Jesus and His disciples had been together for almost three years. In their travels, they changed the world. Matthew records that Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every disease and every sickness among the people. (Matthew 4:23) The disciples witnessed miracles and life-altering moments of teaching. They also had many quiet moments with Jesus. In their travels, Jesus and His disciples would experience many wonderful things.
Those three years of ministry would come to an end on the night that Jesus was betrayed. The disciples knew things were changing. The dinner they had that night was unlike anything they had experienced. While celebrating the Passover, Jesus would openly talk about being betrayed, about no longer being with His disciples, and about dying. The mood was one of fear, anxiety, and even panic. Jesus spoke words of comfort to His followers, but even Jesus knew the next few days were going to be difficult for all.
Matthew records that When they had sung the hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. (Matthew 26:30) They traveled from that room in Jerusalem, across the valley, to a place of comfort, seclusion, and prayer. It is here that Jesus shows us that in the darkest of times, we have a gift. There is no struggle so challenging, no problem so big, no future so frightening that we cannot go to God in prayer.
Throughout the Gospels, Jesus shows us the importance of taking time to pray. Over and over again, Jesus retreats from the work of the day to spend time alone with God. It is in prayer that we find peace, rejuvenation, and a renewed focus on God, our source for strength and hope. As we move towards Easter, let us be reminded that God is not far off. We have the gift of prayer. We can go to God with all our hopes and worries. When we spend our time in prayer, we will find the One who is there to lift us beyond the challenges of today.
Rev. Keith King, Pastor of Worship
