⁴⁴And being in agony He was praying very fervently …

Why meditate on verses like this, the pre-cross suffering of Christ? It may seem morbid to some, but when we truly understand what is going on, it should lead us to joyful worship. Only here in Gethsemene do we see suffering and joy inextricably intertwined—His suffering and our joy.

The word “agony” transliterates the Greek word agonia, which can be rendered in English as “distress” or “anguish.” In ancient Greece, the word group to which this specific word belongs was most frequently used for the Greek stadium where the athletic games were played, the place of contest (TDNT). It came to be used metaphorically for the moral struggles of life.

We see this when Jesus used the related verb form concerning eternal life, “strive (agonizomai) to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able” (Luke 13:24). The apostle Paul described his life’s ministry using the same term:

I have fought [Grk: agoniza] the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith … (2 Tim. 4:7)

Our Lord Jesus set the tone for this all-out commitment to the gospel. In His case, it was a complete commitment, and in this, we see the connection with joy. Hear what the writer of Hebrews tells us:

Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Heb. 12:1–2)

We must keep our eyes on what Jesus went through, the cost He paid for the ultimate joy He desired. Perfecting our faith requires that we understand the value He placed on the cross experience. All Christians of all time are witnesses to the joy of Christ, for we all are, in fact, the motivating joy that He thought was worth the price of His sacrifice.

The story by writer O. Henry, “The Gift of the Magi,” published in 1905, still resonates today: a poor young couple wanted to buy each other surprise Christmas gifts. The man sold his valuable gold pocket watch, inherited from his father and grandfather, to buy his wife expensive, bejeweled, decorative combs for her long, beautiful hair. Unknown to him, she had cut off and sold her hair to buy him a chain for his pocket watch. When they opened their presents, they were overcome with the sacrifice of love each made for the other. How much more can we appreciate the sacrifice our Lord made for us? Could it be that Paul wanted to enter into the experience of Christ through his own sacrificial hardships for the gospel? Indeed, he had the same desire, the joy of seeing others come to Christ. He wrote of his desire to know “the fellowship of [Christ’s] sufferings” (Phil. 2:10).

Contemplating the agonizing battle Jesus went through as He faced the cross and the temptation to turn away from His Father’s will overwhelms our souls. It was not a cakewalk.” It was a competition of the highest, most infinite order. He agonized in prayer for the joy set before; we were and are that joy that motivated Him to endure cross.  

This is not a morbid story, no! The cost was great, but our Lord Jesus Christ thought it worth the sacrifice. We rejoice over Him, and we rejoice with Him. He is worthy of our praise and worship.

Lord, I praise You for competing for my soul, despite the immense cost of Your life. You alone I worship!