Then Jesus told them, “This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written: “‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.” Peter replied, “Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.” “Truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” But Peter declared, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” And all the other disciples said the same. Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter. “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.” When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing. Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour has come, and the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners. Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!” Matthew 26:31-46 NIV
Jesus had to prepare Himself not only for the grueling physical pain He was about to endure on the cross, but also the disappointment of His closest followers falling short of the support He deserved. He was well aware that they would struggle through His arrest and crucifixion. He knew that despite Peter’s pledge to die with Him, he would crumble as bystanders merely mentioned they had seen him with Jesus. If I were in His situation, I think the hardest moment would have been finding them asleep when He asked them to keep watch and pray.
“My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” Jesus had shared His struggle with them; He was overwhelmed with sorrow and simply wanted them to keep watch for Him. And when he came back an hour later He found them asleep! “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter. This part of the Easter story is one of the saddest, and most challenging. It’s easy to cast stones at Peter and John, sleeping when the Lord needed them the most, but I would be a fool to condemn them without realizing that I too have disappointed the Lord many times. How many times has He asked me to keep watch and pray, only to find me sleeping an hour later?
“Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Dare I say a “willing spirit” is great but follow through is far better! The truth is, prayer is effective! Yet prayer requires endurance and discipline. Spiritual battles are won on our knees, not just battles we face personally, battles on many fronts through intercession. But winning battles requires petition not just the mention of needs. When Jesus left them in the garden He went off to pray; to spend time with the Father, working through His own emotions and gaining the strength He would need to endure the cross. So how long did He pray and with how much intensity?
And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. Luke 22:44 NIV
Jesus prayed intensely for hours! He only stopped a few times to go back and check on the disciples. I have to wonder what may have happened if instead of finding them sleeping, He had found them praying. Would He have invited them to pray with Him? Would He have taken the time to share with them His innermost thoughts as He faced the cross? We’ll never know what they missed when they were sleeping. How about you and I? How much do we miss while we are sleeping?
God wants to share with us His innermost thoughts! He offers us the privilege of partnering with Him as He defeats Satan and rescues those around us! We have the opportunity to engage in spiritual warfare through prayer. It’s not easy, in fact, it can be emotionally and physically draining, but oh, what a privilege it is! If you’ve never experienced a dynamic active prayer life, you have missed one of the true joys of being a Christian. What are you waiting for? “Are you still sleeping and resting?”