36 Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder. 37 And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. 38 Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me. 39 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. 40 And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour? 41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. 42 He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done. 43 And he came and found them asleep again: for their eyes were heavy. 44 And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words. 45 Then cometh he to his disciples, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 Rise, let us be going: behold, he is at hand that doth betray me. (Matthew 26:36-46 KJV)
Jesus Prays in Gethsemane
Having seen the preparations for Christ’s sufferings, we now come to the scene of his agony in the garden—his first step into the depths of sorrow. Here, the sword of divine justice began to strike him (Zechariah 13:7). Though he had already declared, “Now my soul is troubled” (John 12:27), the full storm now broke. He entered into agony before his enemies laid a hand on him, showing that he was not taken by force, but willingly laid down his life (John 10:18).
This took place in Gethsemane, meaning “olive press,” where olives were crushed—symbolic of Christ being crushed under the weight of divine wrath, that the oil of grace might flow to believers. There, at the foot of the Mount of Olives, he began to tread the winepress of God’s wrath alone.
He brought all the disciples with him, except Judas, who was already betraying him. He took Peter, James, and John farther into the garden—the same three who had witnessed his transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-2). Those most prepared to witness his suffering were those who had seen his glory. He instructed the others, “Sit here while I go and pray over there” (Matthew 26:36), similar to Abraham’s words in Genesis 22:5.
Though he had just prayed publicly (John 17), Jesus now sought private communion. Even in times of public worship, private prayer is essential. He began to be sorrowful and deeply troubled (Matthew 26:37). Luke calls it “agony” (Luke 22:44). Though no physical pain had yet touched him, he was crushed inwardly. He felt sorrow as described in Psalm 22:14 and echoed in other soul-distressed cries (Psalm 18:4-5; Ps 42:7; Ps 55:4-5; Ps 69:1-3; Ps 88:3; 116:3; Jonah 2:4-5).
But what caused this sorrow? Not doubt or rebellion, but the spiritual weight of sin laid upon him by the Father. He knew the evil and offense of sin and grieved over it. He was fulfilling Psalm 40:12, “My sins have overtaken me.” He saw what lay ahead—betrayal, denial, hatred, scorn, crucifixion—and all of it as the cost of our redemption.
Martyrs have faced torture joyfully, but Christ’s suffering was unique. They were supported by God’s comforting presence; he was not. He endured the curse, not just the cross (Galatians 3:13). Their suffering was blessed (Matthew 5:10-12); his was cursed. Their joy flowed from God’s favor; Christ endured without it so we could be reconciled to God.
In his sorrow, he confided in his disciples: “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death” (Matthew 26:38). His suffering was deep and unrelenting. He had sorrows throughout his life (Isaiah 53:3), but none like this. He asked them to stay and watch with him—not because he needed them, but to teach us the value of fellowship in suffering.
Then he withdrew and prayed. In times of agony, prayer is the soul’s refuge. He went a little farther and fell on his face (Matthew 26:39), expressing both deep sorrow and reverent humility. Calvin noted that private prayer best reveals the heart, and Christ modeled this. Though alone, his cries were heard (Hebrews 5:7).
His prayer had three parts: (1) He addressed God as “My Father”—even under crushing grief, he trusted the Father’s love. (2) He asked, “If it’s possible, let this cup pass from me,” calling his suffering a “cup,” not an ocean—measured and purposeful. Though he desired to avoid the pain, he submitted his desire to God’s purpose. (3) He concluded: “Not as I will, but as you will.” His human will, while naturally recoiling from pain, submitted fully to the Father’s will (John 6:39-40; Psalm 40:8).
He returned and found the disciples asleep (Matthew 26:40). While he was in agony, sweating and praying, they were oblivious. If Christ had been as sleepy as they were, our salvation would have failed—but he does not sleep (Psalm 121:4). He rebuked Peter gently: “Couldn’t you watch with me one hour?” (Matthew 26:40). It was a small request—just to stay awake—but they failed. He reminded them, “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41). Temptation was near, and their drowsiness exposed their spiritual weakness.
Still, Jesus responded with compassion. Though they had nothing to say in their defense, he excused them—acknowledging their willing spirit, but weak flesh (Psalm 78:38-39). Even in his suffering, he was their Advocate, covering their failure with mercy.
He prayed a second and third time (Matthew 26:42, 44), repeating the same theme—surrender to the Father’s will. He no longer asked for the cup to pass, but prayed for strength to drink it. In suffering, our prayer should not focus solely on deliverance, but on grace to endure faithfully. The heart of prayer is not only requesting relief, but submitting to God’s purposes.