Well, I'll be preaching from Mark 14. A tenant I had gone back and forth on a couple of different passages, and who knows what we actually decided on, but I'll be looking together at Mark 14 versus 32 to 42. So as you adjust your turning there, and the liturgy fits so well with Mark 14, maybe that is what we did decide on. But, and I can't remember, do we stand for the reading of the word?
Well, we'll be seated, okay, perfect, perfect. Well, my family is at home watching today, good morning, guys. And my three-year-old son Ezra, which he's the little guy in the flyer there, he has picked up doing something that is just super funny. You know, three-year-olds will, they're starting to learn phrases and things that adults or other older kids will say, and they'll use them sometimes appropriately or in context, and sometimes totally out of context.
But my three-year-old son Ezra will say, are you kidding me? And he'll do that frequently. You want a banana? Are you kidding me?
You know, he'll do this over and over and over again, sometimes just, I mean, with no rhyme or reason. But I think today, when we are looking at our passage, we're going to say rightly, are you kidding me, right, as we look at the disciples? So look with me at Mark chapter 14. And no, I'm not kidding you, this is the passage, we're looking at Mark 14, verse 32 to 42.
Just a few pages over in your Pew Bible from 844. But here now with me, God's Word. And they went to a place called Guess Seminy, and he said to his disciples, sit here while I pray. And he took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be greatly distressed and troubled.
And he said to them, my soul is very sorrowful, even to death, remain here and watch. And going a little farther, he fell on 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. Remove this cup from me, yet not what I will, but what you will.
And he came and found them, sleeping. He said to Peter, Simon, are you asleep? Could you not watch one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation.
The Spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. And again, he went away and prayed, saying the same words. And again, he came and found them, sleeping for their eyes, were very heavy, and they did not know what to answer him. And he came the third time and said to them, are you still sleeping and taking your rest?
It is enough. The hour has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going.
See, my betrayer is at hand. Let's pray together. Father, thank you for your word. It is good.
Father, in this passage this morning, we see once again your disciples, the disciples of your son Jesus, stumble and fall. And they fell asleep, actually. And Father, I know that when I see my own sin and stumbling and weakness and failure, I'm often so discouraged. And Father, I can even be discouraged when I see your son Jesus, who does not.
And I compare myself with him and I find myself wanting frail and weak and foolish. And I just bury my head in shame. But Father, thank you for your son, who comes back to me over and over again, comes back to each one of us, and raises our eyes to him, to meet his, and to find grace. Would you do that through this passage this morning that though we find our sin and foolishness over and over again, your son returns, rouses us from our sleep, draws us near to him where we may find grace.
We pray you help us this time in Jesus name. Amen. I'd like to just walk through the passage, explain bits and pieces of it, and then start to open and unpack it and apply it. So we'll do that.
So to get you up to speed where we're at in Mark, and I believe the passage has been preaching through Matthew. And so there's lots of overlap here. But chapter 13 ends with Jesus saying, say awake, which is just really funny for our passage today because they just can't do it. But in that context of Matthew 13, Jesus is preaching and teaching his disciples and saying the end will be coming.
I'm not telling you when and very important things are to come and you need to stay awake and pay attention because there is obedience demanded of you. There are tough times ahead of you and you'll need to stay awake beyond watch so that you may remain faithful. And then chapter 14 begins with the plot to kill Jesus. God's people, the Jewish leaders, are supposed to be the ones who would love and obey him, but they're the ones plotting to kill him.
And it's the lo-leist, John tells us it's Mary, but it's the lo-leist who actually demonstrates faithfulness, who actually fall at the feet of Jesus and prepare him for his burial. It's the lo-leist of us who tend to hear Jesus rightly. And he's teaching that he will die for us soon. And so that's what Mary does there.
And then Judas makes the betrayal plot in verse 10 of chapter 14 to betray his Lord. Then Jesus teaches about the Passover there, has dinner with his, has the last supper, with his disciples, institutes the last supper. And then right before our passage in verses 26 to 31, Jesus prepares his disciples, you will fall away. Now they will strike the shepherd and the sheep will be scattered.
And Peter says, even though they all fall away, I will not. Jesus says, truly I tell you this night before the rooster croaks closed twice until two, 93 times, but he said emphatically, if I must die with you, I will not deny you. They all said the same. And then they all fell asleep.
I mean, if Jesus is giving me my forewarning, like in about five minutes, you're gonna desert me. You're gonna fall asleep and not pay attention. And you're gonna all run away. I'm gonna say, you know, wouldn't we wanna say the same thing?
No, like, no, I'm really here. I'm really gonna be, and then we fall asleep. Are you kidding me, right? So quickly, right?
And so then our passage begins in verse 32. And they went to a place called the seminy. And he says with disciples, sit here while I pray. Luke tells us that Jesus has only a stone to throw away from his disciples.
So they can see what's going on. They can, they can, part of them can hear what's going on. We're gonna, we see in verse 33 that Peter, James, and John, Jesus takes with him a little bit further. But the disciples, they can see Jesus just a little bit on past him.
And so Jesus has warned them, okay, guys, test times come, right? Where, you know, CPA exams are on the way, right? Test time is about here. You need to pay attention so you don't lose faith.
So you don't lose stamina. Wouldn't it be so great if the disciples could have, I don't know, an example of someone who's about to go through something really, really hard. And they could see this exemplar person remain faithful. Remain alert, remain faithful and awake.
Oh, wait, he's right in front of them, right? And they miss it, right? They miss their opportunity. But he took with them Peter, James, and John, and he began to be greatly distressed and troubled.
Now, wasn't there a recent episode when Peter, James, and John accompany Jesus up on a mountain, right? For something really, really important, right? Yes, you're right. And back in Mark chapter nine, the mountain of transfiguration, right?
So the Father brings Jesus up on a mountain, and Jesus brings with him Peter, James, and John. And there on that mountain, Jesus is transformed, right? The divine glory is shown to Peter, James, and John. And they're wowed by Jesus.
And they're wowed because Moses and Elijah are there as well. The two great prophets. And what do they all hear? They hear the voice of the Father who says, this is my beloved son, listen to him, right?
It's the two prophets who were there, whom God's people were to listen to, but then the Father acknowledges the Son and says, listen to him, this is the one. So you have Peter, James, and John see Jesus, now they dropped the ball, right? They said, oh, Peter said, hey, Jesus, I'm glad you're here. Let's build tabernacles for you three.
Like, totally misses it, right? Just like you and I, right? We have this wonderful opportunity to obey God, right, in our homes, in our places of work, in our schools, with our friends, with our family. And we just drop the ball.
Have you done this, right? Have you done this where the Lord just lays it all out and somehow, are you kidding me? You drop the ball and you're foolish. Well, that's exactly what happened there, but God says, listen to this, my son.
And you know what? Though they dropped the ball, Peter, James, and John, on the Mount of Transfiguration, Jesus still draws the near, right? Do you see your own sin failure and foolishness? Is it right in front of your eyes?
Be careful, don't let it discourage you too much that you, at Jesus's calling, come with me up to the mountain, you say, no, I'm not worthy, right? No, I'm not worthy. I know God would say, I know you're not worthy. Of course you're not.
I'm going to equip you to be my disciples. So he draws them back up and began to be greatly distressed and troubled. Now this is a little bit different for them, right? Okay, so let's say, best case scenario on the Mount of Transfiguration, Peter, James, and John, see Jesus, they fumble, they're foolish.
Oh, let's make a tabernacle for you. No, that's not what's going on here. I'm far superior than Elijah and Moses. Let's say that Peter, James, and John learn from that experience.
Okay, we're gonna be ready for Jesus to be magnificent and powerful. Now he's troubled and distressed. They're confused again, right? They seem to have forgotten Jesus saying three times now that he's about to go and suffer and die and rise.
What's amazing about this distressed and troubled language here in the Greek, it's the same phrasing that Moses uses to describe Cain in Genesis chapter four who comes to this moment of he offers sacrifices that are not pleasing to God and God says, hey, you need to be careful because in his crouching at your door, he's at this moment of, am I going to listen to God's instruction right now? Or am I going to do my own thing and he does his own thing and kills it? He comes to this moment of this crux of, I need to obey God right now, but no, I'm not gonna do it. And he turns the other direction.
Mark also uses this of Herod at the moment of, will he kill John the Baptist or not? He's vexed in this moment. Will he do what's right? Or will he give away his kingdom to this terrible situation?
No, he falls and is foolish, right? Jesus comes to the same moment. Will he trust God right now? Or will he recall what the enemy offered him in the wilderness?
Will I take this kingdom? Will I usurp this kingdom from my father? No, Jesus is going to lay down his own will and submit to the father's will. My soul, he'd be getting greatly distressed and troubled.
He said that my soul is very sorrowful, even to death, remain here and watch. Now, let's see, today is Sunday. Yes, a week ago, today, I preached this passage to a big group of middle schoolers at one of the church camps, some churches our presenters here we went to. And I mentioned here that Jesus is getting his friends near him and we do need to do that.
We need to surround ourselves with those who can help us. But if that's the main thrust of the message, Jesus really missed it, right? Jesus is drawing near Peter, James and John those closest disciples, but he doesn't do that to rely fully on their help, right? Because he knows they will fail him.
But he draws near to them, not because of his great need, but because of theirs. Again, he knew it would be helpful to them, to show them their great need. He knew it would be helpful for them to show him how when he's at his hour of great testing, I'm gonna live out this great testing in front of my disciples so that as they go through their own now and in the rest of their lives, they can have an example of faith. Think about this, you who are parents and grandparents and you who may become parents and you who work with you.
You have people younger than you around you ever. Think about it this way. And I get the opportunity to counsel children and families at times. And parents sometimes are so afraid of being perfect.
They desire so greatly to be perfect in front of their kids. I like Jesus is doing here, right? This is exactly what Jesus is doing. He's going through an hour of great trial, of great difficulty and he does it perfectly.
So you do too. You have to do part, no, you can't. But what we see here is that we're going to go through our own hour of great need and we're going to stumble, just know that it's coming. But what you and I have the opportunity to do is be lead repenters for our families, right?
God has never given children to sinless parents. I know that's really, really discouraging for you parents and grandparents, right? I desire desperately not to sin so much. And God calls me not to, but he also empowers me to be lead repenters for my children.
I remember we were in my, we were a few years ago. I was in my basement and I don't know what my first son did. Judah, he's the middle guy in the picture. I don't know why he did, but I lost my school.
I was, I was, I disciplined out of anger and he said, daddy with tears, oh gosh, with tears. He said, daddy, you were quick to anger. And it's like, buddy, you are right. I'm so sorry, right?
We've got to be quick to repent in front of our children when we blow it, right? But he says, to his disciples in verse 34, my soul is very sorrowful even to death, remain here and watch, go in a little farther. He fell on the ground and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. And then he prays basically the same thing.
And he said, oboe father, all things are possible for you, remove this cup from me, yet not what I will, but what you will. In Jesus' hour of great need, what did he do? He first reminded himself of the truth. He stood on the firm foundation of the truth that God can do absolutely anything.
And that's really, really difficult for us in our hour of great need. In our hour of great need, we push aside all the truths that can help us because all we can see is that great struggle in front of us. But Jesus reminds us here, don't forget the foundational truths of scripture. Don't forget the foundational truth that you can base your life on when your hour comes.
Father, you can do all things. And he even says that back to God, right? He says that to the Father, you can do absolutely anything. This is what I want.
Remove this cup from me. Why this cup language, just very briefly, the reason why the cup, right, as opposed to banana or temple or whatever, right, this cup image is, well, if you're familiar with fermenting or alcohol making it all, you can make some alcohol really, really, really strong, right? And if you drink a lot of it, it's a bad day and a bad next day, right? And so they would use this image of, the prophets would use this image of God would pour out his wrath almost like super, super strong wine that would make you so sick and you had to drink all of it.
And that's exactly what Jesus is about to have to experience. Remove this cup from me, this wrath from me. I don't want this God yet not what I will, but what you will. Not what I will, but what you will.
I think one of the things that is most American about us, and I'm not, you know, who went on us, but those of us who are from this country, I think one of the things that shapes our identity so much is what do you want to be when you grow up, right? Who do you want to be? What do you want to do? Where are you going?
This is your life, you've got to go for it and make it happen. And yes, we have to, like, we have to grow and go, right, we have to raise our kids to become self-sufficient, independent individuals who can provide for themselves and their families, absolutely. Like, no culture in the history of the world has denied that, okay? But we do not like this idea, yet not what I will, but what you will.
You know, when we offer our kids what they want for lunch, I don't say, hey, Abigail, what would your brother like? Or what do you want your brother to eat, right? She might love that. She would probably be very, very nice, my daughter.
She would be very nice and she'd say, okay, do you want for lunch? But we want to determine what we want. I know what I want, right? And that's what I want.
That's what I'm going to go for, right? That's what I'm going to pursue. That's what I'm going to move everything else out of my way so that I can have what I want. And there's a huge mystery here of how Jesus can want something and then say, but not what I want, but what you want, Father.
I mean, Jesus is God, right? So there's the divine human nature question going on here, but Jesus is saying, in my human nature, God, I don't want to receive your wrath and curse. That's going to be very, very bad for me, right? And even in his divine nature, right?
To receive the wrath and curse of God is nothing to be desired, but a boat in his human and divine nature, he's able to say what you want, Father, is good. Another way to think about this passage is we're learning to love the will of God. Learning to love the will of God is difficult because it costs you your own will. Think about where you're going in life right now, where you're aiming at in life right now.
I know for us, we're aiming at planting a church. And that really, really matters to me, right? It really matters to me that it goes well. But you know who cares a whole lot more about that church than I do?
Not just my wife, just kidding. Not just our courtroom, but God cares about that church more than I ever could. And I wanted to go like this. I wanted to look like that.
I wanted to go easy and do like this. And but God cares so much more about our church than I ever could. And I want to trust him with it. I want to trust him that even if he leaves through the valley of the shadow of death, that it may cost the church, whatever decisions we have to make, it's like, I don't know how this is going to work out, but God, I want to trust you.
Is this what I want? Is this going the way I want? Maybe not, but I want what you want. Unfortunately, Jesus comes back to his disciples over and over again, and they're sleeping.
If they ever needed to walk in obedience and in confidence and in stamina, it's right now. But I think this shows us a picture of our own salvation. Think about it this way. The disciples need Jesus to die on the cross for their eternal salvation.
So if ever they needed to be awake, to get their Savior up on that cross. Now's the time they needed to step up, right? If we could ever play a part in our salvation, it's the disciples right here. And what were they doing?
They were asleep. They were out, they contributed nothing. They contributed only their foolishness to getting Jesus on the cross to die for their sins. And that's exactly what you and I contribute to our own salvation.
Nothing except our sin. Nothing except our foolishness. Romans 5, Pete says, while we were sinners, while we were sleeping, while we were so far from God, God shows his love for us. While we were sinners, Christ died for us.
So are you like the disciples ashamed that your Savior's moment of need, you're not there? Are you ashamed that at your co-workers' moment of need, you're gone. I remember I had this, I was a new Christian in high school. I thought of this a long time.
I was a new Christian in high school, and we were reading through Dante's Inferno. And I had read three books in my life before that, and I had a really great teacher in high school in Peter. And so anyway, we were reading through Dante's Inferno, and it was really, really cool. It was graphic, and it was awesome.
And there was gonna be a day when we were gonna talk about the Bible, talk about God in class. And I fake sick that day. And I came in the next day and he's like, where are you? We were talking about God.
And I was the outspoken new Christian. And it's like, oh my gosh, what an idiot. But God has a greater plan, right? Don't bury your head and your shame.
Your savior comes to you and raises your eyes up to him and says, I know you're an idiot. I know you're foolish. I know that you've turned your back on me time and time again. But I'm drawing you near to me.
Come, learn from me. In my hour of need, what am I doing? I'm praying. I'm seeking the Father.
And so we do that. Let's pray. Father, thank you for your son, Jesus, who is not only a great example of faithfulness, not only a great teacher of faithfulness, but he is our savior, who gives us his faithfulness, takes our sin, kills it. We die with him and rise with him in his resurrection.
Thank you. There is no other way. And we contribute nothing to him, to our salvation. But through Christ, you save us.
And we praise your name, amen.