NOT MY WILL BUT YOURS BE DONE
chapter 20
39. Some of the teachers of the law responded, "Well said, teacher!"
40. And no one dared to ask him any more questions.
41. Then Jesus said to them, "Why is it said that the Messiah is the son of David?
42. David himself declares in the Book of Psalms: "’The Lord said to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand
43. until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet."’
44. David calls him ’Lord.’ How then can he be his son?"
45. While all the people were listening, Jesus said to his disciples,
46. "Beware of the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets.
47. They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely."
chapter 21
1. As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury.
2. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins.
3. "Truly I tell you," he said, "this poor widow has put in more than all the others.
4. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on."
5. Some of his disciples were remarking about how the temple was adorned with beautiful stones and with gifts dedicated to God. But Jesus said,
6. "As for what you see here, the time will come when not one stone will be left on another; every one of them will be thrown down."
7. "Teacher," they asked, "when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are about to take place?"
8. He replied: "Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, claiming, ’I am he,’ and, ’The time is near.’ Do not follow them.
9. When you hear of wars and uprisings, do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away."
10. Then he said to them: "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.
11. There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven.
12. "But before all this, they will seize you and persecute you. They will hand you over to synagogues and put you in prison, and you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of my name.
13. And so you will bear testimony to me.
14. But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves.
15. For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict.
16. You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers and sisters, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death.
17. Everyone will hate you because of me.
18. But not a hair of your head will perish.
19. Stand firm, and you will win life.
20. "When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near.
21. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those in the city get out, and let those in the country not enter the city.
22. For this is the time of punishment in fulfillment of all that has been written.
23. How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! There will be great distress in the land and wrath against this people.
24. They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
25. "There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea.
26. People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken.
27. At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
28. When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near."
29. He told them this parable: "Look at the fig tree and all the trees.
30. When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near.
31. Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near.
32. "Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.
33. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
34. "Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap.
35. For it will come on all those who live on the face of the whole earth.
36. Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man."
37. Each day Jesus was teaching at the temple, and each evening he went out to spend the night on the hill called the Mount of Olives,
38. and all the people came early in the morning to hear him at the temple.
chapter 22
1. Now the Festival of Unleavened Bread, called the Passover, was approaching,
2. and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some way to get rid of Jesus, for they were afraid of the people.
3. Then Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, one of the Twelve.
4. And Judas went to the chief priests and the officers of the temple guard and discussed with them how he might betray Jesus.
5. They were delighted and agreed to give him money.
6. He consented, and watched for an opportunity to hand Jesus over to them when no crowd was present.
7. Then came the day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed.
8. Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, "Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover."
9. "Where do you want us to prepare for it?" they asked.
10. He replied, "As you enter the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him to the house that he enters,
11. and say to the owner of the house, ’The Teacher asks: Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’
12. He will show you a large room upstairs, all furnished. Make preparations there."
13. They left and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover.
14. When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table.
15. And he said to them, "I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.
16. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God."
17. After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, "Take this and divide it among you.
18. For I tell you I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes."
19. And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me."
20. In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.
21. But the hand of him who is going to betray me is with mine on the table.
22. The Son of Man will go as it has been decreed. But woe to that man who betrays him!"
23. They began to question among themselves which of them it might be who would do this.
24. A dispute also arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest.
25. Jesus said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors.
26. But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves.
27. For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.
28. You are those who have stood by me in my trials.
29. And I confer on you a kingdom, just as my Father conferred one on me,
30. so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
31. "Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat.
32. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers."
33. But he replied, "Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death."
34. Jesus answered, "I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me."
35. Then Jesus asked them, "When I sent you without purse, bag or sandals, did you lack anything?" "Nothing," they answered.
36. He said to them, "But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don’t have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one.
37. It is written: ’And he was numbered with the transgressors’; and I tell you that this must be fulfilled in me. Yes, what is written about me is reaching its fulfillment."
38. The disciples said, "See, Lord, here are two swords." "That’s enough!" he replied.
39. Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him.
40. On reaching the place, he said to them, "Pray that you will not fall into temptation."
41. He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed,
42. "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done."
43. An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him.
44. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.
45. When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow.
46. "Why are you sleeping?" he asked them. "Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation."
47. While he was still speaking a crowd came up, and the man who was called Judas, one of the Twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss him,
48. but Jesus asked him, "Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?"
49. When Jesus’ followers saw what was going to happen, they said, "Lord, should we strike with our swords?"
50. And one of them struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear.
51. But Jesus answered, "No more of this!" And he touched the man’s ear and healed him.
52. Then Jesus said to the chief priests, the officers of the temple guard, and the elders, who had come for him, "Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come with swords and clubs?
53. Every day I was with you in the temple courts, and you did not lay a hand on me. But this is your hour - when darkness reigns."
54. Then seizing him, they led him away and took him into the house of the high priest. Peter followed at a distance.
55. And when some there had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat down with them.
56. A servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked closely at him and said, "This man was with him."
57. But he denied it. "Woman, I don’t know him," he said.
58. A little later someone else saw him and said, "You also are one of them." "Man, I am not!" Peter replied.
59. About an hour later another asserted, "Certainly this fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean."
60. Peter replied, "Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!" Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed.
61. The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: "Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times."
62. And he went outside and wept bitterly.
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Luke 20:39-22:62Luke Lesson 86 (2021)
NOT MY WILL BUT YOURS BE DONE
Luke 22:39-62
Key Verse: 22:42
Open it:
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When was the last time that you remember facing the temptation? How did you overcome it?
Explore it:
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Read verses 39-40. Why do you think Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives? What instructions did Jesus give to his disciples?
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Read verses 41-42. Why do you think Jesus withdrew from his disciples? (41) What does Jesus’ prayer reveal about his character and relationship with the Father? (Is his prayer to have the “cup” removed an indication of his weakness? Explain.) Why do we avoid seeking what the Father’s will actually is?
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Read verses 43-44. How was Jesus strengthened at this challenging time? How did Jesus confront his own anguish and dread?
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Read verses 45-46. What did Jesus find when he returned to the disciples? Why were the disciples so exhausted? (45) For what reason did Jesus advise his disciples to pray?
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Read verses 47-53. What were the actions of Judas hypocritical and insincere? (47-48) Why did Jesus reveal his identity to his opponents? (49) How did Jesus react when one of his disciples tried to protect him? (50-51) What did Jesus mean when he said, “This is your hour – when darkness reigns”?
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Read 54-62. What do the actions of Peter in this story reveal about his character? What can we do to stand against the pressure of others to do things we know are wrong?
Apply it:
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Through Jesus’ prayer, what do you learn how you should pray not to fall into temptation?
Attachment
Luke Lesson 86 (2021)
“NOT MY WILL, BUT YOURS BE DONE”
Luke 22:39-62
Key Verse: 22:42
“Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”
Today’s passage describes Jesus’ prayer on the Mount of Olives, immediately followed by his arrest and Peter’s denial. Being fully aware of what was coming to him, Jesus prepared himself to obey the will of God. He also asked his disciples to pray so that they may not fall into temptation (40, 46). We may assume that the disciples fell into temptation because of their lack of prayer. Yes and no. It seems more accurate to say that they fell into temptation because they failed to surrender themselves to God’s will through prayer.
Prayer is a widespread religious practice among all religious people, including Christians, Jewish, Muslims, Hindi, Buddhists, and even Shamanists. They pray their wishes may come true. Even an atheist might accidentally pray in desperation, “God, help me!” As limited human beings, we cannot help but ask God to do what we want. As Christian disciples, we may pray a lot but not necessarily obey God’s will. The fact of the matter is that many Christians fall into temptation in life and suffer the consequences. How can we pray not to fall into temptation? We should learn to pray as Jesus did on the Mount of Olives. Jesus’ prayer on the Mount of Olives was an intense spiritual battle to surrender himself to the will of God. He won the spiritual victory through prayer. Indeed, Jesus’ Gethsemane prayer is the core of the Christian faith. This morning, let us go to the Mount of Olives and learn to pray, as Jesus did.
Look at verses 39-40. “Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. On reaching the place, he said to them, ‘Pray that you will not fall into temptation.” After the Last Supper with his disciples, Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives. The phrase “as usual” indicates that it was Jesus’ routine to spend the night on the Mount of Olives during the last few days in Jerusalem. Probably his disciples, including Judas Iscariot, followed him there. But that evening was different. Jesus was aware that Judas left him to betray him, and it would be his last visit. It was a time of crisis for Jesus and his disciples. Jesus was fully aware that his disciples would be traumatized by what would happen in the next few days, including his immediate arrest and cruel death through the crucifixion. It would be a terrible nightmare and a time of temptation and test for their faith, which they could not avoid. It would be very violent and ugly.
If Jesus wanted to avoid the dangerous confrontation, he could have gone somewhere else. Instead, he chose to go as usual to the Mount of Olives to confront his betrayer. On reaching the place, knowing his disciples’ spiritual unpreparedness, Jesus said to his disciples, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.” When Jesus told them to pray that they would not fall into temptation, he wanted his disciples to engage in spiritual warfare through their prayers.
Even though Luke’s account does not mention it, it is evident that Jesus was deeply distressed and troubled at that time (Mk. 10:33). What did Jesus do in the time of distress? As he encouraged his disciples to pray, he also began to pray. Look at verses 41 and 42. “He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, ‘Father if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.’” We are not told about how far a stone’s throw is. But we know that it’s far enough to be alone and close enough to hear, especially at night.
As far as I consider it standard, prayer posture is to close our eyes and bow our heads, either sit or stand. So I wouldn’t expect anyone to open their eyes during prayer. But the typical Jewish prayer posture of the day was standing with eyes open and lifted to heaven, and that is what Jesus often did (Pic#1). When we pray in a desperate situation, we would generally kneel and pray. At this time, Jesus also knelt down and prayed, indicating urgency and humility (Pic#2).
Look at verse 42 again. “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” Compared to other gospel narratives, Luke’s description of Jesus’ prayer on the Mount of Olive is brief. He omits several details. Yet, he focuses on a few points.
First of all, Jesus, in the deep distress of his soul, came to the presence of God in prayer. Jesus’ prayer started by coming to the presence of God the Father. Some of us may think that we cannot pray unless we know our prayer topics. Sometimes, we don’t even know what to pray. But that’s okay. To Jesus, prayer was not saying something or telling God what to do. It is to acknowledge God the Father as the ultimate source of power, protection, and provision. Jesus’ prayer started by coming to the presence of God the Father personally in the deep agony of his soul. Most of us are stressed and often feel overwhelmed with many things. But we need to put aside all worries and anxieties and come to God just as we are. We don’t have to say a word when we pray. Just try to be in the presence of God the Father, who loves unconditionally and accepts us just as we are and knows everything and what is best for us. Coming to the presence of God, our Father, is prayer.
Apostle Paul said that prayer is very effective in overcoming our chronic anxiety. He said in Philippians 4:6-7 that we should always pray with thanksgiving, and the peace of God would guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. That’s so true. Facing all kinds of life challenges in the world, we tend to worry a lot. Due to the long-lasting pandemic these days, I see many people suffer from anxiety disorders and cry out for help. I am glad that numerous services are available, such as mental health counseling, yoga, meditation, and even prescription-drug. But we must also know that the primary goal of Christian prayer is not just to overcome fear and anxiety but to have a personal relationship with God our Father. The peace of God is the byproduct of our relationship with God our Father.
Look at verse 42 again. “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” In this verse, we see Jesus’ intense spiritual struggle. Jesus prayed, saying, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me.” Here, “this cup” refers to his trials, including terrible sufferings of humiliation, excruciating pains, and cruel death on the cross. Jesus was fully human, just as we are. So, the cup of his suffering and death took a heavy toll on him. Humanly speaking, Jesus was just over 30 years of age, too young to die. He cried out to God by saying, “Father. If you are willing, take this cup from me.” I am sure that his disciple could hear when Jesus cried out in prayer. The human Jesus surely didn’t want to die. “No, I don’t want to die.”
But he also said, “Yet not my will, but yours be done.” We see that Jesus was in a dilemma between his will and God’s will. He was deeply troubled in deciding either to follow his human desire or to follow God’s will to take the cup of suffering and death on the cross.
We can clearly see that it was not an easy decision for Jesus to make, saying, “Well, it’s no big deal. I will die because I will rise again anyway.” No, Jesus really struggled that if possible, he didn’t want to die. Was he weak? No. It shows that he was fully human, like us. Undoubtedly, it was an even greater temptation for Jesus because he was entirely God who had the right to choose not to die but to live. Yet, we see that in his prayer, Jesus asked God’s help so that he would follow his Father’s will through his submission. Wow! It was an intense spiritual battle. I am not sure how many of us can struggle as Jesus did. I don’t think we can fully understand the intensity of Jesus’ struggle on the Mount of Olives. But we are encouraged to do so in the Scriptures. “In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood.” (Hebrews 12:4)
Hebrews 5:7 describes the glimpse of Jesus’ fierce spiritual struggle on the Mount of Olives. “During days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his submission.” The phrase “prayers with fervent cries and tears” stands out to me. It was such intense spiritual wrestling in the deep agony of his soul. I am sure that the devil that came to tempt Jesus earlier in the wilderness came back to Jesus and whispered, “Hey, Jesus. You don’t have to die. You have the power to do your own. Take it easy! Don’t be foolish!”
Look at verses 43-44. “An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.” Luke is the only one who mentioned the appearance of an angel who strengthened Jesus in times of great spiritual battle. The phrase “his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground” highlights the intensity of Jesus’ spiritual struggle against his flesh. Yet, through prayer, Jesus won the victory over the temptation and decided to surrender to God’s will. If Jesus chose not to submit to God’s will, there would be no hope of salvation for us.
We all struggle between our human desires and God’s will. We want to be successful, rich, and famous. It’s not wrong to be successful, rich, or famous. Yet, it’s also easy for us to become proud, selfish and greedy, and fall into temptation. When we experience failure, one after another, we can also fall into temptation with doubt and fear. Like Jesus, we need to learn to fight a spiritual to not fall into temptation through prayers.
We should remember that we will not be left alone in our spiritual struggles because the Lord will be with us. In the book of Genesis, we see how the angel appeared to Jacob and wrestled with him as he prepared to meet his older brother, Esau (Gen. 32:22-32) (Pic#3). Indeed, the Lord wants to help us in times of our need. Hebrews 4:15-6 confirms it by saying, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are – yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”
Look at verses 45-46. “When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. ‘Why are you sleeping?’ he asked them, ‘Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.’” The disciples could have heard how Jesus fought the spiritual battle. But they failed to join the spiritual warfare, being exhausted from sorrow. I think that they were emotionally burnt out.
In verses 47-53, we see how Jesus confronted his arrest in the middle of the night with confidence. We don’t see any trace of fear, confusion, or hesitancy in Jesus’ words and actions. Instead, he was in charge of the matters. First of all, When Judas Iscariot approached to kiss Jesus as the signal for his collaborators, Jesus confronted him by asking him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?” (48) Isn’t it too late for Judas to repent? No. Judas can also enter the kingdom of God if he repented of his sins. In truth, no one can enter or see the kingdom of God unless they are repentant of their sins.
The sudden appearance of the temple guards with swords and clubs, along with the priests, the officers of temple guards, and the elders (Sanhedrin members), was a significant threat to Jesus’ disciples. They immediately reacted and tried to fight back physically using their swords. They appeared to be brave, but they were scared. One of them struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear. But Jesus said to them, “No more of this!” (51) And he immediately touched the man’s ear and healed him. Jesus rationalizes no violence for building God’s kingdom.
In verses 54-62, we see how Simon Peter disowns Jesus three times as Jesus predicted. Simon Peter was one of Jesus’ dearest disciples and friends. He loved Jesus and was loyal to him. Yet, he could not accept Jesus’ way of becoming the Messiah. When Jesus predicted his suffering and death, after being rejected by Jewish religious leaders, Simon Peter took Jesus aside and rebuked him, saying, “Never, Lord, This shall never happen to you!” (Mt. 16:22) Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me.” (Mt. 16:23) Even though Simon Peter was loyal to Jesus, more than any other disciples, he disowned Jesus in front of others, not just once but three times on the very night of Jesus’ arrest (57, 58, 60).
Why did he deny Jesus? It’s not because he didn’t love Jesus. It was because he was afraid to suffer and die. So to avoid suffering and death, Simon lied repeatedly, disowning his own Savior, Lord, best friend, and the most excellent teacher, Jesus Christ.
Fear and anxiety are powerful but negative emotions that can separate us from having fellowship with God our Father and often damage our lives. How can we overcome fear and anxiety? We need to be aware of our negative emotions, such as fear, anxiety, and anger. Many people are emotional, but they are not aware of their feelings. So they don’t respond, but they react. Most of all, we need to learn to obey the will of God through prayer. Jesus made his final choice to surrender himself to the will of God through his prayer on the Mount of Olives. Jesus said to his followers earlier in Luke 9:24, “For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world and yet lose or forfeit their very self?” Life is paradoxical. But Jesus practiced what he taught his disciples
We still have our choice to follow our flesh or to follow God’s will. We are weak and vulnerable because we are human. But when we choose to surrender to God’s will, I assure you that we have God’s kingdom, his everlasting presence, in our lives now and forever. Jesus’ prayer on the Mount of Olives is the core Christian faith that leads us to a victorious and fruitful life in all circumstances. May we learn to surrender ourselves to the will of God, just as Jesus did. “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; but not my will but yours be done.”