Jesus struggled with God’s will for his life – LIE

Purpose has become a buzzword that communicators and authors seem to swarm around probably because the word sells (hey, I’m guilty as charged too), but also because the stats and polls show a “purpose-less” world especially when we talk about depression and suicide in today’s culture.

Many turn to Luke 22:39-46 as an example of Jesus’ struggle with his purpose before dying on the cross. I think that’s a LIE and where’s why.

The passage begins with Jesus telling his disciples to pray and not fall into temptation. So why would Jesus immediately fall into the temptation to doubt his purpose? Jesus prayed for his Father’s will to remove the cup (an expression that indicates wrath). The moral of this story is that he prayed for God’s will, not his.

We cannot confuse Jesus’ bodily response to the coming torture with a lack of assurance. Jesus was confident in God’s will, but the anxiety over the brutal torture, which Isaiah 53 clearly spelled out in horrific detail, made Jesus physically anxious.

Many soldiers, police officers, and first responders I’ve talked to express that same anxiousness before heading into conflict. Look, I get nervous before a paintball outing knowing those welts will cause me discomfort for days. I can’t imagine any other response knowing full well what crucifixion entailed; and Jesus got the full crucifixion package.

Jesus’ sweat mixed with blood (a real bodily condition called hematohidrosis) revealed extreme anxiousness, not purposelessness. Jesus did not fall into the temptation to doubt or ignore the coming situation like his disciples shrugged off and napped. He prepared himself for what he knew he needed to do (even an angel showed up to strengthen him) and bowed to the will of his Father.

I hear many today crying out, “God, what is the meaning and purpose of my life,” but I think that’s the wrong question. It’s selfish because the emphasis is on the “my.” For a Christian, their life is not their own. They surrendered it at salvation.

We should be asking, as Jesus did in the garden, “God, what is your will?” Not just for my life, but everyone’s lives, for the world! So, when faced with hardships, we should respond, again like Jesus, “Lord, take this pain away, but it’s Your will first, not mine.”