Mat 26:39 O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as you [will].

Christ often uses the term "will" (thelô) to mean the choice to exercise power (dunamis ). Power is what makes things possible (dunatos). Others in the Gospel use "will" to mean desire, but Christ seldom uses it in that sense. Christ is also very consistent in defining God as the power that makes all things possible.

Again, Christ says that he would not choose his own. It seems that he wanted Peter and the others with him to know this. He wanted to affirm the value of life even in the face of a sacrifice that he knew that he must make. It seems that he purposefully wanted his followers to understand that death and the afterlife was not the goal of life. Even though death is am unavoidable part of life, and his own death was particularly unavoidable in the context of history, death is not to be welcomed as a friend. Christ was not dying to start a death cult. He was dying to start a religion of rebirth.


"Possible" is from dunatos (dunatos), which means "strong," "mighty," "possible," and "practicable."

"Cup" is from potêrion (poterion), which means "a drinking-cup," "a wine-cup," "a jar," and "a receptacle" for offerings in the temple.

"Pass" is from parerchomai (parerchomai), which means "go by," "pass by," "outstrip" (in speed), "pass away," "outwit," "past events" (in time), "disregard," and "pass without heeding."

"Will" is from thelô (thelo), which means "to be willing," "to wish," "to ordain," "to decree," "to be resolved to a purpose" and "to desire."