The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1943-04-15
Sunday School
Lesson In Brief
BY REV. b. A. MEEKS

Subject: "Peter and John in
Gethsemane."
Lesson Passages: Matthew 26:
36-48; John 18:10-12.
Golden Text: watch and pray,
. that we enter not into temptation"
BLOOD, SWEAT and TEARS"
are words made famous by Eng
lands great war minister, Wins
ton Churchill. These words very
nearly describe the agonizing ex-
perience of our Lord Jesus in the
Garden of GethSemane. This most
tragic experience of Jesus must
have inspired the Prime Minister
to use these words which have
become the battle cry for the
Allied Nations to arouse the peo-
pie to super-human efforts in
World War II.
To Jesus, prayer was the field
of battle. Observe Him as He
prayed in the Garden. The strug-
gle, the strong crying and tears,
the sweating as it were great
drops of blood-all took place be-
fore the shameful trial before the
High Priests and Plate, before
! the terrible scourging by the SOL
diers, before that most terrible
and horrible death on the cross.
After the long hours in prayer
to God in Gethsemane the actual
battle with the enemy was easy
for the Christ. It was in the pray
er of bloody sweat that Jesus re-
ceived grace and strength to carry
the heavy burden heaped upon
Him as the Sin-Bearer for a lost
and ruined world. It was not only
the possibility of human suffering
that brought forth the strong cry
ing tears in the struggle of Geth-
Semane. MANY martyrs have en-
OOA GU oA411AAdA oN1ACAAAS WILL do
much fortitude. The cup must
have been the cup of sin and it's
curse. He, the pure and spotless
One was made sin for us, that
we might be made the righteous
ness of God in Him. Our sin was
imputed to Him, that His right
eousness might be imputed to us.
Death and hell are the wages of
sin, Jesus paid that price for our
redemption. Christ's atonement is
sufficient for all men, though it
naturally is applied only to those
who accept it by faith and prove
that faith by an obedient life"
(Rev. J. C. GARTH)
Let us contrast the behavior of |
Jesus in the Garden with that of
the two disciples we are consider
ing in this lesson. While Jesus
was giving Himself so whole
heartedly to earnest, sincere and
fervent prayer Peter and John i
are overcome with sleep. 1t may
be true that they were tired and |
weary, but Jesus had called upon
them to be with Him and to watch |
with Him while He unburdened
His soul to God. Jesus exhorted
them to watch and pray that they
enter not into temptation. Their
spirit was willing, but their flesh |
was weak.
Also contrast the conduct of !
Jesus with that of His disciples |
after the experience in the Gar
den. Jesus having fortified His
soul through prayer faced the
High Priests and Plate, endured
the terrible scourging by the Ro-
man soldiers, the horrible death
on the cross in such a manner as
to prove to the hardened soldiers
that He was the Son of God. |
Whereas Peter and John who
gave them to sleep rather than
to prayer were overcome with
coWardice. If they had fortified
their souls with prayer t h e y
would have been able to face the
ordeal with their Master as good
soldiers of the cross.
May we learn the lesson of
GethSemane. We cannot wait I'M
til we reach the actual battle
field before engaging in prayer.
1t is all but too late to pray when
we come face to face with some
great tragedy which calls for
super-human strength to endure.
The battle is won on our knees
before we come face to face with
the enemy. Let us begin now to
build up great reservoir of
spiritual power so when we come
upon difficult days we will prove
ourselves equal to the task. Re-
member the disciples in Gethse-
name and their weakness and |
failure.
TO HOLD DEBATING