Matthew 26:30-46

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Introduction

30 And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. 31 Then Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away because of me this night. For it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ 32 But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.” 33 Peter answered him, “Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away.” 34 Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” 35 Peter said to him, “Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you!” And all the disciples said the same.

Jesus Prays in Gethsemane

36 Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.” 37 And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38 Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.” 39 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.” 40 And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour? 41 Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 42 Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.” 43 And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. 44 So, leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words again. 45 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. 46 Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.”

Two weeks ago we walked through the Passover meal with Jesus and his disciples inside Jerusalem. Jesus had instructed his disciples to find a man in the city that would lead them to a house where they would celebrate the Passover together. And as they celebrated the over a meal Jesus imparted new meaning to the elements. He held up the unleavened bread and said, “Take and eat, this is my body.” Then he took a cup, and said, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured our for many for the forgiveness of sins.” Jesus was teaching his disciples that he was the fulfillment of the feast, or as the Apostle Paul would later describe him, as our Passover lamb. That like the blood of the lambs in Exodus which protected the Israelites from God’s judgement upon the Egyptians, Jesus would shield the people from God’s righteous judgement against them and their own sin.
That in that upper room Jesus had inaugurated a better covenant, not a covenant of works, but a covenant of grace. A covenant that would not be dependent upon our ability to live by the law, but by Jesus’ ability to fulfill the law perfectly, and to bear the guilt of our sin upon himself. Many have pointed to that moment in history as the birthday of the church, the birth of God’s new covenant people, who are sealed by the blood of the Lamb, and that was poured out for the forgiveness of sins.
But while we look back at that evening with hope and great joy, for the disciples it was a dreadful evening that hung over their heads. First, because Jesus reminded them that his death was imminent, and second because Jesus had indicated that one of them would betray him, that of those who had dipped their hand in the dish one of them would turn him over to the authorities to be killed.

The dread intensifies

And then here in our text this morning that dread only intensifies. We read there, starting in verse 30,

30 And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. 31 Then Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away because of me this night. For it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’

So, not only will Jesus be killed at the hands of those in Jerusalem, and betrayed by one of his own disciples, but he says that all of them (all twelve of his disciples) will fall away on account of him that night, they’ll be scattered. So, not only would there have been a deep sense of dread and fear, but Jesus tells them that these events are going to take place that very night. And I can only imagine how inescapable that moment probably felt, that there was no opportunity to run and hide, that the time had come. And the disciples could not yet see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Went out to the Mount of Olives

Matthew also tells us there in verse 30 that immediately after the Passover meal Jesus and his disciples leave the city and head back to the Mount of Olives, and here Matthew indicates that their conversation continued through the night, because Jesus intended to spend his last hours preparing them for the events of his death. But Matthew only records a small fraction of that conversation that we’re going to look at this morning. For instance, in Luke’s account, he tells us that they began to argue again about who would be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven, and that Jesus again had to admonish them to become like servants. That they must become like him, the Son of Man, who had come to serve them.

Overview and timeline of events

And John has an even larger record of this dialogue that spans some four chapters of his Gospel, chapters 14-17. Now it’s hard to tell how much of this conversation took place while they were still in Jerusalem and while they were making their way out to the Mount of Olives, but to just give you an overview of how this conversation played out I want to summarize it as is plays out over all four Gospels, because I think that’ll help us get a broader context for what Matthew records here for us.
Now, the Apostle John appears to record what Jesus says at the outset of their discussion, that he is going to go where they cannot follow (John 13:36). Which then prompts Peter to ask him, “Lord, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.” (John 13:37)
Then Matthew records here in verse 31 that Jesus told them that they would all fall away because of him that night, and that the Scriptures had to be fulfilled, saying, “‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ But that after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.” But Peter immediately objects saying there in verse 32, “Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away.”
Then in Luke’s account, chapter 22, verse 31, Jesus goes on to say, “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” And then here in verse 34, he goes on, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” But Peter and the disciples remain adamant, and Peter says again there in verse 35 that, “even if I must die with you, I will not deny you!” And all the disciples said the same.
Then it’s at that point in the discussion that Matthew transports us to the Garden of Gethsemane starting there in verse 36, but Luke and John record far more. Luke tells us that Jesus reminded them of their training that we read about back in Matthew chapter 10, when Jesus had first prepared them to take the gospel of the kingdom to all of Judea, healing the sick and casting out demons. He also tells them that he must be numbered among the transgressors, quoting Isaiah 53:12 about the suffering servant.
And, like I said earlier, John spends four chapters recording Jesus’ final words to his disciples, most of which I imagine we’re all familiar with. In John, after they leave the upper room in Jerusalem and make their way to the Mount of Olives Jesus teaches them that he’s going away to prepare a place for them, that he’s the way, the truth and the life, that he has not left them as orphans, but when he is gone that he will send the Holy Spirit to them, that he is the true vine and to abide in him, that the world will hate them, but that he has overcome the world, and that not long after he is gone that their sorrow will be turned to joy, and, finally, Jesus concludes, in John, with his famous high priestly prayer where he prays for himself and his disciples, looking forward to returning to his Father in heaven while asking that his disciples would be kept from the evil one and sanctified in the truth.
And, again, all of this takes place between the upper room and the Garden of Gethsemane. And while Matthew only records a snippet of these interactions after the upper room, it’s these circumstances and it’s this context that we find verses 30-46 here in Matthew. Jesus is preparing his disciples for what’s about to take place, and despite the difficult circumstances that are about to befall them, that he will not leave them as orphans, but, for now, the disciples are going to find it impossible to see a way through these circumstances.

Zechariah prophecy

But their inability to understand doesn’t deter Jesus, he keeps connecting his ministry to the OT, and he continues to prophesy of his death and his resurrection, because he knows that after these events take place, that everything he’s taught them will become clear. And this is why he quotes, for instance, the prophet Zechariah here in verse 31, when he says,

“You will all fall away because of me this night. For it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ 32 But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.”

Jesus has been laboring the point that his death is imminent, but here he connects it to OT prophecy, he connects it to something Zechariah had said hundreds of years earlier. He quotes Zechariah 13:7. Now, Zechariah chapters 9-14 repeatedly portray a messianic figure who is rejected, wounded, and killed, so Jesus intends to show his disciples that his ministry is the fulfillment of these prophesies. That his impending death is not outside the scope of what they should expect. That he is why Zechariah wrote all those years ago that God would strike his shepherd, and that in doing so all the sheep of his flock wold be scattered. He tells them that it’s prophecies like these that are the grounds for his death, and the reason that they will fall away.
And likewise, so often our circumstances are out of our control, and it’s easy to think that our circumstances are purposeless, as though we were subject to a cosmic role of the dice. And so it will be for the disciples, the circumstances of Jesus’ death will seem hopelessly tragic. Therefore, Jesus prepares them for these circumstances so that they might not be caught unaware. Prophecy, in many respects, is intended to have a stabilizing affect on the Christian life. As we see prophecy fulfilled we’re given a glimpse into the purposeful providence of God. In other words, fulfilled prophecy demonstrates to our finite brains that God is indeed in control, and whenever we see prophecy fulfilled we’re given a glimpse of our Father in heaven at the helm of history. And we constantly have to be reminded that there isn’t an ounce of purposelessness in our circumstances. We need to hear that and Jesus knows that the disciples will need to see that, so he’s going to demonstrate to them ahead of time that while the circumstances of his death will seem hopelessly tragic, that rather these circumstances are going precisely according to God’s plan and hand.

A haughty spirit before a fall

But obviously the disciples won’t make that connection until much later and so Peter immediately responds in haste there in verse 33 and says,

“Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away.”

So in typical fashion, what Peter says makes you wince. He’s willing to grant that everyone else might fall away, but he of course will never fall away. What’s obvious about Peter is that he tends to be very rash, and even foolhardy. He’s arrogant and rarely thinks before he speaks. No wonder they’re constantly arguing about who would be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven when they think so highly of themselves.
So, because of Peter’s obstinance, Jesus presses them even harder. He says there in verse 34,

“Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.”

In other words, Peter, not only will you fall away like everyone else, because of your foolishness you’ll go so far as to deny me, not once or twice, but three times even this very night. And unfortunately, this doesn’t deter Peter’s obstinance, so he says there in verse 35, that,

Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you!” And all the disciples said the same.

It’s even harder to watch when you know the rest of the story, that not only does Peter deny Jesus that night - three times, but his obstinance here will set him up for an even more painful fall. In the last verse of this chapter we read, after he had denied Jesus three times, that,

Peter remembered the saying of Jesus, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.

Now, it’s hard not to recall Proverbs 16:18, that famously says,

18  Pride goes before destruction,

and a haughty spirit before a fall.

But let us all remember that while it’s easy to identify the sin in our brother, we must always realize that we’re prone to the very same temptations, so may we be always on guard of our own pride and foolishness.

Garden of Gethsemane

Now, it’s at this point, that Matthew transports us to the Garden of Gethsemane. And, aside from this instance in the story this is the only mention of this particular place by name, and we don’t know it’s precise location, other than it’s presumably located somewhere on the Mount of Olives across the Kidron Valley on the east side of Jerusalem. Apparently, Jesus and his disciples met there frequently while they were in Jerusalem, which is how Judas was able to find them later that night to turn Jesus in. We actually read in John 18:2,
John 18:2 ESV
Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place, for Jesus often met there with his disciples.
The word Gethsemane literally mean ‘oil press’, so the assumption is that there was probably a cave nearby used for pressing out the oil of olives. The garden’s location on the Mount of Olives leaves everyone to assume that this garden was a grove of Olive Trees. A couple of interesting facts about Olive Trees is that they can live to be thousands of years old, and there are still Olive Trees growing on the Mount of Olives today, however, Josephus records that the Roman general, Titus, during the the siege of Jerusalem in 70 AD cut down all of the trees surrounding Jerusalem, so the trees that are standing today are probably not the same trees that were standing in Jesus’ day.
So we read there starting in verse 36,

36 Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.” 37 And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38 Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.” 39 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.”

Jesus not unaffected

Now, what’s particularly interesting about this moment is that for a brief time we see that Jesus is not unaffected by his impending death, that he is not emotionally detached from what’s about to happen to him. That while we know, in one sense, that he is completely in control of the situation, that this does not mean that he is unaffected by it. So, it’s in the Garden of Gethsemane that Jesus mentally prepares himself for what’s about to take place. He’s talked about it a lot up to this point, but it’s not until now that it seems to become real to him. And I don’t say that to diminish his deity, as though to say he’s caught unaware by the circumstances, but only to emphasize that while Jesus is the incarnate Son of God, he is also truly human, he is also the Son of Man, born of Mary. And its in Gethsemane that we see Jesus, in his humanity, experiencing the weight of this task.
We’re told there in verse 37, that “he began to be sorrowful and troubled.” And then in verse 38, that “he said to [his disciples], “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death;” And finally there in verse 39, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” And what we’re seeing here is not a lapse in faith, or of getting cold feet, like fickle and frail humans might, but rather the agony of this task results in real humanly distress. For example, when Jesus speaks of letting this cup pass from me, he’s referring to the cup of wrath. We must realize that Jesus is willingly subjecting himself to the wrath of God on our behalf, and this is no small thing, therefore it’s not rebellious for Jesus, in his humanity, to look for another way, if it is possible. And most importantly, he qualifies his question, saying, “nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” Everything Jesus says is couched in his overriding desire that his Father’s will would be done.

Praying like Jesus

And this is why we as Christians pray the way we do. I’ve often been asked whether we should pray for someone to be healed if we don’t know if it’s the Lord’s will to do so, and that’s a legitimate question for a Christian who cares first and foremost about seeking God’s will. And my answer is always the same, 1) God gives us permission, even a commands us, that we pray for the sick, and 2) while we don’t know when or if it’s his will to do so, we leave it to him. We qualify our prayers as Jesus does here, “nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” There are some who view such a qualification as lacking faith, but such a charge runs contrary to the Scriptures, and contrary to Lord’s example. To presume that we know the Lord’s will in such matters is not a lack of faith but is presumptuous.

Why not just one hour?

We also read here that Jesus took his disciples with him, verse 37 says, “and taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled.” These three are the same three that he took with him up on the Mount of Transfiguration - Peter, James and John. These three appear to be a part of Jesus’ closest inner circle of disciples, and while he intends to pray by himself, he doesn’t intend to be alone. It appears that not only Jesus distressed, but that he is seeking support and companionship from his disciples. This appears to be why he rebukes them in verses 40, 43, and 45. In his darkest hour why could they not watch with him for just one hour?

Significance of prayer

I also believe this account of Jesus’ prayer, here at Gethsemane, provides an opportunity for us to see the significance of prayer. That prayer was the means by which, even the Son of Man, employed to face the most daunting of circumstances and choices. We see that Jesus found relief, comfort, and a renewed resolve as a result of his prayer. By the time we reach verse 42, we read of Jesus’ renewed resolve when he says,

“My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.”

He’s no longer asking whether this cup can pass from him, whether there’s another way, but affirms that this cannot pass unless he drinks this cup.
Prayer strengthens us and it is a stabilizing force for the Christian life, yet it’s probably the most neglected part of the Christian life. Our flesh fails to see the value in it, we’d rather get a good night’s sleep than give ourselves to prayer. And unfortunately, this often demonstrates our own foolishness of relying upon ourselves and our own strength rather than drawing our strength from our Lord. If it was necessary for the Son of Man to give himself to prayer, how much more is it a necessity to the Christian life. Unfortunately, it’s often only when our circumstances seem unbearable that we run to our Lord in prayer.
And finally, we read there in verse 44,

44 So, leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words again. 45 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. 46 Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.”

So, not only do we see Jesus’ resolve reestablished verse 42, but here also. He calls his disciples to his feet, it’s time to go, the time has come, for his betrayer is at hand.

Prayer

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