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JESUS' GETHSEMANE PRAYER

Luke 22:39-62

Key Verse: 22:42

  "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will,

   but yours be done."

Study Questions

1. Why did Jesus usually go to the Mount of Olives? What can we learn

   from him? What instructions did he give his disciples? Why? What was

   Jesus' attitude in prayer?

2. What was his prayer topic? What did he mean by "this cup"? What was

   God's will? (Lk 9:22) Why and how did he struggle? Describe his

   struggle. What can we learn here about decision-making? Why did the

   disciples sleep? What does this reveal about them?

3. Who led the arresters? How did Jesus warn Judas? (Why "Son of

   Man"?) (69; 9:26) What is the irony of the kiss? How did the other

   disciples react? Why did Jesus restrain them? What did he do and

   teach his arresters?

4. What did Peter do while Jesus was on trial? Describe Peter's three

   denials.  Why did Peter deny Jesus? (40,46,50,54,55) When did Peter

   remember Jesus' words? (34) How did Jesus encourage Peter? What did

   his look mean? (61; 31-34; Mt 16:18)

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JESUS' GETHSEMANE PRAYER

Luke 22:39-62

Key Verse: 22:42

  "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will,

   but yours be done."

 

   Today's passage deals with three events which happened in

Jerusalem:  First, Jesus' prayer on the Mount of Olives (39-46);

second, Jesus was arrested (47-53); third, Peter's denial of Jesus

(54-62). May God help us learn Jesus' prayer on the Mount of Olives.

May God use us as servants of prayer in this generation.

 

First, Jesus prays before the cup of suffering (39-46)

 

   Look at verse 39. "Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives,

and his disciples followed him." This verse manifests that Jesus prayed

while he was in Jerusalem. The phrase, "went out as usual," tells us

that he prayed regularly.  Jesus is the Son of God, yet he prayed, not

one or two times in emergency situations, but regularly. From the

beginning to the end, the life of Jesus was a life of prayer. Jesus was

in Jerusalem. His day of crucifixion was approaching. But Jesus did

what he should do. During the daytime Jesus taught the word of God to

the lost souls. Luke does not mention that Jesus ate dinner. But during

the nighttime he went to the Mount of Olives and prayed for himself,

especially for his disciples. What a beautiful life Jesus led before

his upcoming crucifixion. Luke 21:37 says, "Each day Jesus was teaching

at the temple, and each evening he went out to spend the night on the

hill called the Mount of Olives," which was also called the Garden of

Gethsemane in the other Gospels (Mt 26:36; Mk 14:32). May God bless us

that we can also be servants of prayer. Prayer is total dependence on

God. Prayer is asking God's saving grace. Prayer is the expression of

total obedience to God. Prayer is renewing God's holy mission. Jesus

was supposed to be nailed down on the cross for the sin of the world.

It was not easy for Jesus to be crucified as the Lamb of God. Jesus was

in great anguish; still he prayed. Look at verse 42.  "Father, if you

are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be

done."

 

   Jesus also urged his disciples to pray so that they would not fall

into temptation, because it was an opportune time for Satan to cause

the  disciples to stumble (40). Jesus also needed their prayer support.

After this Jesus withdrew about a stone's throw beyond them, knelt down

and prayed (41).  Let's read 42. "Father, if you  are willing, take

this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done." Jesus' prayer

was very short. But he prayed until God gave him victory.

 

    Jesus prayed to overcome his human desires. In verse 42, "cup" did

not mean a championship cup; it was the cup of suffering and death. We

know that Socrates was sentenced to drink a cup of poison. God laid the

cup of suffering and death before Jesus. So Jesus had to decide whether

to drink the cup of suffering and death or not. His humanness compelled

him not to take the cup. So Jesus prayed, "Father, if you are willing,

take this cup from me." As we know well, human beings are clumps of

desires. Of all the desires, the desire for long life might be the

strongest. The people of old times blessed their king, saying, "Long

live the king!" "Long live the king!" No one wants to die in his

thirties. Though Jesus was God, in his manhood he must have hoped to

live, as others do. Jesus also knew that death on the cross was capital

punishment and it was the symbol of shame. Even drug dealers hide their

faces before TV cameras so as not to expose their shameful faces. But

Jesus had to take the cup of suffering on the cross in order to bear

all our shame.

 

   The cross was also the most painful punishment. Surely the impending

sufferings were pictured before his mind's eye. The keen anticipation

or apprehension of pain, which makes up so large a part of so many

human sorrows, overwhelmed him. In his manhood, he was afraid and did

not want to take the cup. But Jesus prayed. He prayed so that he could

overcome his desires, and obey his Father's will for world salvation.

When we pray like Jesus to obey God's will for world salvation, surely

God will bless this nation as a kingdom of priests and a holy nation

(1Pe 2:9).

 

   Look at verse 42 again. "Father, if you are willing, take this cup

from me; yet not my will, but yours be done." Jesus knew, in his

prayer, who he was before God. This realization made it possible for

him to pray. Jesus knew that he was the Chosen One (Lk 9:35), the

Suffering Servant as was prophesied in Isaiah (Isa 53:5). Jesus knew

that he had to be the Paschal Lamb for the sin of the world (Jn 1:29).

This is the reason Jesus frequently told his disciples about his

rejection, suffering and death. In Luke 9:22 he said, "The Son of Man

must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests

and teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be

raised to life." Still, it was not easy for Jesus to die.

 

   We can see the beautiful example of Jesus in making a decision to

obey the will of God. Jesus said, "...yet not my will, but yours be

done." Jesus was not willing to use his freedom of choice, to please

himself, but to please God.  However, decision-making is not easy at

all. So there is a line in Shakespeare's work, "To be or not to be,

that is the question." There are so many people who did not marry

because they were not able to make a decision about marriage. They have

no decision power. But Jesus  decided to die on the cross.  It was

prayer that empowered Jesus to make a decision of faith to take the cup

of suffering and death.

 

   Jesus fought a spiritual battle in prayer. Jesus prayed intensely,

so intensely that he was completely exhausted. Jesus had no more

strength left to fight in prayer. Then what happened to Jesus? God sent

an angel from heaven to help restore him from exhaustion (43). When

Jesus was restored from his exhaustion, what did Jesus do? Again Jesus

kept on praying. Jesus' prayer was literally a spiritual battle. Jesus

fought the battle in prayer to submit  himself to the will of God.

Jesus fought a spiritual battle in prayer to overcome the sting of

death. Luke, a medical doctor only, describes how Jesus fought the

spiritual battle in prayer. Verse 44 says, "And being in anguish, he

prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to

the ground." Thank and praise Jesus who prayed until his sweat was like

drops of blood falling to the ground.

 

   When Jesus rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found

them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. They were apprehensive of Jesus'

suffering and cried until they were exhausted and fell asleep. They

were still very immature in spiritual power. They did not know how to

overcome sorrow and hardships through prayer. What did Jesus do for

them? Look at verse 46.  "'Why are you sleeping?' he asked them. 'Get

up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.'" Here Jesus

taught them that prayer is the way to overcome the temptation of Satan.

We must believe that prayer is the most potent weapon for the children

of God.

 

Second,  Jesus was arrested (47-53)

 

   Jesus had already won the battle before fighting. After prayer,

Jesus looked like a triumphant general. While he was still speaking, a

crowd came up, and the man who was called Judas, one of the Twelve, was

leading them.  Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, was a guide for the

temple police in arresting Jesus. He approached Jesus to kiss him as a

signal to those he brought.

 

   What did Jesus say to him? Look at verse 48. "Judas, are you

betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?" Jesus knew what Judas was doing.

So Jesus exposed Judas' secret attempt to kiss Jesus as a signal to the

enemies of God.  It is totally unbelievable that one of the twelve

disciples betrayed Jesus to get some money. There was a problem; Judas

did not know who the Son of Man really was. So he was selling Jesus for

a certain amount of money. In verse 69 Jesus explains who he really is:

"But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of

the mighty God." This verse implies that Judas is accountable for his

evildoing at the time of judgment. Luke 9:26 says, "If anyone is

ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when

he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy

angels." Jesus, the Son of Man, is the Son of God. Judas betrayed the

Son of Man for 30 pieces of silver. But in fact, he betrayed himself.

 

   Out of anger, one of the disciples struck the servant of the high

priest, cutting off his right ear (49,50). According to John 18:10, it

was Peter who cut off the ear of the high priest's servant, whose name

was Malchus. Jesus said, "No more of this!" Jesus told Peter to resist

no more. Jesus told Peter to persevere even in this. And he touched the

man's ear and healed him. Those who came to arrest Jesus were the chief

priests, the officers of the temple guard, and the elders. They were

supposed to be the faces and consciences of the nation, and the prayer

servants and Bible teachers for God's flock. But they were not. Jesus

rebuked their evildoing, saying, "Am I leading a rebellion, that you

have come with swords and clubs? Every day I was with you in the temple

courts, and you did not lay a hand on me. But this is your hour--when

darkness reigns." Jesus taught the Bible to the people in the light,

openly, before the eyes of all people (21:37,38). But the religious

leaders did not lay their hands on Jesus then. When the time of

darkness came, they came to arrest Jesus. Jesus was arrested by evil

men. How stunning it is that the religious leaders came to arrest

Jesus.

 

Third, Peter denies Jesus three times (54-62)

 

   Let's see how Peter denies Jesus three times (54-60). Judas'

betrayal was a heart-breaking event. Another scratch on the broken

heart of Jesus was Peter's triple denial. Peter was the top disciple,

and he was loyal to Jesus (22:33). He was overconfident; but he was not

prayerful. So in his human limitation he denied his Master three

times.

 

   Look at verse 54. "Then seizing him, they led him away and took him

into the house of the high priest. Peter followed at a distance." Jesus

was cross-examined, while hangers-on huddled around the fire. While

Jesus was on trial, the darkness of night hung over the dawn, and the

morning air was sharp.  Peter, exhausted, sat near the firelight in

great fear. He crept near the blaze of the fire. A servant girl saw him

seated in the firelight. "This man was with him," she said. "But he

denied it, 'Woman, I don't know him,' he said. A little later someone

else saw him and said, 'You also are one of them.' 'Man, I am not!'

Peter replied. About an hour later another asserted, 'Certainly this

fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean.'" He must have been Malchus,

whose right ear Peter had cut off with his sword. Peter replied, "Man,

I don't know what you're talking about!" Just as he was speaking, the

rooster crowed. With his human loyalty he could not follow Jesus to the

end. He denied Jesus three times.

 

   Nevertheless, Jesus deeply cared for Peter. (61,62) Jesus was coming

out of the courtroom and saw that Peter was there. Verse 61a says, "The

Lord turned and looked straight at Peter." We owe the knowledge of this

look of Christ to Luke only. Jesus was tired after enduring the

all-night trial of the priests and false accusations. But when Jesus

saw Peter, Jesus looked straight at him. Why did Jesus look straight at

him? Jesus looked straight at him mainly to remind him of his promises

to Peter. Luke 22:32 says, "But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your

faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your

brothers." Matthew 16:18 says, "And I tell you that you are Peter, and

on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not

overcome it." When he denied Jesus, Peter was like sand on the

seashore.  When Jesus looked at him, he looked at him with the hope of

God that someday he would become Peter, a foundation stone of his

church. As Jesus hoped, after the resurrection of Jesus Christ Peter

became the foundation of the Christian church.

 

   At the moment Peter saw Jesus he remembered the word the Lord had

spoken to him: "Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me

three times." Peter went outside and wept bitterly. This cry was the

moment that Peter opened his spiritual eyes to see the love of God.

This cry made it possible for him to meet the Risen Jesus at the

seashore where he had met him first.

 

   Today we learn that Jesus prayed before the cup of suffering. We

also learn that Jesus depended on God absolutely through prayer and

decided to take the cup of suffering and death. May God help us not to

be slaves of emotions, but warriors of prayer. May God use each of us

as prayer servants in this generation.