Luke 22:39-46
39 And He came out and went, as was His habit, to the Mount of Olives; and the disciples also followed Him.
40 Now when He arrived at the place, He said to them, “Pray that you do not come into temptation.”
41 And He withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and began to pray,
42 saying, “Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.”
43 [Now an angel from heaven appeared to Him, strengthening Him.
44 And being in agony, He was praying very fervently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground].
45 When He rose from prayer, He came to the disciples and found them sleeping from sorrow,
46 and He said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you do not come into temptation.”
The Prayer in Gethsemane
The cup of wrath
Luke does not mention that this place was “the Garden of Gethsemane,” nor does he record that Jesus brought Peter, James, and John near to Him. Also, Jesus’ three prayers are condensed into one. However, there is a description found only in Luke: “And being in agony, He was praying very fervently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground.” Why did Jesus suffer so intensely? The reason was not so much physical as it was spiritual. Jesus was about to be separated from God the Father (ref. Mark 15:34) and to be counted among sinners (ref. 2 Cor. 5:21). The prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane is of great importance. Here, Jesus prayed, “Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.” Here, Jesus did not yet drink the “cup of wrath,” but He made the decision to drink it. The Garden of Gethsemane was the true battlefield where the real struggle took place. Victory was secured when Jesus chose the will of God the Father over His own safety. Let us look back on our own battles. Have we not always failed when we placed our own will above the will of God the Father? Let us now worship the Lord Jesus, who prayed for us in agony, sweating drops of blood, and pray that the will of God be done.
To not fall into temptation
Jesus said to the disciples twice, “Pray that you do not come into temptation.” Here lies Luke’s point of emphasis. The disciples were insensitive to the agony that Jesus was experiencing. They forgot to pray with Him and for Him, and they fell asleep. They failed in their first test. However, an even greater trial was about to come upon them. Jesus warned them, saying, “Pray earnestly so that you will not fail the next time.” Are you feeling down because you are dwelling on your past failures? Look up to the cross of Jesus. And listen to His voice saying, “Pray earnestly so that you will not fail the next time.”
Today's prayer
Father God of Jesus Christ, I thank You that Jesus willingly became the sacrificial offering. Please help me so that the prayer, “Yet not My will, but Yours be done,” may become my own prayer. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.