39 Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”
Jesus is in the struggle of His life. He is in the Garden of Gethsemane praying. He sees the cross ahead and wants another way to accomplish humankind’s purchase from sin. He asks the question and then yields to the will of the Father. What I find interesting is that Jesus (God in the flesh) is talking to the Father. Some say that the Trinity is a manmade idea, that God is not three-in-one and that He changed over time. But we clearly see Jesus calling out to the Father. Either both the Father and the Son exist at the same time, or Jesus is making no sense by praying to a Father who does not exist. I know this is heady theology, but it is important theology. Christianity is unique in saying that God exists eternally as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. There are three persons in the Godhead, all three equally God, all three eternal. Another way to say it is that everything that God is exists in Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Each possesses the totality of God in and of themselves, but they are never in and of themselves. When One is present, they all are present. Jesus is facing the challenge of His life and He calls out to the Father in that moment. When we are in the challenges of our lives, we can call out to God, and He will be present with us. We are never alone. The hard part of Jesus’ prayer is the last part. Are we willing to let God’s will reign in our lives? Are we willing to let go of our idea of how the situation ought to be resolved and let God determine the outcome? That is what Jesus was willing to do. He was willing to let the events of the coming day happen, even at the expense of His suffering for us.
The Arnold Journey 