The Agony in the Garden by Frans Schultz*
Christ's agony in the Garden and on the cross was of a magnitude and intensity that we can only partially comprehend. I love this painting and what it conveys about Christ's agony, His submission and pleading with His Father - and the angel sent to strengthen Him.
And he was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down, and prayed, Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will , but thine, be done.
And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.
And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.
We are told that He prayed to His Father three times, asking if there was any other way to accomplish what needed to be done. Luke 22: 42, Mark 14: 32-41, Matthew 26: 36-44. There wasn't. Luke tells us that an angel came to strengthen Jesus when he was praying in the Garden of Gethsemane.
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"What the Savior did from Gethsemane to Golgotha on our behalf is beyond my ability to grasp. He took upon Himself the burden of our sins and paid an eternal and binding ransom not only for Adam’s original transgression but also for the sins and transgressions of the billions upon billions of souls who have ever lived. This eternal, sacred sacrifice caused “even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit” (Doctrine and Covenants 19:18). ... My soul overflows with gratitude when I contemplate the precious meaning of this sacrifice. It humbles me to know that all who accept this gift and incline their hearts to Him can be forgiven and cleansed of their sins, no matter how dark their blemish or how oppressive their burden.
We can be made spotless and pure once again. We can be redeemed by the eternal sacrifice of our beloved Savior." Dieter Uchtdorf
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Amen!
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