Participants: Shelley Quinn
Series Code: 16SCM
Program Code: 16SCM000013A
00:51 Welcome to 3ABN's Spring Camp Meeting:
00:57 Live from the 3ABN Worship Center. 01:02 Hello and welcome to 3ABN's 2016 Spring Camp Meeting. 01:08 We have a lot of people from around the world 01:10 that want to welcome you with a hearty Amen. 01:11 Can we all say Amen? Amen! 01:13 They have been blessed; we have been at the fountain; 01:15 we've been at the table of grace; we've been at the 01:18 sanctuary. We've been in the outer court, the inner court, 01:20 the Most Holy Place. We've been walking with Jesus 01:23 through His plan of salvation 01:25 through a number of topics. And the overall theme is 01:27 Christ... What else? Calvary, and the Sanctuary. 01:33 Christ, Calvary, and the Sanctuary. 01:35 And our presenter for this por- tion of the numbers of sermons 01:39 is none other than Sister Shelley Quinn... 01:42 who is - I would use the word - a giant among all. 01:45 But I don't want to use that term thinking about her height. 01:48 This is not about her height. She wears so many hats 01:52 here at 3ABN. And she is a person of the Word. 01:55 She's an author; she's a writer. She also directs new programming 01:59 and a number of other things. But she is a very important 02:02 staple here at the ministry of 3ABN. And she will be presenting 02:05 a message entitled The Garden of Gethsemane. 02:09 What a topic to be able to handle today. 02:12 Before she comes I've been designated. 02:16 I'm going to give her the opportunity to pray 02:18 but I've been designated also to lay the foundation 02:20 by singing a song. And I've chosen one that really 02:25 speaks of the goodness of the Lord. 02:27 Pass Me Not, O Gentle Savior. 03:04 Pass me not, O gentle Savior, 03:11 Hear my humble cry; 03:18 While on others 03:21 Thou art calling, 03:25 Do not pass me by. 03:30 Can I get a choir on the chorus? 03:32 Savior, 03:36 Savior, 03:40 hear my humble cry, 03:47 While on others 03:50 Thou art calling, 03:54 Do not pass me by. 04:06 Let me at Thy throne of mercy 04:13 Find a sweet relief; 04:20 Kneeling there in deep contrition, 04:27 Lord, help my unbelief. 04:34 While I'm trusting only in 04:38 Thy merit, 04:41 Would I seek 04:45 Thy face; 04:49 Heal my wounded, broken spirit 04:56 and then save me by Thy grace. 05:02 And we're crying Savior, 05:07 oh my Savior, 05:10 Hear my humble cry. 05:17 Lord, while on others 05:21 Thou art calling 05:25 just do not pass me by. 05:37 You're the spring of all my comfort 05:42 and You are more 05:45 than life to me; 05:51 Whom have I on earth 05:55 beside Thee? And whom in heaven 06:01 but Thee? 06:04 And we're singing Savior, 06:08 oh my Savior, 06:12 just hear my humble cry, 06:19 Lord, while on others 06:23 Thou art calling 06:27 just do not pass me by. 06:33 And we're crying Savior, 06:38 oh my Savior, 06:42 Hear my humble cry. 06:48 Lord, while on others 06:52 Thou art calling 06:56 just do not pass 06:59 me by. 07:08 Oh... 07:15 do not 07:18 pass me 07:21 by. 07:34 Thank you, John. That was beautiful! 07:37 Well hello. I just want to tell you 07:40 I've been watching the audience as much as I've been watching 07:44 the programs. And you all are a wonderful audience! 07:49 Very responsive. We're very glad to have you here. 07:52 We want to thank those who are watching by television 07:54 and/or listening by radio. 07:57 What we've been doing thus far is walking through the 08:00 sanctuary. Right now we're going to start 08:03 walking the path of Christ's passion. 08:07 And this is the hour of the power of darkness, 08:10 but it's the greatest love story that was ever told. 08:13 So let's pray. Heavenly Father, we come 08:16 in the name of Jesus. And Father, as we read Your Word 08:20 we ask that You will send Your Holy Spirit 08:23 and that, Father, this Word will do a sanctifying work 08:27 in our heart. We thank you, Lord, 08:30 for Your Son Jesus Christ, 08:33 for the Holy Spirit, and for Your Word: 08:36 Your three greatest gifts of grace. 08:39 And we thank you for the power of Your Word. 08:41 In Jesus' name, Amen. Amen! 08:44 Let me just kind of establish the setting here. 08:47 During the last week of Jesus' life 08:50 He went down to Jerusalem for the final time 08:53 to minister there. 08:55 And He received this royal welcome at the Triumphal Entry. 08:59 He taught every day in the temple. 09:03 But the 70 prophetic weeks that Daniel 9 talks about 09:07 that God had carved out for His people 09:10 were coming to a quick conclusion. 09:13 So transgression had to be finished, reconciliation made. 09:18 The everlasting righteousness had to be brought in 09:21 by the cutting off of Messiah, the Prince. 09:25 It was a time for the Savior to walk His lonely path of passion. 09:31 And as He moved to the cross 09:35 this was the climactic demonstration of God's love. 09:40 Jesus shared His last Passover meal with His disciples 09:44 then He took His last walk with them to a place of prayer. 09:50 And we're going to take a new look at this familiar story 09:55 of the Savior's visit to the Garden of Gethsemane 09:57 where He desired to pray the night before He died. 10:01 Do you know what Gethsemane means? 10:04 Gethsemane means olive press, and actually a gethsemane 10:10 is a piece of equipment that they use to crush the olives. 10:14 What they would do is they would take the whole olives. 10:17 They would pour them into a basin that had a millstone, 10:20 harnass an animal to the millstone, 10:22 and the animal would go round and round the circular basin. 10:26 And as the millstone rolled over the olives 10:29 it cracked the olives. Then they would scoop them up 10:33 into burlap bags. And they would take them 10:36 and they would put them under this large stone column. 10:42 And this stone column was called a gethsemane. 10:47 And as the enormous weight of this large stone column 10:52 came down on these cracked olives 10:54 it would crush them and force their precious oil 10:59 to drip down into a groove and then into the basin 11:04 where it would be collected. 11:07 So gethsemane means olive press. 11:11 And what it symbolizes here 11:14 is the crushing weight of the sins of the world 11:17 that Jesus carried as He went to the cross. 11:20 If we establish the scene before He got to the garden, 11:26 He was sharing His last Passover meal with His disciples - 11:30 the Last Supper. And at this Passover meal 11:33 what happened? The disciples started arguing 11:37 "Who's going to be the greatest? " 11:39 And how did Jesus handle this? 11:41 He just simply got up and then He got down 11:45 and He washed their feet to demonstrate to them 11:49 how servant/leadership should be. 11:53 And He foretold of His betrayal 11:56 and He identified His betrayer. 11:59 He said: "He who dips his hand in this cup with Me..." 12:04 And you know, Judas - as we all know - 12:08 was kind of a miserly person. 12:11 He used to dip into the treasury. 12:13 He was the treasurer for Jesus' ministry. 12:15 But six days earlier in Bethany Judas had become enraged 12:21 when Mary came in and anointed the feet of Jesus 12:27 and she broke her alabaster box 12:29 to anoint His feet and His head 12:32 with this great, expensive ointment. 12:35 So what happened is: Judas then went to the high priest 12:38 and he said to the chief priest, he said: 12:41 "What will you give me if I'll deliver Him to you? " 12:45 And they counted him out 30 pieces of silver. 12:50 Thirty shekels... which was the common price 12:54 for a slave... was counted out. 12:56 So now at the Last Supper Satan entered into Judas' heart. 13:01 And Jesus looked at him - and I know He looked at him 13:04 with love - and He said: "What you do, do quickly. " 13:08 So Judas slinked out into the night. 13:11 Now Jesus also foretold of the denial 13:16 that His disciples would go through... 13:19 especially Peter. And He prayed for Peter 13:22 and He prayed for His disciples. 13:24 And the entire discourse of John chapter 14... 13:29 You remember John chapter 14? "In My Father's house are many 13:33 mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you. 13:36 I go to prepare a place for you. " 13:37 "If you love Me, keep My commandments. " 13:40 And the promise of the Holy Spirit. This all took - 13:43 this whole discourse - took place at the Last Supper. 13:47 They were still in the upper room. 13:50 Then in the gospels of Matthew and Mark 13:54 it says they sung a hymn and John records, saying that 13:58 Jesus said: "Arise, and let us go from here. " 14:02 So knowing that He was about to die 14:05 Jesus went forth with His little band of 11 disciples 14:09 into the moonlit night. 14:12 It was a full moon because Passover is always 14:15 held at full moon. And Jesus took every opportunity 14:20 to teach them as they walked along. 14:23 John 14... excuse me, John 15 14:27 and John 16- those entire chapters - 14:30 happened as Jesus was walking along. 14:33 I can just see Him. He saw a vine 14:35 and He looked at them and He said: "I am the Vine; 14:38 you are the branches. Apart from Me you can do nothing. " 14:42 And He taught them about the work of the Holy Spirit. 14:45 He tenderly counseled them about the problems that were 14:49 ahead of them... the dangers that were coming. 14:52 But He spoke words of peace to them 14:55 saying that their sorrow would turn to joy 14:57 and saying: "In the world you will have tribulation, but 15:01 be of good cheer: I have overcome the world. " 15:04 Then John chapter 17, if you have a red-letter edition, 15:07 John chapter 17 is all in red. This is Jesus' prayer. 15:12 And this probably happened on the slopes of 15:16 the mountain - right before He entered into the garden - 15:20 on the slopes of the Mount of Olives 15:23 where He prayed for the protection and the blessing 15:26 of God over the people. And He asked God to sanctify them 15:29 by His truth. He asked Him to unite them as one 15:34 and to guide them through the up-coming tribulation. 15:37 He prayed for His disciples and for all of us, didn't He? 15:41 Now we've set the scene. Open your Bibles 15:43 to Mark chapter 14. And I hope you have your Bibles 15:48 with you today. We are going to read this story... 15:50 as much as we can get into this next forty minutes. 15:54 We're going to read the story in Mark chapter 14. 15:58 All of the four gospels contain the story of the 16:04 Garden of Gethsemane, but Mark's is the most complete. 16:07 So what we'll do is as we go through reading 16:10 if there's something that's pertinent from another gospel 16:15 that adds a little more flavor to it, I'll add that. 16:19 So Mark 14... let's begin in verse 32. 16:23 Mark 14:32. 16:27 "Then they came to a place which was named Gethsemane 16:30 and He said to His disciples: 'Sit here while I pray. ' " 16:34 Luke identifies this as the Mount of Olives, 16:37 and John adds that Judas who betrayed Him was very 16:41 familiar with this place because Jesus often went there 16:45 with His disciples. You know gardens were not allowed within 16:50 the walls of the city of Jerusalem because there was 16:52 no space. So what the wealthy did was 16:55 they would secure a garden outside the walls. 16:58 They would secure a beautiful place. 17:01 And the Garden of Gethsemane was most likely a walled garden. 17:04 It talks about Jesus going in and going out. 17:07 It was there on the western slope of the Mount of Olives. 17:10 And Jesus visited there often for prayer and rest 17:14 and fellowship with His disciples. 17:16 He spent every night there 17:19 during the last week of His life, praying... 17:24 so this night was no different. 17:26 He takes His disciples there. 17:28 And it's around midnight when He returns to His favorite 17:31 setting. So Gethsemane was about to become 17:35 the conflict of the world's greatest drama 17:40 It was the beginning... At the beginning of Christ's 17:43 ministry remember when He was the 40 days in the wilderness? 17:46 What happened in those 40 days? 17:49 Satan did everything he could 17:52 to prevent Jesus from going to the cross. 17:56 And that was at the beginning of His ministry. 17:59 Can you imagine now at the end of His ministry 18:03 Satan is prepared for his final onslaught against Jesus. 18:08 And that's why Jesus calls it the hour and the power of 18:11 darkness. So verse 33 says: 18:15 "And He took Peter, James, and John with Him 18:18 and He began to be troubled and deeply distressed. " 18:22 He left 8 of His disciples just inside the gate 18:26 of the garden. Then He takes His 3 closest friends 18:29 with Him and He goes a little further into a corner of the 18:32 garden. But He needed them for... He wanted their 18:36 companionship and their prayer support. 18:39 You know, these three had the privilege of witnessing 18:42 His glory when He was transfigured 18:46 on the mount near Caesarea Philippi. 18:49 But now this night they were to witness His agony 18:54 as Jesus in His humanity 18:58 struggled with the events that were about to transpire. 19:02 Look at verse 34. 19:05 "Then He said to them: 19:07 'My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. 19:14 Stay here and watch. ' " Luke says at this point 19:19 He also added: "Pray that you may not enter 19:22 into temptation. " The divine Christ - 19:26 the Man of Sorrows - was be- ginning to feel an indescribable 19:31 grief. It was beyond all imagination. 19:35 But God was laying the weight of our sins upon Him: 19:40 the curse and the penalty of transgression. 19:44 And Jesus already felt it was unbearable. 19:47 The crushing weight of His sorrow was actually 19:52 life threatening. Do you realize that? 19:55 He said: "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful... 19:59 even to the point of death. " 20:02 This is the deepest overwhelming grief 20:05 that has ever been experienced on earth. 20:08 And it wasn't just the horrifying heartache 20:11 caused by the thought of the upcoming cruelty 20:14 in His mock trial and the shame of the cross. 20:18 What was getting to Jesus right now was what Isaiah 20:22 said in chapter 53 verses 10-12. 20:25 His soul was to be made an offering for sin. 20:31 He began to taste the judgment of the second death 20:36 that is due to all men apart from redemption 20:39 through His blood. 20:41 He was to be cut off, separated 20:45 from God His Father for the first time 20:49 in His eternal existence 20:52 and left all alone to bear the sins and the judgment of men. 20:57 So darkness began to settle over His soul like a heavy cloud 21:02 because Satan's final onslaught had already begun. 21:06 And you know something? As He was there, immersed in 21:11 grief, He was tempted to feel that in His humanity 21:17 He did not have the strength to endure. 21:20 He was tempted to feel that His Father 21:24 was going to forsake Him. So He makes this agonizing appeal 21:28 to Peter, James, and John - His three closest friends. 21:33 He says: "Watch with Me" while He went to pray alone. 21:38 I want you as we are talking today 21:40 pay attention to what Jesus did 21:43 because He set an example for us. 21:46 He knew... He didn't want to discuss His problems 21:49 with His friends. He wanted their prayer support. 21:52 But He knew that He required time alone - 21:56 uninterrupted time - alone with His Father 21:58 who was the only One who could solve His problem. 22:03 Sometimes I think we talk too much about our problems. 22:05 We just need to ask our friends to pray and we take our problem 22:10 to the Lord. Amen! But being fully divine 22:14 yet fully a man He understood the weakness 22:18 of the flesh. So He tells them: "Pray that you will not enter 22:23 into temptation. " A great trial was ahead of them 22:26 and they didn't recognize it. You know, the disciples 22:28 could sense that this was a critical hour 22:31 because there in the beautiful garden there was just a... 22:37 it was charged... the atmosphere was charged 22:41 with anxiety. But only Jesus recognized that 22:45 Satan was lurking in the darkness, seeking 22:48 whom he could devour. 22:50 The closer He came to His victory on the cross 22:52 the more desperate Satan became. 22:55 And Jesus knew that the temptation was coming upon 22:58 His followers, and He bore the weight of their trial, too. 23:02 So He was worried that they would feel too guilty 23:05 and under condemnation. That they would feel too guilty 23:08 to repent. So He withdraws a distance 23:12 and now He is wrestling with a foe that is unseen 23:17 to His disciples. Verse 35: 23:21 "He went a little further and He fell on the ground 23:27 and prayed that if it were possible the hour might pass 23:31 from Him. Matthew says He fell "on His face. " 23:34 And he actually records the words of Jesus 23:38 and He said: "Oh My Father, if it is possible 23:43 let this cup pass from Me. " 23:45 He was beginning to experience the crushing weight 23:48 of the sins of the world and it was overcoming. 23:53 He lost His bodily strength; He sank to His knees. 23:57 And in the fervency of His prayer He prostrated Himself 24:00 on the ground with His face to the ground. 24:03 The ache of betrayal, the concern for His followers 24:07 that He would leave behind, 24:08 the anticipation of unbearable torture, 24:11 the shame of the impending crucifixion, 24:13 the weight of the world's sins, the thought of separation 24:16 from His Father and fighting the prince of evil: 24:19 all this emotional and mental stress 24:23 culminated into an agonizing moment 24:26 when Jesus in His humanity 24:31 cried out with a true human heart a humble cry: 24:37 "Oh Lord, if it is possible... 24:41 if You, God, can be glorified 24:44 and if man can be saved without Me drinking this 24:48 bitter cup, then let it be done. " 24:51 What was this cup that Jesus was worried of drinking? 24:57 Often in the Old Testament a cup is judgment 25:02 at the hand of God. 25:04 Isaiah 51:17 refers to it as "the cup of the Lord's fury" 25:10 associated with suffering and God's wrath. 25:14 But Christ's cup was far more than the excruciating pain 25:17 and shame of the crucifixion. 25:20 It was that He who knew no sin 25:23 was about to become sin for us 25:26 and to be separated from His Father. 25:29 You know, in Matthew 20 Jesus had referred to believers 25:33 drinking the cup that He was about to drink... 25:36 and He was referring to His suffering at the hands of men, 25:40 which to some extent we all do. 25:42 But let me tell you something: 25:44 if you are in Jesus Christ you will never 25:49 ever drink the cup of the wrath of God. 25:54 That was forever settled at the cross for true believers. 25:58 Revelation 14:9-10 says 26:02 that cup is reserved for those who worship the beast 26:05 and his image who receive his mark. 26:07 They're the ones that shall drink the cup of God's wrath. 26:10 And Revelation 16:19 says that the cup of the fierceness of 26:14 God's wrath will be drunk by mystery Babylon. 26:19 Verse 36: now Jesus says: 26:24 "Abba Father, all things are possible for You. 26:28 Take this cup from Me. 26:31 Nevertheless, not what I will 26:34 but Your will be done. " 26:36 He's weighed down; He's prostrated on the ground. 26:40 He cries out "Abba... " that Aramaic phrase that means 26:45 Papa. Abba... "Abba Father. 26:50 Take it from Me, but not My will... Yours be done. " 26:54 With child-like faith and dependency He calls 26:58 upon His Father because He knows that God would hear and help. 27:02 And He begs the Lord to choose another way if possible. 27:06 His human impulse was to escape this bitter cup. 27:11 But notice His humility in prayer. 27:14 What does He say? In perfect submission 27:17 He prays for God's will to be done. 27:20 All things are possible for God. 27:25 Why did God not choose another way 27:29 when His Son was asking for it? 27:32 Well, because the eternal council of God 27:35 had been settled. God had spoken it. 27:38 He prophesied it, and God always fulfills His Word. 27:41 The penalty for the disobedience to the Ten Commandment law 27:45 of love was death: the second death 27:48 that Revelation mentions four different times. 27:50 We cannot pay that penalty 27:52 because we all have sinned. All have sinned 27:57 and fallen short of the glory of God. 27:59 It took a perfect Man, a sinless Man, 28:03 OUR CREATOR, to stand in as our substitute. 28:08 This is the reason for the incarnation. 28:12 This is the reason Jesus became a human being: 28:16 so that He could be our substitute. 28:18 To demonstrate His love and righteousness God did not 28:23 cancel His Ten Commandment law. 28:26 He did not waive the penalty. 28:28 He sent His Son to die for us in our place! 28:34 Just think of the Father's excruciating sorrow 28:39 as in heaven He's watching His Son 28:43 who is one with Him. He's watching Him in the agony 28:47 of His humanity. And God knows that... I mean, 28:53 He loved His Son. How He must have suffered 28:57 as He watched Jesus suffer. 28:59 But He also loves us, and He knew that we would be doomed 29:03 for destruction if Jesus didn't go through and drink 29:07 this cup. To be a just God He had to become the justifier. 29:12 So God had to suffer with His Son 29:15 as His Son is suffering in agony. 29:18 So look at verse 37. 29:21 Jesus is going to return to His three friends after His 29:24 first time of prayer. "Then He came and found them 29:29 sleeping. And He said to Peter: 29:32 'Simon, are you sleeping? 29:34 Could you not watch one hour? Watch and pray lest you 29:37 enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing 29:40 but the flesh is weak. ' " 29:42 These three had fallen asleep before. 29:44 Where? On the Mount of Transfiguration. 29:47 But now in falling asleep again 29:49 they're adding grief to His sorrow. 29:52 He's in agony; He is sorrowful. 29:55 He's heavy hearted; He's sweating. 29:58 He's praying and wrestling in prayer, and they were so 30:01 little concerned that they couldn't even stay awake. 30:04 And you know, their failure to pray is probably the reason 30:07 they failed to stand with Him later. 30:10 The flesh is weak. In His humanity 30:14 Jesus identified with this 30:17 given His suffering and His reluctance to drink the cup. 30:20 He's speaking to all three but He addresses Simon 30:24 personally because Simon at the Last Supper... 30:28 He had brash zeal, didn't he? Simon. 30:31 And he had said: "Oh Lord, even if all deny You 30:34 I will not deny You. Even if I have to die with You 30:37 I will not deny You. " But He now, did you notice, 30:41 He didn't call him Peter, He called him Simon 30:43 because he knew the flesh had ahold of him and He wanted 30:46 Peter to recognize this. 30:49 So earlier Jesus had prayed for Peter and his disciples 30:53 but now there was no reciprocity. 30:55 He had to pray all on His own. 30:58 "The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. " 31:01 And the disciples would succumb to their natural weakness. 31:04 And we need to remember that physical weakness 31:07 can lead to spiritual weakness. 31:09 When we are exhausted and tired and hungry 31:12 help us to remember that we need to be watchful. 31:16 So Christ says to them: "Watch! Be on guard! 31:20 Greater trials are coming. You believe Me to be the Messiah 31:24 but you don't understand the necessity of My death 31:27 and your faith is going to be tried. So pray and seek strength 31:31 from God so that you don't lose faith and deny Me. " 31:34 Because the weakness of their human nature would not 31:36 sustain them in their hour. 31:38 Now He's going to go pray to His Father a second time. 31:41 Verse 39: "Again He went away and prayed and spoke the same 31:45 words. " Matthew records those words: "Oh, My Father, 31:48 if this cup cannot pass from Me unless I drink it, 31:51 Your will be done. " Then an angel appeared to Him 31:55 from heaven strengthening Him. 31:57 Jesus... Let me remind you again: He's not shrinking 32:01 from death. He's shrinking from drinking the cup of God's wrath 32:04 and being separated from His Father. 32:06 And perhaps Jesus prayed and said: "Lord send an angel 32:09 to strengthen Me. " But perhaps He just expressed 32:14 that sentiment in His groans. 32:18 Let me tell you something: as we sigh and groan 32:21 in prayer God understands the language of a broken heart. 32:26 So God knew that Christ was sinking in His human nature 32:31 because... Do you realize Jesus, the whole time He was on earth, 32:35 He never once did anything 32:40 except to submit to His human limitations. 32:43 He never called on His own divine power 32:45 to rescue Him... He always called on His Father. 32:48 So just as the Father sent the angels during the 40 days 32:51 He sends an angel now to strengthen Him. 32:53 And I wonder what that angel did. 32:55 How did the angel minister to Him? 32:57 Did he wipe the sweat from Jesus' brow 33:00 or the tears from His cheeks? 33:02 Or did he just embrace Him tightly and remind Him how much 33:04 the Father loved Him? I don't know, but the angel 33:08 did a good work. Christ's absolute dependence upon God 33:13 demonstrates how we must confront the terrible trials 33:17 of our lives. Now let's look at verse 40. 33:20 He returns to them a second time. "And when He returned 33:23 He found them asleep again for their eyes were heavy 33:27 and they did not know what to answer. " Matthew says 33:32 that He then went away again and prayed the third time 33:35 saying the same words. 33:37 But Luke adds something that's interesting. 33:41 First he says their eyes "were heavy from sorrow" 33:45 but then he says: "Being in agony He prayed more earnestly. 33:48 Then His sweat became like great drops of blood 33:53 falling down to the ground. " 33:55 So Jesus spends time in prayer then He comes and He checks on 33:58 His disciples to show His deep interest in their... 34:03 their welfare and also probably so that they could witness 34:07 His sufferings. He finds them asleep a second time 34:10 instead of watching and praying. 34:12 They slept not understanding His sufferings 34:14 but I guarantee you one thing: His enemies weren't asleep. 34:17 His enemies were awake and watching for an opportunity 34:20 to get Him... yet His closest friends 34:24 could not struggle to stay awake to pray one hour. 34:27 So the second time He comes and He finds them sleeping. 34:30 Despite their earlier professions of loyalty unto 34:34 death, and they knew they were guilty of disappointing Him. 34:38 And so they were speechless. 34:40 They didn't know what to say. 34:42 When Luke talks about the heavy eyelids 34:46 Luke, being a doctor, he says it's from sorrow. 34:49 This is probably around 1 AM now. It was well past 34:52 their bedtime. But being a doctor, Luke knew 34:55 that one of the symptoms of sorrow is extreme 35:01 drowsiness. Why were they sorrowful? 35:04 Well, although Jesus foretold His suffering and death 35:07 multiple times, they had not ever... it had not registered 35:11 with them. They couldn't accept it because 35:13 they expected a militant Messiah... 35:17 not the portrait of the suffer- ing servant that Isaiah 53 35:22 had portrayed. And so I've heard it said - 35:27 and I love this - "preconceived opinions 35:31 effectively insulate the mind against truth. " 35:37 So their minds... they had a preconceived opinion; 35:40 they couldn't soak it in. But on the way to the garden 35:43 in John 16... As He was teaching them, He mentioned He was 35:47 leaving the world and going to the Father, and for the first 35:49 time it was beginning to sink in that He was going away. 35:52 So the events of the evening had been shocking. 35:54 They were emotionally distressed. He'd taken the bread 35:58 and cup at the Passover and said: "This is My body; 36:01 this is My blood which will be shed for you. " 36:03 And it was beginning to register with them that He was going 36:06 away. And they were pre- occupied with their own feelings 36:09 because they had not yet learned total dependence upon God. 36:11 They could not shake off their physical drowsiness, 36:15 their spiritual blindness, and their presumption. 36:21 They presumed God would hold them up. 36:25 See, we take God for granted, don't we? These three things: 36:28 spiritual blindness and the... I forgot what I'm saying. 36:32 Spiritual blindness, physical drowsiness, and presumption 36:36 are great enemies to persevering prayer. 36:39 So Christ retreats to pray a third time, struggling 36:42 with the same agonizing spirit to be released from this 36:46 unbearable pressure. His emotional struggle 36:49 came as He focused on the suffering He must experience 36:52 as the sin bearer of the world 36:54 knowing that He would be separated from God. 36:56 His mental struggle was to overcome the temptation 37:00 to save the world some other way. 37:03 His spiritual struggle was encountering the powers 37:07 of darkness as Satan waged his final battle. 37:11 So in agony He's contemplating His Father's will, 37:16 consistent with the eternal council. 37:19 "If it is possible, Lord... if it's possible, 37:22 if it can be consistent with Your justice and the world 37:26 could be redeemed without what I'm about to go through, 37:30 without being separated from You, oh Lord, let it be done. " 37:33 His human nature in view of such great suffering 37:38 shrunk from the thought of it and He desired deliverance. 37:42 But still He sought the will of God. 37:45 And guess what? It was not possible. 37:52 The cup could not pass. The sinless Son of God 37:57 must be prepared to drink it. 37:59 So now the crushing emotional weight of the world's 38:03 sins and the intensity of His struggle 38:06 actually compresses His physical body. 38:09 The pressure of the inner agony was so great that His capillary 38:15 veins right under the skin burst 38:17 and His own precious blood was forced through His enlarged 38:22 pores mingled with His sweat and fell in great drops. 38:27 The weight of our sins 38:31 was just like the weight of that gethsemane column 38:35 that crushed the oil from the fruit. 38:38 So let's look at verse 41. 38:41 Third time He comes to them and finds them asleep. 38:44 "Then He came the third time and said to them: 38:47 'Are you still sleeping and resting? 38:50 It is enough! The hour has come. 38:52 Behold, the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands 38:55 of sinners. Rise... let us be going. 38:57 See... My betrayer is at hand. ' " 39:00 Knowing it WAS the Father's will 39:02 He was determined to go forward. 39:06 He would not exercise a will independent of the Father. 39:10 As long as Jesus Christ was on earth 39:13 His will - and actually, before He ever came to earth 39:16 and always - His will perfectly lined up with His Father's. 39:21 So He relinquishes His will in favor of the Father's. 39:25 He's relieved of the emotional strain. 39:28 He is revived by God's peace, rejuvenated with great courage, 39:32 and He resigned Himself to death saying: 39:35 "Behold, the hour is come; The Son of Man is betrayed. " 39:38 "Come on, let's get on with it" is what He's saying here. 39:41 "There's no shrinking back now. " 39:43 He said: "Rise! Let us meet this mob full on. " 39:47 He chose to fulfill prophecy for you and me. Amen! 39:53 He chose to fulfill God's great love story. Yes! 39:57 On the walk to the garden that night He had said 40:00 in John 15:12-13: "This is My commandment 40:04 that you love one another as I have loved you. 40:06 Greater love has no one than this: 40:08 than to lay down one's life for his friends. " 40:11 And now He would prove it. 40:14 Compelled by love and His supreme sense of duty 40:18 and the sacredness of His Father's service 40:21 He chose to satisfy the heart of His Father, 40:24 to do what would most glorify Him. 40:26 Now I want to point something out, and don't miss this: 40:31 the Lamb of God who was slain from the foundation 40:36 of the world made that choice in His divinity. Yes! 40:42 The Son of Manmade that choice 40:48 in His humanity. Yes! Amen! 40:51 Is that not powerful? I was working on this one day 40:55 and then I was at my sink and God showed me that. 40:57 And I thought: "How amazing! " 41:00 God strengthened Him with grace to go forward boldly. 41:04 He chose to submit... and in choosing to submit 41:08 to the Father's will He became a model for His disciples 41:12 and for us. He became an example for us. 41:16 When we are in grief, in pain, if we're standing alone 41:20 neglected by our closest friends 41:22 He turned to God in agonizing prayer three times 41:26 saying: If it's possible, take this. " 41:28 But He persevered in prayer, and that brought the release 41:33 that God gave Him, the great courage and the peace. 41:36 God did not remove the cup - that's right - 41:39 BUT He did answer Christ's prayer - yes He did - 41:43 because He kept Him from failing. 41:46 So what is your trial? 41:48 Just as Christ prayed I encourage you: 41:52 it's OK to pray and say "let this cup pass from me. " 41:56 But if God does not let the cup pass from you 42:00 don't lose faith. 42:02 Don't lose hope in God. Don't let your faith be shaken. 42:06 Though we might pray for God to remove it 42:09 the greatest assignment we have is just as Jesus had: 42:14 to accept the will of God 42:17 and ask that He gives us grace to bear it. 42:21 Let's look at verse 43. 42:25 "And immediately, while He was still speaking, Judas - 42:29 one of the twelve - with a great multitude 42:32 with swords and clubs came from the chief priests 42:35 and the scribes and the elders. " 42:36 And John adds Judas had received a detachment of troops. 42:42 This was Roman soldiers coming with him 42:44 and also the temple police. 42:46 A detachment of troops and officers from the chief priests 42:49 and Pharisees came there with lanterns, torches, 42:53 and weapons. Well, I just got through telling you it was 42:56 a moonlit night. Why did they need lanterns, torches, 42:59 and weapons? Well, because at this time of night 43:03 in the valley of the Kidron the... Gethsemane would be 43:08 darkened by the shadow of the adjoining mountains. 43:14 So Judas knew well Christ's customary place 43:18 for prayer. And the treachery of Judas left a deep impression 43:23 on all four of the gospel writers because they all 43:25 mention this. So the multitude comes 43:29 led by Judas well supplied with lights. 43:31 Look at verse 44. 43:32 "Now his betrayer had given them a signal saying: 43:35 'Whomever I kiss, He is the One. Seize Him and lead Him away 43:40 safely. ' " Interesting. "As soon as he had come 43:44 immediately He went up to Him and said to Him: 43:47 'Rabbi; rabbi... ' and he kissed Him. " 43:51 Matthew adds: "But Jesus said to him: 43:54 'Friend, why have you come? ' " 43:56 Jesus wanted him to examine his heart. 43:59 Luke says that He also said: "Judas, are you betraying 44:03 the Son of Man with a kiss? " 44:06 And then John adds this: 44:08 "Jesus therefore, knowing all things that would come upon Him, 44:11 went forward and said to them: 'Whom are you seeking? ' " 44:15 And they said: "Jesus of Nazareth. " 44:16 And then He said: "I am... " The scripture says: "I am He. " 44:21 But if you'll notice, it's italics; it's an added word. 44:24 What He actually said was: "I AM. " 44:27 And then: "Judas who betrayed Him also stood with Him 44:31 and now when He said to them: 'I AM' 44:34 they drew back and they fell to the ground. 44:38 Then He asked them again: 'Whom are you seeking? ' 44:41 And they said: 'Jesus of Nazareth. ' 44:44 Jesus said: 'I have told you that I AM. 44:47 I am the Man. Therefore, if you seek Me 44:50 let these others go their way' 44:52 that the saying might be fulfilled which He spoke: 44:55 'Of those whom You gave Me I have lost none. ' " 44:58 The kiss on the cheek was a common greeting 45:01 in the Jewish society. Men would only do this in public 45:05 if it were some kind of a festival or a formal occasion. 45:11 So this was to show respect and affection. 45:15 Judas was shamefully hypocritical 45:20 when he kissed Jesus. But the soldiers expected 45:24 to arrest a peasant who was going to resist them. 45:30 But when He says "I AM" that's a claim of divinity, 45:34 isn't it? And did you know what? 45:37 At least the scripture doesn't say there was a flash of light. 45:40 It was just His authoritative announcement 45:46 that as He declared this divinity they all fell back. 45:51 And I wonder if Jesus fell back as well. 45:53 I mean Judas fell back as well. 45:56 So Christ steps forward to protect His disciples. 45:58 And look at verse 46: 46:01 "Then they laid their hands on Him 46:03 and they took Him. And when those around Him 46:06 saw what was going to happen... " 46:08 Oh, excuse me. Let me read it first to you from Mark. 46:11 "Then they laid their hands on Him and took Him. 46:13 And one of those who stood by drew his sword 46:16 and struck the high priest's servant and cut off his ear. " 46:22 Luke says: "When those around them saw what was going to 46:25 happen they said: 'Lord, shall we strike with the sword? ' " 46:28 And John identifies the servant as Malchus. 46:31 Matthew says that Jesus said: "Put your sword in its place 46:34 for all who take the sword will perish by the sword. 46:38 Or do you not think that I can now pray to My Father 46:40 and He will provide Me more than 12 legions of angels? " 46:45 Do you realize that a legion was 6,000 soldiers? 46:49 So twelve legions would be 72,000 angels. 46:54 But everything Christ did was to fulfill prophecy. 46:58 And then he goes on... Luke... excuse me, in John... 47:01 in Matthew it says Jesus said: 47:04 "How then could the scriptures be fulfilled 47:07 that this must happen? " 47:09 And Luke mentions... I love Luke 'cause he's a doctor 47:12 so he's always putting in these little details 47:14 other people leave out. 47:15 He says that He touched the ear of this servant 47:19 and He healed it. But isn't it interesting that 47:22 even that miracle had no effect on their unresponsive 47:26 hard hearts. Mark... 48... "Then Jesus answered 47:31 and said to them: 'Have you come out 47:35 as against a robber with swords and clubs to take Me? 47:38 I was daily with you in the temple teaching... 47:41 in the temple teaching and you did not seize Me. 47:45 But the scriptures must be fulfilled. ' " 47:49 Luke says He's speaking to the chief priests, captain's 47:52 of the temple, and the elders who had all come out. 47:55 So they're all out there... this is a mob! 47:57 There's servants; there's Roman soldiers; 48:00 the temple police... all the "uppity-ups. " 48:03 There's everybody who is there. 48:05 And this is where Luke says that He says 48:09 "But this is your hour and the power of darkness. " 48:14 Our human minds cannot grasp 48:18 the horrific horrors of the hour of that power of darkness. 48:23 You know, the reason that they came at this hour... 48:28 This was all calculated 48:30 because the chief priests, the elders, everybody knew 48:34 that if they tried to arrest Jesus during the day 48:37 that there would be an uproar. So they were waiting till His... 48:40 His supporters were asleep. 48:43 So look at verse 50: 48:45 "Then they all forsook Him and fled. 48:48 Now a certain young man followed Him... " 48:50 This is most likely Mark, the author... 48:52 "having a linen cloth thrown around His naked body. 48:55 And the young men laid hold of Him 48:57 and He left the linen cloth and fled from them naked. 49:01 And they led Jesus away to the high priest. 49:04 And with him were assembled all the chief priests, the elders, 49:07 and the scribes. " This marks the moment 49:13 that the Son of God was delivered into the hands 49:17 of sinful men. In Matthew 26:31 Jesus had said this 49:22 just before they had arrived at the Garden: 49:25 "All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night 49:28 for it is written: 'I will strike the Shepherd 49:30 and the sheep of the flock will be scattered. ' " 49:34 This was the fulfilling of Zechariah 13:7. 49:37 So as the eleven looked on at this great multitude, 49:43 this mob, they saw their Master was actually being taken. 49:48 They forgot their promises not to forsake Him. 49:52 At the end of three years of the closest intimacy 49:56 with the Savior they all fled... leaving Him alone 50:00 to face His enemies. Peter learned that it was easier to 50:04 fight for Jesus than to die for Jesus. 50:07 Remember, Peter's the one who drew the sword. 50:11 And then the scriptures tell us that as they're leading him away 50:14 John and Peter followed at a distance 50:16 to the palace of the high priest. 50:19 But this scene being over the Lord was taken prisoner 50:24 for the first and the last time. 50:27 I want to share with you... 50:31 if I have it here. 50:34 No... this is it. Let's look at this... 50:39 We have looked at this scene, and I have to tell you 50:43 something. When we sent out the list of sermons 50:48 to all of our eleven speakers, or the ten other speakers, 50:53 since that was something that was my job 50:55 I decided I'm going to take whatever sermons are left over. 50:59 'Cause I didn't care which ones I preached 51:02 or taught. I shouldn't say preached but taught. 51:05 And out of the other ten not one person 51:09 chose the Garden of Gethsemane or the Trial of Trials 51:13 as even an alternate of what they would like to do. 51:19 So it was clear: these two landed to me. 51:22 But I have to tell you something: 51:24 this is God's will. Amen! 51:26 Because as I have studied this... as I have spent time 51:33 meditating on this... God has changed my heart. 51:38 And we'll talk about this more in the next hour 51:41 when we talk about the trial of trials. 51:44 I don't believe I will ever doubt God again. 51:47 Never... never. 51:51 Jesus suffered and triumphed 51:55 in Gethsemane. 51:58 In the garden Christ - the Son of Man - 52:02 accepted God's will. He accepted the weight 52:06 of humanity's sin and the penalty and punishment 52:10 of death for every man. 52:11 He who knew no sin became sin for us. 52:16 He was made sin for us. 52:19 This meant He would be cut off from His Father: 52:22 the one thing that He agonized over the most. 52:25 But Christ's voluntary submission to a death that 52:29 involved intense shame and intense suffering 52:32 for the sole purpose of serving as our substitute 52:39 was His supreme act of self-humiliation. 52:45 What is the purpose of rehearsing this event 52:50 in the life of Jesus Christ? 52:54 When we come to scripture 52:56 we should be praying for the Holy Spirit to help us 53:01 understand, and we should always pray John 17:17. 53:05 "Lord, sanctify me by Your truth; 53:10 Your Word is truth. " 53:12 So why do we rehearse this? 53:16 Well, as we contemplate the sufferings of Christ 53:20 we should be moved to re-orient our life 53:24 to line up in every way to the will of God. 53:30 We can't fathom the love of God. 53:34 The more I study it the more mysterious it is to me 53:38 because it is too great to calculate. 53:42 But in understanding the suffering of Christ 53:47 we will find emotional support 53:50 when we are suffering Christians. 53:54 The ordeal of Christ's suffering 53:58 produced empathy for us. 54:00 He had to experience our doubts, our fears, 54:05 and our torments so that He could pity us 54:09 in our existence. He was tempted by Satan... 54:14 I started to say as we are tempted. No way. 54:17 I don't think any of us have ever 54:20 ever experienced 54:24 this kind of temptation. 54:27 But all He exercised is the same power 54:31 that is available to us: the power of the Holy Spirit. 54:36 When you think about Jesus in the garden 54:40 I want to encourage you on a daily basis 54:45 to go to your own Garden of Gethsemane 54:49 and pray: "Oh, Lord... " Luke 22:42... "not my will 54:55 but Your's be done. " 54:58 "Lead me and guide me by Your good Spirit, Father. " 55:01 And pray and say: "Lord, help me 55:05 to pick up my cross. " What does that mean? 55:09 You're willing to die to self. 55:11 "Help me, Lord, to pick up my cross. As You said 55:14 in Luke 9:23 and to die daily. " 55:20 You know, we cannot crucify ourselves... even when 55:24 we pick up the cross. Roman 8:13-14 55:27 says that if we live by the flesh we will die 55:31 but if by the power of the Holy Spirit 55:36 we put to death the misdeeds of the flesh 55:39 we will live. So that is something 55:42 that we must daily do is say: "Lord, 55:45 help me cooperate with Your Holy Spirit, Lord. " 55:50 "Help me to cooperate and be willing 55:54 to allow Him to put to death the misdeeds of my flesh. " 55:59 And then what we have to do 56:02 is after that we have to pray 56:06 as Jesus said in Luke 11:9 56:09 "Seek... Ask, and it will be given to you; 56:14 seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will 56:17 be opened unto you. " And in the Greek these are 56:20 linear verbs that mean to keep on asking, 56:23 keep on seeking, keep on knocking! 56:27 And then verse 13 explains what we're asking for. 56:32 He says: "If you being evil know how 56:34 to give good gifts to your children, 56:36 how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit 56:40 to those who ask and keep on asking. " 56:44 So I want to encourage you 56:47 on a daily basis think about what Jesus did in the garden. 56:53 He... what caused His inner suffering, 56:57 what caused Him to cry with such anguish, 57:01 was the thought of separation from the Father. 57:04 Let's don't let sin be a barrier between us and God. 57:08 Let us follow Christ's example. 57:13 I hope that this is something you will go home 57:17 and consider over and over again 57:21 because the more you meditate on it 57:23 I promise you, the more God will change your heart. 57:28 And it is the greatest love story ever told! |
Revised 2019-12-18