The Garden of Gethsemane is where Jesus prayed on the night of His betrayal and arrest (Mark 14:32-50). According to the Gospel of Luke, Jesus’ agony in Gethsemane was so great that His sweat became like drops of blood. (Luke 22:44). 

GETHSEMANE IS… 

PROOF OF GOD’S LOVE

While I visited the Garden of Gethsemane, the weather took a turn for the worse. The sky darkened and rain began to fall. The drops on my forehead served as a timely reminder of Jesus’ sacrificial love. I couldn’t imagine the anguish He experienced while praying in the same garden where I was now standing. Luke 22:44 tells us:

“And being in agony He was praying very fervently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground.”

I’ve been scared, anxious, stressed, or overwhelmed at different times in my life (sometimes all at the same time!) but never to the point where I sweat blood. The courage Jesus displayed to stay the course in God’s plan is the ultimate proof of His love for us. In His humanity, the anticipation of suffering a painful death on a cross overwhelmed Him, but it didn’t alter His commitment to press on—all in order to save us. What a beautiful Savior! 

“God proved His love on the Cross. When Christ hung, and bled, and died, it was God saying to the world, ‘I love you.’" - Billy Graham

PROOF THAT JESUS IS THE ONLY WAY 

The world says that there are many ways to God—through religion, good works, or the false belief that God will not punish sin. The anguish-filled prayer of Jesus in Gethsemane exposes this belief as a lie. We know this because Jesus Himself asked the Father if there were another way when He said: 

“Abba, Father, everything is possible for You. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what You will.” Mark 14:35

The Bible tells us that there’s no forgiveness of sin without the shedding of blood. Jesus went to the cross so that His blood could cover our sin. The wage of sin is death, so Jesus died in our place. After three days, He rose again, victorious over death, proving that He was God. He now offers the gift of forgiveness and eternal life to all those will repent and put their trust in Him alone as Savior. 

Jesus says it best, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6

“Jesus is not one of many ways to approach God, nor is He the best of several ways; He is the only way.” - A.W. Tozer 

WHERE WE GO WHEN WE HAVE NO PLACE TO GO

As we walk through this broken world, we will each experience our own Gethsemane. It’s the place we go when we realize we have no other place to go. The place we find ourselves when we fear what our future holds, when we feel betrayed by our friends, when we are so broken and laid low that our prayers are whispered from the dust. It’s that terrible, wonderful moment when we finally come to our senses and realize the only place left to look is UP. 

The pain of a Gethsemane moment should motivate us to run to the Father. In His presence we’ll find healing, joy, peace, love, and hope. The Bible tells us that He hears us when we call and wants us to cast all our burdens on Him because He cares for us. He is our ever-present help in times of trouble. 

“Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.” - Corrie ten Boom