And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, "My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will."   Matthew 26:39 (ESV)

In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.   Hebrews 5:7-10 (ESV)

Introduction

Fallen Condition Focus: Substituting our will for God's will out of fear, weakness, pride, or rebelliousness. Instead of God's will reigning in us, we give first place to our feelings, thoughts, self-will, the opinions of others.

Proposition Statement: Since Christ is Immanuel, God with us, we believe that he has substituted himself for us in our most difficult decisions

1. He substitutes his courage for our fears of suffering
2. He substitutes his prayers for our unbelief
3. He substitutes his obedient will for our rebellious will
4. He substitutes his watchfulness for our physical weakness
5. He substitutes his readiness for our cowardice

"The New Testament opens with the announcement by the angel of the Lord that the child to be born of Mary was to be called both Jeshua (Jahweh saves) and Immanuel (God with us). The Jesus of whom we read in the Gospels and whom we proclaim as Christ is both man of Israel and the Lord God, for in him God himself has come to be with us, really to be with us as one of us and as God for us, who has taken our human nature upon himself, our sin and guilt, our misery and death, in order to save and heal us, and as such really to be our God." T. F. Torrance, Preaching Christ Today, 11

"They thereby undermine the radical nature of substitution, what the New Testament calls katallage, Christ in our place and Christ for us in every respect. Substitution understood in this radical way means that Christ takes our place in all our human life and activity before God, even in our believing, praying, and worshipping of God, for he has yoked himself to us in such a profound way that he stands in for us and upholds us at every point in our human relations before God." T. F. Torrance, Preaching Christ Today, 30-31

What we must do: Christ calls us to surrender to him, yielding to his will in our most difficult decisions 

Then Jesus told his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." Matthew 16:24 (ESV) 

I have been crucified with Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.   Galatians 2:20 (ESV) 

Conclusion and Call to Respond