PRAYING IN THE GARDEN
It was well into the night when Jesus and the 11 disciples were in the garden. Gethsemane, also known as the Mount of Olives, was a favorite place for Jesus and his friends to go and be alone. Jesus needed to pray to His Father and He needed his three closest friends with him. So, Peter, James, and John went with Jesus just a stone’s throw away from the others. Three times Jesus prayed and came back to see that his friends were sleeping. What deep loneliness Jesus felt at this time. Jesus pleads with his Father to forgo His suffering, but nevertheless, he relinquishes His power to the Father and says, “Your will be done.” As Jesus finishes praying, an angry mob approaches with torches, lanterns, and weapons. Jesus said to His sleeping disciples: “The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of sinners. Get up. Let’s get going. My betrayer has arrived.”