Coming out, He went to the Mount of Olives, as He was accustomed, and His disciples also followed Him. When He came to the place, He said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” (Luke 22: 39-40)
The trip to Calvary began years before with a woman and a man entering into temptation. Jesus gave to His disciples at Gethsemane what seemed a simple, yet profound instruction that went back to that other garden and our ultimate ancestors. While our Lord withdrew a bit to pray for us and Himself, the disciples of our Lord, those eleven strong champions of our redemption, proved our ability to save ourselves from temptation by prayer.
When He rose up from prayer, and had come to His disciples, He found them sleeping from sorrow. Then He said to them, “Why do you sleep? Rise and pray, lest you enter into temptation.” (vv. 45, 46)
Our Lord Jesus gave to them another chance to save themselves from temptation. If they could not pray sitting or laying down, He would have them to pray standing up. Or, perhaps they could stand with Him in the trials to come as they had sworn to do a few days before? We know from the stories of our Lord's death that they had no more ability to save themselves in that way than by simply staying awake in prayer in a quiet garden. Even in the simplest of things we need our Lord as Savior. Whether to pray or to sleep, to flee temptation or to enter in, we need the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior and as risen Lord.
Rejoice in His atoning sacrifice this Good Friday!
Bucky
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