He Went And Prayed

They went to a place called Gethsemane; and he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” He took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be distressed and agitated. And he said to them, “I am deeply grieved, even to death; remain here, and keep awake.” And going a little farther, he threw himself on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. He said, “Abba, Father, for you all things are possible; remove this cup from me; yet, not what I want, but what you want.” He came and found them sleeping; and he said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not keep awake one hour? Keep awake and pray that you may not come into the time of trial; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” And again he went away and prayed, saying the same words. And once more he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy; and they did not know what to say to him. He came a third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? Enough! The house has come; the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Get up and let us be going. See, my betrayer is at hand. “

Mark 14:32-42

Have you ever noticed that death sometimes comes in quick succession with three people you know and love? Your experience may be that the first death or the first two deaths do not prepare you for the third death. We may be able to do little more than cry, at that point.

It can be comforting to know that when Jesus faced pain, He responded by going to prayer. In the garden the night before His crucifixion, Jesus did not pray, saying He was grateful God had chosen Him to suffer on behalf of God. No, Jesus experienced sorrow, fear, abandonment, even desperation. The Bible tells us Jesus appealed with vehement cries and tears to God who was able to save Him from death. But He was not saved from death.

We are sometimes placed in circumstances that make us wonder if Jesus really cares about us.

Jesus endured His pain because He knew that His Father is a God of love who can be trusted regardless of how things appear to be. He demonstrated faith that the ultimate answer to the question of whether God cares, is a resounding yes.

When we know that God’s hand is in everything, we can leave everything in God’s hand.

Our Daily Bread – March 31, 2009