What Batman Taught Me about Jesus Prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane

Going a little farther, he fell face down and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” Matthew 26:39 CSB

Devotional

In the 2008 movie, "the dark knight" Bruce Wayne says to his butler, "People are dying, Alfred. What would you have me to do? Alfred answers, endure master Wayne." This famous scene came to my mind as I was in my devotional time this morning. I thought about Jesus’ prayer for deliverance from his suffering while he was in the garden of Gethsemane. I could imagine all the pain and sorrow Jesus was experiencing in that moment as his time had come to be a sin offering for the world. Jesus knew this was the will of God for his life and spoke frequently to his disciples about it (Matthew 20:28). Yet, when the time had come to do the will of God, Jesus in his humanity was burdened by the grief and pain he would face in the coming hours. He asked, "if it were possible, let this cup pass from me." But as we see in Hebrews 12:2 he endured the cross. So, the answer to Jesus’ prayer is that he would not be delivered from this cup of suffering, but he would need to endure the cross. According to the Oxford languages dictionary endure means to suffer something painful or difficult patiently.

Purpose in Suffering

Jesus needed to endure this pain to fulfill God’s will and purpose for his life. He came to give his life as a ransom for many (Matthew 20:28). We were the many that Jesus spoke about, those who would believe in his life, death and resurrection as the ultimate sacrifice for sin and the only way to be reconciled to God. It was pain with a purpose. As a childbirth educator I can relate to the statement, "pain with a purpose." It is a statement that we are taught to relay to moms in labor so they can respond to the pain of childbirth by moving around to assist with fetal descent into the birth canal leading to a successful delivery. When we try to relieve the pain of childbirth too early in the labor process it can delay the birth of the baby as the introduction of pain medications usually means mom has to stay in bed. By comparing the pain Jesus faced with the pain of childbirth I have come to understand that our pain is not in vain but leads us to accomplish the will of God for our lives, for Jesus it meant he saved humanity from their sin and as a mom it means delivering a baby that you nurtured for the past 9 months. We see through scripture that even though we are asked to endure pain it is not the end of the story. Pain leads to glory. In Hebrews 12:2 it says to look unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross despising its shame and is set down on the right hand of God. After enduring the cross, Jesus sits in his rightful place at the right hand of God which is a place of power, authority and honor. We can take joy knowing that when we are asked to endure, there is purpose in our pain leading us to God's glory.

Prayer

Lord, we come to you today with praise and adoration because you are a good, good father and we know you have a good plan and purpose for each of our lives. Although we may not always understand the suffering you are calling us to endure, we trust in who you are. We know you are loving God who is working everything out for our good. When we are tempted to think otherwise, I pray that you will forgive us and redirect our hearts and minds on what is true. Help us to have a heart of surrender like Jesus who obeyed your will even when he was in great anguish and pain. Help us to endure suffering with joy and hope in your promises which are yes and amen. Lord, you promised that you would never leave us nor forsake us and you would be with us even unto the end of age. Thank you for being with us in the hills and the valleys and we are never alone. Strengthen us so we can run this race with perseverance and patience, that after we have done the will of God, we will receive the promise (Hebrews 10:36). Lord protect us from the fiery darts of the enemy. Give us refuge. You said he that dwelleth in the secret place of the Lord shall abide under the shadow of the almighty. Let us dwell in your secret place. There we will find safety and rest from our enemies. There we will find comfort and an enduring love that will sustain us through every trial. Lord, we love you and we thank you for everything. For thine is the kingdom, the power and glory forever more in Jesus’ name.

Points to meditate on this month

• Sometimes the answer to our prayer is to endure suffering for a season so God's glory can be revealed.
• There is purpose in our pain and suffering.
• God answers us according to his plan and purpose for our lives.
• We can endure suffering with joy and hope in God's promises.

Credits

Batman Lego Picture was downloaded from adobe photos. Credit Line-rosinka79 - stock.adobe.com