Jesus Prays in Gethsemane

This morning I was blown away yet again by the life of Jesus.

I listened to a sermon by a guy named Craig Groeschel this morning and then did a devotional in my devotional journal which took part of a verse, Matthew 26:40, and unpacked it. I didn't really understand what it was talking about but rather than just moving on with my day I decided to check the context of the verse and read the passage. And like I said, I was blown away by Jesus' actions.

Here's the passage:

Matthew 26:36-46:

[36] Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.” [37] And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. [38] Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.” [39] 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.” [40] And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour? [41] Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” [42] Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.” [43] And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. [44] So, leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words again. [45] Then he came to the disciples and said to them, “Sleep and take your rest later on. See, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. [46] Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.”

I've read and heard this passage before and there are a bunch of things that I read here that have always amazed me about Jesus, from His agony and grief, to His complete surrender to the Father's will over His own. But today, the one thing that stuck out to me much more was in verse 39:

"...he fell on his face and prayed..."

Jesus' posture of prayer was one of complete surrender, humility, and devestation - on His face. Have you ever been so upset to the point where you just want to fall down on your face and cry, feeling so helpless, so lost, so upset? Maybe you have or maybe you haven't, but this is somewhat where Jesus was at in His life right now. He had reached His all time low. He knew He was about to go be crucified on a cross so He begged and pleaded with His Father if "this cup" - to bear the sins of the world - could pass from Him.

Side note: I'm so thankful that God the Father didn't let the cup pass from Jesus because if He didn't die on the cross, well, there goes my salvation! End side note.

Like I said, Jesus must have been at His all time low. He was on His face praying, His closest friends were sleeping and not there for Him, and He was under so much stress that "his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground." (Luke 22:44) Jesus was so overwhelmed that He was sweating blood. That's not normal!

Sweating blood is a condition known as hematidrosis, where extreme anguish or physical strain causes one’s capillary blood vessels to dilate and burst, mixing sweat and blood. The purpose of this verse in Luke's account of the same event is to highlight the intensity of Jesus’ emotional and physical trauma.

After this, Jesus went on to face even more anguish and it culminated with Him dying on a cross.

He did it for me and He did it for you.

Walk today knowing that Jesus went through hell on earth to save you a spot with Him in Heaven. I'm going to go fall on my face and pray now.

That is all.