Come and See: The Garden of the Press

Mark chapter 14.

Mark 14 · chapter mention

Mark chapter 14, our passage today

Mark 14 · chapter mention

describes one of my favorite places on earth.

I got to visit in 2012 and one day soon

I hope to take my wife and go back.

It is the Garden of Gethsemane.

This passage is also some of the weightiest of all scripture.

Jesus had spent time with his disciples

teaching them how to live

and how to live on for him after he died.

Those teachings are recorded in John chapter 13 through 17

John 13 · chapter mention

that we looked at last week.

When they left that room, they went to the Mount of Olives,

a grove of olive trees to pray.

And in the center of that grove on the Mount of Olives,

just across the Kindred Valley from the Temple Mount,

is a garden that is surrounding an oil press.

It is called the Garden of Gethsemane.

Gethsemane meaning oil press.

It's where they gathered the olives and came

and pressed them into oil.

Jesus and his disciples had just spent precious time

in the upper room.

They left the upper room and they traveled

about three-fourths of a mile

to the garden for a time of prayer.

It is a special place.

And I want you to understand why this morning.

It's found in Mark chapter 14, beginning in verse 32,

Mark 14 · chapter mention

and it says this.

They went to a place called Gethsemane,

and he said to his disciples,

sit here while I pray.

And he took with him Peter and James and John

and began to be greatly distressed and troubled.

And he said to them,

my soul is very sorrowful even to death.

Remain here and watch.

And going a little farther,

he fell on the ground and prayed that if it were possible,

the hour might pass from him.

And he said, Abba Father,

all things are possible for you.

Remove this cup from me.

Yet not what I will, but what you will.

And he came and found them sleeping.

And he said to Peter, Simon, are you asleep?

Could you not watch for one hour?

Watch and pray that you will not enter into temptation.

The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

And again he went away and prayed,

saying the same words.

And again, he came and found them sleeping,

for their eyes were very heavy,

and they did not know what to answer him.

And he came the third time and said to them,

are you still sleeping and taking your rest?

It is enough.

The hour has come.

The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.

Rise, let us be going.

See, my betrayer.

The God is at hand.

The events of the garden are amazing to me.

I've spent years combing over this.

And to summarize,

I'm most amazed by three factors.

All of them are very relevant to us today as well.

First, I'm blown away by the suffering.

Jesus suffered in the garden.

Understand, he knew what was coming.

John tells us that when the disciples came to arrest him,

that he knew all that would happen to him.

Yet even though he knew what was to happen

and why they were there,

he asked them,

whom do you seek?

Who are you looking for?

Now, I want you to understand something about that question.

And let me just say all the questions that God asks us.

God never asks us questions because he needs the answers.

He already knows.

We need to deal with what the answer to his question is.

He knew what was coming.

And even knowing that it was not easy,

there was nothing easy about the cross.

And we often think about the physical aspects of that.

And in a couple of weeks,

we'll look at that in detail.

And we think about the emotional aspect of that,

the shame that went along with a man

who was sinless and yet hung,

like a sinner.

But honestly, the spiritual part

is what breaks my heart the most.

The events in the garden revealed that

because he said,

and he said to them,

my soul is very sorrowful,

even to death.

Luke records for us in Luke 22, verse 43,

Luke 22:43

that his sweat became like great drops of blood

falling upon the ground.

That actually describes a rare but well-documented malady

that comes to people under tremendous stress

called hematidrosis.

And hematidrosis is when

there's so much stress upon you

that the capillaries in your face

that normally would cause you to blush

actually burst.

And the blood runs out of the sweat pores

in the face and in the head.

That bursting is only due to intense stress.

And through those sweat glands,

the blood runs

and the person actually sweats blood.

It's not only rare,

it is painful.

And to think about what would happen

in just not too long from that time

when they would ram a crown of thorns

upon that same head

that had went through that,

it was absolutely amazingly difficult.

When Jesus struggled though,

notice that he struggled over the cup.

That's what he asked for God

to somehow let him pass from.

The cup.

So what is the cup?

The Old Testament tells us clearly.

It says in Psalm 75, 6 through 8,

it says this,

for not from the east or from the west

and not from the wilderness comes lifting up,

but it is God who executes judgment,

putting down one and lifting up another.

For in the hand of the Lord,

there is a cup with foaming wine,

well mixed,

and he pours out from it,

and all the wicked of the earth

shall drain it down to its dregs.

Isaiah 51, 17 gives us a better example.

It says,

wake yourself,

wake yourself,

stand up,

old Jerusalem,

you who have drunk from the hand of the Lord,

the cup of his wrath,

who have drunk down to the dregs,

the bowl,

the cup of staggering.

Isaiah 51,

21 and 22 celebrates the release

of the wrath of God.

And it says,

therefore hear this,

you who are afflicted,

who are drunk,

but not with wine.

Thus says the Lord,

the Lord,

your God,

who pleads the case of his people,

behold,

I am taking from your hand

the cup of staggering,

the bowl of my wrath,

you shall drink no more.

The cup that he speaks of

is like a bad drink

that ruins lives.

Now some of you don't want to hear

what I'm about to say,

but I'll tell you

that I don't apologize

when I share the evils of alcohol.

Alcohol has caused ruin

for too many people.

If it hasn't for you,

I encourage you to stop now

before it does

because it is simply not worth it.

A person,

a city,

nothing else will ever thrive

because of alcohol.

It may look like it does for a season,

but it will not.

Adrian Rogers said one time,

alcohol is the most dangerous drug in America

because of its acceptance,

availability,

and the effect that it has upon hearts

and the misery that it brings.

Now I'm not preaching on alcohol today,

but I'll be happy to if I need to.

Alcohol is what is used to describe

what it's like to be under the influence

of the wrath of God.

It compares the wrath of God

to the agony and destruction

that can be caused upon somebody

by lives who have been devastated

by alcohol.

Some of you know exactly what I'm talking about

because you've seen folks struggle with it,

you've seen lives destroyed by it,

you've seen folks' lives taken away

just simply by somebody

doing something stupid

under the influence of alcohol.

And he uses that example,

of all examples,

over and over again,

he uses that example

of the struggle of someone

who's under the wrath of God.

I'll tell you the struggle for Christ,

it was not the nails,

it was not the thorns,

it was not,

he struggled over the cup

of God's wrath.

2 Corinthians 5 verse 21 tells us,

2 Corinthians 5:21

for our sake he made him to be sin

who knew no sin.

So thank God in him

we might become

the righteousness of God.

Don't misunderstand me.

His mind was made up.

Luke 9 51 tells us

that he set his face toward Jerusalem.

That was when he knew

what he was to go to Jerusalem for.

And his mind was set,

his eyes were set,

he knew what he was to do.

But that does not make it easy.

And as he prays in this garden

right before he's to be arrested,

he is simply saying,

if there is another way,

if the feeling of separation

from the Father can be avoided,

let it.

As all of the sin of the world

comes upon his back,

I am grown convinced

over the years

that Christ in the garden

expresses the greatest sense

of solitude,

the greatest sense of loneliness,

the greatest sense of despair

of anything outside the cross itself.

No one could go for him.

No one could even go with him.

It is the greatest sense of sorrow

over the separation,

the greatest sense of struggle.

Luke 22 verse 43 tells us

Luke 22:43

that an angel from heaven

appeared to him

and strengthened him.

And I believe it is

the greatest sense of struggle

in all of humanity

outside of the cross itself.

There was suffering

in the garden.

I'll tell you what else there was.

There was also the sleep.

He asked them to pray

and instead they fell asleep.

Preoccupied by their own needs,

they missed the power of the hour.

Man, I'd love to point a finger at them.

I really would.

But the reality is

if we look at our lives,

we've had too many gardens

of slumber in our own lives.

Opportunities that we have

simply slept through.

While God is doing

a work of redemption

for our world,

the church too often slumbers.

We too often fail to respond

to his call for us to pray,

for his call for us to share,

for his call for us to lead

those who need him

so desperately.

And we know from our own experience

that we are too woefully weak

in spiritual matters.

And so we often remain silent

when we have opportunities

to speak for Christ.

We often tolerate unrighteousness

when we ought to be

standing against it.

We're often timid

when we ought to be bold.

We often do nothing

when we ought to act.

We're often silent

when we ought to speak up.

Left to ourselves

apart from the grace

and power and might of God,

we all lack the strength,

the fortitude

to stand up for Christ.

And sometimes maybe

even sit up for Christ.

So if you are appalled

at them for sleeping

in the midst of this,

let's also be appalled

for the numerous

missed opportunities

that we have

in our own life.

The times when our tongues

are too silent.

The times when we are

wearily nodding

in our slumbering heads

instead of paying attention

to what God is doing

in our world

and in our lives.

It's not only the sleep

and it's not only the struggle,

it's also the silence.

Let me explain.

I've often stumbled

over Judas.

I can't understand

how somebody

who walked with Christ himself

never heeded the message.

He was entrusted.

He was their treasure.

He was entrusted

yet he bribed for Christ.

The Bible says

that he betrayed

Jesus with a kiss.

Previously setting Jesus up,

he's telling the mob

that Jesus would be the one

that he would kiss.

What a way to betray somebody.

I mean the kiss in that day

was a sign of respect.

The kiss in that day

was a sign of homage

as well as affection.

Slaves would kiss

the feet of their master

out of respect.

Students would kiss

the hem of the garment

of their teacher.

A kiss on the hand

was common

as a sign of respect

and honor.

It was common.

But a kiss on the face,

that was a special

kind of embrace.

That was only to be done

among the closest of friends.

And yet that's exactly

how Judas identified

who Jesus was

for the soldiers

that were to arrest him

that didn't know

what he looked like.

And I want to point at Judas

and say,

shame on you!

How in the world

did you miss

the opportunity of Christ

when he walked

right there before you?

How did you betray him

with a kiss?

How in the world?

But let's be honest.

If we can't be honest

with each other,

let's at least be honest

with God.

How many times

have we tried to embrace him

while disobeying him?

How many times

have we made bribes

with the world

to be somewhat Christian

but somewhat worldly?

To have a little bit of this

and a little bit of that.

How many times

have we come to worship

wanting blessing

while we've ignored

unconfessed sin

in our own life

and expected God

to bless us?

It's a hindrance.

It's a shame

to sin against God.

It's shameless

to embrace him

with his people

as if we love him

and then betray him

with our sin.

And the truth is

that Judas

was not led

by love of God.

He was led

by love of self.

And possibly

the biggest

wow statement

in all of Scripture

is found in Matthew 26

Matthew 26:24

verse 24.

And it says

the Son of Man

goes at his written of him

but woe to that man

by whom the Son of Man

is betrayed.

It would have been

better for that man

if he had not

been

born.

What a statement.

The disciples slept.

When God asked them

to get up on their face

and pray with him

they slept.

When he went back

they continued to sleep.

When he went back

again they continued

to sleep.

How many times

has Christ

asked us to go

an extra mile

and we passively

have passed it by?

Judas had the greatest

opportunity

the grandest opportunity

in life

the will of God

and he walked away

from it.

Has God

ever spoken

to you

and found

a professed

Christian

that was too

selfish

in his or her ways

to be obedient?

All the while

he drinks

the cup

of God's wrath

for

your sin

and my sin

and our sin.

he suffers

the cross

as an innocent

man

for the sins

of sinners

that too often

are reckless

and that are not

really willing

to sacrifice

their appetite

for stuff

and their appetite

for lust

and their appetite

for power

for the lordship

of Christ

to really be

in their lives.

I think we need

to fall on our face.

and have a garden

type experience.

In all the sacred places

in the Holy Land

years ago

in that worn

torn area

they began building

chapels

on top of those

sacred spots.

Some of them

great cathedrals

to protect

that spot.

to see where

Christ

was believed

to be born.

You go into

a huge cathedral

and walk

down a narrow

stairway

and look down

in the basement

at one small

spot

that's protected

by all that

building

as to where

he was to be born

in the Palestinian

land of Bethlehem.

the garden

of Gethsemane

is still there.

Some of the olive

trees that are there

were there

when Christ

prayed that day.

When I went

in 2012

there was a man

almost 90 years old

that still took care

of those trees

and he would

prop up the branches

of those

2,000 year old trees

to make sure

that they

survived.

survived.

It's a special place.

And beside it

there is a large

cathedral built.

We walked into

that building

and across the stage

in the front of it

is a gated area

but inside

that gated area

is a rock

embedded in the ground.

It is the same

rock

facement

that rolls

through all

of the top

of the Mount

of Olives.

And it is thought

to be the rock

in which Christ

agonized

in prayer

that very night.

When I went

that day

that area

was crowded.

They were about

to have some type

of communion service

different denominational

thing than

what I was a part

of.

And I tried

to bust up

among them

and I wasn't

crazy about that.

As I backed

up

and went around

I looked over

in the corner

of that building

and that rock

that rolls

through that building

jetted up

over in the corner

along the wall.

You could see

how the rock

was coming out

of the wall

and how they

had built

that building

around that wall.

Most sacred time

I had

of all of them

in the Holy Land

was walking

over to that corner

putting my hands

on that rock

and kneeling

before it

and saying

thank you Christ.

thank you for

taking on

the cup

of God's wrath

for my sins.

Thank you for how

you've changed

my life

because of what

you were willing

to do for me

and how you went

and hung on

that cross

for me

to have salvation.

May my life

be lived

in gratitude

of what you've

done for me.

I don't know

what you need

to do this morning

but I think

somehow

God's allowed

us to reflect

on that time

for us

to just

thank him

for what

he's done

for us.

For some of you

that's a bowed

head and a

closed eye.

For the others

of you

it could be

a surrender

of your life

and when you

look back

over your

life

no matter

how long

you've been

in church

you realize

that there's

never been

a time

in your life

when you

surrendered

your life

to follow

the Lord

Jesus Christ.

You've never

asked him

to forgive you

of your sins

to come

into your

life

and to

change you.

Maybe

everybody

thinks that

you have

and maybe

nobody

thinks that

you have

but it

really don't

matter

what anybody

thinks

because there

comes a point

in your life

when you

must choose

to take the

offer that

he gives you.

and surrender

your life

to follow

Christ.

If you've

never done

that in

just a few

moments

we're going

to stand

and we're

going to

sing

but more

important

than that

is that

you surrender

your life

to the

Lord

Jesus

Christ.

He lived

a sinless

life and

died a

sinner's

death so

that you

could have

eternal

life.

Maybe

you're here

and you know

you have

done that

but you've

done that

privately

and you've

never done

that publicly

you've never

acknowledged

that.

Jesus

showed us

by example

and by

his teaching

that we

acknowledge

that through

baptism.

And if

you've never

been baptized

as a believer

maybe something

happened early

in your life

but since then

you've made

a decision

for Christ

but you've

never been

baptized

as a believer

you need

to come

make a

commitment

to do

that.

Maybe

you're

just

just like

I was

that day

and as

I am

today.

When you

realize

that

what God

has done

for you

you're

not worthy

of

and that

every breath

that you

live your

life

ought to be

for his

honor

and for

his glory

and the

reality is

we live

in such a

hectic

paced world

that we

don't bother

to settle

down

and wait

a moment

and reflect

upon the

wrath of

God

that Christ

endured

so we

don't have

to.

May this

be our

rock this

morning.

May this

be a

makeshift

altar for

us

to lay

it down

before the

Lord

as he

leads

I'll

never

ask you

to do

anything

that

God

don't

want

you

to

do

and

I

hope

I'll

never

let

you

be

satisfied

with

doing

anything

less.

I just

think you

ought to

honor God

with your

life

today.

Heavenly

Father I

love you

and I

thank you

for the

love that

you have

for us

and I

thank you

dear

Lord

for the

garden

of

Gethsemane

and I

thank you

dear

Lord

for what

you

endured

in that

time

and

I'm

thankful

that you

didn't

consider

our

worthiness

God

I ask

Lord that

we'll leave

here

more committed

to live our

lives for the

Lord Jesus

Christ than

we've ever

been before

and that as

we approach

that day

of celebration

of the

resurrection

of Christ

that our

hearts will

be so

right

and we'll

be so

ready

it'll be a

celebration like

we've never

experienced

oh God

help us to

do the

business at

hand

however you're

leading God

right now

in Jesus

precious name

I pray

amen

stand