Sunday, March 19, 2017 - The Agony of Christ
Pastor Roger Marcos
March 19, 2017
The life of Christ: after all making miracles, healing every diseases, He help the broken hearted, rejected, but His royal entry in Jerusalem can make a big difference in lives of many then His agony in the Garden of Gethsemane.
Next week message the Arrest of Christ, then on April 2 about His Trial. To commemorate His love and sacrifice on Friday April 14, 2017 at 12pm celebration of the seven last word of Christ in the cross.
Now, as Jesus gave farewell event to His disciples He assembled them for the Passover feast. The major Jewish spring festival that commemorates the liberation of the Israelites from Egyptian slavery, lasting seven or eight days from the 15th day of Nisan.
Some of the events to consider was Jesus washes the disciples' feet- John 13:2-17, then Jesus identifies His betrayer- Mat. 26:21-25, and the last one was Jesus institutes the Lord's Supper- Mat. 26:26-29
The Sorrowful Saviour
It is very difficult for us to really understand the agony that the Lord experienced there in the garden as He anticipated His death for sinners. Here is profound mystery, and there is much we cannot comprehend. Let us prayerfully and carefully consider some of the things the Bible says about our Lord’s difficult experience in Gethsemane. Let’s read it!
Mark 14:31-41
32 They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” 33 He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. 34 “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” he said to them. “Stay here and keep watch.”
35 Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. 36 “Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”
37 Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Simon,” he said to Peter, “are you asleep? Couldn’t you keep watch for one hour? 38 Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
39 Once more he went away and prayed the same thing. 40 When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. They did not know what to say to him.
41 Returning the third time, he said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners.
Our text today focuses in on what happened when they arrived at A Place Called Gethsemane.
I would like for us to spend our time together today considering what took place in that garden that night. On that night, Gethsemane became more than a garden where Jesus and His men spent some time. On that night, Gethsemane became a place where ETERNAL BUSINESS WAS TRANSACTED FOR THE GLORY OF GOD. I want to point out some facts about Gethsemane a place that Jesus revealed, His AGONY, most the incoming point of death.
Yes, "The Garden Of Gethsemane" was a place of victory for Jesus (and consequently for us as well). But the victory did not come easy, as we consider first that...GETHSEMANE IS:
I. A PLACE OF PRESSURE & SUFFERING. Mark 14:32-33
A. Jesus Experienced Great Distressed. 32 They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” 33 He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled.
1. He went to Pray, accompanied only by Peter, James, and John.
2. Before He began Praying, He was "troubled and deeply distressed".
3. Later, Luke records that He was "in agony", and His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground
- Lk 22:44- 44 and being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.
34 He said, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death.. he said to them. “Stay here and keep watch.”
He was likely troubled for He knew that His hour had come -
John 12:27 (NKJV) 27 “Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour.
B. Jesus Endured Intense Sorrow...
1. He described Himself as "exceedingly sorrowful, even to death" Mk 14:34
2. The writer of Hebrews refers to His "vehement cries and tears"
Hebrew 5:7- who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear.
Vehement- Characterized by intensity of emotions or convictions, or forcefulness of expression.
3. His grief and sorrow was partly due to the fact that He was taking upon Himself our own grief and sorrow!
Isaiah 53:4-5 (NKJV)
4 Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.
Psalm 69:20 NKJV Reproach has broken my heart, And I am full of heaviness; I looked for someone to take pity, but there was none; And for comforters, but I found none.
Can we imagine how hard it was He Alone in His distress and sorrow, our Lord found "The Garden of Gethsemane" to be a place of great suffering for Him. Then something happened. Before He left to face the mob led by Judas to arrest Him, Jesus found that one of the twelve disciples called the betrayer. (JUDAS)
II. IT WAS A PLACE OF PRAYER. 35-36.
35 Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. 36 “Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”
In Gethsemane: JESUS HAS TWO PRAYER REQUESTS:
1. His Minor Prayer: Take THIS CUP OF SUFFERING AWAY from Me" Mark 14:36
2. His Major Prayer Request Was This: "Thy WILL BE DONE" Mat. 26:42.
CONCLUSION:
Our Saviour drank a cup of wrath without mercy, that we might drink a cup of mercy without wrath!
1. So "The Garden of Gethsemane" was a place of both suffering and
Strength... Glory to God!
In the book of Luke 22:43 He left the garden strengthened. 43 Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him.
Our supernatural strength come from above!