We are Weak, He is Strong

Intro:

Sing Jesus Loves Me (We are weak, but he is strong set-up)

Recap:

Main Point: Christian, the path of discipleship is hard and in our weakness we will fall. But, we have a faithful shepherd before us and he has given us a willing helper in the Spirit.

Points:

Our Weak Flesh

Our Faithful Shepherd

Our Willing Helper

Our Weak Flesh

False Confidence

Confidence can be a good thing. But confidence in the wrong thing or a false confidence is disastrous. Probably about 12 years ago, my family was gathered at a cabin outside of Gatlinburg, TN for Christmas. One of my cousins was a junior or senior in high school, preparing to join the military. He thought he was big and bad and thought he could finally take his big cousin. He had a swagger, a cockiness about him. The end result though was him on the ground, tapping out of a hold I had him in. My cousin found out, his confidence was all for nothing. And much like my cousin, there is a temptation for many of us in the Christian faith to have a false confidence in and of ourselves. We need not look any further than the disciples and within our own selves to determine that this is true.

Following the first Lord’s Supper taken and celebrated, Jesus and the disciples respond by singing a hymn and they go out. Notice though what Jesus tells them there in verse 27….Jesus warns the 11, Judas has already left at this point to betray Jesus, that they will all fall away as Jesus, the shepherd is struck. He says: the sheep will be scattered. The sheep are clearly the disciples, and Peter doesn’t blink an eye at knowing this is about them in how he responds there in verse 29, for it says…

In his false self-confidence, Peter fails to carefully examine himself and in the process rejects what the Lord states will indeed happen and throws his brothers under the bus in asserting they are weaker than he. Jesus states they will all be scattered, not some. And, Jesus promised that he would regather them when he returned. But Peter asserts this won’t happen to him, that he won’t fall away. But even as Jesus assures him in detail there in verse 30 that indeed he will fall away by denying him 3 times before the rooster crows twice, Peter there in verse 31 continues to reject this idea. In fact, he digs his heels in deeper saying that if he must die with Jesus, he will not deny him.

It is in his own folly that Peter, along with the others echoing him there at the end of verse 31, makes these bold and false assertions. Peter in his own strength is incapable of standing firm against what lies ahead of him. Brothers and sisters, it is easy for us in the calm before the storm to make bold and outlandish claims of our devotion to Christ, just as Peter did. But when the rubber meets the road, this arrogant, human presumption is exposed. For it is not within our own devotion and strength that we can do anything for Christ apart from him. James Edwards in his commentary notes, “Such claims are more easily made in ease and safety than in the crucible of temptation and opposition.”

It is easy for us as disciples of Jesus to think that we would never abandon Jesus, that we would never deny him, or that we would never fall away. Yet, the reality is, until that moment comes, we cannot know. To say otherwise is as foolish as Peter’s brash claims of certainty that he would not deny Jesus and fall away. And yet, drop down with me to what we have already read in Mark 14:66-72. Peter, who is sitting outside in the courtyard as Jesus is on trial is noticed and questioned. First he is recognized by a servant of the High Priest, then by others who had heard her 2nd questioning of Peter knowing Jesus. And each of the three times Peter is questioned about him knowing Jesus. And three times in being asked, each time he denies knowing Jesus. Thus, Jesus’ words came true. Immediately following his three denials, the rooster crowed for the 2nd time. And Peter was filled with grief, breaking down and weeping after this. Peter aimed to do great things out of his love for Jesus, but he failed to remain humble and keep a close watch on himself. He failed to remember the weakness of his own flesh. And the same can be said of the other disciples, for as Jesus was arrested, they too had fled, abandoning the one whom they had said they would not. As well as each of us. Within ourselves we are weak. And we must continually humble ourselves and avoid standing and boasting of anything within ourselves. Proverbs 16:18 tells us: Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. Therefore we must recognize our weakness and keep a close watch on ourselves.

A Call to Keep Watch

For Jesus tells the disciples this in verse 38, Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. Now, on the spirit part, we shall return. But we for now must grasp what Jesus is telling the disciples and therefore us today. One of our greatest battles in our Christian discipleship is remembering our ongoing, desperate need for Jesus. For example, Christian, if you tire of hearing the gospel repeated over and over again, that Jesus came to die to save sinners, you tire of it not because of your spiritual maturity, but your immaturity. You think you are strong, when indeed you are weak. For it is in this reminder of the gospel that we are pointed back to our only hope is in Jesus, not us. And this strengthens us by faith in what Christ has done, not that of our own doing.

Or others, maybe you don’t tire of hearing the gospel, but you think more highly of yourself in wondering how others could fall away and not even consider that you could be next. Brothers and sisters, if we fail to stay awake and keep watch, then we too can and will fall away. Even as Jesus was in great anguish there in the garden of Gethsemane, the disciples couldn’t even stay awake to pray. This being why they were told to watch and pray in the midst of their own weakness. You see, we are called to watch and pray because of the weakness of our flesh. Returning to James Edwards, he writes, “Jesus warns the disciples to guard against the kind of sinfulness of which most of us are most guilty: sins of weakness and irresoluteness rather than sins of intention. We do not plan on sinning, but neither do we hold the fort when we ought…..The sin that necessitates the sending of God’s Son is not someone else’s sin—the sin of Caligula or Nero or the legion of tyrants ever since—but the sin of the tenants of his own vineyard, of his own disciples—of Peter and James, of you and me.”

Brothers and sisters, it is in our failing to keep watch that such negligence enters within us. Therefore, we must continue to keep watch and beware of our weakness in the flesh. Notice the words of the Apostles: Paul wrote of in Romans 7:19-20: For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. And John in 1 John 1:8: If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

While we are still in this mortal body we must continue to acknowledge our own weakness. For it is in that weakness that we are driven to the Savior all the more in all his beauty and our ongoing need for him. And that’s where we now turn our attention to in our second point this morning, our faithful shepherd.

Our Faithful Shepherd

Faithfulness in the midst of anguish

While we are weak, He is strong. For in between the warning that they all would fall away and Peter’s thrice denial of Jesus, we have Jesus in 3 different scenes showing his faithfulness. We see the first scene of the faithfulness of Jesus in the Garden as anguish comes over him. Notice Jesus’ words to Peter and James and John there in verse 34, he says...

Anguish, sorrow consumes the soul of Jesus there in the garden. Some might be tempted to think here that Jesus is consumed with fear of death. Yet that is far from the case. It is not death itself that Jesus fears, but the coming isolation from the Father that Jesus is about to have to endure. John Calvin in his commentary says, “And here again we ought to remember the cause of so great sorrow; for death in itself would not have so grievously tormented the mind of the Son of God, if he had not felt that he had to deal with the judgment of God.”

For Jesus as he comes to the cross will not merely suffer the cruelty of the cross, but he will endure the full weight of God’s judgement against sin. Jesus will go to drink the entire cup of that wrath in order to become sin for us so that we can be made righteous through our faith in Him. It is this that causes him deep sorrow. For from eternity past, Jesus, God the Son, has always been in relationship with God the Father and God the Spirit. Never have they been separated, and yet, as Jesus goes to the cross, he for a short while will be left alone as the Father turns his face from him as Jesus becomes sin.

We cannot imagine the crippling effect that this anguish would have caused us. But as Jesus experienced this, he turned to the Father in prayer. He fell, face down laying prostrate before the Father showing complete and total submission to Him. And as Jesus prays, in the midst of his anguish, his sorrow, he first acknowledges that all things are possible with the Father there in verse 36. Following this acknowledgement, Jesus asks that the cup be removed from him. The cup being that of God’s wrath that he was about to drink. Yet, Jesus is instantly saying, not what I will, but what you will. For while the sorrow and grief of drinking the cup weighs on him, Jesus desires in no way to abandon the will of the Father and the pursuit of redeeming sinners, in restoring them to the Father. Thus in his prayer, Jesus continues to affirm his faithfulness and obedience to the mission and glory of God the Father.

Faithfulness the Verdict of the Trial, though death the sentence

Secondly, Jesus remains faithful in the midst of his being betrayed into the hands of sinners. Notice there in verse 41 it says…

This had been predicted and foretold by Jesus to the disciples. And as it does, Jesus does not run from it, again showing his faithfulness to the Father’s will. But as Jesus is betrayed by a kiss, and seized by those with swords and clubs, Jesus calls their hypocrisy and wickedness in their plot. In verse 48-49 we read…

The plot of those present here in the garden is something done in secrecy, for they fear the crowds still. If Jesus was guilty, they would have gladly taken him in the open, but they come to grab him in the darkness of night, sealing their guilt and wickedness in the plot. For that which is done in darkness is of darkness and that which of the light walks in the light. Let the hearer understand.

Jesus who walked openly among them is taken as a hardened criminal by a mob armed and ready to take him by force. Yet as one bystander strikes the ear of the servant of the high priest, we see Jesus willingly go in this wicked arrest, he does not fight. In fact, the other gospels share that Jesus told the disciple to put away the sword, and that Jesus restores the servant’s ear. And it is in this willing manner that Jesus goes, so that Scripture can be fulfilled. Jesus continues to prove himself faithful. And this continues as he is tried before the religious leaders in an unlawful trial with the deck stacked against Jesus with all kinds of malicious false witnesses.

In Deuteronomy 19:15 we read: A single witness shall not suffice against a person for any crime or for any wrong in connection with any offense that he has committed. Only on the evidence of two witnesses or of three witnesses shall a charge be established. This is important for us to note. For in verse 55 it is noted that they were seeking testimony against Jesus to put him to death, but they found none. Then in verse 56, false witness was brought against Jesus, but their testimony didn’t agree, in other words there wasn’t the evidence of two or three to affirm any accusation. Then, there is their attempt to call Jesus out for what he said regarding the destruction of the temple, stated there in verse 58. But look at verse 59, it says….

Even in trying to recall what Jesus said and trying to twist it, the testimony, the evidence against Jesus doesn’t match. For a second time, Mark notes that their evidence doesn’t agree, showing the innocence of Jesus according to Jewish law. While Jesus was tried and the end result was him being led to Pilate to be crucified, it was not for breaking Jewish law that resulted in this. It was their disbelief in who Jesus was, as the Son of God that caused them to condemn Jesus. But Jesus was not guilty, he was innocent, he walked in perfect obedience fulfilling all the law and the prophets. He was a pure sacrifice without blemish. And the failure of the testimonies to agree show this. And so, the high priest, probably in frustration of their failed attempts, asks Jesus, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” The Blessed being God. This question is aimed at doing one of two things. Either Jesus will have to self-discriminate himself in his identity or he will have to acknowledge it, which will cause an uproar against him. For the people didn’t believe Jesus could be God’s Son, even if he was the Messiah. But notice how Jesus responds in verse 62, it says…

Jesus publicly affirms that he indeed is the Christ, the Son of God, and that he, the Son of Man, would be seen seated at the right hand of Power and coming with the clouds of heaven. He acknowledges he is therefore the Messiah King who will reign with God in power. He in this statement shows that he will return with judgement against all injustice and wickedness in his coming with the clouds. Jesus gives his defense, a defense though that infuriates the High Priest. He tore his robes and those with him began to assault him, accusing him of blasphemy in making himself equal with God. And yet, that is exactly who Jesus was, he was the God Man who had come to pursue sinners, to restore them to the Father. Jesus was faithful, even when we were not.

Faithfulness as a Shepherd who pursues his sheep

And this is where we see the third scene of Jesus’ faithfulness in actually looking backwards. Turn your attention with me back to Mark 14:27-28, which says…

Though in their weakness, the sheep were to be scattered, the faithful shepherd promised to gather & meet his sheep. Jesus as the good and faithful shepherd will not abandon his sheep, no matter their weakness and struggle. He will leave the 99 to go and find the one. And so in our weakness, the faithful and Good Shepherd will too meet us!

When we feel at our weakest, when we feel as if we have failed Jesus, we can entrust that we can go to him and find comfort under him. Even you who might sit here this morning and have never come to Jesus. All you need to do is come, come to Jesus. Come place your faith in HIM! For the rod and staff of Jesus shall comfort us as we come to him. He, even in the midst of our ongoing weakness and struggles will lead us to still waters and green pastures, so that we may further rest in him. Our victory is won in Jesus and his strength, not ours. For as Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10: But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

For the beauty of the gospel is not what we have done, but what Christ has done and given to those who are united to him by faith. What comfort we have in Christ, that he strengthens us in our weakness as our Faithful and Good Shepherd. And too, the Faithful and Good Shepherd equips us to keep watch and endure by giving us a willing helper. And that is where we turn quickly in our final point this morning.

Our Willing Helper

The Spirit is Willing

Returning to Jesus’ words to the disciples in the garden there in verse 38, Jesus said: Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Prayer is our line of defense in the midst of struggle and warfare. It is our walkie talkie to communicate with the general, God himself. We are equipped with it, but we must learn to use it more frequently.

The Model of Jesus

Acknowledging the qualities of God

Seeking God’s will, not his own

Repetition/Persistence

Reshaping our prayers to follow this heart and model

Pray the Scriptures