11/24/02

FAITH BIBLE CHURCH - www.faithbiblechurch.net

RAY RUSS - PASTOR-TEACHER

MATTHEW: THE KING HAS COME, WEEK 177

TITLE: THE AGONY IN THE GARDEN

TEXT: MATTHEW 26:36-46

INTRODUCTION: (1) THE BIBLE CONTAINS PASSAGES THAT WE OFTEN HANDLE LIGHTLY THINKING EITHER RIGHTLY OR WRONGLY THAT THEY ARE NOT OF FIRST IMPORTANCE.

* BUT OTHER PASSAGES DRAW US UP SHORT AND SEEM TO CRY OUT SHARPLY, "TAKE OFF YOUR SHOES, FOR THE PLACE WHERE YOU ARE STANDING IS HOLY GROUND."

** WE COME TO HOLY GROUND TODAY.

*** FOR JESUS' PRAYER IN THE GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE IS A TEXT WHERE WE GET A LOOK INTO THE HOLY OF HOLIES.

**** IT IS A TEXT WHERE WE GET A GLIMPSE OF JESUS PRAYING TO HIS FATHER, A TEXT WHERE WE SEE THE AGONY OF JESUS IN HIS HUMANITY, IN ANTICIPATION OF BECOMING THE SIN OFFERING AND WHERE HE WILLINGLY SUBMITS TO HIS HOLY FATHER'S WILL. (2) CHARLES SPURGEON WROTE OF THIS PASSAGE, "HERE WE COME TO THE HOLY OF HOLIES OF OUR LORD'S LIFE ON EARTH. THIS IS A MYSTERY LIKE THAT WHICH MOSES SAW WHEN THE BUSH BURNED WITH FIRE, AND WAS NOT CONSUMED. NO MAN CAN RIGHTLY EXPOUND SUCH A PASSAGE AS THIS; IT IS A SUBJECT FOR PRAYERFUL, HEART-BROKEN MEDITATION, MORE THAN FOR HUMAN LANGUAGE." (END QUOTE)

* D. A. CARSON SAID OF THIS TEXT, "AS HIS DEATH WAS UNIQUE, SO ALSO WAS HIS ANGUISH; AND OUR BEST RESPONSE TO IT IS HUSHED WORSHIP." (END QUOTE)

** AND THEN JOHN MACARTHUR SAID OF THIS PASSAGE, "WE CANNOT COMPREHEND THE DEPTH OF JESUS' AGONY, BECAUSE AS SINLESS AND HOLY GOD INCARNATE, HE WAS ABLE TO PERCEIVE THE HORROR OF SIN IN A WAY WE CANNOT."

*** JOHN WENT ON TO SAY, "THEREFORE EVEN TO ATTEMPT TO UNDERSTAND THE SUFFERING OF JESUS THAT NIGHT ON THE MOUNT OF OLIVES IS TO TREAD ON HOLY GROUND. THE MYSTERY IS SO PROFOUND FOR HUMAN BEINGS TO COMPREHEND AND EVEN FOR ANGELS. WE CAN ONLY STAND IN AWE OF THE GOD-MAN." (END QUOTE)

**** AND BELOVED, I PRAY THAT OUR RESPONSE TODAY IN MY FEEBLE ATTEMPT TO COMMUNICATE THIS SCRIPTURE TO YOU WILL BE A HOLY AWE OF OUR SAVIOR.

(3) I PRAY THAT WE WILL BE MOVED TO PRAYERFUL AWE AND BOW BEFORE GOD IN HUSHED WORSHIP.

* AND IN OUR WORSHIP OF OUR SAVIOR AND LORD TODAY, WE'LL LOOK AT 3 THINGS ABOUT HIM IN THE GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE.

** NO. 1 THE SORROW OF OUR SAVIOR, VV. 36-38; NO. 2 THE SUPPLICTION OF OUR SAVIOR, VV. 39-44; AND NO. 3 THE STRENGTH OF OUR SAVIOR, VV. 45&46.

*** AND WITHOUT FURTHER INTRODUCTION, I WANT TO GET RIGHT INTO THIS SPECIAL PASSAGE BY LOOKING AT V. 36, WHERE WE'LL START TO SEE OUR FIRST POINT TODAY, THE SORROW. LOOK AT MATTHEW 26:36 PLEASE.

I. THE SORROW, (READ V. 36)

A. NOW THE SETTING OF OUR PASSAGE IS THE NIGHT BEFORE JESUS' DEATH. IT'S LATE, PROBABLY AROUND MIDNIGHT.

* HAVING LEFT THE UPPER ROOM, JESUS AND THE 12 DISCIPLES MINUS JUDAS ISCARIOT LEAVE FOR THE MOUNT OF OLIVES.

** AT THE BASE OF THE MOUNT OF OLIVES, ON THE WESTERN SIDE A SHORT DISTANCE FROM JERUSALEM WAS A GARDEN CALLED THE GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE, WHICH YOU CAN SEE SOME PICTURES OF ON THE SCREEN.

*** NOW THE WORD GETHSEMANE MEANS "OLIVE PRESS", AND MOST LIKELY WAS A WALLED OLIVE GROVE WHERE JESUS WOULD GO TO GET ALONE WITH HIS FATHER.

**** IT WAS A PLACE OF RETREAT AND LUKE 22:39 SAYS: "AND HE CAME OUT AND PROCEEDED AS WAS HIS CUSTOM TO THE MOUNT OF OLIVES; AND THE DISCIPLES ALSO FOLLOWED HIM."

1. SO IT WAS JESUS' CUSTOM, HIS HABIT, TO GO TO THIS PLACE WHEN HE WAS IN JERUSALEM, IN FACT THAT'S WHY JUDAS KNEW WHERE TO FIND HIM WHEN HE LED OUT THE MULTITUDE TO ARREST JESUS.

* JOHN 18:1&2 SAYS: "WHEN JESUS HAD SPOKEN THESE WORDS, HE WENT FORTH WITH HIS DISCIPLES OVER THE RAVINE OF THE KIDRON, WHERE THERE WAS A GARDEN, INTO WHICH HE HIMSELF ENTERED, AND HIS DISCIPLES."

V. 2 - "NOW JUDAS ALSO, WHO WAS BETRAYING HIM, KNEW THE PLACE; FOR JESUS HAD OFTEN MET THERE WITH HIS DISCIPLES."

** NOW AGAIN MY POINT IS, THIS WAS A PLACE OF RETREAT FOR JESUS WHEN HE WAS IN THIS AREA.

*** AND WHEN JESUS AND THE 11 ARRIVE THERE, HE TELLS 8 OF HIS DISCIPLES TO SIT AT THE ENTRANCE OF THE GARDEN WHILE HE TOOK 3 OF HIS DISCIPLES WITH HIM IN THE GARDEN TO PRAY.

**** AND THE 3 DISCIPLES HE TOOK WITH HIM ARE NAMED IN V. 37. LOOK AT V. 37 PLEASE.

B. READ V. 37. NOW THE 3 DISCIPLES JESUS TOOK WITH HIM WERE WHO? PETER, JAMES AND JOHN, FOR JAMES AND JOHN WERE THE TWO SONS OF ZEBEDEE.

* AND THESE 3 WERE THE INNER CIRCLE, THE 3 CLOSEST DISCIPLES TO JESUS WHO HE SPENT EXTRA TIME WITH ON OCCASION TO SPECIALLY PREPARE THEM FOR FUTURE MINISTRY.

** SO JESUS TAKES PETER, JAMES AND JOHN WITH HIM. AND HE DID NOT TAKE THEM ALONG IN ORDER TO HAVE COMPANIONSHIP, SYMPATHY OR HELP.

*** HE TOOK THEM ALONG FOR THEIR BENEFIT, NOT HIS. THIS WAS GOING TO BE ANOTHER TEACHING TIME FOR THEM.

**** FOR THEY WOULD SEE HIS GRIEF AND THAT HE WAS DISTRESSED AS WE SEE AT THE END OF V. 37.

1. AND THE WORD GRIEVED HERE TRANSLATED SORROWFUL IN SOME OF YOUR TRANSLATIONS IS THE VERB LOO-PEH-O IN THE GREEK, WHICH YOU CAN SEE ON THE SCREEN.

* AND THIS VERB LIT. MEANS TO MAKE SORROWFUL, TO AFFECT WITH SADNESS, TO CAUSE GRIEF, TO THROW INTO SORROW.

** AND THEN THE WORD DISTRESSED OR VERY HEAVY DEPENDING ON WHICH TRANSLATION YOU HAVE LIT. MEANS TO BE TROUBLED, IT HAS TO DO WITH GREAT DISTRESS OR ANGUISH.

*** NOW WHY WERE THESE FEELINGS, THESE EMOTIONS, PERMEATING JESUS AT THIS TIME?

**** WELL, THE AGONY OF THE CROSS WAS NEAR. AND JESUS WOULD NOT ENJOY THE CROSS, BUT HE WOULD ENDURE IT FOR THOSE HE WOULD AND WILL SAVE, READ HEBREWS 12:2.

2. AND BROTHERS AND SISTERS, UNDERSTAND THIS, JESUS WAS NOT AFRAID OF THE PHYSICAL PAIN OF THE CROSS, HE WAS AGONIZING OVER BECOMING THE SIN OFFERING, THE SACRIFICE FOR SIN, THE SUBSTITUTE FOR SIN, LIT. BECOMING SIN FOR US, READ II COR. 5:21 AND I PETER 2:24.

* AND BELOVED, JESUS HAD ALWAYS KNOWN THAT HE HAD COME TO EARTH TO SUFFER AND DIE FOR SINNERS.

** BUT THE CLIMAX OF HIS ANGUISH NOW BEGAN TO INTENSIFY AS NEVER BEFORE, AS HIS BECOMING SIN IN OUR PLACE AND HIS CONSEQUENT SEPARATION FROM HIS FATHER DREW NEAR, HIS VERY SOUL WAS REPULSED AS HOLY GOD WOULD TAKE ON OUR SINS. *** FOR YOU SEE GOD HATES SIN, HE CANNOT SIN, HE IS INCAPABLE OF SIN, HIS VERY BEING IS PURE AND SPOTLESS, ABSOLUTELY HOLY, AND HE CANNOT EVEN LOOK UPON SIN.

**** HABAKKUK 1:13 SAYS: "THINE EYES ARE TOO PURE TO APPROVE EVIL, AND THOU CANST NOT LOOK ON WICKEDNESS WITH FAVOR. WHY DOST THOU LOOK WITH FAVOR ON THOSE WHO DEAL TREACHEROUSLY? WHY ART THOU SILENT WHEN THE WICKED SWALLOWED UP THOSE MORE RIGHTEOUS THAN THEY?"

3. AND MY POINT HERE IS HOLINESS IS TOTALLY REPULSED BY SIN.

* AND JOHN MACARTHUR IN HIS COMMENTARY ON MATTHEW 24-28 MAKES THIS COMMENT AND APPLICATION AT THIS POINT BY SAYING, "WE CANNOT COMPREHEND THE DEPTH OF JESUS' AGONY, BECAUSE, AS SINLESS AND HOLY GOD INCARNATE, HE WAS ABLE TO PERCEIVE THE HORROR OF SIN IN A WAY WE CANNOT." (END QUOTE)

** AND JOHN WAS SAYING, IT IS BEYOND US AS SINFUL CREATURES TO HAVE A CLUE OF WHAT IT WOULD BE LIKE FOR HOLY GOD INCARNATE TO ANTICIPATE BECOMING THE SIN OFFERING.

*** IT WOULD LEAD TO JESUS' SOUL BECOMING DEEPLY GRIEVED. LOOK AT V. 38 PLEASE.

C. READ V. 38. NOW IT IS HARDLY SURPRISING CONSIDERING WHAT JESUS WAS GOING TO GO THROUGH THAT HE WOULD TELL PETER, JAMES AND JOHN THAT, "MY SOUL IS DEEPLY GRIEVED TO THE POINT OF DEATH" HERE.

* AND AS HOLY GOD, JESUS IS SO TOTALLY REPULSED BY SIN, HAVING TO BECOME SIN FOR US, HIS SOUL WAS DEEPLY GRIEVED TO THE POINT OF DEATH.

** AND THE ADJECTIVE DEEPLY GRIEVED, OR EXCEEDINGLY SORROWFUL OR OVERWHELMED WITH SORROW, DEPENDING ON WHICH TRANSLATION YOU HAVE, IS ONE WORD IN THE GREEK, AND IS RELATED TO THE TERM FROM WHICH WE GET OUR ENGLISH WORD PERIPHERY.

*** AND THIS WORD CARRIES THE IDEAS OF BEING SURROUNDED BY SORROW, TO BE OVERWHELMED BY SORROW.

**** AND IT IS POSSIBLE TO DIE FROM SORROW, JUST AS FROM OTHER STRONG EMOTIONS, SUCH AS FRIGHT AND ANGER.

1. AND CHRIST'S ANGUISH WAS ENOUGH TO KILL HIM AND DOUBTLESSLY WOULD HAVE DONE SO HAD HE NOT BEEN DIVINELY PRESERVED FOR ANOTHER KIND OF DEATH.

* SO THE SORROW AND GRIEF TALKED ABOUT HERE SUGGESTS A SORROW SO DEEP IT ALMOST KILLS AND PROBABLY WOULD HAVE KILLED ANY OTHER PERSON.

** AND HOW FITTING THAT ISAIAH WOULD PROPHESY ABOUT CHRIST IN ISAIAH 53:3 SAYING: (READ IT).

*** AND FOLKS, I DON'T THINK WE CAN COMPREHEND THE DEEP GRIEF AND SORROW THAT JESUS WAS EXPERIENCING HERE.

**** I MEAN V. 38 REVEALS THE MOST VULNERABLE MOMENT OF OUR LORD'S HUMAN LIFE.

2. AND GOD WANTS US TO SEE THE AGONY OF HIS SON AS A REAL PERSON FACING THE HORRORS OF BEARING THE FULL WEIGHT OF HIS PEOPLE'S SINS!

* THIS TRULY IS A HOLY OF HOLIES TEXT.

** AND AFTER JESUS REVEALS THIS TO PETER, JAMES AND JOHN, HE TELLS THEM TO STAY WHERE THEY ARE AND TO KEEP WATCH WITH HIM.

*** HE ASKS THEM TO BE ALERT AND TO PRAY WITH HIM. TO KEEP AWAKE, TO BE ATTENTIVE AND AS WE'LL SEE IN V. 41, TO PRAY, FOR THEY ARE GOING TO BE TEMPTED IN A GREAT WAY.

**** SO IN VV. 36-38 WE SEE THE GREAT SORROW OF JESUS AS HE IS IN THE SHADOW OF THE CROSS, WHICH LEADS HIM TO PRAY, AND WHAT SHOULD WE DO WHEN WE HAVE GREAT SORROW AND GRIEF?

3. PRAY! AND THAT'S WHAT JESUS DOES AS WE MOVE ON TO OUR 2'D POINT TODAY, THE SUPPLICATION. LOOK AT V. 39 PLEASE.

II. THE SUPPLICATION, (READ V. 39)

A. NOW JESUS GOES A LITTLE FARTHER INTO THE GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE, ACCORDING TO LUKE 22:41, "A STONE'S THROW" WHICH WOULD BE ABOUT 30 TO 50 YARDS.

* AND HE FALLS ON HIS FACE TO PRAY TO HIS FATHER. AND FALLING ON HIS FACE SHOWS THE INTENSITY OF THE MOMENT, AND HIS POSTURE REFLECTED DEPENDENCE AND TOTAL SURRENDER TO HIS FATHER.

** AND HIS PRAYER IS GOING TO BE SO INTENSE THAT LUKE IN HIS PARALLEL COMPANION TEXT SAYS IN LUKE 22:44 - "AND BEING IN AGONY HE WAS PRAYING VERY FERVENTLY; AND HIS SWEAT BECAME LIKE DROPS OF BLOOD, FALLING DOWN UPON THE GROUND."

*** NOW LUKE SAYS: HIS SWEAT BECAME "LIKE" DROPS OF BLOOD.

**** MOST LIKELY MEANING THAT CHRIST'S PERSPIRATION WAS SO PROFUSE, THAT HE WAS SWEATING SO HARD FROM THE INTENSITY OF HIS PRAYING THAT IT WAS LIKE BLOOD FALLING TO THE GROUND.

1. OR IT COULD HAVE BEEN LIT. BLOOD FALLING TO THE GROUND. THERE IS A MEDICAL CONDITION CALLED "HEMATIDROSIS" THAT SOMETIMES OCCURS UNDER HEAVY EMOTIONAL DISTRESS.

* WHERE SUBCUTANEOUS CAPILLARIES BURST UNDER STRESS AND BLOOD MINGLES WITH ONE'S PERSPIRATION, EXITING THROUGH THE SWEAT GLANDS.

** AND THAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED. BUT REGARDLESS OF THE MEANING, THIS IS AN INTENSE TIME OF PRAYER.

*** IN FACT, IT IS SO INTENSE, THAT LUKE RECORDS IN LUKE 22:43 THAT AN ANGEL WAS SENT TO COMFORT AND STRENGTHEN THE LORD, REFLECTING BOTH THE INTENSITY OF THE ORDEAL AND THE FATHER'S CONCERN.

**** AND SPECIFICALLY JESUS BEGINS THIS PRAYER SAYING "MY FATHER."

2. AND JESUS ALWAYS, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF WHEN HE WAS ON THE CROSS, ADDRESSED GOD THE FATHER, AS FATHER.

* BUT ONLY ON THIS OCCASION DO WE SEE JESUS ADDRESSING HIS FATHER AS "MY FATHER", WHICH HE DOES IN V. 42 OF OUR TEXT.

** AND THIS ADDRESS NOT ONLY SHOWS INTENSE INTIMACY, FOR MARK IN HIS GOSPEL IN MARK 14:36 ADDS THAT JESUS ALSO ADDRESSED HIS FATHER AS "ABBA! FATHER!"

*** ABBA BEING AN ARAMAIC WORD OF ENDEARMENT ROUGHLY EQUIVILENT TO "DADDY".

3. AND SPECIFICALLY JESUS PRAYED, "IF IT IS POSSIBLE, LET THIS CUP PASS FROM ME; YET NOT AS I WILL, BUT AS THOU WILT." * NOW THE CUP HERE IS A SYMBOL OF HIS SUFFERING AND DEATH. FOR GOD'S WRATH AND JUDGMENT ARE SOMETIMES PICTURED IN THE O.T. AS A CUP TO BE DRUNK.

** AND THIS CUP SYMBOLIZED THE SUFFERING JESUS WOULD ENDURE ON THE CROSS.

*** AND JESUS IN ESSENCE, ASKED HIS FATHER, IF THERE WAS ANOTHER WAY, IF IT WERE POSSIBLE WITHIN THE FATHER'S REDEMPTIVE PLAN AND PURPOSE, IF THERE COULD BE ANOTHER WAY TO DELIVER PEOPLE FROM SIN, LET IT BE FATHER.

**** THIS WAS AN HONEST EXPRESSION OF JESUS' HUMANESS IN KNOWING THE HIGH COST OF THE CROSS. CHRIST'S PRAYER IS SIMPLY AN HONEST EXPRESSION OF HUMAN PASSION.

4. FATHER, IF THERE CAN BE ANOTHER WAY TO SAVE PEOPLE, LET IT BE.

* BUT IN THE PLAN OF GOD, THERE WAS NO OTHER WAY. AND WHAT IS REVEALED IN THE PRAYER AS IT UNFOLDS IS THE SYSTEMATIC SURRENDER OF THOSE HUMAN PASSIONS TO THE DIVINE WILL.

** YET NOT AS I WILL, BUT AS THOU WILT. FATHER, YOUR WILL BE DONE.

*** AND BELOVED WHAT WE SEE HERE IS, OUR LORD IN HIS INCARNATION, BECOMING MAN, WAS NOT MERELY PLAYING AT BEING HUMAN, HE WAS HUMAN IN THE FULLEST SENSE.

**** HE TOOK ON ALL OF OUR INFIRMITIES EXCEPT FOR OUR SIN, READ HEBREWS 4:15.

5. SO JESUS WAS 100% HUMAN AND 100% GOD. AND AT THIS MOMENT IN THE GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE, HIS HUMANITY MANIFESTED ITSELF AS CLEARLY AS AT ANY TIME EVER IN HIS MINISTRY.

* BUT HIS WILL WAS SUBMITTING TO HIS FATHER, SO THE FATHER'S WILL TOOK PRECEDENCE OVER HIS HUMAN EMOTIONS, OVER KNOWING AS HOLY GOD, WHAT WAS AHEAD OF HIM.

** THIS IS PRETTY PROFOUND, SEEING BEFORE OUR EYES JESUS' HUMANITY AND DEITY, WRAPPED UP IN A BODY.

*** WELL, AFTER JESUS PRAYS THIS THE FIRST TIME, HE GOES TO CHECK UP ON PETER, JAMES AND JOHN. LOOK AT V. 40 PLEASE. B. READ V. 40. NOW JESUS WALKS THE 30 TO 50 YARDS TO PETER, JAMES AND JOHN AND FINDS THEM SLEEPING.

* AND HE ADDRESS PETER, FOR HE'S THE LEADER AMONG LEADERS, BUT IN HIS ADDRESS, HE IS ADDRESSING JAMES AND JOHN ALSO, FOR THE PRONOUN YOU IS IN THE PLURAL FORM.

** AND JESUS ASKS, COULD YOU NOT KEEP WATCH WITH ME FOR AN HOUR?

*** YOU CAN'T STAY AWAKE AND PRAY FOR AN HOUR?

**** AND THOSE WHO BOASTED OF DYING FOR JESUS BACK IN V. 35 COULD NOT EVEN KEEP AWAKE FOR HIM.

***** AND IN FAIRNESS TO PETER, JAMES AND JOHN, IT WAS LATE, THEY HAD HAD A MONSTER WEEK, AND THEIR SLEEPING COULD BE ATTRIBUTED TO SORROW.

1. FOR LUKE SAYS IN HIS PARALLEL TEXT IN LUKE 22:45 THAT THE DISCIPLES WERE "SLEEPING FROM SORROW".

* AND LUKE AS A PHYSICIAN GIVES THIS DIAGNOSIS OF THE DISCIPLE'S EMOTIONAL STATE AT THIS TIME. FOR SLEEP IS OFTEN A MEANS OF ESCAPE WHEN WE ARE DEPRESSED.

** AND THE DISCIPLES WERE NOT ONLY FRUSTRATED AND CONFUSED, BUT PROBABLY DEPRESSED FROM HEARING THAT THEIR LEADER WAS GOING TO DIE AND NOT SET UP HIS KINGDOM. PLUS THEY WERE PROBABLY EXHAUSTED.

*** SO IN THEIR DOWNNESS, THEY SLEEP RATHER THAN PRAY, WHICH WOULD HAVE HELPED THEM OUT OF THEIR DEPRESSION.

**** AND JESUS WILL ADMONISH THEM TO PRAY IN V. 41. LOOK AT V. 41 PLEASE.

C. READ V. 41. NOW WE HAVE A COMMAND HERE FOR PETER, JAMES AND JOHN, "KEEP WATCHING AND PRAYING".

* FOR THE VERB KEEP OR WATCH IS A PRESENT IMPERATIVE IN THE GREEK LANGUAGE, MEANING THE COMMAND IS TO BE CONSTANTLY OBEYED.

** IN OTHER WORDS, THE NEED FOR SPIRITUAL VIGILANCE IS NOT OCCASIONAL BUT CONSTANT.

*** WE NEED TO BE PRAYING CONSTANTLY, IN FACT I THESS. 5:17 SAYS: (READ IT). ALSO READ ROMANS 12:12 AND EPHESIANS 6:18.

**** AND BELOVED, WE NEED TO PRAY EVEN MORE WHEN WE ARE WEAK, DISCOURAGED AND DEPRESSED SO THAT WE DON'T ENTER INTO TEMPTATION.

1. FOR WE ARE TEMPTED EVEN THAT MUCH MORE WHEN WE ARE TIRED, WEAK, DISCOURAGED AND DEPRESSED.

* AND WE ARE MORE SUSCEPTIBLE AT THOSE TIMES. AND PETER, JAMES AND JOHN AND THE REST OF THE DISCIPLES WERE GOING TO BE TEMPTED IN A GREAT WAY IN A SHORT TIME WHEN JESUS WOULD BE ARRESTED.

** THEIR DREAMS WERE GOING TO GO DOWN THE TUBES. BUT THEY COULD HAVE VICTORY THROUGH PRAYER!

*** AND THEY WERE REMINDED THAT THE SPIRIT IS WILLING, BUT THE FLESH IS WEAK.

**** MEANING: PETER AND THE OTHERS CERTAINLY HAD GOOD INTENTIONS AND A WILLINGNESS TO DO RIGHT IN THEIR SPIRIT, SMALL "S" SPIRIT.

2. THERE IS ALWAYS A DESIRE TO DO RIGHT FOR TRUE CHRISTIANS IN THEIR REGENERATED SPIRIT, BUT THE FLESH IS WEAK. WE ARE WEAK IN AND OF OURSELVES IN OUR HUMANESS.

* SO THE HUMAN CONDITION IS ONE OF INABILITY TO DO WHAT THE SPIRIT MAY DESIRE. AND GOOD INTENTIONS ARE NOT SUFFICIENT, AS THE FLESH MUST BE EMPOWERED BY GOD HIMSELF TO MAKE GOD'S SERVANT WHAT HE NEEDS TO BE.

** BELOVED WE ARE WEAK IN THE FLESH, BUT THROUGH PRAYER WE CAN BE STRONG AND YIELD TO WHAT WE KNOW IS RIGHT IN OUR SPIRIT SUBMITTING TO THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

*** JOHN BUNYAN SAID: "PRAYER IS A SHIELD TO THE SOUL, A SACRIFICE TO GOD AND A SCOURGE TO SATAN."

**** SO PRAYER IS A KEY HERE, TO OVERCOME TEMPTATION WE MUST REMEMBER THAT. BUT I NEED TO MOVE ON TIME WISE. LOOK AT V. 42.

D. READ V. 42. NOW IN V. 42, JESUS GOES BACK TO WHEN HE WAS PRAYING.

* AND BASICALLY JESUS PRAYED THE SAME THING HE PRAYED TO HIS FATHER THE FIRST TIME. FOR MARK IN MARK 14:39 SAYS: "AND AGAIN HE WENT AWAY AND PRAYED, SAYING THE SAME WORDS."

** AND BY PRAYING THE SAME THING, WE SEE THE MODEL OF DILIGENT PERSISTENT PRAYER. AND JESUS WAS A MODEL OF THAT.

*** AND AFTER JESUS PRAYS A 2'D TIME HE GOES BACK TO CHECK ON THE DISCIPLES. LOOK AT V. 43 PLEASE.

E. READ V. 43. NOW AS JESUS RETURNS TO PETER, JAMES AND JOHN, THEY WERE SAWING LOGS AGAIN, THEY WERE SLEEPING AGAIN BECAUSE THEIR EYES WERE HEAVY, THEY WERE TIRED.

* AND THEIR EYES WERE HEAVY BECAUSE THEY WOULD NOT SEEK THE FATHER'S HELP THROUGH PRAYER, SO THEY FOUND THEMSELVES POWERLESS EVEN TO STAY AWAKE.

** AND JESUS LEAVES AGAIN TO GO AND PRAY AGAIN, LOOK AT V. 44 PLEASE.

F. READ V. 44. NOW JESUS GOES AND PRAYS A THIRD TIME, SAYING THE SAME THING ONCE MORE.

* WHICH AGAIN SHOWS PERSISTENT PRAYER.

** AND IT'S INTERESTING THAT THE APOSTLE PAUL PRAYED THREE TIMES ABOUT THE SAME THING IN II COR. 12:7-10 (READ II COR. 12:7&8).

*** AND GOD GAVE PAUL GRACE TO BEAR HIS THORN IN THE FLESH.

**** AND THAT LEADS US TO AN IMPORTANT TRUTH, PERSISTENCE IN PRAYER DID NOT GET GOD TO CHANGE HIS MIND, BUT IT DID CHANGE PAUL'S MIND SO THAT HE SAW HIS WEAKNESS DIFFERENTLY.

1. AND JESUS PERSISTENTLY PRAYED 3 TIMES, AND THE FATHER WOULD GIVE HIM STRENGTH TO CARRY OUT THE TASK THAT JESUS CAME TO PLANET EARTH FOR, TO DIE ON THE CROSS.

* AND THAT'S OUR THIRD AND LAST POINT TODAY, THE STRENGTH, WHICH WE'LL SEE QUICKLY. LOOK AT V. 45 PLEASE.

III. THE STRENGTH, (READ V. 45)

A. NOW THESE 3 DISCIPLES FELL BACK ASLEEP BECAUSE THEY WERE CONTROLLED BY THE NATURAL RATHER THAN THE SPIRITUAL OR THE SUPERNATURAL.

* THEY WERE SO TOTALLY SUBJECT TO THE FLESH AND IT'S NEEDS THAT THEY WERE INDIFFERENT TO THEIR OWN NEEDS AND INDIFFERENT TO CHRIST AND WHAT HE WAS GOING THROUGH.

** SO JESUS ASKS THIS QUESTION OF THEM IN V. 45. AND OF COURSE THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION IS YES, THEY WERE SLEEPING AGAIN, TAKING A REST.

*** THEN JESUS SAYS "BEHOLD" OR "LOOK", WHICH IS USED TO CALL ATTENTION TO SOMETHING.

**** AND WHAT JESUS WAS CALLING ATTENTION TO WAS THAT "THE HOUR IS AT HAND."

1. THE MOMENT HAD COME FOR THE SON OF MAN TO BE BETRAYED AND GIVEN OVER TO THE JEWS AND THE ROMANS - THE SINNERS.

* AND JESUS IN HIS SUBMISSION TO HIS FATHER RECEIVED THE STRENGTH HE NEEDED TO FULFILL THE PLAN OF GOD TO DIE AND THIS BETRAYAL WOULD BE THE FIRST STEP THAT WOULD LEAD TO HIS DEATH.

** LOOK AT V. 46 PLEASE.

B. READ V. 46. NOW THERE WAS NOTHING MORE THAT JESUS NEEDED TO DO AND NOTHING MORE THE DISCIPLES WERE WILLING TO DO.

* AND INSTEAD OF JESUS WAITING FOR JUDAS AND HIS ENEMIES TO COME TO HIM, IN THE STRENGTH OF HIS FATHER HE WENT OUT TO MEET THEM.

** JESUS WAS WILLINGLY MOVING TOWARD THE CROSS. AND RATHER THAN HIDING, COWERING BACK, OR STAYING PROSTRATE ON THE GROUND UNTIL THEY PULLED HIM AWAY, JESUS REFLECTED THE PEACE AND DIGNITY OF ONE CONTENT AND STRENGTHENED THROUGH PRAYER, TO DO THE FATHER'S WILL. (AMEN)

AND IN A QUICK CLOSING: (1) AS BELIEVERS, WE SHOULD BE IN AWE OF WHAT WE SEE IN THE GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE.

* AND WE SHOULD BE MOVED BY THAT AWE TO SURRENDER OF OUR WILLS, SERVICE AND WORSHIP.

** AND I QUITE FRANKLY DON'T KNOW HOW WE CANNOT BE MOVED TO THOSE THINGS AS WE SEE THE FATHER AND SON'S LOVE IN THE PLAN OF REDEMPTION.

(2) THEN NO. 2 MAY WE BE ADMONISHED TO PRAY IN THE TIME OF TEMPTATION EVEN MORE, AND PRAYING SO WE DO NOT "FALL INTO" TEMPTATION. THIS IS PREVENTATIVE PRAYER.

* AND WHEN WE'RE WEAK AND TIRED AND DISCOURAGED, PRAY!

** AND NOT ONLY DO WE LEARN TO CONFRONT TEMPTATION WITH PRAYER, BUT WE LEARN THAT PRAYER IS NOT A MEANS OF BENDING GOD'S WILL TO OUR OWN, BUT OF SUBMITTING OUR WILLS TO HIS.

*** TRUE PRAYER IS YIELDING TO WHAT GOD WANTS FOR AND OF US, REGARDLESS OF THE COST, EVEN IF THE COST IS DEATH.

**** AND THE NATURE OR CHARACTER OF OUR PRAYING IN THE FACE OF TEMPTATION SHOULD BE TO CRY OUT TO THE LORD FOR HIS STRENGTH TO RESIST THE IMPULSE TO REBEL AGAINST GOD'S WILL, WHICH IS WHAT ALL SIN IS.

(2) SO MAY WE PRAY LORD, NOT MY WILL BUT YOURS BE DONE. I CLOSE WITH I JOHN 5:14 WHICH REMINDS US HOW TO PRAY IN FAITH AND CONFIDENCE. (READ IT AND PRAY).