The garden is quiet. Eerily so. The gnarled trees stood like shadowy crosses surrounding the tranquil garden. Gethsemane – the name means oil press. It’s the place where olives are pressed so that they will release their precious oil.
It’s late Wednesday evening. Jesus has shared His last meal with His disciples. He had taught them about the coming of the Holy Spirit. And now, it was His time. He had to prepare Himself. He went alone to have a last visit with His Father. He fell onto the stony soil. He was about to be pressed so He could release the precious oil of our salvation.
“Distressed and troubled, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow, to the point of death,” He said to them. “Stay here and keep watch.”
“Father, if you are willing take this from me; yet not my will but yours be done.” An angel from heaven appeared to Him and strengthened Him. And being in anguish, He prayed more earnestly, and His sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.” Luke 22:41-45
When He arose from prayer He found them sound asleep from sorrow.
“He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may Your will be done.” Matthew 26:42
He found them again sleeping because their eyes were heavy. So He left them and returned to prayer a third time and prayed the same thing.
The quietness of the garden was broken by His Prayer. Only the rocks and the trees stood at the attention to listen. Oh, an angel was there, and oh, yes, the Father, The Father was listening while the Son’s heart grew heavier with each prayer.
Jesus pressed His knees onto the stones, but His heart was pressed into the Father. It wasn’t the shackles that distressed Him, it wasn’t the whip that would soon tear His flesh, and it wasn’t even the cross that loomed so eerily in His path; IT WAS THE SEPERATION FROM HIS FATHER THAT WAS EVEN NOW BEGINNING. THAT WAS WHAT WAS WEIGHING HIS HEART DOWN. THE SEPERATION THAT BROUGHT US SALVATION, THE SEPARATION WAS PRESSING DOWN ON JESUS. PRESSING OUT SALVATION’S OIL.
As a father my heart would break to see my child in such distress. “I can only imagine “