“Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, against the man who is close to me!” declares the LORD Almighty. “Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered, and I will turn my hand against the little ones.”
So Zechariah predicts of Jesus and his disciples in the book of Zechariah 13:7 . And here in Mark Chapter 14 we see these predicted events playing out. This is the calm before the storm, a brief time of respite before the passion of Jesus Christ explodes with an act of breath taking betrayal. Jesus is the shepherd, the disciples the sheep – Jesus will be stricken, the disciples…they will, as Jesus says, all will fall away.
We see Jesus, who is fully aware of the events at hand, in command of the situation and we see the disciples who though they are in the midst of the events, though they are fully conscious, it is like they are in a stupor: They experience the events, but they cannot comprehend their meaning; They see it happening right before their eyes, yet they are oblivious to the deeper meaning of the occasion. It is almost as if they are groggy and need a double shot latte’ to just stay alert.
We have all experienced this. We experience an event in our lives that only later, upon reflection, do we understand the full impact it has had on our lives. What I am saying is, that in the moment that such an event happens in our lives, we are aware of the material and psychological impact – but we are unaware of the spiritual impact.
When I was a Sophomore in college I was taking a shortcut on a country road to avoid heavy traffic on the freeway. I was traveling at about fifty miles an hour or so. This road was a beautiful drive meandering through vineyards, orchards and ranches, it ambled over rolling hills, twisting this way and that….and suddenly, as I was entering a curve, a pickup truck filled up my windshield coming at me, head on, in my lane.
Then in super slow motion, I swerved off the road missing the truck, spinning on the shoulder. I was able to pull the car out of the spin, but that put me through a barb wire fence and barreling into a farmer’s field. There was so much dust, that I had no idea what was left or right or even up or down. Then bam! My car came to a stop. My car was smoking like crazy, so I unhooked my seatbelt, and jumped out of my car…..into four feet of muddy, foul, slimy - water, and stood chest deep looking face to face with this huge steer.
After walking back to the road and gathering myself together, the Highway Patrolman who was called to the accident pointed out the amazing route my car had taken. He said to me, “You are lucky to be alive kid. You missed that telephone pole over there by just a couple of inches. You drove through an entire herd of cattle, missing every single one, and you missed that huge oak tree by less than a foot. Young man, someone is watching over you.”
I stood there and realized that what had just happened to me was more than a series of events. I realized that, not once, not twice, but three times God had intervened on my behalf. What I had experienced was more than an accident, it was more than a material event and more than an emotional event – it was a powerful spiritual event that I couldn’t see until I stepped away from the incident.
Here, in this passage, we see the disciples going through this kind of thing – They experience what is happening in the garden, but are not fully able to process it until later. Only later do they see the spiritual significance of the events that night in the garden of Gethsemane.
As we look at this passage this morning I want us to keep in mind to things: First Jesus is not only fully aware of the unfolding of the events, but he is the one who is in control of the events; Second, Jesus doesn’t expect his disciples to help him – in fact, astonishingly, even at the time of his greatest trial, Jesus is concerned for the welfare of his disciples. I want us to keep these two things in mind because in our own lives, we need to know that in spite of any, and I mean, any, circumstances that we find ourselves in, Jesus is not only there helping us through, but he is completely, and totally in control.
Let’s start right at the beginning, in verse 27 – 29, if you don’t have your bibles open, now is the time to turn to our passage to follow along and see exactly what is going on. This is one of those passages that on the first read it appears that Jesus is complaining about the disciples not being there for him, when in fact it is the flip opposite – Jesus isn’t complaining, Jesus doesn’t need help, he is God incarnate, he can handle what ever is thrown at him – it is us, we who are human who need the help, and Jesus is there to provide help. OK. Is everyone there at the passage? Let’s go.
Have you noticed that every time Jesus speaks of his passion, a crisis erupts with the disciples. Jesus quotes Zechariah 13:7 saying that each of the disciples will fall away, meaning they will fail to believe – that is bad news. But, also notice that in verse 28, Jesus tells them good news - 28 “But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.” Bad news – Good news.
They don’t even hear the good news – the good news that Jesus will see them through this crisis. No, they only hear about the failure that will happen in their life. Peter, he can’t stand it. Peter sees himself above failure. He will not sin…..Why does Peter say this? Why does Peter make this claim? Peter makes this claim because he is still under the illusion that he is in control of his life. Jesus tells him that he will fail, he will fall away – but Peter believes in his mind that this will not happen, because he believes that he is in control, he is in the driver’s seat.
I used to believe that too. I used to believe I was in the driver’s seat, that is, until the day I was faced with circumstances that were totally out of my control. One day I stood face to face with a very serious illness and there was not a darn thing I could do about it….And at that moment, the moment I faced my complete lack of control, was the moment where I found total freedom in our Lord Jesus Christ.
Have you been there? Have you have a moment like that? (I always raise my hand at questions like this, and people in the congregation always respond) What a great moment, right? What are terrifyingly, wonderful, moment. Praise God for times like that.
Peter vows to stick by Jesus no matter what. Why, because Peter believes he is in control. So much so that he says, 31, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” Well, Jesus tells Peter that he is so NOT in control, and to drive this fact home, Jesus outlines exactly how the events will unfold that very night. Peter will deny Jesus three times before the cock crows twice.
Now understand that the third watch, of the four Roman night watches was designated the cock crow. This is a reference to a changing of the Roman guard. A bugle would sound that would be heard throughout the city at the time of the changing of this watch. Here we see that a bird will crow to remind Peter of his lack of control, but it is also possible that in addition to the crow of the cock, a bugle sounded – something Peter would certainly not missed. Jesus ups the ante for Peter and heightens the fact that he will fail.
Jesus says in effect: You think your life is filled with coincidences – Just you watch - I’ll give you coincidences.
Then, notice in verse 31, the remarkable: “And all the others said the same.” Not a single one of them could see the impact of the spiritual nature of the events they were experiencing. Ahh, but they will fully understand upon reflection, and then they will be blown away.
Jesus takes them to a place that they had been to many times before. The disciples think it is a night like any other night, but it is not, and it is significant that Jesus takes them to the garden of Gethsemane. The garden was part of an estate at the foot of the mount of olives. Gethsemane means olive press. They have walked into an olive grove that also contains an onsite olive press. As the olives are pressed here in this garden so will our Lord Jesus be pressed.
Jesus tells the disciples to pray for him in verse 32. Does it say that? No. Take a look for yourself. No, Jesus says, “Sit here while I pray.” The disciples sit, Jesus prays. What he is asking, is for them to be on watch, really he is saying this: I want you to be spiritually alert. He is not asking for a lookout in case someone happens by – no he wants them to be aware of the spiritual nature of the occasion. Why? There will be very tough times ahead and Jesus wants them to be aware of more than the material and psychological aspects of the events at hand.
Now, Jesus takes along with him Peter, James and John. Peter has just emphatically vowed to stay by Jesus; James and John earlier had vowed to be able to drink the cup of Jesus. Jesus, he pulls them aside for they will need special prayer. Their glib overconfidence places them in great peril at the hands of the enemy. Their failure to understand what it means to be identified with Jesus is why Jesus pulls them aside. They think that to be identified to Jesus evokes special status, but in reality, identity with Jesus requires suffering – it is not about special status at all.
Let me just say a side note here. If you have found yourself surprised by some serious difficult times in your life – If you have thought to yourself that someone, like you, who is a Christian, shouldn’t see such hard times – well you are in good company with Peter James and John here.
But here is biblical reality: Knowing Jesus will NOT bring you prosperity, good luck and honor; It will NOT bring you good times and success – anyone who tells you that is the case is quite frankly, a poor biblical scholar, and nothing but ignorant. A relationship with Jesus will bring you none of those things – but, but, a relationship with Jesus Christ, one where you truly give yourself over to him, will bring you exactly what you are seeking deep down in your heart. It will bring you a freedom and a satisfaction that good times, success, prosperity and honor could never even start to match. And when you find that freedom in Christ and when you lay a hold of it, then no difficult circumstance, and no horrible event – even the facing of your own death, which by the way all of us without exception will have to face – none of these things will be able to prevail upon you. Jesus, he wants this for his disciples, he wants this for you and for me.
Jesus here is deeply distressed and troubled, we see this starting in verse 33 through 39. Be careful here, don’t read yourself into these verses. Jesus is not giving up. Jesus is not fearing the physical events ahead – Jesus is not fearing dealing with Satan. So what is Jesus in fear of? Jesus fears the horror of separation form God.
This is what is going on here. It is powerful. Jesus is called the second Adam. Remember, back in the book of Genesis, the first Adam was in the Garden of Eden and there in the garden, the first Adam encountered temptation and he sinned. Adam was judged for his sin with the result being death. In biblical terms, death is not only physical death. True death, the death to be feared, is separation from God. Judgment for death, means separation, it means spiritual death. It is an existence that is completely, and totally separated from God. This is what Jesus fears. And it is what will happen to him upon his death on the cross. Why? On the cross is when Jesus takes upon himself the sin of all humanity. This is what ultimately kills Jesus, death, separation from the God the Father, separation from God the Holy Spirit. 2Cor. 5:21 “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
Here in the garden, Jesus is wrestling with obedience to the Father. The first Adam was not obedient and as a consequence sin entered the world, resulting in complete separation from God. But, But now we have the second Adam, Jesus Christ. Jesus enters into a difficult time of temptation, the last thing he wants to experience is total separation from God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. But through prayer, honest open prayer, Jesus prevails over temptation. Where the first Adam fails, the second Adam is victorious.
Jesus prays for both the hour and the cup to pass from him. What does he mean? The cup and hour are synonymous to a deeper redemptive significance. The hour is the time of betrayal, which is at hand, the cup – the suffering that will go along with the betrayal. The cup in the Scripture and in extra biblical writings is the destiny that is appointed for the person taking it. We see in the book of Psalms that it can be a cup of salvation, but we also see in the book of Revelation that it can be the cup of wrath – this cup is the cup of wrath – it is the judgment of God coming down upon someone. Jesus, he can refuse this cup, but he takes it. Jesus confronts this cup – it is not a matter of fate, but of choice.
Jesus did not sin, he took our sin upon himself. He bore our sins as a substitution. 1Pet. 2:24 “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.”
Notice, Jesus keeps interrupting his time of prayer before God. He does this so he can check on the disciples. Many assume that Jesus is seeking sympathy from his disciples – this is completely false. As the passion of Jesus gets closer, the more confused those around him become, so Jesus asks them to pray. Jesus is there for his disciples Verse 38, “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.” Jesus asks for prayer, but not for himself, he asks the three, Peter, James and John, to pray for themselves – so that they will be able to make it thorough the time of trial ahead.
Look. Jesus is a big boy, he is God incarnate, he can take care of himself. The rest of us, we see circumstances and events spin out of control…and we are lost. Jesus, he comes to the disciples to comfort the disciples. How remarkable – Jesus comes to the disciples repeatedly, even in his worst time. The danger is their failure – not for him – but for themselves – the events ahead will overtake them – Jesus is concerned for them.
Now what reverses things for Jesus? Jesus is praying his heart out, then suddenly, it is over – verse 41 – “enough!” What reverses the circumstances for Jesus is simple, solid…obedience to the Father. Verse 36, take a look, “Yet not what I will, but what you will.” In spite of any circumstance, in spite of any event, Jesus is obedient. By his obedience we are healed, we are redeemed, we are able to conquer spiritual death, because Jesus has taken our sin upon himself.
Let me end with this, with all this in mind, Jesus obedience, Jesus concern for us even in the worst trial anyone could ever experience, Romans 8:31-32 becomes so powerful for us in our lives: Rom. 8:31 “What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?”
Do not be discouraged by the events at hand. Your life is not merely physical and psychological events piled on top of one another – the Spirit of God is working behind all that happens to you. In the same way that Jesus in the garden with his disciples experienced a spiritual event – so the same of the circumstances surrounding you, behind them God is working. “If God is for us, who can be against us?” Amen.
