Gethsemane: Jesus' Agony, Surrender, and Obedience

Peter's failure in the courtyard with the person that questioned him didn't happen in the courtyard. Peter's denial and his challenges and his problems started in the garden when he didn't pray, when he wasn't watchful, when he wasn't connected to the father, to Jesus in the moment that he needed him. The garden, we talked about a place of pressure. It sets the stage for sin's defeat. Why? Because we see in this that love is what was driving everything that was happening in that moment. Remind you again, John fourteen thirty one, the world must learn that I love the father and that I do exactly what the father has commanded me. [00:50:41] (54 seconds)  #WatchAndPrayInTheGarden

There were times before when Jesus could have been arrested. We read that he slipped out the back, that he went to another place. Because why? Jesus always said in those particular scriptures, he said the time's not right. It's not now. It's not yet. But this time, he walked straight into it. He goes, my betrayer is here. The soldiers are here. Let's go. Unresolved, he's not questioning. He's been pressed. It's been agony for the last couple of hours, him in the garden. But he's walking forward with clarity and with love and with the desire to handle what comes next. [00:54:49] (50 seconds)  #IntentionalSacrifice

That he prays and we've we've read and we've heard before and and we're not gonna get into all the scientific part of that today and everything, but drops of blood began falling from his forehead to the ground. His prayers and his heart were in such an intense heavy moment that he was experiencing the penalty of what we know sin is. Romans six twenty three talks about this. The wages of sin is death. What we earn for our sin is death. That penalty is what weighs heavy on you and I, and Jesus is taking that on in this moment. It's already beginning. He's already beginning to weigh that price, and it's physically just consuming him at this moment. [00:41:58] (58 seconds)  #WagesOfSinTaken

Then the lifeline that he gives us that he's trying to teach you and I today, watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. He warns your spirit is willing. On the outside, your words are everything that they need to be. You're saying all the right stuff, but your body is weak, and you're not measuring up to everything that you're saying. And in this moment, I'm telling you where your strength comes from is being watchful and being prayerful. And so when you and I are struggling, when Jesus is walking us through path, when we have to make some hard decisions or when we need to do things that he wants us to do in this moment, our lifeline is to watch and to pray. [00:49:07] (52 seconds)  #PrayerIsTheLifeline

And yet, he does all of this anyway. And it wasn't because he didn't have a choice in the matter. It wasn't because that it was decreed or he had some kind of an obligation or it was some kind of this thing that God had said in the beginning of time, this is gonna happen and this is what you have to do. You don't have a choice. He had a choice in what he did. The scripture reminds us of that. He goes in this moment. Why? Because of love. Love for God and love for you and me. [00:31:02] (34 seconds)  #ChoiceDrivenByLove

It's mind blowing to us. We're not gonna get into the Trinity this morning and talk about all the details of that either, but Jesus and God are so tied. I'm not talking about, like, the best father son relationship ever, though it is. They're really intertwined. They feel what each other feels. And in this moment, part of what's in this cup when he says, can this cup be taken from me? He knows that one of the things that he's going to feel is the silence of the father. We know that the words that he shares when he eventually gets on the cross is, my God, my God, why have you forsaken me? In that moment, he feels totally separated from God because God can't have anything to do with sin. [00:43:20] (51 seconds)  #FeelingTheSilence

God will do the same thing for you and I when we honestly seek him in prayer. He will walk with us. He will help us in this path of surrendering. And it's sometimes it's a journey. It's a path. It's not something we just automatically want to do. We witness here in the garden Jesus' obedience, love driven obedience. John fourteen thirty one, but the world must learn that I love the father and I do exactly what he's told me. But we know that he did everything for God so loved the world that he gave himself, that you and I could have that eternal life, that we could be forgiven. It's a gift. You don't have to do anything for it today. [00:52:41] (55 seconds)  #GraceIsAGift

Father, and notice these words, we read these a while ago, but we probably skipped over them just because we were focused on the cup. If it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. You move on. Verse 40, he talks to his disciples for a moment. We'll get back to that. He went a second time and he prayed. And this time, he says, if not possible. Notice the change in words. If possible, could it be taken to if not possible? He's beginning to surrender at this point. He's beginning to move from what was an honest desire. Is there another way? Is there something else that can be done here? [00:44:56] (46 seconds)  #HeartOfSurrender