“Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and He said to His disciples, ‘Sit here, while I go over there and pray.’” – Matthew 26:36
Yesterday, we talked about the real superhero, Jesus Christ. Like fictional superheroes, Jesus did things no one else could do, but that did not mean He wasn’t human behind the scenes. Over the next few days, we are going to go behind the scenes of the night Jesus was arrested when He took the disciples up on the Mount of Olives and told them to sit.
As soon as they got to the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus told them to sit. Why is that? Because Jesus took them there with a purpose. And that purpose was to PRAY. Matthew 26:36 says, “Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and He said to His disciples, ‘Sit here, while I go over there and pray.’”
In this passage, Matthew referred to Gethsemane as an enclosed plot or “garden.” This was a place where they frequently visited…a peaceful place where they would get alone to talk and to pray.
Jesus went to pray because He was burdened. He was agonizing over what was about to happen. Are you burdened today? Yes, Jesus was (and is) a real-life superhero, but He was also fully human. And with that humanity, came the same emotions you and I feel today.
Jesus was burdened, knowing what His future held. He was agonizing, meaning He was undergoing great mental pain and suffering at the thought of what was to come. Maybe that is where you find yourself right now. Are you burdened? Are you agonizing over something that is to come?
Jesus gave us the ultimate example of what we are to do when we feel these emotions. He went to His Father in prayer. If you have time to worry about it, you have time to pray about it. God is ready and listening. He wants to hear all your concerns. When you are uneasy, it is time to go to your Garden of Gethsemane. Find somewhere quiet, and go to the Father in prayer.