“You will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave Me alone” (John 16:28)

Christ was alone with the Father when He faced His darkest hour. He left most of the disciples on the edge of the Garden of Gethsemane, and brought only Peter, James and John to the secluded spot where He told them, "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak”. Going on a little further, He fell on His face, and prayed, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will”. It was there Christ confirmed the covenant that purchased eternal redemption for mankind.

After a while, He checked up on His disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, "What! Could you not watch with Me one hour?  Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak”. Christ’s reproof was a precious gift. In the future, they would remember to not ignore the promptings of the Holy Spirit to pray.

The writer of Hebrews gives us an insight as to what happened to Christ that night: “In the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications ... though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him” (Hebrews 5:7-9).

We’re all called, like Peter, James and John, to have fellowship with the sufferings of Christ, to “know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death” (Philippians 3:10). But our suffering is nothing compared to what our Savior endured for us. As Watts wrote, "And all the unknown joys He gives, Were bought with agonies unknown."