What Is Gethsemane — In Biblical Context
Gethsemane is the garden at the foot of the Mount of Olives where Jesus prayed in agony the night before His crucifixion and was betrayed by Judas.
Gethsemane is the garden at the foot of the Mount of Olives where Jesus prayed in agony the night before His crucifixion and was betrayed by Judas.
"Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder." — Matthew 26:36 (KJV)
The Biblical Context
Gethsemane, meaning 'oil press,' was an olive grove on the slope of the Mount of Olives, across the Kidron Valley from Jerusalem. On the night of His betrayal, Jesus took Peter, James, and John there to pray. Overwhelmed with sorrow, He fell on His face and cried out, 'O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.' An angel strengthened Him, and His sweat became 'as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.' Meanwhile the disciples slept. Then Judas arrived with a mob, identified Jesus with a kiss, and the arrest began. Gethsemane reveals both the genuine humanity of Christ — His dread of the cross — and His perfect obedience — His submission to the Father's will. It is the place where the Lamb prepared Himself for the slaughter.
Where It Sits in Scripture
The core passage for this question, Matthew 26:36, sits inside Matthew 26. To grasp the full meaning, read the surrounding paragraph — the verses before set up the thought, the verses after carry it forward.
"Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder."
Supporting Passages
"And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt."
"And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground."
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