“They came to a place named Gethsemane; and He said to His disciples, “Sit here until I have prayed.”  And He took with Him Peter and James and John, and began to be very distressed and troubled” (Mark 14:32-33).

The world is often very troubling and we are often distressed.  Jesus was preparing to take upon Himself the weight of the sin of the world.  He knows the anxiety of the world that tries to overwhelm us.  We often check out and do not listen to the Holy Spirit to work through the troubling moments.  It is not that we are to be stressed, but to recognize that in any given moment somewhere, there are those around us who are greatly distressed.

Lord, Your word says that if one member of the body hurts, we all hurt.  Around the world, there are so many who are distressed.  You have called for Your people to be a people of prayer.  In communion with You, we can learn what You would have us do and obey Your command.  Through the power of the Holy Spirit, guide Your faithful to be a people of prayer, in communion with all the saints, and seeking Your guidance.

Lord Jesus, none of us are able to comprehend the breadth and depth of the suffering You took upon Yourself for our sakes.  You call for me to join in prayer on behalf of those who are suffering.  Lead me in the faith You have given me so that I humbly join with the saints of all times and places on behalf of those who are distressed.  By Your example, help me to become a person of prayer.  Amen.

“But Peter kept saying insistently, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!” And they all were saying the same thing also” (Mark 14:31).

Get a crowd together and start chanting what you want to believe.  This is the sinful human way.  Let in a little adversity and the next thing you know, the crowd has scattered.  We, like sheep, flee from danger.  Our Lord grants that we may know the truth which frees us so that we can stand firm upon what is true.  Even though no one stands with you but Jesus alone, stand firm upon the ground of truth.

Lord, You know how I am swayed by crowds and opinions.  I do not want to be a minority, but while following You, I often am.  Help me to hold fast to what is true regardless of what those around me are saying and doing.  Guide me to live according to Your word and to not be tossed about by the winds of this age.  You have come to save me, and I need saving.  Save me from all that would hinder my living in Your grace.

Lord Jesus, You know those places of pride in me which are encouraged by the crowds.  You know those places where I can easily be swayed by any wind that blows in another direction.  Lead me so that my confidence is in You alone and the salvation You have made possible through grace.  Guide me to learn how to be faithful in a world that is tossed about continuously.  Help me to live by faith.  Amen.

“But Peter said to Him, “Even though all may fall away, yet I will not.”  And Jesus said to him, “Truly I say to you, that this very night, before a rooster crows twice, you yourself will deny Me three times” (Mark 14:29-30).

The foolishness of pride is that it will stand against another who knows, and speak what is not true.  Simon was bold, but often foolish.  His pride wanted one thing, but his fear went another way.  In this world our pride tries to save ourselves, and in so doing, ends up being foolish.  The Lord will lead us through whatever is necessary in order that we may learn to trust Him above all things, despite our doubts.

Lord, You have spoken what is true.  You have come to rescue us from the recompense of sin.  We too must suppress the foolish pride that speaks so boldly.  Cowering in the face of adversity, we need Your grace to understand that we need to be rescued and in You alone do we have the strength to stand up for what is true.  Let Your word of truth pierce our souls, slay the pride in us and raise us up to be like You.

Lord Jesus, You know my weaknesses better than I do.  You allowed Peter to be humiliated for his own good.  So also, help me to understand that when I am tested, You are doing so that I may be rid of that which would kill me.  Thank You for loving me to the core of my being such that You will stop at nothing to save me and prepare me to dwell with You eternally.  Guide me always in the way I need to go.  Amen.

“And Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away, because it is written, ‘I will strike down the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered.’  But after I have been raised, I will go ahead of you to Galilee” (Mark 14:27-28).

We need Jesus.  Without Him, we would scatter.  He knows this.  Those sheep without a shepherd are helpless.  Notice that although He knows these things, He gives instructions to gather the sheep together again.  Our faith may not be as strong as we think.  What does it matter?  The most important thing is to move beyond our fears, not relying upon ourselves, but fully trusting the One who has come to save us.

Lord God, You know that I declare one thing publicly, and, when pressed, change my mind as if I had never made such a statement.  You know how weak I am, thrown about by the winds of this world.  Lead me out of such conditional living in order that I may hear and heed the word You have spoken.  There are so many things I do not understand, but You do, for You created all things.

Lord Jesus, I would like to think I would not deny You, but I am weak and probably would.  Only in You do I have strength to stand against the foul winds of this age.  Lead me into the way of living that trusts You and holds fast to what You have shown me is true.  Gather me with Your other sheep that I may learn and grow in the faith You have granted me through grace.  Amen.

“Truly I say to you, I will never again drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”  After singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives” (Mark 14:25-26).

All that God gives is given with purpose.  The kingdom will be finally put into place when Christ has brought all things into subjection and laid them at the Father’s feet.  Jesus will subject the hearts of the faithful to willingly bow down in obedient submission to the Father’s will just as He did by going to the cross.  Until the end of this age, the battle rages on, but those who come in faith are at peace through Him.

Dear Savior, help me to understand simply the goodness You have given through the sacrifice of Your life for ours.  You have come so that we may be reconciled to You, Holy Trinity.  Create in me a new and clean heart that follows the path of Christ my Savior and willingly submits to Your will, Heavenly Father, in all situations.  Guide me, Holy Spirit, away from rebellion and into the truth which You have spoken.

Lord Jesus, You are still at work in me as well as those around me who live in the faith which You give to all who see the light of Your presence.  Guide me in this faith in order that I may learn how to live faithfully all the days which You give me.  Continue to teach me all that this means as You implant those lessons which You have given me to learn.  Help me to be faithful to You, my Savior.  Amen.

“And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, and they all drank from it.  And He said to them, “This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many” (Mark 14:23-24).

Jesus, the One who possesses the future, gives us His last will as the Messiah before His crucifixion.  “This is my blood, poured out for many.”  “Drink this and my life is yours,” Jesus is saying.  He is taking our death that we deserve so that we may have His life.  He who is life, is giving us His life.  As many as partake, He gives us the power of His life so that we may live.  He is the tree of life.  All who partake of Him will live.

Almighty Father, I know that the church has made a ritual of this, but it is so much more.  It gets to the heart of what You are doing for all who believe.  Yes, we receive it in the ritual of the church, but this is personal, between me and Thee.  Lead me out of the selfish heart that just goes through the motions to realize, at least in part, that You are creating in me the very image of Jesus my Savior.

Lord Jesus, in a lifetime of participating in this ritual, I still find great mystery in all that this means.  Help me to move beyond my limited  thinking to realize that You are doing so much more, not only in this, but in all  my life.  Guide me to learn how to be faithful and trust You above all things.  You alone are my Lord and Savior.  Lead me to follow You always.  Amen.

“While they were eating, He took some bread, and after a blessing He broke it, and gave it to them, and said, “Take it; this is My body” (Mark 14:22).

Our Savior has given His body for us.  Let your body be exchanged for His body.  Give up your body to have His body become yours.  He literally gives His life to you.  Take Him in and become like Christ.  In the mystery of the faith, the Lord will do what He does with your submission.  His will, not yours.  He gives you love so that you might be able to give yourself up for Him in love.

Lord, the taking and eating is one of the things You have commanded us to do.  More than a ritual or rite, You are doing something through what You have commanded. So many have argued over the ages about how this is done and what this is.  I too have joined in the debates.  Help me to learn first how to obey all that You command, knowing that You are preparing me to be with You forever.

Lord Jesus, prepare my heart so that each time communion is offered I may come to You  knowing that You are ministering to me personally.  Lead me to have a humble heart, eagerly awaiting the next step of faith.  Guide me according to Your purpose to walk with You each step of the way, obeying what You have commanded and learning to love You and my neighbor.  Amen.

“For the Son of Man is to go just as it is written of Him; but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born” (Mark 14:21).

Those who follow the Lord will be forgiven their sin.  Those who continue demanding that things be the way they want them to be are given a dire warning.  Woe to the one who rejects the salvation of the Lord.  Be led not by Your desires, but by the truth which has been revealed to you in scripture.  The Lord has come to save all who will live in the salvation He offers.  Those who continue in rebellion remain in the condemnation into which we all were born.

Lord and God Almighty, without Your salvation, we continue on the path of condemnation.  To reject You is to betray the salvation You have given us.  Lead Your faithful children to remain true to the salvation You have given us by grace through faith.  Good Shepherd, open our eyes to see more clearly the truth that You alone are the only hope there is for all who come to believe the truth that You are the One who has come to gather the wandering sheep of this world.

Come, Holy Spirit, and minister to my heart.  Help me not betray the love You have poured into my heart.  Keep me in humbleness, willing to serve as I have been served.  Take me far from the temptation of thinking that I can do as I please, knowing that to love my neighbor means caring for them as You have cared for me.  Lead me deeper into the faith You have given me.  Amen.

“They began to be grieved and to say to Him one by one, “Surely not I?”  And He said to them, “It is one of the twelve, one who dips with Me in the bowl” (Mark 14:19-20).

The first thing we often do is to build a wall of denial.  We all have guilt, and if we say we have no sin, the only one being deceived is ourselves.  The Lord will bring us to the place of introspection.  He will guide us inwardly to see the places where we have denied Him for something or anything other than humbly living in the truth of our God and Maker.  Judas was next to Jesus and dipped with Him the bitter tears of the Passover meal.

Almighty Father, Passover was not just about what You did for those who listened to Moses, but told the story of what would happen to Jesus too.  Help me to understand that You have come to save us from ourselves.  Aid me to connect Scripture so that I live according to Your word of grace and truth.  Where You have guided me through Your forgiveness, help me to never return to the rebellion into which I was born.

Lord Jesus, You went to the cross even as we were betraying You.  We all, like sheep, have gone astray.  Help me by Your grace and goodness to lay down the rebellion of sin and humbly walk in Your light.  Lead me to see that in You alone there is hope.  In You alone can I find what my heart longs for.  Guide me, Lord Jesus, in the way You know I need to go and do not stop aiding me, so that I may become more like You each day.  Amen.

“When it was evening He came with the twelve.  As they were reclining at the table and eating, Jesus said, “Truly I say to you that one of you will betray Me – one who is eating with Me” (Mark 14:17-18).

We all have betrayed the Lord.  But there are the sins committed by those under grace and those which are committed by the ones under judgement.  The greater sin is the one which intends to thwart what God will do.  A sin of commission is a serious matter.  Weigh carefully what you do and why.  You are saved by grace, but do not fall to the place where you willingly betray the Lord.

Lord, I do begin to understand the difference.  So many around me have betrayed You by denying You because You did not give them what they wanted.  Who knows what we truly want?  We think we know, but we do not.  Help me to live looking to You, listening to Your word, and abiding by Your direction for my life.  Lead me so that I may understand more clearly that all things are in Your hands.

Guide me, Holy Spirit, in my inner thoughts.  I confess I have times of frustration, doubts, and even anger because things do not go the way I want them to go.  Help me to trust in the simple truth that all things are in Your hands.  Lead me now and always to humbly walk in the way of salvation, trusting You each step of the way.  Jesus, You went to the cross so that I could be with You forever.  Guide me now and always.  Amen.