemane to take on the burden of the atonement. This seems appropriate when you consider the process of an olive being turned to oil and that when translated, Gethsemane means oil-press. Christ felt the agony of the world and sweats blood in the garden. An olive turns to oil after being milled to mush and placed under a press, squeezing out the oil. The pressures that Christ must have felt are unimaginable, but like an olive being refined unto oil the reward is great.

·         While the Savior went to pray in the garden, he asked his disciples to watch and pray, but found them sleeping on three separate times occasions. He told them to pray less they be led in to temptation and that the spirit is willing, but the body is weak. I know that we have all experienced something similar; how often have we fallen asleep while praying? I am sure each of us has had moments when we were willing to go on in something that required endurance, but our bodies would not. I am a marathon runner and have had to summon all that I could to push myself to finish a race. The Lord said pray or be carried away into temptation. Oh how easy it is to not to pray, but how much strength comes through it.

·         Christ drank from the bitter cup so that he might glorify God in doing his will. The bitter cup being the torture and disperse of the task of the atonement. He knew what was to come and even still he did it according to his Father’s will. He showed unto us what it means to be obedient and humble. An example of Christ humility can be seen when he ask that the cup pass from him, but saying “nevertheless not as I will, but as thou will.” It was almost a rhetorical request. Again, he knew what needed to be done, but still being in his condition asked if there were some other way. In my own life, I guess I could say that my nevertheless moment was when I chose to get baptized. I knew that it would sever the ties I had with members of my family including my own mother; nevertheless I knew and still know what was right.

·         Luke taught us that while Jesus was in the garden he was in great pain, but he prayed anyway. Not only did he pray anyway, but he prayed more earnestly. The only thing that I can compare to that event was during an endurance race I began to cramp up. It hurt like the dickens and there was no place to go but forward to the finish line. In that moment I prayed, I prayed and I prayed for strength to carry own. I knew I had hurt my leg and there was not stopping the pain, but I prayed anyway. I prayed for a distraction and courage to go on. I know that we don’t always feel like praying when the going gets tough, but I know that when we do, the tough get going.

·         The acts that took place in the Garden of Gethsemane always tug at my heart. To know how Jesus suffered physically and emotionally for us is so intense. He prayed, cried, and even sweat blood for us. He was alone and felt alone. He asked his friends to pray and watch and they did not. He was turned in by one of his own and all this for us. I know that my Savior lives, I know Jesus is the Christ, and I know that he loves me.