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Lent Wednesday 3 2026
Immanuel Lutheran Church, Hamilton, Ohio
Pastor Kevin Jud
March 4, 2026
Matthew 26:30-56
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Jesus and the eleven disciples leave the upper room and walk down the east side of Mt. Zion toward the Kidron Valley. It appears they are headed back to Bethany on the Mount of Olives where they have been staying while in Jerusalem. On their way, Jesus warns them, Matthew 26:31 (ESV) 31 … “You will all fall away because of me this night. For it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’” He also gives them great hope. Matthew 26:32 (ESV) 32 But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.” The disciples do not understand what is happening even though Jesus has told them over and over. Before His transfiguration…Matthew 16:21 (ESV) 21 … Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.” Peter rejected this idea and rebuked Jesus. Matthew 16:23 (ESV) 23 But [Jesus] turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” In Matthew Jesus tells them twice more what will happen, but as it is happening they do not understand.
Jesus has made it clear that He is going to Jerusalem and He will be seized and killed and raised from the dead. He tells the disciples that they will all fall away that night, but Peter insists, “Not me.” Matthew 26:33 (ESV) 33 … “Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away.” Jesus tells Peter that he is going to deny Jesus three times before the rooster crows and Peter rejects this, vehemently. Matthew 26:35 (ESV) 35 …“Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you!” And all the disciples said the same.”
As they enter Gethsemane their spirits are high and they are unified in their belief that Jesus may be right about a lot of things, but He is wrong about the disciples falling away and He is wrong about Peter denying Jesus. Jesus has eight of the disciples sit and He takes Peter, James and John a little ways deeper into the olive grove. Jesus is sorrowful and troubled and begins to talk like He has never talked before. Matthew 26:38 (ESV) 38 … “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.”
Jesus then goes a little farther and falls on His face and prays. Matthew 26:39 (ESV) 39 …“My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”
Jesus knows what is coming…the humiliation, the suffering, the torture, the dying an excruciating death. But that is not the worst. Jesus will be left utterly alone. Already the crowds are gone, the group of followers is gone, one disciple will soon betray Him. Of the brave disciples who all declared they would die rather than deny Jesus — eight are asleep near the entry to the olive grove, and the three He asked to watch with Him are also asleep. Jesus goes to sleeping Peter and says, Matthew 26:40–41 (ESV) 40 … “So, could you not watch with me one hour? 41 Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” The disciples all intend to do well, but are unable. In reality, there is nothing for them to do. Jesus prays again, Matthew 26:42 (ESV) 42 … “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.” After praying a third time, Jesus wakes up the disciples and together they go to meet Judas who is coming with a crowd carrying swords and clubs. Judas betrays Jesus and the crowd seizes Him. Peter draws his sword to fight back striking one of the men, but Jesus tells him, Matthew 26:52–54 (ESV) 52 … “Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword. 53 Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? 54 But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?”
After dinner, Jesus gave the cup of the new testament in His blood for the forgiveness of sins to the disciples and to you. Now Jesus will drink the cup of God’s wrath, taking upon Himself the punishment for those sins. He is the sinless Son of God who takes on Himself the sin of the world. 2 Corinthians 5:21 (ESV) 21 For our sake [God the Father] made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
Jesus will do it alone. He has to do it alone. He is the only one that can pay this price. In Jesus’ drinking of the cup of God’s wrath, He is forsaken by God the Father. It is the Father’s wrath inflicted on Jesus to save sinners.
Jesus bears the penalty for your sin. Jesus suffers separation from the Father, in your place. Forsaken by the Father, Jesus suffers the full wrath of God for the sin of humanity. He alone is the substitute for humanity. He endures the total separation from God the Father that humanity deserves in order to reconcile God and man. Matthew 27:46 (ESV) 46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
Jesus praying alone in Gethsemane is the beginning of His utter aloneness being arrested, being before Caiaphas and the Council, being denied by Peter, being beaten and mocked, questioned by Pilate, flogged, crucified, and laid in the tomb. Jesus is truly all of Israel reduced to one perfect, final sacrifice. He is abandoned by the crowds, by His followers, by His disciples and then, finally… by God the Father. It is the Father’s will that Jesus suffer and die alone.
LCMS President Matthew Harrison wrote this in the Lutheran Witness in June of 2020 in the throes of COVID regarding whether God wills suffering and affliction.
“The answer comes most clearly in Gethsemane. “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done” (Luke 22:42). There it is. God the Father wills the suffering of God the Son. Under the pressure of the sins of the world, Jesus seemed to waver. Yet He, “who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Heb. 4:15), also did not sin at that tense moment. Jesus said, “No one takes [my life] from me, but I lay it down of my own accord” (John 10:18).
So there you have it. God the Father and God the Son willed that the Son should suffer and die. God willed death. God willed suffering. At first, this is disconcerting. Isn’t death a result of sin? Isn’t suffering a result of sin? So, is God the cause of sin? No. God is not the cause and source of sin and death. Yet God Himself makes use of the curse of sin — suffering and death — for His good purposes. In doing so, He most often works in a hidden way. Our life is “hidden with Christ in God” (Col. 3:3). Just think of it. As Christ was dying on the cross, His followers were terrified, distraught, hopeless, helpless. They thought that God had abandoned Jesus, and them. But it was not so. The Father had abandoned Jesus to death for them. The greatest act in the history of the universe appeared to be the most pathetic, powerless and useless failure.”[1]
Jesus is sorrowful in Gethsemane because, as He prepares to drink the cup of God’s wrath to save you, He will be forsaken by everyone, including His Father. This is the Father’s will. Jesus alone is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Alone Jesus gives His life to save you. Matthew 26:42 (ESV) 42 … “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.” Amen.
[1]June 1, 2020 / Letter From the President, Print Feature, The Magazine / By Matthew Harrison / COVID-19, Suffering
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