saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus' phrasing, "if you are willing," is a humble infinitive instead of a direct command, revealing a profound reverence and trust in God's ultimate authority, even in the face of His own anguish. This isn't just a request to avoid pain, but a deep surrender to a plan He doesn't fully understand but fully trusts.
saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus is in the Garden of Gethsemane, facing the immense weight of the suffering and death that await Him. He has just come from praying more earnestly with his disciples, and now, in profound anguish, He retreats further to pray alone. This prayer is not a casual request, but a deep wrestling with the Father's will as He faces the ultimate sacrifice.
In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus faced an unimaginable weight. He wrestled with the coming suffering, revealing a deeply human struggle.
Jesus' prayer, "Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me," shows his genuine human fear and desire to avoid the intense suffering ahead. This wasn't a play-acting; it was a real, human son facing the agonizing prospect of bearing the world's sin.
However, immediately following this honest plea, Jesus demonstrates the profound depth of his obedience: "Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done." This shows that while he felt the pain and recoiled from it, his ultimate desire was to align with his Father's plan, even when it meant immense personal suffering. It highlights the tension between his human desire for ease and his divine commitment to God's redemptive purposes.
What is this 'cup' Jesus pleads to have removed? It represents more than just physical pain; it's a symbol laden with divine meaning.
The 'cup' Jesus refers to is a powerful metaphor for the full weight of God's judgment against sin. It encompasses the suffering, separation from the Father, and the curse that humanity deserved.
Jesus, knowing the Father's plan for salvation, understood that drinking this cup was the necessary path to reconcile humanity to God. While his human will naturally recoiled from this terrifying prospect, his prayer is not a rejection of the Father's plan, but an honest expression of his humanity before fully embracing the path of obedience. The Father's will, revealed through this 'cup,' was the ultimate goal, and Jesus' submission ensured that God's plan for redemption would be fulfilled.
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Understand the original words
patēr · Greek Noun
Refers to the intimate relationship and divine authority of God the Father within the Trinity; used by Jesus to address God with filial trust and submission.
potērion · Greek Noun
A biblical metaphor for the ordeal of divine judgment, wrath, and suffering that one must endure. In the context of the Atonement, it represents the cup of God’s wrath that Jesus voluntarily drank on behalf of humanity.
thelēma · Greek Noun
The human capacity to choose or direct one's actions, which in Christ is perfectly aligned with the divine will of the Father. It signifies the surrender of personal desire in favor of God’s redemptive purpose.
Jesus' prayer in Gethsemane echoes the ancient Israelite experience of facing God's judgment and seeking His will amidst suffering, a profound moment of divine obedience rooted in a long history of covenant relationship.
~1400 BC
Early Exodus and Wilderness Journey
The Israelites' journey from slavery in Egypt through the wilderness, establishing their covenant relationship with God and receiving the Law.
c. 722 BC
Fall of the Northern Kingdom
The Assyrian Empire conquers the northern Kingdom of Israel, deporting many citizens and scattering them. This event served as a stark warning to the Southern Kingdom of Judah about the consequences of disobedience.
586 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem and Babylonian Exile
The Babylonian Empire under Nebuchadnezzar II destroys Jerusalem and its Temple, exiling the remaining Judean population. This was a catastrophic event, seen as God's judgment for their unfaithfulness.
c. 539 BC
Return from Exile
Following the Persian conquest of Babylon, Cyrus the Great allows the Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple, marking a period of restoration and renewed covenant faithfulness.
c. 4 BCE - 30/33 CE
Life of Jesus
Jesus' earthly ministry, teaching, healing, and ultimately facing rejection and crucifixion.
c. AD 30-33— this verse
Jesus' Agony in Gethsemane
Jesus wrestles in prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, facing the immense weight of sin and God's wrath, leading to His arrest and subsequent crucifixion.
c. AD 60s
Early Church and Persecution
The rapid spread of the Gospel and the emergence of early Christian communities, often facing intense persecution from both Jewish and Roman authorities.
This passage records Jesus praying the same essential prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, highlighting the profound struggle between His human desire to avoid suffering and His ultimate submission to the Father's will.
Mark 14:36Mark also records Jesus' prayer, emphasizing His submission to God's will and providing a parallel account of this agonizing moment in His earthly ministry.
Philippians 2:8This verse speaks to Jesus' perfect obedience, even to the point of death, which directly reflects the spirit of His prayer in Luke 22:42, demonstrating His voluntary submission for humanity's sake.
Hebrews 5:7-8This passage describes Jesus learning obedience through His suffering and offering prayers and supplications with loud cries and tears, powerfully illuminating the depth of His struggle and submission in Gethsemane.
John 6:38Jesus states, 'For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me.' This underscores the core principle behind His prayer in Luke 22:42 – His life's purpose was always aligned with the Father's will, even in the face of immense personal cost.
bengelLuke 22:42: "Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done."
Luke 22:42 . Εἰ βούλει παρενεγκεῖν , if thou he willing, remove ) The Infinitive put for the Imperative is a frequent usage of the Greeks. See note on Revelation 10:9 .[246] And in this passage, indeed, such an Enallage (or change of mood and tense) expresses the reverential modesty of Jesus towards the Father. But in this passage, if we suppose an aposiopesis of the verb παρ…
ellicottLuke 22:42: "Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done."
(42) Not my will, but thine, be done. —See Notes on Matthew 26:39 . Here there is a more distinct echo of the prayer which He had taught His disciples. He, too, could say, “Lead us not into temptation,” but that prayer was subject, now explicitly, as at all times implicitly, to the antecedent condition that it was in harmony with “Thy will be done.”
Jesus' phrasing, "if you are willing," is a humble infinitive instead of a direct command, revealing a profound reverence and trust in God's ultimate authority, even in the face of His own anguish. This isn't just a request to avoid pain, but a deep surrender to a plan He doesn't fully understand but fully trusts.
Jesus is in the Garden of Gethsemane, facing the immense weight of the suffering and death that await Him. He has just come from praying more earnestly with his disciples, and now, in profound anguish, He retreats further to pray alone. This prayer is not a casual request, but a deep wrestling with the Father's will as He faces the ultimate sacrifice.
Jesus is in the Garden of Gethsemane, facing the immense weight of the suffering and death that await Him. He has just come from praying more earnestly with his disciples, and now, in profound anguish, He retreats further to pray alone. This prayer is not a casual request, but a deep wrestling with the Father's will as He faces the ultimate sacrifice.
"saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.”" — Jesus' phrasing, "if you are willing," is a humble infinitive instead of a direct command, revealing a profound reverence and trust in God's ultimate authority, even in the face of His own anguish. T…
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Last reviewed October 2026