A Conflicted Prayer. Mark 14:32-36.
And they went to a place called Gethsemane. And he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray. “And he took with him Peter and James and John and began to be greatly distressed and troubled. And he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Remain here and watch. “And going a little farther, he fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. And he said, “Abba Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will but what you will.”
Dear Ambassadors of the King of Kings,
This account is intriguing because, from the beginning, Jesus was destined for the cross. Now, at the eleventh hour, he seems to be wishing otherwise in his prayer to the Father.
Distress (v. 32-34). The magnitude of what was about to happen was weighing heavily on Jesus. He went with his disciples to the garden of Gethsemane and selected his closest disciples, Peter, James, and John, to be with him while he prayed. In his distress, Jesus turned to the Father in prayer. Where one turns to in times of distress indicates where one’s heart truly is.
Desire (v. 35-36a). The cup represented the wrath of God which was poured out on the disobedient (see Isaiah 51:17). Jesus’ mission was to take the place of sinful humanity and be the one to drink from the cup of wrath. Jesus is not abandoning his mission but is demonstrating to all that there was no other way to save humanity. Jesus did not go to the cross rejoicing, but sorrowfully. If there was another way, this was the time for the Father to find it and rescue the Son from the impending agony.
Deference (v. 36b). Jesus yielded to the will of the Father, not because he was compelled to, but because he desired to fulfill the divine plan of salvation. He did not yield because he liked it but because it was necessary. When we see the agony of Jesus even before he went to the cross, we ought to understand that death was not the only trial. The weight of the sin of the whole world was going to rest on him “who knew no sin so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). It was a costly sacrifice that Jesus made when he went to the cross for us. It would be such a tragic waste for anyone to destruction when the way of salvation is available to us for free. Have you availed yourself of it by yielding your life to Jesus?
Your Loving Pastor Chris.