Schedule | - 4:23 pm
The Lord Jesus Did Not Choose Gethsemane by Chance. It Holds Deep Significance
The name “Gethsemane” carries a powerful and literal meaning: “oil press.” It was a garden where olives were harvested and then pressed to extract pure olive oil.
The Lord Jesus Christ did not randomly select this location to spend His final moments of freedom. Just like olives, which must be crushed to release their most valuable essence, He was about to be pressed to the extreme. Gethsemane represents a place where pressure reveals what is inside us.
Pressure is the ultimate test of faith. It doesn’t alter who you are; rather, it exposes your true self. Just as Jesus prepared His disciples for what was to come, today the Word prepares us. It is written:
Then Jesus said to them, ‘All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written: “I will strike the Shepherd, And the sheep of the flock will be scattered.”’ (Matthew 26:31)
When the pressure comes, reactions can generally be categorized into three responses:
• Self-Deception (Peter):
Peter boldly claimed he would never deny the Master:
Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble. (Matthew 26:33)
He stood out, was impetuous and full of faith, but believed he was good enough. Many people live in this illusion, maintaining the facade of strength, but pressure often reveals self-deception and a lack of the Holy Spirit. When confronted with pressure, he could not hold on.
• Weariness and Flight (the Disciples):
Jesus asked His disciples to watch and pray with Him, yet they fell asleep three times out of exhaustion.
Then He said to them, ‘My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me.’ (Matthew 26:38)
They represent those who grow weary of the fight for souls, the sacrifices for serving the Lord Jesus, and the church. At the crucial moment of the press, they fled.
• Spiritual Death (Judas):
Judas betrayed the Lord, felt remorse, and ultimately took his own life. He symbolizes those who, under pressure, turn to money, to friends who lack the Spirit, or human solutions, resulting in spiritual death—and sometimes even physical death.
In contrast to the others, when Jesus’ soul was pressed to the point of feeling separated from the Father, He shed blood and completely surrendered His will. Although He did not want to face that cup, He yielded to the higher will of God:
Saying, ‘My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.’ (Matthew 26:39)
Only those who surrender to the Father’s will overcome. Those who empty themselves of their own will become filled with the Holy Spirit. If you have already surrendered to God your will, He is with you in every situation.
Journey of Faith Towards the Garden of Gethsemane
