"And He went a little farther, and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me: nevertheless not as I will, but as You will.” (Matthew 26:39)
In this prayer we are shown the two wills of Christ, the human and Divine. The human will seeking deliverance from torture by requesting, “if it be possible”, is there another way? While at the same time the divine will, ready to submit and comply with His impending death on the cross, “not as I will, but as You will.”Three times that night Jesus prayed this prayer. Luke’s gospel records that Jesus was in such conflict of soul and body that, "his sweat became as it were great drops of blood falling down upon the ground." Luke further records that, an angel was dispensed from heaven to strengthen and support the fainting human life of our savior, that He might drink the cup of indignation and death for us (Luke 22:43-44).
This prayer of Jesus is meant for our example to follow, when going through our own struggle of wills. May we learn to endure whatever God's will may be in our lives, whether easy or difficult in dispensation, and put His will above our own.
The Truth: “In the days of His flesh, He offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety. Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things, which He suffered. And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation.”
