Arrest in Gethsemane (Part C)

We rather kill you, let him be successful us out shakes out in verse 49 I was daily with you in the temple teaching and you do not sees me Scripture must be fulfilled in other words, I am right you are wrong with is nothing going to change because of this, because you're that far gone in the Scripture announced this, that God knew this long before now it is taking place. 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 conclude his message called arrest in Gethsemane in Mark chapter 14 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 we getting it 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. When 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 beta did not he would have none of this was they put their hands on the Lord. He pounced. My flesh says go Peter go home 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. The customers there. He's the one he gets Peter into the courtyard.

Anyway, of course, the Lord restores the era of Malka's that 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 traitor 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 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 a cell 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 a 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 and if you should've said you Lord I'm going to be there but he learned it was a hard lesson and is not sorted out in his head yet and it will all be sorted out as we pointed out in earliest sessions. It will take three visits from the Lord to put Peter back together after boasting he would never run and then running now we have to point this out. Peter will be the there to hear the rooster crow assist so much about you 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 coward irritates me because I don't see him that way.

I see him as a man who was 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 it 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 you know 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 Christ is missed 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 ping right and the sibling that can be very hard. It's not good when siblings compete with each other in a malicious way. I'm 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 because they're just at 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 all night and do that in no event, I disagree.

And then when their course he start drilling down on you, so why don't you do this and you saw telling them these Pharisees priest and Sadducees.

At this time they were making the statement with their behavior. If anyone's going to create religion.

It is us. We will not have some shallow lien 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 to me and I got a 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.

The points are they all saw him again was Mark's gospel as I started in the introduction to the study of Mark my position and 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 companion is. The Soviets blew that the communist you going everybody Conrad with killing each other's work mad communism is madness and East young ignorant people walking around with Shay Guerrero on this shirt.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 dispensed in institutions that are supposed to be anything but ignorance supposed to be institutions of learning, truth anyhow I'm still irritated from the 60s. I can understand what the cost is warning classroom.

Another demonstrate I couldn't get that I really want. I got to go to class, whether they get the go play hooky.

Anyhow, let me whether they get to protest our troops coming back from war and RA. I'm getting on stage.

I forgiven them. I just don't like him now. Okay anyway, back to Zechariah the one who is my equal says Yahweh of host that's an indication the deity of Jesus Christ. It is God the son, equal with the father strike the shepherd and the sheep will be scattered, and this is what were seeing. They all fled. Then I would turn my hand against the little ones and that is of course subsequent persecution that will come to these men, but not tonight.

Their turn will come.

But now it is the Lord's special work and they have no part in that true grit is no match for unleashed evil and no matter how much courage they may have entered into this was something very dark and spiritual. Luke chapter 22 Jesus says, but this is your hour.

The power of darkness.

If you think your Christianity is just some recital of religion you missed it, you might not have it is a very real and spiritual world that we are interacting with Jacob when he saw the ladder going up and down from earth to heaven. It is this interaction between God and his people. That is very real and there is also an enemy, and once it's understood by we Christians, we become stronger with this information.

This is intelligence. This is vital. It is accurate intelligence and once we understand ministry for me to understand that Satan targets Christians and how we think and what we do is very helpful information for me as a pastor.

Otherwise, I begin to say what that person is just this or that person is that knowing this is a real devil that we fight as were the other way. I just got it together and you don't have to worry about that course sarcasm being absurd here is why we covet the prayers of each other. Whether you see you know you can say as a Christian I have seen more unanswered prayer then answered prayer. Have you have you really have you seen everything God has done.

You see all the intricacies that he works out allows and disallows course not. So we hold our tongue. We become disciples discipline ready to learn and ready to act. So this is a big deal. Jesus at this time, he understood, of course, the prophecies of the author and finisher of our faith. These men did not understand. They were living the verse is struggling knew about these things, but they didn't connected at the time is not unusual in the pressure is hard to think clearly you gotta train yourself to think clearly under pressure. John chapter 16. Indeed, the hour is coming, yes, has now come that you will be scattered each to his own and will leave me alone. And yet I am not alone because the father is with me moment will come when he will say, why have you forsaken me to the father. That's all.

Another realm that we cannot totally enter in, we can look down the hallway. That's about it. But what else could they do at this point he stopped them from fighting and then he asked that they would be released.

John chapter 18 Jesus answered, I have told you that I am he.

Therefore, if you seek me, let these go their way. He wanted them to flee so they could live to preach and carry out what he invested in them. The last 3 1/2 years.

Lord had more for them to do than to be slain that night.

What a waste that would've been had Peter been killed there in the garden of Gethsemane Woodmen a lot of problems with that distraction from what he was doing and on and on. It was important to the Lord that they get out of there and live to preach and to lead the church we get to the book of acts, you know, the momentum, the excitement that comes with that. It's for us to not just read about it and be drilled as you would an action movie is for us to catch the vision and as the years go on. I don't know you know you have these times where you're obeying Christ with no motion's duty is obedience and that is a good thing. And then there are those times where there's a lot of emotion that's a nicer deal.

But you can't count on that. You have to be ready to serve, no matter what this John the Baptist, are you the one or do we look for another. Emotionally, we was struggling but he was obedient to the end anyway.

They were to do the work he gave them to do.

Verse 51 S. like we did a lot of verses were the first 51 now a certain young man followed him having a linen cloth thrown around his naked body and the young man laid hold of him. I do think is too much information in these two verses but also it is. Leslie was happening.

This is not a mysterious, random entry by Mark I very strongly feel this is more of a cameo appearance autobiographical if not marked and who and if not marked and why bother to take away from Jesus Christ.

What he is doing is gotta be a better reason why this is said, it is Mark's way of saying as a lad I saw I was there. It was real to him and it could not be unsaid by him. He could not leave this out. Could you imagine seeing something like this in writing about it and not mentioning that I saw this John Stott's office first letter in this very way courses. Years later, after the crucifixion and resurrection church is been born a Gnostic sibling come up with their junk than infiltrating the church and John is writing to Christians think this watch out for these guys. I was there I saw Jesus I laid hands on him not know Pentecost away anyway. That which was from the beginning. John 11 which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon in our hands of handles concerning the word of life. Life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness declare to you that eternal life which was with the father and was manifested to us and not backing down. I was there. These Johnny-come-lately's they were not there so Mark is saying I was there I was there the night he was betrayed and arrested, and he may not have heard all that was going on but he was there. Evidently he was sleeping and he gets up and he takes his linen blanket or sheet and wraps around himself.

You can hear you can hear the troops clanging around the torches that the lamps that they have in the night the so Mark lived in Jerusalem will read about that we get to the book of acts. The fact that he has linen suggests that he comes from a well-to-do family and then verse 52 and he left the linen cloth and fled from them naked. They all fled. This one was the one that was the shiniest. You just see them scooting back to Jerusalem, scratching your head, if you're out there for a walk. What did I just see well in all seriousness, Mark is saying Christ is real to me is the only thing the only mention only indication that he was there in this entire book, given his name and I have asked myself is Christ really enough to me to insert myself into his experiences to say look you to some hard verses in the Bible that I can't figure out what I've been born again. I have met the Lord, I know who the Lord is.

I have heard his voice. There's a lot of things I don't have answers to what there is the thing that I have the answer to, and that he is the Lord and what is going on between Jesus Christ and me is very real. I'm not repeating this because I'm expected to repeat it. It is real to me whether you like it or not, take it or leave it.

This is what I'm telling you, and so looking at Marcus aware of my energies story and stay right now where am I in the Jesus story marks as I was there.

I'm saying I'm there to I'm present and I'm accounted for in Christ the military little you know, things put in so you civilians can like catch up. 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.

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