Slices
Prepare
‘Look on me and answer, Lord my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death’ (Psalm 13:3).
Bible passage
Gethsemane
32 They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Sit here while I pray.’ 33 He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. 34 ‘My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,’ he said to them. ‘Stay here and keep watch.’
35 Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. 36 ‘Abba, Father,’ he said, ‘everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.’
37 Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. ‘Simon,’ he said to Peter, ‘are you asleep? Couldn’t you keep watch for one hour? 38 Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.’
39 Once more he went away and prayed the same thing. 40 When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. They did not know what to say to him.
41 Returning the third time, he said to them, ‘Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners. 42 Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!’
Explore
As Jesus says, everything is possible for God, so why was it that Jesus had to die? Was there not another way that salvation could come to all? Did the disciples ask themselves that same question on Good Friday afternoon?
Jesus teaches us a very important thing about God – it is all about him. Whether it is the Father, the Son or the Holy Spirit, or all three together, it is all about God. He knows all, he directs all and, most importantly, he sees the bigger picture.
Asking for relief from the task shows a very human side of Jesus that most of us would share (v 35), and yet his divine nature takes the lead: ‘Yet not what I will, but what you will’ (v 36). Why didn’t the Father listen to the Son? The Father knew that the only way to take away sin in order to save someone was to remove the penalty of sin – ‘once for all’ (Hebrews 10:10). Jesus knew it too.
Do we understand it, though? If our impression of God is of the cuddly creator and comforter, we can be asleep to the fact that sometimes he takes hard decisions to get the best for those he loves most. That was why Jesus had to die.
Respond
Do I really want to follow God’s will, or my version of it? ‘Help me, Lord, to say “your will be done”.’
Deeper Bible study
Rejoice that Jesus has promised to be with us always.
The desertion of the disciples has not yet taken place, but the scene we face today is even more poignant. Here is Jesus agonising in prayer, contemplating the awfulness of the cross, looking for the prayerful support of all his disciples and especially the three who have been closest to him – and they fall asleep. Jesus was accustomed to spending nights on his own, talking to his Father, but on this occasion he is looking for human companionship and spiritual support. The one, who will promise to be with us always, is left on his own to face this moment. How much Jesus suffered for us.
Jesus is perhaps reflecting on the refrain of Psalms 42 and 431 as he begins his prayer. He prays using the combination of Aramaic and Greek (Abba, Pater) to address his Father, words that would become a distinctive of Christian prayer,2 as we are permitted to share an intimacy of relationship with God. Jesus prays that the cup of agony and suffering representing the wrath of God against sin3 might, if possible, be taken from him – but he knows this is in his Father’s hand and he accepts that God’s will always has the prior claim on him, above his own needs.
It is here in the garden that we see most clearly what the suffering of the cross meant to Jesus personally. There is no stoical bravado or stiff upper lip. Instead, there is an acceptance of the Father’s will; there is no other way for dealing with sin and bringing in the kingdom than through his own death. His attitude is an example to us, that we might accept the Father’s will and be those who do watch and pray that his righteousness might be revealed in us to his glory.
Express your love to Jesus in response to his suffering for us.
1 Ps 42:5,11; 43:5 2 Rom 8:15 3 Cf Isa 51:17; Ps 60:3
Bible in a year
Read the Bible in a year: Joshua 4,5; Romans 10
Pray for Scripture Union
GW Tracks is a mountain biking holiday at Great Wood for 12- to 17-year-olds led by Nathan and Lucy Johnson. It was due to start tomorrow but has been cancelled, along with many other SU holidays and events. Please pray for the team and young people on their journey of faith, that they will draw near to God at this time.
