Gloomy, Dark and Sad Gethsemane! These are expressions used by the great hymn writers. For one night it surely was a place of doom and gloom. Yet Christ was victorious.
A Place Called Gethsemane
Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to His disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” Mat 26:36
Then He said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch with Me. And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will. Mat 26:38-39
James Montgomery
Go to dark Gethsemane,
Ye that feel the tempter’s power,
Your Redeemer’s conflict see’
Watch Him one bitter hour;
Turn not from His griefs away;
Learn of Jesus Christ to pray.
Joseph Hart
Many woes had He endur’d,
Many sore temptations met,
Patient, and to pains inur’d,
But the sorest trial yet
Was to be sustain’d in Thee,
Gloomy, sad Gethsemane.
Come at length the dreadful night;
Vengeance with its iron rod
Stood, and with collected might
Bruis’d the harmless Lamb of God.
See, my soul, thy Saviour see,
Prostrate in Gethsemane.
There my God bore all my guilt;
This through grace can be believ’d;
But the horrors which He felt
Are too vast to be conceiv’d.
None can penetrate through thee,
Doleful, dark Gethsemane.
Sins against a holy God;
Sins against His righteous laws;
Sins against His love, His blood;
Sins against His name and cause;
Sins immense as is the sea –
Hide me, O Gethsemane.
Here’s my claim, and here alone;
None a Saviour more can need;
Deeds of righteousness I’ve none;
No, not one good work to plead;
Not a glimpse of hope for me;
Only in Gethsemane.
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,
One almighty God of love,
Hymn’d by all the heavenly host,
In thy shining courts above,
We poor sinners, gracious Three,
Bless thee for Gethsemane.
Further reading
What happened in the Garden of Gethsemane?
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