Easter MattersSample

Written by Ben Hewitt - Lead Pastor of City on a Hill Ballarat

What scares you? Whether it’s snakes, spiders, small spaces or something more sinister, we all have things that make us shrink back in fear.

Until this moment in Jesus’ life, he has been completely untouched by fear. He has stood up to powerful people. He has stood down storms that have melted seasoned fishermen. He has gone head to head with Satan himself and shown no signs of backing down. Just hours before this prayer Jesus has been in complete control. However, in these final moments before his arrest, finally fear has caught up with him. Here we have a real man, offering real prayers with real fear for what lies before him. Jesus is fully God and fully human, and in this scene we see his humanity at the fore. He pleads with his Father to remove this cup from him — it’s not the prospect of torture in human hands that troubles him but drinking the cup of his Father’s wrath. That is, drinking all the devastating consequences of human sin down to the last drop. He knew what abhorrent pain awaited him in that cup, so he begs God to find another way, sweat pouring from him like blood.

Nevertheless, not my will, but yours be done.

Jesus trusted his Father’s will. He was submissive to the end. His prayer was heard but his request was denied. How often do we pray and turn on God when we don’t get the answer we want? Every prayer of faith should finish like Jesus does here. Not my will but yours be done.

Today ponder this:

When was the last time we prayed with such urgency and dependence as Jesus does? Do we trust God that He knows what’s best when it comes to answering our prayers?