Urgency pt 13

Sometimes we just fail. Sometimes we try our hardest and fall short. Sometimes we run away naked. And sometimes, despite our best intentions we fall asleep. And worst of all, sometimes when we know the truth we seek to avoid it at all costs.

This last day of Jesus’ life is full of failures. People who fall asleep. Who flee for their lives leaving their clothes behind. People who make promises they cannot keep and who, in what could be their finest moment, break.

And all these people who fail have one thing in common- they all followed Jesus.

So the question we need to answer this morning is how did they get to this point? They were so close to Jesus- literally- how could it all fall apart in a matter of hours?

The failures in this passage come from two sources- exhaustion and fear. They are a potent combination. Early on the disciples are tired…after Jesus is arrested they are afraid. But in every situation, they are relying on the same thing- themselves. They are not relying on Jesus. They are in His presence but not partaking of His strength.

(Read v32-42)

There is a significant difference here between what Jesus is relying on and what the disciples are relying on. Jesus is praying. Fervently. In other Gospels we are told He was sweating blood and that God answers by sending an angel to strengthen Him. Jesus is also exhausted, but He knows where His strength comes from.

The disciples on the other hand refuse to do what Jesus asked them to do. Jesus even tells them to pray after He finds them asleep the first time. The disciples are exhausted because they are determined to rely on themselves.

This passage is not speaking against rest. There is a time for rest for recharging, But in the middle of the battle, the call to pray is always our first move. Prayer is power. It is communion with God.

Stop with for a minute and consider your prayer life. When do you pray? How often? About what? Is it a one sided conversation? (talk about what I am learning from the Hearing God devotional)

Notice, that Jesus wasn’t just praying…He was seeking answers. And even though He didn’t get the answer He wanted He was emboldened and refreshed by His time with the Father.

And then notice what happens to the disciples…their reactions are different.

(Read v43-52)

They flee. They make a token resistance and bail.

What are they relying on? What they can do. Their own strength. And it fails.

When we are not strengthened by God’s Spirit we are going to be overwhelmed by fear. Because at some point it will become clear, we are not in control. And who we are and if we are enough comes into question.

That is a hard thing for many of us. I know it is for me. I want control. To feel like I have a handle on things. To be able to foresee and even manage the outcome. But there is a problem with that…I am not God.

Fear comes from not knowing your identity- when we have the revelation in that moment that we do not have control and we are not God- Jesus identity affirmed by the Father in prayer- part of praying is being reminded of who our Father is and who WE are

Prayer is an admission that we are not God- we would not pray to Someone who was not more powerful than we are. It is a submission to Someone bigger than we are. An admission that we do not have the power we think we do.

But prayer also reminds us who we ARE- and that is a child of God who can talk to Him anytime and bring anything small or great to Him

So when we do not pray, and we try to manage on our own and realize we are overwhelmed by the moment what happens? The natural reaction to this revelation- of not being in control, of not being able to handle the situation, of forgetting who we are- is fear.

What does fear lead to?

Manipulation- that is what Judas is trying to do…he wants Jesus to be the King

Violence- we lash out with whatever weapons we have and hurt people indiscriminately

Retreat- we run…sometimes naked (Talk about John Mark fleeing naked…the author of this Gospel- come back to this later for hope/grace)

Mark's "exposure" and that's what fear makes us afraid of- being exposed- yet Mark includes this when he could have excluded it- because his moment of fear is forgiven and he has been assured of his identity

What does Jesus do? He submits. Why? Because He knows that God is in control- and He has been strengthened in that truth in prayer

Prayer and communion with God brings a sense of peace. We know Who is in charge, and even more, we TRUST that He is acting in our best interests. His plan is fully in play and being fulfilled…even if it makes no sense to us.

What makes our prayers powerful?

Honesty- let this cup pass from me

Submission- not what I want but what you want

Listening- rise my betrayer is at hand

Tenacity- repetitive prayer

The first real prayer we pray is when we begin our relationship with Jesus. It cannot be the last prayer we pray. It is the beginning of a long relationship, not a one time event.

What is missing from your prayer life? Where do you need God to strengthen you? To hear from God? To be submissive? Where do you need to knock down the doors of heaven until you get an answer?