36 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.” 37 And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38 Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.” 39 And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” 40 And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour? 41 Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 42 Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.” 43 And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. 44 So, leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words again. 45 Then he came to the disciples and said to them, “Sleep and take your rest later on. See, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.”
One almost hesitates to make comment on this awesome scene in the Garden of Gethsemane; to read it slowly and with a great reverence seems to be the proper attitude to take with this 'holy of holies' in our Lord's experience. And yet there is so much of deep significance in it that we must needs probe into the essential meaning. The very name of the Garden has its significance, for 'Gethsemane' means an 'oil-press' or 'winepress'. The Garden was a grove of olives fitted with a winepress; and as such, it was for Christ the beginning of the action of the winepress of God. 'I have trodden the winepress alone, and of the people there was none with me' (Isaiah 63:3). This does much to explain why the disciples were left outside this experience. Even the inner circle could not penetrate this awesome loneliness. Furthermore, the Garden here corresponds to that other Garden, Eden. A great deal is made in the New Testament of the symbolism and significance of what took place in these two gardens; for in Eden Adam fell into disobedience, but in the second garden the second Adam triumphed where the first tragically failed. And as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. If, then, there is a contrast intended between Eden and Gethsemane, we have a key to the understanding of Christ's agony. For Adam was tempted in Eden, and Gethsemane was likewise a temptation experience for Christ; part of the agony at least was a battle with temptation. He suffered being tempted (Hebrews 2:18). In the wilderness temptation we are told that Satan left Him for a season; and he returned with all his malignity in the Garden - with the same temptation: Messiahship without a cross. This is the force of 'If it be possible, let this cup pass from me' (39).