What is the meaning of Matthew 26:44? So He left them Jesus physically steps away from Peter, James, and John after finding them asleep again (Matthew 26:43). This simple movement reminds us that: • The Lord sometimes withdraws to commune privately with the Father, just as earlier in the night He urged the disciples to “stay here and keep watch with Me” (Matthew 26:38). • Their failure to watch contrasts sharply with His faithfulness; He fulfills Proverbs 18:24—“there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother”—even when His friends fail Him. • John 16:32 had foretold, “You will leave Me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with Me.” Here that prophetic word begins to unfold. went away once more The phrase highlights deliberate perseverance. Jesus does not pray once and assume the matter settled; He returns. • Mark 1:35 describes His habit: “Very early in the morning…He went out to a solitary place, where He prayed.” • Luke 5:16 echoes, “Jesus frequently withdrew to the wilderness to pray.” • By going “once more,” He models persistence that aligns with Luke 18:1, where believers are told “always to pray and not give up.” prayed a third time Three is significant throughout Scripture—Peter will deny Him three times (Matthew 26:75), and Jesus will reinstate him with three questions (John 21:15-17). • Paul likewise pleaded “three times” for his thorn to be removed (2 Corinthians 12:8). The pattern teaches that repeated, earnest prayer is godly, not faithless. • Hebrews 5:7 states, “During His earthly life, Jesus offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears,” affirming both His humanity and His sinless zeal. • The third petition underscores that Jesus is exhausting every lawful means before embracing the full weight of the cup foretold in Isaiah 53:10-12. saying the same thing Christ’s consistent words—“My Father, if this cup cannot pass unless I drink it, Your will be done” (Matthew 26:42)—reveal: • Submission: Psalm 40:7-8 anticipates the Messiah declaring, “I delight to do Your will, O my God.” • Steadfast purpose: John 6:38 affirms, “I have come down from heaven not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.” • Authentic wrestling: By repeating the request, Jesus shows real anguish yet unflinching obedience, giving believers a framework for honest prayer that ends in trust (1 Peter 2:21-23). • No contradiction exists between repetition and faith; Matthew 7:7 invites believers to “keep asking…keep seeking…keep knocking.” summary Matthew 26:44 captures Jesus’ unwavering commitment to the Father’s plan. He leaves sleepy disciples, withdraws again, petitions a third time, and repeats the identical plea—all to demonstrate perfect persistence, genuine humanity, and flawless submission. This verse reassures us that earnest, repeated prayer is both biblical and powerful, and it calls us to follow the Savior who fully embraced the Father’s will for our redemption. |
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