An Unforgettable Prayer

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And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”  Matthew 26:39 ESV

This prayer of Jesus was etched into the minds of His disciples, like none other He had prayed. At an earlier time, when the disciples had seen Jesus praying, they asked, “Lord teach us to pray.” But this prayer was not like that one. This midnight prayer left them so overwhelmed by sorrow, that they fell asleep. They had never seen Jesus like this. They were used to Him commanding the wind and waves or casting out demons. But at this moment it almost seemed as if Jesus was afraid. His words were so unforgettable that three of the four gospels repeat them. His words seemed shocking, “If it is possible, let this cup pass.”  It sounded like such a hopeless prayer. They must have wondered how that could be? Didn’t Jesus have enough faith? Had He done something wrong? NO, not for a moment! But the answer to His cry lay hidden even from Him for that moment. Hidden behind the suffering, shame, betrayal, and mocking was the miracle of our redemption. The Father would remove the cup from His hand, but not until He after had drunk from it for us all. When Jesus accepted that cup in Gethsemane, and drained it of its poison, He made it possible for it to be filled it with the new wine of salvation that is still running over with eternal life for you and me!

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He Wants to Sit With Us

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And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer: 
Luke 22:15 KJV

When I was in Junior High, (more than a few years ago!) one of the most important things of the school-day was finding who to sit with at lunch. If, as a seventh grader, I could sit with the older cooler guys in 8th I knew I would be set for life! Considering the fact that Jesus already knew that Judas would soon betray Him, Peter deny Him and the rest turn tail and run, it is astonishing to read that He was looking forward to sitting down with them all for dinner. Adding to those disturbing details, a few verses down we learn that while Jesus is giving them the bread and the wine and telling them that it represented His body and blood, they were arguing over which one of them was the greatest. This sounds like the worst possible family get together that we could ever imagine! But as bad as the events occurring around that dinner table sound, it gives me hope! It gives me hope because there are times when every one of us has acted like one of those guys! We have been far less loving, more proud and unkind, yet Jesus still says, He is longing to sit down at the table with us. So, the next time you receive communion, remember that night, when it all began. There, Jesus gave His body to suffer for our sins and His blood to pay the price for us to begin a new life with God. What a loving Savior we have. How amazing that He wants to sit down at the table and share His life with us!

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Surprised by Love

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A dispute also arose among them, as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest. Luke 22:24 ESV

Earlier this year, I was surprised by the beautiful flower that suddenly appeared on a large cactus, that had always looked awkward and unlovely. Somehow, just the right combination of rainfall and temperature, had flipped the switch on an inner clock and spectacular white blossoms began to cover its dull and twisted trunk. In the same way, a funny thing happened at the Last Supper. Just after Jesus had finished giving them the bread and the wine, while supper was ending, the disciples began arguing among themselves about who was most important. I can just imagine Jesus striking his forehead and crying out “Oy Vey! These disciples are making me crazy!”

We may chuckle at the absurdity of that scene, but sadly, that conflict about who is the most important, has remained among us till today. But that night, Jesus set us all an example of what we should be doing, when He surprised the disciples by beginning to wash their feet. Now, we don’t do much foot washing in the 21st century, but the kind of service that this humble task represents is still very much with us. As Easter approaches, we need to each ask God just how He wants us to wash feet. His answer just may become the greatest surprise of our lives!

 So He got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. John 13:4-6 ESV