“Reconstructing God’s Answer To Jesus’ Prayer In Gethsemane:”
From Jesus’ desperate prayer in Gethsemane, we learn that Jesus, fundamentally, didn’t want to die, and on top of that did not believe he needed to die for God’s plan/goal to be realized:
36 “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)
Jesus desperately begged God to spare his life. Whatever Jesus thought God said in response to this prayer, Jesus gained the courage to carry out his mission.
Jesus probably thought God told him that God would send a divine being to save him from the cross. Once he was on the cross, however, Jesus became convinced that God had abandoned him, and called out:
“Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?" which means, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" (Mark 15:34)
Jesus was desperate for God to send him a divine rescuer, who he thought might be Elijah, the great prophet of old:
35When some of the bystanders heard it, they began saying, “Behold, He is calling for Elijah." 36Someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed, and gave Him a drink, saying, “Let us see whether Elijah will come to take Him down." (Mark 15:35-36)
The divine rescuer never showed up and Jesus died. Had God broke his promise to save Jesus? No!
Just as the masses didn’t understand the message of Jesus because he spoke in parables, Jesus didn’t understand that when God said in answer to his desperate prayer He would save him, it would not be through divine intervention, but rather glorious resurrection.