Struggle: Thy Will be Done

The Prayer of Prayers PART IV
19 October 2014
Rev Aaron Bjerke (Keller mp3)

Matthew 26: 36-46
36Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, "Sit here while I go over there and pray."  37He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled.  38Then he said to them, "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death.  Stay here and keep watch with me."

39Going 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."

40Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping.  "Couldn't you men keep watch with me for one hour?"  he asked Peter.  41"Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.  The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."

42He went away a second time and prayed, "My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done."

THY WILL BE DONE
--Turning away from ourselves
--Confronts humanity, its structures and it's brokenness.
--Helps with a feeling of directionless.

MAGNITUDE OF JESUS'S AGONY DURING THIS PRAYER
--Overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death.
--Began to feel this way as he was praying.
--Father, I don't want to do this.
--Other Christians after Jesus had died better with more peace.
--No human being had ever faced a death like this.
--Cup was a metaphor for judgement of God's wrath and punishment. (Job and Isiah 54)
--Jesus is staggering.
--Jesus knew the joy of knowing the Father more than anyone else.
--So abandonment from God would have been that much more painful.
--Essentially the experience of Hell.
--Understanding God's wrath helps us to understand God's love.
--The more angry a God, the more loving a God.
--v.38 Jesus is scared and as a result, he prays "May your will be done"
--Seeking God's will begins with prayer.
--May Your Will be Done, because it gives us meaning.

IMMEDIACY OF JESUS'S AGONY
--Why is God allowing Jesus to experience this agony now, not just on the cross?
--Jesus had to choice to leave; so that it was his own actions and choice and sacrifice.
--So was his love for us more wonderful and his obedience to God more perfect.
--Either they perish or you perish.
--Garden of Eden - Adam, obey me about this tree of knowledge and you will live, but Adam didn't
--Garden of Gethsemane - Obey me about the tree (cross) and I will abandon you.
--Action-Cup is God's wrath and Jesus moves forward by deliberately drinking this cup.
--God's will is not necessarily defined by our upward mobility--hence JC's sacrifice.
--Affects those we love as JC's actions affected his disciples.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR PRAYER IN OUR LIVES AND HOW DO WE GET THE STRENGTH FOR THIS
--Model and Power for Obedience(Integrity) and Endurance(Trust).
--Integrity--Jesus is in the dark, nobody is seeing him, so he is same in the dark(private) as in the light.  We obey because of appearances and viewed rewards
--Are we moral and good when people aren't looking?
--Endurance--trusting God even if he doesn't understand everything.
--Elizabeth Elliot -
--Resting in nowhere else except his Will
--Challenges us to trust God.
--We only trust people when we know that they will do anything for us.
--Can you trust God? Yes because he would do anything for you.  I can take the little cup for you.
--Can you trust yourself?  Disciples fell asleep and they represent you and me.  He didn't say the deal's off.
--Thy Will be Done even when we don't agree with you or don't understand your plans for us
--Garden of Eden is begun to be "restored" by Jesus's sacrifice
--Safe place to be in God's will