36 And he came up to Jesus at once and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” And he kissed him. Jesus said to him, “Friend, do what you came to do.” Then they came up and laid hands on Jesus and seized him. And behold, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear. Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?” At that hour Jesus said to the crowds, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me? Day after day I sat in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me. But all this has taken place that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples left him and fled. • There are two cycles highlighted in Matthew 26:36-46. One is the cycle of Jesus’ sorrow, request to the Father and commitment to do God’s will. The other is the cycle of the disciples inability to overcome the flesh by the Spirit. Why is Jesus’ phrase, “the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak” so important to His actions in the garden and in turn our spiritual growth? • What was the difference between what the disciples did in disowning Jesus and what Judas did in betraying Jesus? • Jesus commitment to do God’s will and sacrifice His life on our behalf comes to a point of conflict in this passage. What does the fact that Jesus carried through this trying moment, when the disciples disowned Him and Judas betrayed Him, say about His commitment to you?
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