The Three Prayers in Gethsemane as Prophetic Sign of Messiah’s Three Appearings
- Charles
- Aug 27
- 7 min read
The Garden as Covenant Theater
The Garden of Gethsemane is one of the most intimate windows into the heart of Messiah Yeshua. On the night He was betrayed, He went apart with His disciples to the olive press, a place where oil was crushed out of fruit, a picture of the crushing He Himself would endure. There He prayed three times, each prayer echoing the tension between His human weakness and His covenantal resolve.
Matthew records the prayers with striking care:
“My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will” (Matthew 26:39).
“My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, Your will be done” (26:42).
“So, leaving them again, He went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words again” (26:44).
Why three? Why not one decisive prayer? Why did the Evangelist make sure the threefold structure was preserved?
The covenant answer is that these three prayers foreshadow the three appearings of Messiah in covenant history. Just as Hebrews 9:24–28 and the broader testimony of Scripture show Yeshua appearing in phases, once in humility, then to gather His own, and finally to reign as King, so in the Garden He enacted this arc
prophetically. His prayers were not only supplication; they were covenant rehearsal.
First Prayer — Humility in the Flesh
The first prayer in Gethsemane is marked by human frailty:
“My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me.”
This is no lack of faith. It is the full reality of the Incarnation. Yeshua had taken on flesh and blood, subject to weakness (Hebrews 2:14; 4:15). The first prayer reveals His identification with humanity’s longing to escape suffering. Just as He was born as a helpless babe in the manger (Luke 2:7), He prays here with the vulnerability of one clothed in weakness.
Parallels to His First Appearing
Incarnation in Humility — Yeshua’s first appearing was not in splendor but in poverty, wrapped in swaddling cloths, laid in a feeding trough.
Identification with Weakness — In the Garden He shares the deepest cry of humanity: the desire to avoid the cup of wrath.
Submission to the Father — Even in asking for release, He adds, “Nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.” This mirrors His whole first mission: to do the will of the One who sent Him (John 6:38).
Covenant Arc in the First Prayer
In this first stage, we see the covenant oath — the Bridegroom pledging obedience even while acknowledging the weight of the cost. His humility fulfills the prophetic word: “Behold, your King is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey” (Zechariah 9:9; Matthew 21:5).
Second Prayer — Embracing the Cup
The second prayer shifts. Yeshua no longer asks for the cup to pass; instead He confesses:
“My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, Your will be done.”
Here the petition has matured. The Son embraces the necessity of the covenant blood. He accepts the cross as the only path to redemption.
Parallels to His Second Appearing
Gathering of His Own — The second appearing is when Messiah comes to receive His children through resurrection. This is not avoidance of death but triumph over it (1 Thessalonians 4:16–17).
Embracing Death to Overcome It — Just as He drinks the cup willingly, so in His second appearing He embraces the grave as the place of victory, raising the dead and gathering the living.
Bridegroom Receiving the Bride — His acceptance of the cup ensures that He can later receive His Bride into covenant presence. Without drinking the cup, there is no wedding feast.
Covenant Arc in the Second Prayer
Here we see the covenant blood. The oath has matured into action. The Son consents to the Father’s will, not reluctantly but resolutely. Just as Israel at Sinai said, “All that YHWH has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient” (Exodus 24:7), so Yeshua embodies perfect obedience. His “Yes” opens the way for the Bride’s resurrection life.
Third Prayer — Resolute for Triumph
Matthew records that Yeshua prayed a third time, repeating the same words. Then He rose and declared to His disciples:
“Rise, let us be going; see, My betrayer is at hand.”
The third prayer seals the decision. There is no wavering, no hesitation. Yeshua moves forward to meet His betrayer, confronting darkness directly.
Parallels to His Third Appearing
Appearing in Authority — The third appearing is not in humility or even in hidden gathering but in unveiled kingship. Yeshua comes with the armies of heaven, clothed in glory (Revelation 19:11–16).
Confronting the Enemy — Just as He faced Judas and the mob in the Garden, so He will face the deceiver and the kings of the earth, casting them down in judgment (Revelation 19:19–20).
Reigning as King — The third appearing establishes His rule over the nations, fulfilling the covenant oath to David that His throne will endure forever (2 Samuel 7:16; Psalm 89:34–37).
Covenant Arc in the Third Prayer
Here we see covenant presence. The Bridegroom rises to face the final battle. His resolve in the Garden anticipates His triumph on the last day. The betrayer approaches, but the King does not shrink back. The covenant path is complete: oath in the first prayer, blood in the second, presence in the third.
The Garden as Microcosm of Covenant History
Gethsemane condenses the whole covenant arc into a single night. The threefold prayer is not simply persistence in prayer; it is prophetic rehearsal of the threefold appearing.
Incarnation — First prayer, vulnerability, humility.
Resurrection / Gathering — Second prayer, acceptance of the cup.
Reign as King — Third prayer, resolve to confront the enemy.
Just as the covenants of promise unfold in three stages, Abraham (oath), Sinai (vows), and New Covenant (blood written on hearts), so the prayers and appearings of Messiah follow the same covenant pattern.
Section Five: Witness of Threes Across Scripture
The threefold Gethsemane aligns with the broader testimony of “threes” in Scripture:
Peter denied three times, restored three times (Luke 22:61; John 21:15–17).
Jonah three days in the fish, Messiah three days in the tomb (Matthew 12:40).
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as three patriarchal witnesses (Exodus 3:15).
Three pilgrimage feasts embody redemption, harvest, and dwelling (Exodus 23:14–17).
Paul’s triad of faith, hope, and love (1 Corinthians 13:13).
These repetitions confirm that three is the covenant seal of Elohim — the number of completion, confirmation, and resurrection.
Practical Covenant Implications
What does this mean for the Bride today?
Humility First — Like Yeshua’s first prayer, our covenant walk begins with humility, acknowledging weakness but submitting to the Father’s will.
Embracing the Cup — Like His second prayer, covenant faith means embracing obedience even when it costs everything, trusting that resurrection is certain.
Resolute Triumph — Like His third prayer, covenant faith moves from weakness to victory, standing firm against betrayal and deception until the appearing of the King.
Every disciple’s journey mirrors the Garden: from trembling, to surrender, to triumph.
Eschatological Fulfillment
The Garden does not end in despair. Yeshua’s prayers lead to the cross, the cross leads to resurrection, and resurrection leads to enthronement. Likewise, His three appearings move history toward final consummation:
First Appearing — The Word became flesh, fulfilling the promises to the fathers.
Second Appearing — The Bridegroom gathers His Bride, fulfilling the hope of resurrection.
Third Appearing — The King reigns from Zion, fulfilling the promise of the Kingdom.
The three prayers are therefore eschatological previews. What He enacted in the Garden, He will complete in history.
Rise, Let Us Be Going
The last words from Gethsemane before His arrest, "Rise, let us be going” (Matthew 26:46), are not resignation but triumph. They echo forward to the final appearing, when He will rise to judge the nations and gather His Bride into His eternal Presence.
The threes of Elohim are covenant signs, not numerology. They reveal the complete arc of salvation. In Gethsemane, Messiah rehearsed the three appearings with His three prayers: first in humility, then in obedience, and finally in triumph.
For the Bride, this is both comfort and call. Comfort, because the King has walked the path of weakness before us. Call, because we are summoned to follow Him through humility, through obedience, and into triumph.
Thus the Garden is not merely history but covenant prophecy. The three prayers are the signature of the Threefold Elohim — Father, Son, and Ruach HaKodosh — working out the one plan of redemption. And just as Messiah prayed three times, so He will appear three times: once to reveal, once to receive, and once to reign.
Inductive Study: The Threes of Gethsemane
The First Prayer and the First Appearing (Humility)
Read: Matthew 26:39; Luke 2:7; John 1:14
Questions
What do you observe about Yeshua’s words in His first prayer?
How does His request for the cup to pass reflect His humanity?
In what ways does this prayer mirror His first appearing as a babe in a manger?
How should His humility shape the Bride’s response in covenant faith?
The Second Prayer and the Second Appearing (Obedience and Gathering)
Read: Matthew 26:42; John 6:38; 1 Thessalonians 4:16–17
Questions
What change do you notice between Yeshua’s first and second prayers?
How does His acceptance of the cup foreshadow His second appearing to gather His people?
What covenant connection do you see between obedience at Sinai and Yeshua’s obedience in Gethsemane?
How does this strengthen your hope in the resurrection?
The Third Prayer and the Third Appearing (Authority and Reign)
Read: Matthew 26:44–46; Revelation 19:11–16; 20:4–6
Questions
What does Yeshua do after His third prayer, and what does this show about His resolve?
How does His confrontation with the betrayer preview His return as conquering King?
How does this third stage complete the covenant arc of oath, blood, and presence?
How should the Bride prepare to share in His reign?
📖 The Threes of Gethsemane – Inductive Study
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Pages 1–8: Questions with response lines
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✨ Blessing of the Study
May this study open the eyes of the Bride to behold Messiah in His humility, His obedience, and His triumph. May it strengthen all who engage it to walk in covenant loyalty until His appearing in glory.
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