“He went a little farther on, threw Himself face downward on the ground, and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, take this cup of suffering from Me! Yet not what I want, but what You want." (Matthew 26:39)
This is the description of Jesus praying in the Garden on the Mont of Olives. He knew that He would be arrested that evening. He knew He’d be all alone. He knew the pain He would suffer as a total man would. Jesus does what He knows to do. He goes to the Father.
Just imagine the whole of the satanic force coming against Him at this hour, prodding Him, mocking Him and taunting Him. It’s more than a simple man would be able to bear. He throws Himself on the ground face downward. Have you done this in your darkest hour? Try it next time, because there will always be a next time if you continue in this world. When there is no way out, no solution and it’s an impossible situation, turn to the Lord. For Jesus the sacrifice was a thing of terror along with the temptation that He just might not go through it. He was fighting two things.
He knows the temptation that He is suffering. He knows the temptation that the disciples will suffer. Although they pledged their loyalty and said they’d never leave Him, they will all scatter and abandon Him. Only prayer, only speaking with the Father can help Him, can help His disciples. “In His life on earth Jesus made His prayers and requests with loud cries and tears to God, Who could save Him from death. Because He was humble and devoted, God heard Him.” (Hebrews 5:7) When Jesus finds His disciples sleeping, He tells them to pray. “Then He returned to the three disciples and found them asleep; and He said to Peter, "How is it that you three were not able to keep watch with Me for even one hour? Keep watch and pray that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." (Matthew 26:40-41)
Only in prayer is He able to yield to the Father’s Will. He endures the temptation. He endures the sacrifice. He endures the weight of the sin of the world. He endures the wrath of God. He endures death for us. “He was humble and walked the path of obedience all the way to death—His death on the cross.” (Philippians 2:8)
Jesus didn’t just pray that one time in the garden. He prayed three times. “Again, Jesus left them, went away, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.” (Matthew 26:44) What an example Jesus left for us. In our anguish, pray and pray again and again. Jesus prayed the same prayer, with the same words, “My Father, if this cup of suffering cannot be taken away unless I drink it, Your will be done." (Matthew 26:42) It wasn’t that Jesus felt the Father didn’t hear Him. It wasn’t that He didn’t have faith. It was that He was under extreme duress and anguish. Jesus understands our anxiety, our anguish and desperation in our affliction because He suffered it too. “Our High Priest is not one who cannot feel sympathy for our weaknesses. On the contrary, we have a High Priest who was tempted in every way that we are, but did not sin.” (Hebrews 4:15) Jesus understands the temptations we have to endure. He suffered it too. He understands our weakness because with all His strength, He fought off the onslaught of every temptation we have to face.
Do you remember who else prayed three times? It was Paul. The Lord gave him much revelation and anointing to preach the Gospel. But in his missionary work, he had a “thorn in the flesh.” Theologians have agreed it was some kind of ailment. And even with this ailment, he continued his great work as an apostle “out of time” to the early church. Paul prayed three times that it would be removed. He realized its purpose. “...And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.” (2Corinthians 12:7) It kept Paul humble and dependent on the Lord. Paul knew himself. He knew it was easy for him to begin to believe that all this knowledge and revelation was due to his fervor and formal education. God answered Paul. “And He said unto me, ‘My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’ Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” (2Corinthians 12:9) The Lord was able to do greatly more with Paul depending on Him than He would have if Paul had been in his full strength forging ahead. Instead, He depended on the Lord. And the Lord receives all the glory because Paul could not do it in his own strength.
I think about pastors and leaders of the local churches. God has given them a mandate, a mission and a vision. It would be easy for them to proceed in their own strength because of the revelation the Lord has given them in leading the church body. But the Lord glorifies Himself in the pastors when they yield to Him, when they suffer affliction and stumbling blocks to what God has said. He works mightily when they allow the Lord to glorify Himself. That tells us about our responsibility to pray for our pastors. The more obedient they are, the more resistance they will face. Cover your pastors with prayer.
Pray in your time of affliction. Pray for your pastors. And pray for each other. “Do all this in prayer, asking for God's help. Pray on every occasion, as the Spirit leads. For this reason, keep alert and never give up; pray always for all God's people.” (Ephesians 6:18)
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