The Prayer In Gethsemane
Preaching
What Jesus Did:
The Answer To WWJD
The scene in Gethsemane is one of those places that I find extremely significant for my own personal walk with Jesus. There are treasures here we need to explore and understand. This chapter will consider the event from Jesus' perspective. The next chapter will consider it from the disciples' perspective. I watch Jesus struggle more here from his human side than from the divine side. I see many places where I can sympathize, empathize, and relate to what Jesus is going through. Because he went through this, I know he understands my feelings as well.
"He took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be distressed and agitated. And he said to them, 'I am deeply grieved, even to death; remain here, and keep awake' " (Mark 14:33-34 NRSV). Jesus is described as distressed and agitated. The Greek indicates serious emotional turmoil that is manifested in the outer appearance.1 Jesus confirms his inner feelings by what he tells the disciples.
"I am deeply grieved unto death." Jesus was a man who was honest about his feelings. Until recent years, men were supposed to be the epitome of machismo. No crying. No hugging. No shows of emotion. Be the rock and stand your ground. We are transitioning into an age in which men who can honestly express feelings are no longer ostracized. Most of us have a way to go. Not Jesus. Jesus shares his feelings with his disciples. I wonder if their apparent lack of response is a sign of how uncomfortable they are with feelings.
• How well do you express your feelings when you are sad or afraid?
Jesus knew what was coming. He says he is grieved. Jesus was prepared to die, but he did not want to die. He was prepared to die, but he did not want to leave his family, his friends, his disciples, his mission. He may have desired to accomplish more. He may have felt the disciples needed more training. He may have been "despising the shame" of the cross, as the writer of Hebrews describes it. He may have just wanted to live a long life, like the rest of us. He wanted more time.
When we know Jesus in a faith relationship, we are prepared to die. That is the most important question, "If you were to die tonight, are you absolutely sure you would go to heaven?" Jesus was sure. Those who know Jesus have the assurance of faith, but that does not mean we want to die now. We want to live life and enjoy our families, friends, and the pleasures of life. So did Jesus.
• Are you absolutely sure you will go to heaven? If not, turn to the back of the book to find out how you can be sure you will go to heaven.
What do we do when we know death is imminent? Most of us don't think that it will happen to us until we come close to it, or someone close to us comes close to it or in fact dies. Only then do we confront our mortality. What would we do if the doctor said to us, "You don't have long"? We would probably do what Jesus does here. We would pray. I am aware of all the psychological stages people who face death go through -- shock, denial, anger, acceptance. But let's go beyond that and focus on Jesus' prayer as he faces his own imminent death.
• If you had only one more week to live, how would you spend it?
Jesus' prayer is instructive, and I think shows true human feelings. We should always be people of prayer, especially when we find ourselves in extreme circumstances. "And going a little farther, he threw himself on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. He said, 'Abba, Father, for you all things are possible; remove this cup from me; yet, not what I want, but what you want' " (Mark 14:35-36 NRSV).
"Abba, Father." Notice how Jesus addresses God. That is also how we are to address and talk to God. He is our heavenly Daddy. He is not aloof from the world and its people. He is not a whimsical God like we may find in mythology. He is our heavenly Daddy who loves us and cares deeply about us. We are God's children. We have been invited to come before his throne and make our prayers heard. God wants us to draw near to him and talk to him. Talk to God.
• Are you comfortable calling God "Daddy"?
"For you, all things are possible." We need to affirm the power of God in our situation. No situation is hopeless if God is with us. How many other hopeless situations have we seen in the history of God's people? Abraham at age 100 and Sarah at 90 having a son. Joseph in slavery. Moses and the people of Israel trapped at the Red Sea. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego as they face the fiery furnace. Daniel as he faces the lion's den. All of these and many more were delivered when they called upon God. All things are possible with God. Every disease can be healed. Every problem can be solved. God is in control and God is able.
• If you could have one "impossible" thing granted right now, what would it be?
Jesus prayed that the hour might pass from him. Isn't that what you would pray? It would be my number one request. Jesus asked straight out for what he really wanted. So should we. That is not sin. It is not cowardly or wimpy to ask to be delivered from a serious situation. Combine this with the previous point: God is the only one who can deliver Jesus from this hour, so Jesus goes to God in prayer and asks exactly for that to happen. When hours of trial, tribulation, heartache, pain, or death come upon us, what do we do? Whom do we turn to? Who is able to deliver? Ask. It never hurts to ask. God may say, "Yes."
• How often has God said, "Yes," to your prayers? Tell about one instance.
"Not my will but your will be done." Here is the most important line of this prayer. Jesus to this point has followed his own teaching on prayer.2 Did you notice? Our Father who is in heaven: Abba Father. Your kingdom come; your will be done: Not my will. That is where we mess up, "my will." We think we are so smart, so sophisticated, so in tune, so wise, so powerful, so good. "God, I've thought it through and here is what I want you to do." Too many people treat God more like the genie of the lamp than the King of the Universe.
The hardest lesson of becoming a mature Christian is to learn to get my will in line with God's will. My will does not have priority. God's will is the one that must have priority. I'm not saying that God doesn't care about our feelings. I'm sure God cared deeply about what Jesus was going through, but the kingdom of God is more important than our individual personal preferences. Maturity as a Christian means I put my desires and wishes on hold and do God's will. My will is to retire early, have a house on the shore, with a sport fisher boat tied at the dock and eight weeks to play with it. So far, God's will is not in line with that wish.
• Where have you found it a challenge to bring your will in line with God's will?
"Your will be done." What is God's will? Read the Bible. Ninety percent of what God wants from us is here in the Bible. It is God's will that you read and thoroughly know your Bible. It is God's will that you have an active and productive prayer life. It is God's will that you tell others about Jesus. It is God's will that you actively participate in the life, work, mission, outreach, and worship of the church. It is God's will that you give generously to the kingdom of God through the church. It is God's will that you love your wife, husband, children, parents, brothers, sisters, and fellow Christians. It is God's will that you live according to the laws of the country and pay your fair taxes. It is God's will that you tell the truth, be honest, honor the Lord's Day, and put God first in your life. It is God's will that we practice sexual purity and keep sex within the bonds of marriage between husband and wife. It isn't that we don't know what God wants. The problem is our personal will gets in the way more often than it should.
Jesus shows us the path of true submission. "Not my will but your will." Jesus' prayer for deliverance was answered, "No." However, his prayer for God's will to be done was answered, "Yes." As long as we are praying for God's will to be done, and we are obedient to God's will, our answer will always be, "Yes." We won't always get our will, but we will always get God's will, if we are willing to be obedient. Jesus was willing to be obedient and demonstrated his obedience. I also notice that Jesus went back three times, praying the same prayer. When God's will is as heavy as this, it can take some time to be fully strengthened by God. Jesus was willing to let himself be strengthened by God. Are we open to God's movement in our lives? Are we willing to keep going back until God has convinced us and strengthened us?
The challenge is this: If God chooses not to deliver us, will we still do his will? If the cancer, heart disease, chronic fatigue, or whatever is not healed, will we still serve and love God? If the relationship is not healed or we don't get that job, will we still serve and love God? If that problem or trial or tribulation persists in spite of our prayers, will we still serve and love God? Jesus showed his love for God and for us by dying on the cross. Jesus said, "If anyone would follow me, they must deny themselves (not my will), and take up their cross and follow me (but your will be done)."
• If you don't get a "yes" for your prayer, will you still follow Jesus?
Gethsemane is the place where Jesus learns about unanswered prayer, at least in terms of "my will." He teaches us the lesson about answered prayer, when we are totally committed to doing God's will no matter where it may lead us. We don't need to wait until we are in extreme circumstances. We should begin to cultivate a close prayer relationship with Jesus now. That is God's will for all of us. Take to heart this lesson from Jesus. Pray. Ask. But above all, ask that God's will be done.
WWJD -- Evaluate your walk with Jesus. Is there a place where you should totally commit yourself to God's will? Make an action plan to do God's will.
____________
1.ÊRaymond Brown, The Death of the Messiah (New York: Doubleday, 1993), vol. 1, pp. 154-156.
2.ÊIbid., p. 176.
"He took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be distressed and agitated. And he said to them, 'I am deeply grieved, even to death; remain here, and keep awake' " (Mark 14:33-34 NRSV). Jesus is described as distressed and agitated. The Greek indicates serious emotional turmoil that is manifested in the outer appearance.1 Jesus confirms his inner feelings by what he tells the disciples.
"I am deeply grieved unto death." Jesus was a man who was honest about his feelings. Until recent years, men were supposed to be the epitome of machismo. No crying. No hugging. No shows of emotion. Be the rock and stand your ground. We are transitioning into an age in which men who can honestly express feelings are no longer ostracized. Most of us have a way to go. Not Jesus. Jesus shares his feelings with his disciples. I wonder if their apparent lack of response is a sign of how uncomfortable they are with feelings.
• How well do you express your feelings when you are sad or afraid?
Jesus knew what was coming. He says he is grieved. Jesus was prepared to die, but he did not want to die. He was prepared to die, but he did not want to leave his family, his friends, his disciples, his mission. He may have desired to accomplish more. He may have felt the disciples needed more training. He may have been "despising the shame" of the cross, as the writer of Hebrews describes it. He may have just wanted to live a long life, like the rest of us. He wanted more time.
When we know Jesus in a faith relationship, we are prepared to die. That is the most important question, "If you were to die tonight, are you absolutely sure you would go to heaven?" Jesus was sure. Those who know Jesus have the assurance of faith, but that does not mean we want to die now. We want to live life and enjoy our families, friends, and the pleasures of life. So did Jesus.
• Are you absolutely sure you will go to heaven? If not, turn to the back of the book to find out how you can be sure you will go to heaven.
What do we do when we know death is imminent? Most of us don't think that it will happen to us until we come close to it, or someone close to us comes close to it or in fact dies. Only then do we confront our mortality. What would we do if the doctor said to us, "You don't have long"? We would probably do what Jesus does here. We would pray. I am aware of all the psychological stages people who face death go through -- shock, denial, anger, acceptance. But let's go beyond that and focus on Jesus' prayer as he faces his own imminent death.
• If you had only one more week to live, how would you spend it?
Jesus' prayer is instructive, and I think shows true human feelings. We should always be people of prayer, especially when we find ourselves in extreme circumstances. "And going a little farther, he threw himself on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. He said, 'Abba, Father, for you all things are possible; remove this cup from me; yet, not what I want, but what you want' " (Mark 14:35-36 NRSV).
"Abba, Father." Notice how Jesus addresses God. That is also how we are to address and talk to God. He is our heavenly Daddy. He is not aloof from the world and its people. He is not a whimsical God like we may find in mythology. He is our heavenly Daddy who loves us and cares deeply about us. We are God's children. We have been invited to come before his throne and make our prayers heard. God wants us to draw near to him and talk to him. Talk to God.
• Are you comfortable calling God "Daddy"?
"For you, all things are possible." We need to affirm the power of God in our situation. No situation is hopeless if God is with us. How many other hopeless situations have we seen in the history of God's people? Abraham at age 100 and Sarah at 90 having a son. Joseph in slavery. Moses and the people of Israel trapped at the Red Sea. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego as they face the fiery furnace. Daniel as he faces the lion's den. All of these and many more were delivered when they called upon God. All things are possible with God. Every disease can be healed. Every problem can be solved. God is in control and God is able.
• If you could have one "impossible" thing granted right now, what would it be?
Jesus prayed that the hour might pass from him. Isn't that what you would pray? It would be my number one request. Jesus asked straight out for what he really wanted. So should we. That is not sin. It is not cowardly or wimpy to ask to be delivered from a serious situation. Combine this with the previous point: God is the only one who can deliver Jesus from this hour, so Jesus goes to God in prayer and asks exactly for that to happen. When hours of trial, tribulation, heartache, pain, or death come upon us, what do we do? Whom do we turn to? Who is able to deliver? Ask. It never hurts to ask. God may say, "Yes."
• How often has God said, "Yes," to your prayers? Tell about one instance.
"Not my will but your will be done." Here is the most important line of this prayer. Jesus to this point has followed his own teaching on prayer.2 Did you notice? Our Father who is in heaven: Abba Father. Your kingdom come; your will be done: Not my will. That is where we mess up, "my will." We think we are so smart, so sophisticated, so in tune, so wise, so powerful, so good. "God, I've thought it through and here is what I want you to do." Too many people treat God more like the genie of the lamp than the King of the Universe.
The hardest lesson of becoming a mature Christian is to learn to get my will in line with God's will. My will does not have priority. God's will is the one that must have priority. I'm not saying that God doesn't care about our feelings. I'm sure God cared deeply about what Jesus was going through, but the kingdom of God is more important than our individual personal preferences. Maturity as a Christian means I put my desires and wishes on hold and do God's will. My will is to retire early, have a house on the shore, with a sport fisher boat tied at the dock and eight weeks to play with it. So far, God's will is not in line with that wish.
• Where have you found it a challenge to bring your will in line with God's will?
"Your will be done." What is God's will? Read the Bible. Ninety percent of what God wants from us is here in the Bible. It is God's will that you read and thoroughly know your Bible. It is God's will that you have an active and productive prayer life. It is God's will that you tell others about Jesus. It is God's will that you actively participate in the life, work, mission, outreach, and worship of the church. It is God's will that you give generously to the kingdom of God through the church. It is God's will that you love your wife, husband, children, parents, brothers, sisters, and fellow Christians. It is God's will that you live according to the laws of the country and pay your fair taxes. It is God's will that you tell the truth, be honest, honor the Lord's Day, and put God first in your life. It is God's will that we practice sexual purity and keep sex within the bonds of marriage between husband and wife. It isn't that we don't know what God wants. The problem is our personal will gets in the way more often than it should.
Jesus shows us the path of true submission. "Not my will but your will." Jesus' prayer for deliverance was answered, "No." However, his prayer for God's will to be done was answered, "Yes." As long as we are praying for God's will to be done, and we are obedient to God's will, our answer will always be, "Yes." We won't always get our will, but we will always get God's will, if we are willing to be obedient. Jesus was willing to be obedient and demonstrated his obedience. I also notice that Jesus went back three times, praying the same prayer. When God's will is as heavy as this, it can take some time to be fully strengthened by God. Jesus was willing to let himself be strengthened by God. Are we open to God's movement in our lives? Are we willing to keep going back until God has convinced us and strengthened us?
The challenge is this: If God chooses not to deliver us, will we still do his will? If the cancer, heart disease, chronic fatigue, or whatever is not healed, will we still serve and love God? If the relationship is not healed or we don't get that job, will we still serve and love God? If that problem or trial or tribulation persists in spite of our prayers, will we still serve and love God? Jesus showed his love for God and for us by dying on the cross. Jesus said, "If anyone would follow me, they must deny themselves (not my will), and take up their cross and follow me (but your will be done)."
• If you don't get a "yes" for your prayer, will you still follow Jesus?
Gethsemane is the place where Jesus learns about unanswered prayer, at least in terms of "my will." He teaches us the lesson about answered prayer, when we are totally committed to doing God's will no matter where it may lead us. We don't need to wait until we are in extreme circumstances. We should begin to cultivate a close prayer relationship with Jesus now. That is God's will for all of us. Take to heart this lesson from Jesus. Pray. Ask. But above all, ask that God's will be done.
WWJD -- Evaluate your walk with Jesus. Is there a place where you should totally commit yourself to God's will? Make an action plan to do God's will.
____________
1.ÊRaymond Brown, The Death of the Messiah (New York: Doubleday, 1993), vol. 1, pp. 154-156.
2.ÊIbid., p. 176.
