Prayed and Betrayed

A moment of crisis: (Luke 22:39-62)

by MistyAnn Thomas

Just a week earlier, Jesus had been welcomed by a crowd waving palm branches and shouting things like, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" and "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" (Matthew 21:9).

There were high expectations for this Messiah. And the disciples were already talking about who would be the greatest in the kingdom this Messiah was about to establish. When Jesus indicated that things might not go as they expected, Peter was adamant that nothing would keep him from following Jesus. But Jesus told him that Satan would sift him like wheat and that Peter would deny Him.

Peter, the other disciples, and the people of Jerusalem

had little idea of what was about to come.

PRE-STORY DIALOGUE

How do you feel when you are in danger? Are you confident that God is taking care of you even when things appear to be going wrong? Jesus knew He was about to face the most difficult circumstances imaginable— rejection, pain, humiliation, and death —BUT He kept His focus on God and His plan.

As you listen to this story, think of how you might have reacted to the night's events if you were one of the disciples.

Would you have fled

or remained with Jesus when the trials came?

It's an important question to consider; life offers us that choice often.

TELL THE STORY

Jesus and His disciples went up to the Mount of Olives right outside of Jerusalem. When they got there, He told them to pray that they wouldn't enter temptation. Then He separated Himself from them a little and knelt down to pray. He asked God, "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done." An angel came and strengthened Him. But Jesus was in anguish, and He prayed so intensely that His sweat was like drops of blood.

When He went back to the disciples, He found them asleep; they were exhausted from sorrow. He asked them why they were sleeping and again told them to pray so they wouldn't fall into temptation. At that moment, a group of people came up to Jesus; Judas was leading the way. He came up to Jesus to kiss Him. "Are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?" Jesus asked him.

When the disciples realized what was going on, they asked if it was time to pull out their swords. One even cut off the car of the high priest's servant.

But Jesus stopped them.

"No more of this!" He ordered. And then He healed the man's car.

Jesus spoke to the people there - the priests, elders, and temple officers. "Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come with swords and clubs" He asked. He pointed out that He had been highly visible ever since He had been in Jerusalem - right there in the temple courts and in the streets — yet they waited until darkness to do anything to Him. He was implying that they were people in spiritual darkness.

They seized Him, led Him away, and took Him to the high priest's quarters. Peter followed along at a distance.

In the courtyard of the high priest's house, a servant girl saw Peter sitting near the fire. She recognized him as someone who had been with Jesus. But Peter denied it and told her he didn't know Jesus at all.

Then someone else saw him a little later and said the same thing. Again, Peter denied being associated with Jesus. About an hour later, a third person suggested that Peter was one of the disciples; Peter was a Galilean ait all, so he fit the part. But Peter said he didn't know what any of them were talking about. Just then, a rooster crowed, and Jesus looked our into the courtyard directly at Peter.

Peter remembered what Jesus had predicted: Before the rooster crowed the next day, he would have denied Jesus three times.

And Peter went out and wept bitterly.

LETS TALK IT OUT

Where did Jesus and the disciples go? What did Jesus tell them to do? Did they do that?

Did Jesus tell His disciples to pray that they would be able to resist temptation or that they would not enter into it in the first place? Do you think many Christians pray this way?
-Why or why not?
What kinds of temptations do you think He was expecting His disciples to face?

What did Jesus pray when He was by Himself? Why did He make this request? What was God's will in this situation?

Who came to minister to Jesus? How intensely did He pray?

What did Jesus find when He returned to the disciples? What were they doing?
Why do you think they hadn't followed His instructions very carefully? What did He say to them?

Devotion taken from “Story Thru the Bible: An Interactive Way to Connect with God’s Word” by Walk Thru the Bible