Matthew 26:39-41
As we enter holy week and the passion of the Christ, there are some passages that prepare my heart to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus that I love to revisit. I do not revisit them because they make me feel good, but because they remind me of Jesus mission and purpose. He knew what was about to happen to Him, but He was obedient to God’s plan.
The one passage that prepares my heart more than anything can be read in the gospels is Matthew 26:36-46, Mark 14:32-42, Luke 22:39-46 or John 17. Jesus initiates the Lord’s Supper and proceeds to the garden of Gethsemane. He takes the disciples and begins to pray. He prays for Himself, His disciples and the church. The contrast of the unknowing disciples and Jesus’ agony hits me hard. In Matthew 26:39-41 we read:
39 And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will."40 And He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, "So, you men could not keep watch with Me for one hour?41 "Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." (NASB 1995)
Jesus knew what He would face; the disciples were content to rest. Jesus fell on His face in prayer; the disciples lounged in slumber. Jesus cried out in prayer; the disciples’ snores resonated. Jesus sought to instruct; the disciples struggled to learn.
I often find that I struggle to do the same thing. Jesus asked the disciples to stay awake and pray, so often when struggles come, I fall asleep to my faith. I forget to pray and ask God to intervene. Jesus taught us when things get hard, spend more time with God.
Mere hours before He was betrayed Jesus prayed for God’s intervention, seeking another way while knowing it was the only way. He submitted Himself to the Father’s plan and sought the strength to see it through. In those moments He prayed for God’s glory, His disciples and those that would become His followers. He prayed for us and thought to teach us to trust in God’s plan.
May we take Jesus’ instruction to heart, let us stay awake and alert to God’s movement in our lives, may we watch for His work and continue in prayer that we may not fall to sin. This year let us remember that God is with us and has a plan, it may not be easy, but He is with us. No matter what we face, we can cry out with all believers, Christ is Risen!