The Passionنموونە

We are now just hours before Jesus’ trial and torture begin. He has shared one last meal with His disciples, and now He takes them out to the Garden of Gethsemane so He has some space to pray. Through Matthew’s gospel, Jesus has taught us how to pray, and He has taught us who we pray to. Here we get a rare window into how He prays, and who He prays to.

Deep in sorrow, three times He pleads with His Father that this cup would pass from Him. He knows the suffering that will come culminating in the cross, and He begs God to find another way. We see our Lord in pained and persistent prayer—a posture many of us will have found ourselves in: deeply troubled and begging for God’s intervention in our lives.

“My Father, if it be possible let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will but as you will.” (Matthew 26:39, ESV)

Yet, we know how the story ends. We know God does not answer the first part of this prayer as Jesus would like. The cup does not pass; instead, He drinks it to the last drop. God does not intervene. I wonder, how have we reacted when our pained and persistent prayers seem to go unanswered? Jesus shows us His humility in prayer. He knows that escaping terrible suffering is not the number one priority here. First and foremost, God’s will must be done. And so Jesus’ prayer is actually answered: God’s great and glorious will is achieved through His suffering and death. Jesus does not seek first His own comfort, but the kingdom of God.

Today, ponder this: Are you praying big, bold prayers for the sake of God’s kingdom, more than for your own comfort or avoidance of suffering? It’s never easy to endure hard times, but God will never allow those times to be wasted without growing our character to be more like Jesus.