PRESSED THROUGH GETHSEMANE.

Matthew 26:36-39. NIV

36: Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” 37: He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38: Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” 39: Going a little farther, 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.”

Gethsemane is a garden outside Jerusalem; a place of agony and spiritual torture where Jesus was betrayed and arrested for subsequent trials. Gethsemane comes from a Greek word meaning \”OIL PRESS\” The garden of Gethsemane was located at mount olive where there were groves of olive trees and they produced oil. When we look at it, it means Gethsemane was a significant place in history during the time of Jesus Christ on earth. Apart from the fact that it was a place where olive oil was pressed, Jesus Christ our saviour passed through there at a point when He was pressed down emotionally, Spiritually and burdened even in His physical. While there, He said to His disciples \”MY SOUL IS OVERWHELMED WITH SORROW TO THE POINT OF DEATH…\”

In that garden, Jesus’ sorrowful time of prayer and subsequent betrayal and arrest in Gethsemane is described in the scriptures, Jesus was deeply grieved and repeatedly prayed for God to “remove this cup from me” while also surrendering to God’s will. His despair was so profound that “His sweat became like great drops of blood,” and he was comforted by an angel according to the gospel of Luke 22:43–44. \”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\”.

In The same garden Jesus was burdened with what was to happened, He was in great pain and anguish over what He was going to bear physically which was going to separate Him from His father in heaven because of death due to the sin of the people upon Him. The divine course for God\’s purpose to mankind had been set rolling but because He was still in His human nature to bear it all, He was struggling to see if such moments Could passed without His partaking in the suffering and the pending danger that will be imposed on His human nature.

He needed to separate Himself from the reality of having people around Him who could help in time of such difficulties and facing the exigence of surrendering to the Will of God in His life which is the source of His strength. In submission to the will of God He said \”MY FATHER, IF IT IS POSSIBLE, MAY THIS CUP BE TAKEN AWAY FROM ME. YET NOT AS I WILL BUT AS YOU WILL\”.

Just as Jesus was burdened with what lied ahead of Him at a point in time in His life, we also get seasons of burdens. At times, we are overwhelmed with sorrow, Depression and confusion. We feel like we are being pressed from all sides to the point of sorrow to death.

Gethsemane became a place where His obedience was entirely captured. He separated Himself from others set Himself aside to face His sorrow deeply, He trusted God and put God\’s Will above His Will and prayed fervently. In the same vain when we find ourselves in our own Gethsemane (A place of Agony and Suffering) may it be a place for us where we can in obedience glorify God instead of complaining bitterly rather fixing our eyes on His goodness and promises despite all the depression, confusion, rejections and the sorrows we are passing through.

Because Jesus overcame and became victorious we can face our tomorrow with confidence that despite the press-ons we are conquerer therefore about to yield good fruits for the glory of God. We can still smile again, Rejoice again and praise God again for his Mercies in sustaining us during the season of being pressed down with sorrows.

May we obtain strength in time of struggling and favours from God to overcome in time of sufferings in Jesus name amen.

✍️ Mrs Blessing I N Onugha ❤️