최중현 교수(롬한인장로교회) 영어설교- The Lord’s Prayer (Luke 22:39-53)

The Lord’s Prayer (Luke 22:39-53)

1. Today’s text is about the situation right before the Lord was caught.

(1) The Lord has known the time of his death for a long time. So, even at the Last Supper, he emphasized to his disciples the situation that would occur in the future, but no one paid attention to this situation, and none of them prepared for the hardships that would soon come. However, what is more frustrating is that their only interest was the worldly desire for success, and they prepared for war with a worldly sword.

(2) So, how much must the Lord’s heart have been when he saw this situation?

So, in verse 39 of the text, it says that as soon as he finished eating, he went to the Mount of Olives. Then why the Mount of Olives? The area around Jerusalem is particularly mountainous. However, if you look at the Mount of Olives, you will see that it was a suitable mountain for the Lord to pray. First of all, it was an appropriate distance from the place of the Holy Communion, and the name of the Mount of Olives itself was a place that represented the Lord’s feelings at the time.

(3) So what does the name Mount of Olives mean? As you can see from verse 39 of the text, there were many olive trees there, so people called the mountain the Mount of Olives. Also, in Matthew 26, the mountain where the Lord prayed was the garden of Gethsemane within the Mount of Olives, which means Gethsemane. It is as if the expression [the olive oil press] means that the Lord’s situation at that time was as painful as the oil press. So, in verse 44 of the text, we record the image of the Lord’s prayer, saying, “He worked harder and prayed more earnestly, and his sweat became like drops of blood falling to the ground.” That’s right. If the sweat fell to the ground like raindrops, it means that the Lord suffered so much that He became the frame of Gethsemane. That’s right. Prayer for the disciples and future glory ahead of death. So today, we would like to receive grace together under the title [The Lord’s Prayer] from Luke 22:39-53.

2. First, if you look at verses 40 and 46 of the text, let’s think about how important prayer was in the situation at the time and why God commanded us to [pray] so much.

(1) Let’s all read verses 40 and 47 together. That’s right. The situation at that time was before the Lord was caught and his disciples were on the verge of collapse. So, in such urgent emergency situations, the Lord commanded us to pray. So what kind of power does prayer have that God commanded us to pray?

1) Everyone / because prayer has the power to defeat Satan’s tests and temptations. Looking at verses 31 and 46 of the text, has the Lord ever explained who the subject of the test is? So what is the secret to defeating Satan’s schemes? It is nothing but the power of God. That is why it is important to ask God when a test comes. That’s right. We often say that prayer is a conversation with God. Perhaps that is why, in verse 42 of the text, the Lord had a conversation with God. But look at it. Take a look. [Father, Dad] is what a young child calls his father. Verse 46 of the text says that the disciples were so tired that they slept from exhaustion. So the Lord wasn’t tired? And is the Lord a person whose power does not arise if he does not pray? Nevertheless, if he prayed so that the drops of his sweat turned into drops of blood, that prayer was the Lord’s prayer for us and an example of prayer for the weak disciples. So he gave the command to pray. That’s right. In the life of faith, prayer is the secret to truly important power. So, I bless you all to pray like the prayer the Lord showed us today.

(2) Second, prayer also has the ability to discern God’s will.

Continue reading verse 42 of the text. That’s right. If you look at the Lord’s petition, at first he offers a petition of the will of the flesh, and at the end he ends with “Father, may your will be done.” That’s right. We often refer to prayer as the breathing of the soul. However, looking at the disciples at the time, none of them were caught up in worldly desires and could not discern the will of God. The Lord tells us to pray and discern the will of God. That’s right. Prayer has the ability to discern God’s will. So, when we pray, wisdom comes to us and we also hear the direct voice of God. I hope you too receive this power of prayer.

(3) Third, the power of God arises in prayer.

In Mark 9:29, the Lord said this. “He said to them, ‘This kind cannot come out except through prayer.’” That’s right. When you pray, the power of God arises. So look at verse 43 of the text. As the Lord prayed, [an angel appeared and strengthened him]. This is God’s work. That is why the Lord set an example of prayer. That’s right. Now is the time for all of us to pray. So, we hope to receive power, answers, and discern God’s will through prayer. So, the Lord urged us to watch and pray so as not to fall into temptation, and in verse 39 of the text, the Lord said that he lived a life of prayer as a habit. [Did you pray before leaving the house today? Have you prayed for the grace you will receive today? Prayer will lead us to life and light. Don’t forget to pray when the future is dark.]

3. Then what happened after the prayer?

(1) Judas Iscariot came to the Lord with a crowd.

Let’s look at verse 47. But does it record what Judah was like at that time? That’s right. He has been at the forefront. And then he kissed the Lord in an abominable way. However, this action is said in text 22:3 [Satan has already entered Judah]. Are you the exception to Satan’s temptations? [John 13:2] says that Satan always had the idea of betraying Jesus to Judas. That’s right. Doesn’t Satan always throw random thoughts at us? But the problem is that from the moment we agree to this, according to [John 13:27], Satan comes in and takes control of us. That’s right. All of our naughty or dirty thoughts are given to us by Satan. But the problem is that it is like bird poop in the air, we can’t help but be hit by it, but we can prevent the bird from leaving the nest. That is what prayer is. So, when a test comes to believers, please remember that you can overcome it by arming yourself with the Word and praying.

(2) So the disciples who only slept without praying collapsed.

If you look at verse 49 of the text, let’s look at the disciples’ actions in this situation. That’s right. [Lord, shall we strike with the sword?] How worldly is this behavior? So in the end, the high priest’s servant [Malchus’ ear] was struck. This was the result of the disciples sleeping instead of waking up and praying even though the Lord told them to pray. Everyone, did you have no strength and were captured by the crowd? Matthew 26:53 says, “Do you think that if I asked my Father, he could not send me angels more than [12 legions]?” If we followed worldly methods, why wouldn’t the Lord demonstrate His power? In order to fulfill the Word, the Lord, the only begotten Son, was caught as a ransom sacrifice for us. The Lord’s love for us is so great.

(3) Now let’s think about the text together.

It is now Lent in 2024. Just as we have now become God’s children through the Lord’s death, the Lord has been taken by His own hands and has now walked the path to glory. But before that, the Lord showed us an example of prayer and told us to pray like this. That’s right. Now is the time to pray. Please do not stay asleep like the disciples and become those who wield worldly swords. Instead, please arm yourself with the Word of God and pray and become winners of faith.

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