Knowing The Word in Luke 22:39-46

Jesus Prays on the Mount of Olives

22:39 And Jesus came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him. 40 And when he came to the place, he said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” 41 And he withdrew from them about a stone's throw, and knelt down and prayed, 42 saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” 43 And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. 44 And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. 45 And when he rose from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping for sorrow, 46 and he said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation.”

Comments

Jesus left the city to pray on Mount Olivet as was the custom the last week of his life. Matthew and Mark named the place the Garden of Gethsemane while Luke was more general. Jesus encouraged his disciples to pray so they would not fall into temptation, but what temptation were they to pray about? Later we learn it was the temptation to deny Jesus.

The customary posture for prayer was to stand rather than kneel. Jesus, alone, knelt before the Father for an intense, honest conversation. He started by asking the Father to take “this cup away.” The cup had associations of suffering and the wrath of God as seen in Psalm 11:6, Isaiah 51:17, and Ezekiel 23:33. Jesus knew he would suffer on the cross. As there was in the wilderness after his baptism, an angelic presence strengthened Jesus’ human resources.

Such agony gripped Jesus that his sweat became as drops of blood. The word for agony is only found here in the New Testament. One wonders why Jesus had such agony when other humans have faced death with such calmness? The drops of blood point us to the cross, suggesting Jesus’ agony was the taking on the sins of the world that the Father had in store for him.

Worn out by grief, the disciples fell asleep, and failed to pray with and strengthen Jesus. They failed his test, so Jesus told them to keep on praying against temptation. As Jesus approached the cross, he only had divine resources to help him endure.

Application

What posture do you use for prayer—kneeling, standing, sitting, or some other? Consider your attitude to prayer in body, mind, and spirit the next time you pray, reflecting on what you do and how you do it.

Prayer

Father, thank you for strengthening your Son in the hour of his need, and remember me when I too need strengthening.