Jesus commanded Peter, ‘Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?’
John 18:11 NIVUK
When you're a single man, a visit to a pharmacist or the cosmetics section of a supermarket is generally short and swift. You get what you need and you leave. Fast.
When you go there with your wife or daughter (or both) you suddenly have to feign interest in a whole wide gamut of lotions and potions – unless their birthday or Christmas is coming up, in which case a brief mental note or two will make them very happy.
Age is one battle that we are destined to lose. No matter how many creams and lotions and pills we use, it will slowly march upon us and take us unawares. It will even take those who use surgery to battle its icy fingers.
Nothing works against it. We are fighting an invincible enemy.
Yet we do what we can to resist it.
Jesus, however, is in the complete opposite situation in these verses. He is confronting an enemy He can defeat, and easily at that:
Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?
Matthew 26:53 NIVUK
Yet, when facing a thoroughly surmountable enemy, He surrenders. Meekly. As a lamb.
He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.
Isaiah 53:7 NIVUK
He did this, yes, to fulfil a prophecy. Absolutely. No question.
But I believe that He also set an example of how we should behave when God has chosen a difficult and painful path for us.
This will not be an easy message, but it is one we need to hear.
The first thing we need to understand is that Jesus didn’t change His practice – He did just what He always did, as Luke states:
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,
Luke 21:37 NIVUK
Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him.
Luke 22:39 NIVUK
Do you see it? Jesus kept on doing what he usually did. If I tell you that the Greek word for ‘as usual’ is ethos, you will see what I mean. This was not something He did now and then.
No, it was His habit.
And He kept doing it even if it put Him right in harm’s way – which it did, because it was how Judas found Him.
There is a subtle strength about someone who is facing a world of pain and suffering and yet retains the dignity of their usual pattern or behaviour.
In a spiritual sense, it reminds me of Daniel, who, despite facing the penalty of death for praying to a god other than King Darius, refused to break His habit, but...
Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened towards Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.
Daniel 6:10 NIVUK
There is a very important lesson for us here. When times are good, establish right and true habits that will help you through life. And then, when life goes wrong, stick to them. That little bit of sanity and normality when the world appears to be falling down around you will help you more than you can imagine.
As well as His practice, Jesus did not break His prayer life. Matthew, Mark and Luke all point out that this was not a leisurely stroll in the olive grove. No, the purpose of Jesus being there at night was to pray (Matthew 26:36-46, Mark 14:32-38; Luke 22:39-46).
That in itself is commendable. I have seen many Christians whose first resort in times of trouble is to pray, and plenty more who would rather moan and complain.
But Jesus’ prayer time is quite remarkable. It is not full of flowery language and ritual. No, instead it is intimate, in that He calls God His Father. It is also immediate, in that Jesus doesn’t beat about the bush. His prayers are direct and to the point.
Do you notice something here? He is embodying the way He taught His disciples to pray:
And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. ‘This, then, is how you should pray: ‘ “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,
Matthew 6:7-9 NIVUK
But there is more. His prayer is passionate. So passionate, in fact, that...
And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.
Luke 22:44 NIVUK
Jesus is experiencing such a mental struggle that the capillaries in His forehead burst and discolour His sweat with blood. This is not a polite dinner or bed time prayer. This is the prayer of a man facing inner turmoil.
And no wonder, given the deep deprivations and physical agony that lay ahead of Him – not to mention the unimaginable pain of being abandoned by His Father.
If we set up a habit of prayer in the good times, and then keep it going in the bad times, it will serve us well if this prayer time is intimate, immediate and passionate – if we dispense with empty religiosity and hypocritical pretence and simply pour our heart out to the Lord like Hannah did (1 Samuel 1:10). These are the prayers our Lord delights to answer – and will.
As well as His practice and prayer life, Jesus does not lose His poise. He might be about to be betrayed by someone He loves, arrested, put through a kangaroo trial, beaten mercilessly and then nailed to a cross, but in the middle of so much suffering His dignity remains intact.
We might think He is on the bottom, beaten down and defeated, but that is not now He behaves. Not one bit.
Look at it carefully.
First, He rebukes Judas for betraying Him with a symbol of love – a kiss (Luke 22:47-48)
Then, He rebukes Peter and His disciples for resisting (Luke 22:49-51; John 18:10-11).
Then He rebukes the men arresting Him for being cowards who do the deed under cover of darkness, instead of doing it in the Temple during the daylight, in front of all the people (Luke 22:52-53).
Are these the actions of a beaten man?
Even when appearing before the Sanhedrin, Herod and Pilate, Jesus is dignified and does not appear for one second to be beaten.
There is a simple secret to this: it’s because He wasn’t.
Jesus knew this would happen.
Jesus had predicted it.
In the Garden of Gethsemane, He faced the prospect of it head on in prayer. And then He went on to face it with dignity.
Because He had also predicted His resurrection.
Jesus could maintain His poise throughout the horrors and indignities of His trial and crucifixion because He knew He would win. Hence this verse in Hebrews:
Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy that was set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:2 NIVUK
But look at His friends and followers!
They may have stuck to their usual practice, but they didn’t pray – they fell asleep (Matthew 26:40; Mark 14:40; Luke 22:45).
They also didn’t maintain their poise – they scattered to the four winds (Matthew 26:56; Mark 14:50-52).
And let me tell you, this is not at all unusual. They say we find out who our real friends are in adversity, and this is all too true.
Our neighbours when I was a student were two Catholic old ladies. They were a right funny pair. They used to attend every funeral going, even if they had no connection to the deceased. They would wail and moan on the back pew, get themselves invited to the funeral tea and then chat about it to my mother later.
But when my father died it was a different story. They avoided us like the plague. It was as if they could catch from us the disease that killed my Dad. Which would be difficult, since he died of Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma.
When you are going through hard times, don’t be at all surprised if some people give you a wide berth. Let them go.
But forgive them, just as Jesus forgave His disciples.
Because He knew all along they would do it (Matthew 26:31-32; Mark 14:27).
So what can we learn from this? What was it that enabled Jesus to surrender to the will of His Father God, despite the ferocity of the opposition and the intensity of the pain He faced?
In the midst of emerging chaos and hostility, Jesus calmly, and, in a sense, defiantly, keeps the same practice that He did before. He does not deviate, even if it puts Him in danger.
He also prays, even if His prayers are not liberally sprinkled with religious buzz words and are instead soaked in blood, sweat and tears.
He them maintains poise and dignity, despite the pain, and even though others around Him are completely losing theirs.
I believe Jesus is teaching us a lesson. I believe He is showing us the way.
This is the blueprint in times of trouble. This is how we make it through life when things become difficult.
This is the mind of Christ when facing impossible situations. May we know it – to the full.
Questions
1. What are the three things Jesus does to when He surrenders to His Father’s plan, even though the plan will be painful? What can we learn from this?
2. Even though Jesus did these things, His situation didn’t change. What does this teach us?
3. How can you surrender to the will of God in your situation? What will make it easier for you to do so?
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