On a silent and beautiful night, just like this evening, Jesus Christ and His apostles after the last supper went to the garden of Gethsemane. This was around ten to eleven at night. Jesus knew it was time to preform what His Father wanted Him to do. To suffer a horrific amount of suffering from sin, sickness, and other terrible life experiences, which is called the atonement. Christ then told eight of His apostles to stay at the entrance the garden, so he could go pray. He then took the remaining three of His apostles with Him.
“Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder.”
“And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy.”
“Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.”
— Matthew 26:36-38
Jesus was already starting to feel the effects of the atonement, and He was so sorrowful with the things He has to bear that he said that His soul was so sorrowful that He wanted to die. That’s just terrible. The pain was that great He wanted to die. But the pain was just the beginning. Peter, James, and John, eventually stayed behind while Jesus went farther into the garden. He asked them to pray and watch.
“And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.”
“And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?”
“Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
—Matthew 26:39-41
Jesus’ pain was beginning to be so great he asked His father if He could somehow no longer have to go through with the atonement. However, He said to let it happen if it was Heavenly Fathers will, and not His own. The pain was so great Jesus fell unto His face. Is is possible that Jesus was surprised of how great pain was placed upon Him. He fell down and started to pray.
Jesus Christ eventually went back to the apostles and asked, could they not sleep and stay awake for one hour. Little did they know that this was the night, a beautiful and still night, the most important and terrible thing would happen, the atonement.
Christ went back to where he was and asked Heavenly Father the same thing a second time and then went back to the apostles to see them sleeping again, possibly going back to them for support and comport with what He was experiencing. Jesus eventually did this one last time until going even further into the garden to experience the fullness of the atonement.
Eventually the pain from suffering was so intense, that He extremely had the desire to give up His life, an angle was sent to strengthen Him. The pain so was so excruciating that His sweat was like great drops of blood falling to the ground.
“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.”
—Luke 22:43-44
It is estimated that Jesus Christ suffered the atonement for at around six hours or more. Please take time, this night, to watch for an hour and ponder about the atonement of Jesus Christ. Do not sleep as the apostles did, but watch for at least one hour.
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