Persisting In The Garden

Well, we've seen here in this reading that the scene is shifted once again in

Mark's record of the final days of our Lord.

And each step along the way takes Jesus closer and closer to the cross.

If you'll remember, the chapter began after Jesus's Olivet Discourse.

The chapter began in Bethany. It wasn't actually in Jerusalem.

They're outside of Jerusalem, about two miles.

They're in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper.

And that's when Mary takes the alabaster flask of ointment and worships and anoints Jesus there.

The next passage, Jesus and the disciples move into the city of Jerusalem.

New scene is set up for us.

This time it's in the upper room in Jerusalem where John and Peter have prepared the Passover meal.

Jesus leads that amazing final Passover and institutes the Lord's Supper for us that we still observe and will observe even this morning.

Last week we saw the scene change once again.

This time they're on a midnight stroll moving from the upper room in Jerusalem out to the Mount of Olives

where Jesus tries to prepare his disciples for what lay ahead of them later in the evening.

It's like flipping through a picture book.

Each page, each turn of the page reveals a new, vivid, colorful picture and scene following Jesus in these snapshots

along the way in these final hours of his life as he moves towards the cross and providing our redemption.

And verses 32 and 33 are what provide the background for this particular portrait in Mark chapter 14.

Mark 14 · chapter mention

Look at verse 32 with me again.

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.

So if we were looking at each scene in this chapter as a new page in the picture book, the flip book, so to speak, of Jesus' final hours,

what sets the scene here for us is these three elements given to us here in verses 32 and 33.

The first one being the place.

It was a place called Gethsemane, a garden near the Mount of Olives.

It was probably an olive tree garden, probably was surrounded by some sort of wall that paired it off.

In fact, you can go to the Garden of Gethsemane today.

I actually think I have a picture.

Becky, you want to throw this up?

This is the Garden of Gethsemane today.

This is where it is today.

Since the times of Jesus and even before, from what we understand historically,

the Garden of Gethsemane was privately owned.

Luke says Jesus and his disciples frequented the Garden of Gethsemane often,

which tells us why it was so easy for Judas and the soldiers to find Jesus later this night.

He already knows where Jesus is going to be.

They would often meet there and convene there, Luke says.

It was a place of prayer for Jesus.

No doubt Jesus being familiar with the owner of the garden,

who would allow him a quiet place of solitude to go with his disciples,

to teach them and to pray with them and to spend time with them.

That's where he's moved once again.

You can imagine under the cover of night, the middle of the night,

in a small garden like this, Jesus leaves ten of the disciples,

or excuse me, about eight of the disciples at the gate keeping guard.

Then he takes Peter and James and John, who are the participants here,

and he drops them off.

Perhaps, let's just say, perhaps he drops them off right here

where this plaque is on the bottom part of the screen.

And then he goes a stone's throw away, Luke says, just a little further,

maybe to that furthest tree out there.

And under the blackness of night, with no electricity,

nothing but the stars and the moon that would be shining down on them,

our Savior gets down and he begins to pray,

which was the purpose in this.

The place is Gethsemane.

The participants is Peter and James and John.

But why Peter and James and John?

Why take the three of them further into the garden in this moment?

Well, one easy answer is, well, he needed to take somebody,

otherwise we wouldn't have had the record of what happened in the garden that night.

So we're reminded then that the Gospels that we read here

are not stories that we think might have happened.

These are actually the eyewitness accounts of Peter and James and John.

But it's more than that.

They're also leaders among the disciples, aren't they?

Peter especially being the primary leader

and will continue to be the primary leader of the apostolic band

as they move past the ascension of Jesus

and begin the mission that Jesus had called them to.

We continually in the book of Acts see them coming back to Peter,

asking Peter, following Peter.

He was their leader.

Jesus had prepared him for that.

So we would think these three are major leaders among the disciples,

but I think it's more than that as well.

These three needed to learn a particular lesson from Jesus on this night,

a lesson that because of their role in leadership among the other disciples

would be necessary for them to teach the others.

Remember we quoted or we looked just briefly last week at John chapter 21.

John 21 · chapter mention

Remember Peter says to some of the disciples as they wait for Jesus in Galilee,

I'm going fishing.

This is a sign of his leadership, isn't it?

He says I'm going fishing.

A few of them say, okay, we'll go with you.

Because Peter is a leader and leaders have followers

and they're following him on the way.

And remember what Jesus had already told Peter.

When you finally are restored,

strengthen the brothers.

This is going to be necessary for you.

And Jesus restores Peter.

And then what do we find Peter doing moving on from them?

Really becoming the rock that Jesus had named him to be.

That's what we see.

Strengthening the brothers.

He needed to learn a lesson in the garden that night.

James and John needed to learn a lesson in the garden that night.

But why them?

Do you remember in chapter 10

as Jesus and the disciples and the huge crowd of people

are leaving Jericho and they're headed to Jerusalem?

Remember it was James and John

who brought their mother

to ask the Lord for a favor.

Do you remember the favor?

Lord,

will you let us sit one on your right hand,

one on your left hand in the kingdom?

Will you give us the place of position?

Will you give us the place of superiority over the others?

We want that.

And do you remember what Jesus said?

Can you drink the cup

that I'm going to drink?

And they said,

yeah,

we can drink it.

They had no idea what they were agreeing to in that moment.

Jesus says,

you will drink the cup,

but to give you that,

that's not for me.

The Father has determined that.

You need to stop worrying about that.

I'm not concerned about that,

men.

Do you see?

There's some spiritual pride here.

They don't even know what they're agreeing to

as far as the cup is concerned,

but they're saying,

we can do it.

We can do it.

Rather than desiring to follow Jesus

on the path of suffering,

which is what the call to discipleship is,

they only want to follow Jesus

on the path to the throne

and on the path to ruling

and pride

and power.

And we just saw it last week in Peter,

didn't we?

Jesus tells the disciples,

you're all going to forsake me.

Peter says,

no,

I'm not.

And he says,

he says,

all of these other guys,

I can,

I can see them doing that,

Lord.

I won't do it.

I'll follow you to the death.

Jesus says,

to be honest with you,

Peter,

before the rooster crows in the morning,

you're not only going to forsake me,

you're going to outright deny me

three different times,

something that the rest of them won't do.

You're going to do that.

You're going to deny me

before other people.

Peter says,

no way.

And now Jesus takes these three men,

whom Mark has been determined

to show us exactly the extent

of their spiritual pride.

And he begins to show them

what it actually means

to understand your own condition,

to understand the weakness

of the flesh,

how to overcome temptation

in your life.

It's a lesson that they needed.

And the purpose

is prayer.

Jesus leaves

eight of the disciples

at the gate.

He takes three of them

inside with them

as eyewitnesses

that needed to learn the lesson.

And then his purpose

was to go there

because he needed to pray.

And the context

of this prayer

is extreme.

He becomes greatly distressed,

we're told.

Troubled

in this moment.

He was under intense

mental and emotional stress,

which gives us

the critical context

for this particular passage.

This was Jesus'

final and greatest

experience

experience

with temptation.

And he knew

that prayer

was essential

in persisting

through such

spiritual distress.

Which brings

an interesting question

to our minds,

doesn't it?

How is that even possible?

How is it that

Jesus,

our Savior,

our resolute Lord

and determined Savior

who has been

on this path

to the cross

knowingly

for so long now,

how is it

that in this moment

he seems so weak?

How is it now

that in this moment

he seems

to be so distraught

over what is about

to happen?

How is that possible?

We spend

a lot of time

contemplating

and convincing others

of the fact

that Jesus

is a man

who was also

truly God.

That sometimes

we forget

that the opposite

perspective

is also true.

that Jesus

is the eternal God

who also

became

truly

man.

And in becoming

truly man

he took on

every dynamic

of humanity

aside from

our sinful nature.

Which means

that he understood

weakness,

he understood

temptation,

he understood

emotion,

he understood

trouble

and hurt.

And it's

this dynamic

of Jesus'

being

that makes

this text,

at least for me,

maybe you haven't

thought of it

this way

and I don't mean

to put questions

in your mind

intentionally.

this is just

what comes

to my mind

every time

I come

to this

passage.

It's so

difficult

for me

to comprehend.

Because I

can't fully

comprehend

the compatibility

of Jesus'

humanity

and his

divinity

and his

deity,

I find it

really difficult

to understand

his emotional

distress

in the garden.

It makes

me wonder

was Jesus

actually

willing

to go

to the

cross.

Did

his

will

differ

from the

Father's

will?

And if

his will

differed

from the

Father's

will,

does that

affect

his

position

as the

divine

Son of

God?

Was his

distress

here related

to the

physical

suffering

of the

crucifixion

or was

there

something

else

that

troubled

him

in these

moments?

These are

the kind

of questions

that come

to my

mind as

I read

this text.

Perhaps

some of

those or

maybe one

of them

at least

has come

to your

mind and

we can't

ignore those

things.

And here's

the thing.

This event

uniquely reveals

Jesus'

true humanity

which ultimately

points us to

and highlights

his true

deity

and the

extent to

which he

was willing

to go

to save

us.

That's

what comes

glowing off

of the

page as

we read

this text.

And tucked

in underneath

that amazing

picture of

grace we

find this

example of

faithfulness

and what it

means to be a

true disciple

following the

Lord on the

path of

suffering.

And those

are the

things that I

hope that you

will see as

we go through

this study this

morning.

Three things

I'd like to

point out.

The first

thing is

this.

I want you

to see his

agony.

I want you

to see his

agony.

Verse 34.

He said to

them,

my soul is

very sorrowful

even to

death.

Remain here

and watch.

This is what

he said to

the three

disciples that

he has taken

further into

the garden.

I'm very

sorrowful even

to the point

of death

he says.

Now that's

pretty extreme.

We've already

noted that he

was facing

considerable

mental and

emotional distress

but his

words here

reveal exactly

how extreme

his distress

was.

His mental

condition here

was not

good.

It's the

kind of

despair that

we see in

the Psalms

of Lament.

Jesus

indicates that

his sorrow

is so deeply

felt in this

moment that

there is a

physical expression

that brings

himself to

the near

point of

death as

a result.

He is so

sorrowful in

this moment

so distressed

in this moment

that physically

his body

is about to

give in to

death before

he even gets

to the cross.

Those are

Jesus'

words.

Now remember

Luke in his

gospel.

Remember who

Luke was.

Luke was a

Greek physician.

He was a

doctor.

This is something

that he adds

in his account

in Luke

Luke 22 · chapter mention

chapter 22

he says

being in

agony

he prayed

more earnestly

and his

sweat

became like

great drops

of blood

falling down

to the

ground.

You're probably

familiar with

that imagery.

Jesus praying

in the garden

and his sweat

literally becoming

blood as he

is in so much

distress and agony

in this moment

Luke says.

Now it's

possible that

Luke meant

that metaphorically

just to give

us a visual

of the deep

distress that

Jesus is

experiencing in

that moment

but it's still

worth noting

that there is

an actual

medical condition

whereby a

person's sweat

is mingled

with blood.

It's called

hematohydrosis

and according

to the National

Library of

Medicine

though it can

be the result

of a blood

disorder

it's most

often associated

with someone

under intense

emotional

distress.

This is a

quote from

this medical

journal

this National

Medical Journal

fear and

intense mental

contemplation

are the most

frequent

causes.

That's

intense.

Have you

ever been

that sorrowful?

Have you

ever been

under that

much distress?

Maybe you

have.

Probably

not.

Whether we're

to understand

this metaphorically

or literally

the fact is

that Jesus

encountered

an emotional

agony that

few of us

will ever

really be able

to understand.

The question

is

what exactly

is it that

caused

this level

of stress

in our

Lord?

Was it the

prospect of

crucifixion?

Something

Jesus

undoubtedly

from being

a very

little boy

had witnessed

probably on

many occasions

in his life?

He knew

what that

would be

like.

He had

seen

mutilated

bodies

crucified

in this

way before.

He understood

that.

Is it the

prospect of

crucifixion

that leads

him to

this moment

of trouble?

Was there

something else

to his

anguish?

look at

verse 35.

Going a

little farther

he fell

on the

ground

and he

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.

So Jesus

tells the

three disciples

to wait

and to watch

then he

goes just

a little

bit further

and he

cries out

to the

Father

two words

he uses

here

one is

from Mark

and one

is from

Jesus

Mark's

word is

hour

that this

hour

might pass

from him

Jesus'

words in

his prayer

is cup

that this

cup

would be

removed

from him

hour

and cup

are synonymous

expressions

of what

Jesus is

about to

endure

in his

arrest

and trial

and crucifixion

resurrection

the cup

in particular

is an

image used

regularly

in the

Old Testament

to refer

to God's

judgment

against sin

it's a

picture of

God's

wrath

being poured

out against

sin

and against

sinners

and I'm

not suggesting

that the

physical

suffering

of the

cross

was meaningless

to Jesus

but his

agony

in this

prayer

is about

much more

than pain

death

it's about

the judgment

of God

when Jesus

anticipated

this hour

when he

looked

into

this

cup

he saw

God's

plan

for redeeming

sinners

which meant

that someone

must face

God's

wrath

and when

he asked

for the

possibility

of it

being

removed

it wasn't

that he

was pushing

against

the

father's

plan

here's

what he

was saying

if there

is another

way for

sinners

to be

redeemed

let's

go with

that way

if there's

another way

for salvation

to be

provided

let's

take

that route

instead

but of

course

even in

this

prayer

Jesus

knows

there is

no other

way

so I

have two

questions

to consider

the first

one is

this

what was

in the

cup

what was

in the

cup

first it

was a

cup of

sin

was full

of sin

when he

looked into

the cup

he saw

every kind

of rebellion

against

God

every

idolatry

every

immorality

every act

of violence

through history

filled

this cup

and when he

anticipated the

coming hour

he

the perfectly

sinless

son of

God

knew that

he

must become

the sin

bearer

when he

looks into

the cup

he sees

the thing

that he

dreads the

most

he sees

our sin

the sin

of the

world

and we're

reminded of

Paul's words

in 2nd

Corinthians 5

for our

sake

Paul says

God made

him to

be sin

who knew

no sin

why

so that

in him

we might

become the

righteousness

of God

it is this

dynamic

that

theologically

we call it

imputation

where Jesus

as he looks

into the

cup

the sinless

son of

God

sees our

sin

being

imputed

onto

him

so that

his

righteousness

which we

do not

know

may then

be

imputed

into

us

and when

Jesus

looks into

the cup

that's what

he sees

he sees

our

sin

but it's

also a

cup of

wrath

it's a

cup of

wrath

for sinners

to be

saved

the

sinless

one

must

suffer

in our

place

for us

to be

received

the

son

must be

rejected

for sinners

to be

forgiven

he

must be

forsaken

now think

about this

who will

be forsaking

him

the father

who will

be rejecting

him

God the

father

whose wrath

will he

then have

to endure

and absorb

his

fathers

which reminds

us again of

Paul's words to

the Galatians

this time

Christ

redeemed us

from the curse

of the law

by becoming

a curse

for us

do you see

what Jesus

saw when he

looked into

the cup

he saw

your sin

not only did he

see your sin

when he looked

into the cup

he saw the

divine wrath

of God

meant for

you and

your sin

being poured

out not on

you but being

poured out on

him the

sinless son

of God

and in his

humanity

he looks

into the cup

and he

awaits the

hour that is

to come

and he recoils

in that moment

not because he's

afraid of death

not because he's

afraid of pain

but because he

understands that

the cup and the

hour are much

more than that

it is being

abandoned by

the father

and he shrinks

from it

bearing shame

and scoffing

rude

in my place

condemned

he stood

sealed my

pardon

with his

blood

hallelujah

what a

savior

when Jesus

looked into

the cup

he saw the

judgment of

God meant

for sinners

being poured

out on him

instead

and he

agonized

over the

thought

of being

alienated

from the

father

something we've

known from

birth

he never

knew

Sinclair

Ferguson

said

Jesus was

about to

be exposed

to the

one thing

in life

he really

feared

not the

cruel death

which would

end it

because he

knew he

would rise

again

but the

indescribable

experience

of feeling

himself

to be

God

forsaken

that's what

was in

the cup

that's what

Jesus asked

if there's

another way

let this

cup pass

which brings

another question

to my mind

I teased it

in the introduction

but it's a

serious question

when we look

at this

prayer of

the Lord

does that

mean that

his will

differed

from the

father's

will

is there

disunity

then

in the

trinity

that's an

important

question we

have to

answer

isn't it

I've spoken

so often

about Jesus

his willingness

and desire

to make

an atonement

for our

sin

but on

the surface

this prayer

seems to

indicate that

he wasn't

so willing

here's what

we need to

remember

what awaited

Jesus in

his death

was always

known to

him

and he

routinely

spoke

of his

unity

with the

plan of

the father

let me

give you

just a few

quotes

Jesus'

quotes

John 4

34

Jesus said

to them

my food

the thing

that gives

me life

my food

is to

do the

will

of him

who sent

me

and to

accomplish

his work

does that

mean that

Jesus had

a will

that was

different

than the

father's

no

it means

that he

was actually

working

and acting

in perfect

unity

with the

will of

the father

the thing

that gives

me life

my food

is to

do the

will

of him

who sent

me

to accomplish

his work

and what

is the work

that he was

sent to

accomplish

our

redemption

john

6

38

i have

come down

from heaven

not to

do my

own

will

but to

do the

will

of him

who sent

me

john

10

18

no one

takes

my life

from me

i lay

it down

of my

own

accord

of my

own

will

i have

authority

to lay

it down

i have

authority

to take

it up

again

this

charge

i have

received

from my

father

again

unity

in the

trinity

not

division

the

agony

of the

garden

is not

suggestive

of

an

opposing

will

but of

wholehearted

commitment

to the

will of

the father

even

amid

extreme

temptation

jesus

always

willingly

and joyfully

moved

toward the

cross

but he

also

faced

the

temptation

to avoid

it

let me

explain

think of

all the

times

that mark

as we've

worked

through

if you can

remember

them from

the last

six or

seven years

that we've

been here

if you

if you can

remember

all the

times that

mark has

specifically

noted

jesus's

private

prayers

the first

one is

in chapter

one

it's when

jesus

spends

40 days

and 40

nights

in the

wilderness

do you

remember

what was

happening

in the

wilderness

in those

40 days

and 40

nights

he's

being

tempted

of the

devil

what was

the purpose

of those

temptations

as summed

up in the

three that

are given

it was

it was

continuous

temptation

three of

them are

actually

listed

for us

the purpose

of that

was to

get jesus

to circumvent

the cross

to act

in a

will

that is

different

from the

fathers

and in

each of

those

temptations

he

resistes

he resists

and it's

connected to

his prayer

life

we get

to the

end of

chapter

one

remember

jesus

had just

had these

amazing

few days

of

ministries

healing

all these

people

and all

these

people

are now

demanding

his attention

and his

time

even the

disciples

themselves

are trying

to get

jesus

to do

what

they

want

it's

a

temptation

to fame

and to

glory

and perhaps

kingship

apart from

the cross

and what

does jesus

do

he gets

up a great

while before

day

and he

goes out

to a

solitary

place

and he

doesn't

tell

anybody

where

he's

going

and what

does

he

do

he

prays

why

well it's

connected to

a temptation

in that

moment

fast forward

a few more

chapters

is it chapter

eight

maybe it's

chapter six

i can't

remember

remember the

feeding of

the five

thousand

when they're

leaving

john's gospel

tells us

that jesus

had to

escape

because the

zealots

in that

area

were trying

to make

him a

king

by

force

temptation

he could

become the

king

without the

cross

and what

does jesus

do

he sends

the disciples

out on the

sea of

galilee

in the

boat

and he

goes up

into the

mountains

by himself

to pray

the next

time we

see his

prayer

is here

what's

happening

in the

garden

this is

the pinnacle

of

temptation

one

final

assault

and final

effort

on the

part of

the evil

one

to get

jesus

to circumvent

the cross

to get

jesus to

go against

the will

of the

father

it is

stronger

than it's

ever been

before

and in

this moment

jesus faces

temptation

and he

perseveres

through this

temptation

once

again

he never

sinned

that's what's

happening here

it's not that he

wanted something

different from

the father

of course he

didn't

remember he

was a man

who was subjected

to the same

temptation we

are subjected

to

philippians 2

and verse 8

being found in

human form

he humbled

himself

how

paul says

by becoming

obedient

to the point

of death

even death

on a cross

what does

obedience

indicate

submission

to the

will of

the father

again

sinclair

ferguson

everything

in jesus

longed to

escape

this terrible

experience

seen in

its own

light

yet

everything

in jesus

also

longed

to be

obedient

to the

father

so he

took the

cup

never in

the gospels

does the

humanity

of jesus

shine

through

more

clearly

never in

the gospels

does his

holiness

appear

more

forcibly

and the

apostles

picked up

on this

let me remind

you of

hebrews

Hebrews 4 · chapter mention

chapter 4

in verse 15

we do not

have a high

priest who

is unable

to sympathize

with our

weaknesses

that's not

who jesus

is

he knows

our weaknesses

because he's

experienced

our weaknesses

the writer

goes on to

say

one who

in every

respect

has been

tempted

as we

are

yet

without

sin

what is

this

scene

in the

garden

about

jesus

conquering

sin

for

us

for

us

he

remains

steadfast

and true

and perfect

and holy

yet at the

same time

he endures

the things

that we

can endure

so that

we can

now look

to him

who

fulfilled

the law

perfectly

his

obedience

and submission

to the

father

are clear

even in

his

prayer

that

amazing

phrase

yet not

what I

will

but what

you

will

again

that's not

meant to be

suggestive of

a different

will

but it's

meant to

highlight his

submission to

the father's

plan

he remains

our perfect

example of

humble obedience

to god

his

humanity

means that

his

temptation

was real

but because

of his

deity

he was

able to

show us

how to

defeat

temptation

in

suffering

notice the

three parts

of his

prayer

first

power

is

acknowledged

look at

his

prayer

all

things

are

possible

for

you

the

request

is

made

remove

this

cup

from

me

the

will

is

submitted

yet

not

what I

will

but you

will

now

remember

the

context

this

prayer

is in

the

context

of

temptation

that

comes

in

the

face

of

suffering

when

we are

indeed

like

Jesus

in

the

face

of

suffering

he

gives

us

the

pattern

to

follow

God

all

things

are

possible

for

you

because

you

alone

are

God

please

let

this

cup

pass

from

me

but

not

what

I

will

what

you

will

is

that

not

the

pattern

we

are

to

follow

our

prayer

loved

ones

if

we

are

to

endure

this

life

as

faithful

followers

of

Jesus

we

must

learn

to

take

the

Lord's

posture

in

this

prayer

we

have

to

acknowledge

the

power

of

God

to

do

anything

that

we