Jesus' Prayer In Gethsemane Series

Theme: Carelessness in Prayer

Text: Matthew 26:36-46

Greetings: “The Lord is good and his love endures forever.”

Context: Jesus was aware that he would be arrested, tortured, dragged into the courts, and sentenced to death by his enemies. Though it was the eternal plan of God for establishing justice and holiness of God. However, Jesus was sorrowful and troubled with friends. So, he took his friends to a prayer garden and instructed them to watch and pray so that they will not fall into temptation (Matthew 26:41).

I would like to share with you all from this passage that Jesus had gone through sorrowful hours, but had sweet hours of prayer and faced death with Strong will powers.

1. Sorrowful hours (Matthew 26:36-38)

The word became flesh and lived among us with thirst, with hunger, with emotions, with pains and tears. Jesus told his disciples that his soul was overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death (Matthew 26:38). The Sorrow of Jesus was to swallow up death forever, overcoming the death who is the last enemy of humanity (Isaiah 25:8, 1 Corinthians 15:54). Sorrow and sigh will flee away (Isaiah 35:10, 51:11). Your days of sorrow will end (Isaiah 60:20). This sorrow was caused by the rebellion of the people, God allowed it (Lamentations 1: 12). The sorrowful hours are going to help his followers to go through it gladly.

The word pain, sorrow is recorded for the first time in Genesis 3:16 and will be eliminated with the revelation of Jesus Christ through the Cross as found in John 3:16. The pain, sorrow, death have been removed forever in Revelation 21:4.

Paul David Tripp writes in his book ‘Suffering.’ Suffering is never abstract, theoretical, or impersonal. Suffering is real, tangible, personal, and specific. Suffering is in the blood and guts of human experiences. Suffering leads to experiences, expectations, assumptions, perspectives, desires, intentions, and decisions. There is an illusion that ‘if we eat the right food, do the proper exercises, we can control our health; if we budget well, invest wisely, save carefully, we can assure a good financial future.’ But our self-sovereignty bursts out during the hardships, sufferings and pains. The questions are Why, why me? Why now? Suffering will be all the more painful if we question the presence, promises, goodness, and faithfulness of God. We understand that we are not controlling ourselves but GOD.

The teaching of Jesus on Tribulation has come as a test for him to prove his strength (John 16:33). Isaiah prophesized that Messiah would be a man of sorrow (Isaiah 53:3). He further said, surely, he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted (Isaiah 53:4). Jesus said the body is weak.

Blessed are those who mourn (Matthew 5:4). The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit (Psalm 34:18). There is a godly sorrow leading to repentance (2 Corinthians 7:10). Sorrow is better than laughter, for by the sadness of face the heart is made glad (Ecclesiastes 7:3). Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we are comforted by God (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).

Paul also expressed that he had great sorrow and unceasing anguish in his heart for the salvation of the Israelites (Romans 9:2).

2. Sweet hours of Prayer (Matthew 26:39-44)

Joke: One believer skipped a Sunday service and went hunting. As he met with a Lion, he lost his balance and fell and caught in a branch of a tree. The ferocious lion looked at him from a distance, and he couldn't move. He prayed "Oh Lord, I'm so sorry for skipping Sunday service, please forgive me and let this Lion have the born-again experience. Please, Lord!" before he could conclude that prayer, Lion was already on his knees and said, "Dear Lord, thank you for giving me tasty food today, Amen".

Jesus prayed three times on that night. Jesus repeated the words and content of the prayer, again and again, three times (Matthew 26:39,42,44). Disciples could not pray because they were exhausted from sorrow (Luke 22:45). Jesus was in anguish, so he earnestly prayed, his sweat was like drops of blood fell on the ground and an angel comforted him in the prayer (Luke 22:43-44). He prayed early morning of the day, he spent the whole night in prayer, he prayed for taking any solid decision, he prayed before choosing his friends and apostles. During the prayer of Jesus Angels appeared, prophets appeared. Paul had the vision of God, an angel during the praying hours. Peter and John went to the Church to pray during the evenings.