“WATCH AND PRAY!”

Matthew 26:37-41                              (ESV)

“37 And taking with HIM Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, HE began to be sorrowful and troubled.

38 Then HE said to them, "MY soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with ME."

39 And going a little farther HE fell on HIS face and prayed, saying, "MY FATHER, if it be possible, let this cup pass from ME; nevertheless, not as I will, but as YOU will."

40 And HE came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And HE said to Peter, "So, could you not watch with ME one hour?

41 “WATCH AND PRAY” that you may not enter into temptation. The SPIRIT INDEED IS WILLING, but the FLESH is WEAK."”

Reverend Paul Washer has said something similar to “don’t be fooled, many people think that Hell will be eternal separation from GOD.  Hell means that we will experience the ETERNAL WRATH OF GOD!”  

JESUS knew what HE was about to experience, and HE prayed “MY FATHER, if it be possible, let this cup pass from ME”!  Now if you buy into the lie that GOD gives us whatever we want, when we want it, you would have a hard time explaining why GOD ALMIGHTY didn’t grant the request of HIS ONLY SON?!?  PLEASE note that the second part of the request from JESUS was “nevertheless, not as I will, but as YOU will!!!"  

Conformity to the WILL OF THE FATHER was always the desire of THE SON!  Why do I seem to want what my flesh wants so much?  Shouldn’t I “WATCH AND PRAY” more seeking to have my will reflect more of HIS WILL?  Instead, yielding to my weak flesh is mostly what I do, especially when my eyes are on the things of “this world”!  Peter and the two sons of Zebedee (James and John) were supposed to be watching and praying, but they were sleeping and JESUS was about to be arrested for crimes HE never committed.  Their weaknesses made HIS STRENGTH PERFECT (2 Corinthians 12:9) and HIS PLAN was completed in the end!

Even though JESUS had told HIS disciples MANY times in the prior three years, they NEVER had theirs EYES opened to SEE that HE was about to become the Ultimate Sacrifice for the sins of ALL mankind!  The weaknesses of the chosen servants of GOD were used to usher in HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS through FAITH in HIS SON.  

Now can you understand what Paul Washer is saying when he talks about how we think that hell won’t be that bad?  The punishment that JESUS went through on HIS way to Calvary, and the separation from the LOVE OF GOD, were enough to make JESUS cry out “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani”!  We need to “WATCH AND PRAY” that we are being used to Glorify HIM and not pleasure ourselves!!!