The nearly full moon hung high over the holy city, bathing it in silver light. In response, countless lamps flickered to life throughout the city, as families lit them to search every corner of their homes for leaven, preparing for the upcoming Passover feast.
As the disciples gazed at the tranquil night scene, a gentle calm settled over their troubled hearts. For a moment, the beauty of the city eased their worries. Yet beneath the surface, questions lingered—Jesus’ words had become harder and harder to understand, and though they did not speak of it, uncertainty filled their minds. Still, Jesus had promised that the Holy Spirit would one day remind them of all things and teach them, so they could only wait.
Jesus remained silent as they left the city and made their way to the Kidron Valley. The valley took its name from the dark, murky waters that flowed there during the rainy winter season. In the dry months, it became a barren gorge, yet the Gihon Spring within it was a life-giving source, never running dry and providing living water all year round. This spring was the very source that fed the Pool of Siloam in Jerusalem.
Long ago, King Hezekiah, foreseeing the dangers of war, had a tunnel carved from the Gihon Spring outside the city walls to the Pool of Siloam within, ensuring the people would have water in times of siege. When enemies surrounded Jerusalem and all other sources dried up except for rainwater, the water from the Gihon Spring remained as almost the only life-sustaining source for the city’s survival.
For all these reasons, the Gihon Spring held deep significance for the people of Jerusalem—and for David as well. Without the water channel from the Gihon Spring, David might never have taken this land from the Jebusites, nor laid the foundation for the holy city of Jerusalem and its temple. Perhaps that is why King David commanded that the coronation of his son Solomon take place at the Gihon Spring, as if to remind him—and all who would come after—not to forget the true beginning of it all.
Because the Kidron Valley was a place that gave life, many beautiful places like the King’s Valley and the King’s Garden were created around it. As Jesus passed through this life-giving valley, He spoke to His disciples:
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the farmer. Every branch in me that doesn’t bear fruit, he takes away. Every branch that bears fruit, he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already pruned clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I in you. As the branch can’t bear fruit by itself unless it remains in the vine, so neither can you, unless you remain in me. I am the vine. You are the branches. He who remains in me, and I in him, bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If a man doesn’t remain in me, he is thrown out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them, throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you remain in me, and my words remain in you, you will ask whatever you desire, and it will be done for you. In this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; and so you will be my disciples. Even as the Father has loved me, I also have loved you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, even as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. I have spoken these things to you, that my joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be made full.
This is my commandment, that you love one another, even as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends, if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant doesn’t know what his lord does. But I have called you friends, for everything that I heard from my Father, I have made known to you. You didn’t choose me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain; that whatever you will ask of the Father in my name, he may give it to you. I command these things to you, that you may love one another.”
As the disciples listened to Jesus’ words, their thoughts naturally turned to the Kidron Valley—so full of life—and the Hinnom Valley, a place of burning refuse and death. In that light, Jesus’ words about being the vine and they the branches seemed to make more sense. He was telling them that only by remaining in Him could they truly keep hold of life and bear fruit. And the way to remain in Him was through the new commandment: love. Not a commandment that produced sinners through endless laws, but simply love—loving one another, refusing to hate, and loving even Jesus Himself. To love Jesus so deeply that one would give up one’s life for Him—such a person was no longer a servant, but a friend. And what would Jesus ever withhold from a friend?
Jesus continued:
“If the world hates you, you know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. But because you are not of the world, since I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his lord.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will keep yours also. But they will do all these things to you for my name’s sake, because they don’t know him who sent me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have had sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin. He who hates me, hates my Father also. If I hadn’t done among them the works which no one else did, they wouldn’t have had sin. But now have they seen and also hated both me and my Father. But this happened so that the word may be fulfilled which was written in their law, ‘They hated me without a cause.’ When the Counselor has come, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will testify about me. You will also testify, because you have been with me from the beginning.”
Jesus spoke again about the Comforter, the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father. To the disciples, these words sounded like encouragement, reminding them that they were not alone even in the midst of hatred and persecution from the world. It seemed as if Jesus was saying, “I was hated and persecuted first, so do not grieve or fear if you are hated and persecuted. You are not the sinners, but they are.” For some reason, this made the disciples feel sad.
“I have said these things to you so that you wouldn’t be caused to stumble. They will put you out of the synagogues. Yes, the time comes that whoever kills you will think that he offers service to God. They will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me. But I have told you these things, so that when the time comes, you may remember that I told you about them. I didn’t tell you these things from the beginning, because I was with you.
But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ But because I have told you these things, sorrow has filled your heart. Nevertheless I tell you the truth: It is to your advantage that I go away, for if I don’t go away, the Counselor won’t come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. When he has come, he will convict the world about sin, about righteousness, and about judgment; about sin, because they don’t believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to my Father, and you won’t see me any more; about judgment, because the prince of this world has been judged.
I have yet many things to tell you, but you can’t bear them now. However, when he, the Spirit of truth, has come, he will guide you into all truth, for he will not speak from himself; but whatever he hears, he will speak. He will declare to you things that are coming. He will glorify me, for he will take from what is mine, and will declare it to you. All things whatever the Father has are mine; therefore I said that he takes of mine and will declare it to you.”
And then He added:
“A little while, and you will not see me. Again a little while, and you will see me.”
Some of the disciples whispered to each other after hearing Jesus’ words:
“What is this that he says to us, ‘A little while, and you won’t see me, and again a little while, and you will see me;’ and, ‘Because I go to the Father’?”
“What is this that he says, ‘A little while’? We don’t know what he is saying.”
As Jesus saw that the disciples still did not understand and could not bear His words, He spoke again:
“Do you inquire among yourselves concerning this, that I said, ‘A little while, and you won’t see me, and again a little while, and you will see me?’ Most certainly I tell you that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy. A woman, when she gives birth, has sorrow because her time has come. But when she has delivered the child, she doesn’t remember the anguish any more, for the joy that a human being is born into the world. Therefore you now have sorrow, but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you. In that day you will ask me no questions. Most certainly I tell you, whatever you may ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now, you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be made full.”
Jesus spoke of how joy would come only after passing through sorrow, anxiety, and the pains of childbirth.
“I have spoken these things to you in figures of speech. But the time is coming when I will no more speak to you in figures of speech, but will tell you plainly about the Father. In that day you will ask in my name; and I don’t say to you that I will pray to the Father for you, for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me, and have believed that I came from God. I came from the Father and have come into the world. Again, I leave the world and go to the Father.”
The disciples replied:
“Behold, now you are speaking plainly, and using no figures of speech. Now we know that you know all things, and don’t need for anyone to question you. By this we believe that you came from God.”
Jesus said:
“Do you now believe? Behold, the time is coming, yes, and has now come, that you will be scattered, everyone to his own place, and you will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me. I have told you these things, that in me you may have peace. In the world you have oppression; but cheer up! I have overcome the world.”
Jesus finished speaking these words, and He lifted up His eyes to heaven.
“Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may also glorify you; even as you gave him authority over all flesh, so he will give eternal life to all whom you have given him. This is eternal life, that they should know you, the only true God, and him whom you sent, Jesus Christ. I glorified you on the earth. I have accomplished the work which you have given me to do. Now, Father, glorify me with your own self with the glory which I had with you before the world existed.
I revealed your name to the people whom you have given me out of the world. They were yours, and you have given them to me. They have kept your word. Now they have known that all things whatever you have given me are from you, for the words which you have given me I have given to them; and they received them, and knew for sure that I came from you, and they have believed that you sent me. I pray for them. I don’t pray for the world, but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. All things that are mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them.
I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them through your name which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are. While I was with them in the world, I kept them in your name. Those whom you have given me I have kept. None of them is lost, except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.
But now I come to you, and I say these things in the world, that they may have my joy made full in themselves. I have given them your word. The world hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that you would take them from the world, but that you would keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in your truth. Your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, even so I have sent them into the world. For their sakes I sanctify myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth.”
The disciples stood in their places, listening to Jesus’ voice under the starry night sky.
“Not for these only do I pray, but for those also who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one; even as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be one in us; that the world may believe that you sent me.
The glory which you have given me, I have given to them, that they may be one, even as we are one; I in them, and you in me, that they may be perfected into one; that the world may know that you sent me, and loved them, even as you loved me.
Father, I desire that they also whom you have given me be with me where I am, that they may see my glory, which you have given me, for you loved me before the foundation of the world. Righteous Father, the world hasn’t known you, but I knew you; and these knew that you sent me. I made known to them your name, and will make it known; that the love with which you loved me may be in them, and I in them.”
After finishing all His prayers, Jesus took His disciples and entered the Mount of Olives, saying to them,
“All of you will be made to stumble because of me tonight, for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ However, after I am raised up, I will go before you into Galilee.”
Peter replied,
“Even if all will be offended by you, I will never be offended. Although all will be offended, yet I will not.”
Jesus said to him,
“Most certainly I tell you that today, even this night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.”
But Peter spoke with emphasis. When he had heard these words earlier in the house, he had been too shocked to say anything in response, but now the thought that he could not make the same mistake again gave strength to his voice.
“Even if I have to die with you, I will never deny you.”
When Peter answered this way, all the other disciples said the same thing.
“Even if I have to die with you, I will never deny you.”
The disciples’ boasting, their denial and abandonment of Jesus, were all part of God’s plan and destined to happen, yet they still insisted otherwise. Of course, the disciples would eventually face death for the Lord and the gospel, but that was for later, when God’s plan for them and their mission had come to an end. Now, it was only Jesus, the Passover Lamb who had to give His life to save people, who was to lay down His life.
Even if their boasts ended in failure, it was not a failure in the true sense. This failure was actually God’s love, protecting the disciples’ lives from the wicked. Through this failure, the disciples would see their own sin and then meet the resurrected Jesus, repent, and have all their sins forgiven.
But before any of this could happen, Jesus had to endure the suffering that awaited Him—the cross, with its bloodshed and death. For this final moment, Jesus led the disciples into the Garden of Gethsemane, filled with olive trees.
In the dark and silent garden, illuminated only by moonlight, Jesus spoke to the disciples:
“Sit here while I pray over there, and pray that you don’t enter into temptation.”
Jesus left the other disciples there and took Peter, James, and John with Him, walking a little farther. With every step He took, His face grew darker and more troubled. If someone who disliked Jesus had seen Him, they might have sneered, “What’s so difficult about crucifixion? Isn’t He the Son of God? Why would that trouble Him?” They might have added, “After all, tens of thousands—no, even hundreds of thousands—have suffered crucifixion before.” But the real problem wasn’t the flogging or the cross itself. The true issue was death.
The Son of God had existed with God since before the creation of the world. He was the Son by role, but equal to God in essence, as one of the persons of the Trinity. Death was something that could not even approach Him, yet now it was drawing near. The One who had been with God for eternity was about to experience the intense loneliness of the cross and be forsaken. The Son of God, who could not die, had to face death. How could He not be distressed?
Jesus turned to Peter, James, and John and said,
“My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with me.”
In the faint moonlight obscured by clouds, Jesus’ face was filled with anguish. The disciples saw His face and could not say a word. Jesus left the disciples and went a little farther, knelt down, and began to pray.
The passages from Matthew 26:31-38, Mark 14:27-34, Luke 22:40, John 15:1-17:26 quoted in this narrative are taken directly from the World English Bible (WEB) translation. Of the parallel passages, I have combined them into a single version that includes all the content.
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