The crowds had been coming constantly. A lot had happened since the day Jesus spoke to the group on the hillside by the sea. His reputation had grown, and he knew that meant that his time was growing shorter. So Jesus got Peter, James, and John, three of his first disciples, and as they had done several times before, he led them out to a place away from everyone where they could be alone and pray. In the past, they had gone up north to Caesarea, and they had taken shorter trips into the wilderness to the east. This time, we see them walking up the shepherd trails on side of a mountain. They got to the top, and I imagine they might have just stood there for a few moments taking in the view, and then began to pray.

At some point, something happened. The disciples were exhausted from the hike …