Lessons from Gethsemane

The Garden of Gethsemane was more than just the place where Jesus prayed before His crucifixion — it was a place of deep surrender, intense spiritual battle, and complete submission to the Father’s will. In that moment, Jesus prayed, “Not My will, but Yours be done.” His Gethsemane prayer offers powerful lessons that we, too, can apply in our own walk with God.

We read on this Incident in the Gospel Matthew / Mark / Luke, Each offer a slightly additional perspective to this prayer.

[Mar 14: 32-42 NIV] 32 They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, "Sit here while I pray." 33 He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. 34 "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death," he said to them. "Stay here and keep watch." 35 Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. 36 "Abba, Father," he said, "everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will." 37 Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Simon," he said to Peter, "are you asleep? Couldn't you keep watch for one hour? 38 Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." 39 Once more he went away and prayed the same thing. 40 When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. They did not know what to say to him. 41 Returning the third time, he said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners. 42 Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!"

We look at Five lessons we should learn from this Gethsemane Prayer Experience

1) When You Are Deeply Distressed and Troubled — Choose to Pray

• The word Gethsemane means “olive press”, and it was situated in the Mount of Olives, an orchard full of olive trees.

• Gethsemane - was a place Dwell, Dwellers, Dwelling (Place)

• While we picture a garden, it was actually an orchard, and the name Gethsemane refers to the pressused to extract oil from olives — a powerful image of the pressure and crushing Jesus would endure.

• Jesus went to Gethsemane to be “pressed” — to bear the weight of sorrow and surrender for us.

• Jesus also had emotions like us - He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled.

• What did he do in this distress - Pray

• What do we do when we are in distress?  - In contrast we panic, cry, we throw tantrum, turn to world pleasures, turn to people for advice (whereas the word says [Isaiah 2:22 NIV] 22 Stop trusting in mere humans, who have but a breath in their nostrils. Why hold them in esteem?)  but we don’t pray first to God, we choose to do that as last resort.

• Important lesson for us when we are “deeply distressed and troubled. “- We pray to Lord asking for help, As Jesus did, we also should pray. The promise is [Philippians 4:6 NIV] 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

2) Prayer in Fellowship – Jesus with Peter, James, and John

• Jesus took only three disciples along with him, to go further with Him while He prayed, it reflects the promise he quoted in [Mat 18:20 NIV] 20 For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them."

• Jesus could have taken all the disciples, but He said to them [Mark 14:32 NIV] 32 (b) "Sit here while I pray."

• Jesus also teaches that we should have companionship in times of troubles. He set an example for us: we too should seek godly fellowship during our times of distress.

• Why did Jesus take only these three (Peter / James and John)?

• Throughout the Gospels, Peter, James, and John were frequently chosen to witness special moments that the other disciples did not:

  • The Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-9)

  • The Raising of Jairus’ Daughter (Mark 5:37-43)

  • Jesus’ Agony in Gethsemane (Matthew 26:37-39)

• Jesus prepared them to become key leaders in the early church:

  • Peter became the leader of the apostles and preached at Pentecost.

  • James (the son of Zebedee) was the first apostle to be martyred (Acts 12:2).

  • John became the author of the Gospel of John, three epistles, and the book of Revelation.

• Jesus wanted his disciples to

  • See His anguish and understand the cost of redemption.

  • Pray with Him in His time of distress.

  • Be prepared for the suffering they too would face as His followers.

3) The Gethsemane Prayer of Jesus

• Why was Jesus deeply distressed and troubled? He describes in verse [Mark 14: 34 NIV] 34 "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death," he said to them.

• When the heart / soul and his mind were distressed and troubled? Jesus prayed the Prayer like Sons of Korah in Psalms 88 - Sorrow filled prayer.

• •            Here’s why He was so overwhelmed? - Jesus was deeply distressed and troubled in the Garden of Gethsemane (Mark 14:33-34, Matthew 26:37-38) because He was facing the greatest burden in human history—taking upon Himself the sin of the world and enduring the wrath of God.

1) Bearing the Sin of the World

• [2 Corinthians 5:21 NIV] 21 “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

• Jesus, who was sinless, he was about to take on the full weight of humanity’s sin.

• This meant experiencing separation from God, which He had never known before. He was walking and experiencing the Father’s presence while in the world.

2) Experiencing God’s Wrath

• He was made as a sin offering for us (2 Cor. 5:21) and bear the curse of the Law

• [Gal 3:13 NIV] 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole."

• [Isaiah 53:10 NIV] 10 “Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer.”

• Jesus wasn’t just facing physical suffering—He was about to endure God’s righteous judgment for all sins of mankind and for the entire world.

• This judgment would be poured out on Him instead of us.

3) The Intensity of Spiritual Suffering

• Jesus knew, He would suffer one of the most excruciating deaths ever—crucifixion.

• But more than the physical pain, the real suffering was the spiritual agony of bearing God’s wrath and being forsaken ([Matthew 27:46 NIV] 46 “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”).

• He was forsaken so that we will not be forsaken when we call him.

• It was not the physical suffering that almost overwhelmed Him with "anguish and sorrow," but the contemplation of being forsaken by His Father ([Mar 15:34 NIV] 34 And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?" (which means "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?").).

• His anguish was so great that He sweat drops of blood (Luke 22:44) - He became an olive press for us. To shed his blood in prayer, so that we can be saved.

• This prayer was a fervent prayer that was intense to crush his body to have his sweat drop as blood.

4) His Prayer: “If It Is Possible, Let This Cup Pass”

• [Matthew 26:39 NIV] 39 “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”

• Book of Luke records as Jesus kneels to pray (unlike the other gospels which just mention Him praying)

• This was "the cup" that He would drink (John 18:11).

• The “cup” symbolizes God’s wrath (Psalm 75:8, Isaiah 51:17).

• [Psalm 75:8 NIV] 8 In the hand of the LORD is a cup full of foaming wine mixed with spices; he pours it out, and all the wicked of the earth drink it down to its very dregs.

• [Isaiah 51:17 NIV] 17 Awake, awake! Rise up, Jerusalem, you who have drunk from the hand of the LORD the cup of his wrath, you who have drained to its dregs the goblet that makes people stagger.

• He was asking if there was any other way to accomplish salvation—but He fully submitted to the Father’s will.

• Even in His deepest agony, Jesus chose to obey the Father and endure the cross for us  [Hebrews 12:2 NIV] 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

• This moment in Gethsemane shows His humanity, His love for us, and the unimaginable cost of our salvation.

• According to Hebrews 5:7-9, He asked to be saved, not "from death" but out of death; that is, raised from the dead; and the Father granted His request. [Hebrews 5:7-9 NIV] 7 During the days of Jesus' life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. 8 Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered 9 and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him

4) Sleepy Disciples – The Spirit Is Willing, but the Flesh Is Weak

[Mar 14: 34-35 NIV] V34 “Stay here and keep watch." 35 Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him.

• He prayed for one hour and came back to see them sleepy.

• He also advices them how to overcome - [Mar 14: 38 NIV] 38 Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."

• How to overcome from temptation of sleep?

  • Lesson 2 - Watch and pray

  • Lesson 3 - The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak

• What were the three disciples doing? Sleeping! And Peter had vowed that he would die with his Lord-yet he could not even watch with Him! How gently Jesus rebuked the disciples and warned them.

• Jesus gives a practical antidote to spiritual weakness: stay alert and remain in prayer. This call “"Watch and pray"  is echoed throughout Scripture:

  • [Nehemiah 4:9 NIV] 9 But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat.

  • [Mark 13:33 NIV] 33 Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come.

  • [Ephesians 6:18 NIV] 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people.

  • [Colossians 4:2 NIV] 2 Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.

• When you are asleep and not able to pray Ask for grace to overcome distractions and tiredness.

5. Prayer, Then Pressure: Expect Trouble After Prayer

• After this prayer there comes trouble – [Mark 14:42 NIV] 42 Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!"

• After this intense time of prayer, Jesus didn’t walk into peace—but betrayal. Prayer doesn’t always remove trouble, but it prepares us to face it with strength.

• God may not always take the trial away, but His peace and presence go with us, that’s assured in the prayer.

• So, expect troubles after prayer (we are to share not only blessing from him also the suffering that Jesus had in this world – ([Philippians 1:29 NIV] 29 For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him,) be assured God’s peace will protect us from all of this and make a way out from the trails that’s awaiting you.