Mark 14:32

Christ always had the custom of praying alone, giving us an example so that we too would seek solitude for prayer.

The history of our Lord's agony in the garden of Gethsemane is a deep and mysterious passage of Scripture. It contains things which the wisest divines cannot fully explain. Yet it has upon its surface plain truths of most momentous importance. Let us mark, in the first place, how keenly our Lord felt the burden of a world's sin . It is written that He began to be filled with horror and deep distress.

[Other Sermons by Mr. Spurgeon upon "Christ in Gethsemane," are #493, Volume 9—GETHSEMANE; #693, Volume 12—THE GARDEN OF THE SOUL; #1199, Volume 20—THE AGONY IN GETHSEMANE and #494, Volume 9—THE BETRAYAL.] OUR Lord had been sitting at the table of happy fellowship with His disciples, talking to them in a very solemn and impressive manner. He then delivered those choice discourses which are recorded by John and offered that wonderful prayer which deserves to always be called, "The Lord's Prayer."

The history of our Lord's agony in the garden of Gethsemane is a deep and mysterious passage of Scripture. It contains things which the wisest divines cannot fully explain. Yet it has upon its surface plain truths of most momentous importance. Let us mark, in the first place, how keenly our Lord felt the burden of a world's sin . It is written that He began to be filled with horror and deep distress. He told them, "My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death," and that "he fell on the ground, and prayed, that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him." There is only one reasonable explanation of these expressions. It was no mere fear of the physical suffering of death, which drew them from our Lord's lips. It was a sense of the enormous load of human guilt, which began at that time to press upon Him in a peculiar way. It was a sense of the unutterable weight of our sins and transgressions which were then specially laid upon Him. He was being "made a curse for us." He was bearing our griefs and carrying our sorrows according to the covenant He came on earth to fulfill. He was being "made sin for us who Himself knew no sin." His holy nature felt acutely the hideous burden laid upon Him. These were the reasons of His extraordinary sorrow. We ought to see in our Lord's agony in Gethsemane the exceeding sinfulness of sin. It is a subject on which the thoughts of professing Christians are far below what they should be. The careless, light way in which such sins as swearing, Sabbath-breaking, lying, and the like, are often spoken of, is a painful evidence of the low condition of men's moral feelings. Let the recollection of Gethsemane have a sanctifying effect upon us. Whatever others do, let us never "make a mock at sin." Let us mark, in the second place, what an example our Lord gives us of the importance of prayer in time of trouble .

[Other Sermons by Mr. Spurgeon upon "Christ in Gethsemane," are #493, Volume 9—GETHSEMANE; #693, Volume 12—THE GARDEN OF THE SOUL; #1199, Volume 20—THE AGONY IN GETHSEMANE and #494, Volume 9—THE BETRAYAL.] OUR Lord had been sitting at the table of happy fellowship with His disciples, talking to them in a very solemn and impressive manner. He then delivered those choice discourses which are recorded by John and offered that wonderful prayer which deserves to always be called, "The Lord's Prayer." Knowing all that was to befall Him, He and His disciples left the upper room and started to go to His usual place of quiet retreat, "a place which was named Gethsemane." You can easily picture their descent into the street. The moon was at the full on the Paschal night and it was very cold, for we read that the high priest's servants had kindled a fire and warmed themselves, because it was cold. As Jesus walked along the narrow streets of Jerusalem, He doubtless still spoke to His disciples in calm and helpful tones. And before long they came to the Brook Kidron over which David passed when Absalom stole away the hearts of the people from his father. So now, "great David's greater Son" must go the same way to the olive garden where He had often been before with His disciples. It was called Gethsemane, "the olive press." As we think of Christ in Gethsemane, I want you who love Him not only to adore Him, but to learn to imitate Him, so that when you are called to "drink of His cup," and to be baptized with the baptism wherewith He was baptized, you may behave as His true followers should and come forth from your conflict victorious as He came forth from His! At the very outset, there is one fact that I wish you to observe very particularly. Sudden changes from joy to grief have produced extraordinary results in those who have been affected by them.

See the notes at Mat 26:36-46. Mar 14:36 Ἀββα Abba This word denotes “father.” It is a Syriac word, and is used by the Saviour as a word denoting filial affection and tenderness. Compare Rom 8:15. Mar 14:40 Neither wist they ... - Neither “knew” they. They were so conscious of the impropriety of sleeping at that time, that they could not find any answer to give to the inquiry why they had done it. Mar 14:41 It is enough - There has been much difficulty in determining the meaning of this phrase.