Arrest in Gethsemane (Part B)

Peter unwittingly fighting against our redemption in his own redemption. He did this before when the Lord said that he was going to the cross and Peter at Caesarea Philippi Zenobia far from you and the board just to get behind me Satan. Well, this is the second time because he doesn't yet understand what's going on doesn't understand that Jesus is indeed sacrificial lamb, not just philosophy. 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, and now here's Pastor Rick with his study called arrest in Gethsemane as he teaches in Mark chapter 14 verse 45. As soon as he had come immediately he went up to him and said to him, Rabbi, Rabbi, and kissed him as soon as he had, wasting no time, supposing himself to be clever at this point, blinded by Satan unable to see that God was in control, not Judas, and he says Rabbi Rabbi, why not, Lord, Lord, Satan was now the Lord of Judas Iscariot, Luke's gospel chapter 6 Jesus asked this question, why do you call me Lord, Lord, and do not do the things which I say that in John 80 says you are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do those two verses Judas was present for he heard these things, they did not register with him. He dismissed the word of God from the son of God says here and he kissed him. In verse 45 in the Greek it's emphatic. It's a demonstrative kiss. It's not a pack it's a kiss on the cheek, but it's a clearer deliberate sort of a grab the shoulders and just the cheek and everybody knows it all. Probably both sides the boutiques. Everybody knows okay that's the one that's the signal again.

Luke's gospel, he adds this, but Jesus said to him, Judas you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss you, we might say seriously. Really I mean is, is that the signal course crisis. Totally aware of what's going on and he still giving us lessons from the Scriptures. Incidentally, these disciples, though they were very comfortable with the Lord.

They were not that chummy with him. He maintained a distance between superior and subordinate, and for example is a few of my head, take them out for time say, but I give one. Luke nine verse 25 but they did not understand, and they were afraid to ask him about this saying, well, if they were so chummy with them. They would never have been afraid to ask him about the same, but there was that line there. You know you want to hear Tatum points that Peter could argue with them to a point. But then there was still that wall. My reason for saying this is that this was out of character.

I think Judas just striding up to him acting like Jesus but all my Rabbi and as though the Lord is some sort of dummy. They didn't see what was going on and telling this Peter tomorrow. Peter must've felt a surge of disgust towards Judas again that he had to dismiss very quickly to get in the flesh.

Mark very likely present for all of this is not some of it at least.

He too may have had a surge of that feeling that they love the Lord so much as comes out in the story and we also find out from Matthew that when Judas approached and Jesus referred to Judas as friend Matthew 26 verse 50. But Jesus said to him, friend, why have you come then they came and laid hands on him and took him back Greek word for friend used by Matthew is just that, a friend, comrade, a companion, it was an opportunity for Judas to say you know what he is my friend and repent. Of course he doesn't take it with Jesus. Of course treating him with respect up to the last moment, still giving him opportunity for Judas blows past the last exit ramp before the toll and he continues on faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful. That is a fundamental that is the basic teaching from the Bible. Sometimes your friends will say things that are true and necessary and it is not because they're trying to wound you know the truth hurts but there are those that are deceitful, they are your enemies.

They flatter and this is something that I feel in my Bible does to us an important lesson for us to learn so that when not too thin-skinned in the face of correction.

This was for anybody else it would've heard his calling me a friend and I'm betraying him but again Judas was full-blown gone is serving Satan at this point that is doable is possible to serve Satan world. Many of them. Most of them don't believe that we know it's a fact and we should lose sight of it were occupied with serving the Lord, but we are also mindful that there are others that serve Satan even if under the guise of themselves or some other religion.

Christianity is supposed to be this powerful truth because it is powerful and it is true.

Yet many in the world are devout in their approach to their God's if you consider some of the people in Hinduism, for example, it is very devout so much hope on their faces when they go to their temples and they offer their food or drink whatever it is there an incense to their God is a very Lotta hole but there's something missing. If you've ever seen this.

You know the something that's not the same. They have more questions than they have answers. We have the answers but we must dig for them. They're not handed to us on a silver platter. We must work and be diligent so you show yourself approved worker, a worker does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth of hindrances to that self pride, self, flesh coughing up with knowledge. She started learning things and you begin to think that you are superior in some form. These things we need to watch out for. You know what you have, but you've not been given, says the Lord. Verse 46.

Then they laid their hands on him and took him well the sin that really wrecked Judas the sin that even grieved the Lord more than this treacherous act of betrayal exhibited with this kiss. The thing that really got to the Lord and rightfully so, is that Judas failed to come back to give the Lord a chance to forgive him.

He never came back to the Lord, committed the unpardonable sin, not treachery, not some dark ghastly crime or act of immorality. The one in unpardonable sin is the refusal to accept the forgiveness that is offered to us with such high cost is the work of the Holy Spirit to move in the heart to point to Jesus Christ as the Savior to encourage the sinner to repent and to come in to receive mercy and grace and forgiveness. Never did Peter would be there, not Judas had he come back and no doubt he would've squeezed through the narrow gate of heaven. In the book of numbers. When the people were being disciplined by God for their murmuring and unbelief.

God told Moses to make a brass serpent, because God had released service to bike the people they would die listed looked at this brass serpent and pick it up.

Numbers 21 verse nine so Moses made a bronze serpent and put it on a pole so it was if the serpent had bitten anyone when he looked at the bronze serpent.

He lived Jesus said unless I am lifted up referencing this very moment. Those who want to be forgiven and live eternally slick to me. You must do this by faith. All those Jews that were bitten by a certain all they had to do is look at the bronze serpent. But if they were hardheaded or hardhearted. If they refused to receive from Christ or from Yahweh in the wilderness, they would die because of the bite. This is of course applicable to Christianity and Jesus is the one that makes it so is the one that made that connection between numbers and his cross if I am lifted up I will draw all men to me as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness.

Jesus said that John also about this event. He mentions the captain being present. John 18 then the detachment and the captain and the officers of the Jews arrested Jesus and bound him. The captain in the Greek is the commander of thousands of century and soon equal to Lieut. Col. perhaps an hour infantry. Either way, the point is that Rome had a military presence there.

So when the Pharisees sent them out to send the temple guards to arrest Jesus, he sent the Jewish Temple guards to arrest him. There was also a Roman presence there. Probably not coming in force, but still they are in the background ready to put down any serious resistance.

The Antonio fortress was not very far from this garden of Gethsemane and it would not have taken much at all to bring in reinforcements verse 47, and one of those who stood by, drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear. Well now I getting them back to Peter which is and what I read this getting back to me.

I see myself and Peter. Once they laid their hands on Jesus, Peter made his move. He was no coward. As I have been making my position clear on that Luke says when they asked for permission. Peter didn't wait.

He acted Luke's gospel chapter 22 verse 49 when those around him saw what was going to happen. They said to him, Lord, shall we strike with the sword. What you think Peter did didn't wait for the Lord to say yes or no and he goes on in Luke chapter 22 verse 51 of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his Peter did not he would have none of this was they put their hands on the Lord. He pounced. My flesh says go Peter go with you, swordsman of Gethsemane. We know from John's Gospel. We know the name of the servant whose ear was cut off. John tells us John was very much plugged into the temple, likely selling fish to them.

They were customers there. He's the one he gets Peter into the courtyard.

Anyway, of course, the Lord restores the era of Malka Stead. Peter hacked off was Peter more frustrated that he missed the head of Malka snow course it wasn't. But it is the last miracle that Jesus does before the cross patching up the blunder of one of his beloved servants so he heals the ear of Malka's otherwise Peter may have been arrested as well. It would've been for crosses upon Calvary, but the Lord of course rebuked him. This is not how we do it.

You live by the sword, you die by the sword that totally disarmed Peter mentally didn't know what to do at that point. Second Corinthians. I like this verse when things are going my way. I don't like this verse when things are not going my way. As far as what the enemy is doing for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds and of course that the weapon of pulling down strongholds is often times enduring persecution even to the death.

So Simon's swing of the sword that just took place far more noble or in the kiss of Judas is not. I would rather swing the sword and be rebuked and give the kiss of a trader and yet I know that in me dwells no good thing my flesh in my flesh is no good thing I'm capable of any sin.

But I also know as Peter tells us By the power of God to rely on my strength. I rely on the Lord. Peter unwittingly fighting against our redemption in his own redemption. He did this before when the Lord said that he was going to the cross and Peter at Caesarea Philippi Zenobia far from you and the board's essay, get behind me Satan. Well, this is the second time because he doesn't yet understand what's going on doesn't understand that Jesus is indeed the sacrificial lamb, not just philosophy. So instead of me paying the price for my sin.

He paid Matthew 26 verse 56.

All this was done that the Scripture of the prophets might be fulfilled.

Jesus going to see that again, but that tells us that this is totally under the control of God.

But back to Peter again when he denies the Lord when he flees the garden here, and later denies the Lord. Then he goes out and weeps. It's not because he was a coward, though he thought it was cowardly of him is really just confusion. We just proven that is no coward is ready to fight these guys to the death. The fact that they all asked. Shall we draw swords demonstrates that they were prepared to die for him but it was more important to obey the Lord Jesus had to give Peter little extra lesson on that. So his failure in fleeing and not dying there, but still wanting to obey the Lord and receiving the review.

When the Lord said, this is not how we do it Peter so Matthew chapter 5 Jesus long ago warned, let your yes be yes and you know know for whatever is more than these is from the evil one.

And of course Peter violated that all these guys can visit you never going to leave you in each edition of the seven yellowed I'm going to be there but he learned it was a hard lesson and it's not sorted out in his head yet and it will all be sorted out as we pointed out in earlier successions.

It will take three visits from the Lord to put Peter back together after boasting he would never run and then running now I have to point this out.

Peter will be there there to hear the rooster crow assist so much about. It could've been home, shivering under his blanket, but he still following the Lord all Beatty's you know what to do with the sword is been taken from him like what's my role here. What you think would've happened if the Lord said to Jesus in the courtyard. Okay, get a been no hesitation on Peter's part I like to stand up for these apostles when there I think sometimes wrongfully accused and of course Peter being accused of being a coward irritates me because I don't see him that way.

I see him as a man who is very courageous in his faith, and it comes out in his life anyway.

Verse 48 and Jesus answered and said to them, have you come out as against a robber with swords and clubs to take me all the guilty people on earth of all the robbers on earth of all the bad people out there that they could be arresting these boys managed to treat the only innocent one as a criminal. They had a unique genius of spiritual insanity and were seeing.

It acted out, you would hope that at some point in their life they would've come to that realization.

But we don't know we know that there were the priests that were saved at Pentecost. How many of these that were hands-on in the arrest in Gethsemane were converted and then many of them became a problem.

After they came into Christianity. They wanted to of course Judaize it which would kill Christianity and that took an apostle Paul to stand up to them. A man of his intellectual caliber and phenomenal courage of the apostle Paul just traces steps through Turkey how he ministered to those churches. I don't know if I could've done that when he writes in second Corinthians and 11 chapter about all the things he's gotta put up with a unit within the world of robbers and thieves to ship wrecks the Pirates and then he also mentions not to mention the things of the church daily. What a hero.

Verse 48 when Jesus again is where we are. Yes, if you come out as against a robber. They were ready for violence. They would kill to arrest him to stop him from doing any more miracles. We don't want you to help people anymore. We want to stop you from telling people what God says about God want to stop you from pointing out that our religious hypocrisy is an abomination.

John chapter 7, Jesus speaking to his brothers who didn't get it that he was Messiah and that you know you look at all these people around crisis to miss the virtuous life. If nothing else could they not say something about him that just nothing like us what you know some people just can't give you the satisfaction to pain right and the sibling that can be very hard. It's not good when siblings compete with each other in a malicious way is okay at the you know the checkerboard but not family verse family. Look at me just have love anyways. Maybe that got somebody maybe does a lot of things I've said this morning that Scott somebody has us the power of preaching is the power of the Holy Spirit. I'm just the messenger. Don't get me get the assistant pastor he's doing right now anyway. John seven the world cannot hate you pause the adjuster that word can the world hate me or am I too chummy with it.

The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify of it that it's works are evil. You can testify against the world without saying a word just by the way you live just missing on I can do that no event, I disagree. And then when their course he start drilling down on you, so why don't you do this and you start telling them these Pharisees priest and Sadducees.

At this time they were making this statement with their behavior. If anyone's going to create religion. It is us. We will not have some Galilean Nazareth. Dare tell us about God fact, we rather kill him and let him be successful. The truth that's how it shakes out in verse 49 I was daily with you in the temple teaching and you did not seize me. But the Scripture must be fulfilled in other words, I am right you are wrong with this, nothing going to change because of this, because you're that far gone in the Scripture announced this, that God knew this long before. And now it is taking place, how frustrated I tell you this passion week of Christ when he enters the city riding on a donkey till the crucifixion.

I never like it's necessary. It's imperative you have to have it is our salvation, but who wants to see the Lord suffer.

I rejoice that he did this mean I do like how he did, how we allow the processes to go.

There's no other way. So even now reading this I want to rescue him. That's what love does love wants to protect the object of their love, and yet greater love has no man than this one would lay down his life for his friend, and that's where it all becomes an act of faith and not just human reason he was daily with them in the temple.

He says teaching. As I mentioned earlier, he was always teaching because what is the opposite of not being taught. You know the old expression you think education is expensive, try ignorance.

Ignorance is very costly. These men refused to be taught and so they died in their ignorance, willful ignorance, he never gave up, even from the cross is going to be teaching is going to teach us how men ought to die for God.

Verse 50. Then the officer came and fled. Peter is the only one I point out they all saw him again was Mark's gospel as I started in the introduction to the study of Mark was my position in others that Peter is the one that gave Mark this information. Though Mark was present for some of it himself. All of the indicators go in that direction and that's how I'm approaching it so you know they all forsook him was just me. Zechariah 13, seven is the prophecy that said this would happen a week or sword against my shepherd against the man who is my companion in the Hebrew, there is the man was my equal.

That's what a companion is the Soviets blew that the Communists you are going everybody. Conrad was a killing each other's work mad communism is madness, in these young ignorant people walking around with Shane Rivera on this or do not understand the man was a serial killer and would shoot them as quick as he would light a cigar and this is the ignorance that is given or dispensed in institutions that are supposed to be anything but ignorance supposed to be institutions of learning, truth anyhow 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 Reiki on cross reference radio