As Jordan said last week introducing this, "If any one of you were choosing the eight verses that we're going to think about as we work through this, you might have chosen eight different verses." In fact, as he said, there was some discussion among ourselves as which eight it must be. And this was one of those passages that was a discussion as to whether it fit in this line or not at this time. When I share with you what it is, you may think this really doesn't fit that we took a big jump from Jeremiah 31, Luke chapter 22, and we did. But there's something that's a tie-in that Janten emphasized over and over again, in his lesson this morning, that ties this scene from the Garden of Gethsemane in with the narrative that we're trying to paint. I'd first like to read this with you beginning Luke chapter 22, Luke chapter 22, and as we begin there, read I think beginning in, yes, verse 39. Coming out, he went to the Mount of Olives as he was accustomed, and his disciples also followed him, and when he came to the place he said to them, "Pray that you may not enter into temptation," he came to the place he said to them, "Pray that you may not enter into temptation," and he was withdrawn from them about a stone's flow, and he knelt down and prayed, saying, "Father, if it is your will take this cup from me, nevertheless not my will, but yours be done," then an angel appeared to him from heaven, strengthening him, and being an agony he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat became like drops of blood falling to the ground. He arose up from prayer, had come to disciples, he found them sleeping from sorrow, and he said to them, "Why did you sleep, rise and pray lest you fall into temptation?" While he was still speaking, behold, a multitude, and he who was called Judas, one of the twelve before them, and who neared to Jesus to kiss him, but Jesus said to Judas, "Are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss," and those around him saw what was going to happen, they said to the Lord, "Lord shall we strike with the sword," and one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear. But Jesus answered and said, "For it even this," and he touched his ear and he healed him. And Jesus said to the chief priests, captains of the temple, "And the elders who had come to him have you come out against us as a robber with the sword and clubs, when I was with you daily in the temple, you did not try to seize me, but in this hour, in the power of darkness," and they arrested him. I don't know how that scene hits you, but every time that I read that scene, it is just a tremendously moving picture that has been painted. Matthew, Mark and Luke, each kind of paint a few different things about it, but essentially the same story, Luke leaves out some things that Matthew and Mark include, that's a powerful image that's painted there, but let's back up just a little bit. The night before Jesus is crucified, the disciples and Jesus are collected together in an upper room, and they have fallen to do the thing that they've been doing all along, for three plus years. They're arguing over who's going to be graced in the kingdom of heaven, and Luke records that just prior to our reading. That's why you have the scene in John 13, John doesn't include that, but Luke includes why John 13 takes place. They've been arguing and arguing over who's going to be graced in the kingdom of heaven. And so Jesus does what we know, He washes their feet, their Creator who washes the feet of creation, and the dirt He created from their very feet, to show them that service is where greatness is found, but it's not the greatest service yet. Coming out of the event of 40 days and 40 nights, remember it is said that Satan left him for a season, translated when he comes again, it will be with a vengeance and will be with ferocity. Back on point, that scene is about to unfold. The ferocity with which Satan comes is about to unfold. But Jesus, leaving the room with the disciples, goes to the Mount of Olives, and begins to pray. Just an observation or two before we enter into the explanation of what takes place here. It's interesting when you chart the life of Jesus, how many times before great events take place? Jesus prays. Just for example, when you have the choosing of the twelve, the night before the choosing of the twelve, he spends all night in prayer, praying. A time that is a momentous decision, because the choosing of these men is vital, vital to the story that they will tell. If he gets this wrong, it will be a mistake without a remedy, transfiguration, only that you have a prayer. Prior to his baptism, you have a prayer. And now before this most pensive of moments that Jesus will face on the cross, he has this night that he pauses and there is a prayer. The second observation I'd like to make is that while these are not the very last words of Jesus, and not the very last words of Jesus to the disciples, they are some of the very last words of Jesus. He'll say more words on the cross and after his resurrection, he'll meet the disciples in a room and then he'll meet Thomas after that and there are some words to follow. So he's not the absolute very last words, but these are some of the very last words of Jesus to his disciples. I think that makes these important and that underscores the scene that shall take place. He's speaking to them at this moment before he knows it's going to take place with his going to the cross and before the cross. These are the last words she shall speak before the cross. That makes these words important. The third observation I'd like to make is out on the boisterous waters as the winds and the waves are tossing about, you don't have this kind of passion expressed. He just says as though it's matter of factly, winds be still. He goes to the house of a man whose daughter he says is asleep, dismisses the crowd from the room, and again, seemingly matter of fact, tells the daughter to rise. A man comes with a wither hand, Dossa Sabbath, that bothersome, again, there's not a crescendo attention that's paid to this, just matter of fact, he heals the man. But this occasion is different. There's something different about this and so when we think about this, we look at the setting, first of all, of what's taking place. We look at the setting of this garden and we think about, sorry, I got behind myself there, look at the setting taking place. First of all, it says that coming out, he went to the Mount of Olives as his custom was paused there. He goes out to the Mount of Olives. You remember in the first miracle, his mother tries to get him to turn the water to white. You remember his response, "My hour has not yet come." And multiple times throughout the events that he interacts with people, the response is "My hour has not yet come." But now in John chapter 17 and verse 1, he said, "My hour has come, Father glorify me." The hour has now come. Jesus leaves that cupboard of disciples where he's washed their feet and goes to the Mount of Olives. Why is that significant? Is that just there just as a geographical thing? The narrator puts there in the store to tell us, "Oh, it's Mount of Olives, not significant." What took place on the Mount of Olives, do you remember what took place? It wasn't called the Mount of Olives. There was a boy that said, "Dad, where's the lamb?" It was Mount Mariah. That's this Mount. And Isaac asked, "Prares the lamb." And Abraham said, "God will provide." It's also the place, the mountain David bought to be able to build the temple. He would restrain from doing so, but we saw them build that extravagant temple. And remember that temple was filled with the glory of God? That's His Mount. But do you remember it was destroyed? And with the wave of the exiles coming out of bondage, they at least laid the foundation. They got stuck on high center with their own business after that, but at least they laid the foundation. And Herod comes 500 years later and expands all of it with this great magnificent edifice. He called the temple, it was Herod's temple, not the Lord's. Oh, that's the Mount of Olives. What takes place is it takes place on the Mount of Olives, so it says he goes to Mount of Olives, because there's a valley there, and that valley there is called the Garden of Gethsemane. It was a garden that was filled with olive trees, and it was a garden that evidently Jesus visited quite often because the text says it was His custom to go there. It might have been that it was a secret where the upper room was at, but this is no secret. Jesus goes there as is His custom. It's the ordinary thing for Him to go there, and Judas would have known that's where He was at when He left the washing of the feet before the washing of the feet took place, following that Judas has made the deal, and after that He goes and is going to deliver Jesus with a kiss, but it's interesting that Jesus said, "Did you come to betray me with a kiss?" It's Judas' full intention. When you read the full development of this scene in the Gospel of John, you'll find it wasn't the kiss that betrayed. It was Jesus' intention, but Jesus stepped out and says, "Who are you looking for?" And they said, "Jesus of Nazareth, get this, 600 soldiers, lanterns lit, doubtless filled with drunken courage come as though they're going to drag Him like a rabbit out of His den, screaming and shouting." And He says, "Who are you looking for?" And they said, "Jesus of Nazareth," and He said, "I am He, and they all fell backwards." You get that? Did you see that? And then they picked themselves up again, and picking themselves up again, He asked the question one more time, and they're taking their resting, and the fake arrest, the fake justice takes place, the back up to the story as we jump ahead. The cross is living ever brighter, ever more, ever pressing more, the cross is living. These disciples have been with Jesus, and as far as they're concerned, this cannot and will not happen. They said, "Now we take the sword." Jesus, and as it says, "Put your swords away." That's the setting that's taking place, pardon me, it pays to breathe and swallow. The second thing I want you to see, I want you to see the suffering that takes place in the garden. He records two times that Jesus approaches disciples. Matthew and Mark include three times that Jesus approaches disciples. What he says to them is, "Pray that you may not enter into temptation." What is the temptation that they may likely enter into? Well, what is just taking place? They have just been arguing over his grace in the kingdom of heaven. That may be part of it. Also, Peter has spoken and said, "All of them may fail you, but I will not." Maybe that's part of it too. Maybe he's afraid that after the arrest they'll scatter the four winds, which essentially is what most of them do following the resurrection. But there's something that Jesus is concerned about as disciples. He says, "Pray that you enter into temptation, and he tells them this three different times." That seems to be something important that stands out. After he tells them this, notice the text says in verse 41, "And he was withdrawn from them about a stone's throne, and he knelt down and prayed." But, did he pray, "Father, but your will, take this cup away from me, nevertheless not my will, but yours be done." I want to talk about that in just a moment before we expose the rest of the text here. What does Jesus pray when he prays that? Let me avert something for you. First of all, I don't think this particular saying or the larger text that covers this indicates it all, that Jesus now has a doubt about whether he should go to the cross or not. I don't think he comes this moment, pensive what may be, as still with emotion and anguish as the text says that it is, and comes a conclusion that now our salvation, his dying on the cross, is now an option to find an out. I don't think what he's saying here he is. I know it's there, but if you've got another choice, can we take the other choice? I don't think that's what he's referring it all here. In fact, when you find out about his birth, it says he came to take the sins of his people away. When he's identified by John, he said, "The land that takes away the sin of the world, for this he knew he was coming." Holding your finger or putting your marker in Luke chapter 22, turn to Hebrews chapter 5. I think Hebrew writer chapter 5 here shares something significant with us. I'm sorry, chapter 10, chapter 10, beginning in verse 5. Hebrews chapter 10, look at verse 5, "Therefore when he came to the world, he said, "Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you have prepared for me, and by offering the sacrifices you had no pleasure, then I said, "Behold, I have come. What is written in the volume of the book is written to do your will." Previously saying, "Sacrifice and offering, but offering is offering for sin, you did not desire. Nor have pleasure in them, which are offered according to the law. Then he said, "Behold, I have come to do your will, O God. He takes away the first, that he may establish the second, by that will we have been sanctified after the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." Does that sound like the Hebrew writer is telling us, given the Lord prays that prayer, he's got a doubt about whether he can do this or not, or maybe there's another option here, that if there's another option, can I choose that? Does that sound like there's an uncertainty there? No. That's her back to Hebrews chapter 5, and look at verse 7. Hebrews chapter 5 and verse 7, "When the days of his flesh, when he offered prayers and supplications, have him at cries and tears to him, who was able to save him from death and was heard because of his godly fear." He was heard back to Luke chapter 3, too. How was he heard? It says in verse 43, "Then an angel strengthened him from heaven, then angel appeared to him from heaven and strengthened him." He's praying this prayer, "If it beeth I will, let this passion of suffering, let this suffering pass from me, nevertheless not my will, but thine be done," or to this he said, "I came." And it says in Hebrews chapter 12, "He despised the shame for the joy of the cross, for the joy of the cross, he endured despising the shame." Does this sound like joy? Father, that my will, but thine be done? There's nothing indicates in the larger part of the text that Jesus ever came to this moment and had a doubt about how it was going to take place. Furthermore, there's something else in the language here. In verse 42, "Father, if it is your will, take this cup from me, nevertheless, thy will be done, not my will be done, but your will be done." There's a grammatical thing here that helps us and the grammatical thing here is the not but consideration, not my will, but thy will be done. Again, listen to the words of Jesus, John chapter 8, verse 29, "I do all things always that please the Father. I came and said nothing in myself, all the Father does, I do all the Father says, I say, I came to all things, always to please the Father. Does that sound like there's a doubt here?" The not but consideration is a secondary comparative. The Greek language, as I'm sure you're aware, had no comparatives like we do. They have a good, better best. That's what we have. The way they expressed what was better was, what was good and what was better was, it was a not but consideration. The not but consideration, the not, bad English, the not is not a not. The not is not prohibited, the not is not a prohibition. So he's saying, he's not saying, not my will, but thy will be done as though there's a question of what he's going to do. What he's saying is this, my will is good, your will is better, let your will be done, thy will be done. And it's for that purpose that I came, I came to do your will, let this cup pass from me. Now, several different sources that define it, some say a vert, some say to pass away or to pass without touching. Well, if to drink the cup means to pass without touching or to vert, then not to go to the cross is the way the cup is to be drank. But here he says, let me drink this cup. It's not let me avert, it's not let me pass by without touching. He's saying, this cup can only pass and my resurrection can only take place by me drinking this cup and going to the cross, let your will be done. That's what he's saying here. He's not appealing to the fact, as his country's recently said about this passage, he's got this pensive moment and now he's kind of scared about doing this. There's no doubt there was middle and emotional anguish. The text says, he sweat as it was, great drops of blood. I'm not a medicine guy, which is quite obvious the most, but I'm told that there can be such impensity of sweating that the capillaries here in your forehead are so so shallow there that they can bleed, they can start dropping as it were, great drops of blood. You see the anguish of his spirit here, but it's not an anguish of saying, I don't want to go, the anguish is, I know, I know what pain is. He would have known what crucifixion is, he would have seen crucifixion. It was not novel, it was not novel at this time. This didn't just come with Jesus, it had been taking place for years. The Persians had perfected it. He knows what the cross is, but even knowing the cross, he says, I can only drink this cup and have the resurrection take place, an eternal salvation secured for all man when I do your will and do your will, that's what I came for. I think that's what he's saying here. This is not a statement of doubt. This is not a statement of question, this is an affirmation of strength, an affirmation of positiveness, an affirmation of hope, yes, I will drink this cup and I will do your will or father. When he comes to disciples, he tells them, be careful that you are not in temptation, they go to sleep, he's awake and praying, he prays and succeeds, they sleep and fail. They can't still wait for this moment with him. It seems like Peter, James and John are the ones that have accompanied here, but the text says, they're so worried with sorrow and while Jesus was still speaking these things, Judas comes, this is a very active night of what's taking place in the life of Jesus in Gethsemane. When John 13, he washed their feet, he took the Passover Supper and inaugurated the memorial of the New Covenant, the Lord Supper, that New Covenant that Jensen spoke about from Jeremiah 31 and to have that New Covenant established, Jesus must go the cross and he said, I will drink that cup, I will do your will. Judas is an extension of what Jeremiah 31, 31, 34 is talking about. Here you have the inesthemable, the immeasurable love of God expressed, but here you have the New Covenant assured by the blood of Christ that he knows he's going to offer on the cross. I'm not saying this is party time, there was anguish with this, there was a great deep anguish with this on his part and the part of the disciples, the disciples were so anguished they could not stand awake. Three times he warns them that they sleep and they fail, Jesus prays and he succeeds. The covenant will be established, forgiveness will be offered for all with the sacrifice that has been offered once for all, having entered to the holy of holies, that means you and I don't have to bring our sacrifice every year because bloodables and goats is ineffective, his blood was effective once for all, but required his passion to go to the cross. Now, there are some things, just two or three things I want to take away from this just real quickly for us as a matter of just a thought or two for us here to think about this. First of all, it impresses me, number one, that Jesus understood the moment for prayer. Jesus understood the moment for prayer and I could have to ask ourselves, ask myself, do I understand that moment? When that moment for prayer comes, do I understand that's the moment? I love what brother Homer Haley said about this guest symphony scene, he said, "No Christian can successfully fight when their battles until they have faced their guest symphony on their knees." We're all going to have our guest symphony moments, we're all going to have our moments of which it is thy will or my will and thy will be done. Will we recognize in that moment the moment of prayer? That's what Jesus recognizes. I think the second thing that he recognizes here is the importance of the will of God. I came to do your will, two choices, I will, I won't, I will. I will drink this cup when we are opposed to choices. Will we submit ourselves to the will of God or will we continue to be impressed with our own will and fail to submit to the will of God? I think just from the book of Ricky, I think when the day comes we stand before the Lord and he says, "Why did you fail, it's not going to be because I wasn't baptized." It's going to be because I refuse to submit to your will. Jesus said, "Thy will be done." When those two choices come, my will or his will, is it going to be his will or my will? Will I surrender that? I think the third thing that comes is, "Did it be fruitful?" The disciples following the trail of Jesus were to be fruitful. Matthew chapter 26 and verse 25 tells us, "They are to be fruitful going forth." We're to be faithful. He wants the disciples to be faithful. Maybe that's why he says, "Watch yourselves." The flesh is willing, but the spirit is weak. I'm not saying, thinking he's saying, "You can't lift a hundred pounds." I think what he's saying is, there's a battle between the flesh and the spirit and be careful the flesh doesn't win the battle. Be faithful. Bring that flesh into submission to the spirit and your spirit into submission to my spirit. Oh, I think what he's telling him here is, "You be faithful." And then I think a final thing to think about here is, when we sleep we fail, when we pray we succeed, because when we pray, we're calling on God as he told on Father and what happened when he cried out. He was comforted by an angel. I can tell you an angel is going to come and touch your shoulder and say, "I got you back. I'm carrying you." But if he needed to pray in his pensive moment of Gethsemane, then doesn't that suggest to us that when we have our pensive moment, that would be less pensive than he is. In our own Gethsemane, we need to pray that we too may be shrinking. However, God does that. In fact, in that Paul's prayer in the book of Ephesians, the second prayer, Ephesians chapter 3, that you may be strengthened with might in the inter-man, mightily in the inter-man. Here Jesus is strengthened. An angel comes and strengthens him. He's not alone. He's never left alone. The Father is ever with him, and an angel comes and strengthens him. When we sleep we fail, when we pray we succeed. You see, this story is not really a story about Gethsemane. This story is a story about prayer because three times Jesus prays and he rises to face the cross. Three times he has the disciples pray and they fail. Will we in our moment recognize the moment, bring our will of submission to him, be faithful to him, bring our lives and control to him to therefore be faithful and rise from our knees and our Gethsemane to also be successful facing whatever our cup is that we too might endure. I think there's one word in all this that makes the difference. Maybe it's kind of an obscure word, but I think there's one word in all that makes the difference. Nevertheless, nevertheless, you see, God's not deflated, God's not defeated in this. The question is, will I say nevertheless, you will be done. And when his will is done, we will be brought into covenant relationship with him. Have our sins forgiven to be remembered no more. You need a covenant relationship this morning? He wants us to have that, he didn't send his son to the cross because he had nothing better to do that day. He sent his son to the cross and his son willingly went to the cross, so we, we might have that hope that he provides all salvation. If we can help you once you come, always stand up, always stand up, always stand up. Thank you for connecting with us this morning, we're so thankful that you were able to do that. If you have any questions, we'd love to have the opportunity to talk to you. You can contact us at www.thebibleway.com or questions@thebibleway.com. Questions@thebibleway.com. We'd love to have you in person. Come if you can, but thank you for connecting with us. [BLANK_AUDIO]
