Luke 22:42
saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
Jesus’s prayer here isn't just a reluctant sigh; it reveals a profound humility. By saying "if you are willing," he uses a gentle, indirect phrasing—the Greek infinitive for "to be willing" instead of a direct command—showing deep respect and deference to his Father's authority, even in his agony.
Jesus is in the Garden of Gethsemane, just hours before his crucifixion, wrestling with the immense spiritual and emotional agony of what's to come. He withdraws from his sleeping disciples to pray, acknowledging the terrifying "cup" of suffering before him and seeking his Father's will in this moment of profound human vulnerability. Despite his deep distress and desire for another path, he ultimately submits to God's plan for salvation.
Jesus calls His impending suffering a 'cup.' What does this imagery signify, and why did He pray for it to be removed?
The Symbol of the Cup
The "cup" here is a powerful metaphor. It represents the fullness of God's judgment and wrath against sin. Think of it like a chalice filled to the brim with the consequences of humanity's rebellion. Jesus, in His deep humanity, felt the profound dread of what drinking this cup would entail.
Jesus wasn't asking to avoid suffering in general, but specifically to be spared the experience of drinking this cup of judgment, if there was any other way God's plan could be accomplished.
Jesus' prayer pivots from asking for removal to complete surrender. What does this incredible shift reveal about true obedience?
The Ultimate Act of Trust
The heart of Jesus' prayer isn't the request to remove the cup, but the profound surrender in 'Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.' This is the pinnacle of His obedience and a model for us.
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.
This verse captures Jesus' human struggle with the immense suffering and divine judgment he is about to face, contrasting his natural desire to avoid it with his ultimate submission to God's redemptive plan.
c. 30 AD— this verse
Jesus Prays in Gethsemane
Jesus withdraws to the Garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives to pray intensely as he anticipates his impending arrest, trial, and crucifixion.
c. 30 AD
Jesus' Arrest
Judas Iscariot betrays Jesus with a kiss in the Garden of Gethsemane, leading to Jesus' arrest by the Jewish authorities.
c. 30 AD
Peter's Denial
Following Jesus' arrest, Peter denies knowing Jesus three times as prophesied, while Jesus is being interrogated.
c. 30 AD
Jesus' Trial Before the Sanhedrin
Jesus is brought before the Jewish high council (the Sanhedrin) and faces accusations and condemnation.
c. 30 AD
This passage from Matthew records Jesus' prayer in Gethsemane with almost identical words, highlighting the profound struggle and submission to God's will.
Philippians 2:8This verse speaks of Jesus humbling himself and becoming obedient to death, even the death of the cross, which directly reflects the spirit of his prayer in Luke 22:42.
Hebrews 5:7-8This passage describes Jesus learning obedience through his sufferings and crying out to God, echoing the agony and submission expressed in Luke 22:42.
John 6:38Jesus states that he came down from heaven 'not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me,' which is the core principle he is embracing in his prayer in Luke 22:42.
Genesis 50:20Joseph's words to his brothers about God intending what was meant for evil for good illustrate how God's sovereign will can be carried out even through painful circumstances, similar to Jesus' submission in Luke 22:42.
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’s prayer here isn't just a reluctant sigh; it reveals a profound humility. By saying "if you are willing," he uses a gentle, indirect phrasing—the Greek infinitive for "to be willing" instead of a direct command—showing deep respect and deference to his Father's authority, even in his agony.
Jesus is in the Garden of Gethsemane, just hours before his crucifixion, wrestling with the immense spiritual and emotional agony of what's to come. He withdraws from his sleeping disciples to pray, acknowledging the terrifying "cup" of suffering before him and seeking his Father's will in this moment of profound human vulnerability. Despite his deep distress and desire for another path, he ultimately submits to God's plan for salvation.
Jesus is in the Garden of Gethsemane, just hours before his crucifixion, wrestling with the immense spiritual and emotional agony of what's to come. He withdraws from his sleeping disciples to pray, acknowledging the terrifying "cup" of suffering before him and seeking his Father's will in this moment of profound human vulnerability. Despite his deep distress and desire for another path, he ultimately submits to God's plan for salvation.
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Ask a follow-up
Ask Sola things like:
Live chat about Luke 22:42 is available in the Sola app.
This surrender is what makes the cross redemptive. It wasn't just suffering; it was chosen suffering, offered in perfect obedience to the Father.
Jesus' Trial Before Pilate
Jesus is handed over to the Roman governor Pontius Pilate, who presides over his trial.
c. 30 AD
Crucifixion of Jesus
Jesus is scourged, mocked, and ultimately crucified by Roman soldiers at Golgotha, fulfilling prophecy and atoning for sins.
"saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.”" — Jesus’s prayer here isn't just a reluctant sigh; it reveals a profound humility. By saying "if you are willing," he uses a gentle, indirect phrasing—the Greek infinitive for "to be willing" instead o…
