Jesus in Gethsemane (AQA GCSE Religious Studies A): Revision Note
Exam code: 8062
32 They went to a place called Gethsemane; and he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” 33 He took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be distressed and agitated. 34 And he said to them, “I am deeply grieved, even to death; remain here, and keep awake.” 35 And going a little farther, he threw himself on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. 36 He said, “Abba, Father, for you all things are possible; remove this cup from me; yet, not what I want, but what you want.” 37 He came and found them sleeping; and he said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not keep awake one hour? 38 Keep awake, and pray that you may not come into the time of trial; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 39 And again he went away and prayed, saying the same words. 40 And once more he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy; and they did not know what to say to him. 41 He came a third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? Enough! The hour has come; the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 42 Get up, let us be going. See, my betrayer is at hand.”
43 Immediately, while he was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, arrived; and with him there was a crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders. 44 Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I will kiss is the man; arrest him and lead him away under guard.” 45 So when he came, he went up to him at once and said, “Rabbi!” and kissed him. 46 Then they laid hands on him and arrested him. 47 But one of those who stood near drew his sword and struck the slave of the high priest, cutting off his ear. 48 Then Jesus said to them, “Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest me as though I were a bandit? 49 Day after day I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did not arrest me. But let the scriptures be fulfilled.” 50 All of them deserted him and fled.
51 A certain young man was following him, wearing nothing but a linen cloth. They caught hold of him, 52 but he left the linen cloth and ran off naked. (Mark 14:32–52)
The night in the Garden of Gethsemane
After the Last Supper, Jesus and the disciples went to the Garden of Gethsemane, an olive tree plantation just outside of the city of Jerusalem
Jesus told his disciples to “sit here while I pray”
Jesus took Peter, James and John (his closest disciples) further into the garden with him
He told them of his sadness at what lay ahead: “I am deeply grieved, even to death”
Jesus told them to stay awake and went on his own to pray
He asked God to change the outcome and to spare him the suffering he was about to face
This shows Jesus’s human nature because he was afraid and vulnerable
Jesus then accepted that he would do God’s will: “Yet not what I want, but what you want”
This shows Jesus’s divine nature, as he accepted God’s will even though it meant his suffering and death
He was setting the example of obedience to God
The word Jesus used — “Abba”, the Aramaic for “father” — shows how close he was to God, his Father
When Jesus returned, the disciples were asleep
The disciples did not appreciate the seriousness of what Jesus was going through; Jesus had to cope with the events that were to follow on his own
It was time for him to accept his fate
The arrest of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane
Jesus said to the disciples, “The hour has come; the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Get up, let us be going. See, my betrayer is at hand”
By “my betrayer”, Jesus meant Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples, who arrived with the chief priests, elders and armed crowd
They were coming to arrest him
Judas showed the crowd who Jesus was by kissing him on the cheek
Although this was a common way to greet a friend, it was the prearranged signal to show the guards whom they should arrest
The men arrested Jesus
The disciples went to Jesus’s aid
One of them drew his sword and cut off the ear of the high priest’s servant
Jesus didn’t want a violent response
He was a peaceful teacher, and instead, he reminded them that he had been teaching in the temple and they had not come to arrest him there
Jesus was questioning why they felt the need to arrest him, pointing out that he was not a “bandit” leading a rebellion
Jesus then accepted that “the scriptures must be fulfilled”
This meant that the Old Testament prophecy (meaning the predictions about his death by the prophet Isaiah) must happen just as predicted
The disciples were scared and ran away
The “certain young man” who ran away at the end of the passage is thought to have been the Gospel author, John Mark, meaning that this is an eyewitness account of what happened to Jesus
Worked Example
In the Garden of Gethsemane, which one of the disciples betrayed Jesus?
[1 mark]
A. Peter
B. James
C. Judas
D. John
Answer:
C. Judas
All of the others were present in the Garden of Gethsemane, but Judas betrayed Jesus by kissing him on the cheek.
Examiner Tips and Tricks
Although the most famous part of these events is the kiss of betrayal by Judas, it’s important to remember the significance of Jesus’s prayers in the Garden of Gethsemane. Make sure you understand what these prayers reveal about the nature of Jesus: that his fears and wish to avoid suffering show that he was fully human, and that his acceptance of what was going to happen is a sign of his divine nature.
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