Who Is Jesus? Part 4Sample

Livin’ on a Prayer

Chapter 26 is loaded and shows us so much about Jesus. In the beginning, He’s anointed as a king in preparation of what’s coming. Next, He’s revealed as the Passover Lamb. Soon, He’s arrested in a garden. The same place our story and our problem got started. 

See, back in the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve rebelled against God. Instead of partnering with Him, they tried to rule in His place. In other words, they chose to trust their will instead of God’s will. And in doing so, they rebelled and brought the disease of sin into creation. Sin is a disease that distorts every aspect of who we are and has corrupted God’s good creation. And we see the effects of this condition in our world every day. 

But in this chapter, we find Jesus in another garden, the Garden of Gethsemane. He knows exactly what’s coming for Him. A close friend is on his way to betray Him. The same crowd that shouted “Hosanna” a few days before would be shouting the words, “Crucify him!” Roman soldiers would torture Him. Friends would abandon Him. Religious leaders would mock Him. Ultimately, people He came to save would crucify Him. But instead of resisting this plan, Jesus submits. He prays: Not my will, but Yours be done. And He models exactly what we were invited to do all along—partner with God in His good plan for creation. 

Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” Matthew 26:39 NIV 

Three times He prays that the Father’s will would be done in and through His life. And remember all the way back in Matthew 6 when Jesus taught us how to pray? He said: 

“This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven …’” Matthew 6:9-10 NIV

And once again, Jesus didn’t just say things for the sake of saying them, He actually lived them. He’s so consistent and authentic. In the most difficult and painful moments of His life, He’s still praying, Father, Your will be done. 

And look at the results. Adam and Eve’s story demonstrates the catastrophic outcome of living a life based on our will and desires. That life brings pain and corruption into creation. Because a life centered around what I want leads me to trample on and take advantage of others. But in Jesus, we get to see the perfect example of what a life surrendered to God’s will looks like. Was it easy? Definitely not. But the result of Jesus’ choice to trust God’s will was hope and salvation becoming possible for all of creation. God brought life from death through Jesus’ obedience. 

We have this same choice today. Will we choose to trust and follow our own way? Or will we daily choose to follow God’s will for our lives? That’s what being a Jesus follower really means. 

Then he [Jesus] said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me.” Luke 9:23 NLT