Why did Jesus pray three times in Matthew 26:44? Immediate Setting: Gethsemane’s Climactic Hour Jesus has just observed Passover, predicted His betrayal, and taken Peter, James, and John into the olive-press (Gethsemane). His soul is “overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death” (v. 38). He falls prostrate, asking that “this cup” pass from Him, yet yielding to the Father’s will (vv. 39-42). The Scriptural Significance of “Three” 1. Completeness or perfection in action (Genesis 22:4; Exodus 19:15; Hosea 6:2). 2. Verification by two or three witnesses (Deuteronomy 19:15). 3. Foreshadowing resurrection on the third day (Matthew 12:40; 1 Corinthians 15:4). Repeating the prayer three times signals total submission, legally attests His intent, and anticipates the third-day triumph that will follow the cup. Full Display of True Humanity Hebrews 5:7 states that “He offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears.” The triple repetition reveals authentic human anguish, not stoic detachment. It demonstrates the Incarnation’s reality: real fear, real choice, real obedience (Philippians 2:6-8). Perfect, Progressive Submission Each prayer ends with “Yet not as I will, but as You will” (Matthew 26:39). Through repeated surrender, Jesus enacts what Adam rejected in Eden: unwavering obedience in the face of death (Romans 5:19). The thrice-spoken consent underscores the decisiveness of the obedience that will redeem humankind. Covenantal and Legal Witness Jewish jurisprudence required a matter to be established “by the testimony of two or three witnesses” (Deuteronomy 19:15). Jesus’ triune affirmation supplies its own covenantal witness: • Witness 1: Personal request for removal of the cup. • Witness 2: Acceptance of the Father’s plan. • Witness 3: Final ratification. This becomes the sworn commitment by which the New Covenant will be cut in His blood (Matthew 26:28). Instruction for the Disciples—and Us While Jesus perseveres, the disciples sleep. The threefold contrast highlights their weakness (v. 40, 43, 45) and stresses the call to “watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation” (v. 41). His repeated prayer models persistence (Luke 18:1-7) and teaches that intense spiritual conflict may demand prolonged, reiterated supplication. Spiritual Warfare and Eden Reversed Satan’s temptations in the wilderness came in three waves (Matthew 4:1-11). Humanity’s fall in Eden revolved around a threefold lust (1 John 2:16). Jesus answers each sphere—world, flesh, devil—with triple prayer, preparing to crush the serpent (Genesis 3:15) by obedient suffering. Trinitarian Communion on Display Prayer is intra-Trinitarian dialogue: the Son addresses the Father “through the eternal Spirit” (Hebrews 9:14). The threefold occurrence echoes the very triune nature—Father, Son, Spirit—underscoring relational intimacy at history’s pivotal hour. Echoes of Old Testament Prayer Patterns • Daniel prayed three times daily facing Jerusalem (Daniel 6:10). • Elijah stretched himself over the child three times before life returned (1 Kin 17:21). • Jonah cried out three days and nights in the fish (Jonah 2). Jesus, greater than Daniel, Elijah, and Jonah, prays thrice before life is given to the world. The Cup: Passover and Prophetic Fulfillment During Passover four cups were customarily drunk. Scholars note the third cup as the “Cup of Redemption.” Jesus’ prayer occurs after that cup, while He contemplates the “cup” of wrath (Isaiah 51:17; Jeremiah 25:15). The triple petition underscores His deliberate acceptance of drinking it fully (John 18:11). Hypostatic Harmony: One Will, Two Natures Chalcedonian Christology affirms two wills in Christ—divine and human—unconfused yet united. The thrice-repeated prayer showcases the human will aligning perfectly, not instinctively, with the divine. This answers later heresies denying either His deity (Ebionism) or true humanity (Docetism). Implications for Christian Prayer and Practice 1. Perseverance: Keep praying until heart and circumstance align with God’s plan (Colossians 4:2). 2. Honesty: Express real emotion; God invites transparency (Psalm 62:8). 3. Submission: Every request must conclude with “Your will be done” (Matthew 6:10). 4. Assurance: Because He prevailed in Gethsemane, believers may approach the throne boldly (Hebrews 4:14-16). Concise Answer Jesus prayed three times in Matthew 26:44 to demonstrate complete human anguish, perfect submission, legal covenantal witness, instructional persistence, spiritual warfare victory, and Trinitarian communion—thereby sealing His willing obedience that would culminate in the cross and vindicate Him in the resurrection on the third day. |
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