“Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and He said to His disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.” And taking with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, He began to be sorrowful and troubled.” (Matthew 26:36-37 ESV)
Jesus took three friends with Him when He was waiting for His arrest: Peter, James, and John. He asked them to pray with Him. And He went a little further—but not too far—to do His own praying. It’s a pity they let Him down. They kept falling asleep. And Jesus had to face His sadness and fear alone.
Still, in spite of their behavior, it’s a good example for us, isn’t it? If Jesus felt He needed friends with Him, how much more do we? When we are in trouble, we can turn to other Christians to pray for us. They can spend time with us, so we don’t feel so alone.
This is in a way what Jesus Himself did for us. When we rebelled against God and became subject to the power of sin and death, He didn’t desert us. He came to be with us. He went so far as to be born as one of us, to live and to suffer and to die—and rise again!—so that we could be with Him forever.
Could there be a better friend?
We Pray: Dear Jesus, You are my comfort. Use me to strengthen others. Amen.
Reflection Questions:
* When did a friend strengthen and comfort you?
* At what times do you lean the hardest on your friends? Give an example.
* Why is “friend” a good name for Jesus? Give as many specific reasons as you can.
Lenten Devotions were written by Dr. Kari Vo.
Originally published in The Lutheran Hour on March 20, 2023
Used by permission from International Lutheran Laymen’s League, all rights reserved
