Your Will be done
We speak the words – but what are our shoulders saying?
“Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless,not my will, but yours, be done.” And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” (Luke 22:41-44 – emphasis added)
Too often, we parrot Jesus’ anguished prayer as though it were a prayer of weak resignation, when, in fact, it was a war-cry of obedience.
When He first said “not my will, but Yours” , He was defying mankind’s ancient satanic rebellion against the Creator. He was defying defiance, rebelling against our rebellion, shouting an eternal “NO!” to Satan’s rage against the rule of God. Unless we understand that, for Jesus, obedience and joy are inseparable, we cannot pray “Your will be done” as Jesus prayed it and meant it. It’s the prayer of a Good Son to a Good Father. It’s the prayer of the One who is truly free to win freedom for others…
Now, if this gets us thinking in ‘either/or’ terms – “it’s either my will or God’s. Something has to give…” – we’re missing the point. When Jesus followed “not my will” with “your will be done” we can’t exaggerate the scale of this victory. As a true man of flesh and blood, Jesus’ flesh recoiled from the ordeal ahead – but the Holy Spirit empowered His humanity and, in the time it took Him to wrestle in prayer, He was given the strength to stay on course – The Father’s will had always been His will. Not even the intense agonies of the flesh could change that. There was no ‘instead’ here.
He was not laying aside His own will in favour of the Father’s will. His will and the Father’s will were as seamless as His robe – then, as before. He had always said that His only will and delight was to do the Father’s will (John 4:34; 5:30; 6:3839). He had no personal agenda at any point – only the Father’s (John 5:19-20), so now, having looked the horrors of death and hell squarely in the face, He stayed at His costly post – and found His joy in the Father’s will.
This was a man – made like us in every way – learning that the path of obedience and the path of pure joy are one and the same: “I delight to do Your will”. (Ps 40:8). Jesus’ anguished cry of obedience was the war cry of the One Man who began life truly free of humanity’s satanic rebellion and, through obedience, stayed free to rescue sin’s slaves. The sinless Son had reclaimed mortal freedom and could now make countless other mortals “free indeed”.
It’s because we are free, not because we will be, that we can pray Jesus’ prayer – making His prayer our own and, empowered by the same Spirit who raised our Saviour from the dead, embracing Father’s will as our free will. Satan is defeated. Victory is ours. We are no longer slaves to sin but glad slaves to righteousness. The seemingly unbreakable patterns of sinful habit in our lives are not invincible. The eternal covenant is unbreakable. The Blood of that covenant is invincible. The power by which God Himself works in us for His pleasure is unconquerable. The grace that keeps us sinners free of condemnation has no limits.“Your will be done” is both our battle cry and the prayer of true freedom. Prayer and weapon are one. Glory to Jesus! I came across a lovely old tune in Mission Praise. The first phrase started a rhythm in my head: ‘Your will be done’… I followed the track and the verses opposite are the result.
Your will be done
Words ©2017 by David Andrew Tune: Mission Praise 441 ‘Cloisters’
”Your will be done”
– the truest prayer of freedom;
Your selfless Son
has won us for Your Kingdom.
“Your will be done”
– His selfless life so shape us Make us like Jesus.
“Not unto us,
but to Your Name be glory”,
Children of grace,
we live to tell your story.
Spirit of Truth,
may Jesus’ love compel us …send us and spend us!
Evil is strong
– Your enemies are raging
Our children’s minds
with lies they are engaging
In weakness, strong,
we look to You for vict’ry – our foes forgiving.
“Your will be done”
On earth as in Your Heaven.
This is our prayer,
By grace our hearts are driven.
Glory to You
Our God and King unchanging Glory to Jesus!
Truth2Go!
You can hear the music at: www.swordmagazine.net