Denial, Distress, Deception, Desertion, Part 1

Today on Insight for living from Chuck Swindoll.

Jesus is going through greatest anguish of his life right here at 70 is here, that he was to drink symbolic sins. He was to bear on our behalf all about lands on him with enormous since January.

We've been in a comprehensive study through the entire book of Matthew. Today we're looking at one of the final chapters.

Matthew 26 in this passage we read of Jesus agony over what was to come. It was no surprise to beginning of time. Jesus knew that his earthly mission would include suffering today on Insight for living. Chuck Swindoll invites us to witness the details of the passion week and how these grueling events are a beautiful expression of God's sacrifice on our behalf. Chuck titled his message. Denial, distress, deception, desertion in our study of Matthew we have come to the brutal part, commonly called Christ's passion that is his suffering.

The Last Supper has ended. They sung a hymn together and Jesus with his 11 faithful disciples, Judas, having scurried out into the night Jesus with his 11 faithful are now making their way toward the garden of Gethsemane. That's where we pick up the story so turn it you will do. Matthew 26. I'll begin reading at verse 31, and because the passage is lengthy, down through 56.

I'll take excerpts along the way as we follow the theme of what took place between that Last Supper and when he was arrested in the garden. Matthew 2631 on the way. Jesus told them tonight. All of you will desert be for the Scriptures say God will strike the shepherd and the sheep of the flock will be scattered, but after I had been raised from the dead.

I will go ahead of you to Galilee and meet you there.

Peter declared even if everyone else desert you. I will never desert you. Verse 39 or 36 then Jesus went with them to the olive grove called Gethsemane and he said sit here while I go over there to pray. Verse 39 he went on a little farther, and bowed his face to the ground, praying my father if it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine. Verse 42 then Jesus left them a second time and prayed my father, if this cup cannot be taken away unless I drink it. Your will be done.

Verse 44 so we went to pray 1/3 time, saying the same things again. 47 and even as Jesus said this Judas, one of the 12 disciples arrived with the crowd of men armed with swords and clubs they had been sent by the leading priests and elders of the people, the trader Judas had given them a prearranged signal, you will know which one to arrest when I greet him with a kiss. Judas came straight to Jesus. Greetings Rabbi he exclaimed and gave him the kiss verse 55 then Jesus said of the crowd, MI. Some dangerous revolutionary that you come with swords and clubs to arrest me. Why didn't you arrest me in the temple.

I was there teaching every day, but this is all happening to fulfill the words of the prophets is recorded in the Scripture at that point all the disciples deserted him and fled here listening to insight living to study the book of Matthew with Chuck Swindoll. Be sure to download his searching the Scriptures by going to insight world.or/studies. Another message from Chuck titled denial distress, deception, desertion, my aunt Ernestine was an accomplished artist.

She did beautiful work in oils on canvas and my maternal grandparents home had a number of framed pictures that she had painted here in the air in various rooms. I was intrigued by her artwork. I remember my little fingers ruined several pieces that she was painting as I would visit her studio in ask about this and later realized that I just ruined about eight hours of work on her. A beautiful piece of art. However, there was one piece in the living room that always intrigued me. I was about three or maybe four years old. We had gone to my maternal grandparents home again for holiday down in the little town of El Campo, Texas when you walk in the living room of that home hanging over the fireplace was my aunt Ernestine's painting I was trolling through it because it represented a mystery to me. I remember standing as a little boy at the one of the fireplace, looking at this painting thinking I was up not seeing what was actually there. It looked like blood on this man's face, which didn't seem to fit the pose of the man who was obviously praying large boulders were there. He was resting his arms on them.

His hands were folded quietly. He was looking up. The clouds were were ominous dark on this moonlit night, I pulled a chair over so I could get up closer to the painting. Sure enough there was blood on on this person's Florida I had no idea why. My first thought was, perhaps it was the story of a man who was lost in the forest and while trying to find his way through low-lying branches swept across his face and brought blood or maybe there was some enemy that had struck him, but blood was there. In fact, part of it. The blood was running down his face. A little later that afternoon my grandfather was near granddaddy Lundy and I II ask. It was a granddaddy Wednesday who is always having time for me.

I remember it like last week.

He picked me up at his arms and held me shoulder high so I could be right about the height of the painting and he said this is a picture your aunt Ernestine pleaded of Jesus. He's in the garden and it's the garden of Gethsemane and it's just before he was arrested and nailed to the cross for our sins here let me show you and we sit down on the sofa. He opened his well-worn Bible to Luke 22 verse 44, which read and being in agony he was praying very fervently and his sweat became like drops of blood falling down on the ground and my granddaddy wanting to be absolutely accurate.

Said we don't know if it was actually blood or not. It says it was like drops of blood. Anything you know when you believe the drops are thicker like little blobs but would you sweat it's it's it's usually running it's used a little more like water but his sweat was thick like blood. And I said why and again patiently he said because of the agony he was going through knowing what was ahead of them when he took our sins and was nailed to the cross for our sin. As I recall, I began to cry.

I must've had several more questions because my grandfather grew weary before I did and I I I couldn't put it all together.

I still can't nor can you see what the words say I I can trace the story through the gospel accounts just as you can.

But every time I go to the passion seen and walked it like a sacred path with him. I I sit in all in silence as a trait, try to take the wonder in. There is no way I could even imagine the depth of anguish he withstood there and Gethsemane. Gethsemane means wind up means oil press oil press the garden of Gethsemane is Walden Olive Orchard small along the western slope of the Mount of olives. When you visit Israel and you go to the Mount. You are allowed to go into the garden. Then you will immediately realize how small it is there. There must've been olive presses in several locations, no doubt owned by a of a rich man who allowed Jesus a friend to to use the garden whenever he wished to be in a quiet place, which had to have been often certainly this night, and when you go into the garden of Gethsemane, you realize it's small enough to toss a ball across from one side to the other is filled with gnarled old large olive twisted olive trees, their trunks are twisted and their branches or twist Jesus is in that garden going through the greatest anguish of his life. We clarify something, chances are good. You would think is greatest suffering was while on the cross. Physically, yes, but not emotionally, not mentally is greatest mental and emotional anguish right here Gethsemane is here the full brunt of the top that he was to drink symbolic of the sins he was to bear on our behalf, but all of that lands on him within the enormous weight as one writer puts it, is where he underwent a stress of cosmic dimensions, the greatest in the Chronicles of the universe. I love the way that reads, he underwent a stress of cosmic dimensions, the greatest in the Chronicles of the universe, realizing the intensity of his mission for this was in fact the reason he was sent to earth realizing that there was no further time to put this off. He was now there in the ever present now of his mission.

Interestingly, as they entered this garden. Verse 31 of Matthew 26 tells us of a statement he makes not meant to be insulting but a prediction with a severe warning tonight.

He says to his faithful 11. All of you will desert me for the Scripture say any records from Zechariah.

God will strike the shepherd and the sheep of the flock will be scattered, but I brought been raised from the dead. I will go ahead of you to Galilee you meet you there. That part of it. If you've ever been under intense pressure usually don't hear the counsel of the other person, or you don't hear all of they never did get the resurrection until the morning of the resurrection, and even then only partly they are so distraught to think he's going to leave them that they are missing some of the things being said now admittedly, they're not the brightest bulbs in the hallway, but it it it.

Admittedly, the brightest of the group is left them. Judas but even though they may not of been that right there something in their emotions that has been preoccupied and what is that I am going to leave you. I'm going to send my spirit to take my place. I will be gone, but he will be here would not know know know know what you know I'm going to rise from the dead, never really heard that I'm going to be given. Galilee went right past all they remembered was every one of you will desert me that did it for Peter. No, you read it right here. Verse 33 Peter declared if everyone else desert you. I will never desert you and Jesus, perhaps with that long index finger pushed against his sternum said to Peter, I tell you the truth Peter is very night before the rooster crows, you will deny me free time before dawn. Three times Peter and and characteristic Simon Peter fashioned no this is no way over my dead body. What I desert you, Lord, I will never desert you, and you will notice at the end of verse 3035. All the other disciples about the same know know know that that's true, we won't either. But where were rear we were with you all the way whatever this going to include where we are right there. Then have a clue what they were saying because they didn't realize fully the truth of his words. Notice he doesn't argue with it came to the place where the dialogue was. And prayer was to begin. So Jesus takes Peter in exhibit these two sons, verse 37 James and John is three closest Peter, James and John, any sense away with them to a place some distance from where the others or to wait and pray and to keep watch with him. You see what is difficult for us and the reason I say I don't respectfully, this is the most obvious recognition of his humanity. We love the divinity part of Jesus ways the God man.

We love the strength of instilling a storm and silencing of the role of the rough seas. We love the healing of the of the lame.

We we love it when sites given to the blind.

When when death is the those who can't hear the depth or given hearing in and the enormous miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead middle of all that, that's all about his his divinity, his deity, but he's the God man undiminished deity, true humanity mixed in one person forever. That's Jesus. This is his humanity. This is where the struggle is so rugged. This is why he takes three men with him to pray he needed just as you do when you're in a tough place you want to know that there are others around you sending or praying with you so it takes them and he says you stay here and keep watch. By the way, I don't want you to forget.

Jesus words to them earlier tonight all of you will desert me because they deny it, and it isn't long before they began to drift off into sleep there already phasing out and then we read he went a little further. No more carefully through this.

Learn to read your Bible with emotion learned there are places that you do not hurry and on occasion you must read those words aloud know you are alone so you can hear the significance of what you were reading.

He went on a little further and bowed with his face to the ground, praying father. My father, if it's possible let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done. Not mind that he returned to the disciples and found them asleep, and he said to Peter, look at Peter.

Peter already asleep. Peter Peter can you watch with me even one hour keep watch and pray so that you will not give into temptation. The spirit is willing but the body is weak.

Jesus left and went a second time, my father, my father, this cup cannot be taken away unless I drink it your your will be done.

Your will be done by the way, let me help you into the scene a little better a little deeper. Most of the verbs in this section is Matthew records and are in the imperfect tense in the original language. The imperfect tense is continued action in the past. Something is continually going all it's continually happening it is repeatedly happening.

Jesus is not as my ad Ernestine picture him quietly and serenely resting on the rock praying and looking up into the sky know know a thousand times no. He is on his knees. He's back on his feet and is falling on his face and his friend Lord, let this cup be taken from me know. Not not my will but yours be done but only if it's possible if there's some other way, let's go the other way.

Let me know what that other went there is no other way. Father Eddie falls by going to get back up. So he's moving through part of the garden and you could hear them at time almost 3 inches prayer you got that idea, listen to Jim Hughes describing. It was a cup full of sin. He saw all the brutality of a thousand killing fields all the whoring of earthly civilizations blasphemy profanity a cop brimming with jealousy, hatred, and covetousness which he must drink, and Jesus recoiled. Second, he saw that it was a cup full of wrath. As soon Barry became the object of the father's holy wrath against sin. God made him who had no sin to become sin on our behalf, gazing into the cup here. This gazing into the cup Jesus so hell open for him and he staggered it is no wonder that we see the blood like sweat and the tears that we hear him crying out for deliverance. It is no wonder as we read in Luke that the father sent an angel to strengthen him.

It's amazing to think Jesus and all of his anguish surrendered to this duty, he willingly accepted the cup that was filled with wrath and took it for you and for me you're listening to Insight for living and were midway through a message from Chuck Swindoll.

He's titled denial, distress, deception, desertion, and there's much more we need to learn from this gripping passage in Matthew chapter 26, so please make it a point to keep listening through the end of the message and to learn more about this ministry. Please visit us online@insightworld.org. Did you know Insight for living produces a free daily devotional for you would be pleased to send you these inspirational emails from Chuck and I reading what he's prepared for you will have the promises of God's word fresh on your mind throughout the day to sign up. Just follow the simple instructions@insight.org/devotional your fellow listeners often right to tell us how God uses Insight for living to help them grow a listener from Houston, Texas.

Chuck, I appreciate the way you teach us to dig deeper so that we understand what God is really saying to us in his word.

My husband and I are in ministry and it is not been easy. God has ministered to us through the Insight for living broadcasts in times when we had no one speaking truth into our lives.

God is so good to us. Thank you for being faithful in ministry, but we hope this comment from a friend reinforces the impact of your partnership. Insight for living give a generous gift you're touching a life just like this one to give a donation right now. It was a phone listening in the US dial 1-800-772-8888 that's 1-800-772-8888 or you can also get online go to insight.org/donate nine dates might join us again Tuesday when Chuck Swindoll continues his stirring account of Jesus alone in the garden that's tomorrow Insight for living. The preceding message denial, the stress, deception, the surgeon was copyrighted in 2017 and 2021 and the sound recording was copyrighted in 2021 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. all rights are reserved worldwide.

Duplication of copyrighted material for commercial use is strictly prohibited