Gethsemane

Presents this with the hope that you might better understand what Jesus suffered for you.

  1. Home
  2. Gethsemane
  3. Trials
  4. Health of Jesus
  5. Scourging
  6. Crucifixion
  7. Death of Jesus
  8. Sources
    1a. Cross of Christ
    1b. Physicians View

After Jesus and his disciples had observed the Passover meal in an upper room in a home in southwest Jerusalem, they traveled to the Mount of Olives, northeast of the city (Fig 1). (Owing to various adjustments in the calendar, the years of Jesus’ birth and death remain controversial.29  However, it is likely that Jesus was born in either 4 or 6 BC and died in 30 AD.11, 29 During the Passover observance in 30 AD, the Last Supper would have been observed on Thursday,

Fig 1. Map of Jerusalem at time of Christ.
 Jesus left Upper Room and walked with disciples to Mount of Olives and Garden of Gethsemane (1), where he was arrested and taken first to Annas and then to Caiaphas (2). After first trial before political Sanhedrin at Caiaphas’ residence, Jesus was tried again before religious Sanhedrin, probably at Temple (3) Next, he was taken to Pontius Pilate (4), who sent him to Herod Antipas (5). Herod returned Jesus to Pilate (6), and Pilate finally handed over Jesus for scourging at Fortress of Antonia and for crucifixion at Golgotha (7). (Modified from Pfeiffer et al.30)

 April 6 [Nisan 13], and Jesus would have been crucified on Friday, April 7 [Nisan 14].29   At nearby Gethsemane, Jesus, apparently knowing that the time of his death was near, suffered great mental anguish, and, as described by the physician Luke, his sweat became like blood. Although this is a very rare phenomenon, bloody sweat (hematidrosis or hemohidrosis) may occur in highly emotional states or in persons with bleeding disorders.18-20  As a result of hemorrhage into the sweat glands, the skin becomes fragile and tender.2,11  Luke’s description supports the diagnosis of hematidrosis rather than eccrine chromidrosis (brown or yellow-green sweat) or stigmatization (blood oozing from the palms or elsewhere).18-21  Although some authors have suggested that hematidrosis produced hypovolemia, we agree with Bucklin 5 that Jesus’ actual blood loss probably was minimal. However, in the cold night air, 1 it may have produced chills.