THE PERFECT WILL OF GOD
Opening Prayer
Lord Jesus, thank you for your love, for your willing sacrifice made so that I can know your presence now and be with you for eternity.
Read LUKE 22:39–53
Jesus Prays on the Mount of Olives
39 Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. 40 On reaching the place, he said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.” 41 He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, 42 “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” 43 An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. 44 And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.[a]
45 When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. 46 “Why are you sleeping?” he asked them. “Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.”
Jesus Arrested
47 While he was still speaking a crowd came up, and the man who was called Judas, one of the Twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss him, 48 but Jesus asked him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”
49 When Jesus’ followers saw what was going to happen, they said, “Lord, should we strike with our swords?” 50 And one of them struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear.
51 But Jesus answered, “No more of this!” And he touched the man’s ear and healed him.
52 Then Jesus said to the chief priests, the officers of the temple guard, and the elders, who had come for him, “Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come with swords and clubs? 53 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.”
Footnotes
- Luke 22:44 Many early manuscripts do not have verses 43 and 44.
New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
Have you ever messed up? You’re in good company!We can all find it hard to stay awake sometimes, whether it be in front of the TV, after lunch on Christmas Day, or during the Sunday sermon! This can be embarrassing or inconvenient, but in today’s passage we see the disciples falling asleep during a prayer time hours before Jesus’ death. What shame they must have felt! It is, however, only the first of three examples in this passage of Jesus’ disciples messing up and disappointing him. After the disciples’ struggling to stay awake (v. 45), we read of Judas’ betrayal of Jesus (v. 47) before another disciple violently attacked a servant (v. 50). Luke diplomatically left out the identity of the angry disciple, but John tells us it was Peter (see John 18:10).
Three acts of human frailty and sinfulness: the physical tiredness of the sleeping disciples, the hypocrisy and cowardice of Judas, and the angry revenge and violence shown by Peter. These three acts were in stark contrast to Jesus’ powerful and sacrificial submission to the will of his Father which preceded them: ‘not my will, but yours be done’ (v. 42). The disciples had their will and agenda, whereas Jesus submitted his will and agenda to his heavenly Father.
Apply
When have there been times when you have messed up, pursuing your will rather than God’s?
Closing prayer
Thank you, my God, for your kindness in forgiving me when I go my own way. Help me to follow your will always.
Book and Author Intros
Extras
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