We should all be familiar with the account recorded in the gospels of how Jesus took the disciples into the Garden of Gethsemane and prayed. It was here, shortly before the betrayal that would lead him from his friends into the hands of his death sentencers, where He agonized over the death he would soon suffer. Sweat-like drops of blood fell from him as he sought the Father in earnest prayer, “Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.” Luke 22:42 Jesus knew the business of his Father and had come to do his will and expressed this to his disciples before they left to go to the garden as we see in John 14:31, “…as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go hence.” Jesus was always in communion with the Father showing us the necessity of prayer for accomplishing God’s will.

It was here in the garden where Jesus brought three privileged disciples, Peter, James and John. They left the other disciples behind and followed Jesus further on into the garden. These are the same three who Jesus took to witness his transfiguration on the mountain and who also accompanied him at his side when he raised the daughter Jairus from the dead. Now Jesus left them to pray at only a stone’s throw away and told them to remain and “pray that they would not enter into temptation”.

After this we see in Matt 26:40-41, “And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

This passage has gotten my attention and has raised some questions in my heart. Who is Jesus addressing? I’m inclined to take this personally as though Jesus were speaking directly to me, but what about it? Could this have any significance for them who seek to serve our Lord, to do His bidding? We are told in the books of Matthew and Mark that Jesus was speaking to Peter and in Luke it says that he spoke “unto them”. Peter does seem to be the one whom the Lord pointed out but certainly the others were involved and needed to take heed to what Jesus said and I believe those who want to serve the Lord should also.

It may be helpful to look at Peter and ask what sort of man he was and can we relate to him at all? Jesus spoke to Peter, I believe, because his character symbolizes the general character of man in many ways. Peter was a great apostle because he was determined to serve and follow Jesus. Peter once said to Jesus while expressing his devotion to him “I will lay down my life for thy sake”. John 13:37 

Peter wanted it all from the Lord as we see in John 13:6-9, “Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet? Jesus answered and said unto him, what I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me. Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.” 

But Peter’s flesh was weak and susceptible to the influences of Satan, and in his own zeal, offended the Lord. We see in Matthew 16:21-23,

 “From that time forth began Jesus to show unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: Thou art an offense unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.” Peter certainly had a need for the fruit of meekness and a humbleness of heart. Peter had much confidence in himself and hesitated little when “he said unto him, Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee.” Matt 26:35

Yet we know that, just as Jesus had prophesied, Peter denied knowing Jesus three times. Peter walked on water at the Lord’s bidding, yet he began to sink as his faith was shaken. He recognized and declared to Jesus, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Matt 16:16

It was apparent in the heart of Peter that he had a great desire to serve the Lord, Jesus. But he could not yet serve him in meekness and humbleness of spirit. The apostles were greatly privileged to have been instructed in God’s business. When James, John, and Peter were told by the Lord to remain where they were and to watch and pray, He was speaking to his friends and followers who He had informed about God’s business (read John 14-16). Jesus told them that He was leaving and what would soon happen to them. Jesus told them all what would have to happen concerning his death and resurrection. He explained that He would be leaving them but soon return before going to the Father and that He would one day come back for them and bring them to the heavenly place He was preparing for them. They were told that after He was gone He would send to them the Holy Spirit to comfort and teach them. He said and explained to them “whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.” John 14:4. He called them His friends in John 15:14-15, “Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have made known unto you.” They were informed and knew what was God’s business, yet they slept and did not “watch and pray” as Jesus had told them to do for the sake of avoiding temptation. “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation…” Matt 26:41. Hard times were soon coming upon his friends and he wanted them to be prepared. Jesus knew the likes of Peter and the others, including us, when he said “…the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

When Jesus was taken by the soldier’s Peter cut off the right ear of the high priest’s servant, with which Jesus responded, “Then said Jesus unto Peter, Put up thy sword into the sheath: the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?” John 18:11 Peter’s spirit was willing but his flesh was weak. Peter was impetuous and in need of temperance.

The following is recorded of Peter’s third denial of association with Jesus, “Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew. And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly.” Matt 26:74-75 Here was another act of intemperance to be sure, which had been set up by his impetuous self-confidence.

All this was redeemed by the Lord after his resurrection when Peter, the Lord’s friend, was given the opportunity to publicly tell Jesus three times that he loved him. Jesus responded each time with “Then feed my sheep.” John 21:16 At a time before Jesus’ death Peter’s faith had already pleased the Lord, for he was the disciple who spoke out when Jesus asked them who they say He is. Peter’s pleasing response was, “Thou are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Matt 16:16.

At the last supper, Jesus spoke much about the Holy Ghost, calling Him the Spirit of Truth and the Comforter. He knew the lives of the Apostles would be greatly changed when the Father sent the Spirit to dwell in them. “Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.” John 14:17 Everything changed for Peter and the apostles after they received the baptism of the Holy Ghost. His impetuosity could be changed into temperance. Peter’s pride could be blanked by the Spirit who could grow meekness in him. Peter, especially, became a bold preacher of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but it did not have to be with pride or bravado. Now the fruit of faith could make it a fruitful and truthful matter. Thousands of lost souls were won to Christ’s kingdom and baptized in the name of Jesus and of the Holy Ghost. Under the authority of Jesus, by the lively power of the Holy Ghost, Peter healed the lame and raised the dead. He preached with boldness and refused to cease, even when under great persecution. But Peter did not always hold firm in his deliverance and in the garden of his fruits. He bowed to the sect of Judaizers and was ashamed to eat with the Gentile Christians, for which God had to rebuke him. It is not that we never slip it is only important that we truly repent and retain our living status of deliverance and our place among the garden of fruit which God has grown in us. By the power of the Holy Ghost Peter was instructed in a vision to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles and began a great expanse in the Kingdom of all Christians are able to eat of if they are wise. With the indwelling presence of God’s Spirit now alive in the hearts of the apostles, Peter and Paul and the rest and all the obedient and informed friends of Christ, they were now able to remain alert, watching and praying, and to avoid falling into delusion and temptation.

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For the believer today, those of us who are born of the flesh and the spirit (born-again) and have received the full baptism of the Holy Ghost, just as the apostles had, our lives need not be any less than the apostles who were preaching the Gospel two thousand years ago. If God’s written word has informed us of his business, whether through prophecy, or instruction by exhortation, or recorded examples, and if the Spirit speaks his word in our hearts, then we have heard His voice and know what our Lord is doing. Let us do whatever He commands us so we, too, might be called the friends of Jesus. “Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.” John 15:14-15 Like Peter, we may have a desire to serve the Lord and the Lord may even call upon us to intimately partake with Him, as he did with the apostles in the Garden. It might be to labor in prayer, to preach the Word of salvation to the lost, to exhort the saints to a greater faith, to instruct in the Word, to stay at home and minister to our households, to go to work or school and wait for openings made by the Spirit, or write a letter to a friend and offer our only Hope. Whatever our calling is we also need to heed the instruction given to Peter and the others to “watch and pray”, lest we fall into temptation. Our spirit is willing, but certainly, our flesh is weak. Jesus doesn’t want his friends “sleeping on the job” or to put it more clearly, complacent.

By watching and praying, what sort of temptations might we possibly avoid falling prey to? How about the ones where we say in our hearts, “Not today Lord, I’m tired”, or “I’m too busy with important things in my life”, or “I’m scared!”, or “How about something else Lord, this just doesn’t seem important enough”. The list could go on forever. Jesus knows this and that is why He gives us directives like watching and praying. It is why he said, “the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” It’s the battle so often presented to us in the scriptures of the Spirit against the flesh. Paul instructs us “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.” Gal 5:16-17 Remember how everything changed for Peter and the apostles after the Spirit came to dwell, not just with them, but in them. They, who are examples to us, were walking in the Spirit. Look around today, aren’t there some living examples for us to see in our churches and fellowships? Ask the Lord to show us. We want to be His servants and long to call ourselves His friends, and we can be by remembering that our spirit is willing but our flesh is weak. The fruits of faith, meekness and temperance teach us and help us to not trust in the flesh. The flesh wars against these sweet fruits of the Spirit. Let our willing spirit be possessed by the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is our only surety of being able friends of Jesus and make us the bearers of abundant fruit. Let the Spirit tell us what to watch for and what to pray about while we learn to heed the words of Jesus. “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation…” Friends of Jesus, remember this. Jesus said, “If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.” John 14:23

And, the thing that glorifies our Father in heaven is fruit born by His children. Nothing short of fruit, LOVE, JOY, PEACE, LONGSUFFERING, GOODNESS, GENTLENESS, FAITH, MEEKNESS AND TEMPERANCE, et. al. – shall do.