Sermon Tone Analysis

“Jesus went with [his disciples] to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to [them], ‘Sit here, while I go over there and pray.’

And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled.

Then he said to them, ‘My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.’

And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, ‘My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.’

And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping.

And he said to Peter, ‘So, could you not watch with me one hour?

Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation.

The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.’

Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, ‘My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.’

And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy.

So, leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words again.

Then he came to the disciples and said to them, ‘Sleep and take your rest later on.

See, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.

Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.’” [1]

If Jesus called on you to stand with Him in the hard place, would you do so?

Would you hasten to stand with Him, though you knew the cost would be terrible?

I suspect that most of us who are Christians flatter ourselves that we would move with alacrity and are confident that we would never desert the Master regardless of how difficult the place we occupy.

However, I fear that we flatter ourselves with courage that does not exist.

I don’t mean to disparage believers who want to be courageous; I only mean to caution that the faithful face a powerful and determined enemy.

In general, we pastors give the impression that we are prepared to encourage a rather casual approach to living out the Faith.

We are engaged in a vicious war that demands full reliance upon our great Protector and Commander.

He does call us to stand with Him and when we do so, we will engage in battle.

Consider a sampling of the calls that we have received from the Master Himself.

“If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also.

If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him” [JOHN 12:26].

Following the Master is not a recommendation—it is a command!

Standing with Jesus is evidence that one is a disciple.

“If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him” [JOHN 14:23].

“Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world” [JOHN 17:24].

The Apostle has given a strong call to stand firm in the day of conflict when he writes, “Be strengthened in the Lord and in the strength of his power.

Clothe yourselves with the full armor of God so that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens.

For this reason, take up the full armor of God so that you may be able to stand your ground on the evil day, and having done everything, to stand.

Stand firm therefore” [EPHESIANS 6:10-14 NET BIBLE].

Most Christians who have stood with Christ in the heat of spiritual conflict likely will not be especially pleased when reviewing their performance.

They may have shrunk from the conflict, drew back rather than engage the enemy at close range and trembled at the potential cost of the warfare.

Spiritual combat is costly, and the most experienced understand the high cost of standing firm.

However, these precious souls will stand because they trust their Great Commander and know that they have no one else to whom they can turn.

In these days preceding Easter, the Day set aside to permit us especially to remember the Resurrection of the Master, we do well to recall an incident that occurred in the final hours of His earthly ministry when the Master had taken three disciples with Him as He faced the cross.

The account provides great encouragement for each believer as we review that singular incident immediately before Jesus was seized by His enemies.

HONOUR — “Jesus went with [his disciples] to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to [them], ‘Sit here, while I go over there and pray.’

And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled.

Then he said to them, ‘My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.’”

Even a casual reading of the text makes it apparent that Jesus honoured Peter, John and James when He asked the, to remain nearby, keeping watch, as He prayed.

In inviting them to share His trial, He effectively indicated His approval of their spiritual maturity.

In a general sense, we are honoured whenever another individual asks us to be with them as they face a particular struggle.

To be asked by a respected leader to share as he faces particular struggles is a rare honour, indeed.

When Jesus asked these three disciples to watch with Him, He honoured them in enviable fashion.

The very fact that Jesus spoke of His inner turmoil is indicative of a rich privilege extended to these Apostles.

Would you not consider it a rare and rich privilege to be asked to spend time with the Master—to enjoy such intimacy with Him that He would tell you of His struggles?

In fact, each of us as Christians are so honoured, just as the disciples were honoured.

Moments ago we witnessed several passages in which the Master has spoken of those who follow Him sharing His life.

Review those instances so that they are fixed in your mind.

“If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also.

If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him” [JOHN 12:26].

Those who serve Jesus will follow Him.

Those who follow Him are assured that the Father will honour them.

Again, take note of Jesus’ assertion.

“If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him” [JOHN 14:23].

Disciples—those who love the Master—keep His Word.

Those who keep His Word will enjoy the presence of the Father and of the Son.

God dwells with those who obey Jesus.

“Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world” [JOHN 17:24].

Those who are given to the Master will be with Him that they may witness His glory.

Let me say quite candidly, if we have not seen His glory, it may well be that we have willingly shut our eyes to His glorious presence.

What is humbling about Jesus’ request that the disciples be near as He faced the cross is the knowledge that He knew they would desert Him in the hour of trial.

You will remember that it was immediately after instituting the Lord’s Supper that Jesus had warned the disciples, “Jesus [warned the disciples], ‘You will all fall away, for it is written, “I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered”’” [MARK 14:27].

When Jesus warned the disciples of the crisis of courage—the total failure of courage—that they would shortly face because of Him, Peter brashly asserted that his courage would not fail.

“Even though they all fall away, I will not” [MARK 14:29].

It is easy to see an expansive wave of his hand as he asserted his courage.

Lest you should imagine that I am somehow picking on Peter, I remind you of Matthew’s comment: “And all the disciples said the same” [MATTHEW 26:35].

The Apostles were confident in their courage, their ability to stand.

Before offering up His High Priestly prayer, Jesus reflected on what was coming.

“Behold, the hour is coming,” He cautioned, “indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone.

Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me.”

It is the same message we saw moments ago, though John does not note the rash confidence of any of the disciples.

I believe the statement was part of the rushed preparation the disciples were receiving.

This statement from the lips of the Master is followed by a verse that is frequently quoted by followers of the Master in times of trial.

One reason the words are so comforting is that they were spoken at a time when the Apostles were being cautioned that their faith would fail.

Jesus comforted them, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace.

In the world you will have tribulation.

But take heart; I have overcome the world” [JOHN 16:32, 33].

Jesus would face the cross alone; but it was not because He did not invite the disciples to stand with Him.

The divine work of providing salvation would rest on His shoulders alone.

Jesus, and no other, must provide salvation.

The sacrifice is His alone, just as the victory must be His alone.

Today, no man can say, “I have stood with Jesus and gained a great victory in the contest of life.”

The principle established by the Master in His final hours stands for disciples to this day, “Apart from Me you can do nothing” [see JOHN 15:6].

Likewise, the principle applies to each follower of the Master, “So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty’” [LUKE 17:10].

To be certain, John, the Beloved Disciple, would draw near the cross as the Master hung there.

Jesus would commend Mary into John’s safe keeping [see JOHN 19:26, 27].

However, John’s presence wasn’t because of some particular courage on his part; he appears to have sought out his own mother, drawing courage from her.

For though Jesus was deserted by His disciples at the first, His mother and aunt—John’s mother, and Mary Magdalene were at the foot of the cross.

In the hour of death, a mother will not desert her child; and Mary’s courage encouraged the other two women.

Women often draw strength from one another in the face of danger.

Perhaps it is because men see other men as a threat and will quickly slay the threat.

Women, however, are not seen as a threat.

Thus, the Apostles, fearing for their lives, fled—all, that is, except for John.

Love for his own mother compelled him to seek her out and to stand with her.

HORROR — “He fell on his face and prayed, saying, ‘My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.’”