(Matthew 26: 36-46)

Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder.  And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy.  Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.  And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.  And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?  Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.  He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done. And he came and found them asleep again: for their eyes were heavy. And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words. Then cometh he to his disciples, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.  Rise, let us be going: behold, he is at hand that doth betray me. (Matthew 26: 36-46)

Jesus is also saying that his heart (soul) died because of distress. Says in chapter 26:37 that Jesus was distressed and sad when he went to pray with Peter and "the two sons of Zebedee." And in verse 38

 『Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me. 』

God, the Creator who created the heaven and earth, came to earth in the flesh. He is Jesus. However, this great man was also worried and sad before death. The soul that comes from the body reacts that way. You can also see them accompanying their disciples because they want to be comforted. Even 『If it be possible, let this cup pass from me』. Jesus, who was the God who planned before the creation, said this. By the way, how can we say that "a human being of creation" would not easily deny Jesus before the cross?

It says in the Bible, "The soul of the flesh is supposed to respond that way." The soul is a self. If you don't deny this, everyone says you deny Jesus. In verse 41『Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. 』

Jesus went for a second prayer. The first expression is:『 If it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.』 However, the second expression is:

 『He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.』 Indicate negative to negative. It is positive.『 if this cup may not pass away from me 』 We can see, "How difficult is it to let yourself down?" Jesus prayed three times. We should also say, "nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt". As Jesus said, those who do not deny themselves will be:

『 Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven. 』 (Matthew 10: 32-33)

"It's difficult to put me down", but it is according to God's will. It means "to come back dead." What comes back dead? It means that the greed to make left God because he wants to become like God dies and returns. The returning prodigal son is not "the appearance of the prodigal son when he left his father." To be like the dead is repentance.

In Luke 17: 31-33『 In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back.  Remember Lot's wife. Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it. 』 His life is the soul of "self". Here, Lot's wife appears. Lot's wife looked back and became a pillar of salt. This is the expression "She loves the world". The soul of self is bound to the world. It means that if you don't turn back, you will be abandoning Jesus for your life. Is this easy? However, salvation is easily felt because people who come to church for the first time are told, "If you receive Jesus, you will be saved" or "If you believe, you will be saved."

We wonder, "Whoever says that would deny himself?"
Salvation is a narrow road. It is a way to deny self. No matter how easily you say this, you must realize that salvation is a difficult way for sweat drops to become like blood drops. There are many who want to know the time of Jesus' Second Coming. But not knowing the time is saved, but those who deny it are saved. So the Bible says, "Be awake." Rather than always remembering the time of Jesus' Second Coming and thinking, "You shouldn't live like this," the meaning of the word is to always look through the mirror of the Word to see if you are living in a life that denies you. "Nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt”