The Prayer To Be Spared: Hezekiah In His Palace And Jesus In Gethsemane Series

The Prayer to Be Spared: Hezekiah in His Palace and Jesus in Gethsemane

(2 Kings 20:1-11, Luke 22:39-46)

1. You can learn a lot about human nature by reading complaint blogs. One blogger wrote, “Today, I got pulled over for a traffic violation. Thinking I could get away with it, I spoke with a French accent. The officer then asked me a question in perfect French. I got a ticket.”

2. Another blogger, “Today, I learned that my new parakeet hates her reflection, and will screech loudly day and night unless I take the mirror out. My other parakeet loves the mirror and constantly cries out when I remove it. I can't win.”

3. We are different in many ways, and our opinions are all over the map. But usually have more in common than otherwise. Almost all of us, for ex., are in no hurry to die.

Main Idea: God was especially gracious to Hezekiah, but, by offering only limited grace to Jesus, He opened a floodgate of grace for those who believe in Him.

I. Hezekiah DESPAIRED Because His Life Was Nearing Its End (2 Kings 20:1-11).

A. God was doing Hezekiah a favor by urging him to get his house in ORDER before he died.

1. Parents should do what they can to make it easier for their heirs.

2. A comic: an older man showed his son a garage full of junk. The caption read, “Some day, this will all be yours.”

B. Hezekiah took his GRIEF to the Lord.

C. The Lord responded to his prayer by EXTENDING his life 15 years.

1. The Lord graciously extended Hezekiah’s life because He had a purpose in doing so.

2. In other instances – for example, the even godlier King Josiah – God allowed the king to die when nearing death.

3. From our perspective, there is no rhyme or reason as to why God answers one prayer a certain way one time, and another way another time. Especially when both prayers are offered in faith by godly people.

II. Jesus STRUGGLED in Prayer to Submit to the Father as He Prepared to Die (39-46).

A. He prayed because He felt the BRUNT of immeasurable stress (39-41).

1. Probably 10 or 11PM, which was considered late in that culture.

2. Peter, James, and John, the inner three

3. He felt as though he could die on the spot from stress…

4. Physical pain coming up: “Death by Crucifixion was designed to produce the greatest degree of SHAME, and to inflict the maximum amount of PAIN, for the longest possible period of TIME.” (Christian Cheong, Sermoncentral.com)

5. Spiritual suffering that would atone for all sin for all time.

6. Please note, folks, that feeling stress is not sinful.

B. He chose the Father’s WILL over his own (42-44).

1. The real test of submission to authority is when you don’t agree with the decision made by an authority: husbands, government, church leaders….

2. The Bible, for example, is not simply a source to consider or suggested approaches, but God’s Word to carefully interpret and seek to obey.

C. He needed human SUPPORT but did not receive it (45-46).

• The best support in a difficult time is the quiet, conscious presence of those to whom we are close. Job’s counselors were good until they began talking.

• One reason it is so important to not just attend church, but become part of the church via relationships because God ordained it that we need others to help us in our trials, and vice-versa.

• You see this is in action in our Ladies’ Bible study.

D. He BOLDLY faced his destiny for us.

• Describing His purpose in coming, Jesus said, “even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many…”

III. Jesus’ and Hezekiah’s Experiences Can Be Compared and CONTRASTED.

A. Both prayed to the Lord because of impending DEATH.

B. Jesus’ death, however, was more than physical, UNLIKE any other.

1. Because of WHO He is.

2. Because He is HOLY and had to carry the sins of the world.

3. His death was much more than merely PHYSICAL.

C. Both felt the burden of impending doom, but Jesus sweat drops of BLOOD, or so it seemed.

Luke 22:44, “And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.”

D. The Lord DELIVERED Hezekiah from his death, but sent ANGELS to strengthen Jesus to strengthen Him to endure the coming ordeal.

1. Often God answers our prayers by helping us get through the situation rather than changing the situation, though sometimes He does.

2. We are not wrong to ask to be delivered from our problems. Jesus did.