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Christ’s agony, says Luke, occurred at the Mount of Olives. Matthew and Mark indicate that Jesus was in Gethsemane, a garden at the foot of the mount (Mt 26:36; Mk 14:32). The story depicts the inner struggle of Jesus. His closeness to God is shown by his use of the intimate form of address “Father” (see on 11:1-13). His reluctance to take the cup of suffering reveals that he shared normal human fears. His submission to God’s will shows him to be truly the Son of God. The reference to Jesus' anguish (v.44) (Gk. agonia) has led to the description of the incident as his agony. Some important early manuscripts omit vv.43-44; but in any case v.42, which is in all the manuscripts, reveals that he was experiencing an inner conflict.
Jesus' anguish has been attributed to his fear for himself and also to his sorrow for the sins of humanity. John Wesley claims that Jesus was “grappling with the powers of darkness” (Notes, 288).