Jesus and the Shadow of Good Friday

We're going to begin our worship by singing to God's praise in Psalm 91 from the Scottish Psalter.

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It's on page 351, Psalm 91 at verse number 1.

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In him trust I will.

We stand if we are able to sing from verse 1 to verse 6 to God's praise.

In all of him that is, the mighty shall abide.

I call the Lord my Father to save.

He is my refuge still.

He is my fortress and my hope.

And in him trust I will.

Assured he shall be saved.

And give deliverance from such a father's spirit.

And give us from the noise of best of lands.

His feathers shall be mighty like us.

Under his wings shall we.

His faithfulness shall be a shield.

And give us a shield and power unto thee.

The child of need to be afraid.

Or terror's of the night.

Nor for the hour.

O love doth fly.

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Let's bow our heads in prayer.

Almighty and most gracious God,

we are thankful to you for this new day.

We rejoice in you as the God who is

the God of the night and the God of the day,

the God who has caused the sun to rise

on this new morning.

And we gather to worship you

and we give thanks to you for the beauty of this day,

for its peace and for its good gifts

and for its privileges.

You are a great God who has created the universe

and created this world and all that dwells in it.

Give thanks to you for the way in which

your fingerprint on all that is made

reminds us of your glory and of your power.

And we pray today as we worship you

that the beauty that we see around us

will be in itself a stepping stone

to draw near to you as our God

and come to understand and to know and to appreciate

the beauty of the revelation you have given to us

in the passion of your Son.

We rejoice today in the Lord Jesus Christ as our Saviour.

We marvel at the news that you sent him into this world.

Lord, we can never fully appreciate what that sending meant

and what coming into this world meant for him.

But we do give thanks to you for that great sending.

We do give thanks to you for the life that the Lord Jesus lived.

We give thanks to you for the death that he died

and for the resurrection power with which he came back from the dead.

And we are thankful today that his work is not yet complete.

We are thankful that he is at your right hand

and we come to you in his name

thankful that he has secured with his death and his resurrection

the great gift and grace of salvation.

And praying today that we may sense indeed

our need to bow down at his footstool

to acknowledge his glory as our Saviour

and to give thanks to you for his finished work

and in doing so to be reminded

that there is the prospect of his return.

And we give thanks to you for the promises of your word

that your Son will return to this earth

and that he will stand upon it

and that every eye will see him.

So bless our worshipers.

We do worship you

that we may appreciate the work of your Son

and that in appreciating and laying hold

of all that he has done by faith

that we may live with that hope of everlasting life in our hearts

and the sure expectation of meeting with your Son

on that great last day

when the trumpet will sound

and when the dead will rise from their graves

and when all of the people of God

will be gathered around your Son

around your throne

and at last led into fountains of living water

and there to enjoy the eternal blessedness

of the paradise of God.

We pray for your blessing to be upon us

as we worship you.

We pray your blessing to be upon us

as we reflect upon your word.

We pray for your blessing to be upon all of our people.

We are mindful of those who are away from us at this time on holiday.

We pray that you will bless and keep and protect them

and guide them in their time away.

We are thankful to you for the children that are with us today

and for their parents.

We pray that you will bless our young people

and you will bless your word to them

and their learning and their understanding

of the truth of the gospel.

May their young hearts be blessed by you

so that all that they hear and all that they learn

would be the seed that is planted by you

that will bring forth fruit in their lives

in the days that are to come.

Bless them in all of their learning

in day school and in Sunday school

and give them the knowledge and the understanding

of your word

as they grow up in life

that they may appreciate the light that comes from the Bible

that helps them along life's way.

We pray for your blessing to be upon the children

as you gather in different groups today

and as you'll be near to all those

who provide oversight and teaching and leading as well

we do commit them to your care

and as you will hear us in these prayers

as we continue before you now

help us and accept us and go before us

for we ask all these things for Jesus' sake.

Amen.

Well boys and girls it's good to see you today

it's good to see boys and girls visiting us as well

and I know that many of your friends will be away on holiday

but it's always a joy to see you coming to God's house.

Our Bible message today is about Jesus

and Jesus making his way through life

and making his way to the cross

and going to the cross on Good Friday

and of course you are on your Easter holidays

and Good Friday and Easter Sunday

will come later on in the month.

I'm going to think of three things today

in our wee story

and the three things begin with P

that's the letter P

the first of these is plans

and some folks are on holiday today

and some folks go away on holiday at different times

but we make holiday plans

we decide where do we want to go

with our families or in our school trips.

I was on the ferry a week last Wednesday

and I think there were over 60 children

from the Stornoway Primary School on the ferry

a big group going away on a school trip

and perhaps you were one of them

but they were well behaved

and they were accompanied by some adults as well

so we make plans to go on our trips.

I was in Auburn last Sunday

preaching in Auburn

and I knew in December I was going there

so I had to make plans

and the date was in my diary

and I should be there

and for us all today

as those who worship God

we want to be the children of God

we want to belong to God's family

and to belong to God's kingdom

that should be our plan

and if our plans don't include that

then God wants us today to remember

that the most important plan that we can have

is to plan to be in God's kingdom

and to be in God's family

and so the first P is plans

and when Jesus came into the world

he had a plan

and God had a plan for him

and Jesus went and he fulfilled

all that God said about the plan.

The second P is preparation.

If we have plans

we need to prepare

and Jesus lived his life

preparing to fulfill everything

that God had given to him.

If I'm going on my school trip

then I need to work out where I'm going

I need to work how I'm going to get there

and need to make sure that I get there safely.

If I'm going to Oban to preach

or going to Oban at holiday

which is a great place to have a holiday

and by the way

if I'm going to Oban at holiday

then I need to work how to get there

I need to go to my Google Maps

and get the best way of getting to Oban

and the best way of getting there safely.

And if I'm going by car

I need to get my ferry ticket

so there is preparation

if I'm going to get where I plan to go.

And we come to church

it's part of our preparation

to be the children of God

and to be in God's kingdom.

We go to Sunday school

we learn about Jesus

and about God

and about God's word.

We are preparing to be

in God's kingdom

and to be the children of God.

We read our Bibles at home

we learn our Bible stories

and we do our prayers at home

we are learning the story of Jesus

because we need to learn about Jesus

and about God

if we are going into God's kingdom.

So we have a plan

that's where we want to be.

We are doing the preparation

there is work to be done.

Now not just for boys and girls

but for all of us here today

we have to prepare ourselves

if we're going to be in God's kingdom.

My third P is power.

And there's something I haven't mentioned

if I'm going to make my trip to Oban

or if I'm going to make my trip by car anywhere

there is something I have not mentioned.

Can you ever think what that might be?

What do I need as well as all of that preparation?

Well if I make all of these plans

and my car is sitting at home

and there is no fuel in it

I can make all the plans that I can

but I can't go anywhere.

So I need to make sure that I've got fuel in my car

I need to make sure that I've got

not just fuel in my car

but enough fuel to get me where I'm going.

And no matter what else I do

unless I have fuel, petrol or diesel in my car

I'm not going to go anywhere.

So if I am going to Oban

which is 170 miles from Arable via Anvarnes

I need to make sure I've got enough fuel in my car

to get me the 170 miles

because I don't want to run out of fuel

in the middle of nowhere

and be completely lost.

We need power.

We need petrol.

We need fuel in our car.

And today that's what God wants to remind us of.

We need to prepare ourselves

and learn all of the story of Jesus

and the story of God

but more importantly

and most importantly

we need to have Jesus in our hearts

and we need to have the Spirit of God in our hearts.

And Paul was writing to people

in a church in Ephesus like ourselves

he was praying for them

that Jesus would dwell in their hearts by faith.

And today all of you, all of us together

we need to make sure that we have that power in our hearts.

It's the love of God

the love of Jesus

the Spirit of God in our hearts

and that's when we are in God's kingdom.

That's when we are in God's family

and that's when we can look forward

to being with Jesus

when we leave this world.

Okay?

So we have plans.

We need to have plans.

That's where we want to go.

We want to be with Jesus.

We need preparation.

We need to learn about God

and about Jesus

and about how to get there.

But we need to make sure

that we don't forget

that we need Jesus in our hearts

and God's Spirit in our hearts

because that's when

we are truly the children of God

and when we can be sure

of being with Jesus.

Thank you for listening.

So now we're going to repeat

the Lord's Prayer together.

Let's continue now in our worship of God

by singing,

the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.

Amen.

Let's continue now in our worship of God

by singing to his praise, this time from Psalm 65.

Psalm 65 and the sing Psalms

and it's on page number 82.

And we're going to sing at the beginning of the Psalm.

Psalm 65 at verse 1.

It's on page 82.

In Zion, praise awaits you, Lord.

To you our vows will pay.

To you all people will come near.

You hear us when we pray.

We stand to sing from verse 1 to the verse Mark 5.

To God's praise.

Amen.

To you all people will come near.

You hear us when we pray.

When we bear over them license and guilt upon us day.

Give our love our trespasses and watch our guilt away.

And bless our woes to something.

Within your hearts of grace.

We live with blessings in your hands.

In your hearts of holy place.

Where constant beats of righteousness.

You answer us, O God.

Let's pray, O God.

the New Testament from the Gospel according to Matthew chapter 26. Matthew

Matthew 26 · chapter mention Matthew 26 · chapter mention

chapter 26 and we're reading at verse 26. Matthew 26 and verse 26. Let us hear the

word of God. Now as they were eating Jesus took bread and after blessing

it they broke it and gave it to the disciples and said take eat this is my

body and he took a cup and when he had given thanks he gave it to them saying

drink of it all of you for this is my blood of the covenant which is poured out

for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you I will not drink again of this

fruit of the vine until the day when I drink it new with you in my father's

kingdom. And when they had sung a hymn they went out to the Mount of Olives

then Jesus said to them you will all fall away because of me this night for it

is written I will strike the shepherd and the sheep of the flock will be scattered

but after I am raised up I will go before you to gallery. Peter answered him though

they all fall away because of you I will never fall away. Jesus said to him truly

I tell you this very night before the crows you will deny me three times. Peter

said to him even if I must die with you I will not deny you and all the disciples

said the same. Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane and he said to

his disciples sit here while I go over there and pray and taking with him Peter and the

two sons of Sebedee he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them my soul is

very sorrowful even to death remain here and watch with me. And going a little further he fell on his

face and prayed saying my father if it be possible that this cup pass from me nevertheless not as I

will but as you will. And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping and he said to Peter so could

do not watch with me one hour. Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing but the

flesh is weak. Again for the second time he went away and prayed my father if this cannot pass unless I drink it your will be

done. And again he came and found them sleeping for their eyes were heavy. So leaving them again he went away and prayed for the

third time saying the same words. Then he came to the disciples and said to them sleep and take your rest

later on and see the hour is at hand and the son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise let us be

going. See my betrayer is at hand. Now when there's God's word we trust that he blessed to us our reading

from it. Once more we bow our heads in a word of prayer.

Lord our God we are thankful to you for your word. You have made yourself known to us in the words of

scripture and we do give thanks to you for every way in which we have an insight into your work and your

purposes and your plans. We are thankful to you for the words that we have read and for the insight

that we have of the journey of your son and his experience when he faced the cross of Calvary.

We are thankful to you that we can learn so much from what he experienced and we are thankful to you

that he experienced all of these things so that we would not suffer the very things that he endured

if we believe in his name. And today we do pray for your word to be in our hearts and by the light and

the power of your Holy Spirit to be alive in our minds in such a way that we may see the truth as it is

in Jesus. That we may see the truth and what it says about ourselves and that we may realize in the

depths of our beings today that we need to know the Lord Jesus as our Savior. That we need trust in him.

That we need the safety and the security that comes alone from resting in him and in all that he has done

on behalf of sinners like ourselves. And so we pray for the power and influence of your Holy Spirit in our

time of worship together, drawing your hearts, leading us to you, leading us to understand and to know

and to know better the things of God and being persuaded day by day of the truth of them, of the value

and the preciousness of them and recognize day by day the great need that we have to find our satisfaction

in these very things that we have in the word of God and to find a rest in you day by day in the midst of

the insecurities of life, in the midst of the many ways in which circumstances change, in the midst of

the many ways in which we can come out of one crisis into the next and when our world can be in turmoil.

So bless us and bless your word to us, all of us together here before you. Remember those who are

unable to be with us, confined in their homes, we pray that you will reach out to them. We are thankful to you

that you are the God who is always present with your people and we know that there are times when your people

may conclude that you are not with them and we pray for any today who may be coming to such a conclusion

that you will provide them powerfully with a reminder of your unforgettableness, of your presence with them,

of your grace in their hearts and of your arms around them. Bless all of our homes and all of our families.

Be with those who are unwell, we commit them to you. Be with those who mourn and grieve the loss of loudness,

we remember them before you, not only in our congregation here but beyond all of the brokenness in the world and

all those whose hearts are filled with heaviness today. We pray that your hand will be upon them

and that your light and your comfort and your peace and your love would come to them and would carry them

through their times of trial and testing and their times of grief and sorrow. Bless the world in which we live.

We remember the nations of the earth in the midst of so much turmoil and so much uncertainty in these days.

We ask you, O Lord, to lay your hand on those who are in positions of authority,

who are so influential in the culture of this world as we see it, humanly speaking.

We pray you, O Lord, to influence for good, to guide and to direct, to give us order, to give us peace,

to restore order and peace where there is conflict and disorder, and to bring to the peoples of this world

a sense of the goodness and of the grace of God. We give thanks to you for the whole church of Christ

in the world. Pray your blessing to be upon all who love your name today, all who gather to worship as we do.

May you encourage, may you enrich, may you build up and may you even restore in the faith

all those who gather to wait upon you on this day.

I'm praying especially for your persecuted people that you will bless and protect them

in the midst of the danger that they face because of their faithfulness to you,

what show them and to be gracious to them and strengthen them day by day

and to make their witness powerful, even to change the hearts of those

who are their greatest enemies. So bless your people and bless your word

and bless all those who go out to preach today and be merciful to all connected to us.

We pray for your blessing to be upon the Reverend Calamurdo at this time of holiday.

May you bless him with rest and may be refreshed in his time away

and may come back refreshed and ready to continue serving you here.

And we pray for your blessing to be upon the intermoderary, Reverend Colin McLeod as well,

that you will strengthen him in all his own burdens and responsibilities as we commit them to you

and the care and the direction of our congregation during these days.

We commit ourselves to you and pray that your hand will be upon our hearts

to steer our thoughts and our paths in the days that are to come

and to provide for us ministry in the gospel sent by you, equipped and prepared by you

to be over your people here. So bless us and be near to us and go before us now.

Blessing your word to us. Watch over us and keep us and guard us

from every distraction as we do worship you and accept us and our mercy.

For we ask all these things for Jesus' sake. Amen.

Amen.

Our next item of praise is Psalm number 69. It's at verse number 13. It's in the Scottish Psalter on page 306.

Page 306 at verse number 13. And we can associate these words with the words that we read from the Gospel of Matthew

and Jesus in the Garden here is a prayer that is very much a messianic prayer.

A prayer belongs to Jesus especially.

But in an acceptable time, my prayer, Lord, is to thee, in truth of thy salvation, Lord,

and mercy great hear me.

I'm going to sing from verse 13 to the verse 18 to God's praise.

Amen.

I pray, Lord, is to thee, in truth of thy salvation, Lord,

and mercy great hear me.

In liberty and of the life, from shame in gloomy peace,

Reveal from those that do be made, and from the water stream.

Let not the flag of me prevail, whose watcher overflows,

Nor did we swallow, nor the pit, and our mouth upon me close.

Hear me, O Lord, because thy love and kindness is most good,

Turn on to me, according to thy mercy's multitude.

For from thy servant high by faith, I've come soon again.

From here, my soul, I'll yet redeem, because my hope's in heaven.

So we're going to get on to the Gospel of Matthew and chapter 26.

And we can read at verse 36.

Matthew 26, and at verse 36.

Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane,

and he said to his disciples,

Sit here while I go over there and pray.

And so on down through the rest of this section.

Now speaking to the children, we notice the importance of plans.

And the importance of knowing where we are going,

As well, of course, as knowing where we are coming from.

And when we read the story of the Gospel,

We understand that Jesus knew exactly who he was.

And time after time, as we see in this passage itself,

He proclaims himself to be the Son of Man.

And he connects himself to all that God has spoken in the Old Testament,

With the promise of salvation through a King,

Who would have a kingdom and who would have glory.

He knows who he is.

And he also knows the plans of God.

And as we read through the Gospel,

We see the way in which Jesus,

At every step of the way,

Is doing the things that God had set out for him to do.

He came because of God's plan.

And he is working out the plan of God

At each step in the Gospels.

He knows where he has come from.

And he knows that one day,

He will arrive at his destination.

And that destination will be at the right hand of God.

There are plans.

There is preparation.

And as we read the story of Jesus,

There is also power.

Jesus has the power of the Holy Spirit,

With which he is able to do the will of God,

And serve God,

And do all the powerful things,

That we see Jesus doing in the Gospels.

And as the scene develops in this Gospel itself,

We see that there is a particular event and place,

That begins to become central in the life of Jesus.

He is fulfilling his ministry amongst all of the people.

He is healing the sick.

He is restoring sight to those who are blind.

He is showing his power by bringing people around himself.

And as he does,

So he comes at last to the place where he leaves Galilee behind.

The place where he has done most of his work.

And he goes on to Jerusalem.

And he knows he is going to face hostility there.

And we think in this month of Good Friday and Easter Sunday,

And we look back on the events that took place in the life of Jesus.

And these events are of course significant and momentous.

And they were the same for Jesus himself.

For him, there were the most significant events in his life,

As well as coming into this world,

To die and to be raised were the two most significant things in his life.

And bearing that in mind today,

We want to look at this passage,

Where the primary focus is on the Lord Jesus.

And that's important for us to notice that.

Sometimes we get so caught up in ourselves and what we need and what we want,

That we lose sight of the primary focus of God on Jesus in the gospel.

And so through this passage today,

The disciples are a kind of sidebar in the story.

The real story is about Jesus in this moment.

And we want to think of this passage under the title,

Jesus and the shadow of Good Friday.

First of all,

There is a shadow.

A shadow can be something positive in the Bible.

We sang Psalm number 91,

Where it speaks of abiding in the shadow of the Almighty God.

That's a positive thing.

That's where we want to live our lives,

Under the shelter of God.

And the psalmist says in Psalm number 63,

That in the shadow of your wings I will find joy.

Shadow in the Bible can be a powerfully positive thing,

That speaks to us of our relationship with God,

And where we need to be as the children of God.

But it can also be a very negative thing.

For example, in Psalm number 107,

The psalmist speaks of coming to sit in darkness,

And in the shadow of death.

It can be very negative.

And in our broken world,

The Bible time after time speaks about the way in which

Suffering and death itself

Covers us like a shadow.

Positive and also negative.

And when we read this story,

It becomes clear

That the shadow for Jesus

Is something very negative.

It's something that speaks of all the bad things

That we have in life,

And that speaks of the bad things

That he must endure.

Let this cup

Pass

From me

The cup is a very simple thing

In our everyday lives.

We pour whatever it is,

Our tea and our coffee into our cups,

And we drink from our cups.

They are very simple things.

In the Bible,

Cups were filled by

By those who

Who

Were hosting guests.

Cups were filled with

With rich things

And passed around

To the guests

To show of the riches of the king

Who was hosting the people.

Psalm number 23 speaks of

Of the cup

And the abundance of the

Gifts of God.

The cup can again give us

A variety of things

In the Bible.

And when we

Read this passage here,

Jesus is referring to

A specific cup.

Let this

Cup

Pass from me.

And this is really important

Because it points us to

Which cup Jesus is referring to.

And we

Read further on

Earlier on

In the passage

The way in which he speaks

Of the

Blood

Of the covenant

Which is poured out for many

For the forgiveness of sins.

He had given thanks.

He gave it.

He took the cup

And he gave it to them.

This cup

Is the new covenant

In my blood.

And all of these

Adjudice that

Describe this cup

Speak of the

Awful situation

That Jesus was facing.

It's a new covenant.

That means there is

An old one.

And the Bible tells us

That that old covenant

The old relationship

With God

Is completely broken.

And in this new

Covenant

That is in this cup

That Jesus is about

To take in his hand

This new covenant

Must in some way

Fix the brokenness.

The covenant

Must in some way

Address the broken relationship.

And we

Read in this

Passage itself

That that's about

Forgiveness of sin.

We read throughout

Our Bible

That it's about

Turning away

The wrath of God.

We read in our Bibles

That it is

About Jesus

Paying the ransom price.

There are huge

Elements

As he drinks this cup

Related to

The broken relationship

That arises

From the broken

Covenant

Of God

With his people.

And when we

Come to

Think of

This cup

Today

This cup

Of the new covenant

God wants us

To think

Of our own

Relationship

With God.

To understand

Where we are

By nature

In our relationship

With God.

To remind us

That our relationship

With God

Is broken.

And to remind us

That to fix

That broken relationship

Is not a simple fix.

It's something

That only God

Can do

And only God

Can do

Through what

Jesus is going

To do.

But we must

Realize what

The brokenness

Means.

That we have

Sinned against God.

That we are

Alienated from God.

That God

Has become our

Enemy because

Of our sin.

That the distance

Is so far

Because we have

Broken our

Relationship with God.

This cup.

And that very

Same cup

Which is

The new covenant

In his blood.

It begins

Something new.

And that's

The good news

Of the gospel.

That Jesus

Not only

Takes away

The old

That is broken.

But that

Having met

The conditions

Of that broken

Relationship

That he

Establishes

Something new.

And that's

The good news

Of the gospel.

But the way

From the broken

To the new

Is what

Jesus

Is staring

In his face

As he

Approaches

The cross

At Calvary.

He is

Looking

At this

Cup.

And

In a

Symbolic way

It's as if

For the first

Time

God has

Taken

This cup

And placed

It

In the

Hands

Of Jesus.

And although

Previously

Jesus knew

Where he was

Going

And why he

Was going

There

That now

There is

A sense

Of an

Unveiling

Of the

Detail

Of all

That that

Means.

He is

Coming face

To face

With the

Reality

Of what

He already

Knew

And the

Depths

Of the

Reality

Of

Reconciling

Sinners

To God

This

Cup

The late

Principal

Donald McLeod

Put it like

This

Here

Satan

Shows him

Not all

The kingdoms

Of the world

As in

Previous

Temptations

But the

Full

Cost

Of his

Love

The curse

What will

It mean

The full

Ransom

Price

What will

It mean

Forsaken

By God

What will

It mean

Think of

Jesus

In the

Garden

Think of

Him coming

Face to

Face

For the

First

Time

With the

Reality

That shortly

The father

Whom he

Loves

And who

Loves him

In return

Is going

To hide

His face

From him

That's

What it's

Going to

Take

How do

We expect

Jesus

To respond

To that

We see

In verse

37

That he

Began

To be

Sorrowful

And

Troubled

!

There was

A sense

Of physical

Pain

A sense

Of emotional

Suffering

There was

A deep

Sense

Of affliction

Arising

From the

View that

He never

Had of

This

Cup

He was

Sorrowful

And

Troubled

He was

Humanly

Speaking

Overwhelmed

By the

Very thought

Of what

He had

To drink

He was

Full of

Heaviness

And we

Should not

Lose sight

Of the

Way in

Which Jesus

Was impacted

By this

Cup

The way

In which

His

Humanness

And the

Way in

Which his

Sense of

Weakness

Caused him

To feel

Such a

Weight

Of

Heaviness

In this

Situation

That he

Was as if

Not only

Burdened

With sorrow

But surrounded

By sorrow

And the

Sorrow that

Led him

Through the

Next whole

Period of

Time

Up until

The cross

At Calvary

He was

Sorrowful

And he

Was

Troubled

And

He already

Felt

Alone

And he

Takes three

Disciples

With him

And he's

Pleading with

Them

He has

Been pleading

With them

All of his

Life

For them

To follow

Him

And the

Promise

That he

Is with

Them

But in

This moment

The picture

Is reversed

And he

Wants them

To stay

With him

To be

Alongside

Him

Imagine

The son

Of god

The

Jesus

Of nazareth

The son

Of man

Depending

On three

Disciples

In his

Greatest

Hour

Of need

The shadow

The shadow

Of the cross

On good

Friday

Let's think

Of what

Jesus saw

As he

Looked

Into

The cup

That god

Was placing

In his

Hand

The shadow

Leads to

The struggle

And we

See

That his

Response

And his

Struggle

That he

Engages

With god

Through prayer

What else

Can he

Do

He

Prays

To god

Oh my

Father

The father

Concerning

Whom he

Says

In john

John 11 · chapter mention

Chapter 11

I know

That you

Have always

Heard

Me

And he

Comes in

This moment

Of trouble

And of

Sorrow

And he's

Crying out

To his

Father

Whom he

Knows

Loves him

Whom he

Knows

That that

Love will

Never come

To an

End

And whom

He loves

Himself

With a

Love that

Corresponds

To the same

Love of the

Father for

Him

He

And the

Father are

One

Such is

The closeness

Prayer

The struggle

That leads

To prayer

What an

Example

In our

Struggles we

We tend to

Turn away

From god

And drown

Ourselves in

Our sorrows

And in our

Struggles

Here is

The example

Of the

Right

Response

!

But as

You will

If it is

Possible

If you

As if he

Were saying

To his

Father

If you

Have

The power

In any

Way

To take

This cup

From me

And let's

Remember that

When Jesus

Adressing

His

Father

And saying

If it is

Possible

If you

Have the

Power

We know

That god

Has all

Of the

Power

We know

That with

His power

He created

The universe

We know

That he

Is able

To do

Everything

And anything

We know

That he

Said to

Abraham

Is only

Too hard

For the

Lord

Everything

Is possible

For the

Lord

And Jesus

In this

Moment of

Struggle

With god

He is

Exploring

The possibility

That beyond

His own

Understanding

At this

Point

That there

May be

Some

Other

Way

He is

Pushing

The boundary

He is

Pushing

Beyond

Where he

Is

And perhaps

God has

The power

And god

Can do

It

In some

Other way

And we

Read that

In the

Gospel of

Matthew

In the

Mark in the

Account in

Chapter 14

All things

Are possible

With you

If it is

Possible

He is

Exploring

Let this

Cup

Pass

By me

Let it

Let it

Develop in

Such a

Way

That I

Don't

Encounter

The drinking

Of it

That no

Matter how

Close I

Am to

It right

Now

That it

Will

Bypass

Me

That you

And your

Infinite

Power and

Glory and

Wisdom

Will find

A way of

Taking this

Cup out

Of my

Hand

And allow

Me to go

Forward in

My journey

Without drinking

This cup

At all

Is that

Not

What you

And I

Would pray

For

If it is

Possible

Please don't

Let me go

Down this

Road

Please don't

Let me

Experience what

Is lying

In front

Of me

In other

Words

It's the

Human

Response

To such

A prospect

And we

See Jesus

Here

So like

Yourselves

Proving

His

Humanness

Proving

That he

Is one

Of us

When faced

With a

Struggle

He is

Looking for

A way

To avoid

The intensity

Of drinking

This cup

And the

Suffering

That that

Involves

Father

If it is

Possible

And

As if he

With all

Respect as if

He was

Balancing

His own

Prayer

Nevertheless

Not as

I will

But as

You will

There is

Never a

Conflict

There is

A struggle

There is

The exploring

Of a

Possibility

Of some

Other way

But there

Is never

A conflict

Not as

I will

But as

You will

Father

Whatever

Your will

Is

That's the

Path I

Want to

Follow

But in

This moment

Is it at

All possible

That there

May be

Another way

And as

We

Think of

That struggle

For Jesus

Let's

Take it

All to

Heart

As we

Think of

What Jesus

Has done

For us

In the

Gospel

Let's

Think of

Him

Not just

On the

Cross

But on

The way

To the

Cross

And let's

Come alongside

Him

As the

Disciples

Were commanded

To do

That they

Fell asleep

Today

Do not

Fall asleep

When we

Think of

What Jesus

Was going

Through

In the

Garden

Of

Gethsemane

Be

Wide

Awake

Be

Alert

To what

He is

Going

Through

Because

It is

Related

To you

It is

Connected

To you

It is

Connected

To your

Salvation

Salvation

And it

Speaks

Also

Of the

Darkness

Of your

Lostness

If you

Don't

Have faith

In Jesus

The day

May come

When you

Will cry

For the

Same

Is it

Possible

That this

Wrath

May not

Come upon

Me

Be alert

To what

Jesus

Is doing

And saying

And be

Alert

To what

It means

For your

Salvation

Part one

But we

See as

Jesus

Continues

In his

Prayer

We see

That there

Is

There is

Development

He is

Growing

In his

Understanding

Of where

He is

And so

Often in

Life

That's

What

Happens

God

Puts

Me

In a

Crisis

And

I

Cannot

See my

Way

Through

That

Crisis

But in

The very

Darkness

Of the

Crisis

The light

Begins

To dawn

And I

See something

That was

Unknown to me

Before

The struggle

Is the

Means

Through which

The light

Shines

And the

Day

Begins

To dawn

And Jesus

In his

Second

Prayer

In

Verse

Number

42

Again

For the

Second

Time

He went

And prayed

My

Father

If this

Cannot

Pass

Unless I

Drink it

You will

Be done

He has

Explored

The

Possibility

But now

He is

Face

To face

With the

Fact

That there

Is no

Other

Way

That this

Cup

Cannot

Pass

By him

The only

Way

Forward

Is for

Him

To drink

It

And let's

Be sure

Today

That if

There was

Another

Way

Through which

God

Could save

You and

Me

Bring us

Into the

Kingdom

Of heaven

Make us

The children

Of God

If there

Was another

Way

Other than

His son

Going to

The cross

On good

Friday

Then that's

What would

Have happened

But there

Is no

Other way

There is

No other

Passion

There is

No other

Path

There is

No paradise

Without the

Path

That Jesus

On

To the

Cross

On good

Friday

If it

Cannot

Pass

By

Unless I

Drink it

Your will

Be done

Jesus

Is embracing

The will

Of God's

Father

He came

Into this

World

His delight

Was to

Do the

Will of

God

And that's

Never going

To change

And he

Realizes

As he

Now comes

To

Within

Eye view

Of the

Cross

As he

Comes

Under its

Shadow

He now

Realizes

That is

Where the

Will of

God

Takes

Him

It was

The will

Of the

Lord to

Crush him

Says

Isaiah

The

Lord laid

On him

The

Iniquity

Of his

All

He knew

Where he

Was going

And now

He is

Face to

Face

With the

Fact that

There is

No other

Way

For him

The struggle

Which brings

Him

At last

To be

Aligned

With the

Will of

God

And to

Understand

That no

Matter how

Great the

Power of

God is

That there

Is no

Other way

Of salvation

But for

Him

To go

To the

Cross

Let's

Continue to

Reflect

As we move

On

And as we

Come to

Think of

Jesus moving

From the

Shadow

Through the

Struggle

Coming to

Submission

What does

That mean

He gives

Himself

Over

Completely

To God

The

Sidebar

Is

That the

Disciples

Were there

And the

Sidebar

Is that

The

Disciples

Failed

Jesus said

To them

Watch and

Pray lest

You fall

Into

Temptation

There's a

Time of

Struggle

For you

And for

Me

You watch

And pray

Lest you

Fall into

Temptation

He comes

Back and

He finds

Them sleeping

Twice he

Does that

The

Peter was

Confident

That he

Would

Never

Deny

Jesus

Peter

Could you

Not

Watch

With me

For one

Hour

They

Failed

In their

Submission

To the

Will of

God

And in

The

Path of

Discipleship

And following

The

Lord Jesus

Watch and

Pray

They

Did

Not

Take

Heed

They

Were

Asleep

The

Sidebar

The

Contrast

And perhaps

That's where you might

Find yourself

As we come to

The submission of the

Lord Jesus

That here

Here you are

And God

Has told you

To watch

Not just to

Watch what's

Happening

But to be

On your

Guard

Because

Here is the

Moment of

Temptation

Here is the

Moment of

Testing

Here is the

Moment of

Proving what's

In your

Heart

Here is the

Moment of

Showing

If your

Words really

Mean

Anything

Here is the

Moment of

Showing

Your

Closeness

Your

Dependence

Your love

For the

Lord Jesus

Here is the

Sidebar

And where

Does that

Sidebar

Leave you

Do you

Join with

The

Disciples

And are

You

Sleeping

Your

Way

Along

And all

Of the

Most

Important

Things

In

God's

Plan

Are

About

To be

Fulfilled

Here is

Jesus

He comes

Back to

The

Disciples

Who

Have

Failed

And he

Says

To them

In

Verse

Number

45

Then he

Came to

The

Disciples

And said

To them

Sleep

And take

Your

Rest

Later

On

You

Have

Failed

In the

Testing

That there

Is no

More

Time

For

Prayer

Now

You

Are

Going to

Have

To do

That

Later

On

The

Moment

Has

Passed

Them

And

Now

The

Case

That

The

Hour

Has

Come

For

Him

The

Hour

Is

At

Hand

And

The

Son

Of

Man

Is

Betrayed

Into

The

Hands

Of

Sinners

Rise

Let

Us

Be

Going

See

My

Betrayer

Is

At

Hand

The

Son

Of

Man

Is

Betrayed

Into

The

Hands

Of

Sinners

We

Know

The

Story

Of

The

Trial

We

Know

The

Story

Of

The

Conviction

We

Know

The

Story

Of

Of

Embading