Aren't you glad to be able to follow an interceding Savior today? I sure am. Let's follow Jesus and the disciples as they leave the Last Supper. Please read Mark 14:32-42.

Jesus knew what was coming, He knew what He had to do. He didn't hide to be captured …. He walked straight through Jerusalem, leading His dear friends, to the place where He would enter captivity. Willingly. But even Jesus, fully God but also fully man, knew that He couldn't do this on His own strength. And He knew what else He needed to do.

[He knew about His circumstances, and He knew that they were more than He could handle. So He decided to walk through them following and trusting the leadership and character of God.]

He left most of His disciples at the entrance of Gethsemane asking them to wait while He prayed, and then took Peter, James, and John to keep watch because He knew that the soldiers would soon be coming. Jesus Himself looked at His friends and confessed His sorrow to them, asking them to pray. But after He had gone to pray awhile, Jesus returned and the disciples were asleep.

Jesus had been praying for them. Jesus asked that they pray too. Why? [The work is to believe.] Jesus knew that each one of the people in that garden were about to face something beyond what they could bear. It was time to make a conscious effort to follow. To put God in front. To labor in prayer, and to acknowledge that they trusted and were devoted to the character and will of God more than any circumstance.

But the circumstances, exhaustion, fears, and confusion won out over the disciples. Again.

Why is it that prayer is so often the thing that falls by the wayside, despite the evidence that all of the work is done in prayer?!? Prayer is an expression of faith that places God in the front of the line, and allows you to follow and hear His voice. Prayer demonstrates your belief. Prayer shows faith that is pleasing to God, and direction-changing for us.

Jesus returned and addressed Simon specifically. “Simon, are you asleep Could you not keep watch with me for one hour? Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.” Hadn't Simon just told Jesus that he was willing to die for him? But he wouldn't stay awake to pray. I've got a feeling that Jesus was referring to Himself, as well as His disciples, when He said that the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. Peter soon wouldn't be able to see Jesus physically anymore, and He needed to learn how to follow. But he met the needs of his circumstances instead. When Jesus returned and saw them sleeping the second time, Mark says that “(the disciples) did not know what to say to Him.)” They had watched their Savior and King talk of unspeakable suffering, kneel down to wash their feet, and question their loyalty to Him, and their confusion, heartbreak, and fear must have been overwhelming. In fact, it even overwhelmed their ability to pray.

And then the soldiers came...

Jesus had prayed, and its amazing that as a result even now, He was in control of the situation. Even the soldiers fell back in fear and amazement.

And so did Simon.

He would not let His Savior, King, and best friend go without a fight. He had heard Jesus say that He was overwhelmed with sorrow. And so Peter lept forward with His sword to rescue His friend that He loved. He showed so much courage and love, yet it could have been better directed if he had only placed his focus where it should have been to begin with.

Luke 22:51 records Jesus healing the ear of the servant in the garden. Why?

Perhaps it was because Jesus knew that by law if there had been bloodshed from Simon in the garden, Simon would be arrested as well. What a loving Savior and Father He is. He was praying for Simon... and He wouldn't let His precious friend go without a fight, either.

Simon couldn't follow Jesus through circumstances right now. He needed to learn to follow and obey the character and love of Jesus. He had learned courage, he had learned resolve, he needed to continue to follow, to fail, and to get back up and keep on following. And Jesus had prepared Him, He had prayed for Him, and He had reminded Simon what to do when the spirit was willing but the flesh was weak. The disciples fled in confusion, fear, and absolute desperation. Jesus left their sight … but they never left His.

For Discussion and study: Peter clearly learned a lesson that night in the garden, and it seems he went straight back to what he missed in the prayer time and in the preparation. He knew that he couldn't have changed the circumstances, but there was plenty that he could learn from to change future circumstances. What did he write in his letters to explain this to us? Please read: 1 Peter 1:13, 1 Peter 5:8 and 2 Peter 3:17.

And always.... please feel free to add any other thoughts and prayer requests you'd like! I love hearing from you!