Innocent - Four: Tempted
Opening Prayer:
Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come,
Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
And forgive us our sins,
As we forgive those that sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.
For Yours is the kingdom, the power and the glory,
Now and forever,
Amen.
E tō mātou Matua i te rangi,
Kia tapu tōu ingoa,
Kia tae mai tōu rangatiratanga,
Kia meatia tāu e pai ai ki runga ki te whenua.
Hōmai ki a mātou āianei he taro mā mātou mō tēnei rā,
Murua ō mātou hara,
Me mātou hoki e muru nei i ō te hunga e hara ana ki a mātou,
Aua hoki mātou e kawea kia whakawaia,
Engari whakaorangia mātou i te kino.
Nōu hoki te rangatiratanga,
Te kaha, me te korōria,
Āke āke āke,
Āmine.
Key Scriptures:
26 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.”
27 Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. 28 This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29 I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”
30 When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
36 Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” 37 He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38 Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”
39 Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”
40 Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter. 41 “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
42 He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.”
43 When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. 44 So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing.
45 Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour has come, and the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners. 46 Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!”
Matthew 26:26-30;36-46
Summary
This week Duane reflected on Jesus’ temptation in the garden of Gethsemane. Below is a video summarising Sunday’s message.
Questions to Consider:
Who do you identify with in this scene?
How do you think Jesus felt about the disciples’ reactions?
How was this moment in the garden a ‘holy moment’?
When have you experienced some of your hardest moments as some of the most holy moments? Why was this?
What do you think was tempting Jesus to deny the cup?
What do you think helped get Jesus from “Please take the cup from me” to “Not my will but your will be done”? When have you found yourself making a similar journey?
How does the Holy Spirit help us have confidence in times of trial?
What does it mean to you that God has experienced a moment like this, when Jesus was tempted to say, “No more”? How does this help us?
Practices to Consider:
Spend time examining the events and circumstances that tempt you to turn away. Craft your own “not my will but yours be done” prayer to help you in this.
Listen to some musical worship - Kia Kaha by Te Rautini - echoes Jesus’ experience here well and may encourage us in our own Gethsemane moments.
Prayer Prompts:
Pray that the Spirit might help us say, like Jesus, Lord not my will but Yours be done.