The Darkest Day
Notes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
The phrase “the darkest day” or “darkest hour” has been used throughout history describing a time when bad events are at their worst. Some darkest days in history were;
The early period of World War II, from the mid-1940 to mid-1941, when it was certain that Britain would be invaded by Germany [Churchill address]
Between 1941 and 1945, Nazi Germany murdered some six million Jews across German-occupied Europe.
On December 7, 1941, the Japanese military launched a surprise attack on the United States Naval Base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The attack killed 2403 service-men/women and destroyed or damaged 19 naval ships of the Pacific Fleet.
On Tuesday, September 11, 2001, a series of four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks was carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States. 2977 people were killed in the attacks and 25,000 injured.
On January 22, 1973, Roe v. Wade was a decision of the U.S. Supreme Court in which the Court ruled that the Constitution of the United States protects a pregnant woman's liberty to choose to have an abortion without excessive government restriction.
But the Darkest Day in human history ever recored was the day that Jesus was crucified for the sin of man. This morning and tonight I want us to look at this dark day and some of the events leading up to Calvary.
Text; Mark 14:27-46
27 Then Jesus said to them, “All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written: ‘I will strike the Shepherd, And the sheep will be scattered.’
28 “But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee.”
29 Peter said to Him, “Even if all are made to stumble, yet I will not be.”
30 Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you that today, even this night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.”
31 But he spoke more vehemently, “If I have to die with You, I will not deny You!” And they all said likewise.
32 Then they came to a place which was named Gethsemane; and He said to His disciples, “Sit here while I pray.”
33 And He took Peter, James, and John with Him, and He began to be troubled and deeply distressed.
34 Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch.”
35 He went a little farther, and 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. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will.”
37 Then He came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “Simon, are you sleeping? Could you not watch one hour?
38 Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
39 Again He went away and prayed, and spoke the same words.
40 And when He returned, He found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy; and they did not know what to answer Him.
41 Then He came the third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? It is enough! The hour has come; behold, the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.
42 Rise, let us be going. See, My betrayer is at hand.”
43 And immediately, while He was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders.
44 Now His betrayer had given them a signal, saying, “Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him and lead Him away safely.”
45 As soon as he had come, immediately he went up to Him and said to Him, “Rabbi, Rabbi!” and kissed Him.
46 Then they laid their hands on Him and took Him.
Darkness- the absence of light. Darkness is often perceived of as being negative and related to concepts of chaos, evil, mischief. In the Bible, light frequently indicates people or things are righteous, pure, godly, or good. Darkness indicates the opposite—wickedness, impurity, immorality, and evil. Light is associated with life, especially a life of blessing and prosperity; darkness is associated with suffering, death, and decay.
1. The Darkness of Denial; 27-31
1. The Darkness of Denial; 27-31
Jesus told his disciples that “all of them” will “stumble” because of the events about to take place.
Stumble- turn away and fall into sin because of offense.
Jesus predicted [through scripture, Zech. 13:7] that all 11 disciples would take offense at His sufferings and death. To avoid the same treatment they would stumble, “fall away,” temporarily denying association with Him and desert Him. Their loyalty would temporarily collapse.
Reasons why we deny Jesus;
We too often boast in our self-confidence as we try to expose the weakness of others. [v. 29]
2. We really don’t know the weakness of our flesh until our faith is tested. [v. 30-31, ref. v. 66-72]
3. We really don’t listen to what Jesus is saying [v. 28]
18 Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall.
It is a dark day when we as Christians can deny the One who loves us the most.
2. The Darkness of Temptation; 32-42
2. The Darkness of Temptation; 32-42
Gethsemane was a dark place for the Lord Jesus Christ as the scriptures say “He was troubled and deeply distressed, exceedingly sorrowful, even to death.” We will never know the true depths of agony and pain Jesus went through for sinners like us.
But Gethsemane was a dark place for more than just the burden Jesus was facing, it was a place of temptation for all that were there that night.
Temptation- [peir as mós] to make trial of, try, test. When God is the agent of temptation/testing is for the purpose of proving someone, never for the purpose of causing him to fall. But if its the devil who tempts, then it is for the purpose of causing one to fall.
Satan has already tempted Jesus but now God is going to prove Him and the disciples in Gethsemane.
This testing is focused on in [v. 38] is the testing between the spirit and flesh.
38 Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
The spirit of Jesus and of any true believer is willing to do the Father’s will, but often the flesh is not willing to follow. All men have a battle in them between the Spirit and the flesh. Though we have a new nature in Christ, the old nature likes to rear its ugly head at times. When this happens then the darkness of temptation either rules the day and we sin against the Lord or we are more than conquerors in Christ!
Jesus prayed so He wouldn’t enter into temptation of the flesh stopping him from completing his Father’s will. [35-36]
7 who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear,
8 though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered.
Peter, James and John were to watch and pray for themselves to be strengthened in the coming hours. These three were the inner circle, the leaders of the rest. Their response to the coming events with Jesus would affect the rest of His followers. The disciples were fixing to see Jesus die.
Would they still believe He is the Messiah or would they think that they had been deceived?
[37] Jesus returns and finds them sleeping only after 1 hour. Look how he addresses Peter, “Simon” his old name. The flesh had gotten the best of Peter, who just before said, “Even if all are made to stumble, yet I will not be.”
The spirit was willing but the flesh was weak!
18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find.
Temptation- doing things we shouldn’t do and withholding that which we should be doing. Temptation is a test to prove our faith!
Sitting Bull [Lakota Chief] put it this way. “Inside of me there are two dogs. One is mean and evil and the other is good and they fight each other all the time. When asked which one wins I answer, the one I feed the most.”
16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
Which dog are you feeding today? The spirit or the flesh? It’s a dark day when we feed the wrong one!
3. The Darkness of Betrayal; 43-46
3. The Darkness of Betrayal; 43-46
There is a huge difference between denial and betrayal even though they are both darkness.
Denial is the temporary stumbling or falling away of loyalty to someone or something
Betrayal is a crime of treason, especially by attempting to kill the sovereign or overthrow the government
Judas committed an act of treason by betraying the King of Kings in an attempt to overthrow the Government of God! We know this because Satan entered him.
The true darkness of betrayal is, that there is no return from it. When you commit treason you have defected to the enemy, and the consequences of this action is the death penalty.
Benedict Arnold- General George Washington had given him his fullest trust and had placed him in command of West Point in New York. Arnold was planning to surrender the fort there to British forces, but the plot was discovered in September 1780, whereupon he fled to the British lines. In the latter part of the war, Arnold was commissioned as a brigadier general in the British Army. He led the British army in battle against the soldiers whom he had once commanded, after which his name became synonymous with treason/traitor and betrayal. He was court-marshaled but escaped the death penalty by fleeing to London.
Arnold got his name from copying the actions of Judas Iscariot. Judas did not escape the death penalty.
21 The Son of Man indeed goes just as it is written of Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had never been born.”
25 to take part in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place.”
Betraying/rejecting Christ is no small sin. The judgment will be so severe upon people who do so, that they would wish they were never born. Judas Iscariot had tremendous spiritual privileges, but he rejected them all for a mere thirty pieces of silver.
Our generation today has even greater spiritual advantages than the disciples did. They were walking with Jesus not completely understanding all the things to come. We have the privilege to walk with Jesus looking back with the understanding of what took place and the assurance of what is to come! BIBLE!!
If you commit treason [betray Jesus] it will be the darkest hour in the darkest day of your life! And it will haunt you throughout ETERNITY!
Solo by Lora “Gethsemane Hymn” by Keith & Krystin Getty [please put words on screen]
Close;
In the midst of all the darkness we have in this world, there is hope in the Light.
Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”