Jesus's Garden Betrayal
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Introduce myself
Series in Mark: Following Jesus
Particularly in Prayer and in facing hardships
Proactive Prayer
The Trial is Predicted
The Trial is Predicted
Mark 14:27–31 (CSB)
Then Jesus said to them, “All of you will fall away, because it is written:
I will strike the shepherd,
and the sheep will be scattered.
But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you to Galilee.”
Peter told him, “Even if everyone falls away, I will not.”
“Truly I tell you,” Jesus said to him, “today, this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.”
But he kept insisting, “If I have to die with you, I will never deny you.” And they all said the same thing.
Jesus knew what was coming...
He has told his disciples 3 times in ch 8-10 that he would be betrayed and murdered
Mark 8:23 “He spoke openly about this”
The time was coming and this was the final night before his crucifixion
Jesus took this time, the final hours before his mocking, rejection, humiliation, torture, and crucifixion to pray...
This is the last bit of peace and quiet Jesus will have until he raises from the dead
Jesus used his final hours to stay grounded in God’s Word and to pray
“Because it is written”
The same is true for us
We might not have the same terrors that Jesus -
A Promise of Jesus we don’t often bank on:
John 16:33 (CSB)
I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.”
We, like the disciples, so often discount God’s word because we have other things in mind
When we have suffering in this world we think that it is bad and catches God off guard
Jesus had already promised that these things would come
We shouldn’t be surprised, we should be expectant
Like Peter says:
1 Peter 4:12–13 (CSB)
Dear friends, don’t be surprised when the fiery ordeal comes among you to test you, as if something unusual were happening to you. Instead, rejoice as you share in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may also rejoice with great joy when his glory is revealed.
Proactive Prayer
What it is
Why it is important
Typically our prayer life can be boiled down to these three aspects
Anne Lamott:
Thank you, thank you, thank you Help me, help me, help me I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry
Prayer is our true weapon and power in the Christian life:
A.W. Tozer:
"We are too busy to pray, and so we are too busy to have power"
Samuel Chadwick:
"Satan dreads nothing but prayer… He fears nothing from prayer-less Bible studies, prayer-less work, and prayer-less religion. He laughs at our toil, mocks at our wisdom, but trembles hen we pray"
The Problem: Reactive Prayer
The Problem: Reactive Prayer
I think that at the core of the problem, what makes this difficult, is that we (usually) pray primarily as a reaction
We usually pray when we are under emotional distress and we run to God in prayer
Temptation strikes - God please deliver me
We sin - Oh God forgive me
We are uncertain about the future - God please give me wisdom
We are filled with joy - God thank you for this blessing
We are filled with anxiety - God help me to trust you
We are hurt by others - God help me to forgive this person
And the list goes on
Now I want to be 100% clear:
Praying reactively is not bad in itself! It is healthy!
If we don't bring things to God as they come up, it’s a sign we are not walking strong with Jesus We should be taking these things straight to the Lord
The problem is when our ENTIRE prayer life is a reaction to the world around us
EXPOUND: Think of a relationship
I think this is why we feel that guilt
Jesus’s Preparation (Prayer)
Jesus’s Preparation (Prayer)
Mark 14:32–42 (CSB)
Then they came to a place named Gethsemane, and he told his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.”
He took Peter, James, and John with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. He said to them, “I am deeply grieved to the point of death. Remain here and stay awake.”
He went a little farther, fell to the ground, and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. And he said, “Abba, Father! All things are possible for you. Take this cup away from me. Nevertheless, not what I will, but what you will.”
Then he came and found them sleeping. He said to Peter, “Simon, are you sleeping? Couldn’t you stay awake one hour? Stay awake and pray so that you won’t enter into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
Once again he went away and prayed, saying the same thing. And again he came and found them sleeping, because they could not keep their eyes open. They did not know what to say to him.
Then he came a third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The time has come. See, the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Get up; let’s go. See, my betrayer is near.”
Here we learn 3 things about how Jesus prays in the Garden
Petition - Persistence - Surrender
Petition
Petition
Mark 14:35–36 (CSB)
He went a little farther, fell to the ground, and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. And he said, “Abba, Father! All things are possible for you. Take this cup away from me. Nevertheless, not what I will, but what you will.”
Jesus is:
Clear
Not veiled behind a bunch of words
Straightforward
Short
Addressing who is speaking to
Father
Acknowledging his power
Respecting his will
Persistence
Persistence
Mark 14:35 (CSB)
He went a little farther, fell to the ground, and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from him.
Mark 14:39 (CSB)
Once again he went away and prayed, saying the same thing.
Mark 14:41 (CSB)
Then he came a third time
Jesus prays three times!
The same prayer!
It makes me thing of Paul in 2 Cor 12
2 Corinthians 12:8 (CSB)
Concerning this, I pleaded with the Lord three times that it would leave me.
God recognizes and honors our persistence
Not because he didn’t hear us the first time
But because it shows our dependence on him
We aren’t quickly praying then taking things into our own hands
Each time we are reminding ourselves to trust God
Surrender
Surrender
Mark 14:36 (CSB)
And he said, “Abba, Father! All things are possible for you. Take this cup away from me. Nevertheless, not what I will, but what you will.”
Luke’s account give us some additional detail
Luke 22:41–46 (CSB)
Then he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, knelt down, and began to pray, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me—nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.”
Then an angel from heaven appeared to him, strengthening him. Being in anguish, he prayed more fervently, and his sweat became like drops of blood falling to the ground. When he got up from prayer and came to the disciples, he found them sleeping, exhausted from their grief. “Why are you sleeping?” he asked them. “Get up and pray, so that you won’t fall into temptation.”
Jesus isn’t persistent in his pray until he gets his way
He is persistent until he his fully surrendered to what God might want to do
So often we want to pray and pray until our circumstances change
But the real heart of prayer is aligning ourselves with God’s wants and will
“Prayer will sometimes change our circumstances but it should always change our heart”
And with that we reach a paradox in prayer:
Where does prayer and expectation for God to move end and our action begin?
There is a time for prayer and a time for action
Look at Jesus here:
He specifically asks for God to intervene and move
He prays with persistence multiple times
He surrenders the outcome in trust to God
He gets up and faces what comes next
He doesn’t sit around waiting for things to happen
He says:
Mark 14:41–42 (CSB)
Then he came a third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The time has come. See, the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Get up; let’s go. See, my betrayer is near.”
Again, prayer might not have changed his circumstances, but it changed his heart
He was prepared and able to face the betrayal and humiliation that soon awaited him
So now the time has come
Jesus has been proactive in his prayers
The disciples were sleeping
How do they both react to the hour of temptation?
The Time Has Come
The Time Has Come
Mark 14:43–52 (CSB)
While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, suddenly arrived. With him was a mob, with swords and clubs, from the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders.
His betrayer had given them a signal. “The one I kiss,” he said, “he’s the one; arrest him and take him away under guard.” So when he came, immediately he went up to Jesus and said, “Rabbi!” and kissed him.
They took hold of him and arrested him. One of those who stood by drew his sword, struck the high priest’s servant, and cut off his ear.
Jesus said to them, “Have you come out with swords and clubs, as if I were a criminal, to capture me? Every day I was among you, teaching in the temple, and you didn’t arrest me. But the Scriptures must be fulfilled.”
Then they all deserted him and ran away. Now a certain young man, wearing nothing but a linen cloth, was following him. They caught hold of him, but he left the linen cloth behind and ran away naked.
The time of testing has come and we see the payoff of the time of preparation
Jesus who spent the time in prayer and surrender is able to peacefully submit to what is happening
The disciples either are surprised and take things into their own hands or run away, deserting Jesus
This is the battle before the battle that Jesus won
In the battlefield of prayer Jesus came out prepared for what would soon come
Isaiah 53:7 (CSB)
He was oppressed and afflicted,
yet he did not open his mouth.
Like a lamb led to the slaughter
and like a sheep silent before her shearers,
he did not open his mouth.
Even though everyone had left him, his eyes were set on his mission
Conclusion
Conclusion
For you and me following Jesus, we must follow his life of prayer
Not just reactive prayer - bringing things to God as they come
But proactive prayer - expecting God to answer prayers in advance and prepare you for what awaits you
Examples:
You know something hard will come (like Jesus)
Pray for God’s will to be accomplished
Pray what you would like to see and submit it to God
You know something great is coming
Thank God in advance
Ask to be able to retrace the gift back to the gift giver
There is something unforeseen/anxiety producing in your future
Ask the God who knows all to work things out while we remain in the dark
Ask to be able to trust him when unforeseen things come up
There is a sin that you consistently struggle with
Ask God to lead you not into temptation and protect you
Ask him for strength when temptation comes not just as a reaction but in advance
Pray God into your day and see where he shows up
Expect to see God in the big and little things each day
Fruit
Fruit
Like Jesus here, this sort of praying produces fruit in our lives
Calm peace
Assurance and confidence even when things seem to go wrong
Faith
Love for others even when they hurt you
“father forgive them for they know not what they do”
So pray!
We often don’t know what to pray for
But we can pray for any number of things
From big to small
This is a life that is marked by proactive prayer
I want to end with Jesus’s own teaching on this
Matthew 6:7–8 (CSB)
When you pray, don’t babble like the Gentiles, since they imagine they’ll be heard for their many words. Don’t be like them, because your Father knows the things you need before you ask him.
The deep love of the father
prayer as relational
God is with us our whole day
Prayer of Examen
Practicing the presence
circumstances vs heart