“Gethsemane”

When I think about Gethsemane and about the events that transpired there, I begin to question, What does Gethsemane mean to me? What does Gethsemane mean to you?

Is it just a historical place where Jesus went to pray? It has to be more than just that. To Jesus Gethsemane was the place where his flesh surrendered completely to the will of the Father.

To the disciples, Gethsemane was an experience that they did not fully understand. It was something they were not prepared for. So they went to sleep. Their flesh was allowed to conquer the spirit.

To Judas, Gethsemane was the final act of his betrayal.

What Gethsemane means to us, and how we value what it accomplished for us will depend totally on our reaction to it. Jesus recognized his Gethsemane and embraced it, and left it with a victory that would carry him through his sufferings of the cross.

The disciples slept through it, and as a result they were scattered and defeated. Judas used it to fulfill his own selfish purpose and it resulted in his remorse and utter destruction.

Gethsemane is more than just a historical place, but it is an experience that we all face. When the moment comes and we are faced with the decision of doing God’s will rather than our own.

God help us to recognize our Gethsemane, and to meet it in such a way that it will bring glory to God, while we walk victoriously through.

Holly Street Church of God is located at 807 Holly Street in Atlanta. Sunday morning Sunday school at 9:30 a.m., worship service at 10:30 a.m., Sunday night at 6 p.m. and Wednesday at 7 p.m.