ANZAC Day
For those who do not know, ANZAC day is not the day to celebrate Australia’s victories, nor do we celebrate how great our country is. Rather we celebrate the sacrifice and loss of the young men and women who protect other people’s freedom. Australia has never been seriously attacked or invaded; we never entered any war because we were attacked. Rather our young men and women have always gone to war to protect other people’s freedom. ANZAC day is the day that we remember their loss and their deaths for the protection of that freedom.
From the Australian War Memorial website
The Dawn Service observed on ANZAC Day has its origins in a military routine which is still followed by the Australian Army today. During battle, the half-light of dawn was one of the most favoured times for an attack. Soldiers in defensive positions were woken in the dark before dawn, so by the time first light crept across the battlefield they were awake, alert, and manning their weapons; this is still known as the “stand-to”. As dusk is equally favourable for attacks, the stand-to was repeated at sunset. …
Today dawn services include the presence of a chaplain, but not the presence of dignitaries such as the governor general. They were originally very simple and followed the military routine….
In more recent times families and young people have been encouraged to take part in dawn services, and services in Australian capital cities have seen some of the largest turnouts ever. Reflecting this change, those services have become more elaborate, incorporating hymns, readings, pipers, and rifle volleys. Other services, though, have retained the simple format of the dawn stand-to, familiar to so many soldiers.
From the defence force web site
The Dawn Service on ANZAC Day has become a solemn Australian and New Zealand tradition. It is taken for granted as part of the ANZAC ethos and few wonder how it all started. Its story, as it were, is buried in a small cemetery carved out of the bush some kilometres outside the northern Queensland town of Herberton.
Almost paradoxically, one grave stands out by its simplicity. It is covered by protective white- washed concrete slab with a plain cement cross at its top end. No epitaph recalls even the name of the deceased. The Inscription on the cross is a mere two words - "A Priest".
No person would identify the grave as that of a dedicated clergyman who created the Dawn Service, without the simple marker placed next to the grave only in recent times. It reads:
"Adjacent to, and on the right of this marker, lies the grave of the late Reverend Arthur Ernest White, a Church of England clergyman and padre, 44th Battalion, First Australian Imperial Force. On 25th April 1923, at Albany in Western Australia, the Reverend White led a party of friends in what was the first ever observance of a Dawn parade on ANZAC Day, thus establishing a tradition which has endured, Australia wide ever since."
Reverend White was serving as one of the padres of the earliest ANZAC's to leave Australia with the First AIF in November 1914. The convoy was assembled in the Princess Royal harbour and King George Sound at Albany WA. Before embarkation, at four in the morning, he conducted a service for all the men of the battalion. When White returned to Australia in 1919, he was appointed relieving Rector of the St John's Church in Albany. It was a strange coincidence that the starting point of the AIF convoys should now become his parish.
No doubt it must have been the memory of his first Dawn Service those many years earlier and his experiences overseas, combined with the awesome cost of lives and injuries, which inspired him to honour permanently the valiant men (both living and the dead) who had joined the fight for the allied cause. "Albany", he is quoted to have said, "was the last sight of land these ANZAC troops saw after leaving Australian shores and some of them never returned. We should hold a service (here) at the first light of dawn each ANZAC Day to commemorate them."
That is on ANZAC Day 1923 he came to hold the first Commemorative Dawn Service.
As the sun was rising, a man in a small dinghy cast a wreath into King George Sound while White, with a band of about 20 men gathered around him on the summit of nearby Mount Clarence, silently watched the wreath floating out to sea. He then quietly recited the words: "As the sun rises and goeth down, we will remember them". All present were deeply moved and news of the Ceremony soon spread throughout the country; and the various Returned Service Communities Australia wide emulated the Ceremony.
Eventually, White was transferred from Albany to serve other congregations, the first in South Australia, then Broken Hill where he built a church, then later at Forbes NSW. In his retirement from parish life, he moved to Herberton where he became Chaplain of an Anglican convent. However, soon after his arrival (on September 26, 1954) he died, to be buried so modestly and anonymously as "A Priest".
White's memory is honoured by a stained glass window in the All Soul's Church at Wirrinya, a small farming community near Forbes NSW. Members of the parish have built the church with their own hands and have put up what they refer to as "The Dawn Service Window", as their tribute to White's service to Australia.
Matthew 26:36-26:46
Gethsemane
36Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, "Sit here while I go over there and pray." 37He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38Then he said to them, "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me."
39Going 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."
40Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?" he asked Peter. 41"Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."
42He went away a second time and prayed, "My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done."
43When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. 44So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing.
45Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour is near, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46Rise, let us go! Here comes my betrayer!"
THE SACRIFICE OF JESUS
For most part of the Gospel accounts, we see the charming side of Jesus - His power to heal the sick; His compassion for the weak and poor; the authority He has when He preached the Word of God. We don’t often see Jesus struggling in sorrow.
We wonder to ourselves, does Jesus understand my life? Does he understand the struggle to pay the bills, look after our kids, to deal with family members suffering mental illness? Does he understand the pain we are feeling in the 21st century?
Today, we’re looking at another side of Jesus - at the Garden of Gethsemane.
(1) We see JESUS IN SORROW
God didn't promise days without pain, laughter without sorrow, sun without rain, but He did promise strength for the day, comfort for the tears, and light for the way.
Anonymous
At this point, the Bible says
37He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38Then he said to them, "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me." (Matthew 26: 37 – 38)
Why was Jesus so distressed? Because He understood what was about to happen to Him. It was really a sad night for Jesus:
20When evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the Twelve. 21And while they were eating, he said, "I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me." (Matthew 26: 20 – 21)
One of the 12, who have been with Him for 3 years, would deliberately turn his back on Him and betray Him for money.
And then when they went out to the Mount of Olives after the meal.
31Then Jesus told them, "This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written:
" 'I will strike the shepherd,
and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.' (26:31).
In other words, "ALL of you will ABANDON me..." Jesus knew they would turn and run - all of them, fearing for their own lives and leaving Jesus to face death on His own. All of them, after 3 years of living & working together with Jesus, would leave him behind.
It was extremely sad for Jesus, not simply because His disciples will fail Him but that He knows what is before Him.
1When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he said to his disciples, 2"As you know, the Passover is two days away—and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified." (Matthew 26: 1-2)
Not only did Jesus know He was going to die, He knew HOW He would be dying - by crucifixion, which was the cruellest, most torturous way for a person to die at the time.
Death by Crucifixion was designed to produce the greatest degree of SHAME, and to inflict the maximum amount of PAIN, for the longest possible period of TIME. Jesus knew what was about to happen.
No wonder the bible says in v.39 ‘ 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."’. (Matthew 26: 39)
According to Luke, 44And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. (Luke 22:44)
And Jesus must have felt sorrow that the friends who have been with him and learnt from him for 3 years cannot stay awake for the last few hours of freedom He will have before His crucifixion. In 26:40 he asks that they stay awake for just an hour to keep watch with him, yet in verse 43 He returns to find them all asleep again. How that must have felt, to be alone in that last hour before sunrise and his betrayal.
(2) We see JESUS IN STRUGGLE
The triumph can't be had without the struggle.
Wilma Rudolph
(American Olympic Athlete 1940 – 1994)
Jesus prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from Me..." (Matthew 26:39).
We see Jesus’ struggle. The human part of Him will cry out against such a pain, yet His spirit longs to obey His Father’s will. The flesh does not want to go to the cross, but His spirit wants to accomplish the Father’s plan to save the world.
Jesus experienced such a struggle, and in His struggle He was honest to the Father. There was no covering up or acting tough. What we see in Jesus was total honesty – He shares what is really on His heart! So don’t act tough... Jesus didn’t. We need to share our struggles with God.
To stand strong, we need to pray. That’s why Jesus said to Peter, "Watch and pray... because the spirit is willing, but the body is weak." (v.41). Very often, the flesh (the old self) will tell us to do things our own way, against God’s will. The flesh tells us it’s ok to have a few more drinks when we’re already past sober, that it’s ok to cheat on our partner because that new person is more exciting, that it’s ok to take the easy path instead of the righteous one. But our spirit knows the will of God, and for most of us we intrinsically want to do it right. So Jesus says, "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak." (v.41). We all want to do the right thing, but sometimes it’s harder than taking the easy path that our old self wants to. So Jesus gives us the formula - watch and pray, and we will not fall for the desires of our flesh.
THIS WAS MORE THAN JUST A PHYSICAL STRUGGLE, it was a spiritual struggle. Jesus wasn’t thinking just about the nails piercing through His hands and feet. In His death, He would be taking on the sin of all humanity.
Isaiah 53:5-6 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. 6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
The weight upon His shoulders wasn’t physical weight - it was the weight of your sins and mine! In plain words, His struggle in the early hours of the morning in Gethsemane is our fault! Our sins and the sins of humanity before and after us sent Him to the cross!
These words by Max Lucado in his book "And The Angels Were Silent" describes the scene well:
"The final encounter of the battle has begun. As Jesus looks at the city of Jerusalem, He sees what the disciples can’t... He sees the Evil One preparing for the final encounter... Hell is breaking loose... History records it as a battle of the Jews against Jesus. It wasn’t.... It was a battle of God against Satan. AND JESUS KNEW IT. He knew that before the war was over, he would be taken captive. He knew that before victory would come defeat. He knew that before the throne would come the cup. He knew that before the light of Sunday would come the blackness of Friday... AND HE IS AFRAID."
It’s like soldiers moving into war. No one will feel good at such a time. How did Jesus respond?
(3) We see JESUS IN SUBMISSION
The first time Jesus prayed, He said, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will." (v39). Then He went away a second time and prayed, "My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done." (v.42).
From Max Lucado - "And The Angels Were Silent"
"He knows what it’s like to beg God to change His mind and to hear God say so gently, but firmly, "No." For that is what God says to Jesus. And Jesus ACCEPTS the answer."
This is a classic example of submission - doing the will of God, not your own.
In Luke’s account, it says "An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him." (Luke 22:43). Isn’t that great? He obeys the Father... He accepts to do what the Father says, and the Father provides what he needs most - strength! What Jesus needed, He received graciously from the Father. Today, you can experience the same. When you do His will, God will give you the strength needed to complete it. There is an old saying that goes "The will of God will never lead you where the grace of God cannot keep you." The Bible tells us this as well, in 1 Corinthians 10:13
13No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.
Accepting Jesus into your life isn’t a shield from all harm and temptations. But when we’re faithful to God and do His will, He will watch over us. To often we think that God isn’t going to be there for us, and we go of half-cocked so to speak to do things out way. But if we follow Jesus’ example of submission, then God will lead us in doing things right. His grace is sufficient; His power is made perfect in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). God’s ways are higher than our ways and His will is perfect. He calls us to trust in Him in all circumstances, and if we accept that and submit to His will, amidst dark and difficult times His abundant grace and love will keep us safe and secure. Half the battle is to believe, the other is to submit to His will.
(4) We see JESUS’ STRENGTH IN SUBMISSION
After the time of prayer, what did Jesus do?
Matt 26:45-46
Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour is near, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us go! Here comes my betrayer!"
These are words of determination. He is now very sure. He is going to face the cross and walk towards it.
What happened next? Judas came straight to Jesus, and gave Him the kiss... The officers grabbed Jesus and arrested Him. One of the men with Jesus pulled out a sword and slashed off the ear of the high priest’s servant. "Put away your sword," Jesus told him. "Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and He will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?" (Matthew 26:53-54)
"I can call for legions of angels to come... but if I do that, how can the Scriptures be fulfilled; how can the Father’s will be done?" These are words of strength, and these are words that truly show His submission to the will of the Father.
Jesus was not some poor, helpless victim, caught up in circumstances beyond his control. Jesus freely, willingly, deliberately took the journey to the cross. He was not forced into it by His Father, and of course, not by Jewish leaders or the Roman government.
Jesus said in John 10:17-18 "... I lay down my life... No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again..."
Max Lucado - "And The Angels Were Silent"
"The battle is won. You may have thought it was won on Golgotha. It wasn’t. You may have thought the sign of victory is the empty tomb. It isn’t. The final battle was won in Gethsemane. And the sign of conquest is Jesus at peace in the olive trees. For it was in the garden that he made his decision... He would rather go to hell for you than go to heaven without you."
Once Jesus had accepted His Father’s will in Gethsemane, the battle was won for our salvation. There were hardships to come over the following days, but once He was at peace with what was to come the struggle fell behind Him. We see this in His calm before the Sanhedrin and in the calm that amazed Pilate later in Matthew. Through His submission to the Father’s will, Jesus had the strength to get through His final days before the battle was won.
CONCLUSION
Jesus went through a great sorrow, a great struggle but triumphed through total submission to the Father... all because of YOU. We can respond in these ways today:
(1) Understand that your life has been bought with a very high price, treasure it. Offer it to God and serve Him with all you’ve got. Consider what you can do FOR Him today.
(2) Jesus set us a very good example - watch and pray. You want to stay strong and live a victorious life? PRAY. The Lord will come to you and strengthens you.
(3) For some, you need to accept Jesus as your Saviour. Look closely at the life of Jesus and all that He has said, and you’d realise that He came only for one purpose - to seek you, and save you. How? By dying on your behalf, to pay the penalty for our sin (our rebellion against God). Believe Jesus today and you’ll be reconciled with God and receive a new life.
(a special thankyou to andew riddington for submitting his sermon)
