Praying Jesus for us in our inability to wait and watch.

 Jesus watches & prays for us

“ Could you not watch with me one hour?” Mt 26:40

Romans 8:34 says," He is at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us."

Hebrews 7:25 " He ever lives to make intercession for us.."

John 17:9- "I pray for them...for them which thou has given me.."

Palm Sunday . The Gk Church uses the names “ Sunday of the Palm Carrying” & “ Hosanna Sunday” , “ Blossom Sunday “ in England or “ Flowering Sunday” . The official title is the “ Second Sunday of the Passion” and usually the account in Matthew is read. The Ukranians and Poles strike each other gently with the palms which they call “ God’s Wounds” as the scourging of Christ. In Italy people offer palms as a token of reconciliation and peace to those who they have quarreled with . In Austria and the Slavic countries they walk through fields and buildings on the afternoon of Palm Sunday with the palms to draw God’s blessings on the harvest.

In the passion we did not read the whole today. 26:40 tells of Jesus in the Garden of Gethesame meaning “oil press”. Here Jesus would be pressed . Jesus wonders credulously why Peter, James and John could not watch with him one hour. The fisherman who stayed up all night fishing could not stay awake for the Lord. “ My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: abide here and watch with me.” 26:38 Earlier they seemed eager to be there. Peter said he would not deny him. At the Last Supper Jesus told of the coming betrayal. “ one of you shall betray me.” 26:20 “ And every one said, ‘ Is it I , Lord?’ ”

We too like the disciples are unable to stay with Jesus but one hour. “ the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 26:41 How many times have we gone down a road that God said , “ you can go down that road but I told you it leads to nowhere?” Did you ever see a dead end sign ? How many of you , men especially, if driving , have to go down there to see if it really is a dead end? In the Valley of Vision a collection of English puritan prayers we read, :

“ I am sadly harassed by doubts , fears, unbelief, in a felt spiritual darkness. My heart is full of evil surmisings and disquietude, and I cannot act faith at all. ”

Jesus said , “ My soul is exceeding sorrowful…abide here, and watch with me.”26:38 Yet we are not able. Like the disciples we fall asleep at the switch. We fall away one by one in the hour of His dire need and temptation. “ Could you not watch with me one hour? ”

The good news of the gospel is that while we cannot watch with Jesus one hour , He watches with us. The righteous for the unrighteous, the sinless for the sinful, the Eternal Son of God become human sheds His blood on our behalf. “ Christ suffered for sins once, the righteous for the unrighteous, that He might bring us to God: being put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit.” I Peter 3:18 How many times has this happened that Jesus watches with us? I have lost count. Here in this solemn passion week that we begin today we remember His gift of love and grace to us. “ While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8

Throughout this passion week remember that while we are unable to watch with Jesus , He never is forgetful to watch with us. He remembers our sins no more in the

sanctifying and justifying grace of His shed blood. “ As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.” Psalm 103:12 Do we know that Jesus will never leave us or forsake us? Do we know that when we felt that things were not going to work out that He works out things? As He rides today into the Holy City on the donkey the people cried , “ Hosanna” ( Save now) but were saying “crucify Him” by the end of the week. But on the Cross He who suffered for our sins knows pain on our behalf and does not give into the devil. He does not turn from the Cross but says, “ My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass away from me: nevertheless , not as I will but as thou wilt.” 26:39

I suppose the one thing we desire in our lives is direction. How do we know which way to go when there seem to be so many ways to go? This way or that way? We feel like Dorothy in the “Wizard of Oz” looking at the scarecrow who points in two directions at the same time. Instead of waiting on God we are impatient. Instead of praying we worry all the more. We wish for instant answers and easy solutions . In all these things Jesus does not abandon us. He is trying to get our attention . He always does if we will but listen. For the prophet Elijah exhausted after seeing the power of God , He comes not in the earthquake, nor the fire but “ in the sound of gentle stillness.” I Kings 19:12 In our inability, God teaches us about His ability. In our lack of watching and praying, God teaches us about His prays on our behalf. And in our hopelessness, Jesus comes to us as our Hope.

We who are so inadequate can rest in the adequacy of the power, grace, wisdom and love of God which knows no bounds. In the Garden we fall asleep but Jesus prays . In our faithlessness, He is ever faithful. He does not shun the road of difficulty. “ Could you not watch with me one hour?” No, you cannot, but I can watch for you .

Let us pray: “ O heavenly Father, in whom we live and move and have our being: We humbly pray thee so to guide and govern us by thy Holy Spirit, that in all the cares and occupations of our life we may not forget thee, but may remember that we are ever walking in thy sight; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”

As we go to Easter in a few days I hope and pray we do not forget the cost of His blood shed for our purchased salvation.