Agony in Gethsemane (Part B)

Who was right line which they will be tortured today. Love this. That would be something very wrong.

So he's identifying with us making us witnesses of his sufferings so that we could know how to suffer ourselves.

This is why he told them about what he was going to watch, to pray with him is going through it. No other.

This is cross reference radio with our pastor and teacher Rick Gaston.

Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville. Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the gospel of Mark. Please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about cross reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching today. Pastor Rick will continue his study called agony in Gethsemane as he teaches in Mark chapter 40, with vehement cries and tears to him who was able to save him from death, and was heard because of his godly fear, vehement cries, we don't get that from the Gospels, the right of the Hebrews tells us that he wept in the garden. It was not just an emotional agony that was internal that was external also and he says he made his supplication cries to him who was able to save him from death, but did not. You could say could make an argument for the Jesus experienced an un-granted prayer and of course when he says not my will, your will be done and God says of course that's how we planned it in but this is for us is not for God. This is for us and them being in the humanity that he assumed he had to go through this.

It was something he could bypass nor would he when he was on the cross. It wasn't as though he somehow blocked out the pain he took it all. He drank the dregs of the cup three times we read of the Lord, weeping in Scripture, the Lord Jesus at the gravesite of a friend named Lazarus at the site of a spiritually doomed city their degree because he was heaving tears and then here in the garden. The first time for friend, the second for city but here it is for himself. We get that again from Hebrews 57 not only facing the horrors of crucifixion. He was facing the wrath of God for sinners, for all sinners. So not only did he suffer life and death, and he suffered death to. He had friends that died early. He had neighbors that were afflicted, he suffered life like the rest of us do not, maybe to the same extent because I don't know that the Lord was ever depressed. Emotionally, as some of us can be. We can be from time to time, but he suffered alongside of us and yet his suffering was beyond far beyond what we know and so where is says here that he said to them, my soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death as God had become a man. This is self-inflicted pain for somebody else thought that's what makes it a sacrifice and a substitute Romans 15 or even Christ did not please himself. Look at that because I sure like to please myself. How would he have pleads himself well in first rooster stayed in heaven a second created other B beings to love him.

Second, that he could've called legions of angels to put an end to this to what was coming. Paul continues in Romans. For even Christ did not please himself, but as the Scripture says the reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me. Those who are against God. Those who are against the father. Those who have violated the commandments of God, the judgment for those people, which would include us fell on him and not them so that when Christ dies on the cross he dies in my place as me taking my punishment not just that physical torture of the cross. But the spiritual wrath of God, which is something that according to human eyes. He had never seen before in his humanity. He faced it verse two of Hebrews 12, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith. As I mentioned, he was the architect of our salvation. And when he planned it out of these mapping it out for you could just look at him was architect Woody's nowadays is all a keyboard and mouse and he says it all started in Bethlehem and I'll do this in Galilee and I'll make my way to Jerusalem and then I'll pray in agony. Let the processes run their course upon me knowing what's coming, and the part that is knowingly again, not the spikes of the nails, but the wrath of God. The Eloi Eli Lamas about the need. That's the part yet he says it has to be this way. If I'm going to love the sinners and so looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him, that's your face in my face in heaven.

That's the joy set before him because of that doesn't happen is no joy set before him. It's a mission accomplished, the joy with the joy that was set before him.

He endured the cross. That's why he took it it was worth it to him. I have no self-worth. I don't want self-worth, but I have the love of God on self-esteem.

The opposite of self-esteem is not self hatred is the esteeming of God. It is the exaltation of God in my life that covers so many things it reduces so many problems. Pray the Lord sometimes I have such a frustration with you know what he does and doesn't do in my flesh in God's book has spoken to me many times, not whenever I want him to what one thing liberating.

He said to me, and I hope you understand this Rick you are my slave you don't have a vote. I am your God. What makes that word love nothing short of love because again in the New Testament, and when Paul talks about a bondservant, and you know, a servant of Christ thing slave. That's the Greek word that he's using in a society in a society that had as many slaves as free people of not more.

They identify with Paul. He said okay. When you know you are a slave to some Roman who had the right to kill you on the spot without explanation. That's all for their rights. Went pulses. I'm a slave, but not to that Roman I'm a slave to Jesus Christ as when he writes his letters from jail. He doesn't say I'm a prisoner of Caesar, which on a human level he was. He says Paul, a prisoner of Jesus Christ of bondservant M is willing Bonnie's taking the Hebrew event and he's applying it to slavery and Gentile world in the same. I am the slave of Jesus Christ and willfully so that stops a lot of arguments with God because then you say will wait if he is the master and I have no say so this out of my hands and I will then trust his character because I don't have a Roman for a master.

I have the God of love and I don't like Dana when he tells the church in Smyrna suffer till you die. That's what he tells the church. But I'm going to make a good that's what faith the faith then kicks in.

Okay, this belongs to God.

Not an easy place an impossible place to come to in your own strength is something that is a spiritual event that God gives and in many times when God gives us something, it has to be maintained and this is also significant when Peter says kept by the power of God. Paul talks about God running the universe continuously because he does in Ephesians anyway. The joy that is set before him during the cross, hating the shame, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God is in total control and I must submit to that and that's what would getting out of this agony in Gethsemane. He submitting to God's will, and it hurts and it hurts immensely with this resolve in the shadow of the suffering and death. Others have suffered more. His resolve is mentioned by himself in John's Gospel, my soul is troubled, and what shall I say father, save me from this hour, but for this purpose. I've come will now the hours here. As I mentioned earlier, the times you been waiting for the moment has arrived. Isaiah who wrote so much about Messiah more than anyone else. As far as volume goes, he says, just as many were astonished at you. That's the captivity of Israel.

Then he says so his now now it elevates us is typical of Jewish writers to float in and out and leave the context to make its point basis so his visage was marred more than any man and his form more than the sons of men marred renders the individual unrecognizable just figured Christ subjected himself to this for us. However, others have suffered more physically you can easily refute that there have been those who've been eaten alive and burned alive.

Some of them have not been fully eaten alive and survived a maimed, there are those that Howard visually more disfigured have been than the Christ, but not one comes close to spiritual disfigurement to suffering the invisible. And this is what happened to him.

The disfiguring is relative to something, you have a figure than you have a disfigured wall relative to your before-and-after will the before is the perfect Christ in heaven.

Holy and undefiled, then you have him walking this virtuous life amongst men holy and undefiled and then you have the wrath of God on him and everything is now understood from Isaiah, so his visage was marred more than any man in his form more than the sons of men, and Isaiah, who previously said my servant and that's how we know is talking about Messiah goes on in Isaiah 53 wounded for us.

Our transgression chastisement for our peace upon him by his beat down. I am saved and it was beat down on the cross. He continues Isaiah does and he says earlier. Surely he has borne our griefs, our sickness, spiritual sickness with Michael Shirley. He's gotten a cold for me know this is sunset something so far beyond all of us that when you stand and you preach it to somebody with you witnessing on a pulpit, you say, I say these things. I'm the cause of the death. Yet woe is me if I don't preach the gospel. He explicitly tells them he is in trouble.

He says to them. Here in verse 34 then he said to them, my soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death and I don't want to watch this alone watch with me. They never saw him in trouble so they don't understand. They're not getting their missing.

He doesn't want to panic them. What more can he say this is killing me.

That's what he saying I am troubled unto death. Prayer warriors can die on battlefields. That's one of the lessons we get that not only from the Christ we get that from Peter. We get from Paul. These men, James who is one of the three that are supposed to be witnessing these things with their missing. It James I apostle modern not James wrote letter to James prayer warriors can die on battlefields were not old survival. It's hard to just take that in. Mentally I need more I needed. Emotionally that's one of the fruits of singing songs to the Lord is that there's that emotional connection that we should have in the early days of early Christianity after the apostles. Let's just say in ancient Turkey, for example, where there were many Christians. Paul did so much work in what's called modern Turkey Asia minor. If you will, and New Testament. Love those people were illiterate could not read or write. So how do they learn these Bible stories you will see those who could read and write would tell them, but also the artist with drawer pictures on the walls from the ceilings anywhere they could. That would tell the story and you could look at a picture of Christ washing the feet of his disciples, and you can understand better those pictures became emotional. Of course, in time, Satan got in and abused, but early on. They were for illiterate people, much like we do without children.

This you become like little children crying out Abba father. So he says stay here and watch he is still telling his believers. This Luke 13.

So in this parable he is the master and they are the servants and so he called 10 of his servants delivered to them. 10 minus and said to them, do business till I come watch and work until I return, or you come to me, as the case may be.

Verse 35 he went a little father and fell on the ground and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from him is something we must realize that there was no way around this. For him, and he knew it he had to go through it, but he still expressing through his humanity, who in their right mind would say old boy I'm going to be tortured today and little love this. That would be something very wrong so he is identifying with us making us witnesses of his sufferings so that we could know how to suffer ourselves and this is why he told them about what he was going through watch.

To pray with him is going through it. No other acts chapter 4 verse 12. I know I read this verse a lot but is worth reading. It's kind of the thing that if it were a runner on the floor. It would be worn down because it had so much traffic go over it. Nor is there salvation in any other for that is no other to read the verse, nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. There's no salvation anywhere else from anywhere else again. How do we stand and preach this. Paul said to the Corinthians. Not that we are sufficient of ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God. Acts chapter 20 verse 27 he said to the Ephesian elders. I'm not showing to declare to you the entire counsel of God again to the Corinthians. He says for if I preach the gospel. I've nothing to boast for necessity is laid upon me. Yes, woe is me. If I do not preach the gospel to come to those times you feel like you're not worthy to share the gospel more or less so you're just recognizing truth. Do not worry but you qualified by the blood of the Lamb is not entrusted the gospel to sinless angels is entrusted the gospel, the good news preaching to sinners and so we go back to Peter.

Peter just argued with him Peter forgot that whole I'm slave thing.

It is the master that Christ still takes him and will still use him and will rebuild him. We are not to think just because we can read first and second Peter and his exploits in the book of acts that we know all about what he did.

The depot certainly did more than anyone could ever write. Jesus did not waste his investment on these men. Even Judas was not a wasted investment, but a redirected investment, God was able to save you see and how many lessons we have from Judas who wants to be a Judas Iscariot. Incidentally, Mark does not refer to him again is Judas in this gospel. He is now the betrayer name is identity.

He does not identify with praise and that was a glorious name for the Jews to name your child, Judas or Judah or Jude very renderings of the same Hebrew word praise now here in verse 36 and he said Abba father. All things are possible for you to take this cup away from me. Nevertheless, not what I will but what you will you read that one should never forget that kind of the thing, but this informs us of what racist Abba father. What is that telling me why do I need to hear this informs us that he was an emotional agony.

Why is that Abba is an Aramaic word which is Aramaic language was richer than the Hebrew things some Hebrew in it, but it was much richer.

The Hebrew actually is traced back to the Canaanites, you get until ancient languages and the impact on modern language in various cultures it's intense but lean regional write back and preach you right back to your translated Bibles. It is amazing God knows what he's doing. Only God could overcome such madness of language only God could rule over what he did at Babel. And anyway, so I bought is our equivalent of daddy so he saying dad father eschewing the two together. Why is that while I deal moody in a sermon on a prime offering of Isaac, this is amazing what movie.

His conclusion is and if you don't know who deal moody was or what I should say is because Christians don't die, we just relocate better neighborhood. Location location location anyway. Moody was one of the world's greatest evangelists, but mainly here in America… There was a time when I used to think more of the love of Jesus Christ than of God the father. I used to think of God as a stern judge on the throne, from whose wrath Jesus Christ has saved me. It seems to me now. I could not have a false or idea of God than that since I have become a father I have made this discovery that it takes more to love and to sacrifice for the father to give up the sun than it does for the son to die. It hurts God more hurts God the father more. We want to put this on an emotional language for us and theological truths for us and we realize it would hurt me more to watch one of my children suffer. I'd rather suffer in their place… Like you know you gotta do your homework and is suffering in life.

You go ahead get you and have a good time without but we took a real pain. A continues.

Moody does he says is a father on earth. A true father that would not rather suffer than to see his child suffer any one of the worst parts of parenting is when your child suffer so we need to consider the father in heaven. We see Jesus suffering and agony. It's not by accident. He says Abba father decries outgo. He joins the two expressions not only dad but also the formal father. It is a fuller expression of his relationship is a fuller expression of what the father is going through. Therefore, Calvary heard God for us. You brought this on yourself by eating and God would say you really are stupid you really really are. Yes, he brought it on himself, but when we get to heaven. He's going to simply say you see, and that will satisfy all it was an imperative of Jesus Christ with this prayer being made public to the sleeping disciples.

He had to have told this to them after his resurrection rose how also we have this they were sleeping. They want their and he spent time with them and he did minister to them and he did choose what things he wanted preserve on record in this Gethsemane agony is high up on that list. He says all things are possible for you nice talking to the father, Abba, father you can do anything you might dad you can do anything. According to humanity is humanity that is taken on what would happen if he just dismissed his humanity will he's going to do that on the cross, when he gives up the spiritedness.

Humanity is gone forever. No more flesh for him. No more dying for him or suffering. He then resumes his place in the Godhead in the full force, but for now he's hindered by this flesh and the flesh. Of course has two meanings depending on context.

One is the carnal nature and the other is this flesh and blood. And that's what he is right now so this is all things are possible, but in this case, there is no alternative no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. It would be cruel. Otherwise, if there were an alternative and God didn't take it, then God would not be a God of love, it would be a strange but this was the route that salvation came to us. This is the Avenue right here. No way out of this painful life into the painless life nor the way nor the servers Savior. Thanks for tuning in to cross reference radio for this study in the book of Mark cross reference radio is the teaching ministry of Pastor Rick Gaston of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville in Virginia to learn more information about this ministry. Visit our website cross reference radio.com what you there you'll find additional teachings from Pastor Rick. We encourage you to subscribe to our podcast. When you subscribe will be notified of each new edition of cross reference radio you could search for cross reference radio on your favorite podcast app that's all we have time for today, but we hope you'll join us next time. As Pastor Rick continues to teach through the book of Mark right here on cross reference radio