E. Stanley Jones is perhaps the most renowned missionary of the Methodist Church. Years ago, Dr. Jones was granted permission to spend the night in the Garden of Gethsemane. In a book, he shared how this experience revolutionized his understanding of the cross and the resurrection of Jesus.
While we cannot spend the night at Gethsemane, we can dedicate an extended time of prayer focused on the Lord’s experience there.
Let us join Jesus and the disciples in Gethsemane.
Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.”
He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee with him and began to feel grief and agitation.
Then he said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved, even to death; remain here, and stay awake with me.”
Going a little farther, he threw himself on the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet not what I want but what you want” (Matthew 26:36-39).
We best understand Jesus’s grief in the Garden of Gethsemane by remembering that he was both 100% God and 100% human at the same time. This may seem contradictory, but with God, it is not. He was fully divine and fully human simultaneously.
Jesus knew he was destined to suffer the penalty for the sins of everyone who has ever lived on earth.
The Romans and Persians crucified thousands of people. What set Jesus’ crucifixion apart was that, by the power of God, he was suffering for every sin that had ever occurred or would ever occur on the face of the earth.
Sleeping Followers
Instead of praying with Jesus, the disciples could not stay awake.
Then he came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, “So, could you not stay awake with me one hour?
“Stay awake and pray that you may not come into the time of trial; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:40-41).
A prayer leader, using these verses as a text, asked his listeners, “Can we not give God one hour of our day in prayer?”
I heard him speak several years ago and have tried to apply that to my life over the years. I have found a method that works for me and allows me to stay focused on God for about an hour every day.
I encourage you to consider Jesus’s request, “Can you not pray with me for one hour,” and respond by finding your way to meet with Him and connect your life with His through prayer.
If you read the Bible and talk to God about what you have read, you’ll find it quite easy to spend an hour in communion with the Lord.
I use the Psalms, the Prophets, and the Gospels as a way to connect with Him. I read a section from each of these passages and talk to God about what I’ve read. I’d encourage you to give that a try.
Your Will Be Done
On three different occasions, Jesus asked the Father if there was another way to redeem humanity other than the cross. Each time, He clearly placed Himself in the hands of the Father by saying, “Your will be done.”
While Jesus agonized in prayer, the disciples slept. Then, the time came for Jesus to be delivered into the hands of his enemies.
Then he came to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? Now the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.
“Get up, let us be going. Look, my betrayer is at hand” (Matthew 26:45-46).
I am humbled to read this section of the Gospel. I have slept many times when I should have been awake. I have pursued my will instead of God’s more times than I can remember.
Jesus’s words, “Stay awake and pray that you may not come into the time of trial,” should be taken to heart. Obedience to his teachings is how we can stay awake and in alignment with God’s will.
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross and I discussed this passage on YouTube today. It is on the Bob Spradling channel.
Real Voices 