Agony in Gethsemane

Mark 14:32–42 NIV84

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? Could you not keep watch for one hour? 38 Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body 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 betrayed into the hands of sinners. 42 Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!”

We’re heading towards a climactic event in this Gospel of Mark.

There is a crescendo as Christ approaches the point at which He will hang for our sake on the cross.

The tension is building in this passage.

But this text that we will consider this morning almost appears to be climactic moment in and of itself.

It reminds me of cycling the Argus Cycle Tour (Cape Town Cycle Tour) and riding up Chapman’s Peak, you reach Little Chappies.

As you approach it, it looks like the top of Chapman’s Peak, but as you get there and round the bend, there ahead of you, some way off, you see the actual peak.

In our case, the actual peak will be the crucifixion of Jesus, which is still some way ahead.

But this event that we look at this morning is certainly significance, and filled with tension.

You will recall that Christ has just eaten the last Passover meal with His disciples Jerusalem.

He then leaves Jerusalem, and begins to head across the Kidron Valley towards the Mount of Olives.

On the way he spoke to His disciples and told them that they would all desert Him, which they of course denied, particularly Peter.

But we pick up in verse 32, as they’ve just had that conversation.

Mark 14:32 They went to a place called Gethsemane…

We read in verse 32 that they move to a particular place which was known as Gethsemane.

Gethsemane literally means “press of oils”, referring to a press for crushing oil out of olives. According to John 18:2...

Now Judas, who betrayed him, knew the place, because Jesus had often met there with his disciples.

This was a place that the disciples and Jesus frequented. Very possibly it was a place they went in order to get away and have some peace and solitude.

But Judas the betrayer was himself very familiar with this place, and anticipated that this is where Jesus would be, so that he could betray Christ into the hands of the group of people that would soon approach him.

…and Jesus said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.”

As Jesus arrives there, he is with 11 of his disciples.

Already Judas has gone out to the chief priests in order to betray Jesus into their hands.

But the remaining 11 disciples are with Jesus here.

As He arrives with His disciples at this garden called Gethsemane, he says to 8 of his disciples that they should sit there and wait for Him while He goes away in order be in prayer to the Father.

This is another one of those moments of private prayer, where Jesus goes away in order to present His requests before the Father.

Only twice before has Mark recorded Jesus praying alone (1:35; 6:46; on prayer, see further on those passages and at 9:29). The prayers of Jesus in Mark are all set in times of decision and crises, this being the most traumatic. [1]

One further point that we must consider has we see the events that unfold here is that this event is taking place after the Lord’s Supper / Passover meal, which was eaten in the evening.

This was probably going into the late evening hours, with the sun either having already set, or about to set, by the time that they actually head out to the Garden of Gethsemane.

Mark 14:33 He took Peter, James and John along with him…

As Jesus leaves the 8 disciples at this initial point near the garden, he takes along with him the three disciples that we’ve come to know as those in the so-called “inner circle” – those who were close Jesus.

In one sense we may wonder why it was that Christ took these three a little further, since even they would not be present with Him when He prayed to the Father later on.

But whatever the reasoning is, we’re going to learn some important lessons that Christ teaches these three disciples which are helpful for us.

It’s interesting to note however that it was these three disciples, Peter, James and John, that had sworn great allegiance to Jesus, and had sworn that they would be able to endure any measure of suffering that may come their way in their service of this Saviour.

You will recall that James and John were those who had asked for the positions of authority – one at the right, and one at the left hand of Christ – in His kingdom.

In response to this, we read the words in Mark 10:38-39…

““You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said. “Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?” “We can,” they answered. Jesus said to them, “You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with,” (Mark 10:38–39, NIV84)

James and John certainly believed themselves to be ardent followers of Jesus, and most worthy even of the greatest positions in Christ’s kingdom.

Peter also was the one who had just expressed to Jesus in the strongest of terms that he would in no ways forsake Jesus, and that even if all the other disciples turned away, he would never turn away.

And so if Jesus were to have any disciples with him for encouragement support in this time that he was about to face, it was these three who had vowed their allegiance!

…and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled.

As this point, we find that Jesus began to be deeply distressed and troubled.

What is so striking to us here is the extent of the turmoil that Christ has within Him as He considers the moment that is approaching.

If there is one thing that we can learn from this turmoil that He faces it is that He is human.

He experienced the full range of emotions and feelings that any one of us would experience in our lives.

Certainly, there are many records of the emotional responses of Christ under various circumstances.

In John 15:10-11, we find a record of experiencing that emotion of joy as he taught His disciples:

“I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” (John 15:11, NIV84)

We know very well through our study thus far in the Gospel according to Mark that Jesus experienced anger at the religious leaders due to their hypocrisy. In Matthew 23:33 he said to them:

““You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell?” (Matthew 23:33, NIV84)

You will recall that he drove out those who were buying and selling in the temple courts.

The reason that He primarily did that was because His disgust at the fact that those who were buying and selling were nothing but greedy and oppressive in their conduct.

Christ experienced frustration at the fact that His disciples were so slow to learn and to understand His ways and His work. For example, in Matthew 17:17…

““O unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.”” (Matthew 17:17, NIV84)

In the Gospels, we find record of Jesus having been deeply moved when he arrived at the tomb of Lazarus and saw the weeping and sadness of the people. John 11:35 says…

“Jesus wept.” (John 11:35, NIV84)

Certainly, in His complete and full humanity, Jesus responded with the full range of human emotions as were fitting to the circumstances.

Certainly those responses were in no way sinful.

They were appropriate under the circumstances, and completely without sin.

But in the context of our current verses, we find an emotional response from Christ that is not equalled anywhere else through His entire recorded life.

As Christ considers the approaching events that are about to unfold, we read that He was deeply distressed.

Another translation for these words here is that he was filled with horror and anguish!

Now consider, friends, that Christ had spent His entire life preparing for this moment where He would be betrayed and taken to the cross.

With that perfect knowledge, it didn’t lead Him to have no emotional response to what was unfolding.

Here, we find the fullness of the humanity of Jesus as He is horrified as He considers these events approaching.

He will be betrayed by one of His own disciples into the hands of sinners.

He will be abandoned by His disciples as they run away in fear for their own lives – the sheep being scattered as the sword of God comes against the Shepherd.

And then He will go to the cross, to bear the curse, the shame, of the sins of man, as the powerful wrath of God is poured out on Him.

And He is moved deeply within Himself as all of this plays through His mind.

Let us understand that as much as we recognise the sovereignty of God in every circumstance in life, and the perfect will of God unfolding in every detail of life, even in the most painful of situations, we are not called to be stoics.

Emotion and turmoil of the soul may arise.

We may find ourselves in times of deep anguish of soul.

Depression may overcome us.

The pain within may seem to overwhelm us.

Do not be disheartened in such times.

If there is one thing that should at least bring some measure of comfort in times like that, it is that Christ Himself knows and understands the pain.

Mark 14:34 “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” he said to them…

At this point, Christ begins to explain to His 3 disciples – Peter, James and John – something of the pain that He is experiencing at that moment. He expresses this inner turmoil that he is facing.

“My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow.”

He conveys this in a sense that it appears that He scarcely able to carry this load that is weighed down on Him.

He is overwhelmed with this sorrow, He says, “to the point of death.”

It is almost as if he was about to succumb to death through the sorrow alone that He was experiencing.

No doubt the ultimate fulfilment of Psalm 42:5-6 and Psalm 116:3 were realised in this moment.

“Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. My soul is downcast within me…” (Psalm 42:5–6, NIV84)

“The cords of death entangled me, the anguish of the grave came upon me; I was overcome by trouble and sorrow.” (Psalm 116:3, NIV84)

In some senses, we may ask why this was.

Why is it that this man Jesus, that we so highly esteem as the Messiah, the great Warrior and deliverer, would experience such anguish and pain?

I think the reason that we may ask such questions is that we overemphasize the aspect of Christ’s divinity, and under-emphasize His humanity.

Consider just some of the things that Christ would have been aware of at this point.

Firstly, we must recognize that Christ realized the betrayal that was about to unfold.

I’ve already mentioned this – Judas, one close to Him, was going to betray Him.

And the rest of His disciples would desert Him.

But further than that, consider that Christ knows that the sin of wicked men was going to be placed on Him, and the full wrath of God that was deserving to come upon you and I, would be poured out on Him in all His glorious perfection!

He would become as One defiled and filthy.

“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21, NIV84)

Everything that was opposed to the Father – all evils; everything that God hates and detests, because of His holiness; all of this was going to be placed onto this man Jesus.

In Proverbs 8:13, we read:

“To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech.” (Proverbs 8:13, NIV84)

God the Father had a holy hatred for sin, and rightly so. The Son Himself is said to have hated sin in Hebrews 1:8-9…

“But about the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever, and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.”” (Hebrews 1:8–9, NIV84)

The Son’s Kingdom that was spoken would be defined and characterized by righteousness, because He himself was One who hated wickedness and evil and sinfulness.

This really must hit home to us – the hatred that God the Father, and Jesus the Son had for unrighteousness, wickedness, sin.

Because then we can begin to get some kind of sense of the turmoil that Christ is enduring here.

He will become sin for us.

And the Father would treat Him as a sinner.

It’s no wonder that He was deeply moved, and troubled, horrified.

And all of this because He deeply loved you and I, and His chosen ones throughout all history!

His decision was that for the sake of His chosen people He would endure this suffering and torment of the soul.

…“Stay here and keep watch.”

Christ goes on to say to His 3 disciples that they should wait there while he goes just a little bit further on in order to pray.

But as He does that, He instructs them not only to wait there, but to keep watch. They are to remain alert (that is the proper sense of the word).

Mark 14:35 Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him.

With that instruction to His 3 disciples, He now leaves them behind, and goes a little farther on in the Garden of Gethsemane to a place where He is alone, and He falls to the ground.

Jews most often prayed standing and with uplifted hands. Prostration was the gesture of extreme urgency.[2]

As Christ’s life is approaching its end, He bares His soul before His Father, and communes with Him.

Consider this intimate relationship that was still in place between the Father and His Son, and how that would soon be interrupted as God the Father would turn away from His Son.

He would, in the words of Christ Himself on the cross, forsake His Son for a time.

But at this moment, there is still the communication and fellowship between Father and Son.

And the one thing that the Son asks of His Father: “if possible, let this hour pass from me.”

The “hour” that He speaks of is the time of judgement that He is about to endure on the cross.

Jesus was asking that if there be any other possible way for the salvation of sinners to be achieved, Father please may you use this other way.

One commentator correctly notes here:

Contemporary Christians should not be disturbed that he prayed for deliverance from these things…The prayer is simply an expression of the real humanity of Jesus, which is as necessary a part of his nature as his deity.[3]

Another commentator here notes:

Nothing in all the Bible compares to Jesus’ agony and anguish in Gethsemane—neither the laments of the Psalms, nor the broken heart of Abraham as he prepared to sacrifice his son Isaac (Gen 22:5), nor David’s grief at the death of his son Absalom (2 Sam 18:33). Luke 22:44 even speaks of Jesus’ “sweat falling to the ground like drops of blood”[4]

Mark 14:36 “Abba, Father,” he said,…

Verse 36 records for us the prayer that Jesus prayed.

He begins with the word “Abba” which is the Aramaic word for Father.

When Mark here records the two words “Abba, Father” he is doing so in order to translate for his readers the meaning of the word “Abba”, rather than indicating that Christ used both words.

So, Christ simply called out to His Father in heaven with the Aramaic word for Father, which was an affectionate term, indicating the closeness of the relationship.

It was primarily used by little children within the family circle.

The Jewish rabbis, or any other Jew of that day would never have used this term for God, because it was far too affectionate; it showed far too much familiarity, and thus would be seen as irreverent if used of God.

And so they didn’t use it when referring to God.

But Christ is the eternal Son, and thus the word is appropriate for Him.

It is on the basis of our unity with Christ, and our being in Christ, that we are able to call out to God in heaven in this same way.

In Galatians 4:6 we read…

“Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.”” (Galatians 4:6, NIV84)

And Paul said to the Romans in Romans 8:15…

“For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.”” (Romans 8:15, NIV84)

What a profound truth. It is because of the Spirit of Christ within us, the Spirit of the Eternal Son of God, that we are able to communicate to almighty God as our Father.

…“everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”

As Christ begins this prayer to His Father, He starts by stating the glorious fact: “Everything is possible for you…”

The meaning here is that God can do anything that He wants to do.

Nothing is outside of the possibilities of what God can do, should He so will.

Now when we speak about divine possibilities, and what God could have done, we need to recognise that God was fully self-sufficient in all His perfections in eternity past before creating the world.

He had no need of man.

We were not created because God was lonely and needed some people to come and worship Him.

The universe was not created out of necessity, but for God’s glory.

To then consider that God would not allow all man-kind to go to destruction as we deserve, but would for His own glory, send His Only Son to die for us.

What a demonstration of the extent of God’s kindness and mercy towards man.

Of course, it was possible for God to not have His Son crucified.

But if this would have happened, then mankind could not have been redeemed and made right with God.

Christ asks of His Father here: “Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”

Here is the man Jesus, in all His humanity, desiring that God take this cup away from Him that He would not need to endure the suffering.

One commentator writes:

Gethsemane…presents us with a uniquely human interplay between the heart of the Son and the will of the Father. Jesus’ prayer is not the result of calm absorption into an all-encompassing divine presence, but an intense struggle with the frightful reality of God’s will and what it means fully to submit to it.[5]

Christ suffered.

There was nothing easy about what He was enduring at this time, and about what was about to take place with Jesus.

What is so important for us to notice at this point is that despite the inner turmoil and pain that Christ suffered at this time, His overriding desire was that the will of the Father be done.

Mark 14:37 Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping.

Having prayed and poured out His troubles and heart before His Father, Jesus then returns to the 3 disciples that He left behind, and He finds them there sleeping.

They had just been instructed by Jesus to “keep watch” or to “stay alert”.

But they were unable to do so for the hour that Jesus went away and prayed.

“Simon,” he said to Peter, “are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour?

As He now addresses His disciples, notice that He addresses Peter in particular.

He doesn’t call out the name of the other two (James and John) but rather focuses His attention on this disciple Peter.

Peter was the one, after all, who had claimed that He would even go to death for Christ.

But already his strength was failing.

His own humanity was getting the better of Him.

Notice that as Christ addresses Peter, He doesn’t do so with the new name that He given to him (i.e. Peter).

Instead, He addresses Peter with His original name “Simon.”

“Peter” meant “Rock”, and yet in this account, Peter is certainly not living up to that name of being a rock.

Already he has fallen asleep in an hour of extreme importance.

Now we need to recall that the disciples had just endured a long and busy day.

They had prepared for the Passover meal.

They had then eaten that meal together, and during the eating of the meal they had received the shocking news that one of them would betray Christ.

They had received the further shocking news that all of them would fall away.

It was now late into the night (some have even suggested that it was after midnight when Jesus is here praying in the Garden) and so in one sense we must ask if it was so unreasonable that these disciples fell asleep!

But Christ expected at this time something more from His disciples, given what He knew was about to take place.

Mark 14:38 Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.

Christ goes on in his words to Peter saying that these disciples (and in particular to Peter) that they should watch and pray – the same message that he had given to them earlier.

But the reason that He now provides for them that they should watch and pray is that they will not fall into temptation.

Now I want to pause for just a moment here and consider that I’m convinced that here is a stark contrast being drawn between the disciples and Jesus.

As Jesus is in the garden praying and earnestly pleading before God, do you not get the sense that there is some form of temptation even for Christ?

When Christ began His ministry, He was driven out into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan.

And Christ went through and endured that temptation in the Wilderness.

The way in which Christ endured that, and never succumbed to allowing that temptation to become sin by engaging in the temptations, was to counter with the Word of God.

But at the end of that encounter, we read these words in Luke’s account (Luke 4:13)…

“When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.” (Luke 4:13, NIV84)

Now we read elsewhere in Scripture that Jesus was a man who was tempted just like us, and yet was without sin.

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin.” (Hebrews 4:15, NIV84)

We need to keep in mind that the temptation itself is not the sin, but rather the following that temptation contrary to God’s will is sin.

Was not this moment in the Garden of Gethsemane a moment that Satan was tempting Jesus to forsake the way that was set before Him?

When we read of the account of Jesus in the Wilderness, being tempted there by Satan, we read these words in Mark’s account:

“and he was in the desert forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him.” (Mark 1:13, NIV84)

If we look further at Luke’s account of Christ’s encounter in Gethsemane, we read these words in Luke 22:41-43…

“He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him.” (Luke 22:41–43, NIV84)

In both instances, we have angels of heaven attending to Jesus and encouraging and strengthening Him.

We’ve already considered the turmoil of Christ within His body, and the extent of that, and Him asking the Father that if it be possible this cup be taken from Him. Luke records the extent of this struggle that Christ faced, as he records in Luke 22:44…

“And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.” (Luke 22:44, NIV84)

While the text doesn’t specifically state that Christ was here being tempted, the entire way that this is recorded, with other parallels in Scripture, and considering the words of Christ Himself, it would appear that there was temptation in this garden.

As Christ speaks to His disciples here, he warns them of the need to watch and pray so that they may be kept from temptation.

Again, not explicit in the text, but I would suggest that the temptation that they would face would be the temptation to fall away from Christ as the gang of men came to arrest Him.

The threat was immanent, but they were unaware of how things would unfold.

…The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”

Christ goes on to say that the spirit is willing, but the body is weak.

In other words, there is a part of you that desires to remain free of temptation, and yet the body, in its fallen nature, is weak, and so often fails to withstand under the pressures of temptation.

Mark 14:39 Once more he went away and prayed the same thing.

Having warned the disciples again that they should remain alert and vigilant, we read in verse 39 that once more, Christ went away and prayed the same thing.

Again, asking that the Father would take this cup from Him, if it be possible.

Mark 14:40 When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy.

But again, in verse 40, we find that Christ returns to the disciples and finds them sleeping once more, “because their eyes were heavy.”

Understandable given the day, and the fact that it was late.

But given that Christ had urged them to stay alert and awake and watchful, praying, they feel ashamed that he once again finds them asleep. And…

…They did not know what to say to him.

We must ask ourselves at this point how well we do in the disciplines of grace.

Are we those who are watching and praying.

Are we alert and are we praying that we ourselves would not fall into temptation?

If Christ were to return at this moment, would we perhaps be those who would not know what to say to Him, because we know the amount of times that we’ve fallen, but not only that, we know that we’ve been somewhat lacking when it comes to that discipline of prayer, and praying that God would strengthen us so that we do not fall into temptation?!

Mark 14:41 Returning the third time, he said to them,

In verse 41 we read that Christ went a third time to go and pray.

But He returns to them even a third time, and again finds them sleeping.

“Are you still sleeping and resting?

Again he asks them “Are you still sleeping and resting?

If they “did not know what to say to him” the previous time, one can only wonder at their sense of shame at this time.

But as Christ goes on in His words to His disciples, He says…

…Enough! The hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.

Mark 14:42 Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!”

Perhaps as Jesus was praying, He had already seen across the valley towards Jerusalem a band of people heading with torches across the Kidron valley towards where they were.

He knew what was unfolding, and having prayed now to the Father, He knows that the Father’s predetermined plan from all eternity that Christ must go to the cross and suffer there must unfold.

Nothing will change this plan.

And so he says to His disciples that they should rise, and go.

Not go away!!

But rather “go towards” the betrayer.

Jesus, having spent these hours praying to the Father, and having been strengthened even by an angel from heaven, is now resolute in the fact that He will go forward and be obedient to the will of the Father, and He will go through with taking upon Himself the curse of sin.

Three times the disciples have been urged by Jesus to watch and pray.

Three times they have failed.

Was this not a foreshadowing of the three-times denial of Peter concerning His Lord?

While the disciples failed three times to watch and pray, all the while, our Saviour was prostrating Himself in prayer before the Father.

In the Garden of Eden, the man Adam was tempted to go against the will of God the Father.

As he was tempted, he failed to resist, and failed to obey.

In the Garden of Gethsemane, the man Jesus, the second Adam, was tempted to consider a path contrary to the will of His Father, but He was sustained, and He came through that with a new resolution to live in complete obedience to the will of the Father, despite the suffering and shame that it would bring.

“And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross!” (Philippians 2:8, NIV84)

Application and Conclusion

A.1. Sin is Serious

Let us learn the seriousness of sin before God, as seen through Christ’s struggle here.

Christ came into the world because sin and separated man from God.

Christ came into the world in order to deal fully and finally with a sin problem (not a social problem).

Social problems are merely secondary consequences of a sin problem.

Much of the struggle of Christ that He experienced in the Garden of Gethsemane was knowing that He would become sin for us.

He would endure the wrath of God for us.

How seriously do we take sin in our lives?

Do we minimize our sin?

Do we make light of sin, and continue willingly in sin, knowing that what we are doing is dishonouring to God?

Let us learn from Christ’s agony that this is no small issue.

May God lead us to despise sin, and to feel the weight and the seriousness of it.

A.2. Submission is Critical

Let us learn to submit ourselves fully to the will of the Father.

Christ did not see this as an option – if I like what God’s will is for me, then I’ll submit; if I don’t like it, well then I’ll simply ignore it.

If Christ did that, then you and I would be destined to eternal destruction.

For your sake, Christ submitted to the Father’s will.

Would you be apathetic, and nonchalant about serving God, and submitting yourself to His will, knowing the extents that He’s gone for your sake?

Let us be those who are always asking ourselves what the will of God is in every circumstance, and the submitting ourselves to that will.

God must become first - our first desire, our first priority, our first delight.

A.3. Watching and Praying is Essential

Jesus’ disciples were told to watch and pray.

They were told to do this even though it was late in the night.

They were told to do this because without it they would fall into temptation.

And fall into temptation they did.

Do we think that we can stand up in the hour of temptation without careful watching and praying?

Friends it simply is not possible - the flesh is weak.

We live in a day where there is dramatic degradation within the church.

There is a significant turning away from Christ.

It is a day that we ought to be awake, and watchful, and prayerful!

Let me use this as an opportunity to encourage you: be praying for your own spiritual condition.

Be praying for the spiritual condition of your brothers and sisters around you today.

We will not stand without watchfulness and prayer.

A.4. Resting in Christ is our only Hope

Finally we need to be encouraged to rest in Christ.

This is the tension of the Christian life.

We are always to be diligent in the working out of our salvation.

We are always to pursue diligently our human responsibility.

But let us rejoice and celebrate the fact that Christ has withstood the temptations.

Christ endured the suffering.

Christ went to the cross, and He bore our sins on the cross, so that we might be seen as righteous in God’s eyes.

Are you resting in Jesus Christ?

Bibliography

[1] Edwards, J. R. (2002). The Gospel according to Mark (p. 432). Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: Eerdmans; Apollos.

[2] Brooks, J. A. (1991). Mark (Vol. 23, p. 234). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.

[3] Brooks, J. A. (1991). Mark (Vol. 23, p. 234). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.

[4] Edwards, J. R. (2002). The Gospel according to Mark (p. 432). Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: Eerdmans; Apollos.

[5] Edwards, J. R. (2002). The Gospel according to Mark (p. 434). Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: Eerdmans; Apollos.