Matthew 26:39 39And going a little farther he fell down on his face praying and saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”
This simple prayer of Jesus gives great insight into many things about him. First, his prayer shows a posture of submission. Praying face down was the humblest position one could take. What lay ahead of him was beyond human capacity. He needed the strength provided by his heavenly Father. There are many ways to pray. At this point, Jesus needed the strength of the Father, and so prayer was the way to seek this help.
Second, we see his relationship to God the Father. The intimacy of Jesus’ address to God cannot be missed. Mark records the Aramaic form “Abba.” John’s Gospel notes many times the close bond between Jesus the Son and God the Father. Jesus’ prayer in the garden was not a one shot deal out of desperation but the culmination of a lifetime of communion. It could be argued that Jesus as the Son of God did not need to pray because God is one. But the significant point the New Testament makes is that Jesus became like we are, even in human weakness, but he did not sin. He set a pattern for us in every aspect of life, especially in prayer and communion with the Almighty God. God the Son became like us to show us the pattern for us to follow.
Third, it shows his earnest intercession for the world. The cup represented suffering and the wrath of God in the Old Testament (Psalm 11:6; Isaiah 51:17). The specific cup to which Jesus refers is his suffering and death on the cross. This cup would be difficult to drink because it meant bearing the sins of the world and facing physical torture and painful death.
Fourth, the prayer shows that Jesus was willing to follow the Father’s will, even if it meant his death. The easy but selfish way would be to walk away from it all. But Jesus did not take the easy way. Doing the Father’s will is not always easy and may cost us our life, but it is always the best way. Jesus took the position of an obedient servant in humility by following the path to the cross. The way of the cross brings resurrection power and requires the submission to God’s will.
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