ESOCS Devotional 13 July 2024 – Not My Will, But Your Will
MEMORY VERSE: “Abba, Father,” he cried out, “everything is possible for you. Please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” (Mark 14: 36 NLT)
TEXT: MARK 14:26-42
And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
27 Then Jesus said to them, “All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written:
‘I will strike the Shepherd,
And the sheep will be scattered.’
28 “But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee.”
29 Peter said to Him, “Even if all are made to stumble, yet I will not be.”
30 Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you that today, even this night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.”
31 But he spoke more vehemently, “If I have to die with You, I will not deny You!”
And they all said likewise.
32 Then they came to a place which was named Gethsemane; and He said to His disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” 33 And He took Peter, James, and John with Him, and He began to be troubled and deeply distressed. 34 Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch.”
35 He went a little farther, and fell on the ground, and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him. 36 And He said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will.”
37 Then He came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “Simon, are you sleeping? Could you not watch one hour? 38 Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
39 Again He went away and prayed, and spoke the same words. 40 And when He returned, He found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy; and they did not know what to answer Him.
41 Then He came the third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? It is enough! The hour has come; behold, the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. 42 Rise, let us be going. See, My betrayer is at hand.”
Read Other ESOCS Devotional here
We have in this passage a roadmap for walking in faithfulness with Jesus. We must learn to surrender to the Spirit and to crucify the flesh.
Jesus and His disciples continued to a place called Gethsemane (v 32). The name Gethsemane comes from Hebrew and means “olive press”. Jesus withdrew with His inner three disciples, Peter, James and John to pray, leaving the remaining disciples. Mark tells us that Jesus began to be greatly distressed and troubled (v 33). Jesus said that His soul was very sorrowful, even to death (v 34). He fell to the ground, calling out to God in prayer. In Luke’s account we are told that while Jesus was praying, He began to sweat what appeared to be “great drops of blood” (Luke 22:44).
What laid ahead for Jesus was worse than death. He asked His Father to remove this cup from Him. Psalm 75:8 says, “For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup with foaming wine, well mixed, and he pours out from it, and all the wicked of the earth shall drain it down to the dregs.” This is the cup to which Jesus referred. He was to drink it in the place of sinners! Earlier in the night, He held up for His disciples a cup, which He said was “my blood of the covenant.” This was cup of mercy for His disciples; but now, Jesus knew that He must drink the cup of wrath. He completely emptied the cup of wrath so that we might freely drink from the cup of mercy.
As this difficult night unfolds for Jesus, He asked His disciples to pray. Three separate times, Jesus returned to His small group of disciples to find them sleeping. The first time He found His disciples sleeping, He specifically called out Peter: “Simon, you are asleep? Could you not watch one hour?” (v 37). Remember that as Mark tells the story, the last time Jesus and His disciples were on the Mount of Olives, He warned them about all the suffering which lay ahead and He had one important message for them: Stay awake! (Mark 13:37). We understand that Jesus was referring to a spiritual alertness but as we see here this includes a physical alertness as well.
In the midst of Jesus’ rebuke of His disciples for their sleep, He gave us some profound insight into the issue they were facing – “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” (v 38). More than anywhere else in Mark’s Gospel, we see the very real struggle Jesus had: to be faithful to His calling. The temptation He faced on this night was quite real. The author of Hebrews reminds that we have in Jesus, “one who in every respect has been tempted as we are” (Hebrews 4:15). Jesus entered fully into our “humanness.” He had a willing spirit but like us He had to wrestle with this flesh. However, unlike Peter and the rest of us, Jesus overcame the flesh. This is why Hebrews 4:15 says that he was tempted in every way we are, “yet without sin.”
- Have you been struggling between having your way or God’s will?
- Gracious Father, teach me from my heart to submissively say – ‘Thy will be done’ through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Further Reading: Deuteronomy 4:25-35; Ezekiel 33:1-9; Acts 7:1-16
ESOCS Devotional 13 July 2024
