During my last visit to Israel, I took the opportunity to visit the Garden of Gethsemane, the place where Jesus frequently went with His disciples to pray and rest. That night, after The Last Supper, Mark 14:26 & 32 (NIV) records that "when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives," after which "they went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, 'Sit here, while I pray.'" It is here at the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus won our salvation on His knees.
Jesus' prayer in the Garden was one of the more poignant examples of His humanity recorded in Scripture. We all know that Jesus was fully God and fully man. But at that moment, He was all human – just like us, when He experienced the dark weight of terror and anxiety as He contemplated His impending suffering on the cross. He knew what was coming. He knew how terrible it would be. His emotional turmoil is clearly seen in Matthew 26:39 (NIV) "…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.'"
I spent time at the Garden reflecting on our Lord's suffering as He prepared Himself for our salvation. What struck me was that although the prospect was so terrifying, and the pain that Jesus felt was so agonizing that it caused Him to sweat drops of blood as He prayed, He was determined to do God's will, rather than look for another way.
I left the Garden of Gethsemane with a renewed determination and mindset that despite challenges, both physical and/or spiritual, I will do God's will – no matter the pain, no matter the odds.
Dear family, each one of us likewise need not be fearful. Instead, we should all arise, shine and fully participate in Project Conquest – bathing it with many prayers and agonizing to bring many new souls into God's Kingdom! Although the timeless Garden of Gethsemane is a place of pain and anguish, it is also a divine inspiration for extreme disciples to face trials and tribulations without fear!
- Senior Pastor Nina Khong