The Great Irony - Mark 15:1-15 - February 7, 2021

These are the Sermon Notes for February 7, 2021. We are meeting at the church with specific procedures and protocols that need to be followed. Read our Covid-19 plan here. You can still watch our livestream service every Sunday at 9:37 am on our facebook page or watch the livestream recordings any time.

 Mark 15:1-15 The Great Irony

We are nearing the end of Mark’s Gospel, in my Bible there’s only a page and a half left. But what remains is the climax of Jesus’ earthly ministry. We are going to look at the first stage of that climax in Mark 15:1-15, page 852 in the pew Bibles, when Jesus was brought before Pilate.

I can’t help but see the great irony in everything that happens in these verses, where Jesus Messiah, the Lord of Glory was condemned to death though He had committed no sin and no violence was in His mouth. Maybe you’ll see it too.

So you’ll remember from last week that Jesus had been brought from the Garden of Gethsemane to an illegal night meeting of the Sanhedrin in the palace of the high priest Caiaphas.

And though they couldn’t find two witnesses whose testimonies against Him agreed they condemned Him for blasphemy. The high priest asked Him if he was the Christ, the Son of the Blessed, and Jesus answered, “I am,” and they freaked out.

The next step in their plan would have to wait a little while though because according to the Law they were not supposed to do this sort of thing at night. Fortunately for them, night was almost over as during this farce of a trial the rooster had started to crow.

And as soon as it was morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council. And they bound Jesus and led him away and delivered him over to Pilate. 2 And Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” And he answered him, “You have said so.” 3 And the chief priests accused him of many things. 4 And Pilate again asked him, “Have you no answer to make? See how many charges they bring against you.” 5 But Jesus made no further answer, so that Pilate was amazed. 

6 Now at the feast he used to release for them one prisoner for whom they asked. 7 And among the rebels in prison, who had committed murder in the insurrection, there was a man called Barabbas. 8 And the crowd came up and began to ask Pilate to do as he usually did for them. 9 And he answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?” 10 For he perceived that it was out of envy that the chief priests had delivered him up. 11 But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release for them Barabbas instead. 12 And Pilate again said to them, “Then what shall I do with the man you call the King of the Jews?” 13 And they cried out again, “Crucify him.” 14 And Pilate said to them, “Why? What evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Crucify him.” 15 So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.

Let’s pray.

So as soon as it was morning the whole council got together for an official meeting, knowing that their night trial couldn’t be considered official.

I’ve been to a lot of meetings over the years, I’ve been on lots of committees. But what I can tell you for sure is that real work gets done in the post-meeting meeting, the meeting that happens in the parking lot after the official meeting is over.

But in this post-meeting meeting, the work that the Sanhedrin got done was to decide on exactly what charges they would bring against Jesus before Pilate. 

Pilate wouldn’t care anything about charges of blasphemy, or claims of destroying the Temple. The only charge that they could come up with that would concern Pilate is that to be Christ was to be King and to claim to be king was treason.

Now we’ve got to understand that Pilate was a politician, he was no friend of the Jews, and he didn’t care about the truth, all he cared about was peace. He didn’t care about the hippy-dippy kind of peace, not peace and love, more like peace and quiet. As his judgment here in our text proves.

And as soon as it was morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council. And they bound Jesus and led him away and delivered him over to Pilate. 2 And Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” And he answered him, “You have said so.” 3 And the chief priests accused him of many things. 4 And Pilate again asked him, “Have you no answer to make? See how many charges they bring against you.” 5 But Jesus made no further answer, so that Pilate was amazed. 

Jesus’ response to Pilate’s question was not exactly a straight answer but He wasn’t disagreeing with him either. It’s almost as if He said, “If that’s what you want to call it…”

“Are you the King of the Jews?” “If that’s what you want to call it, yeah.”

But John’s Gospel records that Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world, if it were, my servants would be fighting.”

In fact, if this scene wasn’t accomplishing the redemptive plan of God, there’s no way Jesus would just stand there, tied up like a criminal.

This reminds me of the scene in the movie, “The Man of Steel,” where Superman chose to submit himself to the army and they put him in handcuffs so that they would feel safe. But eventually Superman just pops them off like they weren’t even there.

Jesus, who was present at creation, the Word by whom all things were made, who holds the stars in place, and was keeping the atoms and molecules in those ropes that bound Him from flying apart, willingly humbled Himself and stood before an unjust human judge. 

Why? Here’s the irony! 

The Son of God humbly stood before an unjust human judge so that we who believe in Him will be able to boldly stand before the Just Divine Judge.

Christ stood before Pilate in sorrow so that we who believe in Him will be able to stand before God with joy!

Christ was silent before the Sanhedrin so that we who believe in Him can confidently cry, “Abba, Father!”

Christ was silent then so that He could serve as our intercessor now.

6 Now at the feast [Pilate] used to release for them one prisoner for whom they asked. 7 And among the rebels in prison, who had committed murder in the insurrection, there was a man called Barabbas. 8 And the crowd came up and began to ask Pilate to do as he usually did for them. 9 And he answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?” 10 For he perceived that it was out of envy that the chief priests had delivered him up. 11 But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release for them Barabbas instead. 12 And Pilate again said to them, “Then what shall I do with the man you call the King of the Jews?” 13 And they cried out again, “Crucify him.” 14 And Pilate said to them, “Why? What evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Crucify him.” 15 So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.

Pilate chose peace over justice. 

He chose what was popular over what was right.

The last thing that Pilate wanted was riot, not because he cared about the safety of the people, he just didn’t want to look bad, he didn’t want to look like he was incapable of keeping the Jews under control.

So the people chose: the life of the innocent was exchanged for the life of the guilty, the Son of God for a notorious criminal, a murderer and insurrectionist.

Barabbas’ sins went unpunished while Jesus would be punished for sins not His own.

The people chose perpetual slavery rather than accept their Redeemer. 

And the One to whom every knee will bow and every tongue confess that He is Lord to the glory of God the Father willingly submitted to the hands of evil men.

The innocent was condemned as guilty, so that, we who are guilty will be declared innocent.

The Jews and Gentiles were united in His condemnation and death just as, through faith in Him, we can be united in His life and glory.

John Calvin wrote, “That the Son of God was reduced so low none can properly remember without the deepest horror, and displeasure with themselves, and detestation of their own crimes. But hence also arises no ordinary ground of confidence; for Christ was sunk into the depths of shame, that he might obtain for us, by his humiliation, an ascent to the heavenly glory: he was reckoned worse than a criminal, that he might admit us to the society of the angels of God.”

And that is the great irony, as Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 5:21, “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

This is the gospel, the Good News, that God, in Christ, exchanged the righteous for the unrighteous, the sinless for the sinful. Jesus willingly took our place, the condemnation that we justly deserve for our sin, he bore Himself because he loves us that much.

16For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not die but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to be its judge, but to be its savior.

Amen.

Jesus' Confession and Peter's Denial - Mark 14:53-72 - January 31, 2021

These are the Sermon Notes for January 31, 2021. We are meeting at the church with specific procedures and protocols that need to be followed. Read our Covid-19 plan here. You can still watch our livestream service every Sunday at 9:37 am on our facebook page or watch the livestream recordings any time.

 Mark 14:53-72 Jesus’ Confession and Peter’s Denial

Good morning! We are back in the Gospel of Mark this morning. We are going to be looking at two concurrent events in verses 53-72, page 851 in the pew Bibles.

Last week Jesus and the disciples were in the Garden of Gethsemane and after Jesus prayed there and submitted to the Father’s will, Judas, the betrayer, brought an armed crowd to arrest Jesus. Peter, in his foolish zeal, pulled his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear which Jesus promptly healed.

Now the disciples have scattered and Jesus has been taken alone to the high priest for trial. Only two of the disciples dared to follow the crowd to see what would happen, Peter, as we will see in our text, and another unnamed disciple recorded in John’s Gospel, most likely John himself or maybe even Mark.

In Mark’s record of these events he skips over the first examination by Annas the father-in-law of the high priest Joseph Caiaphas and goes straight to Jesus before the whole council of the Sanhedrin.

In our text, the trial of Jesus and Peter’s denial of Jesus are happening at the same time in nearly the same place. Jesus and Peter were both questioned but their responses couldn’t have been more different.

53 And they led Jesus to the high priest. And all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes came together. 54 And Peter had followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. And he was sitting with the guards and warming himself at the fire. 55 Now the chief priests and the whole council were seeking testimony against Jesus to put him to death, but they found none. 56 For many bore false witness against him, but their testimony did not agree. 57 And some stood up and bore false witness against him, saying, 58 “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and in three days I will build another, not made with hands.’ ” 59 Yet even about this their testimony did not agree. 

60 And the high priest stood up in the midst and asked Jesus, “Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you?” 61 But he remained silent and made no answer. Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” 62 And Jesus said, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.” 63 And the high priest tore his garments and said, “What further witnesses do we need? 64 You have heard his blasphemy. What is your decision?” And they all condemned him as deserving death. 65 And some began to spit on him and to cover his face and to strike him, saying to him, “Prophesy!” And the guards received him with blows. 

66 And as Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came, 67 and seeing Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, “You also were with the Nazarene, Jesus.” 68 But he denied it, saying, “I neither know nor understand what you mean.” And he went out into the gateway and the rooster crowed. 69 And the servant girl saw him and began again to say to the bystanders, “This man is one of them.” 70 But again he denied it. And after a little while the bystanders again said to Peter, “Certainly you are one of them, for you are a Galilean.” 71 But he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, “I do not know this man of whom you speak.” 72 And immediately the rooster crowed a second time. And Peter remembered how Jesus had said to him, “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” And he broke down and wept.

Let’s pray.

So first let’s look at Jesus’ questioning.

Jesus’ trial was a farce. The language suggests that the Sanhedrin was looking to pay witnesses to testify against Jesus. The Torah required there to be only two witnesses in order to condemn anybody but out of this crowd they couldn’t find any two testimonies that agreed.

Verse 57 says that, “Some stood up and bore false witness against Him, saying, ‘We heard Him say, “I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and in three days I will build another, not made with hands.”’ Yet even about this their testimony did not agree.”

This one was close though! More than three years before this Jesus did say in John 2:19, “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.” Of course we know that Jesus was talking about His own body not the temple itself. But this accusation did sort of stick because when Jesus was on the cross people used it against Him and mocked Him as we’ll see in chapter 15.

So after hearing all these false witnesses Caiaphas called on Jesus to be a witness against Himself.

60 And the high priest stood up in the midst and asked Jesus, “Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you?” 61 But he remained silent and made no answer. 

Isaiah 53:7 says, He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.

Here we see that prophecy fulfilled. Jesus would do the same before Pilate.

Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” 62 And Jesus said, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.” 63 And the high priest tore his garments and said, “What further witnesses do we need? 64 You have heard his blasphemy. What is your decision?” And they all condemned him as deserving death. 65 And some began to spit on him and to cover his face and to strike him, saying to him, “Prophesy!” And the guards received him with blows. 

The high priest tearing his robe is not without significance, it is an echo of 1 Samuel 15:24-28 when God rejected Saul as king of Israel. 

24 Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned, for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice. 25 Now therefore, please pardon my sin and return with me that I may bow before the Lord.” 26 And Samuel said to Saul, “I will not return with you. For you have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you from being king over Israel.” 27 As Samuel turned to go away, Saul seized the skirt of his robe, and it tore. 28 And Samuel said to him, “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you this day and has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you.

I don’t think it’s a stretch to compare the Lord tearing the kingdom from Saul and giving it to David to the Lord tearing the priesthood from Caiaphas and giving it to the Son of David, Jesus Messiah.

So while all this is happening, while Jesus was being questioned by the high priest, Peter was being questioned by his servants.

66 And as Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came, 67 and seeing Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, “You also were with the Nazarene, Jesus.” 68 But he denied it, saying, “I neither know nor understand what you mean.” And he went out into the gateway and the rooster crowed.

So while Jesus was being questioned in the palace by those on one end of the spectrum in Israel and giving a good answer, here we have bold and brash, “they might desert you but I won’t desert you,” ear lopping Peter being questioned by a servant girl out by the campfire.

When Jesus was asked by the high priest, “Are you the Christ?” Jesus said, “I am.”

When Peter was asked by a servant girl, “Are you with Jesus the Nazarene?” Peter said, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.

Can we just stop and examine how lame that answer was…

First of all, you’re in the courtyard of the high priest in the middle of the night while the trial of the century is happening and when you are questioned by a slave girl you pretend you don’t know what’s going on?! 

Peter didn’t have to respond to her at all, she was a slave, he didn’t owe her a response! In truth, he didn’t even have to be there! So after being intimidated by that servant girl he went out to the gateway and out of the light of the fire, followed by the first crow of the rooster.

It’s amazing that the crow of the rooster didn’t get his attention, after all, we always catch God’s subtle hints, don’t we?

69 And the servant girl saw him and began again to say to the bystanders, “This man is one of them.” 70 But again he denied it. And after a little while the bystanders again said to Peter, “Certainly you are one of them, for you are a Galilean.” 71 But he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, “I do not know this man of whom you speak.”

Now, don’t read this and think that Peter just started using foul language, this is not that kind of cursing and swearing. Peter basically said, “May God strike me if I’m lying, I swear on oath, I do not know Jesus!”

And immediately the rooster crowed a second time.

Jesus was inside getting questioned by the powerful, Peter was outside getting questioned by the nobodies.

Jesus was giving the good confession while Peter was denying the Lord.

Jesus was wrongly accused of blasphemy, Peter was actually guilty of it.

Calvin called Peter’s fall, “a bright mirror of our own weakness.” 

While not being supported by the hand of God the mighty Peter blew over in a gentle breeze, and the same will happen to us if we walk in ways contrary to God’s Word. 

Jesus, in the garden, proved that the only strength is in submission to God’s will, His Word, Peter, in the courtyard, showed that we have power over nothing if we deny Christ in our words or our actions.

But there is one last comparison to make, not between Peter and Jesus, but between Peter and Judas.

Matthew 27 records how Judas felt remorse at betraying Jesus and went out and hung himself, but when Peter remembered the words of Jesus that, “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times,” he repented and was eventually restored.

He broke down and wept, literally, “when he thought about it he mourned and wailed.” He repented.

And we have further evidence that he learned his lesson, not just about faithfulness but about the meaning of Christ’s suffering. He wrote about it in 1 Peter 2:20-25.

20 For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. 21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. 22 He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. 23 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. 25 For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

Jesus bore Peter’s denial in His body on the tree just like He bore all of our sins, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By His wounds we have been healed. For we were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of our souls.

Amen.

Sympathizing with Weaknesses - Mark 14:32-52 - January 24, 2021

These are the Sermon Notes for January 24, 2021. We are meeting at the church with limited seating and specific procedures and protocols that need to be followed. Read our Covid-19 plan here. You can still watch our livestream service every Sunday at 9:37 am on our facebook page or watch the livestream recordings any time.

 Mark 14:32-52 Sympathizing with Weaknesses

Good morning! We are returning to our study in the Gospel of Mark with chapter 14, verses 32-52, page 851 in the pew Bibles.

We are going to be dealing with a difficult topic this morning, at least one that has given the theologians great difficulty, and that it the humanity of Christ. It’s said that liberal scholars emphasize the humanity of Christ but have difficulty with His divinity and conservative scholars emphasize the divinity of Christ while having difficulty with His humanity.

In our text for this morning we are going to see the humanity of Christ on full display and just exactly how He deals with it.

So, let’s pray, and we’ll jump right into it.

Now when I speak of the humanity of Christ, don’t be confused into thinking that I am saying that He was just a regular person, He isn’t. Jesus, the eternally existent Son of God, put on flesh and dwelt among us. He has flesh like us, He was tempted like us, but He did not sin.

But He didn’t just appear to be human, He didn’t just look like a human, He is completely human, while still being completely God. As Saint Ambrose said, “[Jesus] took upon Himself, not the appearance, but the reality of incarnation.” His humanity doesn’t take anything away from His divinity, it adds to it.

Hebrews 4:14-16 says,

14 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

These three verses from Hebrews kind of unlock our text in Mark this morning. So let’s look at that.

32 And they went to a place called Gethsemane. And he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” 33 And he took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be greatly distressed and troubled. 34 And he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Remain here and watch.” 35 And going a little farther, he fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. 36 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.” 37 And he came and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not watch one hour? 38 Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 39 And again he went away and prayed, saying the same words. 40 And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy, and they did not know what to answer him. 41 And he came the third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? It is enough; the hour has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 42 Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.” 

43 And immediately, while he was still speaking, Judas came, one of the twelve, and with him a crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders. 44 Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I will kiss is the man. Seize him and lead him away under guard.” 45 And when he came, he went up to him at once and said, “Rabbi!” And he kissed him. 46 And they laid hands on him and seized him. 47 But one of those who stood by drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear. 48 And Jesus said to them, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me? 49 Day after day I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me. But let the Scriptures be fulfilled.” 50 And they all left him and fled. 

51 And a young man followed him, with nothing but a linen cloth about his body. And they seized him, 52 but he left the linen cloth and ran away naked.

Here we have the striking of the Shepherd and the scattering of the sheep that we talked about last week. Jesus, quoting Zechariah 13:7 said, “I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.” Here we have that prophecy fulfilled just a few hours later.

The scholars agree, though the Scripture does not plainly say it, that the young man here was actually Mark, the human author of this Gospel. The Greek word translated, “young man,” means that he was somewhere between puberty and marrying age, not a little kid more likely a teenager. The linen cloth was a sleeping garment.

If this is truly the case, Judas most likely led the crowd first to the house where they celebrated Passover, which, based on this line of thinking was Mark’s family’s house, and finding that Jesus and His disciples had left that place he led them to the next closest place that he knew Jesus frequently spent time, the olive press of Gethsemane. Mark followed the crowd, perhaps to warn Jesus, we don’t know, but when they grabbed him he slipped out of his pajamas and fled.

I don’t want to spend any time on Judas and his betrayal so let’s rewind to verse 32.

32 And they went to a place called Gethsemane. And he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.”

Gethsemane literally means “oil press.” This was a secluded enclosed garden with an olive orchard and a press for making olive oil, well known to Jesus and the disciples, and Judas.

I have been to this spot, though it looks much different now I’m sure. There are olive trees there that are over 1500 years old, it’s beautiful. At the entrance of the garden He told eight of the disciples to sit while He prayed further in.

 33 And he took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be greatly distressed and troubled. 

I’m not sure what the thinking was in the minds of the translators here, I’m sure they had good reason, but the word translated, “greatly distressed,” is the same word that is used for fright at a crack of thunder or terror at seeing a ghost.

Perhaps the thought of seeing Jesus afraid was unsettling to them. I know it’s unsettling to me, but that’s what the words mean. He was in anguish and He was afraid. 

Don’t be confused, it is not sinful to be afraid. This was another temptation of Jesus by Satan. What does that fear motivate us to do, to trust the Father or turn away from Him? Jesus chose to trust Him.

34 And he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Remain here and watch.” 

Perhaps you can identify with this thought. Jesus was distressed almost to the point of death. What He was facing was more than He could bear. He knew what was coming and He knew that He would have to face it alone. The hour that was coming meant the desertion of His friends and His Father.

But instead of allowing fear to drive Him to sin, instead it drove Him to the Father in prayer.

35 And going a little farther, he fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. 36 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.” 

I have a quote that you’re not going to like and I hesitate to share but I can’t ignore.

Alistair Begg said, “You’ve heard that there is power in prayer. There is no power in prayer, all the power is in God.”

Now before you run off saying that Heath told us not to pray… That’s not at all what I am saying, that’s not at all what Alistair Begg was saying. After all, here we have Jesus, our example, praying right here in our text!

But the power that Jesus received was not from the prayer itself but from the Father when Jesus submitted to His will. Submission to God’s will is the key to receiving power from God to accomplish His will.

Jesus sincerely prayed for the hour to pass from Him, that He would not have to drink the cup of God’s wrath for the sin of mankind and all the horrors that it entailed. He prayed, “Abba, Dad, Papa, all things are possible for you period. Remove this cup from me period. 

I think that’s what our prayers often sound like, don’t you? Lord, I’m dealing with a thing, please make it stop. Father, I have pain, emotional, physical, whatever, make it stop. Amen.

But there’s no power in that prayer.

Jesus knew that the Father had a purpose for what He was about to go through, but that didn’t stop Him, in His humanity, from being afraid of it, or from wanting to avoid it. The difference is in the rest of Jesus’ prayer: “Yet not what I will, but what you will.” Not my wishes, but your wishes. Not my desires, but your desires.

How often do we close our prayers with, “Lord, thanks for hearing my prayers. Now please, don’t do as I’ve asked…”? Jesus prayed, “I don’t want to do this, I want you to stop this, but what I want doesn’t matter, what you want does.

This is a prayer of faith. This is trust in God.

37 And he came and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not watch one hour? 38 Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

We often think that Jesus was talking about the disciples when He said, “The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.” Maybe He was, at least in part, after all, Peter had just said that even if he had to die with Jesus he would never deny him and then promptly fell asleep. But I think He was also talking about Himself. In His spirit He was willing to drink the cup of God’s wrath but in His flesh He was afraid and needed strength from the Father.

 39 And again he went away and prayed, saying the same words. 40 And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy, and they did not know what to answer him. 41 And he came the third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? It is enough; the hour has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 42 Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.” 

Jesus prayed and asked the Father to remove the cup from Him and to let the hour pass, but in the end submitted to His will, and the hour came, He was betrayed by His friend, He was deserted by His followers, He was stricken by God.

But because He submitted to the will of the Father it was not Christ and righteousness that were captured in that hour, it was Satan and sin. 

God’s great purpose, our redemption, was accomplished through Jesus’ submission.

Who knows what He will accomplish through ours!

14 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Amen