Mark 14:27-42 27“You will all fall away,” Jesus told them, “for it is written: “‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered. 28 But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.” 29 Peter declared, “Even if all fall away, I will not.” 30 “Truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “today—yes, tonight—before the rooster crows twice you yourself will disown me three times.” 31 But Peter insisted emphatically, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” And all the others said the same. 32 They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” 33 He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. 34 “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” he said to them. “Stay here and keep watch.” 35 Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. 36 “Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” 37 Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. Simon,” he said to Peter, “are you asleep? Couldn’t you keep watch for one hour? 38 Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 39 Once more he went away and prayed the same thing. 40 When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. They did not know what to say to him.41 Returning the third time, he said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners. 42 Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!”
Here Lord Jesus quoted the Old Testament Zechariah 13:7 “I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.” He prophesied that when he was struck, arrested and crucified on the cross, his disciples would fall away. Peter and the other disciples denied that they would fall. Lord Jesus also prophesied that Peter would deny him three times before the rooster crowed twice, and Peter denied it. Later Lord Jesus and the eleven disciples went to the Garden of Gethsemane, but only brought Peter, James, and John to pray. Lord Jesus and his disciples used to meet in the Garden of Gethsemane, so Judas, who betrayed Lord Jesus, also knew that place. Lord Jesus prayed to the Heavenly Father three times, “Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” This cup refers to the cup of suffering, the cup of suffering on the cross. As a man, Lord Jesus didn’t want this cup, but he obeyed God the Father. It says in the parallel passage Luke chapter 22 that 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. Lord Jesus knelt down and prayed earnestly. He also told the three disciples, “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” But they could not watch and pray. They felt asleep, and they all fell away. They were willing to stand with the Lord, but they all felt away because the flesh is weak. This is also a reminder to us, we must always watch and pray so that we won’t fall into temptation. We must watch and pray, rely on the Lord to overcome temptation.
May God bless you and your family.
