Parkwood Baptist Church

“Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: ‘The one I kiss is the man; arrest him.’ Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, ‘Greetings, Rabbi!’ and kissed him…Then all the disciples deserted Him and fled.” (Matthew 26:48-49, 56)

“My God, my God, why have you forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46)

Another aspect of the supreme sacrifice of Jesus was the experience of being abandon by everyone close to Him.  He had walked the last three years of this journey with friends and disciples.  They had been together on the stormy sea of Galilee and watched as Jesus spoke to calm the waters.  They were welcomed in some towns and run out of others.  They went through the ups and downs together but from this point on Jesus would be alone…very alone.

In His last moments in the garden Jesus would be betrayed by a kiss and deserted by His friends.  He will be led back to the city where He will be dragged from trial to trial, beating to beating, and finally, to the cross where He would experience the ultimate loneliness.  Jesus experienced the feeling of being burned with an insincere kiss and then the feeling the ache of fleeing friends and now, abandoned by His Father.

This may have been the most difficult part for Jesus.  The physical punishment was extreme but the abandonment was almost unbearable.  The Savior who was defined by His love for people and His emphasis on relationships was left alone.  He was forsaken so that you wouldn’t be.  The Scripture tells us that God will never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5).

Today we mark our halfway point in our lenten journey.  Know this; you are not alone.  You are not forsaken.  What Jesus felt on the cross…you don’t have to.  He did that for you.  The cold darkness of loneliness that He encountered that night can no longer hold us hostage because we have a God who is our very present help in times of trouble (Psalm 46:1).  Even when we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we will fear no evil for God is with us! (Psalm 23:4).  You are not betrayed, deserted or forsaken by your Heavenly Father!

Today, carry the words of the Lord to Joshua with you:

“Be strong and courageous.  Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you whenever you go.” (Joshua 1:8)

You are not alone.

“When Jesus said, ‘I am He,’ they drew back and fell to the ground. Again He asked them, ‘Who is it you want?’ And they said, ‘Jesus of Nazareth.’  ‘I told you that I am He,’ Jesus answered.  ‘If you are looking for me, then let these men go.’…Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, cutting off his right ear.  Jesus commanded Peter, ‘Put your sword away!  Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?'” (John 18:6-11)

The Bible tells us that the Garden of Gethsemane was a place that Jesus took the disciples regularly to relax, meditate and pray.  It was located on the hillside just across the Kidron valley from Jerusalem.  One could sit under the olive trees and have a wonderful view of the whole city and all its glory without the noisy hubbub of the crowded streets.  It was most likely the place that Jesus was a few days earlier when He wept over the beloved city.  Yes, this was a special place whose significance was about to be forever changed.

Now the serenity that made this garden on the Mt. of Olives a sanctuary was being invaded by a crowd with different intentions.  The peace that one could normally find here  has been replaced by tension as two different worlds collide.  They have come armed and ready for battle.  They are made up of soldiers, priests, officials and Pharisees that were brought there by an inside informant…a betrayer.  Among the trees of the garden are 11 sleepy disciples and a few other followers of Jesus.  As the two groups approach each other the soldiers slide their hands to grip the hilts of their swords.  The disciples ready themselves for a fight but also look for a way of escape in case things go horribly wrong.   The stage is set for an epic shoot out between good and evil but this is not a situation forged by men.

Standing between these two groups of confused sinners is a clear minded Savior who is confidently following a divine plan.  The hunted fugitive is the only one on the hillside that knows whats going on.  In fact, it seems that He is the director of this symphony of activity.  The soldiers fall back as He speaks to them and answer to His questioning.  The disciples are protected by Him and reprimanded as well.  No, there is no mistaking who is in charge here.  The Lord of Lord’s has a plan to follow and no force on earth will distract Him from it.  Then, by His own will, He presents Himself to His captors for arrest and begins the final leg of this long journey to rescue both soldiers and disciples from the grip of the grave.

Jesus wasn’t hiding in the garden…He was waiting.  Things weren’t out of control…He was the ONLY one in control.  Jesus wasn’t trapped by Judas or tricked by the Pharisees…He was following the plan set forth from the beginning to reconcile this lost world to Himself.  Why?  Because He loves us.  As you reflect on this today realize that Jesus still stands in the midst of the chaos of your garden as the Lord of Lord’s.

“So Judas came to the garden, guiding a detachment of soldiers and some officials from the chief priests and the Pharisees. They were carrying torches, lanterns and weapons. Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to Him, went out and asked them, ‘Who is it you want?’ ‘Jesus of Nazareth,’ they replied.  “I am He.” Jesus said.” (John 18:3-5) 

What just happened?  Jesus comes out of His third and final prayer time and wakes the sleeping disciples with a determination that has been absent over the past few hours.  He charges headlong into the impending doom that awaits Him.  As the Master strides past them, the disciples scramble to get to their feet but they can barely keep up as Jesus walks towards the torch lights.  “What just happened?”, they must have asked, “What did we miss?”  Good questions as we watch the One who was sweating blood moments ago walking straight toward His betrayer without hesitation.

Maybe during the final prayer of “Thy will be done” Jesus sensed a peace that this was God’s will.  The Scripture above says that Jesus knew “all that was going to happen to Him”.  There is a lesson here of a determined obedience once we know what God wants for us.  Jesus didn’t hide from the arresting mob.  He didn’t wait where He was praying for them to pull Him from His knees and drag Him away like a rebellious protestor.  No.  He walked directly to the armed and hostile crowd and confronted them…”Who are you looking for?”  It wasn’t the disciples standing between Jesus and the soldiers.  They were still brushing the dirt from their cloaks after a nap on the ground.  It was Jesus, ready to be about His Father’s business.

As we have said, God sometimes calls us to an “inconvenient faith” that requires us to go where we wouldn’t choose to go or do what we wouldn’t naturally do.  We want to believe that we would, at least, follow His will but with what kind of attitude?  Like a child dragging their feet, many of us move ahead in obedience but with a “martyr” attitude that expresses our displeasure with the direction.  There is none of that with Jesus.  He models for us an obedience that follows with the same confidence and resolve no matter what the sacrifice.

In the sermon on the mount Jesus said, “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting.” (Matthew 6:16).  Today as you observe your lenten discipline, do it with the confidence modeled by Jesus in the garden.

“Then He said to them, ‘My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me’…Then He returned to His disciples and found them sleeping. ‘Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?’ He asked Peter. ‘Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.’  He went away a second time and prayed…When He came back, He again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy.  So He left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing.  Then He returned to the disciples and said to them, ‘Are you still sleeping?…'” (Matthew 26:38-45)

After our sabbath pause we go back to the garden called Gethsemane to our troubled Savior.  In today’s verses we are focusing on the disciples and, specifically, the Lord’s request of them.  In their years of ministry together there is no other place where Jesus makes such an intimate request of His disciples.  He opens up His heart to them and reveals His struggle and we can sense a longing for companionship from a man in an hour of deepest sorrow.  So how could they fall asleep?

Not even for “one hour”?  It doesn’t seem like Jesus is asking much of these guys but they could not even do that.  However, we are too quick to condemn these tired disciples and to forget the many times we have let the Lord down.  Have you had times when you felt the Lord urging you to pray or speak a word of encouragement or give a little extra?  But, because of a busy schedule or just being tired you did not follow through.  Jesus lets the disciples know in these verses that the spirit is willing but the body is weak.  They must have wanted to pray with Jesus but they could not overcome the needs of the body.

If they had only known what was about to happen.  If they had known that this would be their last moments with Jesus before His arrest…maybe they could have been successful.  Peter would later write, “The end of all things is near.  Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray.” (1 Peter 4:7).  I think these disciples learned an important lesson about a sometimes “inconvenient faith”.

We should also notice that Jesus is frustrated but He does not condemn them.  He knows their weaknesses and understands their struggle.  He is also tired.  This was not their first time to let Jesus down and it would not be the last.  This is also an important lesson to remember as we walk with Jesus…our failures are not fatal.

During this lenten journey you may have already had moments when the distractions of your schedule or just exhaustion has interrupted your spiritual discipline.  Let me encourage you to not focus on your weakness but on His strength.  He understands…life can be challenging.  The key is to get back on track, learn from it and keep your eyes on Him.

“By the seventh day God had finished the work He had been doing; so on the seventh day He rested from all His work.  Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it He rested from all the work of creating that He had done.” (Genesis 2:2, 3)

“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.” (Exodus 20:8)

“He went to Nazareth, where He had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day He went into the synagogue, as was His custom.” (Luke 4:16)

The Hebrew word “Sabbath” literally means rest.  From the very beginning God put in place a pattern of life that included rest.  A day off.  A day to reflect on the other six days and remember the God who created them and created us.  God knew that if we worked all the time without stopping we would forget who we were and whose we were.  This design is not only to give us a break from the other six days but, more importantly, remind us of where the other six days came from.

It is important to have the break as well.  It is vital to our spiritual and physical health to program into our lives rest.  Even during the season of lent when we are meditating on the sacrifice of Jesus we still need rest.  The early church knew that when they first began to observe this season.  That’s why the 40 days of sacrifice are broken up by the 6 days of rest.

Today, we come to our third Sabbath (rest) on our journey.  Our thoughts for the last six days have been focused on the sufferings of our Lord and, for me, it can be exhausting.  Maybe you have gotten tired as you wrestled with the angst of the passion of our Savior.  Well, today you should rest in the glories of the Father!

Read Psalm 66 today and meditate on what God has done for you.  Think of a time when you were tired or lonely or sick and God brought you comfort.  Think of a time when God gave you the strength to get through a tough time.  Maybe this week has been one of those times.  If so, come to God today and experience a Sabbath rest.  Put yourself in His arms and allow Him to restore you.

Today…take a deep breath…relax…and allow God to refresh you!

“Then Jesus went with His disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and He said to them, ‘Sit here while I go over there and pray.’ He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with Him, and He began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then He said to them, ‘My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.’ Going a little farther, He fell with His face to the ground and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.'”     (Matthew 26:36-39)

It’s in the garden called Gethsemane that we gain more insight into the sacrificial love lived out in Jesus.  In the Scripture above we see the intensity of the struggle He was experiencing on His way to the cross.  Sacrifice is honorable and necessary in love but it is no walk in the park.  There is no doubt that Jesus went willingly to the cross for you.  He was not trapped or forced to go.  We have been reminded that this was the very reason that He came.  He could have stopped it at any time but He didn’t.  So why the sorrow in the garden?  When I think about Jesus coming to die on the cross I see Him resolved to walk into it with the confidence of the “winner” that He is.  There is something uncomfortable about this scene as we are exposed to a, seemingly, conflicted Savior.  He knows that this is what He has to do.  He already had to put Peter in his place when the well meaning disciple tried to keep Jesus from following through with this plan.  And now…He doubts?

These verses are not given to show us a Jesus who is wondering what to do, they are showing us a Jesus battling with the mental anguish that comes when you know what must be done.  You see, even though He knew why He came and what would be required, it still was not easy.  Jesus said that He was sorrowful to the “point of death”.  His heart was breaking for our condition and what needed to be done to bring us back.  He was sick to the soul as He thought of the torture that lied ahead, that “cup” that He must drink.  He did not walk to the cross with some kind of hero complex where He enjoyed the suffering.  The writer of Hebrews says that He “endured the cross” (Heb. 12:2).   What did He endure?  Humiliation.  Beatings.  Flogging.  Crucifixion.  But, as we see here, the internal suffering and anguish began in the garden.

Sometimes it is hard to do the right thing and it’s even harder when the right thing involves sacrifice.  You may have found some joy from the sacrifice that you are observing during this season.  A victory here and there.  A special insight that has come as a direct result of this willing act.  Be reminded today that there was nothing enjoyable about the cross for Jesus.  He knew it needed to be done and…He did it but…it was not easy.

“The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery…’Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?’…But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with His finger. When they kept on questioning Him, He straightened up and said to them, ‘If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.’…At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, ‘Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?’ ‘No one, Sir,’ she said. ‘Then neither do I condemn you,’ Jesus declared. ‘Go now and leave your life of sin.’” (John 8:3-11)

“For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.” (John 3:17)

As we meditate on the sacrifices of Jesus during the lenten season, we tend to focus on the physical sufferings that He endured for us.  There is another aspect of sacrifice that isn’t as obvious but even more important.  When a person sacrifices their rightful privileges for the good of another.  This is clearly illustrated in the familiar story above of the woman caught in the act of adultery.  First, bad motives or not, the Pharisees were right about the law.  The punishment for her crime was death by stoning.  So, by law they had the right to condemn her.  Jesus then said, “whoever is without sin” has the right.  They all left except the One without sin…Jesus Himself.  So, by His own words, Jesus had the right to condemn her.  And, as we have established earlier, Jesus was God in the flesh.  So, by His position of Righteous Judge He had the right to condemn her.  By law…by His holiness…by His divinity she should be condemned.

But Jesus, though He had the right, sacrificed that right and did not condemn.  Why?  Jesus gave the answer to Nicodemus in John 3.  “God so loved the world…” that He sent Me, not to condemn it but to save it.  We love the story of this woman who experiences first hand the sacrificial mercy and grace of Jesus.

Today, may I offer you this thought, what Jesus did for this sinful woman He does for you.  We have all been caught in the act!  We are guilty and, by all rights, we stand condemned.  But God, though He has the right, has sacrificed that right and has chosen to save you “through” the Son according to the Scripture above.  Therefore, today we can rejoice with the psalmist:

“Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.  Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not count against him…” (Psalm 32:1, 2)

“Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of Him but also to see Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead. So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and putting their faith in Him.” (John 12:9-11)

“Now Joseph (of Arimathea) was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jews.” (John 19:38)

What does it mean to be associated with Jesus?  Jesus was a wanted man by the religious leaders of His day.  His idea of a righteous life was unconventional and did not fit their comfortable lifestyles.  He was considered dangerous and a threat to the community.  Therefore, those who followed Him were always at risk.  Especially those like Lazarus.  Jesus had raised him from the dead.  Lazarus had become a living illustration of what Jesus could do for all those who followed Him.  They could be born again!  Jesus came to bring life into the graveyards of this world.  Those who were dead in their sins could be called from the tomb to new life.

But this new life requires us to follow Jesus to the cross.  In our lenten journey we have seen that it requires sacrifice, discipline and resolve…and add to that…danger.  Lazarus had become a marked man simply by being a testimony of what Jesus could do.  People were putting their faith in Jesus because of Lazarus.  Wow!

Some of us have forgotten that being a disciple of Jesus is still radical today.  Many are like Joseph of Arimathea who was a secret follower of Jesus.  He believed in Jesus but he was not willing to take the risk to be identified with Him.  Not until the cross is Joseph’s faith revealed.  Up until then a faith lived in the open would have been inconvenient.  One Christian writer gives this challenge:

“What we desperately need to re-understand is that it is dangerous to be a true Christian.  Anyone who takes his or her Christianity seriously
will realize that crucifixion is not something that happened to one man
nineteen hundred and fifty -odd years ago, nor was martyrdom just the fate of His    early followers.  It should be an omnipresent risk for every Christian.  Christians should – need – in certain ways to live dangerously if they are to live out their faith.”

– M. Scott Peck, A Different Drum.

Today, who do you identify more with?  Joseph…who feared the reaction of others and kept his faith a secret or Lazarus…who embraced his new life by being an unashamed follower of Jesus?  Be forewarned, the abundant life that Jesus calls you to is one of sacrifice, risk and it will sometimes be…dangerous.

“As they were walking along the road, a man said to Him (Jesus), ‘I will follow you wherever you go.’  Jesus replied, ‘Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head.’  He said to another man, ‘Follow me.”  But the man replied, ‘Lord, first let me go and bury my father.’  Jesus said to him, ‘Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the Kingdom of God.’  Sill another said, ‘I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family.’  Jesus replied, ‘No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the Kingdom of God.'” (Luke 9:57-62)

Jesus was always straight forward when talking about the cost of discipleship.  It was one of the reasons that Jesus didn’t have more followers.  After reading the Scripture above one could wonder why anyone would follow Him.  Whenever anyone asked what they needed to do to follow Him Jesus would respond honestly and with authority…sacrifice.

To follow Jesus means to be willing to sacrifice the comforts and security this world has to offer, “the Son of Man has no place to lay His head”.

To follow Jesus means to be willing to sacrifice taking care of the things that are temporal in order to focus on the things that are eternal, “let the dead bury the dead…proclaim the Kingdom”.

To follow Jesus means to be willing to sacrifice the way things used to be (looking back) in order to move forward in His service.  Paul expressed it this way:

“But one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13, 14)

To say “yes” to Jesus is to say “no” to the things that would distract us from His Kingdom work.  It is saying “no” to the things that compete for our affection, attention and loyalties.  For the rich young ruler it was his riches.  For the Pharisee it was his religious rituals.  For Nicodemus it was the opinions of others.  For Peter it was his overconfidence in his strength.  For Judas it was greed and a warped expectation of what the Messiah would be.

Today, meditate on the Jesus who modeled for us a life of unselfish love and sacrifice.  A life more concerned about personal character than personal comfort.  He calls us to put our hand to the plow and not to look back.  What are the things in your life that you need to say “no” to.  Ask the Lord to point them out.  This could be uncomfortable but remember…living with a Kingdom mindset is living an “inconvenient faith”.

“Then Peter spoke up, ‘We have left everything to follow you!’ ‘Truly I tell you’, Jesus replied, ‘no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for Me and the Gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age; homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields – along with persecutions – and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.” (Mark 10:28-31)

“But seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33)

Sacrifice also comes as a result of priorities. We saw yesterday that Jesus had a single-minded purpose for coming and that all other things were secondary to that. He was going to Jerusalem to the cross that we might be redeemed. When faced with decisions or distractions Jesus had a central priority that guided all that He did.  It didn’t mean that other things were “bad” or “sinful”, it simply meant that they were always brought into the light of going to the cross.

For us, Jesus says that we should keep our relationship to God as our central priority.  This should be the center of everything that we do.  It should be the center of our family, work, school, and all other things that are a part of our daily lives.  Being in right relationship to God effects all aspects of our lives and, therefore, should be a concern in every other relationship.  This will sometimes bring sacrifice.

Jesus was not saying that we should leave our parents and family or give up our children and possessions.  But, what He is saying to us is that we make Him and His Kingdom central to all of it.  This sometimes requires us to sacrifice something that is good for God’s best.  To say “no” to what seems more desirable and “yes” to what honors God.

In both  passages above there is something else…Jesus promises that God will take care of the results and meet your needs.  Sometimes sacrifice is hard because we don’t know what will happen but Jesus says He will take care of that and it will end up better than what you expected!

So, today, as you reflect on all that Jesus gave up for you, think about making Him the central priority of your life.  Whatever is the driving factor for you…give it over to Him…a sacrifice…and place Him on the throne of your life.  Don’t worry, He will take care of the rest.