The Son of God Asks: Is There Another Way? (Matthew 26:36-46)

Class Outline:

Sunday February 22, 2026

 

MAT 26:36-39

Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to His disciples, "Sit here while I go over there and pray."  37 And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be grieved and distressed. 38 Then He said to them, "My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch with Me." 

 

39 And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will."

 

Analyzing this prayer. 

 

“My Father” is a rare opening in prayer for Him. 

 

“If it is possible …” 

 

The Lord phrases this in a first class condition (if with an indicative - if and its true (sometimes) or “if and let's assume for the sake of argument that it is true”).  

 

God’s response is something along the lines of: “Yes it is possible, but it is not My will.” To a person of faith, this is a great comfort. To a person of self, the response is anger towards God. 

 

“Jesus’ plea in the Garden, “If it is possible, let this cup pass from Me”, though formally a first class condition, is, on a deeper level, an expression of agony.” [Wallace]

 

The cup is full of the sins of the world, and not only that, but death itself. 

 

Submission: 

 

The Lord has a choice. This is characteristic of all humanity. He is truly human. 

 

He is about to enter into the deepest horror which fills Him with revulsion. What person would not ask, “Is there another way?”

 

The Lord’s submission is the truest picture of Christianity. The Father’s will above all human desires. 

 

The Lord Jesus’ humanity shines brightest in these hours. 

 

The problem of evil: 

 

The scene brings up an important and vital question to the whole world. 

 

If God is all powerful and all things are possible with Him, then why doesn’t He make everyone alive and blessed? 

 

The people who are serious about this question reject the doctrine of original sin - the only theology that can actually be proved by observation. 

 

There is a good answer to this: God gave humanity choice. Rational creatures have genuine choice and because of that we can choose good or evil.

 

The Lord’s choice: 

 

There are many things that make us humans rather than robots and choice is one. 

 

“If it is possible, but Your will be done.” Is a choice. He has to be a willing sacrifice. All those millions of sacrificed animals in the OT were unwilling.

 

The Lord grieves to the limits of death: 

 

 “My soul is deeply grieved to the limits of death.” 

 

“to the point of” (NASB); “even unto” (KJV; ESV).  

 

This statement along with His agonized plea to the Father expresses His deep revulsion at what was to come. The prophecies told Him that He would be forsaken by His Father, that He would be poured out to death for the transgressions of the world. He was the only One who had a perfect heart that could look right into the teeth of sin and the yawning black chasm of death and see its horror. 

 

PSA 42:5

Why are you in despair, O my soul?

And why have you become disturbed within me?

Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him

For the help of His presence. 

 

He desires comfort from His friends but receives none.

 

He fell on His face and prayed and said: 

 

His prostration to the ground enriches our vision of His inner distress and sorrow. 

 

The cup: 

 

Though the physical suffering will be great and the death will be real, these are not what really horrify Him; it is the cup of God’s wrath, which He must drink until it is dry. The symbol comes from the prophets: 

 

ISA 51:17

Rouse yourself! Rouse yourself! Arise, O Jerusalem,

You who have drunk from the Lord's hand the cup of His anger;

The chalice of reeling you have drained to the dregs. 

 

JER 25:15

or thus the Lord, the God of Israel, says to me, "Take this cup of the wine of wrath from My hand and cause all the nations to whom I send you to drink it.

 

LAM 4:11

The Lord has accomplished His wrath,

He has poured out His fierce anger;

 

Ps 75:8

For a cup is in the hand of the Lord, and the wine foams;

It is well mixed, and He pours out of this;

Surely all the wicked of the earth must drain and drink down its dregs. 

 

REV 14:9-11

Then another angel, a third one, followed them, saying with a loud voice, "If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, 10 he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. 11 "And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever; they have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name."

 

Their sins, the judgment due them, the death that is their destiny, death in what it really is, as only the Lord can see it - darkness and horror, He must enter into and be judged for.

 

PSA 22:1

My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?

Far from my deliverance are the words of my groaning. 

 

The cup is full of the sins of the world, and not only that, but death itself. 

 

The Bible personifies death as if it is a powerful personality. 

 

1CO 15:26

The last enemy that will be abolished is death.

[personified as an enemy]

 

Though it is not a living thing, but rather a judgment unto separation from God, so we can look at it as a living place - hell.

 

REV 6:8

I looked, and behold, an ashen horse; and he who sat on it had the name Death; and Hades was following with him.

 

REV 20:14

Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire.

 

It is difficult for us to see death the way God does, which is the way that the Lord did. We see death all around us. We see more and more of it as we approach it ourselves; our parents die, uncles, aunts, and eventually friends. They go away. 

 

What is it like for eternal life in the flesh to look at death? 

 

JOH 1:4-5

In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. 5 The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. 

 

PRO 8:23

“All those who hate me love death."

 

ISA 25:8

He will swallow up death for all time,

 

Conclusion: 

 

Evil in the world is a rebellion. The Lord Jesus did not come to destroy His enemies but to offer them healing and a return to the right order. That offer will continue to be extended to all people until He comes again. 

 

You and I cannot see how wonderful this is until we see that we (you and me) are one of those rebellious enemies, but who have believed His words and taken His offer. 

 

Evil invaded a good world and God invaded that world in a way no one could have expected.

 

The world became a battleground of good and evil and good won through sacrifice and love.

 

Between the advents, in the valley between Calvary and Zion stand you and I to proclaim this truth to all who are around us; telling them of Gethsemane and the cross and telling them of His resurrection and return on the day of vengeance. 

 

When we become like Him, I’m happy to say that we will experience something similar to Gethsemane.

 

In order to discover the power of “Your will be done,” it will not be pleasant. But the results, just like in our Lord’s life, will be glorious fruit. Don’t be afraid; enter into your garden and face the darkness and pray.