I had once been an atheist actor in the entertainment industry and my purpose in life had been defined by my resume. In 2004, Christ Jesus saved me from myself. I now preach GOD's Word and my purpose is found in dying to myself daily while living for others.
If you would rather read this message, the words are provided below:
A woman wrote to me in response to the article I published, “Did Jesus Actually Die?“, and she asked me, “My question is that if Jesus is god, then who did he pray to in the garden when he was afraid to die by the betrayal?”
I want to begin by giving this woman some praise. She asked a good question. We should ask questions. It’s acceptable to ask questions. However, if we are to ask questions, we must also be willing to pursue the answers. This woman is obviously willing to pursue answers to her questions and because of that, I applaud her dedication to seeking Truth.
To answer this question, let’s first examine if Jesus was afraid to die. It is written that Jesus willingly sacrificed Himself; no one took His life, but He gave it (John 10:18). And as we see in Matthew 26:45, Jesus was ready for what was to come. We know He was ready because He foretold His betrayal and death three times prior to the moment in the garden (Matthew 16:21; 17:22-23; 20:17-19; Mark 8:31; 9:31; 10:32-34; Luke 9:22; 9:44; 18:31-33). Also, GOD is love (1John 4:8,16). And there is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love (1John 4:18). Further, GOD gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control, a sound mind (2Timothy 1:7). Thus, Jesus could not have been afraid because He acted out from love and not fear. However, it is written that He was anguished or distressed with grief to the point of death (Matthew 26:37-38; Mark 14:33-34; Luke 22:44). This is the same sadness/sorrow/grief we see in Luke 19:41-44 when Jesus wept over Jerusalem because the people had rejected Him — their Savior! Jesus had so much love for the people He came to save that it caused Him to weep and experience extreme grief. In fact, this extreme grief caused Jesus to sweat drops of blood (Luke 22:44). That word, “drops” is thrombos in Greek and it means, “blood unusually thickly clotted. This is a medical condition called hematidrosis, which comes from an extreme emotional state of being. And the reason that Jesus was able to experience this extreme emotional state of grief/sorrow is twofold: Jesus was fully man and fully divine. In His human nature, He still experienced what we experience (Hebrews 4:15; 5:7-9). Being fully divine, Jesus felt overwhelmingly compassionate and love for everyone. Think: consider the amount of pain and suffering you have experienced just in your own life. Now consider the fact that Jesus was about to absorb everyone’s sin like a sponge that absorbs water. Take your pain and suffering and multiply it by the entire world’s population and that equals what Jesus felt. Jesus was about to absorb all of it on the cross. That’s an extreme emotional state of being. And finally, we can know that Jesus was not afraid because Jesus is the ultimate example, the One who tells us not to fear (Matthew 10:28) and provides us with the cure for worry/doubt/anxiety/fear: Seek first the kingdom of GOD and His righteousness, and then everything else will simply fall into place (Matthew 6:33; Luke 12:31).
Second, let’s examine the main concern of the question: if Jesus is GOD, why did He pray to the Father, who is known as GOD? Why would GOD pray to GOD? In order to answer this question, we must examine and understand three main essentials:
Once we realize that Jesus did, in fact, claim to be GOD and prove Himself to be GOD by fulfilling prophecy and resurrecting from death, we then need to understand the Truth of the Trinity. It is in this special divine revelation of the Trinity that we understand that Jesus wasn’t praying to GOD as an ordinary man would pray to GOD. Jesus was merely in communion; the second person of the Trinity was communicating with the first person of the Trinity. The Son and the Father are One (John 10:30).
But why pray then? The reason can be found in Matthew 26:36-46; Mark 14:32-42; Luke 22:39-46. Three times Jesus prayed aloud so that His disciples could hear Him and three times He made sure that His disciples were awake, ensuring that they were paying attention to what He was saying. Why did Jesus pray aloud when He could have gone off alone as He had done many times before (Luke 5:16)? Why didn’t Jesus pray silently to Himself this time as He had previously taught people to do (Matthew 6:6)? Because He was setting the example of what we should do, just as He had done so many times before. Jesus often said or did things so that we could see and hear what He did, how He did it, and understand why He did it (John 11:41-42). This prayer to the Father was for us, not Him. If you read the entire incident in context, it is easy to see that Jesus basically said the following to His disciples: “It’s important to pray. Are you paying attention? You need to know this! It’s important to pray and stay in constant relationship with GOD. This is your example to follow. Are you paying attention? Persistent prayer is good. Are you paying attention? You need to know this.”
So, what was it that Jesus wanted His disciples to know? The answer is found in Matthew 26:39,41,42: because the spirit is willing yet the body is weak, we must always pray, “Nevertheless, not my will, but Your will be done.” Jesus was the ultimate example and was showing us how to respond even in the worst of scenarios. Think about it: Jesus knew He was going to be led away like a lamb going to its slaughter (Isaiah 53:7; John 1:29; 1Corinthians 5:7; Revelation 5:6), that His disciples (sheep) would be scattered (Zechariah 13:7; Matthew 26:31), and that they would need this example of devotion for when it came time for them to spread the Gospel all over the Earth (Acts 4:13,19-20; 5:29). Why? Because Jesus told them that they were going to be persecuted — even unto death (Matthew 10:16-23; John 15:18-20; 2Timothy 3:12). But because Jesus set the ultimate example of faith-filled commitment, His disciples were equipped, enabled, empowered, and emboldened to endure despite death. And this is why the Apostle Paul — who had once been a persecutor of Christianity — said, “If God is for us, who can ever be against us?” (Romans 8:31)! Paul also went on to say, “Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death?(As the Scriptures say, ‘For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.’)No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:35-39) -NLT.
Conclusion:
This isn’t a question about the identity of Jesus; rather, the scene of Jesus praying in the garden of Gethsemane is preparation for persecution due to our commitment to Christ, who is the Truth, the Way, the Life (John 14:6), and the Light (Psalm 139:12; Isaiah 45:7; John 1:5; 8:12; Revelation 21:23-24; 22:5). Knowing this, please challenge yourself and answer the following questions:
Who do you say Jesus is (Matthew 16:15)?
When it comes time for you to experience the weakness of your worldly body, will you seek first the Kingdom of GOD or rely upon your own weakness?
Are you in constant relationship with GOD?
Are you willing to say, “Nevertheless, not my will, but Your will be done”?
If you would rather read this message, the words are provided below…
This is Part 9 of my Superhero series. In the introduction of this series, I provided the argument that heroes are real and then I distinguished between heroes and superheroes. I also provided a list of what defines a superhero. In Part 1, we learned that superheroes recognize the absolute standard of Good and realize that evil is a mere privation of what is good. In Part 2, we learned that superheroes recognize the absolute moral standard and realize that what is wrong can only be known by the standard of what is right. In Part 3, I defined and expounded upon love because all superheroes are full of love and are compelled to act out from love. In Part 4, I explained that superheroes desire to save people from all forms of danger and/or death and this desire comes from love. In Part 5, we learned that superheroes are solution seekers. In Part 6, we saw that solution seekers are willing to sacrifice if necessary. In Part 7, we saw that sacrificial love steps forward and offers service. In Part 8, we saw that superheroes go above and beyond the call of duty.
But what good would it do for a superhero to start traveling the extra mile journey if he/she quits halfway through? If we make a commitment to go the extra mile, then we need to follow through and see that we go the distance to complete the second mile. In this message (Part 9), we will see that superheroes might get tripped up and fall down. Superheroes might even get beaten up and knocked down, but they do not stay down! Superheroes never give up! To help us understand this message, let’s examine two examples from real life situations: boxing and racing.
Boxing: Get Back Up!
Muhammad Ali, who is arguably the greatest boxer of all time, said, “You don’t lose if you get knocked down; you lose if you stay down.” One of the greatest victories I’ve ever seen was in the 2005 boxing match of Corrales vs. Castillo. Corrales got knocked down twice in the 10th round, only to get back up and walk away as the winner:
Another one of my favorite boxing matches was the 1990 match of Mike Tyson vs. Buster Douglas. Tyson was undefeated and had a 42-0 record. Douglas – the obvious underdog – was knocked down in the 8th round and didn’t even get back up until it was almost too late at the 9-second mark. But in the 10th round, Douglas managed to knock Tyson down and out for the win.
“We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.” (2Corinthians 4:8-10) –NIV
We are not impervious to attacks from the enemy. We’re going to get tripped up and fall down. We’re going to get beat up and knocked down. Unless you’re Rocky Marciano or Floyd Mayweather, you’re going to experience a loss at some point in your life. But truth be told, even if you are undefeated in life, you can still lose in death. Are you living life in preparation for death? Rocky Marciano died on August 31, 1969 (the eve of his 46th birthday) in a plane crash. Did Marciano go to Heaven or Hell? Only GOD knows. But even conquerers in life can end up being conquered in death. And this is why it is of utmost importance that we never give up and finish the race well. And if I could tell Floyd Mayweather and anyone else currently undefeated only one thing, I would share this:
“For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?” (Luke 9:25) -ESV
Those who are motivated by money or propelled by the pursuit for power typically stay down if the winnings of their worldly ways comes to an end and they experience a loss. Because if your treasure is only found in this world, you are destined for disappointment.
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal,but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
(Matthew 6:19-21) -ESV
Where is your heart? If you know your ‘why,’ then you will refuse to lose, you will get back up, and you will never give up. In a post-fight interview with Buster Douglas, it was later revealed that he won the fight against Mike Tyson because his ‘why’ was more powerful than Tyson’s punches. Only 23 days before the legendary fight took place that took Tyson’s “0” and gave him a “1” in his losses, Douglas’ mother died. Before she died, she told Douglas that he was going to beat Mike Tyson. Simply put, love is what won the fight for Douglas. And truth be told, love is what we need to persevere! Love compels us to get back up and never give up. In the amazing 2005 movie, Cinderella Man, based on the boxer, James Walter Braddock, there’s a scene where the press is asking him why he’s winning fights. Russell Crowe (Braddock) states he knows what he’s fighting for: milk. The motivation behind the action was love for his family. This movie showcases the power of the ‘why.’
Racing: Finish The Race! A man by the name of John Stephen Akhwari represented Tanzania in the marathon at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City. He wounded his knee and dislocated a joint in a fall, but he got back up and continued the race. He finished last place. By the time he crossed the finish line, it was dark outside and most of the audience had already gone home. When later interviewed and asked why he continued running, he said, “My country did not send me 5,000 miles to start the race; they sent me 5,000 miles to finish the race.”
It was the greatest last place finish ever! John Stephen Akhwari didn’t come in first place in that race; however, he was a winner because he finished the race! There are many people in this world who do not finish the race. In fact, suicide prevents many people from finishing the race. Too many people give up before reaching the finish line.
This world teaches that in order to win we must be first or the greatest. But is that true? Even if you are the last person to arrive in Heaven, you still achieved what others who never arrived never achieved. Last place can most certainly be the best finish. In fact, Jesus told us that those who are now last would be first and the first would be last (Matthew 19:30; 20:16; Mark 10:31; Luke 13:30). Jesus also told us that If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all (Mark 9:35).
When John Stephen Akhwari finally finished the race, it was dark outside and most of the audience had already left. And so it is with life. The majority of people that will be around when you start the race might not be there when you finish. Also, people typically only want to be with you during your greatest moments and tend to disappear during your struggles. And when that happens, it may feel like it’s dark outside and the empty bleachers might make you feel as if no one cares. But the people who truly care about you will stay with you while you are down, struggling, and out of the spotlight. But even if you feel alone and abandoned, know that love will help you finish the race so that you may finish well. Be encouraged: Jesus’ disciples abandoned Him when He got arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:56; Mark 14:50). But Jesus’ love for others was the ‘why’ that compelled Him to finish what He started (John 19:30).
As I have written before in one of my songs, I don’t care to win over the crowd – I’m fulfilling all that I have vowed. With or without audience applause, I’m going to do what I do because I do it for the cause. Love compels me to continue and because of that, I care to finish the race so that I may finish well.
I am grateful for John Stephen Akhwari and for many other people like him for being an inspiration and reminding me of what is truly important in life. Indeed, the struggle is real, but our GOD is greater than our problems. What’s truly important is finishing well.
I may not be the best at anything or ever receive praise for any of my efforts, but if I get knocked down, I will always get back up after I fall. I will not stay down. And even if I get injured along the way, I will finish the marathon that is known as life! GOD did not bring me here to merely start my journey – GOD brought me here to finish the race and to finish well! It doesn’t matter how long it will take me to cross the finish line. The goal is to do my best until my last breath.
Persistence, Purpose, Endurance, Eternity:
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” (2Timothy 4:7) -ESV
The apostle Paul wrote these words near the end of his life. These three statements reflect Paul’s struggles in preaching the Gospel of Christ and his victory over those struggles. In the 1st century, the Romans celebrated both the Olympic Games and the Isthmian Games. Competitors would spend up to ten months in demanding and difficult physical training. Because the Corinthians were familiar with these events, Paul used the games as an analogy for a believer’s life of faithfulness. He wrote to the church in Corinth saying, “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it.Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable” (1Corinthians 9:24-25). Paul’s exhortation is that believers should be as focused and dedicated as those ancient runners in the games. Our motivation in serving Christ is much higher; we “run” not for a temporary crown, but for an eternal one. So, by declaring “I have finished the race,” Paul told Timothy that he had put every effort into the work of proclaiming the Gospel. He had completed the course set before him; he had left nothing undone; he did his best. He was ready to cross the finish line into Heaven. And to finish the race well is to experience victory.
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”
(Hebrews 12:1-2) -ESV
If we are to finish well, we will need persistence with purpose and endurance for eternity. First, we need purposeful persistence in prayer. In seeking GOD’s will, we will find all we need:
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone?Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent?If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!”
(Matthew 7:7-11) -ESV
But here is the special stipulation to this promise:
“You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask.You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.”
(James 4:2-3) -ESV
Our desires need to be in alignment with GOD’s will. But knowing GOD takes faith, focus, and follow-through. Jesus promises a reward for the passionate pursuit of seeking GOD’s will. We should be asking ourselves three important questions while being persistent in our prayers:
What are you asking for?
Why are you asking for it?
Will it benefit the Kingdom of GOD?
In order to finish the race well, we also need endurance. In fact, GOD calls us to endure until the end. Each of the seven letters to the churches in the book of Revelation contained a promise to the “victor.” In order to receive the promises, you must be a victor. How do we become a victor? Stay in alignment with GOD’s Word and His absolute moral standard! Keep the faith and endure until the end! The only way to be a victor is to fight the good fight, endure it until the end, and finish the race. Everyone who finishes the race will be exhausted, but they will also come into rest. Just as GOD rested from His work on the seventh day (Genesis 2:2), we too will come into rest on our ‘seventh day.’ We can picture this life here on Earth as our six days of work and the New Earth under the new heavens will be our seventh day of rest. Everything we accomplish in life here on this Earth within our ‘six days’ falls short of perfection. It is only in our ‘seventh day’ that we will come into perfection and receive rest. Along with the good news of Christ’s return and ultimate victory, the main theme found in the book of Revelation running parallel to the good news is that we must endure until the very end, remaining faithful and obedient (Matthew 10:28; 1Corinthians 9:24-27; Philippians 3:14-16; 1Timothy 6:11-16; 2Timothy 4:3-5; Hebrews 10:35-39; 2Peter 1:5-11; Revelation 3:16).
Conclusion: Remember: opportunistic predators wait until either you are too weak to fight or complacent and cannot see the attack coming. Demons don’t need to beat you while you are at your best; rather, demons simply need to slowly chip away at your defense until you become too tired and weak to defend yourself.
“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you,casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.”
(1Peter 5:6-10) -ESV
“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.”
(James 4:7-8) -ESV
Satan only cares about the outcome, the final decision. Do not give up. Do not ever give up. We are in it to win it. It’s not over until it’s over. We must finish well. Starting is pointless unless we finish. We must fight the good fight. Get back up, go back in. Love never dies (1Corinthians 13:8).
GOD passionately pursues us with the mission of relentless rescue. And if we are to accurately reflect the love of Christ, we need to go above and beyond in love and endure until the end.
“Bow down to the Lord. He will lift you up.” (James 4:10) –NIRV
“When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father,the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth.I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit.Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong.And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is.May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.”
(Ephesians 3:14-21) -NLT
The person who kneels humbly before GOD can stand up confidently in the name of Christ and resist the devil and watch him flee. GOD provides us with a way to escape temptations and to live through any circumstance until He calls us Home (1Corinthians 10:13; Philippians 4:11-13). Never give up!
“So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.” (Galatians 6:9) -NLT
Listen! If I can’t inspire you, then I’ll just let Shia LaBeouf do it:
Quest For Truth 