Like many people do when stressed, Jesus escaped to a quiet place—a garden of old growth olive trees on the side of a mountain. He brought a few friends for emotional support and prayer. Overwhelmed with exhaustion, his friends couldn’t stay awake as he pleaded with God for another way. But he knew there was no way around this moment, he needed to bear this cross.
Jesus said his soul was grieved to the point of death—that’s how he described the stress he felt. He reportedly suffered hematohidrosis, a rare condition caused by acute emotional stress where the sweat glands rupture, causing them to excrete blood. He was clearly challenged by what he was facing even while knowing that his death would show his love and would change the world.
His adversaries captured him later that evening in the garden. Yet, despite his inability to find solace, Jesus found the strength to face his accusers and submit to them willingly and without violence, knowing that his death would further spread his message of radical love.
