Summer Prayer Fest
Today, we come to our final Prayer Fest for this summer!
This has been a pleasure for me, and I hope it has been for you. Prayer is something that we, as believers, do not take as seriously as we should. Jesus, in each of the gospels, is shown taking time out of His busy schedule to be with the Heavenly Father. He did not once use the excuse of “too many people to feed,” or “got to figure out which to choose for apostles,” or even “I have a sermon to prepare for.” Jesus’ relationship with the Father was paramount. In fact, it was in prayer that we were able to see their relationship at its most potent for you and me. In your own time, examine the night of the betrayal. Examine Jesus in the garden as He prayed. Each Gospel provides a small glimpse of this relationship.
I must admit, I was very tempted to do a mini series on this, and maybe in the future I will. However, I want to make sure you see the four pillars of Jesus’ prayer that night, each individually portrayed by the independent Gospel.
Matthew’s account emphasizes that prayer is a submission to the will of the Father: Matthew 26:39 “He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You [will.]”
The obedient son, the Ben-Joseph, is fully displayed in Matthew’s account. Our prayers should be fervent; they should be asking the Lord for what we want, but they ultimately should be recognizing that we should want His desire over our own.
Mark’s account emphasizes that our prayer is directed to our Abba, Father! Mark 14:36 “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.]” Abba, in Hebrew, is, in English, the word “Daddy”; it carries an enduring love, trust, and comfort that daddies should provide to their children. Here, Jesus reveals that our prayers are to someone who cares. I am reminded about Proverbs 15:29 “The LORD [is] far from the wicked, But He hears the prayer of the righteous.” He is not some cosmic power billions of light-years away from us, but rather the ultimate cosmic force with no equal who humbly holds us in His arms and listens to His children. What an honor and what a humbling aspect for us to remember.
Luke’s account of Jesus’ prayer in the garden reflects the physical reaction Jesus experienced during His prayer. Luke 22:44 “And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” Jesus is literally sweating droplets of blood. This is known in the medical world as hematidrosis, a rare phenomenon in which blood can appear in sweat, generally described in medical literature as associated with extreme physical or psychological stress. Tiny blood vessels surrounding sweat glands are proposed to rupture or leak, allowing blood to mix with sweat. This is important for us to recognize! Jesus understood what He was about to go through. This means prayer is not blind faith that just allows “chance” to happen. But rather, we are to do exactly what we can and, when it is out of our hands, recognize that. We should pray before, during, and after an action. Jesus did exactly that. Hematidrosis shows that Jesus fully knew what He was about to go through and still prayed. He wasn't worrying; He was in communication with the Father. It should be noted that an angel is sent to help Jesus. While we do not know what was said, we can only assume one thing. The Father sent the angel, and the angel was there to strengthen Him. Ask the Lord for assistance, and if need be, the Lord will send even an angel to you.
Finally, we come to the Gospel of John’s account. This is rather a remarkable witness of Jesus’ time in prayer in the Garden. There is not one reference to Jesus’ prayer while being in the Garden! This might sound contradictory to what I said, but it actually highlights something significant. John is writing His gospel years after the other three are already written. In fact, John has already written and distributed the book of Revelation with its seven letters to the seven churches, as well as 1 John, 2 John, and 3 John. Yet, here in Jesus’ moment, we see not a single quote! Why? Because John has the luxury, through the Holy Spirit’s guidance, to recognize that the other three gospels have already delivered the needed message to readers about what Jesus was praying, thinking, and feeling in the Garden. In fact, this is why the other gospels say nothing about Jesus' prayer before the disciples went to the garden! Only John’s gospel goes into the depth of detail. So, when you see the account of Jesus in the garden, do not think John forgot to write about it; he was actually revealing what was needed to be said had been said! John’s gospel is primarily designed for the purpose of finishing as the icing on the cake of the four gospels.
So, wrapping this all up, we have four moments each with their own unique view on Jesus’ prayer in the garden. My question to you is simple: how can we implement and apply what we have learned? This is something we each need to ask Jesus in our own prayer life and see. I have very much enjoyed our Summer Prayer Fest. This has been a time for us to focus on something that we should be praying for as a group. Do not stop here, but keep going and asking the Lord what you should be praying for next. Thank you for being a part of this journey with me, and I am excited about the next season of our prayer lives!
Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,
JL