These three men were the Apostolic triumvirate whom the Lord Jesus oftentimes gave special time and attention to.  In some ways they were His “inner circle” of companionship that He gave more time, exposure and revelation to than the rest of the disciples. These three had been taken by Christ up a high mountain where they were privy to His Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-13). Now they were taken deeper into the Garden with Jesus where they could observe His passion close-up.  He literally took them higher and deeper than the other 10 Disciples.  So during His ministry, Jesus took Peter, James and John to revelatory heights - and to agonizing depths, not experienced by the other Disciples.

Now more than ever, Jesus desperately needed them close by His side to “watch and pray” with Him in His hours of agony in God’s olive press.  But alas, they slept through it all!  As Jesus said of them: “Their spirit was willing, but their body was weak” (Matthew 26:41). How well every honest disciple of Christ today can relate to that diagnosis of the sleepy, slumbering condition of their own discipleship!

Each time I travel and minister abroad among my beloved brothers in the Two-Thirds World, I am challenged afresh by the ease and superficiality of much of my American Christianity!  I have had it so easy as a Christian.  No persecution.  No arrests.  No imprisonment.  No beatings.  No suffering.  I have enjoyed so many privileges as a Christian!  I have been blessed with economic prosperity and abundance in comparison to millions of my brethren around the world.  And like most of my fellow American Christians, I struggle with lukewarm Christianity (Revelation 3:15-16).  And if I listen carefully to my heart, I can often hear the Spirit say to me what He said to the First Century saints: 

“Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you…understand the present time.  The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.  The night is nearly over, the day is almost here” (Ephesians 5:14; Romans 13:11-12).

We today, just like the disciples on the night of Jesus’ arrest, suffer from spiritual “sleeping sickness!”  But those first disciples were suddenly shaken out of their slumber by the words of Christ as Judas and the arresting band of temple guards approached…

“Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour is near, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us go! Here comes My betrayer!” (Matthew 26:45-56).

We will return to Peter shortly, but at these words of Jesus, let’s now turn our attention tomorrow to “…the betrayer” – an enemy lurking in each of our hearts.  Until then, “wake up, O sleeper…from your slumber!”  God has some incredible plans for you with His fingerprints all over it – and they are stained by blood because of the Passion of the Christ!

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