He Prays in Gethsemane

["Click here for Matthew's account"]
["Click here for Mark's account"]
["Click here for Luke's account"]
["Click here for John's account"]

We have recorded for us 15 events that occurred on this Friday of the last week in the life of Christ. Surly as it should have been, most of these, in one degree or another and somewhat different, chronologically, are recorded by all four of the Gospels. Lets look at these events as I believe they occurred.
We will use, primarily, Matthew's account. There are two points that need pondering in this passage. First, Christ's prayer, which He repeated three times and second, the seemingly lack of concern demonstrated by the Disciples, probably due to their lack of understanding of what He had just spoken to them. To get some insight into these two things, lets consider the following:

Where Jesus went to pray. He went into the Garden of Gethsemane. This was an olive press or mill, where olives were crushed to make olive oil, a healing ointment. Here our Lord would begin His "passion" where He would be brushed and crushed that the "oil of salvation" might flow and heal the spiritually sick.
Who He took with Him. He took His eleven Disciples and went into the Garden. Then He took three more, and went a little further. He took Peter, James and John, the same three that He had taken with Him up on the Mount of Transfiguration. They had witnessed His "glory", now they must witness His "agony". Then He leaves the three and commanded them to "remain and watch". Then He went a short distance further, fell upon His face and prayed.
What is was that troubled Jesus. Many would think that it was the prospect of the cross, but it was not. The problem was from within. He wrestled with the "powers of darkness". From this point on, Satan would fight Christ every step of the way. Isaiah spoke of this, "As the Father gave me a commandment, so I will do, however, I must struggle with darkness, therefore, let us hasten to the field of battle." Christ fought Satan and won.
How great was the burden. Our iniquities which were laid upon Him by the Father, were exceedingly great. He knew that He must bear the sins of the world. He knew the treachery of Judas and the denial that was to come from Peter as well as the scattering of the rest of His Disciples. He knew the malice and hypocrisy of the Jews, God's chosen people. He knew that He would be denied the support and comfort of others.
"He denied Himself the comfort of divine favor." All but one of His Disciples were martyred but they were sustained by the power of the Holy Spirit.

So at least four things contributed to the "agony" of Christ, Satan, the weight of our sins, the treachery of those whom He loved and the absence of the Spirit. In His agony He turned to three of His closest friends, Peter, James and John. To them He said, "Stay here and watch with me." Surly He was destitute for help for he foreknew that they would be miserable comforters.
Now lets examine His prayer:

He left the three Disciples and went a little further into the Garden. When we are most troubled, be need to be alone with God.
He fell on His face. Just hours before in His intercessory prayer for His Disciples, He had lifted up his face toward Heaven. Here, in humility and agony, He prostrates Himself before God.

Notice what He prayed:

"MY Father",... in the weight of his calling, and the loneliness of the garden, He sought out the Father.
"If it be possible, let this cup pass from me." "If there can be another way for God to be glorified, for man to be saved, without this "agony", so be it, otherwise I will drink it." Notice He was not trying to get out of doing what He had come into this world to do. He was not trying to get His own way, for He said over and over again, "not my will but thy will be done." He was "doing the will of the Father", that carried Him through from His birth till His death.
Notice what He did pray for. Grace sufficient for the task. Perhaps we should pray for grace to bear up rather than praying for problems to be taken away.

Surly much more was said in that "hour of prayer" than what we have recorded but whatever it was, it had the same appeal, Grace sufficient to carry Him through the next hours and willingness to do God's will.
The question is asked, was Jesus' prayer answered? Yes, even though the Cup did not pass from Him, and Luke 22:43 says of this, "He was strengthened."
What about the three Disciples, were they "watchful" as He had asked them to be? No, they slept while He suffered. Three times He came back to check on them. Three times He found them asleep. "Can't you even watch with me one hour?" Notice they had little concern for Him, but even in His agony, He had concern for them. He was concerned for their security for He knew of the activities of Judas. He was concerned for their spiritual security, for He knew of the activities of Satan. Yet He was gentle with them. He told them to pray that they would not enter into temptation. His "hour" was near and His troubles would tempt the disciples to renounce their relationship to Him. "Pray to God to keep you awake." Keep you from making dumb decisions or falling from your "chosen" place. But He did remember their "frame". The spirit was willing but the flesh was weak. Probably one of the most quoted verses from the Bible, by people who never even read the Bible. Jesus knew of their love for Him but He also knew of their human limitations.
Notice when He came the third time and found them asleep, He said, "Sleep on, and take your rest". They had wasted a once in a lifetime chance to share an hour of agony with the Lord. The curse of "spiritual slumber" is a wasted life, the lost of a close fellowship with Christ in this world. It's tragic, but Christ will not wake us up to sanctify us. Some Christians literally sleep through their spiritual lives. Then as He sees Judas and a large crowd approach, He awakens the Disciples. "Arise, let us be going, my betrayer is at hand." Our next lesson deals with His betrayal and arrest.

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