Last week, we saw how Jesus was the hero of this passage. We should also take note of the disciples. They were ineffective. The passage begins with them declaring they will never deny Jesus, and it ends with all of them, even an unnamed-linenless-dude, running away from Jesus. Their behavior was catastrophic. James says a doubting and faithless person is "like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind" (James 1:6). I can think of a million ways I'd rather have my life described. I don't want to flounder but flourish. Though this passage is centered on Jesus' majesty, it also carries the minor tones of the disciples' failures. Why were they so ineffective?

1. They Did Not See Themselves Correctly

First, they did not see themselves correctly. When Jesus told them they would scatter like sheep whose shepherd had been struck, they all denied it, starting with Peter. He was cocky about it, too: "Even though they all fall away, I will not" (29). I can see why you'd say these weaker men would run from you, but not me. When Jesus guaranteed his denial would be repeated three times before morning came, Peter said, "If I must die with you, I will not deny you" (31). Big talk. We know how the story ends: with Peter in a puddle of tears, broken down over his failure (Mark 14:72). And we shouldn't only prosecute Peter today. They all said the same thing (31). They didn't see themselves correctly. The Bible says:

1 Corinthians 10:12 (ESV) — 12 Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. The man who cannot see his utter weakness without God is doomed. Peter was like a little boy imagining himself victorious in battle -- he had no idea how weak his weaponry and body and soul were for the war he was about to enter. He was ill-prepared, and his delusional self-view cost him dearly.

2. They Were Not Dependent upon God

Second, they were not dependent upon God. This is a natural outworking of undue self-confidence, seeing yourself incorrectly. We know of their lack of dependence upon him because of their lack of prayer to him. There, in the garden of Gethsemane, they slept while Jesus prayed. Remember, this was not the first time Jesus had invited Peter, James, and John somewhere he hadn't invited the others. The first time, he raised a dead little girl back to life. The second time, he was transfigured while Moses and Elijah visited from the afterlife, and God spoke. These are earth-shattering events, so you might expect them to be alert during this scene. But, as Jesus said, their flesh was weak (38). They had heard from Jesus that they'd be tempted to forsake him, but they didn't feel they needed to pray for help to stay true to him. Instead, they slept when they should have prayed. Their prayerlessness was evidence that they were not dependent upon God.

3. They Did Not Understand the Upside-Down Nature of the Kingdom

Third, they did not understand the upside-down nature of the kingdom of God. When Judas came into the garden, and the captors reached out to arrest Jesus, Peter produced a sword and began hacking away. Fishing was his forte, and this was made clear by the fact that all he got was an ear. But Peter's attitude belonged to the whole group. They had debated how many swords they should bring for the days to come (Luke 22:38). Though Jesus could have produced thousands of angels to fight for him in the garden, he submitted. These men didn't yet understand the nature of the war Jesus waged. When they saw swords and clubs in the hands of Jesus' captors, they thought they could win in Jesus' kingdom with swords of their own. But this is not the way of Christ's kingdom. One day, he will take the world by force. His internal kingdom will be expressed externally. But right now, his kingdom is of an upside-down nature. The sword -- necessary for governments and authorities in combating wickedness -- is not the way to expand Christ's kingdom. The victory is to the humble, the meek, and the mourner. We often think the battle is external in nature. We believe political force or the power of numbers will grant us victory. But Jesus' kingdom does not spread that way. Historically, the periods of greatest power for the visible church have led to the periods of greatest decay in the church.

But Jesus

Jesus, however, excelled where these disciples failed. He did see himself correctly -- he was the Shepherd who would be struck, and he felt weak in the face of his task. So, he depended upon God and prayed to the Father in the garden, looking for strength to shore up his feelings of weakness. And he did understand the upside-down nature of the kingdom he would establish through his cross, so he felt no need to fight the powers of his day. And it's this Jesus who graciously restored his disciples. They failed that night, but one day, they would become elite warriors in Christ's forces. They would see themselves correctly. They would pray. And they would fight for his kingdom with entirely different, invisible, and spiritual weapons. But not before Christ's restoration, a restoration he wants everyone to know in him.