Jesus ate supper with His twelve disciples… one left to complete his betrayal of Jesus to the religious authorities. (Matthew 26:14-16 – Judas Iscariot’s betrayal began)
When Judas Iscariot left, Jesus taught intimate and deep things of God to the remaining eleven men. Then Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane with those same men.
Jesus told those men to sit at a specific place while He went over in another area to pray, taking Peter, James and John (the sons of Zebedee) with Him. (Matthew 26:36-37)
Jesus told those three men, “My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch with Me.” (Matthew 26:38)
Because Jesus was forthright and honest… we also are to be forthright and honest as we pray… Jesus understands your grief and your distress… He has been there.
(NASB) Matthew 26:39 “And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, ‘My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.’”
Did you notice? Jesus did not stand and pray, He did not sit and pray, He did not kneel and pray… He was on His face before His Father. His prayer was gut-wrenching agony! “…if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me…”
Have you ever prayed like that and with those words? Honesty demands we tell the Father what He already knows! We cannot hide anything from Him. We need to yield to His will!
Then Jesus got up and went to the three sleeping disciples… how disappointing… not to have others praying in His great time of distress… when you know of another who is grieving and in distress, are you keeping alert to pray for them? (Matthew 26:40-41)
(NASB) Matthew 26:42 “He went away again a second time and prayed, saying, ‘My Father, if this cannot pass away unless I drink it, Your will be done.’” Are you accepting God’s will?
Jesus, knowing that this was the hour for which He had been born, yielded completely to His Father’s will… to suffer and be separated from His Father (for the first and only time ever – Psalm 22:1; Matthew 27:46) and to die on a cross. He also knew that His resurrection would occur three days later! (Matthew 28:5-6)
Jesus yielded to His Father’s will and that did not mean He escaped dire circumstances; but, by yielding to the will of His Father, He had peace within and faced whatever was awaiting Him. You also can live with God’s peace deep within when you yield to His will for You… no matter what circumstances awaits you.
Jesus acknowledged that His hour had come after praying the third time… He awoke His sleeping disciples:
(NASB) Matthew 26:45 “…‘Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is at hand and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.”
Jesus’ hour had come, the one for which He had been born… for you!
~ Take it to heart ~
(NASB) John 3:16 “For God so loved the world (that’s you), that He gave His only begotten Son (that is Jesus), that whoever (that’s you) believes in Him (do you believe in Jesus?) shall not perish (that is wonderful News!), but have eternal life (Hallelujah!).”
Have you prayed, yielding to God the Father’s will for you through faith in His only begotten Son, Jesus?