I remember my parents’ house having a picture of Jesus praying, presumably in Gethsemane. As I recall, it was hung over the TV, which probably should have reminded us to “Be careful little eyes, what you see.”
After Jesus’ final Passover meal on this earth, Mark 14:32-42 describes Him praying before His betrayal and crucifixion. Whether just from these verses, or from additional context, we can picture the scene: It’s nighttime, and I doubt that there was a lot of light. Even Jerusalem would have been lit with lamps and torches (rather than the halogen glow of a hundred streetlights). Perhaps Jesus and His disciples had a few torches to find their way around, or maybe the moon was bright that night.
Unlike the two disciples who had prepared the Passover meal (see Mark 14:16), it appears that the disciples (excluding Judas, since we learn from Matthew’s gospel that he left during the dinner) didn’t manage to follow Jesus’ commands this time, when He admonished at least Peter, James, and John to “watch”, but they fell asleep. And, I get it: They had probably been walking between locations that day, they had just had a good meal, and they probably drank some wine as a part of dinner. I’ve been so tired before that I could barely keep my eyes open, and if I were asked to sit, I’d probably nod off, too. I don’t know about you, but there are times when I get sleepy during church, and closing my eyes for prayer feels really good.
Jesus was in no state to nod off, though. His prayers were earnest, to say the least. I suspect that each of us has prayed something with all of our heart before, crying out to God and begging Him that something would change. In this case, Jesus knew what awaited Him, and it was worse than any of us have ever experienced. Not only was crucifixion some of the worst torture that the Romans could dream up, but Jesus was about to be separated (because of our sins) from God the Father, and that hadn’t happened for eternity.
Yet, as some of us have had to accept, sometimes – in God’s wisdom – His answers to prayers must be a loving “no”. Jesus acknowledged this, and He accepted the Father’s will even though it would hurt. If there had been any other way, Jesus sought that, but…there wasn’t. (By the way, those who claim that there are other ways to obtain peace with God – i.e., other than accepting Jesus’ sacrifice for our sins – would do well to study this passage. If God the Father had any other way to bring humankind back into His righteous presence, how could He not have provided that solution, instead of allowing His Son to pay for sinners like us?)
Back to chapter 14, verse 38 is one that gets quoted frequently, and for good reason.
Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
Mark 14:38 NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/mrk.14.38.NIV
While Jesus had instructed the three nearby disciples to “keep watch” (or, per NASB footnote, to “stay awake”) at first, verse 38 is when Jesus came back after having prayed for a while. By the way, although it wasn’t part of our text for today, the previous chapter also includes similar instructions to “Be alert!” [see Mark 13:33] and “Watch!” [see Mark 13:37].
Note, however, that Jesus didn’t tell Peter to pray for Him (i.e., Jesus), despite the fact that Jesus had told them that He was really hurting. Instead, Jesus told Peter to “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.” Even in one of Jesus’ darkest hours (it was probably really dark by then, as nearby lights were put out for the night, not to mention how close Jesus’ crucifixion was getting); even in this time of suffering, Jesus sought to have Peter pray that God would help…Peter!
After Jesus returned three times, though, the time was up. The next phase of this night’s problems was about to start.
I suspect that it’s no coincidence that Peter, who was admonished to keep praying because of the weakness of the flesh, wrote some related advice.
Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.
1 Peter 5:8-9 NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/1pe.5.8-9.NIV
Per Black [p.251, 253], in Gethsemane, Jesus prepared with prayer and humility, but the disciples failed to prepare. Jesus saved the world that day, after the disciples fled (as perhaps we might have done). Let’s learn from both examples: following the first, while not falling into the second. And, let’s watch and pray. If asking God for help when we are desperate, hurting, or anticipating the worst was good enough for Jesus, we shouldn’t revert to our own human ideas and stop asking Him when things look bad for us, either. However, there’s another risk: the risk of apathy. When things are comfortable and seem good, we must not spiritually “nod off”. Instead, we must stay alert, understand that spiritual attacks and temptations are imminent, and keep seeking God’s help to resist them before they hit us in the face.
From Sunday School lesson prepared for November 30, 2025
References:
- Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
- Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Copyright by The Lockman Foundation.
- The College Press NIV Commentary – Mark, by Allen Black. © 1995 College Press Publishing Co.
Those Who Sin Differently 