Submitting to the Father’s Will Required Complete Obedience, Courage, Trust, and Faith in God’s Plans—
Do we Obey and Trust in the Will of God
for our Lives?
Jesus’ Three Prayers
36 jThen Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, “Sit here while I go and pray over there.” 37 And He took with Him Peter and kthe two sons of Zebedee, and He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed. 38 Then He said to them, l“My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me.”
39 He went a little farther and fell on His face, and mprayed, saying, n“O My Father, if it is possible, olet this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, pnot as I will, but as You will.”
40 Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “What! Could you not watch with Me one hour? 41 qWatch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. rThe spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
42 Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, “O My Father, 8if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done.” 43 And He came and found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy.
44 So He left them, went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words. 45 Then He came to His disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour 9is at hand, and the Son of Man is being sbetrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 Rise, let us be going. See, My betrayer is at hand.”[2] Matthew 26:36–46
The Messiah’s Agony in Gethsemane: Confronting Death and the Terrifying Trials of Life,
Introduction—Jesus Christ, Sacrifice and Death: death for Jesus Christ was different than death for all other men. In death, Jesus took all the sins of the world upon Himself and stood before God the Judge and …
• Accepted
the verdict of guilty for every man
• Accepted the penalty and punishment of death for every man
It is in the word death that the difference lies. Death is not what some people conceive it to be: some dreamy state of being or euphoric existence in another world, or the end (disfunctioning) of the body with only the spirit of one’s life left behind in others’ memories, or simply annihilation. Death means separation from God (see Deeper Study # 1—He. 9:27), and it is this that makes Christ’s death different from the deaths of other men. In confronting death, Christ experienced unbelievable agony and pain because He was to be separated from His Father; and the one thing Christ did not want to face was having to be cut off from His Father. In addition, He did not experience death just for one man’s sins; He experienced death for every man’s sins. If there were any other way to save man, He, in His human nature, wanted it.
This is the terrifying struggle Christ was suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane—a struggle so terrible that it would have killed Him if God had not sent an angel to strengthen Him (Lu. 22:43). In His great struggle and persevering prayer, Christ shows us how to confront death and the terrifying trials of life.
1. Christ entered the Garden of Gethsemane
(vv.36–37).
2. Christ suffered agonizing grief and
pain (vv.37–38).
3. Christ turned to God, crying (v.39).
4. Christ stood alone, neglected by His
closest friends (vv.40–41).
5. Christ continued to pray, agonizing for
release (vv.42–44).
6. Christ received release—great peace and courage (vv.45–46).
a. He entered with all the disciples except Judas who had already begun His terrible betrayal. The disciples were all still with Him. Knowing the dark hour and terrible tragedy He was about to endure, He was doing all He could to keep them close to Himself. He wanted them to remember His great dependence upon God. By having the experience of Gethsemane fresh in their minds, they would be better able to face their disillusionment, blindness, unbelief, and desertion.
They would be better able to overcome their weaknesses when He arose and confronted them. Thus, He was holding them together as closely as possible for as long as He could.
b. Christ entered the garden to pray. His words suggested that they, too, should begin seeking God in prayer: “Sit ye here, while I go and pray.” Luke actually says that He told them all to pray: “Pray that ye enter not into temptation” (Lu. 22:39–40).
c. Christ withdrew some distance farther into the garden, taking Peter, James, and John with Him. Why these three? The reason seemed clear. Christ had a double need: a need to be alone with God and a need for close companionship and prayer from those closest to Him. This becomes clearer in the discussion of v.38.
Ø
“Seek
the Lord and His strength, seek His face continually” (1 Chr. 16:11).
Ø
“Ask,
and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be
opened unto you” (Mt. 7:7).
Ø
“And He
spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not
to faint” (Lu. 18:1).
Ø “Is any among you afflicted? let Him pray. Is any merry? let Him sing psalms” (Js. 5:13).
Thought 1. A man needs a garden, a private spot where He can get all alone with God in times of great trial.
Thought 2. Two things are essential
when we face a desperate hour of need.
(1) Withdrawing, getting all alone in some
private spot.
(2) Praying and sharing our need with God.
Thought 3. Note something of paramount importance: How does our desperate hour affect our loved ones? Christ was thinking as much of His disciples as He was of His own need. He was holding them together and encouraging them to pray for themselves as well as for Him.
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DEEPER STUDY # 1 (26:36) Gethsemane:
the word Gethsemane means oil press or olive press. Gethsemane was a garden
sitting on the Mount of Olives. It was probably a garden of olive trees,
beautifully situated on the slopes of the mountain overlooking all the
surrounding area including the city of Jerusalem. Private and public gardens
on the surrounding mountains were common because of the beauty of the
mountains and because of the lack of space within the city. It was to such a
garden that Christ withdrew in His desperate hour of need. |
a. God the Father had to send an angel to strengthen Him (Lu. 22:43–44. Heb. 12:3–4, esp. 4.) Apparently, all that Christ had been through and was about to go through was opened up to His mind. His whole being was now focusing upon the suffering He had to experience as the sin-bearer for the world. The mental vision literally compressed His physical body, almost to the point of crushing Him. (See Deeper Study # 2—Mt. 26:37–38.)
b. Christ was suffering so much agonizing grief and pain that He requested the presence of close friends. He needed them to pray for Him and be a comfort to Him. This is seen in His words, “Watch with me.” Christ needed to be alone with God, but He also needed friends close by who were also praying for Him. Just knowing that they were close by praying and feeling for Him would be strong encouragement and comfort.
c. Christ warned: watch and pray for yourselves as well. The greatest trial the disciples were to ever know was at hand, and they did not know it. In just a few hours, they were going to fall away. They desperately needed to pray that they “enter not into temptation” (v.41); that the depth of sin would not discourage them to the point that they would feel too unworthy to repent.
Thought 1. The greatest lesson to be learned from Gethsemane is probably this: we are to strive against sin at any cost. The Scripture clearly proclaims this lesson:
Ø “For consider Him that endured such contradiction [hostility] of sinners against Himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin” (He. 12:3–4).
Christ strove against sin, against the temptation to save the world by some other way than the cross (being separated from God the Father). He strove and strove against the temptation, experiencing so much pressure that His sweat was as “great drops of blood” (Lu. 22:44). Just imagine striving against sin to such a point! (Mt. 27:26–44.)
Thought 2. Something needs to be meditated upon time and again: the great agony that Christ bore for us. Nothing pictures His great agony any more than the Garden of Gethsemane.
Thought 3. Think of the Lord’s enormous love for us. He foresaw all that He was to bear for us. All was opened up to His mind, yet He willingly surrendered Himself to bear it all.
Thought 4. The presence, prayer, and comfort of close friends can be a tremendous source of help when we face desperate needs.
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DEEPER STUDY # 2 (26:37–38) Jesus Christ, Suffering—Death: words could never express what Christ experienced. Words are just inadequate, totally inadequate. Using all the descriptive words in the world would be as inadequate in describing the sufferings of Christ as using a syringe to drain an ocean. 1.
There was the mental and emotional
agony: the weight, pressure, anguish, sorrow, and excessive strain
such as no man has ever experienced. He was the Son of God, Maker of heaven
and earth, yet images and thoughts were pressing ever so heavily in upon His
spirit, the images and thoughts of … • the unbelief of all men everywhere • the rejection of His own people, the Jews • the malice of the world’s leaders, both Jew and Gentile, religious
and civil • the betrayal of one of His own, Judas • the desertion of all His men • the denial by the leader of His own men, Peter • the injustice and condemnation of His trial • the ridicule and pain of being scourged, spit upon, slugged, cursed, mocked, crowned with thorns, nailed to the cross, and killed 2. There was the physical experience of death while being the Son of God. What is it like for the Son of God to die just as all men die? If just the physical aspect of Christ’s death is considered, His death is still different from all other men. a. Christ as the Son of God possessed the very seed, quality, ingredient, and energy of life within His being. b. Christ as the Son of God possessed no seed, quality, or ingredient of death (Jn. 14:6; 1 Ti. 6:16; 1 Jn. 1:1–2; see Jn. 1:4); but man does. Man possesses the seed of corruption and death. Man’s sinful nature knows nothing and expects nothing but death, but the sinless nature of Christ knows nothing of sin and death. His sinless nature and the agony and pain of death were bound to be as different from man’s death as white is different from black. There is another point to note as well. Man suffers humiliation in death. No matter how much man struggles to live, He wastes and wastes away until He is carried into the grave to become the dust of the ground. But not Christ; He was sinless and perfect even in His human nature. His sinless nature knew nothing of death. Imagine the humiliation: the Son of God—the Perfect Man, the Perfect God—having to die upon this earth! No wonder He “began to be sorrowful and very heavy!” No wonder He could say, “My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death.” In some mysterious way, God made Christ to become sin for us (2 Co. 5:21). 3. There was the spiritual experience of death while being the Son of Man (Mt. 5:17–18; 8:20; Ro. 8:2–4). There is so much here, yet so little can ever be known. a. First, what is it like to
be without sin? Christ, made in the image of man and being fully man, was
sinless. He lived as all men live facing all the trials and temptations that
men face, yet He never sinned. He was without sin. He became the Perfect and
Ideal Man—all that God wants man to be. He became the Pattern for all men. Ø
“For
we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our
infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin” (He. 4:15; see 2 Co. 5:21; 1 Pe. 2:22; 1
Jn. 3:5). Ø “Though He were a Son, yet learned He obedience by the things which He suffered; and being made perfect, He became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey Him” (He. 5:8–9). b. Second, what is it like to
bear all the sins of the world? What is it like to be perfect and sinless
and then, all of a sudden, to have all the sins of the world laid upon
Oneself? In some mysterious way, God took all the sins of the world and laid
the whole body of sin upon Christ.
In some mysterious way, God made Christ to become sin for us (2 Co. 5:21).
Christ, as the Ideal Man, became the Ideal Sin-Bearer. He bore all the sins
and all that sin causes—all the … • darkness • pollution • filthiness • dirt • weight • pressure • anxiety • turmoil • worry • guilt • savagery • conflict • strife • war • torture • enmity • poison • corruption • consumption • disturbance Ø
“All
we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to His own way; and
the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all” (Is. 53:6). Ø
“In
due time Christ died for the ungodly” (Ro. 5:6). Ø
“Christ
died for our sins according to the Scriptures” (1 Co. 15:3). Ø
“For He
hath made Him to be sin for us, Who knew no sin; that we might be made the
righteousness of God in Him” (2
Co. 5:21). Ø
“So,
Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for
Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation” (He. 9:28). Ø “Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed” (1 Pe. 2:24). c. Third,
what is it like to bear all the judgment and condemnation of sin for all
men? Christ suffered for the sins of the whole world and suffered separation from God. The terrifying mystery
of this hellish experience is seen in His cry upon the cross, “My God, My
God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Mt. 27:26–44; 27:46–49; 1 Pe. 2:21–25).
Ø
“But He
was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the
chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed” (Is. 53:5). Ø
“Christ
hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it
is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree” (Ga. 3:13). Ø
“But
we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering
of death, crowned with glory and honor; that He by the grace of God should
taste death for every man” (He.
2:9). Ø “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit” (1 Pe. 3:18).
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DEEPER STUDY # 3 (26:37) Sorrowful (lupeisthai)—Very Heavy (ademonein): sorrowful means to be distressed, grieved, pained. It means to be consumed with intense sorrow of heart. Very heavy means to be troubled, dismayed, disturbed. It means to be gripped with intense heaviness of soul. Very heavy pictures the trouble and dismay that is caused by an unexpected calamity. It is consternation, a heaviness that drives a man to be alone, for He is unfit for company. He desperately needs quiet, and He needs a few companions to understand and help Him bear the trouble. |
3 (26:39) Jesus Christ, Death: in confronting death Christ turned to God, crying with strong cries and tears (see He. 5:7).
Four things are seen in this verse.
1.
Christ got all alone and prostrated
Himself before God. Luke says He withdrew about a stone’s cast from the three apostles. Note two significant
points: (a) He needed to be alone with God—He was desperate. (b) He fell on His
face—the pressure and weight were unbearable.
2.
Christ prayed, “O my Father [pater mou].”
Note that Christ called God “My Father.” This is what a small child calls His
father day by day. It is the address of a child’s love, of dependency and
trust. The child knows that His father will hear and turn to Him when He calls Father. But note also the words, “O my Father.” Christ was broken, weighed
down, fallen, prostrate on the ground. In desperation He cried out “O my Father.” Just like a child, He
cried out to His Father in childlike brokenness and dependency; He knew that His
Father would hear and turn to help Him.
3.
Christ asked God to remove the cup from Him.
(Mt. 26:39, Mt. 27:26–44.) The human nature and will of Christ are
clearly seen here. He was as much man as any man is. Thus, He begged God to
choose another way other than the cup (cross), if possible. The experience of
being separated from God upon the cross was too much to bear.
4. The Divine nature and will of Christ were also clearly seen. Note the Lord’s words: “Let this cup pass from me: nevertheless.…” The first act and impulse, the first struggle and movement of His will had come from His flesh: to escape the cup of separation from God. But the second act and impulse, the second struggle and movement of His will came from His Divine nature: to do not as He willed, but as God willed.
Christ’s
surrender to do God’s perfect will was critical.
o
It was through His surrender that He was
made perfect and stood before God as the Ideal and Perfect Man.
o
It was through His surrender to be the
Ideal and Perfect Man that His righteousness is still able to stand for every
man.
o
It was through His surrender to be the
Ideal and Perfect Man that He was able to bear the cup of God’s wrath against sin for every man.
o It was through His surrender to be the Ideal and Perfect Man that His sacrifice and sufferings are still able to stand for every man.
Ø
“But we
see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of
death, crowned with glory and honor; that He by the grace of God should taste
death for every man. For it became Him, for whom are all things, and by whom
are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their
salvation perfect through sufferings” (He. 2:9–10).
Ø
“Though He
were a Son, yet learned He obedience by the things which He suffered; and being
made perfect, He became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey
Him” (He. 5:8–9).
Ø “For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Co. 5:21).
Thought 1. There are three vivid pictures in this point that should speak to our hearts.
(1) The picture of Christ’s child-like
dependency and trust in His Father.
(2) The picture of Christ’s bearing the
awful cup of God’s wrath for us.
(3) The picture of our enormous obligation to Christ: the obligation to be appreciative and to express our appreciation in love, adoration, worship, and service.
Thought 2. Note both the human will and the Divine will of Christ. The first impulse of the human will is to get and possess what one desires, but the second impulse of the Divine will is to do as God wills. Genuine believers are “partakers of the divine nature” (2 Pe. 1:4). Therefore, they too possess both wills. Note that this is a good way to describe temptation. The first impulse to do as one wishes comes from the human will, but the second impulse to do as God wills comes from the divine will. What we must do is learn to surrender to the divine will, to the godly impulse, just as Christ did.
Ø
“But we
see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of
death, crowned with glory and honor; that He by the grace of God should taste
death for every man. For it became Him, for whom are all things, and by whom
are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their
salvation perfect through sufferings” (He. 2:9–10).
Ø
“Though He
were a Son, yet learned He obedience by the things which He suffered; and being
made perfect, He became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey
Him” (He. 5:8–9).
Ø “For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Co. 5:21).
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DEEPER STUDY # 4 (26:39) Cup: Jesus Christ was not fearing nor shrinking from death itself. This is clearly seen in Jn. 10:17–18. Death for a cause is not such a great price to pay. Many men have so died—fearlessly and willingly, some perhaps more cruelly than Christ Himself. Shrinking from betrayal, beatings, humiliation, and death, increased by foreknowledge is not what was happening to Christ. As stated, some men have faced such persecution courageously, even inviting martyrdom for a cause. The Lord knew He was to die from the very beginning, and He had been preparing His disciples for His death (Mt. 26:1–2). It was not just human or physical suffering that Christ was shrinking from. Such an explanation is totally inadequate in explaining Gethsemane. The great cup or trial that Jesus was facing was separation from God (Mt. 26:37–38). He was to be the sacrificial “Lamb of God” who takes away the sins of the world (Jn. 1:29). He was to bear the judgment and wrath of God for the sins of the world (Mt. 27:46–49; Is. 53:10). Jesus Himself had already spoken of the cup when referring to His sacrificial death (Mt. 20:22–23; Mk. 14:35–36; Jn. 18:11). Scripture speaks of the cup in several ways. 1. The
cup is called “the cup of the Lord’s fury.” Ø “Awake, awake, stand up, O Jerusalem, which hast drunk at the hand of the Lord the cup of His fury; thou hast drunken the dregs of the cup of trembling, and wrung them out” (Is. 51:17). 2. The
cup is associated with suffering and God’s wrath. Ø
“Upon
the wicked, He shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and a horrible tempest:
this shall be the portion of their cup” (Ps. 11:6). Ø “Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless, not my will, but thine, be done” (Lu. 22:42). 3. The
cup is also associated with salvation. Because Jesus drank the cup of
suffering and wrath for us, we can “take the cup of salvation and call upon
the name of the Lord” (Ps. 116:13). He bears the judgment of God for
the sins of the world. Ø “Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He hath put Him to grief: when thou shalt make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand” (Is. 53:10). |
4 (26:40–41) Jesus Christ, Death: in
confronting death Christ stood alone, neglected by His closest friends.
a. He arose from prayer and went to the three who were supposed to be praying with Him. They were asleep. The companionship, the spirit of prayer and comfort He had sought, was not there. All were asleep. He had been left alone to wrestle with God by Himself.
b. Christ warned of temptation. The disciples had failed to pray for Him, but they must not fail to pray for themselves. Christ said, “Watch and pray.” Both were important. Watchfulness sees and praying prepares. They were to watch in order to see temptation coming, and they were to pray in order to be prepared when temptation struck.
c. Christ warned of the flesh and its weakness. They were sleeping because of the emotional strain and distress of the evening. As Luke says, they slept because of sorrow, that is, sadness (Lu. 22:45). The evening had been shocking and taxing. They were weary, fatigued, and preoccupied. Concentration in prayer was difficult. They probably fought to stay awake and to pray for their Lord. But the importance of prayer and spiritual dependency upon God in facing trials had not yet been learned. They were making two mistakes common among believers.
1) The disciples were depending upon their own wisdom and strength instead of God’s Spirit to fight whatever battles lay ahead.
2) The disciples were taking God’s deliverance for granted instead of assuring His deliverance through the testimony of prayer.
They believed Christ to be the Messiah; therefore, they believed God was going to deliver them against the Romans no matter what. As carnal, fleshly men are apt to do, the disciples no doubt thought prayer mattered little. They were just presuming upon God, taking His deliverance for granted. What Christ said was, “Watch and pray; for only as you watch and pray can you keep from falling when the trial comes.” Watchfulness and prayer bear testimony to God.
This point needs to be noted: watchfulness and prayer bear testimony to God. When men watch and pray, they demonstrate that dependency and trust in God are well-founded. When God answers the prayers of men, He demonstrates that He loves and cares and delivers those who truly look up to Him. Without watching and praying, God allows men to fall in order to teach that dependency and trust in Him are absolutely essential.
d. They were failing to stay awake to pray, to watch, and to be watchful in prayer. Their spirits were not alive and alert enough to overcome the flesh. The drowsiness and slumber of the flesh were stronger than the spirit (Mt 26:42–44; Ep. 6:18).
Ø
“Blessed
are those servants, whom the Lord when He cometh shall find watching: verily I
say unto you, that He shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat,
and will come forth and serve them” (Lu. 12:37).
Ø
“Ye are
all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the
night, nor of darkness. Therefore, let us not sleep, as do others; but let us
watch and be sober” (1 Th. 5:5–6).
Ø
“Be
sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion,
walketh about, seeking whom He may devour” (1 Pe. 5:8).
Ø “O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct His steps” (Je. 10:23).
Thought 1. No believer is ever alone. Even if his closest friends neglect the spirit of prayer and comfort, God is with Him.
Thought 2. Many trials arise immediately and unexpectedly. They jump right up in front of us. Only persistent, sleepless prayer will prepare us for such crises (Ep. 6:18).
Thought 3. The flesh struggles against the spirit (Ga. 5:17).
5 (26:42–44) Jesus Christ, Death: in confronting death, Christ continued to pray—agonizing for release.
a. He asked His Father to remove the cup a second time. Matthew is the only writer to give the words of Christ in this second prayer. Mark simply says that He “spoke the same words” (Mk. 14:39). There are two views about what Jesus was saying.
1) Some commentators say that He was accepting the cup and consenting to the fact that He must drink it: “If [since] this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.” When reading the verse this way, the battle does seem to be already won. Christ seems to have already accepted the fact that there just was no other way than to bear the cup. His human nature already seems to be subjected to the Divine nature.
2) Other commentators understand the verse to say what Mark seems to be saying: “And again He went away; and prayed, and spoke the same words” (Mk. 14:39). Christ was continuing to pray and to agonize for release from the cup. He, of course, was willing to bear it, but His soul was crying out with “strong tears” for another way. Two facts always need to be remembered.
First, Christ was not shrinking from death; He was shrinking from drinking the cup of separation from God.
Second, the pressure of bearing all the suffering of the world as the Son of Man was unbearable. He felt as though He would die, and Scripture seems to indicate this by mentioning that an angel had to be sent to strengthen Him against the pressure.
b. Christ found the disciples asleep again. Note “their eyes were heavy.” This indicates they fought against drowsiness but lost the fight. They could not shake off their …
• physical drowsiness
• spiritual blindness (not
accepting Christ’s former prophecies of death)
• carnal security (taking God for granted)
c.
Christ prayed a third time, praying the same words (v.44). The pressure was
unbearable. He must have release. Note: this was the third time Christ prayed,
and note the statement the same words
(ton auton logon). This seems to be saying that He was struggling in the same agonizing spirit, struggling to be released from the life-threatening
pressure. Three times He came before
God pouring out His soul, with “strong tears,” begging for release. In so doing, He has demonstrated forever the necessity of
persevering in prayer in order to secure release from agonizing pressure. God
answers persevering prayer.
Ø
“Ask,
and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be
opened unto you” (Mt. 7:7).
Ø
“Continue
in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving” (Col. 4:2).
Ø “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and He will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you” (Js. 4:7–8).
Thought 1. Persevering prayer is the great lesson of Gethsemane, and our Lord Himself gives us the greatest example of persevering prayer. When facing the pressuring and terrifying trials of life, Christ teaches us by example to seek release by coming before God in prayer. And He teaches us to stay before God—asking and asking, praying and praying—continuing and persevering in prayer until God answers. (Mt. 7:7–11. Ep. 6:18; Lu. 18:1–8.)
Thought 2. There are three enemies that constantly fight against persevering prayer, that must be struggled and struggled against (Mt 26:42–44).
(1) Physical drowsiness.
(2) Spiritual blindness: not believing the Lord’s words, wanting to understand and interpret Him as we wish instead of letting Him speak for Himself.
(3) Carnal security: presuming upon and taking God for granted.
6 (26:45–46) Jesus Christ, Death: in confronting death, Christ received great release, great peace, and courage.
a.
There were His words, the evidence of great release: “Sleep on now, and take
your rest.” Christ’s agony, His
desperate need for friends to “watch” with Him was now gone. God had given Him
great relief of soul. The very tone of His words to His disciples revealed a
calmness of spirit, a peace of mind, a relief of the physical and emotional
strain that was about to kill Him. God had met His need in a most wonderful
way.
Ø “In the day when I cried thou answeredst me,
and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul” (Ps. 138:3).
Ø “And there appeared an angel unto Him from
heaven, strengthening Him” (Lu.
22:43).
Ø “Who in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto Him that was able to save Him from death, and was heard in that He feared” (He. 5:7–9).
b. There were His words, the evidence of great courage: “Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.”
Note two things:
1) There was no shrinking now, no agony, no desperation. Christ was relieved and strengthened, ready to face the sufferings necessary to secure the salvation of man.
2) Christ said He was being “betrayed into the hands of sinners.” All those taking part in His death were sinners. His death was the most heinous crime of history. He, the Son of Man, the Ideal and Perfect Man, was killed by men. But there is more here: He died for the sins of the world. It was every man’s sin that caused Him to be crucified. Every sin is an act of rebellion, of simply saying “No!” to God (Ro. 3:23). Therefore, every man is guilty of putting Christ to death. There is a sense in which every sin and every act of rebellion crucifies “the Son of God afresh, and put[s] Him to an open shame” (He. 6:6).
Thought 1. Note a critical point: God
did not give Christ what He asked; that is, God did not remove the cup. Christ
had to drink the cup, but God did answer His prayer. God relieved the agony and
strengthened Him to bear the cup. God kept Him from failing.
The Lesson
is Clear: God sometimes answers our prayers with “No.” But He strengthens us
and gives us something much better.
Ø
“I
delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart” (Ps. 40:8).
Ø
“I can
of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just;
because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent
me” (Jn. 5:30).
Ø
“Who
gave himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil
world, according to the will of God and our Father” (Ga. 1:4).
Ø
“And
walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an
offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour” (Ep. 5:2).
Ø “Then said, I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of Me,) to do thy will, O God. Above when He said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; then said He, Lo, I come to do Thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that He may establish the second. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.… But this man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God” (He. 10:7–10, 12).[3]
Submitting to the Father’s Will Required Complete Obedience, Courage, Trust,
and Faith in God’s Plans—
Do we Obey and Trust in the Will of God for our Lives?
[1] Dore, Gustav. 2007. Dore’s
Woodcuts. WORDsearch.
j Mark 14:32–35; Luke 22:39, 40; John 18:1
k Matt. 4:21; 17:1; Mark 5:37
l John 12:27
m Mark 14:36; Luke 22:42; [Heb. 5:7–9]
n John 12:27
o Matt. 20:22
p Ps. 40:8; Is. 50:5; John 5:30; 6:38; Phil. 2:8
q Mark 13:33; 14:38; Luke 22:40, 46; [Eph. 6:18]
r Ps. 103:14–16; [Rom. 7:15; 8:23; Gal. 5:17]
8 NU if this may
not pass away unless
9 has drawn near
s Matt. 17:22, 23; 20:18, 19
[2] The New King James Version. 1982. Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
[3] Leadership Ministries Worldwide. 1996. Matthew: Chapters 16:13–28:20. Vol. II. The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible. Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide.
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