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The Desire of Ages
while He stood innocent before God. If He could only know that His
disciples understood and appreciated this, He would be strengthened.
Rising with painful effort, He staggered to the place where He had
left His companions. But He “findeth them asleep.” Had He found
them praying, He would have been relieved. Had they been seeking
refuge in God, that satanic agencies might not prevail over them, He
would have been comforted by their steadfast faith. But they had
not heeded the repeated warning, “Watch and pray.” At first they had
been much troubled to see their Master, usually so calm and dignified,
wrestling with a sorrow that was beyond comprehension. They had
prayed as they heard the strong cries of the sufferer. They did not
intend to forsake their Lord, but they seemed paralyzed by a stupor
which they might have shaken off if they had continued pleading with
God. They did not realize the necessity of watchfulness and earnest
prayer in order to withstand temptation.
Just before He bent His footsteps to the garden, Jesus had said
to the disciples, “All ye shall be offended because of Me this night.”
They had given Him the strongest assurance that they would go with
Him to prison and to death. And poor, self-sufficient Peter had added,
“Although all shall be offended, yet will not I.”
Mark 14:27, 29
. But
the disciples trusted to themselves. They did not look to the mighty
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Helper as Christ had counseled them to do. Thus when the Saviour was
most in need of their sympathy and prayers, they were found asleep.
Even Peter was sleeping.
And John, the loving disciple who had leaned upon the breast of
Jesus, was asleep. Surely, the love of John for his Master should have
kept him awake. His earnest prayers should have mingled with those
of his loved Saviour in the time of His supreme sorrow. The Redeemer
had spent entire nights praying for His disciples, that their faith might
not fail. Should Jesus now put to James and John the question He had
once asked them, “Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink
of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” they
would not have ventured to answer, “We are able.”
Matthew 20:22
.
The disciples awakened at the voice of Jesus, but they hardly knew
Him, His face was so changed by anguish. Addressing Peter, Jesus
said, “Simon, sleepest thou? couldest not thou watch one hour? Watch
ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready,
but the flesh is weak.” The weakness of His disciples awakened the