Jesus fervent prayer availed a new perspective, from sorrow and trouble to “Rise, let us be going!” This is not the “positive thinking” but the God’s work in His life.
· 14:49: Even from before Jesus’ birth, every detail of His incarnation was a fulfillment of Scripture. (To point out just a few, see Matt. 1:22-23; 2:5-6,14-15,17-18,23). He knew His rejection by Israel fulfilled Scripture (Jn. 12:38-41). Jesus knew that the cross was the very reason He had come to earth (Jn. 12:27). One significant aspect of the Father’s encouragement for His Son was to remind Him that “the Scriptures must be fulfilled.” Jesus never doubted this. He never denied this. The reminder was one of His Father’s answer to His fervent prayer. When things began to get out of hand in the Garden, Jesus made sense of the entire scene: But the Scriptures must be fulfilled! The must be fulfilled.
Before we mention one other major fruit of Jesus’ fervent praying, let’s note what was brought about in the disciples who slept instead of praying (14:37-38,40-41). Jesus had warned them, Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. What they got was temptation that they could not resist, and weakness in their response.
o 14:47: “One of those who stood by” we are told by John (Jn. 18:10) was Peter. Peter, and the same could be said for the rest we are sure, did not understand that “the Scriptures must be fulfilled.” They had been consumed by the need for weapons since they left the Upper Room (Lk. 22:38). It sounds like things happened quickly. The mob arrived, Judas stepped forward and greeted Jesus with a kiss, and the police put their hands on Jesus. In the heat of the moment, Peter, who is certain he must do something, whacks off the ear of Malchus, a servant of the high priest. The flesh is weak. Peter did not have enough strength to allow Jesus to direct them. He did his best. His best was going to get them all killed. It would not deliver Jesus. Peter was still setting his mind on the things of men and not on the things of God (Mk. 8:33). That’s how we are without prevailing prayer. In a panic, we will strike out in our own strength.
14:50: When the flesh fails, when our best does not carry the day, when our strength fails, we will run from the problem. We might even tell the Lord, “Father, I have done the best I can,” perhaps assuming He will be thankful for our effort and will agree with us that the situation is hopeless. In 14:51-52 we have the interesting note of a “certain young man” who fled, leaving his clothes behind. Many people think this was Mark, since he mentions it in his account. That would be the same “John Mark” (John whose surname was Mark, Ac. 12:12), who accompanied Paul and Barnabas on the first journey (13:5), who, when things got “hot” left the team (fled, 13:13; 15:37-38). Jesus was not alone in the Garden, except that He had His Father. Paul learned from Jesus when he had the same experience as he faced certain death (2 Tim. 4:16-18).
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