Day 306 - Agony in the Garden: Jesus' Final Hours of Prayer and Betrayal (John 18, Mark 14, Matthew 26, Luke 22) Year 2
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TODAY'S READING:

• John 18:1-2, Mark 14:32-42, Matthew 26:36-46, Luke 22:39-46, Mark 14:43-52, Matthew 26:47-56, Luke 22:47-53, John 18:3-24

WORD OF THE DAY:

-  Agony

Today we read about the events leading up to Jesus' arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane and the betrayal by Judas Iscariot. Each of the four gospels recounts Jesus and His disciples heading to the Garden of Gethsemane after the Last Supper. There, Jesus becomes deeply distressed and sorrowful, praying fervently to God, asking if it is possible for Him to avoid the impending suffering and crucifixion. Yet, in an act of complete submission, Jesus prays, "Not my will, but yours be done."

In Matthew's account, we read of Jesus' anguish and the disciples’ inability to stay awake while He prays. Luke adds the detail of an angel appearing to strengthen Jesus as He continues to pray in agony, His sweat like drops of blood. Judas, who would later betray Him, knew the place well and led soldiers to arrest Jesus.

The word "Gethsemane" carries deep meaning, and I wanted to explore this further. According to ThatTheWorldMayKnow.com:

"The word gethsemane is derived from two Hebrew words: 'gat,' meaning 'a place for pressing oil (or wine),' and 'shemanim,' meaning 'oils.' During Jesus' time, heavy stone slabs were lowered onto olives that had already been crushed in an olive crusher. The slab's weight squeezed the olive oil out of the pulp, and the oil was collected. The image of the Gethsemane on the slope of the Mount of Olives provides a vivid picture of His suffering. The weight of the world's sins pressed down upon Him like the heavy slab of the olive crusher. His sweat, 'like drops of blood falling to the ground' (Luke 22:44), flowed from Him like olive oil.”

This paints such a vivid picture of what Jesus endured for us. The agony in the Garden of Gethsemane shows us that even the Son of God, in His humanity, faced deep anguish, a burden so heavy that He needed an angel to strengthen Him.

In this context, we see Jesus in true agony, both physically and spiritually. From the crushing weight of the sins of the world to the knowledge of the betrayal He would face, Jesus experienced an unimaginable depth of pain. Yet, He still surrendered to the Father’s will.

As we walk through life, we, too, encounter moments of deep agony. Whether it’s the loss of a loved one, a health crisis, or personal turmoil, suffering is a part of the human experience. The Garden of Gethsemane teaches us several important lessons about how to endure these moments.

As we reflect on Jesus' agony in the Garden, we remember that He knows our pain intimately. He walked the path of suffering before us, and now He stands ready to walk with us through our moments of anguish. Through prayer, submission to God's will, and the support of our community, we can find hope, healing, and ultimately, peace.

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