A Journey to Easter - Day 44
- Debbra Stephens
- Apr 17
- 2 min read
An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow.
(Luke 22:43-45 NIV)
It was late. And the day was long. After sharing in the feast of their holy day (which included wine), the disciples were exhausted. They must have been weighed down with sorrow from the heavy, solemn words of their Master (Luke 22:45). They could fight the fatigue no longer. Sleep overtook them. Leaving Jesus to pray alone.
The hallowed ground was soaked with His sweat, mingled with drops of blood (Luke 22:44). How it must have tore at the Father’s heart! Enough to send ministering angels to tend Him (Luke 22:43).
The Suffering Servant was full of sorrow. Did He grieve for Himself alone… or us as well? What He faced was cause for greatest grief. Humanity merely added to the weight He already shouldered. He too bore our grief, our sorrow, our lost condition, our suffering. It was an anguish unequalled.
His suffering did not come up short. He suffered entirely through it—drinking the cup to its last dreg. Jesus struggled in the flesh, which feared what His body would endure. He persevered, until He laid down His will. He withheld nothing from His Abba but gave of Himself to do God’s will (Luke 22:42). The matter was settled—mind, body, soul, and spirit. Prayer has a way of doing that.
When He rose from prayer—strengthened, resolved—He did so to the sound of a marching mob, descending to arrest Him, their Messiah… their Savior.
Pray we, when in the throes of battling wills, so too choose His. May it be a prayer unceasing—lest we become weak. So, as Jesus warned His disciples, we will stay awake and pray—that in weakness we won’t give in to temptation (Matthew 26:41).
Jesus, dear Jesus, on the night of His arrest, agonized in prayer. But it wasn’t a selfish prayer. Before He even went to the Garden of Gethsemane, He prayed He would glorify His Father (John 17:1). He prayed for His disciples and His flock (John 17:6-19). He prayed God would protect them (John 17:16). He prayed for those who were yet to believe in Him (John 17:20-23). And He prayed that His love would be in us (John 17:26).
Our Lord prays still (Hebrews 7:25).
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