By Robin Sam
GREETINGS to you in the Name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who asked His disciples to watch and pray.
Unlike what many people think the garden of Gethsamane was not a low point in the life of Jesus Christ, the Son of Man. It was where He reaffirmed His Father’s decision to take on the cross at Calvary. That was evident in the way He prayed this prayer: “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” Gethsamane was a place where the Son of God did not let down the Father and the Father honoured the Son’s prayer. Gethsamane was the place where Jesus was let down by His disciples. Jesus called His disciples and asked them to sit down while He went over and prayed. Then, He took Peter, John and James and asked them to stay there and keep watch with Him. Neither the eight in the outer circle nor the three in the inner circle of Jesus Christ could do as He wanted them to.
Remember, it was not a request to pray for Him, it was a command to pray along with Him. Jesus understood the value of prayer, and at that hour of great trouble He was looking for prayer partners who would pray for the Father’s will to be done. The second thing to note is that their prayer would be useful not to Jesus but to them. “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Jesus was telling the disciples to be awake and pray because if they don’t, they become sitting ducks for the tempter. That’s why when Jesus taught His disciples to pray, He told them to pray thus: ‘…And lead us not into temptation’ (Luke 11:4).
When temptation comes knocking, it’s a good thing to remember three things that Apostle Paul has listed out in 1 Corinthians 10:13. Firstly, it is important for us to tell ourselves that our situation is not unique. People who lived before us have faced similar situations and people who will come after us will also go through the same. ‘No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind.’ Secondly, we need to remember that our God is faithful to us. That He will not let us be tempted beyond what we can bear is a marvellous promise to cling on to. Finally, we need to realize that God does not allow temptation to come to His children without providing them an escape route. When Potiphar’s wife came lusting at Joseph, the young man’s escape route lay in running away from the place. So, the next time you are tempted to make compromises, tell a lie or do something that you know is not pleasing to God, remember there’s a way out from the temptation. You just need to ask God to show you the way.
Another reassuring promise of God to cling on to during our testing times is found in 2 Peter 2:9, ‘if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials.’ Yes, God knows. He knows the secrets of the heart (Psalm 44:21) and the Lord knows those who are His (2 Timothy 2:19). He also ‘knows how to rescue the godly from trials.’ When you are tempted and do not see the escape route, remember God is in control and He knows how to take you out of the mess. You may be clueless, but your God is pretty much clued in.
We are living in the last days before the Lord’s secret coming. There will come a day, when the Lord will come to gather His elect. To be left behind by the Lord is to live to face a dreadful time. However, the premise on which He gathers His elect is this: ‘Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth’ (Revelation 3:10). Do you know to whom this promise was given? It was given to the church in Philadelphia. The name of the city meant ‘brotherly love’ in Greek. God knew although the church had only ‘little strength’, it ‘kept His word’ and did not deny His Name (Rev 3:8). Hallelujah!
Would God have the same things to say about us also?
