Father's Day/Gethsemane

Happy Father’s Day!

Psalm 127:3–5a (NLT)

3 Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him.

4 Children born to a young man are like arrows in a warrior’s hands.

5 How joyful is the man whose quiver is full of them!

If you are a dad, you have been gifted by God - your children are your reward from God!

Children, when your parents get frustrated with you for the 1,000 time and you can see that they are struggling, do yourself a favor and remind them that you are God’s gift to them. I am sure it will make the situation better! 😄

In light of Father’s Day and the amazing gift of children, today we are thrilled to share together in a covenant ceremony we call “child dedications”.

Child Dedication

What a child dedication is NOT

It’s important to understand what a baby dedication is NOT.

A baby dedication is not a baptism. We believe baptism is important for all believers who are able to articulate and profess their faith in Christ. As an infant cannot do so, we do not baptize infants.

A baby dedication is also not a “golden ticket into heaven” for your child. They will someday need to call on Jesus as their own Lord and Savior - which is why it is so important that you, and the parent are committed to teaching them about God.

What is a child dedication?

A baby/child dedication is a public service where parents of a young child stand before their church family and declare their commitment to raising their family God’s way. They formally declare their intent to raise their child according to biblical principles, entrust their child’s life to God, and ask the church to partner with them in doing so.

In some ways, it is more a “parent dedication” than a “child dedication.”

Bible Verse

One good verse that sums up the heart and intention of a baby dedication is: ⭐

Deuteronomy 6:5–7 CSB

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart. Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

Covenant

We have 3 families that are dedicating their children today, and I will have each family come up one at a time in the order I received their request for dedication.

David & Ellie Steltz are dedicating Asher Michael Steltz.

Eric & Meghan Beiler are dedicating Walker Benjamin Beiler.

Ben & Jenna Hughes are dedicating Jonathan James Hughes.

I’ll ask you both a few questions, which I know you’ve already answered officially for us, but to make it public and just affirm one more time, I’ll ask you to affirm what we call the dedication covenant between you and God and your church family.

Do you acknowledge ________ as a gift from God, and give HIM the thanks for this blessing?

Do you recognize that________ was created by God, for God and his glory, and is it your desire to publicly dedicate him back to God for HIS purposes?

Realizing that ________ will eventually become responsible for his own decisions, do you pledge with God’s help to help ________ know and love God, and walk in his ways?

Are you committed to provide, through God’s blessing, for ________’s physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual, looking to your heavenly Father for the wisdom, love, and strength to serve them?

Do you call upon this church family to support and equip you and ________ as you embark upon this commitment, and do you submit to your church family to hold you accountable to the covenant you are making today?

Prayer

--- repeat for each couple ---

--- children dismissed ---

Falling Away from God

Falling Away from God

AFTER celebrating the passover meal with the disciples and saying that in a few days he will be crucified, the disciples were most certainly very distressed. So as they leave the city and head back to the olive grove the events of that festival would be playing over and over again in their minds.

This would be a great time for a motivational speech, right?

Matthew 26:31–35 CSB

31 Then Jesus said to them, “Tonight all of you will fall away because of me, for it is written: I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered. 32 But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you to Galilee.” 33 Peter told him, “Even if everyone falls away because of you, I will never fall away.” 34 “Truly I tell you,” Jesus said to him, “tonight, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” 35 “Even if I have to die with you,” Peter told him, “I will never deny you,” and all the disciples said the same thing.

I am curious - do you find that to be motivational?

While the message has been very clear that Jesus planned to be killed and then rise again on the third day, in this passage there is another message that all 11 of the disciples would abandon Jesus - they would “fall away”.

The word for fall away is: ⭐

σκανδαλίζω - (scandalize) - cause to sin, to make stumble

Matthew (Explanation of the Text)

“Fall away” (σκανδαλίζω) has been used several times with respect to leading one to sin (5:29, 30; 18:6, 8, 9), being offended (13:57; 15:12; 17:27), and falling away from one’s faith (11:6; 24:10). Here the first and third are intended, especially the “falling away.” The disciples are going to desert Jesus completely (v. 56);

While most translations use the phrase, “fall away” and the NLT says “desert”, I think the Complete Jewish Bible (CJB) captures the full extent of the idiom of “falling away”: ⭐

Matthew 26:31 CJB

31 Yeshua then said to them, “Tonight you will all lose faith in me, as the Tanakh says, ‘I will strike the shepherd dead, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’

To fall away is to lose faith in or abandon. In this case, it is the disciples who will lose faith in Jesus and the message he had and abandon him.

Peter’s response it almost predictable by now: he will utterly deny it. There is an arrogance in Peter that still needs to be worked out. Peter is still acting as if HE is in control and is not willing to submit to the will of the Father. This is a major theme of this section.

The arrogance shows up two ways:

Peter calls Jesus a liar. When we reject what God says we make God out to be a liar and the truth is not in us.

Peter compares himself to the other disciples and says he is better than them. Even if THEY lose faith in you, I will not”

I am not sure how I would have reacted to Peter if I was one of the other 10 disciples when Peter said, “Even if all those guys turn on you, I will not”. I find that very condescending.

This arrogance that Peter has is something that needs to be squashed. Paul put it this way: ⭐

1 Corinthians 10:12–13 CSB

12 So, whoever thinks he stands must be careful not to fall. 13 No temptation has come upon you except what is common to humanity. But God is faithful; he will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to bear it.

While Peter might have seen himself as above the other disciples, Jesus understands that the only thing greater for Peter right now will be his failure. Jesus looked right at Peter and said, “mark my words... you will deny me 3 times before the night is over.”

Of course Peter denied it and offered to die with Jesus. The others also denied it. How could they possibly turn their back on Jesus?

The lesson that Peter will learn through this will change him forever, and we will see him come through the other side a humble man who seeks the will of the Father.

While on the surface, this does not seem like a very motivational passage, I have come to find this a VERY motivational passage for the disciples and for us today! Do you see it? [pause] ⭐

Matthew 26:32 CSB

32 But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you to Galilee.”

Though he has assured the disciples that they will deny him and lose faith in him, he also assured them that he would rise from the dead and THEN SEE THEM AGAIN! AFTER his resurrection he would meet up with them in Galilee. This is the place where Jesus officially began his earthly ministry. (chapter 4). The disciples were told they would get to see Jesus again AFTER his resurrection!

I believe one of the reasons Jesus told his disciples this is because HE knew they would deny him and he wanted them to know that he still looked forward to seeing them after the resurrection - in spite of their desertion. I am sure the guilt of their actions might have caused them believe the lie that Jesus would never want to see them again. Jesus is telling them, ahead of time, that he looked forward to seeing them. This will be important for their restoration.

What a message of hope for the disciples - that Jesus would welcome them back after they would deny him. And, that he would die for them, KNOWING that they would deny him!

We are talking about the sovereignty of God

However, there is a second message of hope and motivation here. It is about God being in control. No matter what sinful men would do to him, he will rise and he will see them again. No matter what the disciples do, even if they desert him, he will rise and he looked forward to seeing them again.

Jesus was confident that God had all things under control. Nothing can change the plans of the Father: ⭐

Proverbs 19:21 NLT

21 You can make many plans, but the Lord’s purpose will prevail.

All of you WILL fall away. That is a prediction given as a statement of fact. Not only did Jesus know how the disciples would react, he knew what would happen because God declared it would happen over 500 years earlier through the prophet Zechariah! (Zech 13:7)

Though the disciples *think* they would not deny Jesus, God already KNEW they would. This can lead to some interesting rabbit holes:

Did God make the disciples fall away to fulfill his word?

Did God know what would happen so he could speak about it? (foreknowledge)

This passage does not speak directly to this. What it does speak into is the fact that even though Jesus told the disciples they would deny him, and that the scriptures said they would, and even though they certainly had no intention of denying Jesus and running away, they did.

You and I are not powerful enough to thwart the plans of God. I find comfort in this knowing that nothing I can do can undo what God has planned.

So that conversation and the gray cloud it placed over the disciples followed them until they reached the garden at Gethsemane. Apparently a place Jesus had gone to before since Judas knew to look for Jesus there.

The Garden ⭐

Matthew 26:36–46 CSB

36 Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he told the disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” 37 Taking along Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38 He said to them, “I am deeply grieved to the point of death. Remain here and stay awake with me.” 39 Going a little farther, he fell facedown and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” 40 Then he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. He asked Peter, “So, couldn’t you stay awake with me one hour? 41 Stay awake and pray, so that you won’t enter into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 42 Again, a second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.” 43 And he came again and found them sleeping, because they could not keep their eyes open. 44 After leaving them, he went away again and prayed a third time, saying the same thing once more. 45 Then he came to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? See, the time is near. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 Get up; let’s go. See, my betrayer is near.”

Jesus leaves 7 disciples behind and walks on with Peter, James and John. Then he tells them to stay awake and pray with him.

Jesus was “sorrowful, troubled and deeply grieved”. Was this because of the rejection of the people? Was it because the disciples were going to abandon him? Was it because he was thinking about the pain and suffering ahead? I would say YES to all of the above and more!

Jesus was both grieved and troubled. Yet he was submissive to the will of the Father.

Jesus prayer is a model for you and me when we go through tough times:

a) If possible, remove this situation or pain

b) regardless of whether or not you do, I want your will to be accomplished through me

We can certainly make our requests known to God. He wants us to! ⭐

Philippians 4:6 CSB

6 Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

However, we are not to be so bold or arrogant (like Peter) as to tell God what he needs to do. This type of prayer is not healthy. We can pour out our heart to the Father, but in the end he is not subject to our whims, we must become subject to his will.

“Not my will, but yours” - My selfish prayer and my spiritual prayer is how I refer to it - God I pray that you might do this, but in the end I want what YOU want to be accomplished and I am OK if I do not get my way.

The Cup of Wrath

Jesus alluded to this cup of suffering earlier in Matthew when the disciples were asking if they could sit one on Jesus left and the other on his right.

Matthew 20:22–23 CSB

22 Jesus answered, “You don’t know what you’re asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?” “We are able,” they said to him. 23 He told them, “You will indeed drink my cup, but to sit at my right and left is not mine to give; instead, it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.”

The two disciples Jesus is talking to are James and John, the sons of Zebedee. If you remember, it was the mother of Zebedee’s sons that came to make this request of Jesus.

What exactly is this “cup”

Matthew Explanation of the Text

“Cup” (ποτήριον), as in 20:22–23, is the cup of suffering due to God’s wrath (e.g., Ps 75:8; Isa 51:17, 22; Jer 51:7), further evidence that Jesus is conscious of the vicarious nature of his death. Jesus’ deep personal desire is for God to take away the necessity of this vicarious sacrifice. However, his greater desire is to see God’s will accomplished, and this is where Jesus’ victory over himself occurs.

Jesus did not need to die for himself. He chose to be submissive to the Father and die in our place out of obedience to the Father and his love for mankind:

The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Twenty-Three: The King’s Preparation (Matthew 26:1–56)

He was about to “drink the cup” that His Father had prepared for Him, and this meant bearing on His body the sins of the world (John 18:11; 1 Peter 2:24).

1 Peter 2:24 (CSB) ⭐

24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree; so that, having died to sins, we might live for righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.

At first, Jesus asked that, if possible, the cup of wrath be removed from him: ⭐

Matthew 26:39 CSB

39 Going a little farther, he fell facedown and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”

To face the wrath of God for the sins of all mankind would be a terrible thing! I cannot imagine what that would be like. We know that, if nothing else, it meant separation from the Father as Jesus will cry out asking God why he has abandoned him.

Jesus prays this prayer and then goes back to the disciples. They are sleeping! And who does Jesus call out? NOT James and John (that we know of). He calls out Peter!

Peter would speak boldly about his commitment to Jesus. Peter would cut off the ear of one who came to take Jesus. But Peter was not able to do what was most important - stay awake and pray.

I think I am like Peter. I can DO many things for God and I am willing to talk about and defend God, but sometimes it can be a very real struggle to remain in prayer to my Father.

Jesus tells the to stay awake and pray and he goes off again. The second time he prays, it is a little different: ⭐

Matthew 26:42 CSB

42 Again, a second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.”

That is an interesting rewording, isn’t it? “if this cannot pass unless I drink it”. If WHAT cannot pass?

this = cup of wrath

The wrath of God on mankind for our sin could not pass unless there was an acceptable sacrifice made. If that is our understanding of “this” then we see the heart of our savior that was willing to do for us what we could not do for ourselves and the motivation of the cross is you and me.

It appears as though, after seeing that the disciples could not even manage to remain in prayer, Jesus’ prayer changes from grief to determination.

RESOLVE

Perhaps seeing that the disciples could not do the things they want to do, as well as that one disciples will betray him and the other 11 will fall away, was a reminder that all of mankind is in need of someone who could do for them what they could not - who had the strength to endure what they could not. It appears the failure of even those with the best of motives created a resolve in Jesus to finish what he came to do - redeem mankind.

Matthew Explanation of the Text

He has overcome his own “flesh,” and his “spirit” is not only “willing” but focused on his divinely mandated destiny. He will “drink” the cup and see his Father’s “will” accomplished.

When Jesus came back the second time he, once again, found the disciples asleep. They fell asleep the second time because of exhaustion from grief:

Luke 22:45 CSB

45 When he got up from prayer and came to the disciples, he found them sleeping, exhausted from their grief.

Jesus did not even bother waking them, he just went back to prayer for the 3rd time.

Three times.

Jesus prayed three time. What other reference to 3 do we have? Peter will deny Jesus 3 times.

We have a contrast being made here between Peter and Jesus

Peter.

Jesus said Peter would deny him 3 times.

Jesus took 3 disciples with him to pray: Peter, James and John. He told them to pray lest they fall into temptation.

3 times Jesus finds the disciples asleep instead of praying. The first time, he called out Peter - couldn’t you even stay awake for an hour? Perhaps we should read this, “You said you would die for me, but you can’t even stay awake and pray. Really?

Peter could not even stay awake to pray because his flesh was weak. And Peter, standing in that flesh will fail 3 times.

Jesus.

Jesus, by remaining connected to the Father, not only overcame the physical, but the spiritual and did the will of the Father.

3 times Jesus prayers and surrenders his will to the Father.

While we will see the utter and complete failure of the disciples to even stay awake three times. We will see Jesus’ complete surrender to the plan of the Father three times.

We are meant to see that Jesus was doing the will of the Father by being in prayer and humble before Yahweh. Peter was being arrogant and not seeking the Father’s will and because of that would fail. The lessons for you and me today are quite obvious.

The Betrayal & Arrest ⭐

Matthew 26:47–56 CSB

47 While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, suddenly arrived. A large mob with swords and clubs was with him from the chief priests and elders of the people. 48 His betrayer had given them a sign: “The one I kiss, he’s the one; arrest him.” 49 So immediately he went up to Jesus and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed him. 50 “Friend,” Jesus asked him, “why have you come?” Then they came up, took hold of Jesus, and arrested him. 51 At that moment one of those with Jesus reached out his hand and drew his sword. He struck the high priest’s servant and cut off his ear. 52 Then Jesus told him, “Put your sword back in its place because all who take up the sword will perish by the sword. 53 Or do you think that I cannot call on my Father, and he will provide me here and now with more than twelve legions of angels? 54 How, then, would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen this way?” 55 At that time Jesus said to the crowds, “Have you come out with swords and clubs, as if I were a criminal, to capture me? Every day I used to sit, teaching in the temple, and you didn’t arrest me. 56 But all this has happened so that the writings of the prophets would be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples deserted him and ran away.

Judas arrived with an army, kissed Jesus, and Jesus was arrested. These details are pretty straight forward. Judas and his entourage came under the cloak of night to avoid the crowds and avoid a scene. There is an army because of the expectation that either the disciples or the crowds would fight to free Jesus. There is an official representation from the chief priests and elders.

All the disciples deserted him and ran away.

We started our passage with Jesus telling the disciples that they would all desert him. We end our passage with that very event taking place.

Did the disciples flee because they feared being arrested? Perhaps. Some say no. Others yes. There is a story of a disciple that might make us think they would have been arrested:

Mark 14:50–52 CSB

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.

The fact that they “caught hold of him” might be implying that they were looking for others to implicate and arrest which could have been why the disciples all fled. Though just hours before they pledged to die with Jesus, when confronted with the decision to do just that, they fled. The abandoned their commitment to Jesus.

Let me ask you this morning, “what would it take for you to lose faith in God?”

It is very tempting for us to be like the disciples in declaring our allegiance to God - but it is hard to know how we will react when our lives are rocked. This is the story of Job - who was faithful. However, it is also the story of many others. All relationships, all covenants (such as marriage) easily stand during the good times or easy times. It is what happens when things go sideways that is the real test of relationships.

Recently I had the privilege of reconnecting with a former Bible College professor. He took time to share with me his story of amazing grief at the loss of his wife and how he stopped talking to God, walked away from his faith and wanted to take his life. All of which he was shocked could happen to him. Grief, fear, anger - raw emotion - can be so overwhelming that it can cause even those that seem to be “rock solid” to turn their back on God. This was a man who counseled others in their trials to remain faithful to God. This is a man who spent over 40 years teaching people about the goodness and mercy of God. And this brother admitted that he walked away from God.

What would it take for you to lose faith in God?

Perhaps you are listening to this message and have lost faith in God? The message of hope for you is that God still wants to meet with you. Just as he reminded the disciples he would be there with them after their denial, he has a message of encouragement and restoration for you - he is glad to welcome you back and reconnect with you if you will meet him. ⭐

James 4:8 (CSB)

8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you...

I am glad to report that my professor and friend is talking with God once again and has embraced the will of God for his life. He has found joy once again and is now spending his days telling others of how they can be reconnected with God. You can experience that as well.

As we wrap up this section we are reminded that God’s will is going to be accomplished. While there is a message of hope for you and me when we fail, the greater message is that God’s plan of redeeming mankind will be accomplished. We covered that a little earlier, but we are reminded yet again by Matthew. So many times he has drawn our attention to the fact that God’s word can be trusted - always.

Matthew 26:56 CSB

56 But all this has happened so that the writings of the prophets would be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples deserted him and ran away.

Which prophets? What did they say?

There are quite a few prophecies about what would happen to the Messiah. Not only did they say the sheep would get scattered. They said the shepherd would be killed - and rise again, and be exalted!

However, as we track Matthew’s account of the final days of Jesus humanity we should note particularly the prophet Isaiah, as he has an outline of these final days. Not only will certain things happen to the Messiah, but the result will be that you and I can be made righteous because of his sacrifice.

Listen as we read this passage in closing and hear about the love of Jesus - that he would suffer through this for rebels and sinners like you and me: ⭐

Isaiah 53 CSB

1 Who has believed what we have heard? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? 2 He grew up before him like a young plant and like a root out of dry ground. He didn’t have an impressive form or majesty that we should look at him, no appearance that we should desire him. 3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of suffering who knew what sickness was. He was like someone people turned away from; he was despised, and we didn’t value him. 4 Yet he himself bore our sicknesses, and he carried our pains; but we in turn regarded him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced because of our rebellion, crushed because of our iniquities; punishment for our peace was on him, and we are healed by his wounds. 6 We all went astray like sheep; we all have turned to our own way; and the Lord has punished him for the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth. Like a lamb led to the slaughter and like a sheep silent before her shearers, he did not open his mouth. 8 He was taken away because of oppression and judgment, and who considered his fate? For he was cut off from the land of the living; he was struck because of my people’s rebellion. 9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked, but he was with a rich man at his death, because he had done no violence and had not spoken deceitfully. 10 Yet the Lord was pleased to crush him severely. When you make him a guilt offering, he will see his seed, he will prolong his days, and by his hand, the Lord’s pleasure will be accomplished. 11 After his anguish, he will see light and be satisfied. By his knowledge, my righteous servant will justify many, and he will carry their iniquities. 12 Therefore I will give him the many as a portion, and he will receive the mighty as spoil, because he willingly submitted to death, and was counted among the rebels; yet he bore the sin of many and interceded for the rebels.

It is may prayer that you KNOW the love of God that sacrificed so much so you could be restored to Him, and that once restored, you would be able to stand firm in your faith by the power of his spirit.