Opening Prayer

Lord Jesus, thank you for your love, for your willing sacrifice made so that I can know your presence now and be with you for eternity.

Read LUKE 22:39–53

Jesus Prays on the Mount of Olives

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.^[a]

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.”

Jesus Arrested

⁴⁷ While he was still speaking a crowd came up, and the man who was called Judas, one of the Twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss him, ⁴⁸ but Jesus asked him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”

⁴⁹ When Jesus’ followers saw what was going to happen, they said, “Lord, should we strike with our swords?” ⁵⁰ And one of them struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear.

⁵¹ But Jesus answered, “No more of this!” And he touched the man’s ear and healed 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.”

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Footnotes

1. Luke 22:44 Many early manuscripts do not have verses 43 and 44.

New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Meditate

God’s love is such that his Spirit gives us a heart willing to obey him and do his will.

Think Further

Looking west from the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus would have seen the temple in all its beauty. Annually, thousands of animals were sacrificed, their blood staining the altar—but the blood had no real power to forgive.1 In his final moments on earth, Jesus wrestled with the cup that he had to Drink, while his disciples could not stand alongside him at his hour of need. Instead, they slept, despite Jesus’ pleading with them to keep awake and pray so that they might not fall into temptation (vv. 40, 46).

After Jesus’ prayer, the narrative shifts to his arrest. Luke emphasizes that, even in his arrest, Jesus remained in control of the situation. He questioned Judas about betraying him with a kiss (v. 48). He rebuked one of the disciples who drew the sword and cut off the ear of the high priest’s servant—and he then proceeded to heal the servant (vv. 49–51). He went on to declare that he was the one the authorities were looking for, and he surrendered himself (vv. 52, 53). Jesus was able to be in control because he understood that intrinsic to his mission on earth was to drink the cup the Father had given him—the cup of suffering (v. 42).

The disciples could not fully comprehend the cost of discipleship at the most crucial hour. Jesus was prepared to drink the cup, but they were not. Do we have the courage to drink the cup too? Perhaps, you are carrying such a heavy burden in following Jesus and you feel like giving up. What could be the ‘cup’ that you know the Lord has asked of you but you find so difficult to drink? Will you surrender to God, just like Jesus did, by praying, ‘not my will, but yours be done’?

Apply

Jesus agonized and prayed in the garden that he might obey his Father’s will. Where do you need God to strengthen your weakness and deepen your desire to do his will?

Closing prayer

Loving Savior, I am grateful that I can cast all of my cares on you and that your power is made known in weakness. Where I am burdened, where I am weak, help me to be faithful and follow you.

Last Updated on March 25, 2024 by kingstar

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