Jesus knew the cross was coming. He knew the agony that awaited Him. Keep that in mind as you read these words from Jesus’ final hours. You may even want to read the entire chapter for a richer understanding. Read the whole chapter here Luke 22.
What spoke to me today was how often we fall asleep like the disciples. How many times have we missed the message from God we were supposed to hear because we were too busy making our own plans. How many times have we fallen prey to the temptations of the world closing in around us?
We can see from Jesus’ own prayer that he was seeking the Father’s will. His humanity is showing through pretty clearly here when he says, “Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me.” Jesus already knew the answer. He knew what his life’s destiny had been all along. But as the final hour drew near, even Jesus was wishing for a different outcome.
It seems that without even taking a breath, Jesus finished his prayer by saying, “I want your will to be done, not mine.” Is that our prayer, too? Do we truly want God’s will for our lives? I heard a worship leader teaching on this recently, we have a choice in this world to do good things, maybe even great things, or we can do “God things.” What are those God things? We can only know by praying like Jesus, “Lord, may your will be done in my life.“
I don’t always get it right. None of us does. But we have Jesus to turn to, to learn from, and to model after. What do we see in this passage? He told those closest to him to pray for strength to be able to resist temptation. Jesus knew that as humans we are weak on our own. We need to pray for our own path, to be in God’s will.
Doesn’t it just make sense? God has so much wisdom. He can see things we can’t and the path he has laid out for us is so much better than we could ever imagine. Shouldn’t we want him to reveal that to us so we don’t go off and run into obstacles and dead ends? Sure, God can work with the mess we make of our lives, but how much better it would be if we were in alignment with God from the start.
Over these next few days, we will be preparing ourselves for the biggest festival in the Christian church, the celebration of Easter. Being a pastor’s wife for all these years has given me a different view on the importance of preparation. I’m not talking about dying eggs or hiding chocolate bunnies around the house. We need to prepare our hearts for the amazing miracle lest we miss how grand it truly is.
Our faith means nothing without Jesus’ resurrection. We already have a hard time wrapping our brains around the victory because of our limited understanding. What we can do is immerse ourselves in God’s word and remember. Jesus told his disciples during their final meal together to always remember. We need to keep the memory alive. What Jesus endured for us should never be glossed over.
Take time today to reflect on how Jesus’ life and ministry affects your daily activities. Do you make time for Jesus? Do you listen for his voice so you can have the confidence you are living in God’s will for your life?
Let’s pray … Lord, I am overflowing with gratitude for what you have done for me and how much you loved me even before I was born. Your words to your disciples speak through the ages to me. I do pray for strength to resist temptation, for wisdom to understand your Word, for discernment to fully grasp your will for my life, and boldness to proclaim your love to the world. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
