The Midnight Garden – ‘watch and pray’
It was midnight in a garden of olive trees. For Jesus and his twelve disciples, now eleven, this was a favourite place – a place for rest, for getting away from the crowd, for prayer; a place of olive trees on a hillside in a secluded garden. They were tired. Read or listen to what happened as they came to that garden.
John 18:1-11 (NRSV)
After Jesus had spoken these words, he went out with his disciples across the Kidron valley to a place where there was a garden, which he and his disciples entered. 2 Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place, because Jesus often met there with his disciples. 3 So Judas brought a detachment of soldiers together with police from the chief priests and the Pharisees, and they came there with lanterns and torches and weapons. 4 Then Jesus, knowing all that was to happen to him, came forward and asked them, “Whom are you looking for?” 5 They answered, “Jesus of Nazareth.”[a] Jesus replied, “I am he.”[b] Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them. 6 When Jesus[c] said to them, “I am he,”[d] they stepped back and fell to the ground. 7 Again he asked them, “Whom are you looking for?” And they said, “Jesus of Nazareth.”[e] 8 Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he.[f] So if you are looking for me, let these men go.” 9 This was to fulfill the word that he had spoken, “I did not lose a single one of those whom you gave me.” 10 Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it, struck the high priest’s slave, and cut off his right ear. The slave’s name was Malchus. 11 Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword back into its sheath. Am I not to drink the cup that the Father has given me?”
In the shadow of the trees Jesus knelt in the shadow of death and he accepted it. It was going to hurt but it was to show us that death is only a shadow.
A shadow is as dark as the bright light that is blocked by whatever gets in its way. Jesus was going to show us that there is a bright light beyond the shadow of death. To get there He must go through the darkness for us and show us the way.
He said ‘yes’ to death so that it could have no power over him.
He said ‘I will’ to death so it can no longer call the tune.
He said ‘Your will be done’ so that he might deliver us from the fear of death.
Prayer
You entered the garden of fear and faced death: be with those who share that agony.
You shared our fear and knew the weakness of our humanity: give strength and hope to the hopeless and despairing.