May 20th: The Garden

The reason that I took this trip to Israel was to learn more about the geography, history, climate, and culture of the country so that I can better understand and teach the Bible. Although I had a lot of fun, the trip was a Master’s level course, complete with lectures, quizzes, and a final exam. I made it a point not to go there for an emotional or spiritual “high” or “mountaintop experience”—this was not high school church summer camp. Nevertheless, there were a few stops that did trigger an emotional response in me, and one of them was the Garden of Gethsemane.

The Garden of Gethsemane is located just to the east of the Jerusalem wall, meaning that in Jesus’ day, it was outside of the city. It sits near the base of the Mount of Olives, which is separated from Jerusalem by the Kidron Valley. (Incidentally, learning about places like the Kidron Valley was very informative to me, since I had read the name many times in the Bible, yet never really had a good feel for where it is.)


Anyway, the Garden of Gethsemane is regarded as a place where Jesus often brought his disciples to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city, to rest, and to teach them. Some speculate that it is a place where Jesus may have slept while staying in Jerusalem. Also, when Judas betrayed Jesus, it appears that he had little trouble determining where Jesus would be. The garden was known to them all.


I took the photos that you see on May 20th, during our trip to the Mount of Olives and the garden. The first is me at the top of the Mount of Olives with Jerusalem in the background. The second picture is one side of the garden, with olive trees dispersed all about, and not much else. The atmosphere here is quiet and serene. However, the third photo depicts more colorful flowers on the other side of the garden, which is also the location of a church. The church is called The Church of the Nations, and it is characterized by much more noise and activity (tourists in and out of the church all day), as well as the more “aesthetically pleasing” flowers. The final photo is a road sign to the Mount of Olives. Note that signs are presented in Hebrew, Arabic, and English.

While at the Garden of Gethsemane, our group found a corner of the quiet, serene side to read some Scripture and ponder what Jesus was going through on that fateful night. It was at this point that something struck me—something I never would have noticed unless I was standing right there. Take a good look again at the second picture above. In the background you can see a wall. That wall is the east wall of the Jerusalem Temple, and just behind that wall was the Holy of Holies. The irony hit me like a ton of bricks. Here you had Jesus—God in the flesh—already enduring agony and rejection in the Garden of Gethsemane, within clear sight of the place where God Himself made His dwelling (the Holy of Holies of the Temple). I can only imagine that the psychological effect of this only added to the suffering that our Savior was enduring in those moments. I imagine that the psychological suffering is similar to that of an Alcatraz prisoner, holed up and hopeless on a bay island, with the vibrant life of San Francisco in full view every day.


One of the enduring lessons I take from the events of the Garden of Gethsemane is that Jesus actually prayed that the cup, i.e. the suffering that was to come, would be lifted from Him. But Jesus was careful to add, “nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will” (Matt. 26:39). I try to keep this in mind with every prayer request I make. God desires us to bring our petitions to Him in prayer, but we also must be willing ultimately to submit to His will, regardless of our desires.