Lacking Nothing in His Will

Luke 22:35-46 

Supplies for the Road

35 And He said to them, "When I sent you without money bag, knapsack, and sandals, did you lack anything?"

So they said, "Nothing."

36 Then He said to them, "But now, he who has a money bag, let him take it, and likewise a knapsack; and he who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one. 37 For I say to you that this which is written must still be accomplished in Me: 'And He was numbered with the transgressors.' For the things concerning Me have an end."

38 So they said, "Lord, look, here are two swords."

And He said to them, "It is enough."

The Prayer in the Garden

39 Coming out, He went to the Mount of Olives, as He was accustomed, and His disciples also followed Him. 40 When He came to the place, He said to them, "Pray that you may not enter into temptation."

41 And He was withdrawn from them about a stone's throw, and He knelt down and prayed, 42 saying, "Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done." 43 Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him. 44 And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.

45 When He rose up from prayer, and had come to His disciples, He found them sleeping from sorrow. 46 Then He said to them, "Why do you sleep? Rise and pray, lest you enter into temptation."

Jesus asked the disciples whom He had sent out with nothing but the clothes on their back to preach the gospel of the coming kingdom of God and heaven if they lacked anything.  They answered that they lacked nothing and we know it was because God had supplied all their need (Matthew 6:32-33, Philippians 4:19) along the way.  They were about their Father’s business and received all the supplies they needed and asked for along the way to sustain them and enable their mission.  As Hudson Taylor observed long ago, “God’s work done in God’s way will never lack God’s supply.”  We also will lack nothing if we walk in His will and are about His business of speaking the gospel and serving others with the person and teachings of Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:19).  We are not just to give the moral teachings of what to do or not to do, but the person of Christ whose words we are to observe (Matthew 28:20) while following Him.  It is impossible to separate the person of Jesus Christ from the moral teachings as many do with liberal theology today, for that slippery slope only leads away from Christ and allows the morality to diverge from ethical behavior to suit our own desires apart from His authority and sovereignty.  When we therefore proclaim Christ crucified as the wisdom and power of God (1 Corinthians 1:23-25) who then gives us the desire and ability to observe all things He has commanded us to do.  That is the true preaching of the great commission, receiving the person and words of Jesus to follow.  Merely telling others He is with them and nothing more lacks everything when they need Him to truly lack nothing.  Jesus then told the disciples to constantly pray to avoid falling into temptation and giving up on this call of the commission to speak the words of this life (Acts 5:20) according to His will and word.  He Himself was tempted as a man to stop and not go through with the incredible suffering of the beating and crucifixion to come shortly after the prayer in the garden.  He prayed for relief from the suffering only if it was according to the Father’s will and word (Luke 24:46-47) spoken long ago for Jesus to fulfill just as we are also predestined to walk in His deliverance according to His word which is now written in our hearts.  His prayer was emotionally and physically weighty and ours will be also as we wrestle with difficulties in following His word and will in proclaiming these hard truths of the message which requires admitting sin, turning from it to Him while holding nothing back that the hearers may be transformed and reborn as we once were.  Only then can others enter into this kingdom with us and follow the person of Jesus Christ as their sovereign King to rule over them with peace in the loving forgiveness of His grace.  No mere rules of liberal teaching can substitute for following the Lord of the universe and soul hope of the world.  Following and keeping selective rules without Christ is ineffective for entering the kingdom.  In following Jesus Christ and His word we never lack anything!