NOT MY WILL

The decision of Jesus to say “not My will, but Yours be done” guaranteed that nothing would stop our Savior.

Written by Isaac Myhal | WC ’22

“And He withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and began to pray, saying, ‘Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.'” ―Luke 22:41-42 NASB

Jesus would be torn apart within hours. From His own body, he would be pulled apart through scourging and crucifixion. From His society, He would be torn away as many would find Him too dangerous, not worth the bad publicity. Having always been connected with the Spirit and the Father, He would soon feel more alone than ever. Through all this, how would He be sin, separated from God, yet be God, who is separate from sin?

This sin; this separation; that stubborn self-seeking; that conflict trying to hold the pleasure of the world yet touch God; that insatiable knowledge that you are not experiencing good life — all aspects of sin would be committed to Christ. Every disappointment, conflict, sorrow, anguish, bleakness, dullness, and emptiness starts with people’s sins, and all of it was handed to Jesus.

Jesus could not have accepted the size of sin without His ultimate prayer in Luke 22:42. When it was most difficult, Jesus left behind His subversive human desire and let God do what He knew to be good. Therefore, Jesus remained fully God, acting with the character and ability of God, and fully human, experiencing the mortality and atrocity of human nature. He did what is right but got death, so we can get God despite our sin.

This prayer prepared Jesus for the seismic moment when He was fully isolated from the Father and Spirit. One person of God joined Satan in separation from the Father, and Satan was so repulsed by His unchanged Godhood that he choked and spat Jesus back out. Suffering and death was Satan’s final attempt to derail the coming of God’s kingdom. The decision of Jesus to say “not My will, but Yours be done” guaranteed that nothing would stop our Savior.

[Editor’s Note: The Philippians 4:8 Project is a daily centering of the WC community’s collective hearts and minds on “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” ]