Night for Gethsemane

Olive trees for darkness. Full moon for top of di valley. And one man lie down with im face for ground, dey pray words wey e almost no fit bear to talk. My Father, if e possible, make dis cup pass from me.

Na di night of di Passover meal. Jesus just share bread and wine with im twelve disciples for one room for upstairs for Jerusalem. E don tell dem say one of dem go betray am, and say all of dem go fall away. Peter insist say e no go ever do am. Now dem waka comot from di city, go down cross di Kidron valley and climb di side of di Mount of Olives, reach one place wey dem dey call Gethsemane. Di lamps of di city dey for dem back. Di night cool and e quiet well well.

Jesus tell most of di disciples make dem sit down wait. E carry Peter, James and John go small distance front. And dem see something wey dem never see before. Dem teacher, wey calm storms and heal sick people, dey troubled for im spirit, deep deep. My soul dey full with sorrow, reach di point of death, e tell dem. Stay here and watch with me. E go front small and fall with im face for ground. My Father, if e possible, make dis cup pass from me. But no be as I want, but as you want. For di Old Testament, di prophets dey sometimes use cup to mean suffering and judgment. Jesus know wetin dey come. E ask if another way dey. And then e put im own will for im Father hands.

E come back meet im three friends. Dem dey sleep. Una no fit watch with me for one hour? e ask Peter. E sound like person wey sad pass person wey vex. Watch and pray, so dat una no go fall enter temptation. Di spirit dey willing, but di body weak. E go again and pray di second time. My Father, if dis cup no fit pass unless I drink am, make your will be done. E come back. Dem dey sleep again, dem eyes too heavy to stay open. Di third time e pray di same words. And when e come back, something don change for im voice. Get up. Make we dey go. Look, di person wey go betray me don come.

Torches dey shine between di olive trees. Voices. Noise of metal. One big crowd come with swords and clubs, na di chief priests and di elders of di people send dem. For di front na Judas, one of di twelve. E don arrange one sign. Di one wey I kiss, na im be dat. E waka straight go meet am. Greetings, Rabbi, e talk, and e kiss am. Jesus look am. Friend, do wetin you come do. Hands catch Jesus. And one of di men wey dey with am draw sword and swing am, e cut di ear of di servant of di high priest.

Put your sword back for im place, Jesus talk. All those wey take sword go die by sword. E fit ask im Father, e tell dem, and more than twelve legions of angels go come immediately. But then how di scriptures go take fulfil? E turn to di crowd. I dey lead rebellion, wey make una come out with swords and clubs to catch me? Every day I sit down dey teach for di temple yard, and una no arrest me. All dis one, Matthew say, happen so dat di writings of di prophets go fulfil. And then di line wey sad pass for di whole night come. All di disciples leave am and run.

Di name Gethsemane come from words wey mean oil press. Olive gardens cover di Mount of Olives, and dem dey crush olives for heavy stone press to squeeze out di oil, wey dem dey use for lamp, for cooking and for medicine. Matthew call am one place. John call am garden for di other side of di Kidron valley, and e say Jesus dey always go there with im disciples, na why Judas know where to find am. Old olive trees still dey grow for di side of di hill today, but nobody fit talk for sure di exact place wey Jesus kneel down.

Night for Gethsemane. You go find am for Matthew chapter twenty-six, verse thirty-six to fifty-six. For di garden, Jesus tell im Father honestly how e feel, and then e still trust am. Im friends sleep, and then dem run. E stay. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. When to do wetin God ask hard for you, how e go be to pray, no be my will, but your own?