Matt. 26:30-57. John 18:12
WHEN Jesus came to the garden, He told all His disciples to stay where they were till He came back. But He took three of them with Him.
Who were they?
Peter, James and John. He took them further on in the garden. Then He said to them, ‘I feel very sad indeed. I am going to pray. Do you stay here. Do not go to sleep, but pray while I am praying.’
Then Jesus went a little way off by Himself, and fell upon the ground and began to pray to His Father to help Him. He ended His prayer by saying, ‘O Father, not as I will, but as Thou wilt.’ He prayed very earnestly, and He felt so unhappy that the blood came out of His skin and fell onto the ground. Then He got up and went back to Peter and James and John, but He found them asleep. He woke them and told them to pray.
Then He went back and prayed again to His Father. He asked His Father to help Him in His great sorrow. When He came back to His disciples, they had fallen asleep again.
Then Jesus prayed again, and His Father sent an angel from heaven to comfort Him. I do not know what the angel said, but I know the angel loved Him. The angel could speak sweet words to Him and tell Him how His Father loved Him. The angel did not stay long; he soon went back to God.
Then Jesus came again to His disciples and found them asleep again. But Jesus woke them and told them to get up. ‘Judas,’ He said, ‘is near.’
While Jesus was saying this, many people came walking into the garden. These were the servants of the wicked men in Jerusalem. They had swords and sticks and lights in their hands. And Judas went in front of them to show them where Jesus was. But Judas came up to Jesus in a very sly way. He gave Him a kiss, pretending to love Him.
Jesus knew what Judas was doing, and He said, ‘Friend, why do you come here? And why do you kiss Me?’
Jesus did not run away, but He went up to the wicked men and said, ‘Who are you looking for?’
They said, ‘For Jesus.’
He said, ‘I am He.’
When He said that, God made all the wicked people fall on the ground on their backs. Then Jesus could have run away. But He chose to stay, so that He might die for His people.
The wicked people soon got up. God let them get up; but Jesus said to them, ‘If you want to have Me, you must let My disciples go away.’
It was kind of Jesus to think of them, and they were frightened and glad to get away. They did not wish to stay to die with Jesus.
But Peter took a sword and cut off one of the wicked men’s ears. Peter wished to fight; but Jesus said, ‘Put up your sword. If I were to pray now to My Father, He would send thousands of angels to help Me.’ Then Jesus touched the man’s ear, and made it all right again.
Why did not Jesus pray to God to send the angels?
Because He chose to die to save people from their sins. If the angels had come and taken Jesus back to heaven, then we should all have gone to hell.
Peter and all the rest of the disciples ran away and left Jesus all alone with the wicked men. They took ropes and tied His hands and feet, and they led Him away into Jerusalem. Jesus went along as meekly as a lamb.
‘What, could ye not watch with Me one hour?’
Matt. 26:40
Could they not watch one little hour
With Him they soon should see no more
Upon this earth beneath?
Not watch with Him in His distress,
Who was all love and tenderness,
And still did pity breathe?
But hear the Savior gently speak;
He says, though willing they are weak,
And bids them rise and pray.
Oh, now the hour of prayer is past,
The enemy is come at last
To take the Lord away.
Oh, how I love the patience rare,
With which I see the Savior bear
His friends’ unkind neglect!
Though He to them such love has shown,
He might when suffering thus alone
Their tenderest care expect.
And when my angry passions rise
I’ll set the Lord before my eyes,
His gentle voice I’ll hear;
And the same patience try to show,
If left alone in pain or woe
By my companions dear.
Questions
How many disciples did Jesus take with Him to another part of the garden?
What did Jesus tell them to do while He was praying?
What did Jesus pray to His Father about?
Did Peter and James and John pray while Jesus was praying?
How many times did Jesus come back to Peter and James and John?
Who came from heaven to comfort Him?
Who came into the garden at last?
Why did Judas kiss Jesus?
Did Jesus know why Judas kissed Him?
What did Jesus call Judas?
Did Jesus run away from the wicked men?
Who made the wicked people fall down on the ground?
Did they get up again soon?
Did the disciples run away?
What did Peter cut off with his sword?
Did Jesus wish Peter to fight for Him?
What did Jesus do to the man’s ear?
Where did the wicked people take Jesus?
What was Jesus like, when He went so meekly with them?
The meekness of Jesus when He died.
A verse from the Bible for you to learn:
“He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so He openeth not His mouth.” Isa. 53:7.