Mark 14:27-42
“Watch and Pray”
Scripture: Mark 14:27-42
Memory Verse: “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptations. The spirit indeed is willing,
butthe flesh is weak.” Mark 14:38
Lesson Focus: Only prayer can help us fight the flesh.
Activities and Craft: Coloring Picture, Work Sheet
Craft for 1st and 2nd graders: “Call Upon God Phone”
Introduction: Game: “Right or Wrong”
Tell the kids that you will read off some choices and they are to tell you if it is right or wrong by holding their thumb up or down.
- Pulling your sisters hair.
- Hiding your bad grade from your parents.
- Reading your bible.
- Telling a lie.
- Giving an excuse.
- Praying.
- Bullying
- Helping your little brother
- Playing fairly
- Being a sore loser.
All of these are one of many choices that we make every day. We may think that we will do the right thing – but sometimes we give in and do the wrong thing. Today – Jesus is going to show us how to do the right thing.
Bible Study:
√ Have you ever gotten a warning that something was going to happen?
“If you don’t study you will not do well on your test.”
“It’s going to be cold out today, wear your heavy coat.”
“Kissy” Aunt Ruth is coming over and you need to be kind to her.”
“I’m warning you to turn off the TV and go to bed so you can get up in the
morning.”
√ What happens if you ignore the warning?
Today, Jesus will give the disciples many warnings; let’s see if they listen or not?
Mark 14:27-28; “Warning #1”
√ What warning does Jesus give? (That they will all stumble)
√ What does that mean? (That they will not do well tonight – they will do the wrong
thing.)
√ Why will they do the wrong thing? (Because of what happens to Jesus)
Even though Jesus knows that His disciples will stumble tonight, He still tells them that there is a future and after He is raised from the dead He will meet them in Galilee.
Mark 14:28-31; “Not Listening to the Warning”
√ What does Peter say? (Even if everyone else stumbles or fails you I will not.)
√ Does Peter think he is stronger than everyone else?
√ Is it good to think that? Why or why not?
The truth is that we do not know how we will respond to every situation. We may think that we would never let Jesus down – but we could. When we are presented with a situation and we need to make a choice – we have a split second to do the right or wrong thing.
√ How does Jesus respond to Peter? (Jesus gives Peter a warning – this night – before morning – Peter will deny that he knows Jesus three times.
√ Does Peter listen to Jesus’ warning? (No – he speaks even more “vehemently” which means he used even stronger words to tell Jesus He would never do that. All of the other disciples said the same thing.)
Don’t you think that Peter and all of the disciples should know by now that Jesus always speaks truth? If Jesus says something I need to listen and to not deny it. I don’t need to argue back. We live in a world that is always giving excuses. Nobody wants to take the blame or to listen to what is being said, even grownups.
Romans 12:3 says; “…not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.”
God will give us the power through the Holy Spirit to listen and respond to any given situation. But we need to not think so highly of ourselves that we do not ask for God’s help to do the right thing.
Mark 14:32-42; “Gethsemane and Warning #2”
√ What place did they come to? (Gethsemane)
√ What did Jesus ask His disciples to do? (sit)
√ What was Jesus going to do? (pray)
Prayer is talking to God. Jesus is God the Son and He needs to talk to God the Father. Jesus is demonstrating that He needs God’s power to do what He is being asked to do. Jesus knew that the cross was coming and He is not going to do this alone. Jesus shows us how important prayer is!
√ Who did Jesus take further in the garden with Him? (Peter and John)
√ What did Jesus tell them?
- That His soul was sad
- To stay here and watch
Don’t you think that Jesus telling you that He was so sad that He felt like He was dying…would get your attention? God’s Son was hurting. He needed them to stay awake and pray.
√ What did Jesus do? (He fell on the ground and prayed.)
√ What did He pray? (That this hour might pass from Him. Then
Jesus said, “That this cup would pass from me. Jesus is talking about dying on the cross. Jesus knew what was being asked of Him. His death on the cross would pay the price for the sins of the world. But by dying there would be a period of time that He would be separated from God His Father. That was agony to Jesus. But even though Jesus was honest with God and asked God to take it away – He also said, “nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.”
“Nevertheless, not my will but your will…is an important part of our prayers. Just like Jesus prayed we can ask and tell God things that we don’t want to do – but we need to say that we are willing to do what God asks. What God’s will is for our lives; and that means what God wants us to do.
√ What happened when Jesus came to check on the disciples in Mark 14:37?
They were sleeping. They were snoring like little piggy’s.
√ What did Jesus ask them? (Can’t you watch and pray one hour?)
Warning #2: Watch and pray in case you fall into temptation.
√ Is prayer important?
√ What is temptation? (being tempted to do the wrong thing)
√ What did Jesus say is willing? (spirit)
√What did Jesus say is weak? (flesh)
The spirit is that part of us that belongs to God. That part that wants to follow
God and do what He wants us to do.
Our flesh: represents our human side – our sin side. This side of heaven our
flesh side fights against our spiritual side.
Illustration: 2 puppets (one with a note that says “Flesh” and one with a note that says “Spirit”)
Tell the kids that these two puppets represent the two things that live inside of each of us. They are constantly fighting to do what they want.
Make up a dialogue:
Spirit: I think that I will read my bible now
Flesh: But it is so nice outside – you can read it later
Spirit: No – I should read it now – I may forget later.
Flesh: Oh, come on, you deserve a little fresh air
Flesh: Ok, I will read it later.
Spirit is willing – Our flesh is weak!
√ How do we fight this battle between our flesh and our spirit? PRAYER!
Jesus says to watch and pray. Prayer is when we talk to God and get His strength
to do the right thing. Prayer is relying on God! Jesus is showing us this right now. He is not relying on His own strength…He is asking God for strength.
√ In Mark 14:41; how many times did Jesus come and speak to the disciples and remind them to pray? (3 times). 3 times Jesus warns them. 3 times they fall back to sleep. Now, I’m sure that they were very tired…but these were Jesus’ final hours, and they were not there for Him. How sad!
Jesus then tells them to get up – it is over and the time has come for Him to be arrested.
√ Do you think that disciples know what is about to happen?
√ Do you think that they are ready for what is going to happen?
√ Did the disciples listen to Jesus’ warnings?
√ Do you think that Jesus tried to warn them to get ready?
√ Is Jesus ready?
Conclusion: We have a God of mercy that has always given us warnings to follow Him. He warned the children of Israel what would happen if they chose not to follow Him. He tells us in the New Testament what happens if we do not believe in Jesus. But God lets us decide.
We are at war with our flesh and our spirit. We need to follow Jesus’ example to pray for the strength to do the right thing. We need to pray this every day and all throughout the day.
WATCH & PRAY!
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