Mark 14:32-50
“My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” he said to them. “Stay here and keep watch” ( Mark 14:34, NIV ).

We can only imagine what happened and what the Lord went through at the Garden of Gethsemane. For the Lord of glory to cry out, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death … Stay here and keep watch” (vs. 34, NIV). We can be sure He felt it.

For Him to require the prayer cover and support of His disciples revealed His need for help. Unfortunately, the friends He relied on were not ready for the level of support He needed. They did not understand the weight that was on the Master neither could they comprehend what lay ahead of their Lord and Teacher.

Nevertheless, Jesus did it for them and for us. He went through great agony and prayed the prayer of surrender to the will of the Father because you and I have to be saved. See Mark 14:36. Many of us think it is not real. Some still sneer at the thought of someone dying on the cross for the sin of the world. This is God’s plan and we cannot question His intelligence.

Friend, as the Easter weekend draws nearer, let us take time to tell God thank you for dying for us. In addition, let us ask for the grace to be faithful friends, who will stand by others when they need us. Shalom.

Your Turn

• Thank the Lord for the suffering and pain He went through for us.
• Pray for the grace to be faithful to Him and to others when we are needed.

Hymn: “Man of sorrows,” what a name.

Further Reading: 1 Chronicles 11:15-19.