The garden where Jesus prayed was called the mount of Olives.
He knew the time was getting near for him to be put to death and it was not an easy thought even for Jesus, for HE knew the humanity part of him had to suffer in a horrible way. Luke 22
[39 Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him.
40 On reaching the place, he said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.”
41 He 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.”
43 An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him.
44 And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.
45 When 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.”]
THIS is such a sad part of the story. I think for the first time it feels Jesus was asking for another way for all of this to happen. Intense prayer and heart pleading… I love the part where the ministering angel came for him and gave him strength when his own strength was leaving.
The time of his arrest was near and the officers were coming for him.
[52 Then Jesus said to the chief priests, the officers of the temple guard, and the elders, who had come for him, “Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come with swords and clubs?
53 Every day I was with you in the temple courts, and you did not lay a hand on me. But this is your hour—when darkness reigns.”
Peter Disowns Jesus
54 Then seizing him, they led him away and took him into the house of the high priest. Peter followed at a distance.
55 And when some there had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat down with them.
56 A servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked closely at him and said, “This man was with him.”
57 But he denied it. “Woman, I don’t know him,” he said.
58 A little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.”
“Man, I am not!” Peter replied.
59 About an hour later another asserted, “Certainly this fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean.”
60 Peter replied, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed.
61 The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.”
62 And he went outside and wept bitterly.]
This was a very sad time for Peter. Our humanity often has a ‘save yourself’ mentality and he was no different from the rest of us in a time of chaos and confusion. I think the part of the story that gets me the most is when JESUS looked at Peter. Eye contact with him saying “I love you and understand” this is what had to be done. Such a time of sorrow for Peter. I can’t imagine what he felt at that moment.
Let’s move further into the ‘journey of the cross’ as we read more of the story.
