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Listen - "Praying in Gethsemane " as told by Dr. Jim Slack ( 4:48 ) Becoming Like Jesus - Disciples are nurtured and taught to overcome temptations such as money, sex and power. The Ten Commandments are supplemented with New Testament stories to provide a context for living today. The second half is dedicated to developing one’s character into Christlikeness by expanding upon the Disciples’ Cross. (Seven CDs). Exerpt PRE-STORY DIALOG: There is another part of our being besides thinking and that is our will. We decide whether we want to do or think the right thoughts or not. The easiest way to stop from doing wrong is to stop from thinking wrong. But the only way you can change your thoughts is by an act of your will. You must decide. This story will talk about your will—what helps you decide? I want you to listen in this story for what Jesus says to Peter about his will. Because he is going to ask Peter to do something that he's not willing to do. I also want you to think about Jesus' will and how he responded to God when God asked him to do something that he didn't want to do. And so from this story we will have a bad example and a good example of how we make the right choices and we will to do the right things. MATTHEW 26: After the supper in the upper room with his disciples, when he had eaten with them and when Judas left the room and left the group as a result of what was said and done there, and after Jesus told the disciples that one would betray him, that Peter would betray him as well—he took them out of his upper room and led them to a garden called Gethsemane. Upon arriving there, he told his disciples, “I want you to sit here while I go over there and pray.” He then took with him further into the garden Peter and two sons of Zebedee. Now at this time, he was beginning to be very, very sorrowful and heavy hearted. But before going deeper into the garden, he looked at his followers and said this to them, “My soul is very, very sorrowful even unto death. You wait here and pray with me.” Now after telling them this, he went a little farther, fell on his face and he prayed, “Oh my Father, if it is possible, let this cup this cross be taken from me. Nevertheless, not as I will but as you will.” Now after his prayer, Jesus returned to where his disciples were in the garden. He found them asleep. He spoke to Peter saying, “What, couldn't you pray with me just one hour? I want you to pray that you will not give into temptation for I tell you, your spirit indeed is willing but your flesh is weak.” He returned to his prayer place the second time and said, “Oh my Father, if this cup this cross cannot be removed from me except I drink it, your will be done.” And he came and found them asleep again for their eyes were heavy. And he left them, went away again, and prayed again the same words, “Oh Father, if this cup may not pass away from me except I drink it, your will be done.” Then he came back to his disciples and said to them, “Sleep on. Take your rest. Behold the hour is hand and the son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise. Let us be going. Behold, he is at hand that will betray me.” POST STORY DIALOG: Now this is our story that you were told and we were told and we were expecting and it does tell us about a good example and a bad example of the will of being disciplined in the will. To do what is asked or what we know is right. Now let me ask some questions for us to look at this story and find these things in the story that we are expecting to find there. What did Jesus do in this garden? What did he want his disciples to do? And did he treat any disciples different than others? Did he take with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, James and John? Why would he do that? Why do you think he would do that? We may not understand exactly from our other stories why he took the two sons of Zebedee, but why would he take Peter? So Jesus went a little farther and left Peter and those two sons there and other disciples further back, and he went in and prayed. What was his prayer? What did he pray for? What was he asking God to do? What did he say as a part of that prayer? Is that all he prayed? What—did he say anything else in that prayer? He said, “I have the desire, I have feelings, I'm feeling heavy and this is what I'd like, but,” and you've answered well, “I want to do what you want to do.” Now after that, what did he do—after he'd finished that prayer? He went back and found his disciples sleeping. Did he say anything to them? Yes. “Wake up.” He wanted them to pray with him but he also told Peter that the spirit is willing but the flesh was weak. What did he mean by that? What on earth was he saying? Have you ever had an experience later when you did something wrong, you said, “Boy I sure wished I had prayed last night when I had time?” Have you ever thought that? Is this what was happening to Peter. Well, how do you think our Lord felt? What did you hear in our Lord's words? He was disappointed with them that they weren't praying—that they were sleeping, and that He really wanted to please the Father no matter what it cost. Both of these things are very, very strong there. Were his last two prayers like the first prayer he prayed? The first prayer—what was it? Do you remember what the first one was? On the first prayer he said, “Oh Father, if it can be possible, let this cup be taken away, be removed from me. But if not, I want your will to be done.” What was the cup? The cup was the cross event and all of the beatings and all of those things that we heard in the evangelism stories, or the coming to Jesus stories, or the preparing the way stories as to all of those events that he knew was going to start that night. Now the second prayer and the third prayer were the same. He came the second time and the third time and said, “Oh Father, if this cup may not pass from me, I want your will to be done.” Now how is that different than the first one? The second time it seems by that prayer, he was pretty sure it couldn't be done and he just said, “Father I want to do what you want to do.” Does this make what he had to say to Peter any more painful? “Couldn't you just watch and pray an hour? You really want to but your flesh is just not going to stand up under this temptation that's coming.” He had realized at this point what he was facing and had submitted himself to the Father's will during this moment but he was alone when he did it. Would we have been as kind and understanding to our followers as he was? Was it what happened in the garden that caused him to be able to be so patient and loving when they were accusing him and crucifying him? Did this have anything to do with that? I hope it does, don't you? That the prayer, the fact that he prayed and worked through this with the Father through a prayer, that he understood, “This is the way it's gotta be.” So this could be a model for us. If we could settle that in prayer, that we wanted to do the will of God, then when we got out of act or respond then we wouldn't just respond the way we felt…It should be a model, shouldn't it? Now when he finished praying, what did he find when he went back to the disciples this time? Every one of them—sound asleep. But then what did he say? “The time has come.” “They wait. They are coming. Get up and let's go.” So we have heard in this story what things? Let's summarize. What have we heard in this story? Sometimes our will needs to be brought to God and laid before him and ask him to take our will and give us his will instead. And one of the best ways of working through that is through prayer. It said Jesus just fell on his face before the Lord and I see that as ultimate submission—giving ourselves to the Lord. What if we're tired? That's when we need to pray more. Pray anyway. Maybe the three disciples who fell asleep should have been encouraging each other to stay awake in prayer. I wonder what difference it would have made in their lives if they'd stayed awake with Jesus? Don't we all wonder? I wonder if we ought to pray together in our group for each other because all of us are facing decisions that we need to make. And when we know God's will, I think we need to be in prayer before we act upon that. I know that when Barnabas and Saul were called and set apart to do their mission trip, that even after they were called, they went into a time of prayer and fasting as well. That's something very important to get ready to do God's will. Inquiries should be made to info@fjseries.org Additional information may be obtained online at http://FJseries.org or by writing: Mr. Mark Snowden
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