The Painted GospelsSample

The Garden of Gethsemane

If someone asked you where the greatest battle of all time took place, what would you say? Waterloo? World War I, or II? Vietnam? Those were child’s play compared to the one fought in a Garden called Gethsemane. 

Jesus endured the Cross because the battle was already won in the Garden. He didn’t wait to get on the Cross, then make a decision. He made it way before. God sent an angel from Heaven, the Bible says, to strengthen Him. (Luke 22:43)

We must wonder how God does that? How does He give things like peace, joy, strength, and courage? How did the angel factor in bringing it? We don’t know those answers, but suffice it to say God has His way of doing what we can’t imagine, and He did it for His Son that day. That’s the confidence we have to know He can, and will, do it for us.

The way artist Ron Dicianni thought best  to portray this moment was to have an angel holding up the arms of Christ, almost as if He would fall otherwise. The inspiration for this look perhaps came from the time Moses had his arms raised by Aaron and Hur to ensure that Israel could win a battle.