Jesus and his three disciples (Peter, John, and James) are together in the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus has asked them to pray and keep watch with him, and they have already fallen asleep twice. After being awakened a second time, Peter asks if Jesus can help them stay awake by explaining how his 'Golden Rule' and his commandment to love your enemies can serve as a message to attract followers. Jesus leads them in the aria 'Pray and watch with me'. While the three pray with Jesus, the devil unconsciously communicates with the disciples. He reminds them that they are tired and bored, wonders if Jesus understands how exhausted they are and what the point is of being in a garden in the middle of the night. Under the devil's influence, the three fall asleep for a third time.
Satan disrupts Jesus' prayer to mock him. He notes that his movement is in trouble, predicts that his friends will abandon him, and points out that Jesus' own disciple Judas is already on his way to arrest him. The devil tries to fathom Jesus' plan and portrays the Father as unjust and indifferent in 'Easy for Him'. Jesus refuses to engage with the devil, who encourages him to use his power to destroy those who oppose him ('The Only Sensible Choice') as a way to protect his friends and family from persecution after Jesus returns to heaven to avoid capture. The devil cannot imagine that Jesus will sacrifice himself instead.
After Satan departs, an angelic choir comforts Jesus with 'Blessed', using his own comforting words from the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus then resumes his prayer to the Father and sings 'Eli, Eli, Lama Sabachthani', in which he combines his own thoughts (fear of what is to come) with passages from Psalm 22, which foretell his suffering on the cross. After Jesus sings 'Eli, Eli...', the Father answers by reminding Jesus of everything that has led to this moment, and sings 'Climb Upon Your Cross'.
Jesus sees the group of soldiers approaching in the distance, while his disciples are still sleeping. Jesus and the devil proclaim their opposing viewpoints to Judas (who approaches in the distance with soldiers) in the aria 'The Devil's Work'. Before they arrive, after making his choice, Jesus sings 'Lift Me Up'.