Gospel Reading Plan: John 3-4
Jesus prayer in Gethsemane
Read: Luke 22:39-46; Mark 14:32-42; Matt. 26:36-46
The prayer Jesus prayed in Gethsemane is much different from the majestic
high priestly prayer we looked at yesterday in which Jesus prayed in calmness
and perfect poise. In Gethsemane, His
prayer feels more like a storm, it feels like anguish, gloom, darkness and
terror. Isn’t it reassuring to know that
we don’t have to be perfectly poised in prayer all the time! Think about what Jesus was going
through. The unbearable load of the sin
of the world was going to come upon Him.
This bitter cup was being brought to Him for drinking. His flesh was on the verge of giving out,
fainting, trembling. Gethsemane was
Satan’s hour, Satan’s power, Satan’s darkness.
The conflict for the earth was at its peak. Jesus began to feel deeply distressed and troubled;
He was overwhelmed with sorrow, agony and conflict, to the point of death. His
trusted friends and confidants were asleep; the demands of the Father were
heavy upon Him. His Father’s voice was
silent for alone He must drink the cup, alone He must take God’s fierce wrath
upon Himself. Here we find Christ
praying, “My Father, if it is possible,
may this cup be taken from me. Yet not
as I will, but as You will” (Matt. 26:39, NIV). The pressure was so heavy upon Him, so
intolerable, that He fell prostrate to the ground and prayed, not against God’s
will but in submission to that will.
This is exceptional. Conformity,
to live in simple submission to the Father - that was the life of Christ. He knelt alone in the garden, fell on His
face in agony and dread, cried out for relief and during it all – He submitted
to God. When sorrow is at its heaviest,
when grief is at its deepest, we may pray for hours, however, it must be a
prayer of submission. “Not my will, but Thine be done” (Luke
22:42, KJV).
PRAYER AND MEDITATION
- In what ways can you relate to Jesus anguish in the Garden of Gethsemane?
- What does this passage teach us about submission to God?
- Ask the Lord to show you an area of your life where He is calling you to submit to a higher standard.
- Thank Him for the privilege of giving up our lives, for the honor of submitting to Him.
