"The Power of a Praying Team"

Scripture Passage

John 18:1-2; Mark 14:32-42; Matthew 26:36-46; Luke 22:39-46; Mark 14:43-52; Matthew 26:47-56; Luke 22:47-53; John 18:3-24

Scripture Focus

Judas, the betrayer, knew this place, because Jesus had often gone there with his disciples. (John 18:1 NLT)

Observation

The opening verses from John 18 set up the remarkable moments when Judas, accompanied by “a crowd of men armed with swords and clubs” (Mark 14:43 NLT) shows up in the Garden of Gethsemane to carry out his act of betrayal. John says that “Judas, the betrayer, knew this place, because Jesus had often gone there with his disciples” (John 18:1 NLT).

That’s an amazing statement. I’ve heard plenty of people note how frequently the gospels remind us of Jesus’ commitment to prayer. This verse tells me that Jesus was committed not just to prayer, but to corporate prayer—to time spent praying in concert with others. Judas knew where to find Jesus because he’d often been there with Him as they prayed together. I’m sure I’m latching on to this verse because prayer with others has become something I’ve valued ever more highly in recent years, but I’m encouraged to know that this was common practice for Jesus and his disciples.

Christianity has become highly individualized these days (“me” instead of “us”), and prayer has become incredibly privatized (praying alone instead of praying with others). But that certainly doesn’t seem to have been the case for Jesus and his disciples or for the early church. Perhaps this is one place where Christians have an opportunity to paint the portrait of an “alternative culture” in our world simply by living out kingdom values. Perhaps a people who learned to pray together might even discover the more powerful impact of corporate prayer. In a world of anemic churches and feeble Christians, the increased effectiveness of unified prayer could prove worth the effort!

Equally remarkable, of course, is that Judas would choose a place of such sacred significance for his unthinkable act. To me, the thought that Judas would choose this place…a place of shared spiritual experiences…for his betrayal of the Christ had to add significant additional pain to the experience for Jesus. Can you imagine? Jesus really did bear it all for me—I’m grateful for His persevering love!

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