Matthew 26:41-45
Mat 26:41 (KJB)
Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing,
but the flesh is weak.
Now Jesus introduces a figurative meaning to watching. It is not just staying
awake but it goes much deeper than that. To watch is to pray and those that pray
are watching. Especially when one prays to be kept from temptation, they will
now be watching to see if they will be snared with something that is sinful and
because they prayed about it, then they will be astute enough to know what to
look for. Jesus knows that the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak and that
is because the spirit does not tire in any way but the flesh needs to rest after
being active for so many hours. The reason we must pray that we do not enter
temptation, is because the world may offer many different avenues for us to go
down so we will not accomplish the will of God. Even if the Lord tells us how we
are to do something, the world may want us to do it another way which will not
accomplish the results God wants. So the believer must be careful that they are
not diverted and that is what Satan wanted all along that Jesus use His powers
in a wrong way during His earthly ministry.
Mat 26:42 (KJB)
He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup
may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.
Jesus then leaves the disciples a second time and goes back and prays once
again. In His first prayer He asked “if the cup could pass from Him” but here He
is acknowledging that the cup may not pass from Him, that is, it is God’s will
that He drink the cup of God’s wrath for the sins of the Elect. Once again Jesus
acknowledges the fact that God’s will must prevail. God’s will is for Him to
drink the cup without exception. (Heb 5:7 KJV) Who in the days of his flesh,
when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears
unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;
Jesus was not praying a winsome prayer. These prayers which He was praying were
extremely intense and way beyond what any human could possibly understand. This
is probably why Peter, James, and John fell asleep because they could not grasp
the intensity of the prayer battle which the Lord was engaging in.
Mat 26:43 (KJB)
And he came and found them asleep again: for their eyes were heavy.
The second time Jesus came to his disciples and found them asleep. The fact that
the flesh is weak should have made them more desirous to stay awake. Instead
what they did was to succumb to the weakness of the flesh. If they would have
prayed, then they would have been able to stay awake plus they could have prayed
for strength and understanding. Here they failed to cooperate with Jesus in His
request for them to watch and pray. God understands the weakness of the flesh
and wants to help in those situations. A prayer can begin in a weakened state
but as the prayer time progresses, a strengthening is noticed.
Mat 26:44 (KJB)
And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the
same words.
(1 Ki 17:21 KJV) And he stretched himself upon the child three times, and
cried unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, I pray thee, let this child's soul
come into him again. Just as Elijah did, Jesus now returns to the
place of prayer for the third time and had prayed the same words He did the
first two times. Jesus had desired that He would be fully in line with the will
of God concerning the cup of God’s wrath that He must endure.
Mat 26:45 (KJB)
Then cometh he to his disciples, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take
your rest: behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the
hands of sinners.
Now Jesus finishes His prayer time and with a confidence that what He was going
to face was the will of God and not a worldly diversion. He comes to His
disciples and tells them to sleep on because the time they will have to sleep
will be short since the men were on their way to arrest Jesus. Jesus was now
fully committed to the will of God for Him and now because His humanity was real
and His suffering was real, His commitment would now be put to the test. He did
not use any of His divine power to keep Him from the cross and He did not turn
aside from any of the trials or tests which were part of the judgment that
sinners deserved. In other words, every possible situation was covered to make
sure there was full atonement and removal of the sin from the soul of the Elect.