Going a little beyond as possible. . .
Jesus’ entire life was a life of praying and glorifying God. Although Jesus is God Himself, in order to act according to Father’s will, He always prayed to glorify God and perform His works. Jesus’ miracles, teachings, power, and entire life were all fruits of prayer. When He cured a son who was possessed with a spirit that made him mute (Mark 9:17), He said, “This cannot come out by anything but prayer” (Matthew 9:28-29). Please do not forget this. Even before He chose His twelve disciples, He first prayed (Luke 6:12). He also prayed first in front of tomb of Lazarus (John 11:41). On His final day on earth, He prayed at the Garden of Gethsemane before facing the cross. This was His final day on earth. At that moment, Jesus fell to the ground and went a little beyond as possible.
Matthew 26:39describes, “And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying.” The Common Translation states, “Then He went a short distance farther and fell on His face.” The Standard Bible says, “And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face.” The Modern Korean Bible expresses, “Jesus went a little more beyond and fell to the ground.” Mark 14:35, “And He went a little beyond them, and fell to the ground.”
Jesus was deeply anguished and grieved when He faced the cross. He was all alone without anyone to help. How sad was it that He was alone when He needed help the most. “Be with Me” was His final request, His last hope for His disciples before His death (Matthew 26:38-40). However, when Jesus’ prayer became long, they soon fell asleep. It was in the midst of this?in the midst of the disciples’ unawareness?that Jesus went a little beyond them. Why did He go further? It was in order to focus on the Father. All of you who are here, please never forget this. Jesus prayed so fervently that His body was in agony?to the point of His heart rupturing and His sweat becoming like drops of blood (Luke 22:44).
A person who helps Jesus is one who does not fall asleep until the very end; he is not apathetic but prays with concern. The Bible mentions twenty-five times that Jesus prayed especially during the Passion Week.
Jesus prayed and gave thanks all His life.
Jesus fasted and prayed before starting the day (Mark 1:35), when receiving baptism from John the Baptist (Luke 3:21), or before beginning His public ministry (Luke 4:1-4). He regularly went away to a secluded place and prayed there (Mark 1:35; Luke 5:16). He always prayed in order to ask whether or not it was the will of the Father. Even when He chose the disciples, He spent the whole night in prayer (Luke 6:12-13). At the battle of the cross, He prayed for the consummation of mankind’s redemption (Matthew 26:36-46; Luke 22:41-46). He always prayed on the mountain at nights (Mark 6:46; Luke 6:12, 9:28) or after bidding the crowd farewell (Mark 6:46; Luke 6:12-13).
Jesus gave four great prayers of thanksgiving: during the miracle of the five loaves and two fish (John 6:9-11), upon seeing His twelve disciples remaining when the cities?in which most of His miracles were done?did not repent and all left (Matthew 11:20-27), at the mourning house of Lazarus (John 11:41), and before His death on the cross (Luke 22:17-19). The purpose of Jesus’ prayer was to fulfill the will of the Father (Matthew 14:36). Prayers must be for the will of God. We must always be abounding in the work for the will of God (1 Corinthians 15:58) and excel still more (1 Thessalonians 4:1). We must become a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds (Titus 2:14).
The famous Puritan Pastor, Thomas Brooks, said, “A prayer without fervor will always be lost before it reaches Heaven” and “A prayer that does not inspire oneself cannot inspire God.”
When Jesus was beaten, He unceasingly prayed, saying, “elegen” in Greek, which means “Father, please forgive them.” Jesus’ fingernails were stuck in the ground and fell off and He was covered with blood, yet He said, “Elegen, elegen.” For the amazing providence of the salvation of mankind, He did not cherish one last droplet of His blood, but spilled it for us. Palestine has two seas: the Dead Sea and the Sea of Galilee. The Dead Sea does not discharge its waters. Thus, it became a dead sea. The Sea of Galilee continuously flows and discharges its waters. There is a reward only when there is a little more giving and a little more sacrificing.
Jesus said that a grain of wheat bears much fruit only when it falls into the earth (John 12:24). When we do the Lord’s work that is entrusted to us, with greater fervor and effort than the present time, our toil will not be in vain (1 Corinthians 15:58). Never reject the strength that comes from above. I urge you to receive the strength of God’s power that comes from above (Luke 22:43-44). The eight disciples, who were at the bottom of the mountain, slept to their hearts’ content; however, the Lord did not rest, went a little beyond them, and received the strength from the angel of God.
Abraham closely followed God and became His friend.
Who prayed and received answers? Although Abraham did not know where to go, he became God’s friend because he tightly clung onto God and followed Him a little beyond (2 Chronicles 20:7; Isaiah 41:8; Hebrews 11:8; James 2:23). Do not forget this. Because Moses clung tightly, he saw the thorny bush that was not consumed by fire (Exodus 3:1-4) and received a calling as the leader of the exodus.
Because Ruth the Moabite woman clung tightly onto her mother-in-law (Ruth 1:14) and followed her, she could enter the eternal assembly of the Lord. Because Apostle Paul, within God’s grace, toiled a little beyond the other apostles (1 Corinthians 15:10), he was able to spread the gospel to the Asia Minor. Prayer is a spiritual gospel. We cannot obtain anything if we do not always pray to God? clinging, supplicating, and making earnest requests to Him. Prayers can be answered to the amount we pray. One who does not pray cannot obtain anything. God is looking for a desire that blazes, a soul that thirsts, and a heart that hungers for righteousness. The original meaning of an ‘earnest request’ depicts a famished beggar clinging onto a passerby and begging him. The eyes of the Lord range to and fro throughout the earth, that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His and cries out to Him (2 Chronicles 16:9; Zechariah 4:10; Proverbs 15:3; 1 Kings 8:61). In 2014, God wants us to yearn for and know the Word, like a deer that pants for water. He is waiting for someone to believe and understand that God will certainly kindle our hearts when we go to Him and entreat Him. God is delighted with the prayer of the upright (Proverbs 15:8). I sincerely pray in the name of the Lord that we will all be upright.
