Mark 14 - Jesus in the Garden

NCAA Standings

Women:

4th Place: Truett Harrison

3rd Place: Mallory

2nd place: Marina

1st place: Kate Harrison

Men:

21st: Braxton Asbury 
20th: Noah Greene
 19th: Evan Gaither
 18th: Aaron Bruner
 17th: Marina Viera
 16th: Montgomery Sereika
 15th: Chloe Brantley 
14th: Nicholas Roman
 13th: Mallory Sereika
 12th: Jackson Westmoreland
 11th: Aydan Eads

10th: Jamie Spry


9th: Brayden Westmoreland


8th: Matthew Cothran


7th: Hunter Tutterow


6th: James Roman


5th place: Truett Harrison


4th place: Zeke Harrison


3rd place: Carson Lawrence


2nd place: CK Stratton


1st place: Kate Harrison

Intro

Students, WE BACK

We are still trucking through Mark, getting close to the end

And boy things are heating up!

We finished last week by looking at Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem!

We are now going to pick up the story a little later in the book of Mark, we are skipping a couple chapters — I encourage you to go back and read them as there is some amazing details in them!

I don’t however want us to miss this week or next week

So here is what we are not covering:

Jesus teaching and sharing parables

But we are going to pick up the story in mark chapter 14

More specifically Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane

Read the section

Mark 14:32–42 ESV

32 And they went to a place called Gethsemane. And he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” 33 And he took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be greatly distressed and troubled. 34 And he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Remain here and watch.” 35 And going a little farther, he fell on 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. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” 37 And he came and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not watch one hour? 38 Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 39 And 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 taking your rest? It is enough; the hour has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 42 Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.”

Let me set the stage a little for you here, on what we see happening

Jesus is preparing to go to the cross

This is the Thursday night late before he is arrested, put on trial multiple times and ultimately put to death

Jesus here is under immense stress, and emotional anguish

Jesus being God knows exactly what is going to happen to Him

He knows all the pain He is going to endure, all the fear that creeped into His mind

Everything Jesus knows

Listen to what Luke says about this account

Luke 22:43–44 ESV

43 And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. 44 And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.

Jesus is in such agony over what is happening that he starts sweating blood

This is a real thing

The medical term is called: Hematohidrosis

The exact cause of hematohidrosis is unknown, but it is believed to be related to the rupture of small blood vessels in the sweat glands. Factors that may trigger hematohidrosis include:

Extreme stress or anxiety

Physical exertion

Hormonal changes

Certain medical conditions, such as bleeding disorders

For all of you that think you get stressed or anxious — that feel like you struggle with that

MAAAAN this isn’t the point of the message today, but GO TO GOD WITH IT! You have a good that understands

Jesus in fear and anxiety is sweating blood from his forehead!

Hebrews 4:15 ESV

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

What we face and have faced Jesus faced and can did it perfectly!

Go to HIM!

MAAAN

This gives us a beautiful picture of the Humanity of Jesus

From that humanity is where I want us to look at what Jesus did

Because lets be straight here, we may not have all sweated blood before — but we have been anxious and stressed out

We have all faced moments that are to much for us to bear

We are human — so I want us to look at what Jesus does when faced with that same moment

1. Share sorrows with others

Mark 14:32–34 ESV

32 And they went to a place called Gethsemane. And he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” 33 And he took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be greatly distressed and troubled. 34 And he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Remain here and watch.”

Man the first thing we see Jesus do is this:

Share sorrows with some

We need to learn to share our sorrows with some people

Jesus in his grief and agony shares his sorrows with the disciples

With those around Him that can help and strengthen Him

Jesus brings the disciples with Him and shares that they need to pray, then he brings His closest confidants with Him and shares what He is struggling with

Jesus is instructing the disciples all of them to sit and pray — to seek the Lord earnestly on behalf of what He is facing

To pray for the situation that Jesus is facing

Man this is a clear picture of what we need to do!

We need to share our struggles, our sorrows with others!

BUT

Notice what Jesus didn’t do

He didn’t share everything with everyone — to some of the disciples they are told to pray

For others they see Jesus begin to be troubled and struggle

They see Jesus as Human fully

This is such a huge thing for us

Because I think we swing in a pendulum

Either we A) Don’t open up to anyone and struggle alone or B) we open up to everyone and let everyone in

When really Jesus is teaching that we need to open up but only to those that can help

Jesus had more than just the 12 that were following Him — the Bible talks all the time about crowds following and flocking to Jesus — yet he doesn’t open up to every one of them

Instead he opens and shares some with the 12 and more deeply with the three

This needs to be us!

We need to share our sorrows, our troubles with others that can help!

With people that we can trust, be open with, and that can help us!

We need to share our struggles with people that are going to give us good Biblical advice, not people that are going to give us terrible options or suggestions

Share your sorrows with some, not all

2. Share sorrows with God

Mark 14:35–36 ESV

35 And going a little farther, he fell on 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. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”

Here’s the next thing that Jesus in His humanity is teaching us

Share sorrows with God

We need to be willing to share our sorrows and troubles with God

Jesus goes off by himself now and is seen praying begging God to take this cup

Begging God to remove the pain and agony that is before Him

REMEMBER Jesus is God he knows all things and knows what is coming

He is praying asking that the Lord would remove it

What about us?

When is the last time you faced a problem in your life and you stopped and ran to the Lord asking Him for help?

When is the last time you truly prayed to the Father about the pain and stress and anxiety that you are facing?

Man Jesus faced with all the anxiety and fear runs to the LORD

He not only asks those around Him to pray, but He Himself runs to the Lord

That needs to be a model for us today!

We must Run to the Lord

3. Submit to the Lord’s plan

But this isn’t the only thing that it teaches us

Listen to that last part again:

Mark 14:36 ESV

36 And he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”

Jesus also teaches us that we need to:

Submit to the Lord’s plan

We must learn to submit to the Lord’s plan

Notice how Jesus ends his prayer:

Not what I will, but what you will

When we run to God with our problems how often do we pray this way?

I know for a fact that I don’t pray this way

Lord I am struggling please take this away

You are God and good so take away what I am dealing with

God bend to my will and my ways because I trust in your name

MAN studying this I was so convicted!

I so often am praying simply for my will to be done

AND then I often have the audacity to believe that God isn’t there if He doesn’t do my will

HOW CRAZY!

Instead I need to learn from Jesus here — He shares His struggles and then says “not what I want but what you want”

Another way to phrase that “Lord do what you want in my current situation”

How convicting

Students what would happen if we start praying prayers like this?

If we started praying asking the Father to do His will not ours

We bring our problems and stresses to Him and then finish by saying “but God do what you will”

How game changing of a testimony would our lives be if we submitted to the will of God

4. Stay Awake and Stay Persistent

Mark 14:37–42 ESV

37 And he came and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not watch one hour? 38 Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 39 And 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 taking your rest? It is enough; the hour has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 42 Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.”

Man here is the last thing that Jesus is teaching us:

Stay Awake and Stay Persistent

Jesus shows us that the last thing we need is to make sure that we stay awake and that we stay persistent!

Jesus multiple times goes to the disciples that are supposed to be up praying and finds them asleep

He tells them point blank to Stay awake! And more specifically pray that they do not fall into temptation!

We then see Jesus leave them multiple times and persistently pray the same prayer

Man I don’t know about you but I think about myself again and realize how often I miss out on the blessings of God because I don’t stay awake or I am not persistent

Like man how many times have I fell into temptation because I fell asleep at the wheel — I let the things of the world get in the way I stopped praying to the Lord

Or how often I don’t immediately get an answer from the Lord and so I just stop praying

Like man there is times where I am stressed out, anxious, unsure of what to do, I feel lost and I go to the Lord

But then guess what, tomorrow it’s not resolved and instead of going back to Him I stop

MAN

Jesus looks at us and is showing us we need to stay awake and stay persistent

We cannot neglect going to God with our problems, and we must stay persistent in our prayers

No matter what

Conclusion

Jesus gives us a picture of what to do when we are facing immense stress and anxiety in our lives

He does this because of what He himself is about to face

Jesus is praying late Thursday night, on Friday he is going to be hanging on the cross

Suffering and dying for the sins of the world — for our sins

Mark 15:21–39 ESV

21 And they compelled a passerby, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross. 22 And they brought him to the place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull). 23 And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. 24 And they crucified him and divided his garments among them, casting lots for them, to decide what each should take. 25 And it was the third hour when they crucified him. 26 And the inscription of the charge against him read, “The King of the Jews.” 27 And with him they crucified two robbers, one on his right and one on his left. 29 And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and saying, “Aha! You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, 30 save yourself, and come down from the cross!” 31 So also the chief priests with the scribes mocked him to one another, saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. 32 Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross that we may see and believe.” Those who were crucified with him also reviled him. 33 And when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. 34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 35 And some of the bystanders hearing it said, “Behold, he is calling Elijah.” 36 And someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.” 37 And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. 38 And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. 39 And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”

Jesus knowing His fate is sealed — the cross is coming — goes willing

He goes to save us from our sins

He goes to restore us to Him

He goes so that we can be with Him

Students the message is two fold tonight

If you don’t believe in Jesus as savior, now is the time to go to Him, don’t wait! He took on the stress and anxiety in the Garden for you — He took on the cross for you!

If you trust in the Lord as savior than use what He did in the Garden as a map for you as you strive to follow after Him

Discussion Questions

Think about a time when you felt alone in your pain. What can you learn from Jesus' example of seeking support?

What practical steps can we take to submit more fully to God's will in our lives?

How can being persistent in prayer affect your day-to-day life?

In what ways can you invite God into your moments of anxiety or stress?