Peace of Prayer
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
We are going to look at Jesus, in maybe what is His most vulnerable moment.
Who here deals with being vulnerable?
Who here deals with rejection?
Who hear has dealt with being let down when you need people the most?
Jesus has dealt with this and more.
Who here has known something bad was about to happen, and could not change it?
What did it feel like?
What did you do, even though you could not do anything to prevent it?
There are many things in life that we cannot control, and most of the time we are not going to know before hand.
It is hard to know, but when we can, and we know we cannot do anything about it.
I have been in a lot of situations like this, and I am sure you have as well.
I am sure we all have an idea of the feeling.
The thoughts that go through our head.
Jesus is about to go through, arguably the situation in history and ever.
Jesus is fully God, and fully man.
This means that He knows everything.
He cannot learn anything.
But he is also a human.
God took on a human body.
He has all of the same emotions, and fears and thoughts as we would.
He has the same struggles as we would.
Jesus is about to be arrested, betrayed, abandoned by His friends, wrongfully accused, tortured to short of death, sentenced to death, and then brutally executed in a long and drawn out way publicly.
Jesus is about to do this for you, and for me.
He is going to do this that we can be have a relationship with God.
The least we can do is try and understand and put ourselves in His shoes.
He know all of this.
Imagine this.
Let’s see what Jesus does...
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.” 37 And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed. 38 Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me.”
Jesus grabs His three closest friends.
These three also had the privilege of seeing Jesus transfigured, or in His divine glory on a mountain.
They were arguably the three closest to Jesus.
We all have people we are closer to, and we only get that way by spending time with them.
Jesus was their Master, but He also called them friend.
Who do you choose to have with you? and why ?
Because these people have proven themselves to you and you have put trust in them.
Even if we don’t have as many of these people as others, we all have someone in mind who we want to be with us in hard times.
I don’t mean your crush… Chill out!
I mean a person who is a friend.
How does Jesus admit to His friends that He feels?
EXCEEDINGLY SORROWFUL!
What an emotion.
I am pretty sure we have no idea what Jesus was really feeling...
I am pretty sure there is no word or phrase to convey how He is feeling, or what He is about to feel.
He really just wants someone with Him in His darkest hour, much like you and I would.
What does Jesus do in this intense situation? Let’s see...
Jesus prays alone.
What does Jesus do?
He prays.
What is prayer?
Why do people pray?
Jesus is submitting His will to the Father.
This is very hard to do.
He says: “Your Will Be Done.”
What a beautiful way of saying give me peace.
This is the purpose of prayer, and by doing it the right way, will bring peace.
Jesus is doing what Paul is telling us in our verses this week.
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Jesus is praying in everything.
How many of you would be praying in a situation like this?
I am pretty sure it would not be my first thought or action.
I would be freaking out.
Paul says to not be anxious for anything for anything.
This counts as “anything”.
The peace of God which surpasses all understanding!
Think about that?
Do you understand it?
I do not understand how prayer can bring peace.
The thing is that this is the peace from God.
It is not a natural origin.
This is what happened when Jesus allowed God’s will to be done.
This should be our model.
40 Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “What! Could you not watch with Me one hour? 41 Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
Jesus finds His friends sleeping!
Can you believe this?
How would you feel?
Good thing the is a supernatural peace that God is sustaining Jesus with.
Jesus has told them all what is about to happen, and He says He needs them and what do they do? They sleep.
Now we could be judgmental, but you know what, I find myself maybe doing the same thing as them.
I am not the strongest, but
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.” 43 And He came and found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy. 44 So He left them, went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words. 45 Then He came to His disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 Rise, let us be going. See, My betrayer is at hand.”
Jesus prays again!
He does not just do the religious thing.
He comes back and resubmits Himself to the will of the Father.
He even says if there is another way, if he can avoid it.
But either way this is the point of prayer, and God will surround you and I with peace.
So many people misunderstand prayer and peace.
16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.