Transcript

Dedication in Depression

Matthew 26:36-46
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Pastor Randy Smith

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We stand on the eve of His crucifixion. The Passover Supper had just been completed and after singing a hymn (Mt. 26:30), Jesus and His eleven disciples left the city of Jerusalem, crossed the Kidron and took a small road that led to the Mount of Olives. Somewhere in that vicinity there was a secluded olive grove called Gethsemane ("oil press") (Mt. 26:36; cf. Jn. 18:1). It was a long day both physically and emotionally. Jesus and His men were no doubt exhausted.

That is the external picture, but this account also provides an internal picture of our Lord's heart. We must remember that Jesus like us was also fully human and though His disciples were still relatively clueless, the near presence of the cross was exerting immense pressure. Here through the Scriptures we are given a window into the emotional and spiritual pain that Jesus suffered while contemplating Calvary. We will see how He responded and the victory He was granted by the Father.

This morning our goal is to gain a greater appreciation for the One who stood in the face of extreme suffering and remained obedient to the Father continuing toward Calvary to purchase our redemption. And we will also learn how we, when faced with similar trials, can follow His example and march toward victory as well. The three points of this message will be the pain, the prayer and the pursuit of Jesus.

1. THE PAIN OF JESUS

Let's first look at the pain that Jesus encountered that memorable evening. It is clearly something the Spirit has chosen to emphasize.

Think about it. God did not exclude Himself from suffering. And though we dislike seeing anyone suffer, there is tremendous comfort in knowing that Jesus suffered and can therefore identify with our pain. Yet He has more than a shallow pity for us. There is a deep compassion, a personal presence and a divine ability to bring tangible assistance. He is willing and able to come to our aid.

We know all about misery. The older we get the more intense it appears. The shelter of youthful ignorance is broken, and it seems the burdens are added with the increase of years. Though suffering can take several forms, consider the trials of physical infirmities. Things we once took for granted now become daily thorns in the flesh. It can be illustrated by an analysis of our trips to the drug store. Every few years we are finding ourselves in new aisles, reading the sides of new boxes that we never knew existed. Long gone are the days of only shopping for hair brushes and toothpaste!

Verse 37 says Jesus was "grieved" and "distressed." There was a deep anguish of His soul, an unrelenting hole in His heart, an irremovable burden that consumed His attention. The load was so heavy that Luke tells us, "His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground" (Lk. 22:44). Think about it, the Son of God who could create or accomplish all that He wanted not only could feel the deep pain of His creation, but willingly allowed Himself to be subjected to it. It was a suffering that He in all of eternity never experienced. Billows of distress were pouring over His soul. Psalm 42:7, "Deep calls to deep at the sound of Your waterfalls; all Your breakers and Your waves have rolled over me."

We have to ask, what caused His heart to bleed? Was it the betrayal of Judas? I'm sure that contributed. Was it the soon denial of Peter? I'm sure that contributed. Was it the religious establishment and Roman authorities that would unjustly condemn Him? I'm sure that contributed. Was it the emotional abuse as His enemies would ridicule Him? I'm sure that contributed. Was it the upcoming physical agonies of the cross where He would be exposed in agonizing torment? I'm sure that contributed as well.

But there is one fact that we are overlooking that I believe brought the most pain to our Lord's heart. Within hours He knew that He would be hanging on a wooden cross paying for our sins. He knew that the sins of His people would be placed upon Him, and He would face the reality of their hell. For the first time, the One who knew no sin would become sin (2 Cor. 5:21). He would taste the ugliness of iniquity and drink to the end the cup of the Father's wrath as our substitute. He would experience the hell that we deserve as the Father's justice was poured out in all its fury on Him. For the first time in all of eternity the Father would turn His back on the Son as the Lamb of God (as we have been learning) in His most desperate time would suffer in isolation as the Godhead would be temporarily divided. All Jesus could cry was, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken Me?" (Mt. 27:46). I believe it was this which brought our Lord the most anguish.

In the words of Jonathan Edwards: "The thing that Christ's mind was so full of at that time was, without doubt, the same as that which his mouth was so full of: it was the dread which his feeble nature had of that dreadful cup, which was vastly more terrible than Nebuchadnezzar's fiery furnace. He had then a near view of that furnace of wrath, into which he was to be cast; he was brought to the mouth of the furnace that he might look into it, and stand and view its raging flames, and see the glowings of its heat, that he might know where he was going and what he was about to suffer. This was the thing that filled his soul with sorrow and darkness, this terrible sight as it were overwhelmed him. For what was that human nature of Christ to such mighty wrath as this? It was in itself, without the supports of God, but a feeble worm of the dust, a thing that was crushed before the moth. None of God's children ever had such a cup set before them, as this first being of every creature had."

We see Jesus seek to draw some strength in two ways. One was the fellowship of His companions - again, a lesson for us. We are not called to be isolated Christians. We are the spiritual body of Christ. We need each other and therefore are commanded to "not [forsake] our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near" (Heb. 10:25). Persevering is not easy. God has given us other believers in the church to help in the journey. If Jesus needed the companionship of Christians to aid Him, I think it is safe to assume that we do as well!

I remember hearing of a story that the great preacher C.H. Spurgeon once told. A lady approached him who had not attended church in some time and complained how her spiritual life had basically dried up. Without saying a word, Spurgeon walked over to the fireplace and with tongs grabbed a hot coal and placed it before the woman's face. Together they watched it turn from bright red to dead gray in a matter of seconds. Spurgeon then took the coal and placed it back in the fire amongst the other coals. Instantly the coal started to glow. Point of the story? We will only burn brightly when we are amongst each other.

There is no doubt in my humble observations that people with the greatest heart for the Lord also have the greatest heart for the local church. I am not sure if their heart for God is measured by the willingness to admit they need others or their concentrated involvement in the church has been used by God to produce that heart for God. I assume it could be a combination of both!

Jesus did not want to suffer alone. Even God incarnate saw the need to be spiritually connected with others. He grabbed three of His closest disciples: Peter, James and John (Mt. 26:37) and said in verse 38, "My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch with Me." Don't miss that, "deeply grieved, to the point of death."

Unfortunately what was intended for some comfort became nothing more than another ingredient in the caldron of pain. Since we expect more from fellow believers, they have the capacity to bring the most heartache as well. In this case, Jesus experienced more indifference and isolation. Rather than encouraging the Lord, listening to His sorrow and joining Him in prayer, the disciples dozed off. Their sleep was more important than their Savior. And despite the intensity of their day (see Lk. 22:45), this one is rather hard to believe. Peter, the very guy who said in verse 33, "Even though all may fall away because of You, I will never fall away," didn't have the strength to keep his eyes open!

Verse 40, "And [Jesus] came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, 'So, you men could not keep watch with Me for one hour?' You think one rebuke would have jarred they guys back into place! Yet we read in verse 43, "Again He came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy." Mark at this point records, "They did not know what to answer Him" (Mk. 14:40). And then a third time, Verse 45, "Then He came to the disciples and said to them, 'Are you still sleeping and resting?" The very people for whom He was about to die could not stay awake and comfort Him.

It was prophesied that Jesus would be a "man of sorrows" (Isa. 53:3). To a lesser degree, we can identify with Him. Yet we need to see where Jesus went with His pain, so that we can identify with Him there as well.

2. THE PRAYER OF JESUS

Our second point, "The Prayer of Jesus." In order to draw comfort and direction, Jesus gathered together His closet companions and second, He went directly to the Father in prayer. As He said in verse 36, "Sit here while I go over there and pray." Verse 39 says, "[Jesus] went a little beyond them [a stone's throw"-Lk. 22:41], and fell on His face and prayed."

First of all let's determine the content of Jesus' prayer, and then we will seek to understand why He prioritized prayer.

So, what did Jesus pray for? The clear answer is given in the middle of verse 39, "My Father [Mark 14:36-"Abba! Father!"], if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me" (stop right there).

Let's camp out briefly on that word "cup." Jesus asks for the cup to pass from Him. What in the world was He talking about? Allow me to read a few Bible verses. See if you can determine the definition for yourself. Isaiah 51:17, "Rouse yourself! Rouse yourself! Arise, O Jerusalem, You who have drunk from the Lord's hand the cup of His anger; the chalice of reeling you have drained to the dregs." Jeremiah 25:15, "For thus the Lord, the God of Israel, says to me, 'Take this cup of the wine of wrath from My hand and cause all the nations to whom I send you to drink it.'" Revelation 14:9-10, "Then another angel, a third one, followed them, saying with a loud voice, 'If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.'" Answer? I'll quote Jerry Bridges, "The cup is a metaphorical expression referring to the judgment of God as expressed in the pouring out of His wrath on sinful nations and people" (The Gospel for Real Life, p. 50).

Hopefully, the picture is now clear. Jesus knew that He would bear our sins, and in so doing the full fury of God's wrath would be poured upon Him. I do not believe He was seeking to get out of His mission. Repeatedly throughout the gospels He stated His purpose for coming was to seek and save the lost (Lk. 9:31; 19:10). We see the preliminary struggle in John 12:27 when Jesus said, "Now My soul has become troubled; and what shall I say, 'Father, save Me from this hour?' But for this purpose I came to this hour." Therefore I do not think He lost focus of His mission, but was just asking the Father if there be another way to accomplish that mission and still fulfill His redemptive purposes. I believe what we see here are honest expressions from the real human feelings of Christ. "Father, can this cup pass from Me?"

That is what Jesus prayed for, now we ask, why did Jesus pray? I suppose we can provide several answers, but there is one that I believe jumps out from this passage.

We must remember that the goal of Jesus Christ was to do the will of the Father. Regardless of the cost, that was His desire. But as He told the disciples in verse 41, "The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." Good intentions can be canceled under the right intensity of pressure.

We want to tell the world about Jesus, but a few threats and couple lost friends and zip go the lips. We want to read through the Bible in a year, but by the time we crack the book at 10:00 we can't keep our eyes open. We want to overcome pornography…

Suffering exerts an incredible force. Like Jesus, none of us are exempt. It will either strengthen us (Heb. 5:8) or defeat us in our walk with Christ. Reason being is because suffering is always accompanied with temptation. Whenever we suffer we have a choice to do it our way or God's way. Jesus went to the Father in prayer to be strengthened to do it God's way.

The temptation for Him was always there to circumvent the agonies of the cross. Satan taunted Him early in His ministry (Mt. 4:1-11). "Fasting for the Father? Jesus, turn these stones into bread." "Test God's love for You by throwing Yourself off this pinnacle." "Bow down and worship me, Jesus, and avoid the pain of the cross. I will give You all the kingdoms of the world right now." Later in His ministry He was tempted by His disciples: "From that time Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day. Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, 'God forbid it, Lord! This shall never happen to You'" (Mt. 16:21-22).

Jesus knew He lived on the enemy's ground, and life on this earth is filled with temptations to disobey the Father. He also knew His weaknesses. Therefore He went to the Father in prayer. And had the disciples strengthened themselves in prayer too as Jesus directed them, it is probable that they would have not failed so miserably during His final hours.

3. THE PURSUIT OF JESUS

From the pain, to the prayer, lastly to the pursuit of Jesus. What was the goal of Jesus' heart in all that He did? In the midst of extreme suffering, what did our Lord prioritize?

Let me read verse 39 concentrating on the final nine words. "And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, 'My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will'" (Mt. 26:39). The pursuit of Jesus was the will of God.

How many times in prayer do we expect God to bend His will for ours? As a matter of fact, I have heard professing Christians tell me that it is all right to be mad at God for not giving you what you want! Jesus had His desires. He expressed them to the Father. But when the sun had set and the dust was settled, His ultimate desire was to submit to the Father's will. That is the mark of an obedient child of God and that is the mark of a wise child of God because he or she knows that the will of the Father is always in our best interest. Didn't Jesus Himself teach us to pray, "Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven" (Mt. 6:9-10).

Last week I told you that Jesus was the new Moses because He led His people through a better exodus to a better land. Here we see that He is the new Adam as well. In the Garden both Adam and Eve demanded, "Not Your will, but mine." Their decision led the world into sin. Yet the Second Adam prayed, "Not My will, but Yours," and that decision led the world out of sin.

The second time Jesus prayed in the Garden the prayer was even more determined. It is the progression of becoming more resolved. Verse 42, "My Father, if this cannot pass away unless I drink it, Your will be done." And it was the same when He prayed a third time in verse 44.

It was the Father's will for the cup to stay. The Father would answer the prayer of the Son as the Son desired the Father's will. But it was also the Father's will to strengthen the Son every step of the way so that the Son could fulfill the Father's will obediently.

The time had come. Half way through verse 44, "Behold, the hour is at hand and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. Get up, let us be going; behold, the one who betrays Me is at hand" (Mt. 26:45b-46). Not a martyr (see Mt. 26:53). Not a victim of uncontrollable circumstances. Rather a willing heart to do the Father's will. "Wake up, guys! We need to be going. Let's go and meet the betrayer with his angry mob. My time to drink the Father's wrath has arrived. It is time to face the cross. This is the hour for which I came."

Are we willing to walk in the footsteps of our Savior?

Down shadowy lanes, across strange streams

Bridged over by our broken dreams;

Behind the misty caps of years,

Beyond the great salt fount of tears,

The garden lies. Strive as you may,

You cannot miss the way.

All paths that have been or shall be,

Pass somewhere through Gethsemane.

All those who journey, soon or late,

Must pass within the garden's gate;

Must kneel alone in darkness there,

And battle with some fierce despair.

God pity those who cannot say,

"Not mine but Thine," who only pray,

"let this cup pass," and cannot see

The purpose of Gethsemane.

Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Is Jesus Christ your Lord and Savior? All of us have a choice. We can pay for our own sins in an eternity of hell, or we can accept the free gift by believing that Jesus paid for our sins on the cross. Have you trusted Jesus Christ? If so, realize that the cup is empty. He has exhausted God's wrath to the very last drop as He cried from the cross, "It is finished" (Jn. 19:30). Those in Christ will never drink from this cup. "Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Rom. 8:1). What a demonstration of God's hatred toward sin and His love and determination to save sinners!