By: Alex J. Nagem © June 29, 2025

We all experience fear, anxiety, and sorrow. We are not alone, as Jesus also experienced fear in His human form. One of the most poignant examples is in the Garden of Gethsemane, the night before His crucifixion. The Gospels describe a moment of intense anguish:

“And He came out and proceeded as was His custom to the Mount of Olives; and the disciples also followed Him. When He arrived at 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 He knelt down and began to pray, saying, ‘Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.’ Now an angel from heaven appeared to Him, strengthening Him. And being in agony, He was praying very fervently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground.” (Luke 22:39-44)

Jesus wasn’t untouched by fear, sorrow, or the full weight of suffering. Yet Jesus didn’t flee. His humanity was not a disguise. It was real, and in that humanity, He confronted fear with obedience to the Father.

Jesus was afraid. That makes His courage and His love all the more profound. Jesus was without sin, yet he felt dread, anguish, even the desire that the “cup” of suffering might pass. This tells us that fear in itself is not a lack of faith. It is a real part of our human experience. What matters is what we do with that fear. Do we run? Do we harden our hearts? Or, like Jesus, do we bring it honestly to the Father?

Sometimes when we suffer, we feel abandoned by God, by others, even by hope itself. But, Jesus also felt this:

“And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?’ that is, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’” (Matthew 27:46)

Jesus entered even into that darkness. If He felt forsaken, yet still clung to the Father, then in our own dark moments we can know He understands us intimately, not as an outsider looking in, but as one who walked that path.

The most courageous act Jesus did wasn’t only on the Cross, but also choosing to remain in the Garden. He could have fled, but He stayed. That’s our model: Courage is not the absence of fear, but love choosing to remain. We can say trembling: “Father, not my will, but Yours be done.”

Just as Jesus offered His fear in prayer, so can we. When you are anxious, afraid, or overwhelmed, that’s not a moment to withdraw from God. It’s the most powerful moment to speak to Him, honestly. He has already gone ahead of you.

I leave you with a prayer in the Garden of Fear:

Lord Jesus,
In the quiet of Gethsemane, You knelt alone.
Your soul was sorrowful, and Your body trembled with dread.
Yet You did not flee. You did not turn away.
You remained. You prayed. You trusted.

When fear grips my heart and the weight of tomorrow feels too great,
remind me that You have stood here too.
You know the trembling. You know the tears.
You know what it is to feel abandoned.

Still, You loved. Still, You obeyed.
You surrendered wholly to the will of the Father.

Grant me that same courage, not from my own strength,
but from Yours.
Not according to my will,
but in union with the One who never leaves my side.

Let my fear become prayer.
Let my weakness be an offering.
Let my trembling heart find its rhythm in Yours.

Stay with me, Lord, as I wait in the garden.
Amen.

“Earth has no sorrow that Heaven cannot heal.” St. Thomas Moore

Vocatus Atque Non Vocatus Deus Aderit

Alex J. Nagem