Text: Matthew 26:36-46
Title: The price for our peace
Introduction
We’ve just started a series where we’re looking each week at 1 of 4 places Jesus visited leading up to Easter and discovering how each place has an important part in our understanding of God’s peace.
So far we’ve looked at the Upper Room – We know it better as the place of the Last Supper. In the Upper room we hear from Jesus about the promise of God’s peace.For it was in the Upper Room Jesus took the cup and said to his disciples “This cup is the new covenant in my blood which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” (Matthew 26:28)God’s peace come from knowing all your sins are forgiven.
“Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him." (Romans 4:7-8)
The promise of God’s peace is a promise Jesus wants to give to everyone. Jesus wants to forgive our sins in order that we might have peace with God.
One of the best ways we can know for sure that all our sins have been forgiven is by following Jesus to the next place he visits leading up to Easter.
Immediately after he left the Upper Room Jesus went with his disciples to the Garden of Gethsemane. Now if in the Upper Room Jesus gave to us the promise of God’s peace then in The Garden of Gethsemane Jesus gives to us the price for God’s peace.
Text: Matthew 26:36-46
"Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death.” Stay here and keep watch with me. Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”
In the upper room Jesus lifts up the cup in order to tell his disciples about the promise of God’s peace.“This cup is the new covenant in my blood which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”
But here in the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus lifts up the cup in order to tell his disciples of the price for God’s peace
“Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death.” Stay here and keep watch with me. Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”
Notice that we are told that Jesus’ soul was overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. And why was Jesus’ soul overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death? He was overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death because of the price for God’s peace.
In the garden of Gethsemane Jesus prayed 3 times “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” Jesus is not praying to God to ask him to take away the promise of God’s peace.
Jesus is praying to God in order to ask him to take away the price for God’s peace. What then is the price for God’s peace? The price for God’s peace could only be paid by the death of his Son Jesus
“But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities. The punishment that brought us peace was upon him and by his wounds we are healed.” (Isa. 53:5-6)
Jesus had to pay the price for God’s peace.“Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sin.” (Heb 9:22)
There was one particular part of the price that Jesus was having a difficult time accepting. It was not the dying on the cross itself that Jesus had a hard time accepting.It was the thought of being forsaken by God for the sins of the world that Jesus had a hard time accepting. It was this thought that filled Jesus’ soul with deepest sorrow to the point of death. When he would have to say "My God my God why have you forsaken me?"
Since Jesus paid the price for our peace with God then what does that mean for us here today?
“Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. Could you men not keep watch for one hour? He asked Peter. Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.” (v40-41)
I think it means three things for us here today?
1.I need to wake up to certain truths
“Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping.”
I need to wake up to the truth that God must love me very much if Jesus would come and die to pay the price for my peace with God. (See Romans 5:8, John 3:16; Jer 33:3)
I also need to wake up to the truth that I must repent of my sin if Jesus would come and die to pay the price for my peace with God. If my sin caused Jesus to come and die on the cross then I got to repent of it.
2.I need to watch out for certain temptations
“Could you men not keep watch for one hour? He asked Peter. Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.”
There is the temptation to forget how much it cost Jesus to purchase my peace with God.
“For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed…but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.” (1 Peter 1:18-19)
There is also the temptation to be overcome by our circumstances
Has anyone here ever felt let down by God?
Has anyone here ever felt let down by friends?
Has anyone here ever felt they have let Jesus down?
Watch how Jesus overcome His circumstances through prayer.
3. Lastly since Jesus paid the price for my peace with God I need to walk in the Spirit. “The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”
To walk in the Spirit means I need to accept Jesus as my savior. To walk in the Spirit means I need to accept the Spirit’s help.
In the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus is very transparent with God and others. He cast His cares on God. Do you need the Spirit’s help today?
