The Passions Of Christ - Doing The Father's Will Series

The Passions of Christ - #1 Doing the Father’s Will

Pastor Glenn Newton 2/27/05

Text: MT 26:36 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." 37 He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38 Then he said to them, "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me."

MT 26:39 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."

MT 26:40 Then 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."

MT 26:42 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."

38 For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. 40 For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day." John 6:38-40

This morning we are going to start a series called, “The Passions of Christ”. We only have five weeks until Easter and I want to remind you this Easter season of the things that Jesus Christ our Lord was, and still is Passionate about.

Let me ask you some questions this morning, just to get your mind running in the same direction…… If Jesus Christ was Passionate about something while He was with us during His time on earth, do you think it would be good for us to investigate those things? Do you think those things that He was so passionate about 2000 years ago, do you think His passion for those things have changed, like maybe there not important anymore? NO

As we get ready to discuss the Passion of Christ for the next couple of weeks, maybe it would be good to define this word Passion as we get started… Passion - intense or violent emotion, a great liking or enthusiasm, the martyrdom of an early Christian….

To be Passionate - easily moved to strong emotion, showing or inspired by strong emotion

What was interesting as I looked up that word, the Word Passion Capitalized was defined as “the Last Days of Jesus Christ on the way to the Cross.”

Our Secular Webster Dictionary connects the Word Passion to the life of Jesus Christ and what He did for us…. Does that say anything to you?

One question that we will not be able to get away from as we go through these next five weeks together is this…… What are you passionate about? What stirs your emotions? What is it that so stirs you, that it moves you to action?

There’s a lot of things in our lives that we can become passionate about… isn’t there?

Have you ever watched a great movie where that actor’s are so intense, so passionate about their character that you forget that it’s just a movie? Because of their great passion, and emotion, they move us to emotion often times, just watching…..

Have you listened to the interviews of our fighting men and women who are leaving for Iraq, or coming home from Iraq? They have great passion for the mission at hand, they talk about doing their job and fighting for freedom…. They talk about how it’s an honor to serve their country…. We all could be more passionate about our freedoms, and the sacrifices of those who are keeping those freedoms available to us… amen?

In sports you will see great passion for the game, great passion in the effort to win. One of the great things about High School sports is that the players are playing the game just for the love of the game….. There’s no money involved, no million dollar contract…. Just playing for your team, your school….Sports is where I first learned about Passion, if you have ever seen me coach my girls in softball or basketball you’ve seen just a little of what I was like when I played football, baseball or whatever it was…