Easter 4/20/25

Your Will be Done

What does Easter mean?

What does the cross mean?

What does the resurrection mean?

What is God’s Will for your life?

“When I doubt it, Lord remind me. I’m wonderfully made. You’re an artist and a potter I’m the canvas and the clay.”

Do you know who you are?

Do we know whose we are?

Easter is a reminder to us who we are to God.

2 Corinthians 5:21 “21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

Galatians 3:13 “13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.””

ILLUSTRATION:

In the Lion king, there’s a great scene where Simba runs away from his life.

He ends up living with Timone and Pumba for a while eating bugs and living Hakuna Matata.

However, one night, Mufasah - his dead dad - shows up in a vision.

This is Mufasah’s speach:

“You have forgotten who you are, and so you have forgotten me. Look inside yourself, Simba. You are more than what you have become. You must take your place in the Circle of Life. Remember who you are. You are my son and the one true king. Remember who you are.”

What are some positive takeaways from this speach?

What are some negative points here in this speach?

Here’s a big takeaway for us today:

We are a son of the True King. We do forget who we are when we forget Him. But the answer is not looking inside ourselves.

The message of Easter is looking to the King - remember whose we are - that He is the artist and the potter, we are the canvas and the clay.

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Open your Bibles this morning to Mark 14.

I want us to see here the importance of remembering whose we are.

Pay attention to what Jesus says in this passage.

Mark 14:32–42 NIV

32 They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” 33 He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. 34 “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” he said to them. “Stay here and keep watch.” 35 Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. 36 “Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” 37 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? 38 Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 39 Once more he went away and prayed the same thing. 40 When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. They did not know what to say to him. 41 Returning the third time, he said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners. 42 Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!”

ILLUSTRATION:

I’m not sure if you’ve ever struggled to stay awake in a situation where you knew you needed to stay awake, but let me tell you, this is a stressful time.

I think I used to read this and think, C’mon man, y’all can’t stay awake for Jesus?

But then I remember rocking my kids to sleep in my arms knowing if I dropped them, they could die, and let me tell you…

I fell asleep holding a tiny human in my arms.

It’s jarring to wake up, see them and realize how close to danger you were living for a minute there!

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What I see in this passage is anxiety. Fear. Worry. Stress. Depression.

It all culminates here.

We see it in Jesus.

This is perhaps the only time in the gospels we see Jesus truly stressed out seeming to struggle.

What was the struggle?

Vs. 35 According to McGee, Jesus prayed that the hour might pass from Him.

Not the Cross…

But the HOUR of the cross - that moment when sin was to be put upon Him.

2 Corinthians 5:21 “21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

Why aren’t the disciples struggling? How can they be sleeping here!?

Vs. 37 - Peter is one of the ones sleeping that Jesus addresses.

Peter is not even worried that Jesus said he would deny him?

That doesn’t keep Peter up at night?

APPLICATION MOMENT:

Jesus is always aware of the dangers we are not.

Friends… Jesus knows far more than we do.

He is wiser than we are.

He knows the full scope of what’s happening in the cosmos, we do not.

When Jesus is about to head to the cross, he expects those whom He has told that His death is coming, to be awake, praying on His behalf.

Yet they are sleeping? Why? Because they do not fully comprehend the moment.

They in fact, can’t fully comprehend the moment.

But Jesus knows.

He not only knows, but He bears the weight of it all.

Mark 14:36 “36 “Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.””

In everything Jesus prays, This is the core moment.

It’s not what I want, God… It’s what you want.

It’s your will that matters, not mine.

We cannot know the full weight of God’s burdens.

He is God! He can handle the burdens you and I cannot.

God is capable of holding, not only your burdens, but ALL the burdens of ALL people at ALL times.

Jesus can carry the burden for you.

Have you given Jesus your sins, your anxieties, your fears, your insecurities.

The full weight of your stress, God will take that from you and He nailed it on the cross in your place.

He paid the price you could never pay to give you the gift you never deserved.

So what am I doing with that gift?

What is God’s Will for your life?

1 Thessalonians 5:18 “18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

1 Thessalonians 4:3 “3 It is God’s will that you should be sanctified…

John 6:40 “40 For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.””

The message of Easter is looking to the King - remember whose we are - that He is the artist and the potter, we are the canvas and the clay.

What if that is the message of Easter right there?

God’s will for me is to know Him and to make Him known.

The Sleeping disciples, despite the chaos of what was about to come, are sleeping.

Part of me wants to get mad at them for not being aware of the moment.

but then the other part of me also realizes…

Even in the stress, there is peace with Jesus.

Maybe the reason they could rest, is because they knew Jesus.

Even when He looked stressed, they knew he could carry the burden and they could rest when they were with Him.

Are you troubled today?

Are you restless?

Are you worried about all that life is throwing at you…

Jesus can tame your heart.

Final Illustration:

Jesus came to tame your mess.

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This was something new I read recently.

If you want to ride a horse, what do you do?

Saddle it up, put the reigns on, idk what else.

IF you want to ride a horse that’s never been ridden what must you do? - train it! You’ve got to break the horse of his will and tame it.

What does Scripture say about this donkey?

Now I wondered reading this, “DO donkeys also have to be broken?”

Turns out, yes they do!

Whether it’s a horse or a donkey, you can’t just sit on one that’s never been ridden.

You have to break it.

Breaking a horse essentially just means you tame it.

You align the horse or donkeys will to yours, build trust, and then once trust is established, the horse or donkey will allow you to ride.

That process doesn’t happen here.

The donkey is brought to Jesus, it says it’s never been ridden… And Jesus hops on…

How?

Because Jesus tames the hearts of His creation.

In the chaos, He brings calm.

The cross was the chaos of Easter…

So much confusion, so much stress, so much worry, so much anxiety.

But Sunday morning, at the resurrection, life broke through.

2 Corinthians 5:21 “21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

On this day, we were made righteous because of Jesus, the king of kings.

He took your place.

Are we living in freedom?

Are we giving Jesus our burdens?

Or are we pushing back like an unbroken horse.

Are we bucking Jesus every time he tries to lead us?

1 Thessalonians 4:3 “3 It is God’s will that you should be sanctified…

John 6:40 “40 For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”

God’s will for you is to walk with Him.

Are you walking with Jesus today?

If not, I’d love to talk to you more about that.

But truly, He is the potter. He is the painter.

We are the canvas and the clay.

May we not tell Jesus what to do, but yield to His will and follow His lead.

Following Jesus is always worth it!