Pain in the Garden

They walked in the garden together.  Supper was over and the night they would never forget was closing in.  

They were all tired and needed some sleep, but one of them still had a burden that could not be put to rest.  The Teacher looked in the faces of his friends and then asked them to stay where they were and wait, while He walked on ahead.  

He needed to be alone now.  Little did the others know just how alone their Teacher would be before that night was over.  But just now He must be alone in prayer with His Father.  He asked his friends to pray as they were waiting for his return - not just wait - but wait and pray.

Do you think they wondered why?

But as He walked alone, upon the path ahead, 

they settled down, relaxed a bit,

and slept, while his heart bled. 

"My father" Jesus cried "please take this cup away, 

because I know the weight, the debt, the price,
this night I'll pay.

And my Father, God, you know the pain I cannot hide.

Although it’s in Your will, I ever must abide." 

After a while He rose and went back to the disciples.  They were asleep.

"Couldn't you watch and pray one hour?

 Didn't your flesh have that bit of power?

Please watch and pray" again He said, 

as He walked a little way ahead.

 In grief, He fell before the King.

He wept – his heart was shattering.

He prayed, and He sweat with drops like blood.

He prayed to the ever-living God. 

But He said, 

"Not my will be done, but thine."

 And his friends slept on in his darkest time.   

They missed so much!  They had no idea what our Savior suffered for them. They didn't see his struggles.  They did not hear his plea.  How could they know?  

If we ignore this part of the story we will miss much as well.  We won’t see what Jesus, God's Son, suffered for us during those hours in the garden.  There was more suffering ahead, but in these scriptures we see Jesus’ humanity, and in that humanity we see his love and pain so vividly.

If we read Matthew 26:36 - 46 or Mark 14:32 – 41 we will respond with gratitude as well as sadness.

Thank you, Jesus.  Oh, Thank you!