He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled.
Then he said to them, "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me."
Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will."
Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?" he asked Peter.
"Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."
He went away a second time and prayed, "My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done."
When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy.
So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing.
Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour is near, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.
Rise, let us go! Here comes my betrayer!" Matthew 26:36-46
Questions:
- Why did Jesus go to the garden?
- What did Jesus want Peter, James and John to do with Him in the garden?
- Did Jesus want to suffer and die?
- Although He didn't desire to go through the agony He knew was waiting for Him, what did He say to God?
- How can we apply the prayer, "Yet not as I will but as You will" to our lives?
- What was the trouble with the disciples?
- What can we learn from them about the difficulties of prayer?
Thoughts:
I am so thankful that the Bible shows us Jesus' humanness. He didn't want to die. He knew that it was the Father's plan, but the humanity in Him did not want to suffer and be crucified. He did not want to become sin and be poured out as a drink offering for us. Yet, even greater than His desire to avoid the horrible suffering, was His desire to obey the Father and bring God glory. So, in agony, sweating drops of blood (Luke 22:44), He prayed one of the most important prayers recorded: "Yet not as I will but as You will." Like Jesus, there will be times in our lives when we want something desperately. Jesus shows us that it is okay to pray for these things. But, in the end, our final prayer needs to be: "Yet not as I will but as You will, Lord God."
Prayer:
Lord God, we thank You for Jesus. We thank You for His humanity. We thank You, even more, for His willingness to suffer and die for each of us. May we desire, more than anything, that Your will, Your plan, Your desire, be done in our lives. Thank You Lord God.
Song: Take My Life and Let It Be
Take my life and let it be
consecrated, Lord, to Thee.
Take my moments and my days,
let them flow in ceaseless praise.
Take my hands and let them move
at the impulse of Thy love.
Take my feet and let them be
swift and beautiful for Thee.
Take my voice and let me sing
always, only for my King.
Take my lips and let them be
filled with messages from Thee.
Take my silver and my gold
not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect and use
every power as You choose.
::Chorus::
Here am I, all of me.
Take my life, it's all for Thee.
Take my will and make it Thine
it shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart it is Thine own
it shall be Thy royal throne.
Take my love, my Lord I pour
at Your feet its treasure store
Take myself and I will be
ever, only, all for Thee.
Take myself and I will be
ever, only, all for Thee.
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