John 18:4
“Then Jesus, knowing all that would happen to him, came forward and said to them, “Whom do you seek?”
Many of us have an issue with God’s sovereignty and omniscience. Indeed, it’s a puzzling – even scary thing to consider. What we must not forget is how Scripture matter-of-factly treats the issue of God’s foreknowledge. “…knowing all that would happen to him…” The Bible doesn’t treat God’s omniscience as if it were a riddle, just an obvious and glorious fact.
Jesus has prayed mightily on this night “for this cup to pass from me,” and He has sweat great drops of blood too. And yet He rises to meet His challenge because He knows that this is God’s will. He doesn’t shrink from the circumstances even though this is exactly what He prayed would not happen. We have here the clearest example in all Scripture of why we are to pray. If we see it as the means of getting our way then this will not do. Jesus is a failure by this account. If faith, as many heretical preachers insist today, is measured as a nebulous force that we apply to God for our achievement and betterment, then Jesus had no faith at all.
Prayer is communion with God. It is God giving us the inconceivable pleasure of His holy audience. It is for us to bring our praises, cares, fears and petitions to Him so that He will conform our mind to His. “Thy will be done…” These are the sweet words on the lips of the saved. For those that truly believe and trust God, all circumstances give God’s children opportunity to glorify Him. Remember, the book of Job is not about Job’s patience. That is the world’s take on Job. No, it’s about God’s sovereignty and perfection. What God does is always somehow perfect and the truly saved take solace and joy in this truth no matter what the temporal cost. This is why our Lord rises up to face his captors, his tormentors and betrayer, without hesitation despite his earlier prayers.
Does prayer change anything? Yes, yes, and yes again. It changes us! The ground we kneel on in reverence to God, praising Him and seeking conformity to His will is the ground that the real battle is won. It’s the ground where a man or woman admits the truth: that all his or her problems stem from lack of faith. Thus, all true prayer is the flexing of that great muscle of faith. It’s exactly this muscle that works as Jesus walks up, fearlessly, confidently – despite His very real distress – to the decision that God has made. All true prayer is the recognition of God’s power and righteousness and authority.
Jesus walking up to the arresting mob shows us the great power of faith that proceeds from right prayer that understands who God is and who we are. Such faith as this is impossible to the man or woman who doesn’t believe – truly believe – in God’s righteous sovereignty. A Christian without peace is one who wrestles sadly with whether or not God is good. A Christian without peace is one who doesn’t understand that goodness and God are not separate things. All that God does is good and there can be no division between His being and goodness. So, when we’re confused over an issue or trial, and wonder how it makes sense, it’s because we don’t know God’s plan. That’s all. There is no sin in not knowing what God is going to do in the next instance. But there is sin in thinking God has to conform to some human preconceived notion of fairness and/or goodness. It is good because it is of God and never the other way around. To mix this up causes such consternation and leaves scars on the hearts of His children that ought never to have bled in the first place. We only know of goodness, mercy, justice, truth and love because God has shown Himself to us. These are not attributes that He needs to conform to as we, His created and rebellious children, have to. When in doubt, Christian, check your own premises, never God’s.
Jesus was not rebuked as Job was because He knew His Father’s will was perfect. He knew this because He prayed and prayed; Job debated his friends. This is the precious perfection of prayer, the wondrous exchange…it is going to God honestly with all your heart and seeking, truly seeking, His heart, which can only be known through the Scriptures.
Prayer is the Christian’s deepest pleasure as it is communion with God. Prayer changes all things – starting with us because our central problem is that we need to glorify Him and plead for His will to be done.
Lord, let it be said of us that, “they believed God and it was counted to them as righteousness.”
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