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TODAY'S TEACHING
Today we see significant events leading up to the Last Supper, where Jesus prepares His disciples for His imminent, yet prophesied DEATH, that will ultimately give them LIFE.
Jesus warned a traitor was in the midst
Jesus and His disciples had celebrated the Passover meal where Jesus 1) warned that a traitor was in their midst and
Jesus said the Passover Pointed to Him!
2) Jesus showed that the Passover was really about HIM.
The true Passover Lamb - the one John the Baptist called, “The Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world”, the one Paul calls “Christ/Messiah, our Passover Lamb.” (1 Cor 5:7).
Jesus, our Passover Lamb, is about to take His last steps on the Mount of Olives before being arrested & led back into Jerusalem.
The disciples likely think they will eventually make their way back to Bethany for the evening, as they had done every other day. But…that’s not the plan this evening, and what is about to happen is going to change the course of their lives forever.
This night was supposed to be a celebration, but nosedived from celebration to despair. And it’s going to get worse.
The disciples were likely still staggering from Jesus saying that one of them would betray Him. And now while they are walking to the Mount of Olives, Jesus shares another ominous prediction…about THEM!
Jesus offers 3 predictions of what was coming:
- Matthew notes Jesus predicted his arrest, crucifixion and death - for the 4th time (Mt 16:21; 17:22-23; 20:17-19; 26:2). The first 3 times His prediction included his resurrection.
- All his disciples will fall away - they will leave the Shepherd to fend for Himself.
- Despite the disciples falling away, the fearful disciples would be reunited with the Risen Shepherd.
Commentators debate whether this means a real rooster crowing OR if it’s a phrase referring to different night watches. Ultimately Jesus says Peter will deny Him 3 times before dawn.
All the other disciples are convinced they would be faithful, no matter what, but of course, they would not. AFTER the resurrection of Jesus, these disciples did NOT desert Him again.
Gethsemane is a place name derived from the Aramaic word "Gat Shemanim," meaning "oil press." It sits at the foot of the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem, just beyond the Kidron Valley. Gethsemane is just a few minutes walk to the walls of Jerusalem. It’s not like Jesus was trying to hide or get away. He is just a few minutes walk from Jerusalem. Olive trees were grown here, and olives were pressed to make olive oil. This pressing is a vivid metaphor to what Jesus went through that evening.
People who don’t understand the concept of TRINITY - One GOD in 3 Persons - might use a text like this to stump you.
God is not ONE PERSON playing different roles: Jesus is NOT the Father. The Father is not the Spirit.
- The Father is God. The Son is God. The Spirit is God. ONE GOD in 3 Persons. Jesus, God the Son - is praying to God the Father. We will even see this in the text (v 39).
Jesus is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Jesus is wrestling with what is coming. Jesus was truly struggling, asking His friends to pray with him and keep watch, and it’s then that we hear Jesus offer The Most Powerful Prayer I know of in all of Scripture.
Jews usually prayed standing and with uplifted hands. To pray while laying on the ground demonstrated extreme urgency. But it is during this Most Powerful Prayer that we also see extreme intimacy. Jesus prayed, “My Father.” Mark’s gospel (Mk 14:36) notes that Jesus used the word Abba, the Aramaic intimate term for father (“Dad” or “Papa”)— a word children would use of their father, but a word never used by Jews addressing God - thinking this to be disrespectful.
This cup is imagery used in the Old Testament referring to God’s wrath being poured out to punish those who defy Him.
God had poured out his wrath on enemies.
Yahweh had even poured out His wrath on His disobedient people of Israel.
But this cup was about to be poured out on One who didn’t deserve, fulfilling a 700 year old prophecy.
God in skin was about to be beaten, made fun of, & spit upon by His own creation. And within a few short hours, God the Father would lay on him, the iniquity of us all: OUR SIN. He would bear OUR suffering. And as THAT hour drew ever closer, the God-Man was distressed, even asking if there was another way, that this cup would be taken from Him.
Without Gethsemane, there would have been no Golgotha…and without Golgotha - where Jesus died on the cross…every person still stained by our sins. But it’s at Gethsemane that Jesus offers The Most Powerful Prayer.
Jesus is ASKING Abba, Father to take away the cup of suffering…but He won’t turn and run if the answer is NO. God the Son TRUSTS God the Father. When His human will & the Father’s eternal will are about to collide, Jesus chooses to YIELD.
And He offers The Most Powerful Prayer…to paraphrase
The Most Powerful Prayer: YOUR Will Above Mine
Have you ever been in a situation where you need a friend…but they don’t feel the weight that you feel - and you feel alone?
Jesus KNOWS what that feels like too. May WE be better friends and help carry one another’s burdens (Gal 6:2), but may we also know that the Lord Jesus KNOWS, understands, & helps us carry the burden.
What WAS that same thing Jesus prayed? It was the most powerful prayer ever prayed…YOUR Will above Mine.
Dr. Luke writes that an angel appeared from heaven to strengthen Him (Lk 22:43). Further, Jesus “prayed more earnestly” and “in anguish”, and “his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.” (Lk 22:44). Jesus would not have been smiling, He is sweating profusely and scared about what He was about to suffer. Yet still, He prays, “Your will above mine.”
Does this sound like Jesus is RUNNING FROM what is coming? NOPE. If He were, Jesus could have put a lot more distance between him and his enemies than a 15 minute walk. Jesus’ will is aligned with the Father’s will.
Jesus is going to LIVE out what His LIPS cried out "Your Will Above Mine!"
What’s all this mean for YOU and ME?
You have a KING who STRUGGLED & SUFFERED for YOU! Not just physically, but emotionally & spiritually - Jesus did all this, to honor the Father’s will & to forgive your sin! You are LOVED!!!
- Do you really FOLLOW Jesus? Do you really APPRECIATE what He has done for you? Will you dare to offer The Most Powerful Prayer? YOUR Will above Mine!
We too will be faced with times that we cry to God for help. In those moments, will WE dare offer The Most Powerful Prayer?
YOUR Will above Mine! When we don’t get what we want, what we ask for, do we get angry or do we cry out: "YOUR Will above Mine!
- Joni Eareckson Tada writes “He has chosen not to heal me, but to hold me. The more intense the pain, the closer His embrace.”
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Take some time to discuss these questions with your family, friends, or group.
- Without Gethsemane, there would have been no Golgotha…and without Golgotha (where Jesus died on the cross)…every person is still stained by our sins. How did today’s study help you see/appreciate the significance of what happened in Gethsemane?
- Read Matthew 26:31-38. Why do you think Jesus felt such overwhelming sorrow to the point of death? How does this reflect His humanity & the significance of what Jesus was about to go through?
- Read Matthew 26:39, Ps 75:8, & Is 51:22, & Is 53:4-6. What does the "cup" symbolize in the Old Testament, and how does it apply to Jesus in this passage? How does understanding the concept of God’s wrath being poured out on Jesus affect your view of His sacrifice? Point out what this suffering servant (Is 53:4-6) would do for others.
- Why is the prayer, "Your will be done," considered the most powerful prayer according to this teaching? How can we apply this prayer in our own lives? Have you ever faced a situation where you had to choose between your will and God's will? How did you respond?
- Read Matthew 26:40-46. Why do you think Jesus kept coming back to check on the disciples and how did their falling asleep impact Him? Share about a time when YOU felt alone, like others wouldn’t help you bear the burden you carried. Have YOU ever failed to help the burden of a brother or sister? Read Gal 6:2. How can we better carry one another’s burdens and why is this so important?
- How does the fact that Jesus didn’t run from what was coming, but instead embraced the Father’s will, challenge your own approach to difficult situations?
- What stood out to you most from this teaching, and why?
- How can you make "Your will above mine" a daily practice in your prayer life? How can this teaching help you support and encourage others who are going through difficult times?
- How can we pray for/care for one another this week? (Pray for one another.)
