Luke 22:39-53

Well, we're spending morning and evening in Luke's Gospel. We don't normally do that, but I've really, really enjoyed it actually.

! I wonder whether we should do it more often. Kind of wallow in the book of the Bible. And that's what we're going to do. It's my last Sunday before holiday next week.

And we should go to Luke 23 to 25. Verse 25, I think.

I read a letter in this past week that was written by a colonel in the German army who at the age of 42, having been falsely accused of taking part in an attempt to assassinate Adolf Hitler, he was executed, put to death in October 1944.

His name, Alexis Van Renn. And a few minutes before his execution, by hanging, he penned these words to his wife.

My dearest beloved, in a moment, I shall be going home to our Lord in complete calm and in the certainty of salvation.

These words remind us, don't they, of another man, a more famous man, who was executed the next year, in 1945.

He was hanged in Flossenburg. And the camp doctor, who had witnessed many, many executions, gave this testimony. The man's name was Deidre Bonhoeffer.

The doctor said this, I was most deeply moved by the way this lovable man prayed, so devout and so certain that God has heard his prayer.

At the place of execution, he again said a short prayer and then climbed the steps to the gallows, brave and composed.

In the almost 50 years I worked as a doctor, I have hardly seen a man die so entirely submissive to the will of God.

And so my question is this, what happened to the Lord Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane?

What happened to the Lord Jesus there? Because there's no tranquility there, is there?

There's no calmness of spirit.

His experience is that of anxiety, it is that perspiration falls onto the ground in death's family, like great drops of blood hitting the ground.

Luke tells us, and he is the most discreet of all the Gospel writers, he describes the event.

And he tells us that our Lord Jesus was in agony as he faced his death.

Mark tells us that he was in such a state of kind of mental exhaustion, he felt such pressure on the eve of his crucifixion,

that the only language he would use, which we would use, is to describe somebody so shocked by what he or short saw,

that they're driven to total distraction.

And yet the strange thing is that what this Saviour experienced before his death in the garden of Gethsemane,

explains why those wonderful Christian believers have faced their death in such peace and even anticipation, isn't it?

And even joy.

It is this unique Gethsemane that we look at tonight that makes it possible for me and for you to find God's grace and God's peace

in the midst of all the world has to throw at us.

And that is the reason why millions of Christians have died peacefully in the face of execution for their faith.

The only possible explanation for that is the Lord Jesus Christ and Gethsemane.

And this is the beginning of what Jesus is about to experience in the course of these next few hours.

And I think it's important for us to realise that what Luke is doing is Luke is taking us to the very edge,

to the very edge of the most sacred day in history in the whole universe.

It's the day that makes Christian believers, it makes it possible for Christian believers to die sinning

because our Saviour died crying.

Do you remember how the writer of the Hebrews says, the writer of the Hebrews says

that with loud crying and tears Jesus prayed that his Father would save him from death.

Such is the pressure on the Lord Jesus here in the Garden of Gethsemane

that the pressure itself is in danger of killing him.

And I want to try and explore, and yet tonight even the greatest mind amongst us can only go so far.

I want us to think about this passage which takes us to the wonder of the Gospel

and to the heart of what we hold so dear, our salvation.

And it helps us to understand why it was Martin Luther said

that the reason Christians no longer have fear of death

is because no man feared death like this man.

And Luke takes us to the heart of it.

Instead it happens chronologically and geographically.

And he's actually prepared us, hasn't he?

He's been preparing virtually all the way through his Gospel.

In chapter 2 he emphasised the absolute reality of the humanity of our Lord Jesus.

That he grew in stature.

And he grew more and more facing the task that his Father placed before him.

So he not only increased in wisdom,

and in the way he so wisely used God's Word in so many different circumstances,

especially in temptation, but he grew in favour with men.

Not only with man, but with God also.

And we must never lose sight that there's a sense in which in these verses

Jesus enters a kind of no man's land.

Between heaven and earth.

That'll be seen, won't it, in that really mysterious cry on the cross,

my God, my God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

There was, there was never a day, was there?

There was never a day in his life when his Father loved him more than this day.

And that is where this great paradox and mystery lies.

It lies at the very heart of the Gospel of God's grace.

It says that his Son was obedient to the Father's will.

And was brought to a place of awful isolation.

And dereliction.

On the cross of Calvary.

Where he seems to have lost all sense of his Father's favour on him.

Crying out, my God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

That was the hour.

and because of that amazing obedience

his father must have sung, his father must have been able to sing that song

if ever I loved you, my Jesus is now

there seems to be three stages, as there nearly always is

that I want us to focus on tonight

and the first is that Luke is drawing our attention to the Lord Jesus' isolation

his isolation from his disciples and from all humanity

his isolation from the disciples and all humanity

he began to prepare us for that in chapter 7 and 9

you've got the transfiguration and that discussion

between Jesus and Moses and Elijah

and they discuss at the end of chapter 9 what is the exodus that Jesus is about to accomplish

and the disciples, those three, they would have got a glimpse of what was about to happen

in that discussion

because the exodus began, didn't it, how did it begin?

the exodus began with a terrible night of darkness and death and judgment

and we need to notice that it is within a few verses of that turning point, isn't it?

he speaks about the transfiguration of his exodus

that you get to chapter 9 where Jesus steadfastly sets his face to go to Jerusalem

and you get a picture of a group of disciples

who have been around Jesus

but now they begin to follow Jesus at a distance

they are slightly mystified

at this determination of his to go to Jerusalem

they don't understand it

and in a sense there is distance

again and again

he explains what he's doing

and again and again they don't get it

and now as he goes to the garden of Gethsemane

it's interesting how the story is set up

so look at verse 39

and he came out and went

as was his custom to the Mount of Olives

and the disciples followed him

they are not around him

they are following him

and there is it where you would see

if there was a movie

there's another scene, isn't it?

in the city of Jerusalem

there's another man

there's another force

there's another power

there's the dark side of Judas

and he is leading another group of men

but they have swords

and they have clubs

and Jesus says to them

this is your hour

and the hour is the hour of the power of darkness

and Jesus is going to be isolated

from those he counts near and dear

and isolated

from those who came to arrest him

and it's really clear

the ESV helps us here

look at the titles that follow

Betrayal and Arrest of Jesus

denial of Jesus

Jesus is mocked

Jesus before the council

Jesus before Pilate

Jesus before Herod

Pilate delivers Jesus to be crucified

the crucifixion

the death of Jesus

Jesus is buried

and so more and more

as you walk through these passages

you see that Jesus

is going into a sphere

which no one can enter and follow him

no one can stand before him

beside him at the cross

in chapter 23 verse 48

there it is isn't it

there are crowds

that have assembled

but all his acquaintances

and the women

that are followed

23 verse 48

from Galilee

they stood at a distance

watching these things

none of the ransomed knew

how deep were the waters crossed

or how dark was the night

that the Lord passed through

ere he found the sheep

that was lost

there's an isolation

of Jesus

at the heart of the gospel

he goes

where none other can go

and where he goes

is not only isolation

but Luke makes it

vividly clear

the way that he tells this story

that Jesus' isolation

had to do with Jesus' substitution

Jesus' isolation

and secondly

Jesus' substitution

substitution

and I think

we never grasp

the gospel

you never grasp

the gospel

until you understand

that the death

he died

was not his death

but our death

and Luke

expresses that

in very dramatic

simplicity

I wonder

if you were making

a film of this

think about that

if you were thinking

about a film like this

this is what I would do

Jesus

he moves from

the upper room

to the garden

of Gethsemane

and my camera

would follow him

there as he went

and then it would

move backwards

to the upper room

to the upper room

where they had left

and it would focus

on that cup

do you remember

we saw it last week

that cup

that's sitting

on the table

the cup of blessing

in the Passover meal

that Jesus

as he picked up

that cup

he said

I will not drink

of the fruit

of this vine

again

until I drink

it anew

in my father's

kingdom

and then he gives

that cup of blessing

to his disciples

and he says

drink

drink deeply

of the cup

of blessing

it's a wonderful thing

what can we give

to the Lord

for all his benefits

towards us

we will take

the cup

of salvation

that is the cup

of blessing

through faith

in Christ

the blessings

of grace

and salvation

and fellowship

with the father

and all these things

he offers

that family

around the table

and he says

to his disciples

drink deeply

of this cup

and then

Achim

would zoom

back out

to the garden

of Gethsemane

and it's a shadowy

figure there

isn't it

as he kneels

and he prays

at a distance

for his beloved

disciples

and the darkness

is pierced

by a prayer

the prayer

that you hear

is father

if it is possible

let this cup

pass from me

and you know

the bible

makes it very clear

what that cup

is too

there are many

references to that

cup in the old

testament

that is the

terrible cup

of judgment

that will fall

upon sinners

it's fascinating

go home

and look

at some of the

passages

and you notice

so many things

that they say

that will happen

to whoever drinks

that cup

of judgment

are quite literally

fulfilled

in the experience

of Jesus

you will drink

and be moved

and be driven

to destruction

your glory

will be turned

into shame

you will be

demeaned

and you will be

mocked

and you see

what is happening

here in this picture

the Lord Jesus

has given to his

disciples

the cup

of salvation

the cup

of blessing

and said

drink this cup

and drink it

deeply

but the only way

that they can

drink the cup

of salvation

and blessing

is if he goes

to the garden

of Gethsemane

and drinks

this other cup

because this

isn't simply

an experience

of human

isolation

this is

isn't it

the saviour's

commitment

to an act

of saving

substitution

and the

whole Bible

comes to

its epicenter

it's like

those Old

Testament pictures

of atonement

the sacrifice

of two goats

over which

the priest

would confess

the sins

of the people

one was to

be slain

and the other

was to be

taken into

a no man's

land

by the hand

of a worthy

man

and then

let loose

and there

in the wilderness

he bore the

sin and the guilt

of the people

and here is

Jesus

beginning to

enter into

the fulfilment

of those two

pictures

he bears our

sin

and our guilt

and he goes

out into that

awful wilderness

that he is

beginning to

experience

and within

hours he will

become the

sacrifice for

our sins

it's precisely

as Isaiah

prophesied

he would be

led as a

lamb to

the slaughter

and as a

sheep before

his shearers

he would be

done

he would be

wounded for

our transgressions

he would be

bruised for

our iniquities

the chastisement

that would bring

us peace

would be upon

him

with his stripes

we will be

healed

it's the

absolute heart

of the gospel

isn't it

that he dies

in order that

we might live

forever

that he bears

God's judgment

in order that

we might be

free of it

he goes

into the

darkness

that you

might come

into the

light

he chases

our guilt

that we

might

experience

his

righteousness

he takes

our curse

in order that

we would

know his

blessing

that's how

the apostles

understood what

Jesus was

doing

God makes

him to be

sin for

us

him who

knew no

sin

Paul says

in order that

this great

exchange

that we

might become

the righteousness

of God

Galatians 3

13

God makes

Jesus a

curse

in order that

the blessing

might come to

us

it is not

only isolation

it is isolation

in the most

radical sense

in order that

there might be

substitution

taking place

of Jesus

taking my

place under

God's

judgment

to bring me

into God's

amazing blessing

there is a

green hill

far away

outside a

city wall

where the

dear Lord

was crucified

why was he

crucified

he died to

save us all

we may not

know

we cannot

tell what

pains he had

to bear

but we believe

it was for

us

he hadn't

suffered there

rock of

ages

cleft

for me

in my

place

condemned

he stood

sealed my

pardon

with his

blood

and that is

what makes

us want to

stand up at

times in a

very

Presbyterian

way

and mumble

hand

as we stand

on the

outskirts

of

God's

family

Christ

isolation

Christ

substitution

Christ

submission

thirdly

you see what he

says in the

garden he

says not my

will

but yours

and that is an

amazing statement

it's amazing for

this reason I

hope clearly it

indicates to you

that there is

nothing

absolutely

nothing in

the Lord

Jesus

that would

encourage him

to drink

this cup

he is really

saying to his

father think

about this if

you can

he is saying

to his father

this is not

my will

how could it

be

how could it

be

about the

will of the

perfectly

holy

saviour

to want to

do anything

that would

lead him

into a

position

where he

cried out

my God

my God

why have

you

forsaken

me

no holy

man

could do

that

to will

to be

forsaken

by God

would be

sin wouldn't

it

Jesus

was a

holy

man

so there's

nothing about

this situation

that in

any sense

whatsoever

naturally

attracts his

his holy

humanity

his holy

humanity

runs from

this situation

father if

it's possible

let this

cup pass

from me

we must

never

minimise

the reality

of that

statement

by the

fact that

Jesus says

not my

will but

yours be

done

so I

wonder if

you see

what's

happening

here

Luke has

been setting

it up

so we

understand

it

right from

the very

beginning

do you

remember how

he said

early

all in

Luke's

chapter

he's saying

very clearly

that Jesus

is the

last

Adam

he's the

son of

Adam

Jesus is

paying the

price for

Adam's

sin

and Jesus

is reversing

all that

Adam did

in his

disobedience

remember

Genesis 3

Adam came

to a

tree

and it

tells us

that every

tree in

the garden

of the

knowledge

every tree

in the

garden

including the

tree of the

knowledge of

good and

evil is

described in

identical terms

that it was

beautiful to

behold and

delicious to

eat

the fruit

but about

this one tree

God has given

a command

do not eat

from the

tree

from that

tree

and there

is nothing

in Adam's

nature

that says

don't eat

that

trees

fruit

there's

nothing

that says

in Adam's

nature

don't

eat

apart from

God's

bare naked

command

and the

will of his

heavenly father

that says

to Adam

in the garden

of Eden

it says

trust me

and obey me

for there's

no other

way to be

happy

but to

trust and

obey

trust me

Adam

but Adam

disobeyed

and Adam

rebelled

against God

so now we

come to

another garden

and you are

with the

last Adam

a second

Adam

to the

fight

and to

the rescue

came

and he is

going to

an altogether

different kind

of tree

isn't he

he's going

to a tree

that is

of such

a nature

that everything

in his

holy humanity

wants to

resist it

oh father

no isolation

from you

you imagine

it is actually

inconceivable

isn't it

what this

must have

meant to

him

he'd never

known a

time

in all

of his

life

when he

wasn't

conscious

of his

heavenly

father

smiling

upon

him

loving

him

pouring

out

his

favour

upon

him

delighting

him

in him

and he

comes to

this tree

and there

is nothing

about this

tree that

could possibly

attract him

but it is

his heavenly

father's

will

there was

a greed

in concert

with his

son from

before the

foundation

of the

world

that his

son

would be

submissive

to the

father's

will

in an

obedience

in which

there was

no

attraction

whatsoever

in the

deed of

son

that he

was

summoned

to do

and

knowledge

how much

he

loves

you

and

me

and

there

in the

garden

of

gethsemane

in this

great

moment

it's

what Paul

speaks of

isn't it

in Philippians

chapter

he became

obedient

even

unto

death

even

the

death

of

cross

and

he's

really

saying

as he

looks

at

this

but

father

this

is

on

a

cursed

tree

he

knew

his

bible

to

the

lord

jesus

cursed

is

everyone

who

hangs

on

a

tree

Paul

knew

the same

bible

galatians

3

13

he

was

hanged

on

a

tree

and

therefore

he

tasted

the

curse

of

god

that

would

bring

such

desolation

upon

him

and

as we

meditate

on it

we

think

jesus

how

could

he

do

this

for

me

he's

done

this

for

us

he's

done

this

for

me

can

you

understand

the

wonder

of

soul

of

tarsus

being

able

to

say

the

son

of

god

loved

me

and

gave

himself

for

me

and

it

is

this

that

brings

us

salvation

a

child

can

understand

it

can't

he

dies

for

my

sins

and

I

receive

his

righteousness

and

his

forgiveness

upon

a life

I did

not

live

upon

a death

I did

not

die

I

stake

my

whole

eternity

we'll

come

later on

to

verses

where

people

pitied

the

Lord

Jesus

they

pitied

him

for

what

he

was

suffering

do

not

pity

him

don't

pity

him

you

can

go to

hell

pitying

the

Lord

Jesus

there

are

millions

who

felt

sorry

for

the

Lord

Jesus

warring

how

it

might

don't

pity

him

Jesus

doesn't

want

to

pity

you

are

the

one

who

pities

what

he's

looking

for

his

faith

and

he's

looking

for

the

dawning

of

the

truth

upon

your

mind

that

Jesus

died

for

me

so

I

may

live

with

him

for

all

eternity

Jesus

was

alone

that

I

may

never

be

alone

even

in the

midst

of

all

loneliness

I

will

never

be

alone

Jesus

has

become

a

substitute

for

me

and

he's

taken

my

place

on

the

cross

that

I

may

be

able

to

share

his

place

at

the

right

hand

of

the

heavenly

father

and

know

his

grace

and

his

glory

throughout

all

eternity

he

has

paid

the

price

that

I

might

have

the

gift

that's

all

ever

you

do

tonight

don't

pity

him

praise

him

and

sin

I

stand

amazed

in the

presence

of

Jesus

the

Nazarene

oh

how

marvellous

oh

how

wonderful

and that

is the

gospel

and there

is no

other

gospel

there's

so much

no other

gospel

that Paul

says

if an

angel

comes

and

preaches

another

message

let him

be

damned

but you

say

there must

be another

way

you're going

to stand

before

almighty

God

on the

last day

of

judgment

on your

life

and say

I know

what

your

son

went

through

but I

thought

I

would

come

another

way

don't

you

think

God

is

going

to

say

on

that

day

if

there

was

another

way

I

would

have

found

it

there

is

no

other

way

there

was

no

other

good

enough

to

pay

the

price

of

sin

he

only

could

unlock

the

gate

of

heaven

and

let

us

in

it

is

not

our

doing

but

his

doing

and the

cup

is

going

around

the

room

inside

the

cup

goes

around

the

room

in

the

preaching

of

the

gospel

the

cup

of

blessing

and

Jesus

offers

you

this

cup

of

blessing

I

offer

it

to

you

says

Jesus

because

I

am

going

to

drink

the

last

bitter

dregs

of

the

cup

of

terrible

judgment

and

cursing

this

cup

it

comes

to

you

tonight

will

you

drink

from

it

what

shall

we

do

we

take

the

cup

of

salvation

and

we

call

on

the

name

of

the

Lord

and

we

drink

he

did

this

for

you

do

you

believe

he

did

this

for

you

do

you

do

you

trust

him

there

is

no

other

way

you

can

make

up

all

kinds

of

other

ways

but

if

the

heavenly

father

demanded

that

his

son

go

through

this

for

your

salvation

I

cannot

begin

to

tell

you

how

foolish

you

would

be

to

think

that

you

can

say

to

him

I

found

another

way

the

cup

of

the

gospel

is

in

your

hands

drink

it

drink

it

deeply

this

is

our

gospel

trust

him

love

him

say

to

Jesus

how

could

you

do

all

this

for

me

it's

so

simple

isn't

it

because

I

love

you

with

all

my

heart

Jesus

trust

me

follow

me

serve

me

it's

amazing

isn't

it

what a

savior

that's

part