Matthew 26:42-46 - Rise! Let us go!

26:42-44 

Twice more Jesus prayed the same thing, “if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done”. We should look carefully at these words, First, there is a subtle change from the first prayer where the emphasis is on Jesus wishing He did not have to drink the cup. Here there is an acceptance that this is the only way, so may God’s will be done. Then see that the goal is “for the cup to be taken away”. To be taken away from us! We have sinned and deserve judgement, we are spared judgement because Christ has taken the punishment that should have been ours (Is 53:5). This is all part of penal substitutionary atonement. We also see that having feelings of not wanting to do something is not necessarily a problem, at one level Jesus did not want to go to the cross (though be very careful in understanding what I am saying here). It is what we live out of. If we live by the flesh then we sin. If Jesus had lived by the flesh He would not have gone to the cross. But we are to live by the Spirit. Jesus lived by the Spirit, so He went to the cross.

26:45,46

The disciples were still sleeping. Only Jesus was truly awake, He knew exactly what was going on, and that the hour of all hours had arrived. Jesus was resolute. So we see that He was totally honest with His Father about His feelings, but He lived by the Spirit not by the flesh. Earlier He had told the disciples to pray because “the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. Jesus had prayed, and now He was strengthened by the Spirit. It was time for action.