Drinking Judgement on the mount Luke 22v39-46

On reaching the place, he said to them,

Pray that you will not fall into temptation.

He withdrew about a stone's throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed,

Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me,

yet not my will, but yours be done.

An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him.

And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly,

and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.

When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples,

he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow.

Why are you sleeping? he asked them.

Get up and pray that you will not fall into temptation.

Well, we're going to pray now.

So, let's do that together.

Father, we pray that we will not fall into temptation.

That as we hear your word,

we would not be tempted to look away from you

and to trust ourselves or other things,

but that we would trust the truth of your word.

help us that we would obey your word.

And we ask that you would change us

and make us more like Jesus.

We ask it in your name.

Amen.

Well, it's now Thursday evening.

By mid-afternoon tomorrow,

Jesus will be beaten, mocked,

brutally nailed to a wooden cross and left to die.

These last few hours are spent with his closest disciples.

They've just celebrated the Passover meal together,

but there's a heaviness and there's a sadness in their hearts.

Jesus has been talking about denial,

betrayal,

and death.

Jesus, too, is struggling.

So, verse 39,

Jesus went out as usual.

This was his common practice to go and pray.

So, Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives

to a familiar spot with his disciples,

a little olive grove,

and his disciples followed him.

You see, as Jesus makes his way to the cross,

as he gets closer to the cross,

disciples follow him.

You see, it's only as we follow Jesus to the cross

that we begin to see our need of the cross.

So, here's an invitation for us all

to step out and to follow Jesus

as he makes his way to the cross.

Three things we're going to see as we follow.

First,

we all fail in temptation.

We all fail in temptation.

Look at verse 40.

On reaching the place,

this little olive grove,

he said to them,

pray that you will not fall into temptation.

And then Jesus goes off on his own

and he prays,

and when he is finished,

he comes back to his disciples,

and verse 46,

why are you sleeping?

He asked them.

Get up and pray

so that you will not fall into temptation.

Why this persistence?

Why this reminder?

Pray that you will not fall into temptation.

temptation.

Well, Jesus knows that temptation will come.

He's already told them that's what's going to happen.

Look back a few verses to verse 31.

Here Jesus is addressing

Peter or Simon as he's referred to here.

Simon, Simon,

Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat.

A temptation is going to come upon you

to see if you will stand.

It's a striking picture,

that image of Satan wanting to sift you.

This newly harvested wheat is being sifted.

It's being shaken

to separate the good grain from the useless husk.

So Satan is out to shake

and destroy the faith of the disciples.

So as Jesus makes his way to the cross,

will they follow him?

Or are they going to abandon him?

And if you're a disciple today,

a follower of Jesus,

you will know that temptation also comes to you.

Perhaps it's different for each one of us.

Maybe it's a particular temptation

to lose your cool

or to say words that you shouldn't say.

Maybe it's a temptation

to never admit that you're wrong.

Maybe it's a temptation

with particular addictions.

Maybe pornography.

Maybe it's a temptation

to be buying things that we don't need

and looking for our comfort in shopping.

Well, you see,

we've all got a common enemy.

His name is Satan.

And his one aim and purpose

is to keep people like us

from following Jesus.

And when that pressure comes on,

will we resist temptation

temptation?

Or will we fall into temptation?

The problem is,

and that's certainly my experience,

the problem is

we all fall into temptation.

Now, temptation is not sinful in itself.

We'll see that Jesus is tempted.

He already faced Satan in the wilderness.

So, temptation is not wrong.

The problem is,

we don't resist it

or reject it.

We willfully enter into it.

We fall into following our own desires.

Just like Adam and Eve did in the garden.

Just like the disciples did.

We fall into temptation.

Instead of saying,

God's will be done,

we say,

my will be done.

And sadly,

the evidence is there to

see in our own lives

and all around us.

Broken relationships.

Conflict with our spouse.

Divisions in our families.

All because we fail to resist.

And we fall into temptation.

So the first thing we see

as we follow Jesus to the cross is,

well, it's uncomfortable

because we're confronted

with our own failure.

We fail.

We fall.

So what do we do?

Well, thankfully,

Jesus deals with our failure.

As we follow Jesus,

and that's what we're to do,

we're to follow him

to the olive grove.

We're to watch Jesus

face his own temptation.

We're to listen to Jesus

as he prays.

And as we do that,

we will see our need,

our desperate need

for Jesus.

First,

the suffering of Jesus.

As Jesus begins to pray,

something has gripped him

with fear.

Verse 44.

And being in anguish,

he prayed more earnestly.

Jesus is in physical

and emotional agony.

It's not what we always expect

of Jesus.

Jesus is always in control.

He's always strong,

always confident.

Jesus is the fearless one.

But this time,

it's different.

Jesus is so overwhelmed,

verse 43,

that an angel from heaven

appeared to him

and strengthened him.

The God-man,

the creator of the universe,

is weak

and needs strengthened.

In fact,

he is in so much turmoil.

Look at verse 44 again.

Being in anguish,

he prayed more earnestly,

and his sweat

was like drops of blood

falling to the ground.

When you or I get scared,

we might shake or stutter.

But Jesus is so overcome

with fear,

he starts to literally

sweat blood.

Jesus is in great physical

and emotional agony.

Well, what is it

that is causing Jesus

so much anguish?

Well, look back to verse 41.

Jesus withdrew

about a stone's throw

beyond them,

so just enough

to be private in prayer.

Father,

knelt down and prayed,

Father,

if you are willing,

take this cup

from me.

The cup.

That's what's causing

Jesus so much turmoil.

It's not a literal cup,

it's a metaphorical cup.

That means Jesus

is going to face

something so terrible.

Jesus will have to

endure something

so awful.

He pleads with his Father,

take this cup

from me.

Now, for us to understand

what this cup is,

to know what it is

that Jesus is going to face,

we need to read

from the book of Jeremiah.

So, if you keep your finger

in Luke 22,

go back to Jeremiah,

Jeremiah 25 · chapter mention

chapter 25.

If you're using

the red-covered Bible,

it's on page 786.

786,

Jeremiah 25,

Jeremiah 25:15

verse 15.

And in this section,

God had been saying

to his people that,

well, you've been wandering,

you've been rebelling,

a judgment is going to come,

you are going to be taken over

by the Babylonians

and be taken into exile.

So, he's talking to the people

about what happens

when we turn against God,

against the evil

and wickedness.

So, Jeremiah,

Jeremiah 25:15

chapter 25,

verse 15.

This is what the Lord,

the God of Israel,

said to me.

Take from my hand

this cup filled

with the wine of my wrath,

and make all the nations

to whom I send you

drink it.

When they drink it,

they will stagger

and go mad

because of the sword

I will send among them.

Now go down to verse 28.

But if they refuse

to take the cup

from your hand

and drink it,

tell them,

this is what the Lord

Almighty says,

you must drink it.

See, I am beginning

to bring disaster

on the city

that bears my name.

And will you indeed

go unpunished?

You will not

go unpunished.

For I am calling

down a sword

on all who live

on the earth,

declares

the Lord

Almighty.

Terrifying.

this cup

is not

literal.

It's a symbol

of God's wrath,

His anger.

It's a dramatic

picture of God's

judgment,

the punishment

that God will

pour out on those

who live sinful lives,

who willingly

fall into temptation

and say,

my will be done.

So as Jesus

prays,

He cries out

to His Father,

if you are

willing,

take this

cup

from Me.

You see,

it's not death

that Jesus fears.

He knew He was

going to Jerusalem

to die.

It's judgment

that He fears.

Jesus knows

that when He dies,

He will have

to drink the cup.

He will have

to face God's

wrath,

His punishment.

Let's go back

to Luke 22.

Now you might

not like the idea

of God being angry.

It might not fit

into your understanding

of God.

Maybe you just

like to think

of God being

loving and kind

and nice.

Well, let's

understand that

God's anger

is not like ours.

He doesn't lose

His temper.

He doesn't have

uncontrolled fits

of rage.

No, God's anger

is an expression

of His personal

hate for all

the injustice

and all the evil

that there is

in the world.

In other words,

it is God's

just,

fair,

and reasoned

response to sin.

And we might

be content

that God

is angry

with other

people and

all the bad

people,

but what about

me?

What about

you?

Has God

got a right

to be angry

with me?

Do you think

God should just

turn a blind eye

to all the times

that I fall

into temptation

and say,

Johnny's will

be done,

not God's?

Do we expect

God to put up

with our sinful

lives?

All the lies,

the crosswords,

the hurts

that we cause,

the selfishness,

the disobedience,

and just say,

you know what,

it doesn't matter.

Of course it

matters.

It's personal

to God.

Do you think

God is just

to look back

at all the wars

that are going on?

The trafficking

of children

into the sex

industry?

It doesn't

matter.

Just let

people do

what they like.

It's okay.

It does

matter.

We deserve

to face

God's judgment.

So what are we

going to do

about it?

Well,

second,

the obedience

of Jesus.

Listen again

to what Jesus

prays in

verse 42.

Father,

here's the

cry of agony.

Father,

if you are

willing,

take this

cup from

me.

Jesus is

fearing what

is ahead.

His sweat

is like

drops of

blood.

He's in

emotional

anger.

In a few

hours'

time,

Jesus is

going to

be nailed

to a

cross.

But he

knows it's

not just

physical death

that he

faces.

It's God's

judgment

that he

faces.

So as

Jesus

prays to

his

father,

it's as

if he's

looking into

the cup.

He sees

something of

what lies

ahead.

He knows

that he

will be

separated

from his

father.

He knows

he will

have to

suffer

hell.

This is

not some

rehearsed

play,

some

acted

out drama

where

Jesus

has been

before.

This is

the real

temptation

that Jesus,

the God

man,

is facing.

Father,

is there

some other

way that

we can

do this?

Father,

can you

take the

cross away

from me?

I don't

want to

go through

with this.

You see,

we mustn't

think that

Jesus is

some kind

of robotic

person that

just does

without any

thinking.

Jesus was

not immune

to temptation.

temptation.

He might

have

experienced

all the

kinds of

temptations

that we

have

experienced,

but he

experienced

them in

a way that

just built

up one

after the

other.

The

pressure

increased

more and

more and

more.

But as

the writer

to the

Hebrew

tells us,

Jesus was

tempted in

every way

just as

we are,

but he

did not

sin.

He did

not cave

in under

the pressure.

He did

not bow.

Verse 42,

Father, if

you are

willing, take

this cup

from me,

yet not

my will,

but yours

be done.

Jesus

resists

temptation

and in

obedience to

his Father

he prays.

Not my

will,

your will

be done.

Not my

wants,

but Father,

what you

want.

Not my

desires,

but Father,

what will

please you.

How easily

we fall

into temptation.

How willingly

we just so

quickly fall.

It comes

upon us,

the pressure

builds,

we fail

to resist

it.

Jesus

is the

only one

who stands

strong in

the face

of temptation.

The only

man

who has

resisted.

God's

God's

is the

God's

God's

judgment

is to

drink that

cup for

us.

In other

words,

he has

come to

prepare himself

through prayer,

to take

that place

for you

and me

and to

drink the

punishment

that you

and I

deserve.

He exchanges

places with

us on the

cross.

You see,

Jesus never

fell into

temptation.

Jesus always

resisted.

He never

disobeyed.

He always

obeyed his

father.

He is the

only one

free from

God's

judgment,

the only

perfect man

who doesn't

deserve it.

But yet in

love he comes

to this world,

he comes to

people like you

and me and

he says,

I will take

all your

disobedience

on myself.

Jesus is

treated on

the cross as

the one who

has fallen

into temptation.

He makes

my sin his

own so

that I can

be free

from what

I deserve.

Imagine

you're holding

that cup.

It's

symbolic,

I know,

but as

you look

into it,

you see

this is

God's

judgment.

You get

a glimpse

of hell

itself.

And to

drink it,

you know,

will be

separation

from God

for all

eternity.

Nothing,

there's no

beauty,

there's no

goodness,

no laughter,

no joy.

And you

have no

choice but

to drink

it.

And yet

standing

before you

is the

Lord Jesus.

Jesus.

And in

love he

reaches out

and he

takes that

cup from

your hands

and he

drinks it.

And he

drinks it

to the

very last

drop.

So there

is nothing

left for us

to drink,

not even

a taste.

For when

Jesus died

on the cross,

he is

drinking that

judgment for

you and

for me.

Do you

see,

as we

follow Jesus

into the

garden,

not only

do we

see that

we fall

in temptation,

but we

meet the

perfect man

who passes

the test,

who passes

temptation,

who resists

it,

and drinks

judgment for

you and

for me,

dealing with

our failure.

So how

do we

respond?

Well,

third,

we pray

not to

fall into

temptation.

You see,

because of

Jesus'

death on

the cross,

temptation

is now

no longer

this

irresistible

force that

we have

to give

into.

Three

things that

we can

pray in

regards to

our

temptations.

And before

we look at

these three

things,

let me

just

encourage

you right

now,

each of

you

personally,

try and

identify for

yourself right

now,

what is the

area of

weakness?

What is the

temptation that

you most

succumb to?

What is it

that you so

easily fall

into?

It could be

an anger

issue.

It could be

addiction

issues.

it could

be the

temptation

to find

your comfort

in material

things and

physical

things.

Where are

you most

likely to

fall?

And when

you've got

that in

mind,

now let's

think through

what we

pray.

First,

admit to

our weakness.

Look at

verse 45.

When he

rose from

prayer and

went back

to his

disciples,

he found

them asleep,

exhausted

from sorrow.

Why are

you sleeping?

He asked

them.

Get up

and pray

so that

you will

not fall

into

temptation.

Jesus

does not

say,

when you

enter into

temptation,

pray.

No,

Jesus knows

our hearts.

He knows

what we are

like.

He knows

that we

are weak

people.

So he

says,

pray that

you will

not fall

into

temptation.

So it's

a cry for

help saying,

help me

before the

temptation

comes.

Isn't

that what

Jesus taught

his disciples

to pray in

the Lord's

Prayer?

Father,

hallowed be

your name,

and lead

us not

into

temptation.

Jesus

knows how

weak we

are.

And

Jesus

knew what

it was

to be

weak.

And so

he cries

out in

prayer more

earnestly

in the

midst of

temptation.

If

Jesus

knew that

he had

to pray

in

temptation,

how much

more do

you and

I need

to pray?

We

admit our

weakness

weakness.

And that

we so

easily fall

and fail.

Second,

we pray to

be

strengthened.

As

Jesus

prays,

he is

dependent

upon his

father for

help.

So,

verse 43,

an angel

from heaven

appeared to

him and

strengthened

him.

God

knows our

weakness.

He knows

how we're

so prone

to wander.

So,

when we

call out

to him

in prayer,

he will

strengthen

us.

The writer

to the

Hebrews

reminds us.

I haven't

got it

here,

I'll just

read it

out to

you.

Hebrews

Hebrews 4:15

4,

verse 15.

He says,

we do

not have

a high

priest who

is unable

to feel

sympathy

for our

weaknesses,

but we

have one

who has

been

tempted

in every

way just

as we

are.

So,

he knows

what we

go through.

Yet,

he did

not sin,

therefore,

he's in a

position to

be able to

give to

us.

So,

let us

then approach

the throne

of grace

with confidence

so that we

may receive

the mercy

and find

grace to

help us

in our

time of

need.

Through

Jesus'

death,

we now

have access

to our

Father,

a generous

Father who

gives what

we need.

In the

face of our

temptation,

we pray

for grace

and mercy,

pray to

be

strengthened

so that

we do

not fall.

So,

we admit

our weakness,

we pray to

be strengthened,

and third,

we rejoice

in our

Savior.

You see,

because of

Jesus'

death on

the cross,

us,

even when

we fall

into

temptation,

it is

not the

end.

Remember

what Jesus

said to

Simon Peter?

Go back

to verse

31.

He's putting

it up to

them,

saying,

temptation is

coming.

Verse 31,

Simon,

Simon,

Satan has

asked to

sift all

of you

as wheat.

we're going

to face

temptation.

It's going

to happen.

But that's

not all that

Jesus says.

Read on

verse 32.

But I

have prayed

for you,

Simon,

that your

faith may

not fail.

And when

you have

turned back,

strengthen

your brothers.

it's an

enlightening

verse.

Jesus is

saying,

I pray

that your

faith may

not fail.

And when

you have

turned back,

in other

words,

look Simon,

and to

all the

disciples,

you will

fall,

but your

faith will

not fail.

The prayers

of Jesus

on our

behalf

cause us

to turn

back to

him when

we do

fall in

temptation.

And as

we'll see

that next

week,

Simon Peter

did fall,

but the

prayers of

Jesus means

that Peter

will turn

back and

be restored.

His

faith

will not

fail.

And because

Jesus died

for us

on the

cross,

because he

drank that

judgment for

you and

for me,

he now

continues to

intercede for

us.

You see,

Jesus'

death is

not just a

partial

rescue,

it's a

rescue for

all eternity.

He doesn't

save us

until we

fall and

go,

right,

okay,

I've

saved you,

but now

you've

fallen,

that's

it,

you're

on your

own now.

Jesus

saves us

even

when we

fall.

He

drinks the

cup of

judgment

so that

we will

never,

ever have

to drink

of its

dregs

again.

Look at

verse 32.

Read it

and put

your own

name

instead of

Simon.

But I

have prayed

for you

that your

faith may

not fail

and when

you have

turned back,

strengthen

your

brothers.

Jesus

has

overcome

temptation

for us

so that

we can

be

restored,

not

living in

a depth

of guilt

and despair,

but raised

up,

go and

strengthen

your

brothers.

Go and

encourage

them.

Go and

encourage

fellow

disciples

who are

going

through a

hard time,

who are

struggling

in their

faith.

As we

follow Jesus

to the

cross,

we begin

to see

our great

need of

the cross.

Let us

pray that

we will

not fall

into

temptation.

As we

pray,

we all

know the

areas that

we struggle

with,

the areas

where we

conform.

Father,

forgive us

for the

times we

say,

my will

be done

and not

your will

be done.

Father,

we admit

to our

weakness

that we

so often

fail to

resist.

We

cave in

under the

pressure.

Father,

draw near

to us

and strengthen

us as we

go about

this week,

as we

go into

our workplace,

our schools,

amongst our

friends where

we are

challenged to

doubt you,

where we are

pushed to

remain silent

about you.

Strengthen

us,

pour out

your grace

and mercy

and fill us

with the

power of

your Holy

Spirit,

that we

may walk

obediently to

you and

to your

word.

And,

Father,

may we

rejoice in

a wonderful

Savior,

who has

walked the

path for

us and

drunk the

cup of

judgment so

that we

never have

to,

who has

rescued us

completely

and forever,

who forgives

even when

we do

fall,

and who

prays for

us even

now,

so that

our faith

may not

fail.

What a

great Savior.

Thank you,

in Jesus'

name.

Amen.

Here's

another

prayer,

a prayer

in song,

picking up

on some

of the

things we've

been looking

at.

Before the

throne of

God above,

I have a

strong,

a perfect

plea,

a great

high priest

whose name

is love,

whoever lives

and pleads

for me.

You ever

think about

that as you

go about

your day,

oblivious to

what's going

on?