Godly Decisions in Troubling Times (Mark 14:32–52)

Introduction

These are troubling times. As we speak, we live in a world full of war, and live under the risk of another world war. Israel is at war with Hamas in its south and under the threat of conflict from the north. Many thousands will die in the war in Israel. Russia continues to be at war with Ukraine, where one estimate from the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission states that about 10,000 people have died in that war. It’s not an overstatement to say these are troubling times.

I was at a convention earlier this week in northern California, and flew home on Wednesday. I took an Uber home from the airport. The driver was a young man who had visited many countries. He told me about a trip he made to Sudan. He has family who lives in Sudan. I know there is a war in Sudan, so I asked him about it. He said that a week after he left, the war broke out in Sudan. I asked him, “Man, what did you do?” He said, “I don’t know!”

But we are in troubling times not just because of war, but many issues around us. Homelessness continues to be on the rise in our city and there are continued financial strains on our families. A recent report from the US News & World Report states that, due to San Diego’s climbing costs, San Diego is now the most expensive place to live in the US.

My Uber driver friend knows that San Diego is expensive. He drives his Uber car every day, seven days a week, from 8 to 10 hours a day, all while trying to finish his education and living with a family member to attempt to make ends meet.

When you are in troubling times, you need to make hard decisions. How many of you know that decisions are not easy? They are especially difficult in troubling times.

The good news is that the Lord shows us how to make decisions in troubling times. We will be in Mark 14:32-52, where we will see the Lord going through a difficult time. We will learn from the Lord how to make godly decisions in troubling times. If you have a pew Bible, it is on page 903.

The Lord has just left the upper room where he instituted holy communion with his disciples. He leaves the upper room and goes to Gethsemane.

Scripture Reading

Mark 14:32–52 CSB

32 Then they came to a place named Gethsemane, and he told his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” 33 He took Peter, James, and John with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. 34 He said to them, “I am deeply grieved to the point of death. Remain here and stay awake.” 35 He went a little farther, fell to the ground, and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. 36 And he said, “Abba, Father! All things are possible for you. Take this cup away from me. Nevertheless, not what I will, but what you will.” 37 Then he came and found them sleeping. He said to Peter, “Simon, are you sleeping? Couldn’t you stay awake one hour? 38 Stay awake and pray so that you won’t enter into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 39 Once again he went away and prayed, saying the same thing. 40 And again he came and found them sleeping, because they could not keep their eyes open. They did not know what to say to him. 41 Then he came a third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The time has come. See, the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 42 Get up; let’s go. See, my betrayer is near.” 43 While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, suddenly arrived. With him was a mob, with swords and clubs, from the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders. 44 His betrayer had given them a signal. “The one I kiss,” he said, “he’s the one; arrest him and take him away under guard.” 45 So when he came, immediately he went up to Jesus and said, “Rabbi!” and kissed him. 46 They took hold of him and arrested him. 47 One of those who stood by drew his sword, struck the high priest’s servant, and cut off his ear. 48 Jesus said to them, “Have you come out with swords and clubs, as if I were a criminal, to capture me? 49 Every day I was among you, teaching in the temple, and you didn’t arrest me. But the Scriptures must be fulfilled.” 50 Then they all deserted him and ran away. 51 Now a certain young man, wearing nothing but a linen cloth, was following him. They caught hold of him, 52 but he left the linen cloth behind and ran away naked.

Pray

Praying in Gethsemane

The Lord leaves the upper room and brings his disciples to a place called Gethsemane. This was a garden east of Jerusalem. The name literally means “olive press,” and its interesting that this is a time when the Lord is feeling pressed in his soul.

Gethsemane was a place that was familiar to his disciples. Luke 22:39 describes it as, “He went out and made his way as usual to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him.” In John 18:2 it says, “Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place, because Jesus often met there with his disciples.” Jesus was not hiding from his betrayer. In fact, he went to the place where the betrayer would know to find him.

Jesus tells the disciples to sit at a place while he prays, and then takes three disciples and tells them to stay awake while he prays. We’ve seen these three before at the transfiguration in Mark 9:2. Jesus had twelve disciples, and then this inner core of three disciples, Peter, James, and John. These were the top guys in his ministry.

The Unique Nature of Jesus

Jesus was deeply emotional. It says in Mark 14:33 that he was “deeply distressed and troubled.” Jesus was fully man and fully God. He felt human emotions, which come from being made in the image of God.

The Bible is true. There are some aspects of the Bible that one can look at scientifically. For instance, you can study archaeology and reach positive conclusions about the accuracy of Scripture.

But the Bible is not a science book. Science looks at things that happen normally in the world, and look at them under a microscope. It looks at a cell, and then makes conclusions about the normal processes of a cell. Science deals with what normally happens in the world, and can make conclusions based off of what is normative.

But the Bible describes miracles. The very essence of a miracle is that it is not normative. Normative is what happens every day. I can say that the sun comes up in the morning, and down in the evening, because I see that happen every day. A miracle is when the sun stays up for a full day because you prayed to God to win the war (Joshua 10:12-14). A miracle is splitting the Red Sea. You can’t study splitting the red sea under a microscope, because by it’s very nature, it’s not the norm. Miracles happened because God exists, and he willed them so.

So when you are trying to understand and explain Jesus, you are trying to understand a miracle. Jesus was fully man and fully God. There was never anyone like him before him, and there will never be another God-man again, until he returns.

Abba, Father

As we see Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane, he is deeply grieved. There is a deep sorrow within him. What does he do to answer the grief in his soul? He runs to prayer. He runs to his Father.

In Mark 14:36 he uses very familial language when he says, “Abba, Father!” The term “Abba” was a term of endearment young Jewish children used for their fathers. Jews would not use this term in prayer because it was considered inappropriate. But for the Son of God, his Father is “Abba.” He calls out to his Father.

Urging His Disciples to Stay Awake

There is a deep press in his soul, and he says to his disciples in Mark 14:34 “I am deeply grieved to the point of death. Remain here and stay awake.” He is urging his followers to say awake with him while he prays. Jesus was inviting them into a prayer watch, where he is telling them to spiritually prepare for what’s coming.

I have to confess, as I was preparing for the sermon this past Friday, I had a long week. The days at the convention was long, there was a lot of travel, there was a long day on Thursday, and here I was, feeling like the disciples. Here I was, trying to prepare for Sunday, and I couldn’t keep my eyes open. I felt for those disciples. So I took a nap, and it was great.

It’s my prayer that you stay awake with me for the rest of this sermon.

The Betrayer

Finally, after a third time of telling them to stay awake, he tells them in Mark 14:41–42 “The time has come. See, the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Get up; let’s go. See, my betrayer is near.” He heads out with resolve to meet his betrayer, who betrays Jesus with a kiss.

A kiss on the cheek (or hand) was a common gesture of affection and reverence given to a Rabbi by his disciples. But Judas used it as a token of betrayal.

They go to arrest Jesus, and everyone deserts him.

Transition to Points

The Lord is pressed in this text, and gives us a great lesson on learning how to make decisions in troubling times.

Troubling times are going to come. Whether its the loss of a job, a family member falling ill, or a personal medical issue, there will be troubling times.

You will need to make a decision. How does Jesus show us how to stand firm and make a godly decision in a troubling time?

The first way to make a godly decision is through prayer.

Making godly decisions in troubling times requires perseverance in prayer.

Jesus is facing what is probably the most troubling time in his ministry. He is getting to the culmination of his ministry. He is getting to the cross. And in order to deal with what is coming, he runs to prayer. He runs to the Father.

The Elements of Jesus’ Internal Struggle

Jesus is dealing with an internal struggle, as he is deeply grieved and full of sorrow within him. That struggle shows up in Mark 14:36:

Mark 14:36 CSB

36 And he said, “Abba, Father! All things are possible for you. Take this cup away from me. Nevertheless, not what I will, but what you will.”

There are many layers to the struggle that the Lord is dealing with.

Isolation from his disciples (Mark 14:27, 50):

First, there is an upcoming isolation from his disciples. He is surrounded by the core leaders of his ministry, and they are all going to fail. He says in Mark 14:27 “I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.” That is fulfilled in Mark 14:50 where it says, “Then they all deserted him and ran away.” He is heading to the cross, and the ones he has spent the last three years discipling, will desert him. He will be alone.

The pain of betrayal and rejection: (Mark 14:18, 20, 44-45):

He is dealing with the betrayal of one of his disciples. Satan has entered into one of the Twelve, Judas. This betrayal will come with a kiss, a sign of affection for a rabbi, but Judas will use it to betray him.

The cup he must drink (Mark 14:36):

More than these things, Jesus describes a cup that he is about to partake in. He asks the Father, in Mark 14:36 “All things are possible for you. Take this cup away from me.” The cup in the Old Testament refers to God’s wrath. You see this in Jeremiah, where he prophesies against nations, saying in Jeremiah 25:15 “15 This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, said to me: “Take this cup of the wine of wrath from my hand and make all the nations to whom I am sending you drink from it.” Isaiah spoke in Isaiah 51:17 of drinking from “the cup of his fury from the Lord’s hand.” Psalm 75:8 also speaks of the cup of God’s wrath.

Jesus is about to hang on the cross, and experience a consequence of sin that he has never known. He has never felt for one day of his life the consequence of sin. Jesus is a miracle. He is the only person who has ever lived a perfect life.

We suffer consequences for sin. We don’t suffer the eternal wrath of God because of Jesus, but when we sin, we experience the consequence of sin in this life. Hebrews 12 speaks of the discipline that God gives his children to bring us to a better place, as a loving Father, to bring us back to a walk with him.

Jesus never faced any consequences for sin, because he never sinned. He could observe the consequences of sin around him, but he had never personally felt that, never a day in his life.

Yet, he is about to take on the cup of God’s wrath.

Taking on sin and separation (2 Cor. 5:21):

Jesus takes on God’s wrath because he will take on the sin of the world. Look at 2 Cor. 5:21:

2 Corinthians 5:21 CSB

21 He made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Here is the core of this: The Son of God has never known sin. He is about to take on something he has never known. At some point, Jesus will go to the cross, and on the cross, he will stretch out his hands, take on the wrath of God, and take on the sin of the world, sin he has never known.

Tension between his flesh and his divinity (Mark 14:36, 38):

There is an additional element in here. Jesus is deeply grieved to the point of death. There is a tension within him. Think of this: Jesus is the only one ever who has been fully God and fully man. I believe what he says in Mark 14:38 is something that he is experiencing first hand. He tells the disciples:

Mark 14:38 CSB

38 Stay awake and pray so that you won’t enter into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

The divine God is in human flesh. The Son of God needs to overcome the weakness of the flesh. The divine God is perfect in every way, and willing to do what is the Father’s will, but the flesh wants to avoid discomfort, wants to be safe. We read in Hebrews 4:15:

Hebrews 4:15 CSB

15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin.

In the midst of his troubling time, the Lord is teaching his disciples how to overcome trouble. He says, “Stay awake and pray!”

Perseverance in prayer is the weapon that we have in troubling times.

Back in Mark 14:36, do you know what I love about this verse? First, Jesus is never disobedient in his prayer. He says in Mark 14:36 “Abba, Father! All things are possible for you. Take this cup away from me. Nevertheless, not what I will, but what you will.” He says, “God, if there is any other way, I know you can provide it.”

If you want to learn how to pray in troubling times, look at the Psalms. David is a man that knew trouble, and he expressed it in prayer in the Psalms. For instance, he says in Psalm 13:1:

Psalm 13:1 CSB

1 How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?

Or in another place, he says in Psalm 43:2:

Psalm 43:2 CSB

2 For you are the God of my refuge. Why have you rejected me? Why must I go about in sorrow because of the enemy’s oppression?

Yet, in these Psalms, David comes to a place after his lament that he proclaims his trust in the plan and safety of God. For instance, in the same Psalm 43, he ends the psalm this way in Psalm 43:5:

Psalm 43:5 CSB

5 Why, my soul, are you so dejected? Why are you in such turmoil? Put your hope in God, for I will still praise him, my Savior and my God.

This is a prayer in troubling times. It is a persistent prayer that says, “I will put my hope in God.” That’s what Jesus says in his prayer when he says in Mark 14:36 “Nevertheless, not what I will, but what you will.”

This is the place where we need to get to in troubling times, knowing that ultimately, God is in control.

No Division in God

When you are looking at verse 36, you are reminded of the unity within God. We know of God what he has revealed about himself. We need special revelation to know who God is, and he has revealed himself in his word. God has revealed himself as Father, Son, and Spirit. These three persons are one God.

Don’t spend too much time trying to understand it. We are small people in the presence of a big God. We know what he has revealed about himself.

When you talk about the Trinity, there is no division within God. The Son of God perfectly submits to the Father’s will.

When you are in a troubling time, after you go through the processing, through the times of saying, “God, help me with this,” you must ultimately come to a place of submission. You must come to a place where you say, “God, not my will, but yours be done.”

We all need to come to a place where we submit to God and his will.

I grew up around music, and I learned to play an instrument early in my life. When I was young, my Dad handed me a guitar and taught me how to play it.

One of the things about an instrument, you have to submit to some rules. For instance, the guitar’s strings need to be tuned to certain notes. You won’t get too far on a guitar unless the strings are in tune to E, B, G, D, A, and E.

You learn music theory. A lot of songs are really just repetitions of the same basic rules of chords that work well together, playing notes in the same key, and chords that resolve into each other.

When you submit to the rules of music, then you can learn to play.

The same is true with God. You can come in with your questions, when you come in on your sincere journey to faith, but eventually, you’re going to have to come to a place where you submit.

There has got to be a place in your life where you stop fighting and say, “God, I don’t understand everything, but I know enough to know that I need you.”

You know what you do when you submit to his will? You pray. You pray fervently, because you know that it’s ultimately in his hands! The weapon in a troubling time is prayer. If you want to get through your troubling time, you need to persevere in prayer.

Making godly decisions in troubling times requires perseverance in prayer.

Last,

Making godly decisions in troubling times requires a powerful faith.

There is a big contrast in this text in faith. On the one hand, you have the Lord Jesus, persevering in prayer and saying, “Not my will, but your will be done.” On the other hand, you have the weakness of the disciples, all of whom are about to run away, and the betrayer, Judas.

You have a powerful faith versus a lack of faith.

There is a tremendous resolve in Jesus. He has prepared for the troubling time in prayer. He has prepared his spirit before the Father. Now, look at what he says in Mark 14:42:

Mark 14:42 CSB

42 Get up; let’s go. See, my betrayer is near.”

Jesus never hid from this moment. He wasn’t hiding in Gethsemane. This was a place that he went to all the time with the disciples. Judas was one of the Twelve. He knew Judas would find him there.

He has prepared his heart, and he says, “Guys, let’s go.” He’s ready.

He goes before the betrayer, and brings disciples who will be like soldiers who abandon their post.

The Expectation of the Messiah

They all expected a Messiah that would lead a military revolution. You have Peter with his sword in Mark 14:47 who “struck the high priest’s servant, and cut off his ear.”

Judas brought a whole mob with him to Jesus, a bunch of people from the chief priests, scribes, and elders, who came with swords and clubs. They thought that Jesus had his eleven men, and they should be ready for a fight!

Look at how Jesus responds to them in Mark 14:48-49:

Mark 14:48–49 CSB

48 Jesus said to them, “Have you come out with swords and clubs, as if I were a criminal, to capture me? 49 Every day I was among you, teaching in the temple, and you didn’t arrest me. But the Scriptures must be fulfilled.”

In essence, what Jesus is saying is, “God’s will is happening.” He tells them, “You’ve seen me every day.” Jesus never approached them as a military person. He never approached them in violence.

Here stands the most powerful person among them, and yet, Jesus’s power is not shown in military might. They are the ones with the mob, with the swords and clubs.

Yet the powerful one is the one fulfilling the Scriptures, the one submitted to God’s will.

The reason they have their moment is because God is in control. Jesus is showing a powerful faith that says, “I know the Father. I know God’s promises are true. Know matter what, I trust him.”

There’s going to be a day when you feel like you are all alone. The family you thought would be there is not there. The friends you thought you had are not around.

When the time comes, you can stand strong knowing that God is on your side. You are never alone, because God is with you.

Many of the people in the Bible were in troubling times. Jeremiah was one of them. Yet look at what he said about the faithfulness of God in troubling times. Lamentations 3:22-23:

Lamentations 3:22–23 CSB

22 Because of the Lord’s faithful love we do not perish, for his mercies never end. 23 They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness!

In troubling times, when you feel all alone, you are not alone. His mercies never end, they are new every morning. Great is his faithfulness!

In 2010, 33 Chilean miners were rescued from a mine collapse. They were stuck in this mine for 69 days. They had little food and water. It didn’t seem likely that they could survive for what ended up being two months.

Jose Henriquez was one of the miners who was stuck down there. The other miners knew that Henriquez was a Christian, as they soon believed that only God could save them. They began a practice of having prayer every day at noon and 6 pm. They prayed and sang hymns.

Henriquez said, “God didn’t need any doors to get down there in the mine where we were. Every time we called on His name, He was there, and He was present.”

They believed that they would be rescued. The miners rejoiced and thanked God, when after 69 days, each one of them was rescued from that mine.

I don’t know what you are facing today. Things might be good. Or maybe, you’re in a troubling time.

The Lord will get you through whatever you face. His mercies are new every morning, great is his faithfulness.

In a troubling time, you can trust that Jesus is powerful to save. He went to the cross for you. But at some point, you have to submit to him.

You have to stop fighting and say, “Lord, I need you.”

Making godly decisions is important, but the first godly decision you need to make is to submit to Jesus. Trust him. He will carry you through.

Conclusion

Making godly decisions in troubling times requires perseverance in prayer.

Making godly decisions in troubling times requires a powerful faith.

Conclude

Prayer

Last Song

Doxology

Numbers 6:24–26 CSB

24 “May the Lord bless you and protect you; 25 may the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; 26 may the Lord look with favor on you and give you peace.” ’

Jude 24–25 CSB

24 Now to him who is able to protect you from stumbling and to make you stand in the presence of his glory, without blemish and with great joy, 25 to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and authority before all time, now and forever. Amen.

You are dismissed. Have a great week in the Lord!