Journey Through The Bible
     Old Testament Reading: Zechariah 9-11
     New Testament Reading: Matthew 26

Then he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. He asked Peter, “So, couldn’t you stay awake with me one hour? Stay awake and pray, so that you won’t enter into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:40-41).

Jesus looked toward the Passover and his death. He prepared his disciples by teaching them and spending time with them for one last supper. They left the upper room and went to the Mount of Olives, an often use retreat for Jesus and His disciples. There they entered the Garden of Gethsemane.

Jesus left eight disciples at the entrance of the garden to sit and wait. Taking Peter, James, and John with Him, He instructed them to stay awake and pray. Jesus when a little further to pray alone.

Jesus prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will” (v39). Jesus was not wrestling with God’s will or resisting His will. As a perfect man, He felt the burden of sin, and it repelled His deity. Yet as the Son of God, He knew that was His mission on earth. The mystery of His humanity and His deity is vividly seen in His prayer.

While Jesus prayed, the disciples slept. Peter and his fellow disciples had promised to be faithful unto death, and yet they fell asleep! They needed to pray for themselves because of the trials they were about to face. They had failed, but their Lord had succeeded.

Jesus prayed and as a result, He willingly obeyed God and remained in His will during the events leading up to his death. This obedience made salvation possible.

The disciples did not pray and, as a result, were out of God’s will throughout the events that night. Jesus willingly and calmly surrendered Himself to the soldiers. But Peter resisted and drew a sword. Being a fisherman and not trained as a soldier was evident as Peter swung the sword like a fisherman throwing a net. Trying to cut off his head, Peter missed so badly he only clipped his ear.

That night, Peter had disputed with the Lord and disobeyed the Lord. Later, he will desert and deny the Lord. Now he runs ahead of the Lord. He did not wait for Jesus to tell him what to do, but rushed ahead and trusted his sword rather than God.

But before we condemn Peter, and the other disciples, we need to consider our own prayers. How often do we sleep better than we pray, and our minds wander when they should watch? Certainly, the Lord could say to us as He said to Peter, couldn’t you stay awake with me one hour? Stay awake and pray, so that you won’t enter into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. (v40b-41)

The correlation is obvious. A consistent prayer life is necessary to remain in God’s will. The more time we spend talking with Him in prayer and reading His Word, the easier it is to walk in His ways and remain faithful and obedient to His perfect will.