• Ill.The Preacher and the Bus Driver in heaven.
• Jesus was on His way to a terrible death of suffering.
• On the way, He stopped to pray.
• Today, we will focus on this event and how it relates to our lives.
Mar 14:32-42 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."
Recap.
• Gethsemane was a place well known to the disciples.
• It was obviously a place where Jesus had taken His disciples regularly.
• Judas, as we will see, knew exactly where to take the soldiers to arrest Jesus.
• Gethsemane was a garden containing an olive press at the foot of the Mount of Olives.
• Olive oil was an important product and resource in the area.
• It was used not only in cooking but also in the lamps of the day.
• To get oil from an olive, it has to be crushed to the point where the olive is no longer recognizable.
• Do you get where this is going?
• This is where Jesus entered into the crucible of suffering, to be crushed for our sins.
• It started here.
• Jesus asked eight of his disciples to wait and watch while He prayed.
• He asked three of them to go deeper with Him into His personal struggle.
• Peter, James and John were previously the three disciples who saw the Transfiguration.
• They were much like an inner circle of friends for Jesus.
• The impact of what He was asked to face hit Jesus at this point.
• It was something the disciples could see and be witness to, as He was greatly distressed and troubled.
• The language here (ekthambeo) illustrates a visible change in personality, translated as sore amazed, greatly distressed. Some say struck with terror.
• The addition of adamoneo indicates the direction of His personality change.
• Very heavy, troubled, even depressed has been used to describe this word.
• And if His change in personality (or mood) wasn’t clue enough for Peter, James and John, His words should have grasped their full attention.
• "My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Remain here and watch."
• Let me explain something. Jesus was a very colorful speaker.
• However, He was not one prone to exaggeration, especially when it came to His comfort or discomfort.
• Many of us can say, “I am starved to death,” as a figure of speech.
• But probably none of us have fasted 40 days, and we have no record of Jesus using such figures of speech.
• When He said, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Remain here and watch," the disciples should have joined in His personal battle.
• Jesus then went a little farther, fell on the ground, and began agonizing in prayer.
• Because His words are clearly recorded in other gospel records, it is obvious that Jesus agonized in a way that the three disciples could hear His pleadings.
• Because each of the gospel records record prayers that are slightly different, we can assume that Jesus stated the same request repeatedly, using different words each time.
• But the pleas always included the declaration of God’s capability to change any situation.
• They always include a request that the plan outlined be changed.
• And they always included a surrender to the will and decision of the Father.
• If you want a good outline for prayer, this is a great place to start.
• Begin with praise for God, declaring His providence and power to do anything He wills.
• Follow that with an earnest plea for what you are asking for.
• But end with a determination to surrender to God’s best perspective and will.
• This is how Jesus prayed during His last night.
• But this alone wasn’t His prayer and it lasted for a great while.
• Long enough for the three disciples to slip from prayer to slumber.
• Jesus indicated his first prayer lasted one hour.
• Jesus addressed Peter only here.
• "Simon, are you asleep? Could you not watch one hour?”
• And he didn’t use Peter’s new name, but his old name.
• To me, this means that this sleeping behavior came from Peter’s old nature.
• The disciples were exhausted. emotional and spiritual, too.
• We can be critical, but haven’t you ever fallen asleep when praying?
• I admit, I do it often. When I get in bed at night, I relax and begin to pray.
• I also remember times when I could not sleep, when my heart was too troubled.
• Sometimes it had been troubled over my circumstances and the trials I was about to face.
• Other times, it was troubled over someone else’s battle.
• But here, after seeing Jesus’ countenance change as He looked crucifixion in the face, they went to sleep.
• I find it interesting that the first time Jesus asks them to pray, He says, “Pray for me. I am grieved almost to death.”
• They fell asleep.
• The second time, He told them, “OK, stay awake and pray for yourselves that you don’t enter into temptation.”
• He then went to pray His prayers again, and the disciples go to sleep again.
• They couldn’t stay awake praying for a friend.
• And they couldn’t stay awake praying for themselves.
• When Jesus came back, awaking the disciples, He found three sleeping disciples again.
• When He asked them why they couldn’t stay awake for a time of prayer, they had no answer.
• They didn’t understand why they were unable to stay awake.
• Jesus had already told them that they had willing spirits but weak flesh.
• Jesus went to pray a third time, same thing.
• This time, as Jesus awakes the three for the third time, He says, "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. Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand."
• Judas was on his way with the temple guards to arrest Jesus.
• Much has been made about Jesus’ comment, “It is enough.”
• Was it enough sleep? Was it enough prayer?
• Was Jesus’ heart resolved to go through unbelievable torment and suffering?
• Is that what He meant?
• Let’s draw some lessons from this and see what God has for us today.
1. A Recognition: We should become alarmed when we see the state of affairs.
• Jesus was facing the most trying hours in the history of man.
• The reality and proximity of the suffering Jesus must endure, the stakes, the focus and balance of all eternity, rested squarely on His shoulders.
• It weight on Him almost enough to kill Him.
• In that moment, He goes to His closest friends and asks them to pray for Him.
• Consider this: Jesus, during His life had many who came to Him and asked for prayers.
• He had prayed for many. In John 17, Jesus actually prayed for you.
• But this is one time when Jesus asked others to pray for Him.
• He actually asked those who were spiritually weaker and less mature to pray for Him.
• Their spiritual immaturity is well documented, even in this passage.
• Yet Jesus was looking in the eyes of death, substitutionary atonement, sacrifice and crucifixion.
• He needed them to pray.
• I am not certain what you are facing today, but I know this.
• You are either alert to the dangers ahead of your path or you have succumbed to Satan’s Siren song.
• You are either partially aware of the battles in your path or you are nodding off in apathy.
• I am convinced that most Christians focus on the inside of their eyelids (spiritually speaking) than the sad state of our world today.
• Satan has turned our world into hia playground and wickedness is growing at an all-time rate.
• According to Barna and The Association of Religious Data Archives (ARDA), Christianity is in a state of decline.
• In 1990, the average congregation size was 80. By 2000, that had decreased to 75.
• The decline has continued in the past 12 years.
• According to George Barna: “With its 195 million unchurched people, America has become the new mission field. America has more unchurched people than the entire populations of all but 11 of the world’s 194 nations.”*
• According to Lost in America, by Tom Clegg and Warren Bird, 2001: “The unchurched population in the United States is so extensive that, were it a nation, it would be the fifth-largest on the planet. . . . Researchers and analysts describe North America as the world’s third-largest mission field.”
• Barna affirms Gallup. Consider: “America’s secularization has gone from only 15% in the 1950s up to 40% in 2001; and headed for 60% percent by 2010!” (Secularization means basing the decisions of one’s life on a secular humanist, relativist moral world view. Judeo-Christian values and the Bible are no longer the moral foundation of decision making in life for the vast majority of Americans.)
• It is obvious to me we have forgotten what is important, thus, we are asleep.
• Meanwhile, the crime rate in the United States hit it’s peak in the mid 90’s.
• Then there was a dramatic drop, and now it is rising again every year.
• Why the drop in the 1990’s?
• According to John Donohue and Steven Levitt in “The Impact of Legalized Abortion on Crime”, a good portion of the crimes before 1990 were legalized, making the crime rate appear to drop in many states.
• Today, marriages aren’t expected to last, honesty and integrity is not expected in business or the classroom.
• Immorality and lust is invited into our homes through television and the internet.
• The pornography industry pulled in over $13 billion in 2009.
• 65 percent of high school students admit to unsafe, inappropriate, or illegal activities online (Market Wire. November 6, 2006. i-SAFE Inc. December 12, 2006 http://www.marketwire.com.
• Where pornography is growing, child pornography is soaring, according to enoughisenough.com.
• And where child pornography is abounding, child abuse is growing.
• People are giving up control of their lives to the bottle, pill and the needle.
• All the time, the Church is declining? “If it doesn’t impact me, it’s not a serious problem.”
• This is exactly the sentiment of the disciples, I am afraid.
• We, like the disciples, are in a serious battle for our children, youth and families.
• We are in a battle for the souls of men, women, boys and girls.
• No wonder Paul told the Thessalonians, “So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. 1 Th 5:6
• Typically, I have found that if Christians are asleep about the battle in our culture, they are unaware of the battle in their own lives.
• It is time we wake up, take a good spiritual look at our lives and the world around us, and get to our knees to pray.
2. A Responsibility: We need the prayers of others and need to be praying for others.
• Jesus Christ, the Lord of Glory, asked weak, staggering, sleepy disciples to pray for Him.
• It mattered not that Jesus was the spiritual giant in these relationships. He needed their prayers.
• Yes, the disciples went to sleep, but let me show you something.
• The first time, Jesus prayed for an hour.
• He said, “Can’t you stay awake for an hour to pray for a friend?”
• Then, after somewhere between two to three hours of personally praying, and waking up the disciples, Jesus said, “It is enough.”
• I believe Jesus went back to wake up the disciples so they would begin praying again.
• I think they started out praying before they went to sleep.
• I don’t know how long Peter, James and John prayed before each of them drifted off, but I believe it was enough.
• Combined with Jesus’ prayer, the short prayers of His friends were what He needed.
• Oh, He could have used more, but what they prayed was just enough.
• You need the prayers of others. You need to pray for others.
• We are told to pray for one another in Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy, James, and 1 Peter.
• Many times we open this alter for those struggling with something in their lives.
• Perhaps this shows the spiritual sleep we are in.
• We will pray for ourselves, even our close family members.
• But just ask someone to come and pray for others and the alter is empty.
• Ask people to pray for revival, and people just stare at you.
• We are asleep when God has given us a powerful weapon.
• The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
• Even sleepy disciples’ prayers were helpful to Jesus.
3. A Resolve: All prayer should end with resolve.
• Jesus said, “It is enough; the hour has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.”
• View that in light of what He had previously prayed.
• “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will."
• You see, earlier, there was a question involved. “Must I go through this torment?”
• After His prayer, the question was answered. “…the hour has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.”
• Jesus’ prayer was answered, but not the way He was asked.
• Often, we ask for things and are offended that God did not grant our magic wish.
• This was not Jesus’ approach at all.
• He acknowledged what He desired in His prayer, but also He had another desire.
• His first desire was to avoid such pain, and who could blame Him.
• He was about to carry the sins of the entire world, of all of history, on the cross.
• During that period of burden, He would have to do it without the Father’s face to encourage Him.
• He cried, “My God, my God, why have you turned your face from me.”
• For the first and only time in eternity, when Jesus was carrying my guilt and shame, your guilt and shame, and the guilt and shame of all of eternity, God had to look away from His beloved Son.
• The added weight of that would be unbearable.
• No wonder He prayed, “Father, you can do anything you want. As your only begotten Son, I am asking you to make this go away.”
• But added, “But Father, if you see that this is best, may your desire be what happens.”
• That is the resolve that must be behind all of our prayers.
• “Not my will, but your will be done.”
• The Hebrews writer summarized it in a beautiful context.
• “Heb 5:7-8 In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. 8 Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered.”
• You see, God heard Jesus plea. God heard when Jesus said, “…let this cup pass from me.”
• As evidence, He answered Jesus’ prayer. Not with a “No”. But with His will.
• When God’s shares His will, that is a big, “Yes”, although it almost always goes against what we ask for ourselves.
• Ill. Writer Paul Stanley recalls being an infantryman in the Vietnam conflict.
• He says there were two different reactions when they capture an enemy combatant.
• One was of shame, refusal to look the captors in the eye.
• They seemed to have no energy or resistance.
• The other was one of defiance, glaring in the eyes of the captors and resisting in every way they could.
• Stanley joined some American soldiers circled around a young, NV soldier.
• He was a young boy shot through the lower leg, but highly defiant, yelling and throwing mud at anyone who approached him.
• One of the other soldiers said, “We have to get him some help. He is bleeding out.”
• Stanley took off his pistol belt and grenade belt, and slowly walked toward the defiant young boy.
• If broken Vietnamese, Stanley softly and calmly said, “bleed to death, help not hurt.”
• The enemy relaxed a bit, allowing Stanley approach. He continued to speak protests, but allowed Stanly to slip his arms around him and pick him up to carry him.
• He stiffened a little as he saw he was being carried to a waiting helicopter.
• But Stanley kept assuring, with a gentle smile and a face of compassion.
• The young man had never ridden in a helicopter and was nervous as he was loaded.
• But Stanley sat close to him and kept his arm around his shoulders.
• When Stanley picked up the NV soldier and carried him to the medical tent, he noticed how the boy was totally relaxed, trusting and even returning a small smile.
• It occurred to him that this entire scene resembled his own prayer life.
• We go to God, demanding our way so adamantly, we are defiant.
• This is idolatry.
• Only after we completely surrender to the benevolent God of Heaven do we find peace and the answer we secretly longed for.
• Your Gethsemane must be one of recognition of the worlds condition. You need to pray.
• You may need to look at your family’s condition.
• You may have a friend who is in a desperate situation and you need to pray.
• Could you not pray for one hour for a friend?
• You may see someone praying and see they need someone to pray with them.
• Could you not come an pray with them for three minutes?
• Either we don’t believe in the power of prayer, or we have gotten to where we don’t care.
• We are asleep, either way. It is time to wake up.
• But in those prayers, when we wake up, we must find the resolve to follow God’s will.
• Where ever He Leads, I’ll go.
• We will sing, Just as I am, 307.
• You can come to Jesus just as you are.
• The late Mary Crowley said, “Jesus loved me enough to accept me just as I am, but loved me too much to leave me that way.”
• That is His will for your life, the change for the best. Will you surrender today?
