Heb. 5:5-11, The Prayers of Jesus (2)

Let me mention a couple of thanksgiving prayers.

·       Matt. 11:25-26: What Jesus is thankful here is, in essence, the “mystery of God.”  God had a plan from before the world was created and He has been and still is working it out.  It is a plan that values the humility of man and the love of God.  At this point in Jesus’ ministry He was seeing the leaders of Israel turn against Him.  He had just rebuked three cities where He did many miracles (11:20-24, Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum, all on the northern end of the sea of Galilee).  But at the same time, many people were turning to Him.  They were not the wise of this world but were more like “babes.”  On that basis He again offered rest to those who would come to Him (11:28-30).  Like Jesus, when we happen to see a display of God’s plan, such as an answered prayer, we ought to give thanks to God for working in such a way as to bring honor to Himself.

·       John 11:41-42: In this spoken prayer Jesus thanks God for hearing Him, as He always does because Jesus always prays God’s will because He is in sync with God’s will.  But He says it out loud so the people will believe that the Father sent Him.  Otherwise, Jesus is concerned that people will consider Him a hero when Lazarus comes out of the tomb rather than remember that the scene is evidence that He is God’s Anointed One.  Remember that.  Public prayer is not about the one who prays.  Prayer is always about the One to whom we pray.

Here are prayers of Jesus in the closing hours of His earthly life.

·       Matt. 26:38: In Gethsemane Jesus’ praying was a great struggle, pleading with the Father, and coming to the place where He could resolutely face the difficult moments that His Father’s will was bringing upon Him.  He did a good thing, in seeking others to pray with Him.  We should do that too.  Even though, as in Jesus’ case, they may let us down. 

·       Luke 23:34: On the cross there were prayers.  First, as the nails were being driven, He asked the Father to forgive the ignorant solders.  The Romans were carrying out the purpose of God.  Christ must be lifted up, and that meant a Roman crucifixion, not Jewish stoning.  There are traditions claiming that Pilate eventually went crazy, perhaps because of his part in Jesus’ death.  That may or may not be true.  The only Roman official involved in the crucifixion we are told about is the centurion who concluded, “Truly this was the Son of God” (Mt. 27:54).

o   Matt. 27:46: After three hours of darkness, He prayed Psalm 22:1: “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me.”  For the record, this is the only recorded prayer where Jesus does not address God as “Father.”  But He does address Him as “My God.”  He is quoting Scripture.  Yet, He is unloading the heaviness of His heart while under the burden of the sin of the world, being “numbered with the transgressors.” 

o   Luke 23:46: Jesus’ words as He died were spoken to the Father.  It was the ultimate statement of faith, spoken with a loud voice: “Father, Into Your hands I commit My spirit.”  God the Son, being the Word that became flesh, was about to die.  The death would be very real.  It had to be.  Thus, when He knew it was now upon Him, He boldly put Himself into the care of His Father. 

You will notice we did not include the “Lord’s Prayer.”  But, of course, that is not truly the Lord’s prayer but the disciple’s or believer’s prayer. 

Now remember the point in Hebrews 5.  Jesus has a feeling for our infirmities (Heb. 4:14-16) because He personally experienced those infirmities in His earthly life.  And we can find strength and direction in our weaknesses as Jesus did in His: by offering up “prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear.”