By Melissa McLaughlin
His footsteps fall softly in the olive grove
Enveloped in verdant Garden fragrance
The tender leaves, the stalwart trunks rooted and still,
The young olive fruit swelling with sustenance
A Garden pulsing with life
Yet death casts its shadow there
The earthy soil once wet with morning dew,
Now soaked with the tears of His divine sorrow
His steps falter as He drops to His knees
Face down, body gripped with anguish
The ominous ordeal looms ahead
Drops of blood slip from His brow
Mingling with tears and sweat
A river of grief flowing steadily down
Cries and tears are His prayer
The Son of Man, spotless and pure
Absorbing the full darkness of humanity
Every sin
of the world
Laid upon the back
Of the innocent Lamb
Precious, holy, gentle and good
In that moment
The Perfect One
Accepts the penalty
For every trace of wickedness
Taking our place
Justice is served
Righteousness upheld
Mercy extended
Grace given
To all who believe
Jesus is LORD
Brooding, dreading, enduring
The cross
For the joy set before Him
We. Were. That. Joy.
Remember another Garden
Not so long ago
Where sin took hold
Where God foretold
Of One who would come
To utter the final Word, “It is finished.”
That battle has begun
Right here in the Garden of Gethsemane
The Word speaks, “Not my will, but yours be done.”
The heaviness lifts
As He arises in the sovereign strength
Of heaven’s redemption song
A rustle of feet, hushed voices call
His captors rush in, the time has come
Yet He walks out in might, Son of God and Son of Man
For the battle on His knees is won
The King who would set us free from sin
Walks out of the Garden of Gethsemane
On a path toward pain and scorn and death
A captive of men
And a Victor for all
Mark 14:32-36 – And they went to a place called Gethsemane. And he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” And he took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be greatly distressed and troubled. And he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Remain here and watch.” And going a little farther, he fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. 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.”
Luke 22:39-44 – And he came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him. And when he came to the place, he said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” And he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.
Hebrews 1:3 – He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.
Additional Resources:
Vision of Red – Poem by Melissa McLaughlin
Song of the Rose – Poem by Melissa McLaughlin
The Sacrificial Lamb – Why Did Jesus Have to Die? By Melissa McLaughlin
What is Passover? How is Jesus the Final Passover Lamb? By Melissa McLaughlin
Thx U Jesus ðŸ‘🔥🕊ï¸ðŸ›â¤ï¸âœï¸ðŸ™ŒðŸ™ŒðŸ™ŒðŸ™ŒðŸ“–
Amen and amen! When I stop and take in a little bit of the sacrifice Jesus made for us, I am undone. Oh, what a Savior!
We were that joy. Hard to believe but must be believed.
So hard to believe. The LORD of all creation, the King of heaven, laid down His own life for the people He made, so that we could be purified and spend eternity with Him in heaven. Such love. Such grace. Such mercy. There will never be enough words to write or enough songs to sing to tell Him thank you.
He paid the ultimate price. We are loved.
We are loved. The depth of Jesus’ love is beyond our imagining. But I hoped to captured a small glimpse of His sacrificial love in this small moment in the Garden of Gethsemane. God bless you!
Amen Melissa, beautiful! God bless!
God bless you and your family, Ryan! May we have eyes to see anew the depth of Jesus’ sacrifice and love for us!
Such a beautiful and heart-stirring poem, Melissa. Thank you for sharing today, as we approach this weekend. He has carried so much for us. Oh, may my heart overflow with praise to Him. May you have a Blessed Resurrection Day!
Thank you, dear Bettie! Glory to God, the Giver of life and love! Truly, Jesus has carried us more than we will ever know. I pray the Holy Spirit gives us deeper and deeper visions of His sacrifice, that our love for Him will deepen, as well. I join you in the heart’s call, may our hearts overflow with praise for our Savior and King! Have a blessed Resurrection Day!
Amen <3
Hallelujah! Our Savior has come! It is finished! The battle against hell, death and sin is won!
Thank you for sharing this beautiful poem Melissa! God bless you!
Glory to God! Thank you for the kind words of encouragement, Linda. May our hearts be enlarged to know and love our Savior more. God bless you and your family, sister!
This is beautiful, Melissa! I loved this:
“The King who would set us free from sin
Walks out of the Garden of Gethsemane”
He not only walked into the Garden on the night He died, but Jesus walked out on the day He rose from the dead.
Happy Easter!
Thank you, Jeanne! All glory to the Lord Jesus! I am praising the Lord as I read your words:
“He not only walked into the Garden on the night He died, but Jesus walked out on the day He rose from the dead.” Woohoo! Hallelujah! Jesus is King of Kings and Lord of Lords! Have a blessed Easter, celebrating our risen Lord!
Wow!!!!! How powerful and I read it three times praising and thanking the Lord for His sacrifice. A thousand Hallelujahs, Melissa!
Praise God!!! I am singing a thousand hallelujahs along with you, dear Karen! Such love, such mercy, such grace. Thank you, Jesus! God bless you and keep you, dear sister!
Such a beautiful poem, Melissa! What a Savior we have that he would leave the comfort of heaven to come down here to become one of us, to give his life willingly, to suffer, and to die, all so that we might gain life and an eternity with him. Love was the motivation. Love was the power behind the plan of redemption. Love was the outcome.
Oh Melinda, you captured it all with your conclusion here. “Love was the motivation. Love was the power behind the plan of redemption. Love was the outcome.” Oh what a Savior! What amazing grace! What powerful love!
Melissa, A great reminder of Christ’s amazing sacrifice for us so that we might be forgiven, be able to have an intimate relationship with God and the promise of eternal life. Have a blessed Easter weekend.
Such a sacrifice! May we not gloss over the price that was paid so that we could be in a right relationship with our Heavenly Father. May you and your family have a blessed Easter celebration!
Nice heartfelt work Christ is Lord
Amen! Christ is LORD! Hallelujah, He is victorious!
Truly beautiful words on the day in the garden. Thanks
What a day that was in the Garden of Gethsemane. Even more… oh what a Savior! Thank you for reading and walking there with me to remember Jesus.
Thank you for honoring Jesus with the retelling of His sacrifice through your poetic words. 🙂 Beautiful!
Glory to God! Thank you for the kind words, Marcie. I cannot imagine what that day in the Garden of Gethsemane felt like for Jesus. It all came down to that moment. His love and power prevailed! Worthy is the Lamb of God!
Melissa, I would love to use your poem in our Good Friday service giving you credit, of course! I taught and directed theatre for 25 years, and I am now a Pastor, so I love the beautiful way you capture the emotions of this scene. Pastor Melissa Malcolm
Pastor Melissa Malcom, I am humbled and grateful for your kind words. All glory to God! Please feel free to use. I appreciate you including my name as author. I pray the words and images are a blessing to those who attend. God bless you!