“He took Peter and Zebedee’s two sons, James and John, and He became anguished and distressed. He told them, ‘My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.’” – Matthew 26:37-38
Yesterday, we discussed how Jesus had a place of prayer. He had a place in the Garden of Gethsemane that He would regularly go to. He went there once more before He was arrested.
But before He was arrested, He was agonizing in anticipation. As He entered the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus knew what was coming. Matthew 26:37-38 says, “He took Peter and Zebedee’s two sons, James and John, and He became anguished and distressed. He told them, ‘My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.’”
The phrase that says, “He became anguished and distressed,” speaks of a great sadness of grief. It is a grief beyond depression. Luke’s account also uses the word “anguish,” saying in Luke 22:44, “Being in anguish, He prayed more fervently, and His sweat became like drops of blood falling to the ground.”
That is a strong word that speaks of agony and conflict. Don’t miss what Jesus endured for us. Listen again to the words used to describe His emotional state in the garden: He was sorrowful, troubled, deeply grieved, and in anguish.
We know that Jesus came to the garden to pray, but have you ever thought about His posture in prayer? His posture tells you everything you need to know about His heart.
This wasn’t a quick, “Take off your cap, bow your head and thank the Lord for your food, prayer.” This was Jesus dropping to His knees, falling on His face, and pleading with God the Father. Do you get that? He demonstrated in that moment humility and dependency like we’ve never seen before.
This was the Son of God on His face, before His Father, laying flat with His nose in the dirt, agonizing to the point where His sweat beads became like drops of blood falling to the ground.
Jesus was agonizing over what was to come. He knew what He was about to have to sacrifice. But He did it anyway. He did it for you so that you could spend eternity with Him. The disciples did not know what was coming, but Jesus did, and His emotional state was beyond depression. Yet, He went through with it, for you and I. Thank Him today that He did what He came to do!