St Luke’s All age

We all fall down v26-31

Introduction

Jesus is with His disciples just before He is arrested and taken to be killed on the cross.

He knows what’s coming and warns the disciples that they will all fall away.

Who knows what fall away means?

(Deny Jesus, reject him, sin, turn away)

Peter, full of confidence, declares he’ll never deny Jesus, but Jesus predicts he will.

Point 1: We All Fall

Not only does Jesus tell peter that he will fall - deny Jesus,

but

Mark 14:27 NIV 2011

‘You will all fall away,’ Jesus told them, ‘for it is written: ‘ “I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.”

Jesus quotes an OT promise in Zech 13v7,

That says the shepherd - who is Jesus - will be struck - which happens when Jesus is killed on the cross,

when that happens - the sheep - Jesus’ followers will scatter.

They will fall - they will deny Jesus - we, will sin.

Illustration: Balloon Balance Game

Props Needed: Balloons (one for each volunteer)

Setup: Invite three or four volunteers (a mix of kids and adults) to come forward. Give each of them a balloon.

Action: The challenge is to keep their balloon in the air without letting it touch the ground. After they get the hang of it, add more balloons or give them tasks (e.g., hopping on one foot or spinning around) to make it harder.

Outcome: Eventually, someone’s balloon will touch the ground, symbolising a fall or failure.

Discussion:

Ask: “Was it easy to keep the balloon up all the time?” “What made it harder?”

If we’re Christians - followers of Jesus

- then We all like to think that we can “keep it together”. Whatever comes our way - we will not let Jesus down. We wont fall.

The disciples thought the same.

You’re going to fall says Jesus-

‘oh no we wont’

well this happens

Mark 14:32–34 NIV 2011

They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Sit here while I pray.’ He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. ‘My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,’ he said to them. ‘Stay here and keep watch.’

Do you think the disciples will keep watch?

Mark 14:37–38 NIV 2011

Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. ‘Simon,’ he said to Peter, ‘are you asleep? Couldn’t you keep watch for one hour? Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.’

Even though Jesus is in deep pain about what is going to happen to him - the disciples can’t even keep watch with him - they all fall asleep.

Just like the balloons - at some point - we fall.

Perhaps we get cross we have to tidy our bedroom - or if we’re older, someone let’s us down.

Perhaps it’s a sin we keep doing. We lie to our mum or dad, or we are selfish at school or work.

Perhaps more like Peter will do - someone asks us what we did on Sunday - and we tell them all sorts of things but don’t admit we went to church to worship Jesus.

We all fall.

SO Jesus says - Keep watch and pray!

All he means by that is - be aware that we will sin and fall - so keep watch on yourself - by looking to Jesus and His word.

This is why it’s so good to come to church,

to go to your sunday school classes -

Prayer meetings

to read the bible at home -

becasue it helps us keep watch.

And while we will and do all fall - we can and will all fall less

if we’re watching ourselevs by looking at Jesus in His word.

Doing what he asks us todo - unlike the disicples on this occaison.

Now - the porblem is - if we all fall - we let Jesus down,

how can we be friends again with Jesus?

Well fortunately - Jesus has a solution:

Point 2: Jesus Falls for All

Even though Peter will deny Jesus - Jesus will never deny Peter,

and even though the disciples all fell asleep insteading of keeping watch,

Jesus did not sleep!

Even though the disicples fell,

JEsus was preparing to fall for them.

You see Jesus wasn’t just going to die a normal death - something much bigger was going on!

Listen to this prayer he says:

Mark 14:36 NIV 2011

‘Abba, Father,’ he said, ‘everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.’

The cup Jesus doesn’t want to drink is another OT reference. It is the cup of God’s anger at our sin.

JEsus, being perfect didn’t deserve God’s angre

But we are not perfect - we fall and sin and let JEsus down,

- but Jesus was prepared to swap places with us.

He was willing to drink the cup of God’s angre - which would seperate us from God forever - in our place.

We have fallen - Jesus has not.

He falls so we don’t have to.

He will die - he will fall and accept our punishment from God in our place!

Lets play a game to show this:

Props Needed: Ballons.

Setup:

Choose one volunteer to sit on the chair, representing humanity facing God’s punishment becasue we have fallen:.

Hit ballons at the person to show they will be judged:

Now - Pick another volunteer to stand in front of them, acting as a shield.

The shield’s job is to block as many balloons as possible to protect them.

Debrief and Discussion:

Ask: “How did it feel to be protected?”

This is what Jesus did for us.

He faced God’s cup of right punishment — balloons - to save us from it.

On the cross, He took on the pain, sin, and punishment we deserved.

Unlike the human shield who eventually gets tired or misses a few balloons, Jesus’ protection is perfect and complete.

So if we repent and believe in Jesus - say sorry and want to now live for him not oursleevs - well then Jesus saves us from God’s judgement,

and makes us friends with God forever.

That is what Peter is going to find out - even though he falls - Jesus will forgive him and take the punishment he deserves.

If a friend of yours let you down - would you go and do everything you could to help and love them?

Probably not.

But We all let Jesus down - we fall, we sin, we deny him,

and yet,

He falls for us - he dies in our place - takes our punishment so that we might be friends eternally with God!

Conclusion

We All Fall, but Jesus Falls for All.

PRAY

Close with a prayer of thanksgiving for Jesus’ sacrifice and a celebration of His grace that lifts us back up.