Read: Matthew 26:36-46

This is undoubtedly one of the most important prayers in the Bible. Many scholars encourage us to read it with reverence and care because having access to such an intimate and intense conversation between Jesus and his Father is like treading on holy ground. It is no overstatement, for without this prayer, there would be no Christianity. We often lose sight of the importance of prayer in our faith, but Jesus demonstrates its true power in his darkest moment at Gethsemane.

1. The Necessity of Prayer

It might be difficult to believe, but Jesus would not have been prepared to endure the cross without this moment of deep prayer in the garden. Until this moment in the text, Jesus appeared strong, firm, and in control as he quoted Scripture and encouraged his disciples, who would fail him. In the garden, we see that he becomes “sorrowful and troubled,” and he reveals that he is “grieved to the point of death” (v37, 38). This was no show or demonstration; Jesus needed to pray as he experienced weakness. At this moment, we see a different Jesus. He was overwhelmed by his impending death by crucifixion, but even more than that, he was in anguish about the cup, which signified God’s wrath against sin and evil. To drink this cup would be unfathomable.

Why did Jesus never waver? He poured himself out to God and even asked for another way (v39). But in the same verse, we see the answer as he prayed, “Not as I will, but as you will.” This prayer made the difference for Jesus as it can for us. Even at this moment, he is still teaching. How can we possibly ever think or live like we don’t need prayer, as if we can skip over it and still face temptation and trial? No, Jesus reminds his disciples (and us) to “stay awake and pray” for “the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak” (v41).

2. The Nature of Prayer

Jesus' prayer is a great place for us to correct our misunderstandings. His prayer combines two things that are so often hard to do in prayer:

Raw Honesty - Points to the reality that Jesus revealed that he was emotionally overwhelmed. He didn’t hide this from God but laid it out before Him and his disciples (close friends). He lays facedown and tells his Father what he wants, even to the very limits of divine possibility.

Radical Surrender - Points to the reality that Jesus remained in submission to God’s will, trusting that it was best for him and others. He prays exactly as he taught his disciples to pray in the Lord’s Prayer. He wrestled with his Father and was told “no” three times. Yet, even in this prayer, he was fortified to embrace God’s will.

3. The Outcome of Prayer

Prayer doesn’t always end with favorable circumstances but always changes the person. At the end of our passage, we see Jesus meet his betrayal with resolve and determination (v.45-46). We see a different Jesus, one who is ready, compared with his disciples still waking from their slumber. Though his disciples couldn’t pass the trial and temptation, Jesus took the cup for them. This is evident in the difference between Jesus’s first and second prayer. In the second, he doesn’t merely ask for the cup to pass, but “if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done” (v.42). What looks like a subtle difference is a significant shift. Through prayer, he became willing to take the cup on behalf of others.

The most destructive prayer we can ever pray is “Not your will, but mine be done,” first whispered in the Garden of Eden. The outcome of Jesus’s prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane is the great undoing of this destructive prayer. We might think that it has been too long since we have prayed - how could God hear us? But Jesus drank that cup for us. We might think that it costs too much to be honest and surrender. But Jesus drank that cup for us. Jesus’s prayer in the garden shows us that we have a God who is safe, and with whom we can be honest. He is wise and loving – far more than we are. He made a way to save us by taking the cup from us so we could remain with Him forever. He took the cup of judgment; we get the cup of blessing (1 Cor 10:16).

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

What about the sermon most impacted you or left you with questions?
Do you treat prayer more as a necessity or an option? Why or Why not? What do you learn from the examples of Jesus and his disciples in this passage?
What is the correlation between prayer and resisting temptation? Given the temptations or struggles you are currently facing, what would it look like for you to “stay awake” and pray?
What do you struggle more with in prayer: raw honesty (sharing openly with God, even when it’s difficult) or radical surrender (receiving openly from God, even when it’s not immediate)? Why one over the other? If both, what is holding you back?
Jesus simply asked his disciples to “remain here and stay awake with me.” How would it change your prayer life to see it more “with” Jesus than “to” Jesus?
In what ways have you treated prayer as an expression of “not your will, but mine be done?” If this prayer is so destructive, then why is it so enticing? How does Jesus confront, undo, and “take the cup” of this prayer?
What does Jesus’s prayer in this passage tell us about the attributes of God? What is He like when we pray? How can this draw you more into prayer with Him?
What prayer requests can you share with others right now that would encourage more raw honesty and radical surrender to God in your life?