Mark 14 36

Mark 14:36 kjv

And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt.

Mark 14:36 nkjv

And He said, "Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will."

Mark 14:36 niv

"Abba, Father," he said, "everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will."

Mark 14:36 esv

And he said, "Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will."

Mark 14:36 nlt

"Abba, Father," he cried out, "everything is possible for you. Please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine."

Mark 14 verses

Mark 14 36 Meaning

Mark 14:36 captures Jesus's agonizing prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, revealing a profound moment of human anguish intertwined with ultimate divine submission. It shows Jesus's unique and intimate relationship with God as "Abba, Father," His absolute belief in God's omnipotence, His genuine human desire to avoid the immense suffering and death represented by "this cup," yet His perfect and decisive alignment of His will with the Father's predetermined plan of redemption. It is a powerful illustration of obedience in the face of immense suffering, culminating in self-sacrifice for the salvation of humanity.

Mark 14 36 Context

Mark 14:36 is set in the Garden of Gethsemane, on the Mount of Olives, shortly after Jesus and His disciples celebrated the Last Supper and foretold Peter's denial and Judas's betrayal. This verse is part of Jesus's private, intense prayer three times while His closest disciples (Peter, James, and John) failed to stay awake and pray with Him. Historically, Gethsemane, an olive grove, would have been a secluded place, offering some privacy for this pivotal spiritual struggle. Culturally, the act of kneeling or falling to the ground in prayer signifies deep humility and intense supplication. This scene immediately precedes Jesus's arrest, trials, and crucifixion, highlighting His conscious embrace of His suffering role as the sacrificial lamb, driven by the Father's will and the necessity of human salvation. It shows the genuine human struggle within the incarnate Son of God, not as a weakness, but as the depth of His identification with humanity and the true cost of His obedience.

Mark 14 36 Word analysis

• And He said (καὶ ἔλεγεν, kai elegen): Impersonal and authoritative statement of Jesus's utterance.
• Abba, Father (Ἀββᾶ ὁ Πατήρ, Abba ho Patēr):
  • Abba (Abba): An Aramaic term of endearment and intimacy, akin to "Daddy" or "Papa," signifying a very close and personal familial relationship. It was highly unusual for a Jew to address God in such an intimate way, typically using more formal titles like "Lord" or "God of Israel." Jesus uses it here, inviting His disciples and later believers into this unprecedented intimacy with God.
  • Father (ὁ Πατήρ, ho Patēr): The Greek translation of Abba, emphasizing the parent-child relationship. The repetition stresses the unique divine sonship and profound trust Jesus has in God.
• all things (πάντα, panta): Refers to the full scope of God's power and ability; absolute totality.
• are possible (δυνατά, dynata): From dynamis, meaning power, strength, ability. Emphasizes God's omnipotence and capability to do anything. Jesus grounds His plea in God's limitless power.
• for You (σοί, soi): Dative case, indicating God as the recipient of all possibility. Focus on God's nature.
• Remove (παράνεγκον, paranengkon): Aorist imperative, meaning "carry past," "take away," or "cause to pass by." A desperate, urgent plea to bypass or escape the impending suffering.
• this cup (τὸ ποτήριον τοῦτο, to potērion touto):
  • Cup: A profound metaphor in Old Testament prophetic literature, often symbolizing God's wrath, judgment, suffering, and predestined fate (Isa 51:17; Jer 25:15). For Jesus, it explicitly represents the entire horrific experience of His passion: bearing the sin of the world, suffering divine wrath, crucifixion, and death. It's not merely physical pain but the spiritual agony of separation from God by becoming sin for humanity (2 Cor 5:21).
  • this: Points to the immediate and concrete suffering that is upon Him.
• from Me (ἀπ’ ἐμοῦ, ap’ emou): Personalizes the plea; the cup is destined specifically for Him.
• yet (ἀλλ’, all’): A strong adversative conjunction; introduces a stark contrast, signalling a turning point from personal desire to divine will.
• not what I will (οὐ τί ἐγὼ θέλω, ou ti egō thelō):
  • I will (ἐγὼ θέλω): Reveals Jesus's authentic human will, the natural human aversion to such extreme suffering, pain, and abandonment. This is not a lack of courage but a genuine expression of His human nature.
• but what You will (ἀλλὰ τί σύ, alla ti sy):
  • You will (τί σύ): Emphasizes the absolute surrender to the Father's divine will, despite personal desire. This phrase defines perfect obedience, humility, and trust in the Father's ultimate plan. It is the heart of Jesus's mission and His atoning work.

Mark 14 36 Bonus section

The profound agony Jesus experienced in Gethsemane, underscored by His fervent prayer, points to the unimaginable weight of sin and God's holiness that required such a costly atonement. It's not merely fear of physical pain, which He faced with courage throughout His passion, but the horror of bearing the Father's righteous wrath against sin and the prospect of spiritual dereliction. The Garden of Gethsemane serves as a theological parallel and reversal of the Garden of Eden: in Eden, humanity's will was misaligned with God's, leading to sin and death; in Gethsemane, the Second Adam's will perfectly aligned with God's, leading to redemption and life. Jesus's submission here fundamentally re-establishes humanity's rightful posture before God.

Mark 14 36 Commentary

Mark 14:36 provides a profound window into the dual nature of Christ—fully human and fully divine—as He faces His darkest hour. His address "Abba, Father" is revolutionary, opening a new way for humanity to approach God with intimacy, echoing the very relationship Jesus shared with the Father. It speaks to a deep, unconditional trust, foundational to the prayer that follows. Jesus first acknowledges God's omnipotence ("all things are possible for You"), validating the Father's absolute power to deliver Him, had it been God's will. This isn't a prayer of doubt, but an appeal based on complete faith.

His request, "Remove this cup from Me," is a raw, honest expression of His human will's natural recoil from the horrifying suffering that awaited Him—a suffering not merely physical but involving the spiritual weight of all human sin and bearing God's righteous wrath. This highlights Jesus's true humanity; He truly felt and shrank from the agony.

Yet, the defining statement follows: "yet not what I will, but what You will." This is the supreme act of submission, demonstrating perfect obedience that overrides even His genuine human desire for escape. It's a powerful affirmation that the core of His mission was to perfectly fulfill the Father's redemptive plan, even to the point of a horrifying death. This act of surrendered will in Gethsemane cemented the salvation plan, signifying His unique role as the obedient Son whose sacrifice alone could atone for sin. It teaches us that true prayer involves honest expression, but ultimately yields to God's higher, sovereign purpose.

For believers, this passage is an unparalleled model for prayer in times of acute distress: be honest with God about your desires, cling to His power, but ultimately submit to His perfect will. It reassures that even Jesus experienced deep spiritual struggle, and offers grace to us when we wrestle with obedience, guiding us always toward surrendering to the divine purpose, knowing God's will is always good.