Thy Will Be Done

Jesus and the party leave Jerusalem and make their way to the garden of Gethsemane. The Son of man has just a few hours of freedom left before his arrest, and he intends to spend them in prayer.

We witness a shocking prayer. Jesus asks his father if there's any way to get out of this. It's because he's the only one who knows just how ferocious his father's wrath is against sin, and he's about to take that on himself—not for himself, because he was sinless, but for others.

The prophecy in Zechariah says "the shepherd" will be struck down and the sheep scattered. Jesus is the Great Shepherd of the sheep, and his prayer turns to become aligned with the Father's will. He accepts he'll be struck down, and tells the disciples they'll scatter and abandon him. Peter will even deny knowing Jesus at all. Ultimately, though, all this is for them. Jesus's sacrifice of himself means they escape condemnation. He also comforts them with a promise of a reunion after his resurrection.

We learn from all this something of the submission of Jesus; we see evidence of him being both God and man; and we encourage ourselves to be vigilant in prayer, always having the same attitude as Jesus: "May YOUR will be done, not mine, Lord."