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JESUS' GETHSEMANE PRAYER

"Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done."

Today's passage is about Jesus’ prayer at the Mount of Gethsemane (39-46), his arrest (47-53), and Peter’s denial of Jesus (54-62). The centerpiece of this passage is Jesus’ prayer. From verses 39-46 more than 20 lessons about prayer can be extracted. Every single verse contains beautiful and wonderful Jesus. This passage shows not only the person of Jesus Christ but the practical lessons for our important decision making and resolutions. Today, let’s see what Jesus’ Gethsemane prayer means to us.

First, Jesus prays before the cup of suffering. (39-46)
Look at verse 39. "Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him." The phrase, "went out as usual," tells us that he prayed regularly. (Lk 21:37) Jesus is the Son of God, yet he prayed regularly. Jesus prayed very early in the morning. (Mk 1:35) Jesus prayed all night before choosing the Twelve. (Lk 6:12) Frequently, Jesus withdrew from people and engaged in prayer. (Jn 6:15) These were his habits. Such regular prayers make people hopeful and powerful. Satan fears such praying people.
 
Jesus said to his disciples, "Pray that you will not fall into temptation." (40) Jesus here defined prayer as the primary weapon to overcome temptations. Soon Jesus would be arrested. The disciples would all be confused, frightened, and scattered. Jesus wanted his disciples to be prepared for these fearful moments through prayer. What do you do when you face very challenging moments? Jesus withdrew about a stone's throw beyond the disciples, knelt down, and prayed. (41) Here, Jesus teaches us how to pray. We pray in the most humble form. We kneel down before God. We surrender and honor God. It is not right to appear in casual and disrespectful manners before God. God honors those who honor him. We all need to appear before the Almighty God in the right spirit and posture. 

Look at verse 42: "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done." Jesus' prayer was very short. In the Bible “cup” refers to both joyful (i.e., joy and salvation) and painful (i.e., sufferings and God’s wrath) experiences in life. (Ps 23:5, 116:13; Isa 51:17, Eze 23:33) This “cup" referred to the cup of suffering and death. Momentarily Jesus would bear God’s wrath as the Lamb of God on behalf of our sins. (Jn 1:29) The physical pain would be great on the cross. The ridicules and humiliations would be unbearable. All the people, including his disciples would forsake him. It is the moment when God abandoned him as Jesus takes the sin of the world on his shoulder. His soul was overwhelmed with sorrows to the point of death. In his true humanity, he did not want to take the cup. So Jesus prayed that the Father might take that cup from him.

Look at verse 42 again: "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done." Jesus had repeatedly said, "The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life." (Lk 9:22) Jesus knew that he was the Chosen One, the Suffering Servant prophesied in Isaiah. (Lk 9:35; Isa 53:5) Jesus knew that he had to be the Lamb of God for the sin of the world. (Jn 1:29) Jesus’ struggle was to accept God’s will and what he must do. God’s will is about the inevitable. Jesus said, "...yet not my will, but yours be done." Jesus was not using his freedom to please himself but to please God. Verse 44 says, "And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground." Prayer is labor—hard work. Sweat and drops of blood were falling to the ground.

When Jesus rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. Like Jesus they knew that it was becoming real. Their hearts were filled with sorrow. They cried until they were exhausted and fell asleep. What did Jesus do for them? Look at verse 46: "'Why are you sleeping?' he asked them. 'Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.'" Jesus urged his disciples to pray so that they would not fall but stand firm. Jesus’ disciples simply were unable to follow through on Jesus’ instruction at this time.

Now let’s consider practical lessons from Jesus’ Gethsemane prayer. First, consider Jesus who says, “Pray so that you may not fall into temptation.” Pray. Temptations are quite common for us. Are you O.K.? Then, pray. Are you not O.K.? So pray. This is Jesus’ command to us. Second, our pray focuses on our real desire. Jesus asked God to take the cup from him. Through our prayer we must clarify and reveal our real desire. We want comfort from this world. Our real desire is to avoid painful moments. Third, pray for accepting God’s will. Jesus prayed, “Father, not my will but your will be done.” God’s will is to save us through Jesus Christ. (Jn 6:39) God’s will is to mold us to love God in all things. God’s will is to work out all things for our good. (Ro 8:28) This is theologically true. Practically, God’s will is being displayed in the form of the inevitable that comes ahead of us. Events unfold before us that are not within our control. No matter what we do, some events occur. This is inevitable. Accept such inevitable things and face them with strength in the process of accepting God’s will.

What are some such inevitable things? As the Son of Man, Jesus’ great teachings and miracles might have been enough. As the Savior of the world he had to die on the cross. In a sense this is what it means to grow up. A woman that expects to be a mother needs to grow up. To grow up is to bear the inevitable challenges. A leader of a hundred people has their share of small burdens. If this leader dares to lead tens of thousands then the burdens become greater. Greater sacrifices are needed for greater leadership! Any Christian leader accepts inevitable aspects in his/her life: (1) trials and temptations; (2) good and difficult people; (3) greater responsibilities.

What does it mean to accept God’s will? The cross is not the end. The end is God’s will. At the end of all, there is God. This God works for our good. This God never fails. So by prayer we see God beyond our worst fears. This is what prayer is about. Because God is there even when what we feared most is realized, we may face anything. This is the essence of Jesus’ Gethsemane prayer. In his prayer he faced the prospect of his death on the cross. Then, he saw God beyond this death on the cross. Through his prayer, Jesus accepted the inevitable not in the form of helpless resignation but willing resolve trusting God’s good and perfect will.

Second, Jesus was arrested. (47-53)
Jesus was prepared to face the battles ahead. After prayer, Jesus looked like a triumphant general. While he was still speaking, a crowd came up; and Judas, one of the Twelve, was leading them. The chief priests, the officers of the temple guard, and the elders came to arrest Jesus. (52) Judas Iscariot, approached Jesus and kissed him as a signal to those he had brought. This is what is called “a Judas kiss”. A kiss is a sign of affection. Judas used his kiss for the sign of attack in disguise of affection.  Here, the point is not about Judas’ betrayal. Rather, it is about Jesus who faced Judas’ betrayal with the grace of God. There was no hint of disappointment, shock, or anger. Jesus faced Judas’ betrayal because he was now prepared to face the worst.

What did Jesus say to him? Look at verse 48: "Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?" Jesus plainly spoke to Judas. Jesus knew from the very beginning that Judas would betray him. (Jn 6:64) Jesus knew about Judas’ secret attempt to hand him over to his enemies. Judas betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. But in fact, he betrayed himself. Out of anger, one of the disciples struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear. (49-50) It was Peter who cut off the ear of Malchus, the high priest's servant according to John 18:1.

Jesus faced his death on the cross─the worst that was ahead. When we face the worst that lies ahead, then, the lesser of pains in this life are manageable. Judas’ betrayal did not break him. It was a little disappointment. Life’s pressures and burdens are bearable as we recognize that they are the lesser of the greater burdens that may be coming. Jesus said, "No more of this!" Jesus told Peter to resist no more. Jesus touched the man's ear and healed him. Jesus asked the crowd a simple question, saying, "Am I leading a rebellion that you have come with swords and clubs? Every day I was with you in the temple courts, and you did not lay a hand on me. But this is your hour—when darkness reigns." Jesus was ready to face them all—in peace.

Third, Peter denies Jesus three times. (54-62)
Peter loved Jesus. So while all other disciples ran away, Peter still followed at a distance. (54) Peter, exhausted, sat near the firelight in great fear. He crept near the blaze of the fire. In the firelight, a servant girl saw him seated there. She said, "’This man was with him.’ "But he denied it, 'Woman, I don't know him,' he said. A little later someone else saw him and said, 'You also are one of them.' 'Man, I am not!' Peter replied. About an hour later another asserted, 'Certainly this fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean.' Peter replied, ‘Man, I don't know what you're talking about!’ Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed.” It is worthy to consider the reasons for Peter’s failure. Peter failed because he loved Jesus.

Peter’s failures suggest that we may fail because we dare to love Jesus. We may fail because we dare with our own strength to do what is right . What does this say? We are not as strong as we think. One Christian leader was prepared to die for suffering people in North Korea. So he boldly entered North Korea without a visa. He had a letter of protest ready to deliver to the dictator. He was arrested and tortured in ways he was not prepared to endure. He was not ready to bear the shame, humiliation, and steady destruction of his character and dignity. When he was released, he had to be immediately admitted to a mental hospital. He was broken—in his will and spirit. He was shattered. This is what happens as we face situations based on a false sense of confidence. Too often we are not ready to face the truth about ourselves. We are not ready to face even the first chapter of our worst fears. Being unprepared and unresolved, we end up with total humiliation. However, in the right time this Christian with proper perspective may come out as a stronger and deeper person than before. This is what the grace of God does for the wounded souls who experience failures in the course of following our Lord and dare to do what is right.
 
Why is denying Jesus so serious? Peter lied. He became a liar—three times. Can a liar preach the truth? Can a liar do anything credible? Jesus said, “If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels.” (Mk 9:38) Denial of Jesus is about denial of Jesus’ glory and honor. Verse 61a says, "The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter." When Jesus looked at him, he looked at him with the hope of God. At that moment Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: "Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times." Peter went outside and wept bitterly. This time of tearful sorrow was the moment that Peter opened his spiritual eyes to see the love of God.

All the four gospels record Peter’s denials. Probably, all these authors (i.e., Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) might have asked Peter, “Peter, is it O.K. to record your denials in detail? In doing so, all people will read the story. Preachers will preach about it for ages. You will be known for your failures. Is it O.K.?” Peter might have said, “Sure, you must. I am a greater sinner saved by the grace of Jesus. If the story of my failures reveals the love of God, then it is my honor and glory.” Peter was not ashamed of his failures because he faced them by faith. He truly repented before God. So it was O.K.
What lessons do we learn from Jesus’ prayer in Gethsemane? He is the Son of God. Yet he teaches the truth that can spare us in trials. First, pray and prepare the moment of Gethsemane. Learn to pray in ordinary times so that we may pray in the critical moments. Second, involve a few others in our moment of real struggles. Do not reveal the nature of your struggles to everyone. Let a few know about the reasons for your agonies. Third, speak to God what is in your mind. Reveal your real motivation. Face what you really want. Present your request—anything. Be honest. Then, we come to know what we fear most. Fourth, accept God’s will. We accept God’s will as we accept the prospect of the worst. Yet, the worst is never the end. There is God at the end. Where there is God, there is his goodness and love. Goodness and love always follow even in our worst moments. This is possible only through Christ Jesus. This is real only through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. These are lessons from Jesus’ Gethsemane prayer. To pray is to prepare. To prepare is to face our worst fear and accept God’s will beyond it. Real prayer therefore starts with God, calling him “Father” and end with God—his will. Then, we can face anything that is ahead of us—even the inevitable—with hope and resolve.

March 21, 2010; Dr. Paul Hong; Toledo, UBF

Essential lessons of prayer in Luke 22:39-46

#	Verse	Lessons on prayer
01	39	Regular time of prayer
02		Regular place of prayer
03		Regular companions of prayer
04	40	Jesus’ command to pray
05		Prayer as a weapon against temptations
06		Prayer as preparation to face temptations
07		Involvement of others in important prayers.
08	41	Need for withdrawal for prayer
09		Humble posture in prayer
10		Godly attitude of prayer
11	42	Prayer to the loving Father
12		Honest confession of our desires/needs
13		Seeking submission to God’s will
14	43	God’s support in our prayer
15		God’s encouragement to complete our prayer
16	44	Anguish in prayer
17		Intense struggles in prayer
18		The hard labor in prayer
19	45	Interaction in between prayer
20		Reasons for failing in prayer
21	46	Jesus’ comment on his disciples’ failure
22		Jesus’ command to pray

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION ®. NIV®;. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society.
Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.