Matthew 26:36-46 is about GETHSEMANE.
Matthew 26:36-39, 41
26:36. Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, “Sit here while I go and pray over there.”
26:37 And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed.
26:38 Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me.”
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.”
26:41 Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed iswilling, but the flesh isweak.”
At Gethsemane, Jesus experienced flesh pressing(flesh suffering without any sins, the sprinkling of blood).
Jesus is the Head, and we are His body.
Thus, we will also experience Jesus’ experiences.
In the last days, followers of Jesus will also experience Gethsemanein the form of flesh suffering to be able to minister God, flesh suffering because of hatred without any cause, being slandered, etc.
All these flesh sufferings cannot be tackled by everything from this world, that is richness, smartness, having high position, etc., but they can only be tackled by watching and praying(struggling).
In this world we know the quote ‘praying and working’ (ora et labora). It is not wrong, but it must be increased to watching and praying, to be able to face the ambience of Gethsemane.
There are three levels of watching and praying as follows:
Matthew 26:36-39, 41
26:36. Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, “Sit here while I go and pray over there.”
26:37 And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed.
26:38 Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me.”
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.”
26:41 Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed iswilling, but the flesh isweak.”
At Gethsemane, Jesus experienced flesh pressing(flesh suffering without any sins, the sprinkling of blood).
Jesus is the Head, and we are His body.
Thus, we will also experience Jesus’ experiences.
In the last days, followers of Jesus will also experience Gethsemanein the form of flesh suffering to be able to minister God, flesh suffering because of hatred without any cause, being slandered, etc.
All these flesh sufferings cannot be tackled by everything from this world, that is richness, smartness, having high position, etc., but they can only be tackled by watching and praying(struggling).
In this world we know the quote ‘praying and working’ (ora et labora). It is not wrong, but it must be increased to watching and praying, to be able to face the ambience of Gethsemane.
There are three levels of watching and praying as follows:
- Request prayer = the Court of Tabernacle.
Matius 26:36
26:36. Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, “Sit here while I go and pray over there.”
It is represented by eight disciples who were sitting.
(Jesus had 12 disciples; Judas Iscariot had gone, three other disciples were going together with Jesus.)
The centralof request prayer is our needs.
The requirementis the Word of God must be inside our heart, such that our prayer request is according to God’s will (not our will). Thus, God will answer our prayer.
John 15:7
15:7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.
If our prayer is not according to God’s will, it will never be answered by God, since it will harm us, especially spiritually, until we can loose our salvation.
If we pray with desire, Satan can take over and give everything (Satan will answer our prayer, not God), and the direction is spiritual destruction (we loose salvation).
Spiritual condition of life who only lifts up request prayer equals to the people who only sit (passive life).
It means as follows:- When there is no need and everything is good, he will become slack, not watch and pray.
- As Bartimaeus who is blind.
This kind of life will get what is requested, but his spiritual life is blind (dark) and he does not know the way to the Heaven. He will stumble, be lost, and perished forever.
The first group was followed by most disciples. We must go up to the next level. - When there is no need and everything is good, he will become slack, not watch and pray.
- Worship prayer = entering the Holy Place (Golden Altar of Incense).
Matthew 26:37-38
26:37 And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed.
26:38 Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me.”
It is represented by three disciples who were taken by Jesus to pray.
The centralis Jesus himself.
It means that we can worship God whenever, wherever, in any situations and conditions.
Worship prayer is an active prayer.
It means as follows:- We give all praises, honors, and majesty only to God, until we can give/ submit our whole life to God.
- Worship prayer equals to ascending into the hill of the Lord (hill of holiness).
The term "ascending into the hill" denotes flesh suffering, spiritual struggling with God. That is why many Christians do not like to worship God.
The requirementis holiness.
Psalm 24:3-5
24:3. Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD?Or who may stand in His holy place?
24:4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart,Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, Nor sworn deceitfully.
24:5 He shall receive blessing from the LORD, And righteousness from the God of his salvation.- Starting from our heart must be clean and pure. There should be neither evil desire (loving money) nor unclean desire, including envy, hatred, malice, bitterness, etc.
(Heart is the control. If heart is pure and clean, our whole life will be pure). - Pure deeds.
- Lips/ words must be pure, there should be no more lies.
If holiness declines, ministry and worship will become something which is very heavy, tiresome, even we are feel forced doing that.
In the other way, if holiness increases, ministry and worshipwill also increase and become our indulgence.
The result is we experience the rain of blessing from God,physical and spiritual blessings will be poured out by God.
Spiritual blessing is the Word, renewal of life, and Heavenly joy.
We are renewed to spiritual direction, from flesh man (clay pot) to become spiritual man (golden pot).
If water has been changed to wine, we will taste Heavenly joy.
After experiencing physical and spiritual rain of blessing, we must not become a marsh (being egoistic)!
Marsh is a place of salt heap (heap of sins).
An egoistic life will lead to the building of Babel that will be perished forever.
Isalah 14:23
14:23 “ I will also make it a possession for the porcupine, And marshes of muddy water; I will sweep it with the broom of destruction,” says the LORD of hosts.
Ezekiel 47:11
47:11 But its swamps and marshes will not be healed; they will be given over to salt.
We must drain God’s blessings to the others, that is by testifying, and joining the ministry of building body of Christ.
The ministry of building body of Christ is started from marriage, shepherding, and fellowship between shepherding, until the perfect body of Christ is formed.
Our task is to become a witness, not a follower.
We have to drain God’s blessings such that the Salt Sea (life which dies in sins) can be healed (Ezekiel 47:8-9).
If we drain God’s blessings, it equals to entering the year of revival, and we will become the heap of God’s love.
Do not be egoistic!
An egoistic life is a goat, and he will be separated! - We give all praises, honors, and majesty only to God, until we can give/ submit our whole life to God.
- The prayer of Jesus as the High Priest = the Most Holy Place.
Matthew 26:39, 42, 44
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.”
26:42 Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done.”
26:44 So He left them, went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.
It is represented by Jesus Himself.
The prayer of High Priest is a prayer that is accompanied by full flesh suffering. It equals to the veil is torn, such that the Most Holy Place can be seen.
The process of flesh suffering is gradually, little by little, until the flesh does not sound anymore. Jesus himself prayed three times.
What is the flesh that must be torn?- Sadness.
Jesus was in sadness since He as the righteous must receive injustice.
Sadness frequently makes us disappointed and desperate.
If sadness is torn apart, we will not grumble or murmur, we will always be grateful to God. - Deep distress.
Jesus was afraid to face the cross. It proves that Jesus is one hundred percent flesh man, but He does not do any sins.
Jesus bore heavier burdens than us.
We are flesh men, who are proper to be punished.
Fear of something makes us not fear of God, against God, against the Word.
If we are always afraid to sacrifice, at last we will sacrifice God.
If fear is torn apart, we will have fear of the Lord.
Proverbs 8:13
8:13 The fear of the LORD isto hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverse mouth I hate.
Fear of the Lord is to hate sins, until hate lies, whatever we have to sacrifice.
In righteousness, we must keep going on!
On the contrary, if we are against righteousness (against God), we must step back immediately! - Flesh desire or flesh will.
Matthew 26:39
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.”
James 1:13
1:13. Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.
Flesh desire always contradicts with the will of God.
Flesh desire and flesh will attract us, and then drag us to walk out of the true teaching Word (not being obedient), until fall into temptation.
After falling into temptation, flesh man even wants to solve it by doing sins.
If within the household or shepherding there is still one person who holds on the true teaching Word, God is still able to help, and he can withdraw the others to come back to God.
If all people do sins, walk out of true teaching Word, everything will go to destruction.
The example is since God remembered Abraham, Lot’s family were saved from Sodom-Gomorrah, although his wife could not be helped anymore.
Do not play with sins!
If we already know that it is sin, we should not say “just once”! Sins have attraction and pulling out power that will take us to perdition.
If flesh desire has been torn apart, we can become OBEDIENT until the flesh does not sound anymore.
Romans 8:15
8:15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.”
Let the Holy Spirit anoint us such that we can always be obedient.
- Holy Spirit gives us life.
John 6:63
6:63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and theyare life.
Do not rely on diploma, richness, etc.!
Holy Spirit determines our life physically and spiritually (we can live in righteousness and holiness). - Holy Spirit is able to solve all our problems.
Judges 14:6
14:6 And the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and he tore the lion apart as one would have torn apart a young goat, though he hadnothing in his hand. But he did not tell his father or his mother what he had done.
Impossible problem or temptation (as facing lion) will be solved as facing a young goat.
Lion also denotes false teachings.
With the anointing of Holy Spirit, we can know the deceiver and we will not be pounced by false teachings. - Holy Spirit renews us from flesh man to become spiritual man, starting from the heart of dove, that is a sincere heart.(After being baptized, Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Jesus).
Titus 3:5
3:5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,
A sincere heart does not take side on anyone, only take God’s side.
We can sincerely confess (let “yes” be “yes”, and “no” be “no”), without “but …”, “however …”, etc. God is able to erase all impossibilities until we will be renewed as perfect as Him.
- Sadness.