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Jesus Prays
(Children's Version)

After singing a song at the Passover meal Jesus and his disciples went to a garden called Gethsemane.  It was getting to be quite late in the evening, so everyone was whispering.

Jesus was especially quiet, and walked a bit ahead of the rest of the group.  He looked as if He was sad and upset about something.  He stopped and whispered to some of the disciples, "Sit here, while I pray." 

Then with Peter, James, and John he walked just a little bit further and told them, "My heart feels heavy, and I feel very sad.  Please stay here and keep watch, I need some company close by."  The disciples looked at each other, they had never seen Jesus like this before.

Then Jesus walked a bit further by himself, next to a big tree he knelt down with his face to the ground and began to talk to God.  He prayed, "My Father, I know that I am about to go through some horrible things, I wish I wouldn't have to.  But it doesn't matter what I want, I will do whatever you want."

When He had finished praying he went back to where the disciples were and they had fallen asleep on the ground.  Jesus woke them and said to them, "Couldn't you have stayed awake for me for just a little while, you should also pray that you would continue to do what God wants."

The disciples felt bad, and tried to keep their eyes open.  But when they started praying,  they fell asleep.  Two more times Jesus went off to pray the same prayer as before, and when he was finished He came back to his friends disappointed.  They had fallen asleep again.

The third time Jesus woke them saying, "Are you sleeping again?  Enough!  It is time to go, here comes the man who is about to give me up to the people who want to hurt me."

While He was still speaking, Judas, one of Jesus' disciples was coming towards them.  He was followed by a large crowd of people who were carrying swords and clubs.  Judas walked right up to Jesus and gave Him a kiss on the cheek.  This was a sign to the chief priests that this was Jesus, and that he was the man that they wanted to arrest.

Jesus let them take him.  But one of Jesus disciples didn't like what was happening, he wanted to stick up for Jesus.  He took out his sword and cut off the ear of a chief priest.

Immediately, before the situation got more out of hand Jesus spoke firmly, "Enough!"  He reached up to the man whose ear had been hurt and healed it instantly.

Then Jesus spoke to all those around him. "If I wanted I could pray to my Father for help, and He would send angels to protect me, and stop this.  But I know this needs to happen to finish what it says in the Bible."  

The disciples didn't know what to do. They were afraid that they might be arrested for being with Jesus so they quickly left,  leaving Jesus to be arrested alone.  Peter was the only disciple that followed Jesus.  He was careful to follow at a distance, because he was afraid.  He wanted to see what would happen to Jesus.

They took Jesus to a man named Caiaphas, he was the high priest (he made a lot of decisions).  This is where all the other 'important' people had gathered.  They were trying to find a reason to arrest Jesus, but He had never done anything wrong.  People tried to make up bad stuff, but they knew it wasn't true.

Finally Caiaphas asked Jesus, "Are you the Messiah, the Son of God?"  When Jesus replied that He was the Son of God Caiaphas couldn't believe it.  He even tore off some of his clothes because he thought what Jesus was saying was untrue.  These people didn't believe Jesus, and that's when they decided that they would kill him.

Meanwhile, Peter was just outside the building where they had taken Jesus.  A servant girl saw Peter and had recognized him and asked, "Weren't you with that man named Jesus?"  But Peter lied and said, "You don't know what you're talking about."   

Peter started to walk away, but the girl spoke louder so the other people who were around could hear, "I'm sure you are one of the men that is friends with Jesus."  Again Peter said, "No, I don't know what you're talking about."

After a while more people asked Peter the same thing, and Peter started to get upset by this, and he said in a loud voice, "I don't know the man you are talking about, I've never talked to him."

Right after Peter said this a rooster crowed, and Peter remembered something Jesus had said to him.  "Before the rooster crows, you will turn your back on me three times."  When Peter remembered this he was very sad.  Peter was one of Jesus closest friends, and now he had lied and said he didn't even know him.

Peter started to cry.  How could he have done this to Jesus.  

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