Die, Pure Anguish, Watch and Pray

STUDY: # 931 – CHURCH IN THE HOUSES FROM: FEBUARY 14 @ 20, 2017

TOPIC: "Die, Pure Anguish, Watch and Pray" Matthew 26:36-46

The Lord Jesus arrived at the Garden of Gethsemane accompanied by His disciples. He wanted to go there to pray. ("Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to His disciples, ‘Sit here, while I go over there and pray’." Matthew 26:36). His prayer was filled with sadness and anguish. In His prayer, Jesus said to the Father: "Not as I will, but what you will." (Vs. 39) (Matthew 26:37 "And taking with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, He began to be sorrowful and troubled.") He said to Peter, James and John, "Keep yourselves awake and in prayer lest the test come upon you." But,"... He came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And He said to Peter, ‘So, could you not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak’." (Matthew 26:40,41) The disciples had their eyes heavy with sleep (Vs. 43). And the WORST WAS YET TO COME! Why couldn’t they prepare for what was coming? Now, "Sleep, and take your rest later on. See the hour is at hand." (Vs. 45) The question is: How would they deal with this now? As brave men or cowards? In fear, complaining? They had to watch unto prayer. Let us profoundly experience Jesus’ agony. We speak of our Jesus, who suffered until His death on the cross. Because of His resurrection YOU WERE GIVEN THE GIFT OF PEACE. We see that during that difficult moment, Jesus needed the company of His disciples ("... remain here, and watch with me." Matthew 26:38). They should have known that they needed to pray to face what was coming. That was the final moment, and it was up to the Lord Jesus to do the Father's will. He had already fulfilled everything. Now came the difficult part. His death, the cross. He needed the company of the Almighty God! During moments of distress, we want to have someone with us. We cannot go through things on our own (Genesis 2:18). It’s not that we want someone to do something in particular for us, or that we want to say something, nor have someone say anything. Brothers and sisters, we simply and solely want someone to be with us. They didn’t even watch with Jesus for an hour. They fell asleep. Those who were willing to die for Him fell asleep (Matthew 26:35 "Peter said to Him, ‘Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you!’ And all the disciples said the same.) ("And He came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And He said to Peter, ‘So, could you not watch with me one hour?’" Matthew 26:40) That was the time for Jesus to become an offering for our sins (2 Corinthians 5:21, Galatians 1:4). The Lord Jesus lived and died on the cross without any sin. He was made into sin for us, paying such a great price to give us peace and salvation. John 12:27-28 "Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name." I think that the most violent silence from heaven came that great day. "Then a voice came from heaven: ‘I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again’." God always puts His name up high. Freeing us from our misery as humans weighed more than the Lord’s agony. Jesus suffered the cruel pain and terrible death of being crucified, and rose the third day victorious; thus, defeating the enemy, and His name will always be glorified! Judas, the traitor, arrived. He had chosen to use one of the most terrible signs: a kiss. A kiss is a symbol of respect and affection. But Judas’ kiss for Jesus was not one of respect. It was one of betrayal. The mob that accompanied Judas to arrest Jesus was just as bad as him. (Mark 14:43-44 “And immediately, while he was still speaking, Judas came, one of the twelve, and with him a crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders. Now the betrayer had given

them a sign, saying, ‘The one I will kiss is the man. Seize him and lead him away under guard’.” They came with swords and clubs! Judas, who told you that it was necessary to look for Jesus that way? This is the contrast: His enemies were waiting anxiously to arrest Him, and they were watching wide awake to fall on Him and seize Him. However, His disciples who should have watched with Him, SLEPT! Apparently, the disciples’ nerves betrayed them. They were afraid to share Jesus’ fate, so they FLED! Jesus wanted them to be close to Him. Nothing was going to happen to them. When Judas arrived, Jesus was serene. His cry, agony and prayer in the garden had already passed. He felt the peace of those who know that they are following the will of God. Matthew 26:41 "Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." Peter had to pray so that he wouldn’t fall into temptation. He couldn’t bear his desperation (John 18:10 “Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant and cut off his right ear.") Matthew 26:53 "Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and He will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels?” Peter was to accompany Jesus in prayer. Jesus did not need protection. But none of them could pray; not Peter, John, nor James. Jesus expected more of them. They weren’t meant to be on duty all night. They were to accompany Him in prayer for ONE HOUR. It’s what God expects. It’s not all day. It’s just ONE HOUR! Is an hour that long? Is an hour really that long when you spend a whole day at home, work, in shops, playing games, etc.? We pray so that we will not fall into temptation, because there is weakness, the flesh is frail. Discover prayer, the Spirit longs for it! We pray because we have to get up to face what is coming. We pray to face danger. It is foolish to sleep when we should spend that time in prayer, to prepare ourselves. They were not prepared because they didn’t pray, that’ why they panicked. Instead of being brave, Peter denied him three times! Let us learn from the Lord’s pain and anguish, from everything that He had to endure until His death for us. Let’s learn from Him, and from what He asked of His disciples. Learn to WATCH UNTO PRAYER. Amen.