Easter 2025

Jesus at Gethsemane

MATTHEW 26....MARK 14.

Luke 22:39–46 “39 And he came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him. 40 And when he came to the place, he said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” 41 And he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed (Matthew: fell on his face; Mark fell on the ground), 42 saying, “Father, if you are willing (Matthew and Mark: If it be possible), remove this cup from me (Matthew: let this cup pass from me; Mark: the hour might pass from him). Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done (Mark: All things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”) (Matthew and Mark: And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour? 41 Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”) 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. (Matthew: “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.”) (Jesus gets up and exhorts his sleeping disciples again and then retreats to prayer).45 And when he rose from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping for sorrow, 46 and he said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation.””

Intro

Jesus and the disciples enter into new territory with this night that picks up at Gethsemane

Up to this point the disciples have been on the mountain top as they have witnessed amazing things at the lips and hands of Jesus as he taught with authority, refuted the powerful religious leaders with perfection, and healing became common occurrence since Jesus began his ministry three years prior.

Sure there were times when the heat came close and Jesus seemed like he was about to be destroyed by his powerful enemies, but he always slipped away unscathed.

But as of late there seems to be evidence that they were heading into a valley; there had been weird things Jesus had recently been saying; something about his death at the hands of the rulers .

But that was quickly thrust aside in their head.

But tonight is different—Jesus would give himself up to the the religious leaders after the betrayal of his friend.

And as Jesus and the disciples come to Gethsemane it is very clear that things are now coming to a head.

The gospel writers themselves spend most of their writings in these last few hours of Jesus’ life

It’s almost as if all the events of Jesus and his disciples lives was all pointing to these last few hours and days that would be a time of severe testing.

They had spent nearly three years on the mountain top of teaching, refuting, healing and seeing the master at work

Now they will descend to the valley of seeing Jesus murdered.

And what we will see this morning is how not to handle being in the valley from the disciples

And we will see how we should handle the valley from Jesus. And more than this, how he does handle it we will see also gives his disciples and us the strength to handle the valley in a way that honors Christ and is filled with life.

MATTHEW 26....MARK 14.

Luke 22:39–46

“39 And he came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him. 40 And when he came to the place, he said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.”

Pray: These times God uses for communion

2.Peter and the disciples had just told Jesus that they would follow Jesus to prison or even death

Luke 22:33 “33 Peter said to him, “Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death.””

3.Notice how even in Jesus’ greatest distress he is still thinking about his sheep....what does that mean now that he is glorified at the right hand of the Father

4. You and I enter into temptation and deny Jesus anytime we fail to obey him in difficult cirucmstances.

41 And he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed (Matthew 26:39: fell on his face; Mark 14:35 fell on the ground),

Now, you might think after telling his disciples what should make up the substance of their prayer (not to to enter into temptation with the coming hardship) that his would be the same but the substance of Jesus’ prayer is different:

42 saying, “Father, if you are willing (Matthew 26:39 and Mark 14:35: If it be possible), remove this cup from me (Matthew: let this cup pass from me; Mark: the hour might pass from him). Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done (Mark 14:36: All things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”)

1.Substance of Jesus’ prayer: The cup (of God’s wrath)

Psalm 75:8 “8 For in the hand of the Lord there is a cup with foaming wine, well mixed, and he pours out from it, and all the wicked of the earth shall drain it down to the dregs.”

2.Desire of Jesus in his prayer: The cup would be removed...God would take it away.

Jesus did not want to go through the physical torture of all the events leading to and during the cross—especially because it was coming from the hand of an angry God.

Isaiah 53:10 “10 Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.”

3.But there is a greater desire in his prayer: Your will be done.

One more thing to take notice of: Possible=willing

(Matthew 26:40-41 and Mark 14:37-38: And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour? 41 Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”)

Two problems with their sleeping:

1.Jesus is wanting someone to watch and pray with him...and they are abandoning him already.

2.Jesus cares for them and wants them to withstand the coming temptation to sin and deny him.

Remember how all of them just a bit before said they would never betray him but would stay with him till the end...Peter being most vocal in which Jesus says he would deny him before the rooster crows.

And now he is telling them, if you are going to be able to do that you must pray to God...for the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak

The spirit wants to not sin and not to deny me...but the flesh is always there

Romans 7:14–25 “14 For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. 15 For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. 16 Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. 17 So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. 18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. 21 So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. 22 For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, 23 but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.

Romans 7:24–25 “24 Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.”

Galatians 5:17 “17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.”

1.Jesus is wanting someone to watch and pray with him...and they are abandoning him already.

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.

2 Timothy 4:16–17 “16 At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me. May it not be charged against them! 17 But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth.”

But notice the strength did not amount to feeling better...instead his agony intensified even to the pint that he sweats blood.

The strength God provides when we rely upon him in the valley is a hidden strength

You would not think he was being strengthen as he prayed alone sweating blood...but the events that followed revealed he was....

((45 And when he rose from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping for sorrow, 46 and he said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation.”” ))

After he spends time in this prayer the resolve to move forward:

Matthew 26:45–46 “45 Then he came to the disciples and said to them, “Sleep and take your rest later on. See, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.””

Tells Judas to get on with it:

Matthew 26:48–50 “48 Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I will kiss is the man; seize him.” 49 And he came up to Jesus at once and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” And he kissed him. 50 Jesus said to him, “Friend, do what you came to do.” Then they came up and laid hands on Jesus and seized him.”

When his disciples responded at first contrary to God’s will to rescue Jesus he puts an immediate stop to it:

Matthew 26:51–54 “51 And behold, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear. 52 Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword. 53 Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? 54 But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?””

And Luke writes that he even heals the ear of his his enemy.

And in keeping with their slumber instead of watching and praying, the disciples give into temptation during this tumultuous time:

Matthew 26:56 Then all the disciples left him and fled.”

Peter didn’t run away totally though. Which might make you think perhaps he did something more noble, but instead he stuck around close enough to deny Jesus right in front of him:

Luke 22:59–62 “59 And after an interval of about an hour still another insisted, saying, “Certainly this man also was with him, for he too is a Galilean.” 60 But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are talking about.” And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. 61 And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the saying of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.” 62 And he went out and wept bitterly.”

Many things must have exploded in his mind when he saw Jesus, but I have to believe Jesus’ words of you will betray me, and, can’t you keep watch and pray you won’t enter into temptation for one hour! was ringing in his ears.

And so it is with us when we deny Jesus at the point of temptation and sin against the Lord.

It’s a time given by God to cause us to rely upon him and grow.

Instead we deny Christ by sinning against him.

And this is the lowest time for both Jesus and his disciples...Jesus goes through a kangaroo court and dies on a cross at the hands of the wicked religious leaders...and his followers failed to follow him.

Three years of being on the mountain with Jesus witnessing his power concludes in the valley of returning to their former life...

And it is at this point I want to fast forward to an unexpected conclusion:

A few short weeks later, Peter and John would be within the presence of the hatred of the Jewish leaders again...but this time they would not run away nor deny Jesus:

Acts 4:13 “13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished.

And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.”

no longer identified as those who had abandoned and left Jesus, or slept when he desired someone to watch and pray with him....with Jesus

What changed?!?!

And such boldness in Jesus is explained by Peter in what he boldly just declared to the religious leaders:

Acts 4:11–12 “11 This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. 12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.””

What Jesus did when he was rejected and killed by the builders was drink the cup of wrath that was set before you and I, and all who believe upon him.

And this reveals another major motivation for Jesus when he prayed at Gethsemane:

(Matthew 26:42: “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.”)

Jesus desired to not undergo the wrath of God, but he desired all the more to ensure that his disciples would not receive the wrath of God.

So when Jesus said: it is finished on the cross before he gave up his Spirit...he is saying I have drank their cup.

But it doesn’t stop there...he doesn’t just take that away from us but he gives us something in its stead when he rose from the dead and conquered sin and death:

Matthew 26:27–28 “27 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, 28 for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”

Psalm 116:13 “13 I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord,”

So the boldness of the disciples came from their cup of wrath being taken away by Jesus, and given a cup of salvation in its stead.

The story of salvation is the story of Jesus being faithful unto death...to drink your wrath so you can drink his righteousness.

And after this time Peter was bold always, and never denied Jesus with his actions...nope

Galatians 2:11–14 “11 But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. 12 For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party. 13 And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. 14 But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, “If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?””

Yet he is given grace

2 Peter 3:14–16 “14 Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace. 15 And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, 16 as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures.”