Part 26 of 35 In the garden at night
After supper, Jesus and his disciples went to a garden on the Mount of Olives called Gethsemane. "Sit here while I pray," he told them (Mark 14:32). He was deeply troubled, because he knew he was about to suffer and die. He fell to the ground and prayed: "Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup from Me. Yet not what I will, but what You will" (Mark 14:36).
Three times he came back and found his friends asleep. Then Judas arrived with a crowd armed with swords and clubs. He greeted Jesus with a kiss, the signal for the men to seize him. Jesus did not fight back, and all his disciples ran away (Mark 14:43–50).
Imagined The chapel
A small round chapel with columns and a gold dome, where anyone can come in, sit quietly and pray.
Real world The olive trees of Gethsemane
Gethsemane means "oil press". Eight very old olive trees still grow in the garden there, beside the Church of All Nations. In 2012, scientists in Italy tested three of them and found they were about 900 years old. Tests also showed that all eight grew from cuttings of the same parent tree.
Art In this artwork
The illustration shows a small round chapel with columns, a gold dome and warm light shining from inside.
Look closer
- Find the light coming from inside.
- Count the columns.
Think about it
- What did Jesus pray in the garden?
- Why do you think Jesus did not fight back?
- When is it hard to say "not what I want, but what you want"?
Key words
- Abba
- An Aramaic word for "father".
- Arrest
- To take someone prisoner.
- Olive press
- A machine that squeezes oil out of olives.
Sources
Bible quotations are from the Berean Standard Bible, which is in the public domain. The other facts on this page come from these sources:
- The Bible, Gospel of Mark
- Encyclopaedia Britannica, "Gethsemane"
- National Research Council of Italy (CNR), study of the olive trees of Gethsemane (2012)
