Day 57: Jesus prays for a cup to be taken away
Have you ever wondered how Jesus felt about going to the cross? He’s the greatest hero that the world has ever seen, so we might think that it was no big deal. After all, Jesus could stop storms and raise the dead just with His words! But in our passage today, we see that Jesus deeply dreaded the cross. This wasn’t just because it was an incredibly painful way to die. It was because He knew that on the cross, He’d take God’s judgment for our sin.
Where did Jesus and His disciples go (v. 32)?
Gethsemane was probably a privately owned olive grove on the Mount of Olives. You could look across from there to the hill on which the temple was built.
What did Jesus tell His disciples to do (v. 32)?
Who did Jesus take with Him (v. 33)?
This is the same small group of disciples who witnessed Jesus’ transfiguration (Mark 9:2). They seem to be His inner circle. But all three of them have already made big mistakes (see Mark 8:31–33 and 10:35–40).
What did Jesus tell Peter, James, and John about how He felt in verse 34?
What did He tell them to do (v. 34)?
What did Jesus do with His body in verse 35?
What two names did Jesus use for God in verse 36?
Abba is an Aramaic word. Mark is written in Greek, but at special moments, Mark keeps words in Aramaic, which was Jesus’ first language.
What does Jesus ask His Father to do (v. 36)?
Whose will does Jesus say He’ll follow in verse 36?
What are Peter, James, and John doing when Jesus comes back (v. 37)?
What does Jesus tell them to do instead (v. 38)?
As we see when James and John ask for the seats on either side of Jesus in His kingdom, in the Old Testament, the cup of the Lord is a picture of God’s judgment against sin. On the cross, Jesus was going to take God’s judgment, so anyone who puts their trust in Jesus can have their sin forgiven. It’s an unbelievably horrifying thing to face. Jesus is dreading it.
When Jesus went to pray again and then came back, what were they doing (v. 40)?
When Jesus went to pray a third time and then came back, what were they doing (v. 41)?
What does Jesus say is happening to Him (the Son of Man) in verse 41?
What does this show about the answer the Father gave to Jesus’ prayer?
Thank Jesus for going to the cross, despite how unbearable He knew that it would be. Praise Him that He was willing to take our sin on His shoulders and bear the punishment for all of us.