Gethsemane

Jesus Christ Superstar Gethsemane

This song really confused me and majority of it got me upset. I felt it to be a contradiction to what I ve been taught about Jesus for the past fifteen years. The lyrics presented Jesus as though he didn t want to die for us and that he just wanted to back out of God s plan. It also specifically states in the verse, Why then am I scared to finish what I started, What you started I didn t start it that he had nothing to do with it and is scared to go on. It made me feel that he didn t want to give up his life for us and doubted that we were even worth it. I ve been taught that Jesus gave up his life willingly for us and accepted the fate God had planned for him.

The lyricist portrayed Jesus humanness by showing his doubt and fear of what was to come. That Jesus at one point was in such a state of distress, that he would to turn his back on his fate and on God. To me he is shown as being selfish and even showed disbelief in what God, his father, had set out for him to do. Jesus turns to his father in his time of despair and asks for him to take the pain away as seen in the verse, If there is a way, take this cup away from me for I don t want to taste it s poison. Here Jesus explains that he doesn t want to go through any more agony and suffering and if there were anyway possible for God to take this burden off his shoulders. Jesus is questioning God and feels as though his death might just go in vain, which is evident in the verse, Why should I die? Can you show me now that I would not be killed in vain? He s now asking for reasons, for reassurance. He is need of comfort and knows not where to find it. Throughout his prayer in the garden he is reluctant and complains of his life and that he does not want to go through what God has planned for him, but at the end he seems to give in. He accepts what his future holds and even though he doesn t want to, realizes what has to be done. He holds on to this sentiment till the last verse of the song, which he even shows to be giving in and saying that if he doesn t die soon, he might just change his mind about everything.

With all honesty I disagree with the lyricist s interpretation of what Jesus is experiencing within himself. The Jesus that is depicted in this song is not the Jesus that I have grown to learn and love. One of the most remarkable and admirable things that I have learned about Jesus was how he freely gave up his own life to be able to save ours . That even though he has the power to change his future and live, he wanted to do what is right and sacrificed himself to set an example and show how much he truly loves us. This song destroyed and shattered my image and beliefs of Jesus and I find it to be hypocritical to what all that I have been taught and said in the Bible. Since when do we hear of Jesus losing his faith and wanting to give up on us? It angered me to see that Jesus is shown to have lost if inspiration and belief in God and in us. Jesus is not one to neither mistrust nor get infuriated at God, as he was shown to be in this song. I truly believe that Jesus humbly and freely choose to sacrifice his own life and existence for our salvation and forgiveness of sins. I don t think Jesus being capable of such skepticism and self-interest. Jesus, a man with such an immense love and commitment to his people and God would not doubt as the man described throughout this song.

The lines in this song that had most meaning to me must have been, Feel it burn me, I have changed I m not as sure as when we started. Then I was inspired now I m sad and tired. These are the lines that most frustrated me since it says that Jesus changed from the man he was in the beginning. That through the years he as lost faith and is not as certain that he wants to do what he s being asked of. To me these were the most deceitful lines throughout the entire song. It implies that Jesus was now fed up with everything and has begun to surrender his fight for God and for us. It hurts me to see Jesus described as such an unfaithful and doubting person towards God and us.