A second time He went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cup cannot pass unless I drink it, may Your will be done.” (Matt 26:42, BSB)
Anyone who has been to a Christian church at Easter or when the Lord’s Supper is observed likely will have heard this passage from Matthew’s Gospel. Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane after serving the Lord’s Supper to His twelve disciples. He was hours away from being led to His crucifixion. Jesus, in His human form, was sorrowful about what He would endure by the Jews and Romans. Yet, because He was wholly God as well as human, He knew what He came to earth to do must be done to save people from the sins and judgment of their sins—death, an eternal separation from God.
Why is this important for us? The foremost reason is that God does not want us to live in eternal hell separated from Him because He loves us. God wants to give us the best life now and forever, a life full of peace, love, and joy, all of which come from Him.
Why else is this verse important for us? The example Jesus, the man, gives to us of surrendering to Father for His best plan, His perfect purpose, is what we need to see, understand, and enact. Jesus first approached the Father in verse 39. Matthew wrote, “Going a little farther, He fell facedown and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me. Yet not as I will, but as You will.’” Jesus sought the Father for strength for His human self to be brave and to endure the terrible trial He would go through very soon. He sought to be with the Father for closeness and connection, just as a child of any age seeks closeness and connection with his/her parent. One other important point we need to see is Jesus was solely surrendered to the plan the Godhead (including Himself, the Son) made to redeem each person who believes in Him. Jesus surrendered to the Godhead’s will and perfect plan. He sought closeness with the Father. Jesus sought strength to endure the terrible torment He would soon experience.
Why, then, does it seem Jesus said the same thing in verse 42? In the two verses between Jesus’ two statements to the Father, Jesus walked to Peter, James, and John and found them sleeping. He asked if they weren’t able to keep watch with Him for one hour. At first thought, one hour is not a long time. Most people read, watch tv, or talk with people easily for an hour. Consider now what Jesus expected them to do. He expected them to watch and pray. How many people do you know who pray for one hour? What about for thirty minutes? Fifteen minutes? Jesus expected them to do more than stay awake and pray. He expected the three to keep watch. Being watchful is being alert to temptations, temptations to not look at God but self, that potentially lead to sin. Jesus expected the three men to keep watch against coming temptation by praying to have God’s strength to defeat that temptation and continue onward with God. Jesus wanted Peter, James, and John to prepare to face their battles against temptation. They could do this by recognizing their human weaknesses and praying for God’s strength to overcome their weaknesses so they could stay close to and surrendered to Him. When Jesus walked to them in verse 40, He found the three men surrendered to their bodies in sleep. They didn’t see that hour for what it was, one of few hours before their Messiah would fulfill the prophecies to give release to the captives. Instead, the three disciples sought no strength from God to endure through the night, pray for their Messiah, and pray for the people who would hear about Him to believe in Jesus. A lot can happen in an hour. An hour isn’t very long after all.
In verse 42, Jesus said, “My Father, if this cup cannot pass unless I drink it, may Your will be done.” Compare it to what He said in verse 39, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me. Yet not as I will, but as You will.” In these verses, Jesus basically said the same thing. The first time, the three disciples may not have understood what Jesus said at the Lord’s Supper would actually occur. They might not have understood the necessity of praying that night. In verses 40 and 41, Jesus told them for what they should pray. He then returned to His own prayer place to be with the Father as the disciples watched and heard Him pray. Jesus modeled for them again why to pray—to be close to the Father in heart, mind, and spirit. He showed them with this prayer time about asking for God’s strength to do what is God’s will. Most importantly, Jesus showed the three how to submit and surrender to God’s perfect plan. It begins with being in a close relationship with Him. By communing with Him daily, the disciples could get God’s strength and walk His journey for their lives with Him.
Did the three disciples stay awake that second time? No, Jesus returned to them and found them asleep. Jesus asked the disciples in verse 38 to stay at the place He told them and keep watch with Him. His goal was multi-purpose. Jesus wanted to be with His Father. He, as a man, would experience a terrible torment on the cross. Jesus submitted and surrendered to the will of the Godhead to love humanity in this extreme way. He wanted to show the three disciples how to stand against temptation by praying for God’s strength to defeat it. Temptations can come in simple ways like falling to the human weakness of tiredness and not taking time to draw close to God. It can come in sensational ways, too, like tormenting a person’s heart, mind, body, and spirit.
Submitting and surrendering to God can be as easy as asking for more energy and focus to be with God in prayer. The three disciples fell asleep. It appears they didn’t ask for God’s strength to stay awake to watch and pray for themselves, the other disciples, unbelievers, and Jesus. Each of us know what most likely keeps us from praying. Without prayer, it’s hard to submit to God and surrender to His will. Without prayer, we won’t know His will or have His power to surrender our will for His.
Instead of Jesus saying to us like He did to the three men, “Watch and pray so that you will not enter into temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak,” may He put His mind into us that willingly says, “My Father, if this cup cannot pass unless I drink it, may Your will be done” (Matt 26:41-42). What do you need to surrender to God today to be able to be with Him in prayer? Will you take the time to watch and pray?
My prayer for you and me is what Jesus prayed in verse 42. “My Father, if this cup cannot pass unless I drink it, may Your will be done.”
