Participants: Charles Byrd (Host), Andrea Endries, Levi Longoria, Stephen Fowler
Series Code: THL
Program Code: THL000022
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00:01 Just east of the old city of Jerusalem is the Kidron Valley.
00:04 At the edge of the Kidron 00:06 and progressing up to the Mount of Olives 00:08 lies the Garden of Gethsemane. 00:10 When we think of the word garden, 00:12 we often think of a bunch of flowers 00:14 or a small patch of vegetables. 00:16 But in the Middle East, garden can mean 00:18 grove or vineyard as well. 00:21 Growing in this garden were olive trees. 00:23 Gethsemane means an oil press. 00:27 Right here or within a few hundred yards of this very spot 00:31 Jesus was baptized in the same way 00:33 everyone who follows Him must be baptized. 00:40 Hey, guys, something is wrong with this report. 00:44 Jesus wasn't baptized here that was at the Jordon. 00:49 Did somebody swap my pages? 00:52 You need water for baptism. 00:55 Today's study may not cause any "Thunder in the Holy Land" 00:59 and it certainly won't cause the department of tourism to change 01:02 any of the signs directing us to Gethsemane 01:05 as the baptismal site of Jesus. 01:08 But for all those who have chosen to embrace 01:10 the wonderful love of Jesus, 01:12 I hope it will cause some serious thunder in our hearts 01:16 because Gethsemane is indeed, 01:18 the very site of Jesus' baptism in a cup. 02:15 Our study today begins with a session of worship 02:18 and then a prayer request 02:20 by two of Jesus' disciples and their mother. 02:24 "Then came to him the mother of Zebedee's children 02:27 with her sons, worshipping him, 02:29 and desiring a certain thing of him. 02:32 And he said unto her, What wilt thou? 02:34 She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, 02:38 the one on thy right hand, and the other on my left, 02:41 in thy kingdom. 02:43 But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. 02:47 Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, 02:50 and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? 02:55 They say unto him, We are able. 02:58 And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, 03:02 and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with, 03:07 but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, 03:11 but it shall be given to them 03:13 for whom it is prepared of my Father." 03:17 As we look at the words of Jesus, 03:18 He says twice that there is a baptism I am baptized with. 03:24 The tense of I am is present continuous. 03:27 Jesus is talking about a baptism that is happening now 03:31 in the present and it's on going. 03:34 Now I'm going to ask an obvious question, 03:36 but before I do we need to look at one more verse, Luke 12:50. 03:41 Here Jesus is again talking about His baptism 03:44 and notice the tense in this verse 03:46 is different from the last verse. 03:49 "But I have a baptism to be baptized with, 03:53 and how am I straitened till it be accomplished!" 03:57 To be is future tense. 03:59 So here is the expanded question. 04:02 When was Jesus baptized? 04:04 Was it at his baptism in the Jordan River 04:06 with John the Baptist, past tense? 04:09 Or was it something happening in the here 04:12 and now on a daily basis, 04:14 present continuous tense as Jesus portrayed 04:17 to James and John and their mother? 04:19 Or was it yet to be in the future as Jesus shared 04:23 with His disciples in Luke 12:50. 04:27 The answer to this question will also solve Andrea's quandary. 04:31 Let's join our reporters along the foot of the Mount of Olives 04:34 in the Kidron Valley. 04:37 Jesus clearly talked about a present tense 04:40 and a future tense baptism. 04:42 But rarely understand what He was actually getting at, 04:45 we first need to understand the meaning of the word baptized. 04:49 The word baptized comes from the Greek word baptidzo 04:52 and it means to immerse, or to submerge. 04:56 It's an industrial word used in the textile mills. 04:59 A large vat was put in place for dyeing wool or linen et cetera. 05:03 The material was then baptidzo or fully submerged 05:08 to render it a completely new color. 05:10 And perhaps the clearest example that shows 05:13 the meaning of the word baptidzo is a text 05:15 from the Greek poet and physician 05:17 Nicander who lived around 200 B.C. 05:20 It's a recipe for making of all things, pickles. 05:24 This recipe is helpful to understand baptism 05:27 because it uses the word baptidzo 05:30 and its root word bapto. 05:32 Nicander says that to make a pickle 05:34 the vegetable should first be dipped 05:36 or bapto into boiling water. 05:39 And then baptized or baptidzo in the vinegar solution. 05:43 Now both verbs concern the immersing of vegetables 05:46 in a solution, but the first is temporary. 05:50 The second the act of baptizing the vegetable 05:53 produces a permanent change whether dyeing cloth 05:57 or preserving cucumbers there's a complete change 06:01 transformation when a baptism takes place. 06:04 And so it was with Jesus at His baptism. 06:07 Well, what was baptism as defined by Jesus? 06:11 Jesus interprets the baptism He is talking about in Luke 9:23. 06:15 "And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, 06:19 let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, 06:24 and follow me." 06:25 If there is a single truth that Jesus taught 06:27 that caused folks to reject Him as messiah this is it. 06:32 And death to self would never make Wall Street a profit. 06:35 No, and death to self has never sold well even in church. 06:41 But did others understand this teaching of Jesus? 06:45 Well, Levi, John the Baptist certainly understood. 06:48 In Luke 3:7-8 we read, 06:50 "Then said he to the multitude 06:52 that came forth to be baptized of him... 06:54 Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance." 06:58 For the masses of people that meant don't be selfish. 07:01 If you have excess share it. 07:03 That will cost you time and you will slim down your closet, 07:06 but self does not need as much as it thinks it does. 07:09 For the tax collectors, that meant 07:11 not charging more than they were supposed to. 07:13 Self doesn't need money if it means taking money 07:15 that doesn't belong to you. 07:17 For the soldiers, it meant doing violence to no man. 07:20 Telling the truth and being content with their wages. 07:23 And the Apostle Paul clearly understood what Jesus meant 07:26 when He wrote to the folks in Corinth. 07:28 Telling them that he was, 07:30 "Always bearing about in the body 07:32 the dying of the Lord Jesus, 07:34 that the life also of Jesus 07:35 might be made manifest in our body. 07:37 For we which live are always delivered unto death 07:40 for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus 07:44 might be made manifest in our mortal flesh." 07:47 What constant dying was Paul talking about? 07:49 The same dying Jesus talked about in Luke 9:23. 07:53 "Death to self and living for God." 07:56 Paul made it clear how often death to self must take place. 08:00 "I die daily. Be not deceived, 08:03 evil communications corrupt good manners." 08:06 Evil communication is not just using a curse word. 08:09 We're gonna engage in evil communication 08:11 just by saying something like I got to do what's right for me. 08:14 But Jesus our example died to self 08:16 and did what His father wanted Him to do. 08:18 He did what was right for us. 08:20 That you got to look out for number one mentality 08:23 is another evil communication that Jesus rejected. 08:26 This rejection of self, this embrace of love 08:29 which is the principle of giving what is needed most 08:32 is the cup that Jesus was talking about in Matthew 20 08:35 and it's the same baptism that Jesus was committed to. 08:38 To willingly lose one's life that is to choose death to self, 08:42 to choose Christ's will in place of your own doesn't seem normal, 08:47 but it's the only way to save your life in the end. 08:50 And this was not just a teaching of Jesus 08:53 it was the life He lived. 08:55 Okay, I think I see where this is going. 08:58 Jesus was a real person, a real human being. 09:03 He was fully man. 09:05 He had thoughts, feelings, and preferences. 09:08 He walked in our skin and thus knows our pain, 09:12 our suffering, sadness and heartache. 09:15 Through the gift of prophecy and through Revelation 09:18 Jesus knew that the Father sent Him here 09:20 to die on behalf of sinful and ungrateful man. 09:24 He knew in advance that He was going to be betrayed 09:27 by one of His own disciples. 09:29 He already knew that the rest of His disciples 09:32 would abandon Him at His arrest. 09:34 And He knew Peter would swear with an oath 09:37 that he didn't even know Him. 09:39 All of this foreknowledge brought to the heart of Jesus 09:42 great emotional pain and distress. 09:45 And as He went into the Garden of Gethsemane 09:48 He told His disciples, 09:50 "My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death, 09:55 tarry ye hear, and watch with me." 09:58 This sorrow was even unto death. 10:02 To give you a true picture of where He was emotionally, 10:05 look at Luke 22:44, 10:08 "And being in an agony He prayed more earnestly 10:12 and His sweat was as it were great drops of blood 10:16 falling down to the ground." 10:19 He wasn't just emotionally troubled, he was in agony. 10:25 Come. 10:26 Meet a man who knows your pain, heartache, 10:29 suffering, sorrows and burdens. 10:32 No matter what you've experienced by way of loss, 10:35 pain, tragedy or grief. 10:37 He has tasted it too with one important difference. 10:42 It wasn't just inflicted upon Him. 10:45 He chose to come to live for us, to die for us, by dying to self. 10:51 He chose to give up His desires, 10:54 His wishes if His Father so directed. 10:57 He didn't say I got to look out for number one or I have to do 11:01 what's right for me or I don't feel like doing that. 11:05 You see, He knows 11:07 that the only way out of this snakepit of sin called earth 11:11 is through complete and total death to self. 11:16 The symbol of baptism 11:18 is going down under the water and coming back up. 11:22 But what true baptism is, is dying to self 11:25 and letting Christ live in you and through you. 11:29 If you want to follow Jesus in that experience, 11:32 there is a prayer you must often pray. 11:35 It's the same prayer Jesus prayed 11:37 at His baptism in the garden. 11:39 You can read it in Mark 14:36. 11:42 "And He said, Abba, Father, 11:45 all things are possible unto thee, 11:48 take away this cup from me, nevertheless not what I will, 11:54 but what thou wilt." 11:56 Not what I want, but what you want, Father. 12:02 This prayer is so important 12:04 and we can see the importance of that prayer 12:07 for other people, for evil people. 12:12 But that prayer was important for Jesus too. 12:16 Jesus could have been selfish, bitter or angry. 12:20 After all, He was misunderstood and mistreated. 12:24 He was accused of being a bastard. 12:27 He was marked, flogged and finally crucified. 12:31 With all this mistreatment you can be sure 12:34 Satan was there suggesting all kinds of thoughts. 12:38 If Jesus had ever allowed those suggestions 12:40 to motivate His thoughts or feelings, 12:43 I can assure you the outcome of His life 12:46 would have been very, very different. 12:49 It is apparent that throughout His life He was always seeking 12:53 God's will, God's heart, God's thoughts to be His own. 12:58 One clear proof of that is the night on the lake. 13:02 Jesus was exhausted from a long day of selfless ministry. 13:06 So He directed His disciples to send the multitude away 13:09 and then take Him by boat to the other side of the lake. 13:13 A terrible storm came up and put their lives in jeopardy, 13:18 but Jesus slept through it. 13:20 Exhaustion will do that. 13:23 Imagine being awakened by 12 frightened, 13:26 no panic men screaming. 13:30 Don't you care that we are perishing? 13:33 Now being awakened in that manner 13:35 from such a sound sleep 13:37 I would think He would get a surge of adrenaline, 13:41 but He wakes calmly. 13:42 And with just a word rebukes the winds 13:45 and the waves and the storm melts away into a gentle calm. 13:50 "And He said unto them, why are ye so fearful? 13:54 How is it that ye have no faith? 13:57 And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, 14:01 what manner of man is this, that even the wind 14:04 and the sea obey Him?" 14:07 Put yourself in the place of Jesus, 14:10 would you have woken up calm? 14:13 I've been there so I know I wouldn't. 14:16 How is it that Jesus could do this? 14:20 Because He was daily baptized with the spirit of repentance, 14:23 He was daily dying to self 14:25 and choosing to live in the will of His Father. 14:29 This made a difference in every part of His life, 14:33 even in the area of fear. 14:35 He woke up in peace. 14:38 How did He do that? 14:40 Well, one of my favorite authors once wrote, 14:44 "It is the love of self that destroys our peace. 14:47 While self is all alive, 14:49 we stand ready continually to guard it from mortification 14:53 and insult, but when we are dead, 14:56 and our life is hid with Christ in God, 14:59 we shall not take neglects or slights to heart. 15:03 We shall be deaf to reproach and blind to scorn and insult." 15:09 If we are living in the center of the Father's will, 15:12 nothing can happen or will happen 15:15 without His authorization. 15:17 So we never need to worry or fret. 15:20 Jesus did not, and we don't need to either 15:23 if we choose the same faith Jesus chose. 15:27 Trust is the basis for a successful love relationship 15:31 whether horizontal or vertical. 15:35 And that's why Jesus could say in John 10:17, 15:38 "Therefore doth my Father love me, 15:41 because I willingly lay down my life, 15:45 that I might take it again." 15:47 Now most of us think, His death happened at the cross 15:50 and that's partially correct. 15:53 It was played out and finished on the cross, 15:56 but the real death to self? 15:58 The real baptism in a cup happened the night before 16:03 in the Garden of Gethsemane. 16:06 The olive tree is an evergreen 16:08 that can grow 50 feet tall and with the spread of 30 feet 16:12 except for a few diseases that can take it out, 16:14 it's said that the olive tree will never die. 16:18 Its root system is robust 16:19 and is capable of regenerating the tree 16:22 even if the above ground structure is destroyed. 16:25 During the siege of Jerusalem by the Roman armies in AD 70, 16:29 the Romans cut all the trees down 16:31 around the city to help build the siege rams. 16:33 So it's unlikely that any of the trees 16:35 Jesus prayed under are still here. 16:38 But here in the Garden of Gethsemane 16:40 are some trees that may well have grown up 16:43 from the roots of those that were here then. 16:46 I wanted you to see the descendants of these trees 16:48 that witnessed the great struggle of Jesus. 16:51 Before it was right here or very near by 16:55 that Jesus was faced with a grave decision. 16:58 Would He willingly do what His Father asked of Him? 17:02 Or would He choose to follow His feelings? 17:05 And this is the same question 17:07 that we are faced with each and every day. 17:09 Will we keep the Sabbath that Jesus made for mankind? 17:12 And will we love our enemies the way that Jesus taught us to? 17:17 Will we humble our proud hearts and wash one another's feet? 17:21 Will we seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness? 17:26 In this case Jesus was being asked to die for people 17:29 who didn't understand or even care. 17:33 Now His fears are awakened 17:34 by the tons of the demon's whispers. 17:37 God hates sin so much you will never be with Him again. 17:41 If you die now you may die forever, 17:44 never to be with your Father again. 17:46 These people are not worth it. 17:48 The cup begins to tremble in His hands, 17:52 so He prays harder, 17:53 "Saying. Father, if thou be willing, 17:56 remove this cup from me, 17:58 nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done." 18:03 He wasn't asking Father, what is your will? 18:06 He already knew what the Father was asking of Him. 18:09 He was praying that His human heart 18:11 which cease to clammer for deliverance. 18:14 He was praying for the comfort 18:15 that comes from obedience, born of repentance. 18:19 His prayer for deliverance goes unanswered. 18:23 The silence of God is deafening. 18:26 The cup trembles in His hands. 18:28 It's a bitter cup full of the wrath that God has for sin. 18:32 A load of sin from all mankind begins to snuff out His life. 18:37 But He can't die here. 18:39 He can't die now. 18:41 That would not fulfill the prophecies. 18:44 So the Father sends an angel to strengthen Him, 18:47 thus prolonging the pain of our dear Savior. 18:52 I can see it with divine imagination 18:55 Jesus on the ground holding the baptismal cup. 18:59 And there's not enough room for self 19:01 if you have been baptized in a cup. 19:03 The self must die and be left aside. 19:07 If you would be submerged in true repentant baptism, 19:11 there's no room for self to live. 19:13 As His life begins to ebb away, 19:16 there in that darkness of the night, 19:18 a glow begins to form around the head of Jesus. 19:21 As He looks up through eyes blurred with tears, 19:25 He sees an angel on the ground there before Him. 19:28 And with purposeful intent the angel reaches out 19:32 and folding Christ weak and trembling hands, 19:36 making steady the spiritual chalice that bitter cup. 19:42 The angel looks deep into the eyes of our Savior 19:45 and says, "Drink ye all of it." 19:48 It is hard now but the bitter must come before the sweet. 19:53 There will be countless souls in heaven 19:55 who respond to your gift, your sacrifice 19:59 though all men should forsake you, 20:00 though it appears your father has forsaken you. 20:04 You are not alone, endure by faith, endure. 20:13 And that was the beginning of the miracle, 20:16 a very real miracle that can be ours as well. 20:21 I can't imagine the struggle Jesus went through 20:24 and He did it for me, He did it for you. 20:27 And a fantastic miracle occurred right here in the garden. 20:30 The Father actually granted Him His request. 20:32 Not the first one let this cup pass from me, 20:35 but the second one, not my will but thy will be done. 20:40 God anointed Jesus with the divine nature 20:42 just like He will do 20:43 for every believing repenting child of God. 20:46 He actually took Jesus' right brain, 20:48 His emotions, His heart 20:49 and changed them so that what He really wanted 20:52 was exactly what His Father wanted. 20:54 Jesus' will was swallowed up in the will of God. 20:58 There was a gift that came from the outside, 21:00 from heavenly places 21:02 into the very mind and heart of Jesus. 21:05 With three biblical proofs I can confirm 21:07 this miracle took place right here in Gethsemane. 21:10 These stories prove that Jesus experienced 21:12 true baptism and true repentance. 21:15 Torch lights could be seen coming down from Mount Zion. 21:18 A mob sent from the priests and elders with swords and clubs. 21:21 His own disciple Judas was leading them. 21:24 He led them to Jesus and he kissed Him, 21:26 defending love and friendship. 21:28 If you have ever been betrayed 21:30 then you know how repugnant that act was. 21:32 Here's the first proof recorded by Matthew. 21:35 "And Jesus said to him, 'Friend, why have you come?'" 21:39 Jesus called Judas, friend. 21:42 Not friend, but friend. 21:45 This is not natural human behavior for someone 21:47 who's being betrayed but it is divine behavior. 21:51 Jesus died to self, to human thoughts and feelings. 21:54 And now through this miracle of God 21:56 He felt about things the way His Father did 21:58 and He acted accordingly. 22:00 That is what true baptism is all about. 22:03 To love your enemy, 22:05 to speak kindly to your betrayer, that's a miracle. 22:08 The second miracle is found in John 18:10. 22:11 When Peter pulled out his sword 22:12 and cut off the high priest servant's ear. 22:14 This is the stuff that every movie is made of, 22:17 there's not an action hero, not one high drama thriller 22:20 where they don't use their strength 22:21 and power to deliver self. 22:24 But not Jesus, for Him self had already died in the garden. 22:30 "Then said Jesus unto Peter, 22:31 put up thy sword into the sheath, 22:33 the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?" 22:37 Now it's time to go the cross to drink the bitter cup. 22:40 Instead of fighting for His own rights, 22:42 for His own life, He willingly laid it down. 22:46 That's the second miracle. 22:48 The final miracle came the next day 22:50 as they hung Him on the cross 22:51 and then gambled for His clothes. 22:53 Instead of whining, cursing or crying, 22:56 He prayed for those who were doing him wrong. 22:59 "Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them 23:02 for they know not what they do." 23:04 Praying for those who are mistreating you 23:06 is another miracle that clearly demonstrates 23:08 Jesus' baptism in the garden. 23:11 That's where He really died to self. 23:13 That's where He was baptized in a cup. 23:17 The baptismal service like marriage 23:19 is a beautiful ceremony. 23:21 I've enjoyed watching many people 23:23 throughout the years stand before the minister 23:25 and with love in their eyes and voice 23:27 to make that sound vow, "I do." 23:30 But now I'm coming to realize 23:31 that for the most part they probably didn't 23:34 fully comprehend what they were saying, yes, to. 23:37 The same was true for me 23:38 in regard to my relationship with the Lord. 23:41 At 16 years of age, I said, "I do to the Lord." 23:45 I was baptized saying, 23:47 yes, to everything I understood at that time. 23:50 That was five years ago and as I look at myself then, 23:54 I can't help but smile and shake my head at my naivety. 23:58 I had much to learn. 24:01 For example, the Bible says, we're saved by grace. 24:05 I embraced that truth without fully understanding it 24:08 and then took off down the non-denominational path. 24:11 But now I've learned that grace according to Titus 2:12, 24:16 "Teaches us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts 24:20 and to live soberly, righteously and godly in the present age." 24:26 Grace, according to all of Scripture 24:29 promises to give us the life of Jesus. 24:32 The life of death to self and the new life 24:35 that comes with the new heart, He gives to all who ask for it. 24:40 Now what does that look like in the real world? 24:43 Well, for me death to self means giving up the movies, 24:47 the television and the music 24:49 that doesn't bring me closer to Christ. 24:52 It means giving up the way I prefer to dress. 24:54 The clothing that brings me 24:56 more attention than it does my Savior. 24:58 Death to self means giving up my dream of becoming 25:01 a sought-after sports broadcaster 25:04 and replacing it with God's plan for my life. 25:07 It means giving up my focus on popularity and success 25:11 and caring more about God's goals. 25:14 And it means waking up every morning 25:16 and just asking God how He wants me to spend my day. 25:19 What He wants me to do, to say, to eat, to think, everything. 25:24 And let me tell you 25:25 Andrea Endries can be a stubborn person to kill. 25:29 But throughout the last five years 25:31 God has been guiding me through my Garden of Gethsemane. 25:35 So today, I'm choosing to enter that same experience 25:39 of Jesus at the Jordan, here in Israel. 25:42 The same baptism, the same repentance 25:45 that leads to fulfilling all righteousness, 25:49 I'm choosing death to self and the born again heart 25:53 that leads me to a new life in Christ. 25:59 Jesus' baptism at the Jordan River 26:01 was symbolic of what He did every day of His life. 26:05 He took up His cross daily. 26:07 He died to self daily 26:09 and followed the will of our Father in heaven. 26:13 The Jordan baptism was symbolic, 26:15 but in the Garden of Gethsemane it was literal. 26:19 True baptism is not a sacred right that guarantees you 26:23 a new and happy life in Christ anymore 26:26 than having a wedding ceremony guarantees you 26:28 a wonderful and happy marriage. 26:31 Baptism is a sacred ordinance 26:33 that testifies of your choice to die to self 26:36 and embrace the new life that Christ provides 26:40 through daily Bible study prayer 26:42 and sharing your faith. 26:44 For baptism to be of any value we must like Christ, 26:48 allow the Father's will to be our will, 26:51 even when He asks the hard thing. 26:54 We must embrace His gift of repentance and His new heart. 26:59 So who should be baptized? 27:02 Those who are receiving the new heart of repentance, 27:06 feeling about things the way God does 27:08 and receiving a changed life. 27:11 Those who are willing to die to self 27:13 and let Jesus live in them, 27:16 those who believe in Jesus and His doctrines 27:19 and choose to be followers 27:21 of this repentant dying to self man. 27:25 Those who wish to become part of the body of Jesus Christ, 27:30 the church and those who want to be with Christ now 27:34 and finally forever with Him in heaven. 27:38 So what about you, friend? 27:40 Would you like to follow Jesus into a new and abundant life? |
Revised 2014-12-17