The Garden of Gethsemane

The following story is but one of the many wonderful experiences I had while on my journey to Israel. Others can be found in my autobiography titled, Journey of a Disciple, published by Amazon.com.

I had a spiritual experience upon exiting our bus when it stopped at the Mount of Olives. As I stepped onto the ground, I could feel the presence of the Lord, warm and gentle throughout my body. I was made aware that I had set my feet on holy ground.?

I walked down to the Garden of Gethsemane and saw the narrow paths flowing through the garden. One path was lined with flowers and olive trees. One of the trees looked very old. I asked our guide about the tree. She told me some have believed the tree was here 2,000 years ago, however, scientists at the Hebrew University have determined the tree’s age to be only about 1,500 years old.

The name Gethsemane means “olive press.” The garden sits toward the bottom of the Mount of Olives. There was a small stone bench in the garden that I sat on.? I rested there in the peace and quiet of the morning and stayed for a while to pray and meditate, absorbing the beauty of the garden around me. As I prayed I could feel the warmth of the Holy Spirit, and I knew that Jesus was with me, just as he had been with me when I prayed at the western wall of the Temple Mount and as I walked where he had walked up the hill of the Mount of Beatitudes and sailed on the Sea of Galilee. Christ is real and his Spirit is with us, watching over us and calling us to follow him.? I look forward to the day when he will return and rule the world from Jerusalem just as he promised in the Bible.?

I was the only one in the garden at the time. The early April day was warm and sunny, and above me I heard a bird singing sweetly. I thought of Jesus kneeling to pray to the Father on the Friday evening before He was crucified. How he must have suffered then, knowing what lay ahead. I felt his presence with me. “And he said, ‘Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.’”—Mark 14:36, NIV.

Higher up the Mount I walked to the Abbell Synagogue at the Hadassah University Medical Center, famous for its 12 magnificent arched windows around the four stone walls. There are three windows on each wall, each one depicting symbols of one of the 12 tribes of Israel. The stained glass illustrates animals, fish, and flowers. The view is breathtaking, overwhelming by their beauty and powerful imagery. The windows were created and given to the synagogue by world-renowned artist Marc Chagall.

"This is my modest gift to the Jewish people who have always dreamt of biblical love, friendship and of peace among all peoples. This is my gift to that people which lived here thousands of years ago among the other Semitic people."—Marc Chagall, February 6, 1962.

The stone floors of the synagogue reflect the light entering in through the windows, creating a beautiful and colorful glow inside the sanctuary.

After sitting down and silently praying for a while, I arose and walked outside and into the fresh April air.?

My spirit and soul were lifted high above, with the awareness of God’s presence and grace upon this land and its people, Israel. And then I prayed for the peace of all people everywhere, and for the return of Christ and his kingdom.?

I believe with all my heart in the return of Jesus Christ. The Jewish physician and philosopher Maimonides said, “I believe with perfect faith in the coming of the Messiah, and though he tarries, I will wait for him.”

Every day I wait with eager anticipation for Christ’s return. Evangelist Billy Graham said that his mother would come downstairs every morning, and standing at the kitchen window would say, “I wonder if this is the day when Christ will come.”

He will come again, just as he promised, “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God” (1 Thess. 4:16).

*from my book, Look For The Beautiful, at amazon.com

geneallengroner@gmail.com?? ??? ?Gene Groner, author and storyteller