A Journey to the Cross - wk 1 - The Garden
Notes
Transcript
3/3/24 the Garden
3/3/24 the Garden
This morning we are going to start a series entitled A Journey to the Cross as we prepare for Easter.
In this series each week we will look at events that lead up to the cross and death of Jesus found in the Gospel of Mark.
This morning we are starting the series off with Jesus and the disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane, the title for this morning message is The Garden.
There are some important things that happened in the Garden that led up to the cross.
As we look at our text this morning in Mark chapter 14 verses 32 through 49 we will see three things that happened in the Garden of Gethsemane.
Jesus has warned the disciples about His death but the disciples have not truly understood or paid much attention to these warnings.
Jesus spends His last passover meal with the disciples in the upper room, and He then institutes the Lord’s Supper.
After the first Lord’s Supper, Jesus and the disciples leave the upper room and head out to the Garden.
First, we are going to look at vs. 32-36 of Mark 14.
32 They came to a place named Gethsemane; and He said to His disciples, “Sit here until I have prayed.”
33 And He took with Him Peter and James and John, and began to be very distressed and troubled.
34 And He said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved to the point of death; remain here and keep watch.”
35 And He went a little beyond them, and fell to the ground and began to pray that if it were possible, the hour might pass Him by.
36 And He was saying, “Abba! Father! All things are possible for You; remove this cup from Me; yet not what I will, but what You will.”
Pray
Pray
I. Jesus’ Prayer. Vs. 32-36
I. Jesus’ Prayer. Vs. 32-36
There is only eleven of the twelve disciples with Jesus, as Judas is with the Jewish officials preparing to betray Jesus.
Jesus and the disciples have left the upper room and headed out, because Jesus desired to pray, because He knew what was about to take place.
Upon entering the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus tells the majority of the disciples to sit and wait as He goes on to pray.
Jesus then takes what is considered the inner circle, which is Peter, James and John with Him further into the Garden.
The events that are about to take place, begin to cause Jesus some major anguish, Jesus knew what was about to happen to Him because even though He is in a human body, Jesus is still fully God.
Being that Jesus is fully God and fully human, the thought of what is about to take place and it causes Jesus to become overwhelmed with everything.
Jesus tells Peter, James and John that He is deeply grieved even to the point of death.
Jesus is so upset, overwhelmed, filled with agony, He is overcome by the events that are about to take place that He tells His inner circle that it has caused Him literal pain as He prepares for the cross.
Jesus then tells the three disciples, remain here and keep watch.
Now Jesus was not meaning to keep watch for Judas, or even the Jewish officials, but to be spiritually alert.
The disciples were to be alert to the temptations that were on their way.
When faced with difficulties in life, we also need to be prayed up, so that we are prepared spiritually to face those things.
Jesus then goes a little further into the garden beyond the three.
Jesus then fell to the ground, which some say prostrate Himself, that is Jesus was showing a gesture of extreme urgency.
Prostration - falling on the face - was characteristically used for taking up a lowly position before God.
It was a sign of humility and devotion.
Once face down on the ground, Jesus begins to pray that if it were possible, the hour might pass Him.
The hour here refers to the time set by God the Father for the accomplishment of His purpose.
Jesus knew what was about to take place.
In verse 36, we are told part of what Jesus prayed.
He begins with “Abba! Father!”
Abba is an Aramaic word meaning father or daddy. It is an intimate title, or calling of one’s father.
By using the word, Jesus affirmed His intimate relationship with God.
Jesus then states that all things are possible with God the Father.
After the interaction with the Rich Young Ruler, and Jesus making the statement in Matthew 19:24 that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God.
The disciples ask Jesus, then who can be saved, Jesus responds in Matthew 19:26
26 And looking at them Jesus said to them, “With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
Here in our text Jesus is once again recognizing that what is impossible for mankind, is possible for God the Father to accomplish.
Jesus said, that all things are possible for You, He is referring to God the Father.
He then asks, remove this cup from Me.
The cup that Jesus was speaking of here is synonymous with the hour in verse 35.
The cup and hour Jesus is asking to be removed is God’s wrath against sin, which when poured out includes not only physical but also spiritual suffering and death.
The important thing that we need to see is that Jesus said, yet not what I want, but what you will.
Other translations say, Yet not what I will, but what you will, or not My will but thy will be done.
What Jesus is praying here is a prayer of submission to God the Father.
In His humanity, Jesus recognized the suffering, the torment that was about to take place, but also knew that God the Father would not be able to look upon Him when the sins of this world was applied to Him on the cross.
But knowing all that He was about to go through Jesus still submitted to the will of the Father.
II. A Call for Prayer from the Disciples.
II. A Call for Prayer from the Disciples.
37 And He came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour?
38 “Keep watching and praying that you may not come into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
39 Again He went away and prayed, saying the same words.
40 And again He came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy; and they did not know what to answer Him.
41 And He came the third time, and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? It is enough; the hour has come; behold, the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.
42 “Get up, let us be going; behold, the one who betrays Me is at hand!”
After about an hour of prayer, Jesus came and found His inner circle, the three that He had spent the most time with, sleeping instead of praying.
Jesus asks Simon, which we know is Peter, are you sleeping, could you not keep watch for one hour?
Jesus then instructs the inner circle, Peter, James and John to keep watching and praying so that they would not fall into temptation.
Again they are not watching for Judas, specifically, but they are to be spiritually alert, and the best way to be spiritually alert is through prayer.
Jesus then states the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.
The spirit is one’s inner desire and best intentions, another words spiritually Jesus knew the disciples were willing to do what they were called to do, but the flesh, our body, our humanness and inadequacies were weak.
Spiritually the disciples wanted to follow the will of God, but in the flesh, in their human abilities they were weak, not able to do what they should.
After speaking these thing Jesus went back and prayed the same prayer.
He then came back and found the disciples once again sleeping.
Jesus went and prayed a third time, as we are told in verse 41 that Jesus came unto the disciples and they were once again a sleep.
This third time Jesus tells the disciples that the hour has come, and He was about to be betrayed into the hands of sinners.
The time for prayer was over, the disciples missed the opportunity that Jesus had given them to prayer to the Father for strengthening and help for the events that were about to take place.
Jesus then tells the disciples get up, and let’s go, because the one who was going to betray Him was at hand, that is Judas was about to be there.
Jesus was not telling the disciples let’s go, because He was going to try to escape or leave before Judas could arrive.
But rather Jesus was telling the disciples let’s go, because He was prepared to meet His betrayer.
Jesus was prayed up and prepared for the events to take place.
III. Jesus is Betrayed.
III. Jesus is Betrayed.
43 Immediately while He was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, came up accompanied by a crowd with swords and clubs, who were from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders.
44 Now he who was betraying Him had given them a signal, saying, “Whomever I kiss, He is the one; seize Him and lead Him away under guard.”
45 After coming, Judas immediately went to Him, saying, “Rabbi!” and kissed Him.
46 They laid hands on Him and seized Him.
47 But one of those who stood by drew his sword, and struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his ear.
48 And Jesus said to them, “Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest Me, as you would against a robber?
49 “Every day I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize Me; but this has taken place to fulfill the Scriptures.”
Jesus has confronted His inner circle for constantly falling asleep when they should have been praying.
As He is telling them that it is time to meet the betrayer, Judas arrives and he is accompanied by Jewish officials that are armed with swords and clubs.
The signal to the Jewish officials was a kiss.
A kiss was a common way for a disciple to greet his teacher and beyond that an act of endearment between two people.
Appearing in the Garden with Jesus and the three of the inner circle, Judas kisses Jesus and the Jewish officials seize Jesus and arrest Him.
Now we see humanity once again coming from the inner circle of Jesus’ disciples, as Peter takes a sword and cuts off the ear of the slave of the High Priest.
We know it is Peter because in the Gospel of John we are told this.
10 Simon Peter then, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s slave, and cut off his right ear; and the slave’s name was Malchus.
In Luke’s account Jesus rebukes Peter for cutting the ear off, and then takes and heals the slave, by putting his ear back. This is seen in Luke 22:51.
In John’s account Jesus rebukes Peter there also.
11 So Jesus said to Peter, “Put the sword into the sheath; the cup which the Father has given Me, shall I not drink it?”
Jesus asks Peter, shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me.
Again this cup is that of the wrath of God for the sins of the world.
I am thankful that Jesus was not disobedient to the Father, but took the cup of wrath that was meant for me.
Jesus could have walked away, He could of not accepted the cup, or drank the cup.
But this was the plan for Jesus’ life, it was the purpose for Jesus coming to earth.
Jesus was giving each person the ability to be forgiven of their sins and therefore not have to take the cup of wrath upon themselves.
But what we must understand, is that even though Jesus has taken the cup of wrath, that is the penalties for our sins, we individually must accept the gift, the sacrifice that He has made for us.
Because of Jesus sacrifice, because He took the cup of wrath that was meant for me, if I accept that gift, that sacrifice then I will not have to endure the cup of wrath that was meant for me.
If you have not accepted the sacrifice that Jesus has made for you, if you have not accepted the gift of salvation, today is the day.
Jesus freely gave His life.
Jesus asks the Jewish officials, why do you come at me with swords and clubs?
He states, I have been near you, teaching in the temple and you could have easily taken Me then, but listen to what Jesus says at the end of verse 49, this has taken place to fulfill the Scriptures.
12 Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great,
And He will divide the booty with the strong;
Because He poured out Himself to death,
And was numbered with the transgressors;
Yet He Himself bore the sin of many,
And interceded for the transgressors.
It happened the way it did because that was the plan.
Jesus could have easily walked away from the cup, but that was not the plan, and therefore Jesus freely takes of the cup of wrath meant for each and everyone of us.