Preaching on The Garden of Gethsemane is a communicator’s dream … and nightmare as well, probably in equal parts.
The subject is rich as it entails the last moments of Jesus’ life on Earth. His ultimate sacrifice gave us access to eternal life and the Holy Spirit. The beauty and greatness of His love for us and the grace He has shown us are beyond what words can describe.
Yet, our Savior’s agony during those last few hours is appalling. From the time he spent praying with his disciples to his betrayal, nothing was easy.
Gethsemane, by the Mount of Olives, was a garden just outside the city of Jerusalem. Jesus came into the city, under the acclamations of the crowd from that mountain (Matthew 21:1), suffered a hard night of prayer and agony as well as ascended to Heaven from the area (Acts 1:9-12). Ultimately though, the Garden is a place Jesus knew and so did His disciples.
Before you read the nine possible themes, it’s important to understand Gethsemane. It’s a Hebrew compound word meaning “oil press” or “pressing of oils.” It is believed the place could have been, besides a garden where olive trees grew, an old oil press where olives were crushed to produce the famous oil we all have heard of. Basically, people would bring ripe olives and crush them under a millstone. The oil was then gathered in jars.
Olives need to be crushed to get the precious oil. The more pressure is applied during the crushing of the olives, the more oil you get. This is why the symbolism of Gethsemane is so important. It is the place where Jesus had to go through the pressing pressure and give its best for us. If our proverb says you can’t make an omelet with breaking eggs, you can’t get the oil of Christ without Gethsemane.
As you keep reading, here are nine themes you can preach on. The order of themes is chronologically based.
1. In Gethsemane, You Create a Place of Prayer
John 18:2 mentions that “Jesus had often met there with his disciples, and Judas knew where the place was” (CEV). There was the Garden of Gethsemane. The Bible specifically mentions they met there often. It was a place of quietness, possibly a private garden. Overlooking the east side of Jerusalem, it is highly probable that Jesus actually prayed for its inhabitants, desiring “to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me” (Matthew 23:37 NLT).
2. In Gethsemane, You Discover Intimacy in Prayer
As the Last Supper was taking place, Jesus was ready to go to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. He brought his disciples with him, as Mark mentions (14:32). Luke 22:39 even adds “as usual” regarding where they went. In this crucial moment, Jesus decides to bring his most trusted three: “he took Peter, James, and John with him (Mark 14:33 NLT).” That trio was always present when Jesus was living a particular moment of his human story.
Jesus knew these were his final days on Earth, and he wanted them to be there.
3. In Gethsemane, You Allow Yourself to Be Vulnerable
The trio was there, but it didn’t go as Jesus desired it to! The three fall asleep. Jesus needed company at this time, so he left them aside a bit to go pray on his own. The not-so-funny part is that Peter, James, and John fall asleep while praying! And Jesus reminds ”Simon, are you asleep? Do you lack the strength to stay awake with me for even just an hour?” (Mark 14:37 TPT) Jesus was showing vulnerability to his closest friends. When he came back a third time, the Master asked ”Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? It is enough!” (Mark 14:41 MEV) If Jesus allowed himself to be vulnerable to his friends, you certainly can be vulnerable to some trusted ones.
4. In Gethsemane, you encounter the Human and the Divine
That whole episode of prayer and sleep, and being awakened to fall back into deep rest, proves Jesus’ words, ”Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 23:41 NIV).
In Gethsemane, you show up for prayer yet live out the limits of your spiritual willingness. You want to war but fail to do so spiritually. Our humanness faces the Divine plans.
5. In Gethsemane, You Align Your Purpose with God’s Plans
Jesus found himself with that troubling duality when he prayed, “Abba, Father! You can do all things. Take away this cup of suffering. But do what you want, not what I want (Mark 14:36 NCV).” As he’s battling with his desire to escape suffering and betrayal, he still knows his purpose; his mission on Earth needs to be accomplished. Not his way, but His Father’s way. This is exactly when submitting to the higher purpose of his life, Jesus surrenders all.
6. In Gethsemane, You Surrender All
Mark declares, “He went away again and prayed the same thing” (14:39 NET). He prayed three times the same prayer. John adds that Jesus “fully realized all that was going to happen to him” (18:4 NLT), yet he let himself be caught without a fight. He surrendered his own life for the sacrifice of many. He surrendered himself so that his friends could be free. Like John 18:8 says, “I am the one you want, let these others go” (NLT). He willingly surrendered his will to his Father’s plans.
7. In Gethsemane, You Undergo Agony
Those final moments weren’t lived out without great anguish. Matthew lets us peek into that instant when Jesus “began to be grieved and distressed. Then He said to them, ”My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death'” (23:37-38 NASB). Jesus felt the distress and torment.
8. In Gethsemane, You Feel the Sting of Betrayal
Betrayal didn’t only come from Judas. During Jesus’ time of anguish, the disciples “couldn’t keep their eyes open, and they didn’t have a plausible excuse” (Mark 14:39-40 MSG). You can only imagine the wound our Lord felt.
Translations describe Judas as the betrayer, the one who betrays the traitor. Judas was one of the twelve disciples. A kiss greeted Jesus, what is now called “Judas’ kiss.”
In moments of crushing, people may betray you. Friends will possibly leave you. And the sting, though painful, daunting, and troublesome, makes allowance for life to begin to take place.
9. In Gethsemane, the Crushing Gets the Best Out of You
Luke describes the scene in a horrific way: Jesus “being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground” (22:44 NKJ). The Garden of Gethsemane is the “place of the oil press,” and figuratively speaking, Jesus was going through the crushing of his life.
His first drops of blood were resulting from his agony. Yet, in his earnest prayer, he started shedding His blood for us. Life for us began when he shed his blood, not on the Cross, but in the Garden.
The pressing of His life began when He surrendered His will to the Father’s plan, undergoing tragedy, turmoil, and betrayal along the way. Jesus’ crushing moments in Gethsemane, the oil press, gave us the best and purest of gifts: His sacrificial life.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some common questions pastors might ask:
1. What is the significance of Gethsemane in Jesus’ journey?
Gethsemane symbolizes a place of pressing and crushing, much like how olives are crushed to extract oil. It represents Jesus’ surrender, anguish, and preparation for His sacrificial journey to the cross.
2. Why did Jesus bring His closest disciples to Gethsemane?
Jesus brought Peter, James, and John to share in His moment of deep vulnerability and prayer. Despite their failure to stay awake, this reflects the balance between human weakness and divine dependence.
3. What does the “crushing” of Gethsemane represent in Christian symbolism?
The crushing in Gethsemane represents Jesus’ spiritual and physical agony, which mirrors the crushing of olives for oil. It reflects the ultimate sacrifice and surrender that produced salvation for humanity.
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