And they went to a place called Gethsemane. And he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” – Mark 14:32 ESV
John Gill, 18th century theologian, describes the scene:
“At the foot of the Mount of Olives, where the olives, which grew in great plenty on the mount, were pressed: and where our Lord began to be bruised, for our sins.”
And he took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be greatly distressed and troubled. And he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Remain here and watch.” And going a little farther, he fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. And he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” – Mark 14:33-36 ESV
The sin that he was about to bare was bringing unmentionable sorrow upon Him. To the point of death was He weighed down by this sorrow. He had to pray for there was no other way to handle this burden. Matthew Henry, 18th century theologian says it this way:
“He was made a curse for us; the curses of the law were transferred to him as our surety and representative, not as originally bound with us, but a bail to the action. And when his soul was thus exceeding sorrowful, he did, as it were, yield to them, and lie down under the load, until by his death he had satisfied for sin, and so for ever abolished the curse. He now tasted death, which is not an extenuating expression, as if he did but taste it; no, he drank up even the dregs of the cup; but it is rather aggravating; it did not go down by wholesale, but he tasted all the bitterness of it.”
Our savior bore the burden of our sins upon Himself. He drank the cup we could not drink, and rather than remaining in sorrow, we are called to rejoice in our salvation for there is no longer any condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1)!
Peace in Him,
Coleman Ford
Coleman M. Ford, Ph.D 