The Gethsemane Prayer

Scott Sutton • April 6, 2022

Notes from Scott Sutton's message on Matthew 26.


This past Sunday, we began a short Easter series by picking up where we left off in Matthew.


In contrast to the chapters that precede it, Matthew 26 marks a significant shift in the story being told. It zooms in from the big picture movement of the Kingdom (Matthew 25) to examining the minutes, hours, and days leading up to the cross.


After telling His disciples of what was to come in God’s final judgement, he says “You know that after two days the Passover is coming and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified.” (Matthew 26:1-2)


Jesus seems to expect and even welcome crucifixion. He has spoken of this on multiple occasions to His disciples.


But then, in verses 36 - 39, Jesus prays against the cross.


These two bookends are shocking.


At the end of the chapter, in Gethsemane, consider what Jesus was praying for. He had taken Peter, James, and John with him, just a stone’s throw away so they could hear what he was praying. And what they heard was Jesus pleading to the Father, “If there is a way that I don’t have to go the cross, that’s what I want.”


We cannot overemphasize the significance of this moment.


All the way back to Genesis, we see that there would one day be one who redeems us from the fall. Generation after generation were awaiting a Messiah. The sacrificial system of the Old Testament was a tutor that helped us understand that day after day we were an unclean people in need of a blood sacrifice to make us right with God. King after king could not reign and rule over God’s people in perfect holiness. Priest after priest would have to offer daily sacrifice over daily sacrifice because they could not reign and rule in perfect holiness. There was SUCH a longing for the long-awaited Messiah.


In the Passover, God’s people sought a sacrificial lamb without blemish, in its first year, with no bones broken, whose blood would be slathered on the doorposts of God’s people so that the winged destroyer would “PASSOVER” God’s people and let their firstborn live. Families would feast on that lamb together in the safety of their homes. 


Before he goes to Gethsemane, Jesus essentially celebrates the Passover with His disciples, acknowledges that He will be betrayed, but then institutes the Lord’s Supper – effectively saying that this thing that has been done for thousands of years, generations after generation, is now about me.


He says – the bread broken represents my Body that will be broken on the cross. The cup will represent my blood, that creates a new covenant by purchasing you.


Throughout all of human history, there has been a plan unfolding for Jesus to die on the cross for the sins of the world. He proclaims the cross in the beginning of this chapter. The chief priests and elders plot to kill Him, and He knows it. Mary anoints Him with expensive oil that He proclaims is preparing His body for burial. Jesus knows that Judas will betray Him as a part of God’s plan for Jesus to be crucified. Jesus knows that the prophecy is about to be fulfuilled where He, the Shepherd, will be struck and the sheep will scatter.


All of human history has been marching toward the crucifixion, and here, in this garden in Gethsemane, the Messiah, the Savior, the Redeemer, the unblemished sacrificial lamb says,


“Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me…”


If God says, “Yes”, nobody gets saved. If what Jesus is praying for is granted by His Father, we’re dead. Eternally separated from God.


So, why did Jesus pray for this? What happened from the original proclamation of the cross to praying against the reality of the cross?


Jesus was in sorrowful agony. The weight of what lay ahead felt unbearable to Jesus. 


John Piper described this moment as a “sinless distaste for pain.” Jesus knew what was at stake and the price to be paid, and He asked if there was any other way. Jesus took on flesh precisely for this moment, but He felt His flesh too weak.


Jesus models prayer for us. Notice that Jesus didn’t say the same thing three times in a row. The Gospel of Luke tells us that after the first prayer, God sent an angel to strengthen Jesus. That’s why He doesn’t ask again for the cup to pass, but that the will of the Father be done.


His prayer – “God, here is what I want. But more than that, I want what you want… not my will by your will…”


Jesus models here what Philippians 4 tells us, that God allows our requests to be made known to Him. The result is either God granting us what we have asked, or Him giving us a “peace that exceeds understanding” – what rich mercy!



Now the disciples – particularly Peter and the Sons of Zebedee – would have had a crazy opportunity to see this modeled by Jesus Himself. But instead, they fell asleep!

Moments earlier, Jesus foretold the denial of Peter and everyone else in the group saying, “you will all fall away…” Peter responds, saying, “Even if I must die, I will not deny you!” and all the disciples said the same… EVEN IF I MUST DIE! 


…well, what if you simply must stay awake?


Prayerless proclamation is weak. How often does our prayerlessness simply come from the fact that we are just tired? We are undisciplined. 


In modeling prayer, Jesus reminds us that without God’s strength, we are hopeless.


Ephesians 6:12 says, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”


There is no other way to “overcome”.


The suffering of the Suffering Servant wasn’t just from the cross itself, but the weight that He carried to get there.

Arm Yourselves

June 11, 2025
Notes from Ky Martin's sermon on Sunday, June 8, 2025. Sermon text: 1 Peter 4:1-6 Prepare to suffer Is. 50:6-8a I gave my back to those who strike, and my cheeks to those who pull out the beard; I hid not my face from disgrace and spitting. 7 But the Lord God helps me; therefore I have not been disgraced; therefore I have set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame. 8 He who vindicates me is near. The martial language indicates that discipline and grit are needed to live the Christian life, particularly in view of the suffering believers encounter. -Thomas R. Schreiner Some people won’t like you if you follow Jesus When a culture abandons biblical standards, when extramarital sex, cohabitation, and birth outside of marriage become normal, people attack the church for its moral snobbery and judgmentalism. Peter warns us that if we do take a stand, we need to expect slander, not applause. -Daniel M. Dorian This is one of the hardest things a new Christian has to face. Your friends liked you because you shared in “the same flood of debauchery.” It seemed great fun at times, but then you came to embrace Christ… But your friends have not… They will be surprised when you say “No.” -Juan Sanchez. Keep an eternal perspective Our outcome is glorious Suffering is good for us Let’s remember that suffering accomplishes God’s purposes. It exposes what or whom we are trusting (1 Peter 1:6–7). - Juan Sanchez Ecc. 7:2 It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for this is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to heart. Discipleship Questions: Verse 1 tell us to arm ourselves by thinking as Christ did about suffering. How did Christ arm himself for and against sufferings? What does it look like for us to do that? Have you ever lost friendships (or had them change) because you were following Jesus? Do you fear that we (or our kids) will experience greater persecution in the future? If yes, how should we handle that fear?

I Believe That We Will Win

June 3, 2025
Notes from Lance Shumake's sermon on Sunday, June 1, 2025. Sermon text: 1 Peter 3:18-22 Jesus suffered and died in order to bring us to God Jesus conquered death by his resurrection “A wonderful text is this, and a more obscure passage perhaps than any other in the New Testament, so that I do not know for a certainty just what Peter means.” —Martin Luther Problem #1 - he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison —Jesus preached through Noah to those who lived at that time (1 Peter 1:10–12) —Jesus proclaimed His victory to evil angels (see Genesis 6:1-4) Problem #2 - baptism now saves you —Scripture is clear - we are saved by grace not works —baptism pictures our salvation from God’s judgment through the resurrection of Christ “The waters of baptism, like the waters of the flood, demonstrate that destruction is at hand, but believers are rescued from these waters in that they are baptized with Christ, who has also emerged from the waters of death through his resurrection. Just as Noah was delivered through the stormy waters of the flood, believers have been saved through the stormy waters of baptism by virtue of Christ’s triumph over death.” —Thomas R. Schreiner, 1, 2 Peter, Jude —in baptism we are appealing to God for a good conscience "This appeal is an act of the heart looking away from itself and from all human instruments and calling on God, appealing to God, for grace to save.” —John Piper —in baptism we are pledging to God to live in a manner worthy of the gospel Jesus ascended to heaven and now reigns over everything “We can face suffering as Christians with confidence rather than panic, and hope rather than despair, because the road marked with Christian suffering is, no matter what its twists and turns are, the road to vindication and glory. The God who vindicated Jesus will vindicate you, and he will sustain your faith until that day.” –Juan R. Sanchez, 1 Peter For You Discipleship Questions: How does Jesus’ death and resurrection encourage us when we suffer? Why did we need Jesus to suffer and die to bring us to God? How does Jesus’ victory over death give us eternal hope? What are your thoughts regarding some of the problems in this passage? How does what Peter says about baptism elevate the importance of baptism? When were you baptized and how does this passage inform your understanding of baptism? How does knowing our victory is secured help us with all the things this life throws at us?

Who Can Be Against Us?

May 27, 2025
Notes from Ky Martin's sermon on Sunday, May 25, 2025. Sermon text: 1 Peter 3:13-17 Nobody can (truly) hurt Christians Psalm 118:6 The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? Rom. 8:31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? The train of thought is as follows: “No one will be able to harm believers on the future day if they are zealous for good” (v. 13). Indeed, even present suffering is not a sign of punishment but of blessing both now and especially in the future, on the day when God rewards his people with eternal life. -Thomas R. Schreiner Honoring Christ Erases Fear Share your faith with strength and gentleness Embrace balance Be prepared to share The truth of the gospel is a public truth that can be defended in the public arena. This does not mean, of course, that every Christian is to be a highly skilled apologist for the faith. It does mean that every believer should grasp the essentials of the faith and should have the ability to explain to others why they think the Christian faith is true. -Thomas R. Schreiner Be prepared to suffer “I’ve spent a number of years in India and Africa where I found much righteous endeavor undertaken by Christians of all denominations; but I never, as it happens, came across a hospital or orphanage run by the Fabian Society [a British socialist organization], or a humanist leper colony.” -Malcolm Muggeridge Be bold! We will likely suffer as Christians in this world, but that suffering is slight and temporary compared to the eternal inheritance that awaits us. The worst thing that can happen to us is that we die and receive our promised inheritance. Can you imagine how emboldened Christians would be if we only believed what Peter is saying? -Juan R. Sanchez Discipleship Questions: Does the fact that nobody can (truly) harm us comfort you? What would change if we lived like we really believe that? Are you a more confident person as someone who knows Christ? Does your security in Christ embolden you to take some risks in life, knowing that the worst that could happen is death? How equipped / prepared are you to give a reason for the hope that you have? What would grow your confidence and competence in that? Have you considered joining Michael Clark one day for evangelism at the harbor? Well….you should….
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