THE ROAD TO CALVARY - WATCH AND PRAY

MATTHEW 26:36-40
36Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, "Sit here while I go over there and pray." 37He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38Then he said to them, "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me."
39Going 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."
40Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?" he asked Peter. 41"Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."

LUKE 22:39 - 45
39Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. 40On reaching the place, he said to them, "Pray that you will not fall into temptation." 41He withdrew about a stone's throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, 42"Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done." 43An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. 44And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.
45When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. 46"Why are you sleeping?" he asked them. "Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation."
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You know, I think that we tend to take the crucifixion of Jesus way too lightly. We know that Jesus died for us, was buried, was raised and is now ascended in heaven with the Father. But, do we REALLY think about what Jesus faced as He faced the cross?

Sometimes we say "thank You", but our gratitude must be more than mere words. More than lip service. Our lives should be a reflection of our gratitude and our debt. Afterall, He paid a debt that He did not owe, and we owe a debt that we cannot pay. The very least we can do is allow our actions to be symbolic of Jesus sacrifice for us.

As you can see in the two accounts above (Matthew and Luke), Jesus went to the Garden of Gethesemene (where He often brought the twelve), one last time to pray to the Father. He asked that they would also pray.......to pray for their strength......not to fall to temptation. The very temptation that He knew (and previously told them) would befall them. He further separated Himself from them so that He could pray alone.

Jesus knew what was facing Him. He knew what His purpose was. He knew what His assignment was. And His divinity side knew exactly what He would have to go through. He knew that He would experience a period of separation from God the Father because of the sin that He would bear. For you. For me. He knew of the agony. He knew of the shame (death by crucifixion was a shameful death). He knew of the physical pain. He knew of the temptation (yet again, satan would try to tempt Him in the hope that He would not die according to the scriptures -- we must remember that satan will always try to keep God's children from fulfilling their purpose and destiny).

My limitation of words cannot express the brutality and violence that Jesus would go through........yet again, for you.....for me! I cannot adequately describe the pain that Jesus endured for ME! Therefore, the human side of Jesus struggled and anguished as He faced the cross. Jesus, as our perfect example in all things, demonstrated to us what we are to do when we face adversity (to say the least). He PRAYED! Matthew tells us that He actually fell with His face to the ground and prayed THREE times! In between, He would notice that He disciples were not doing what He asked, for they slept. Certainly they were tired, but as I always say, God does not instruct us to do something that we're incapable of doing. Sincere and earnest prayer is often sacrificial, and we're not always willing to make the sacrifice. Ever notice how we too become DEEPLY sleepy when we attemtp to pray? That is no coincidence and it's a trick of the enemy.

In John 17 (the entire chapter), he records elaborately the Lord's prayer. Jesus prayed for Himself, His disciples, and then all Believers.

Luke and Matthew (above) shows the agony He felt as He, for a fleeting moment, asked that God would remove the "cup" that was His. Luke is the only account that mentions that an angel came to strengthen Him. I am sure that it was through this strength that He was able to say to God to let His will be done.

His will. God's will.

God's will is bigger than ours and it's more than us. We too must learn to submit to God's will. Jesus shows here that it definitely was not about Him, because the human side of Him anguished over the task ahead of Him. "The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." (Mat 26:41) We must be careful to pray and ask God to allow us to operate in the spirit, and not to let our flesh (self) control us. We will fail every time!

I want to encourage you this day to follow Jesus' example. Pray! None of us will EVER face what Jesus did. I know that at times we may feel as though we are at the end of our ropes, as though we're up against a wall, or even that it is the end of the world for you. Jesus literally faced, and went to hell for you and I so that we would not have to experience it. We can pray to God our Father in the powerful name of Jesus.

And let us not forget to thank the Lord for what He has done for us. We cannot take it for granted. If I were to save your life, would you not thank me? Would you not think of my bravery and heroism every single day of your life? Would you not be grateful?

Jesus saved your life!

Carla