The Greek verb adēmoneō (ἀδημονέω) means to be in distress, to be troubled, deeply anxious, or overwhelmed with anguish. The exact etymology is uncertain but the word conveys a state of extreme inner disturbance — the kind of anxiety that disables normal functioning. It appears three times in the New Testament: Matthew 26:37 and Mark 14:33 (both describing Jesus in Gethsemane) and Philippians 2:26 (describing Epaphroditus' distress over hearing the Philippians had learned he was ill).
Adēmoneō in Gethsemane (Matthew 26:37; Mark 14:33) captures one of the most intimate moments in the Gospels: "He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed (adēmonein) and troubled." This is the same Jesus who stilled a storm, raised the dead, and walked on water — now adēmonein. This is not a contradiction; it is the fullness of the Incarnation. Jesus did not merely pass through human experience like a ghost through a wall; He entered it fully, including its worst moments of dread and anguish. Hebrews 2:18 declares that "because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted." The adēmoneō of Jesus in Gethsemane is the guarantee of His present empathy. He knows what it feels like to be overwhelmed with anguish — and He still prayed. That is the model for faith under pressure.