Come And See His Agony

The last week of Christ's life on earth began in triumph and ended in his death, he entered Jerusalem as its rightful king, but later endured the cheers of the crowd in the torture that led to his crucifixion. The drama of our salvation was nearing its final act. Stay with us from Chicago. This is The Moody Church. Our weekly service of worship and teaching with pastor Erwin Blitzer on this Palm Sunday we continue our series on come and see Jesus pictures of the Savior that teach us about his mission on earth later in our broadcast Erwin Blitzer will speak on, and see his agony. Pastor looks or comes now to open our service in a moment were going to have the opportunity of singing together 173, 173.

As you know, today is Palm Sunday, we commemorate the coming into the city of Jerusalem and Jesus was there on the Mount of olives as you notice in our bulletin. Children are going to be participating. Jesse Strack is going to be reading the Scripture for us. In a few moments when we do stand to sing will continue to stand until he has read that scripture and then after that acquired the children's course, all of that to make this time a meaningful celebration of praise to our God fact later on I'm going to be telling the children a little bit about Palm Sunday and its meaning. So let's pray together and after we have prayed we shall stand to sing 173 and let us recognize that this song expresses the desire of our heart to give, laud and honor to Jesus, our King. Would you bow with me please father, thank you for your love and grace that is been poured out upon our lives in so many different ways. Thank you for Jesus, thank you that he came to the city of Jerusalem to die. May we honor him today is the risen ascended Christ. We pray in his name. Amen.

And he as they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethpage on the amount of hours, Jesus sent two disciples, St. go to the village ahead, and it once you find a donkey tied with their coal-fired untied and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you. Tell him that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away. This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet say to the daughter of Zion. See working comes, you gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the fall of the donkey.

The disciples went and did as Jesus instructed them. They brought the donkey and the colt place their focus on and Jesus and a very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that follow. Chatted Hosanna to the son of David. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest. When Jesus entered Jerusalem the whole city was stirred and asked who is this the crowd answered. This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee would like to invite the children were in the area all around us here if you'd like to come to the platform pastors going to speak with you and also children's choirs going to stay right where they are and that we will sing we will glorify the Lord. Let's turn to number 72 in our hymnals.

Amen.

Well children what a delight it is to see you.

I hope that all of you can see me if you need to turn around little Darrell for example, you know you turn this way.

Now you know how I am. I always like to hold a child on my lap and there's there's oh yeah, I know I know I get many invitations sweetheart. I tell you I'm interested in this little girl has this lovely what do we call it Easter bonnet on what a precious little girl. She is would you come to Pastor Lutzer you think so yeah okay you can stand to write sure sure you stand up honey Pastor Lutzer will help you look at this little girl. What is your name Gabriella would you sit on Pastor Lutzer's lap got really you little sweetheart all right.

This is little Gabriella Cumberland honey who dresses you so nicely owe your dad did God bless her, God blessed.

All right, I'm going to tell you about Palm Sunday in many countries of the world the king or queen is crowned and when they are crowned there all kinds of things that happened.

They wear beautiful clothes, beautiful robes and jewels. Sometimes they drive through the city and people are there soldiers are there and policeman to make way for them because it's something very, very big in the country of England, for example the Queen and the King are still crowned crowds break into courses, sometimes singing when we think of Palm Sunday. It's the story of Jesus Christ being crowned in a sense, but how different it is from the things that we might see on television when it comes to the to the coronation of the King of England or the Queen of England because Jesus Christ's coronation was unplanned. He simply said to somebody I want you to get to a donkey for me a donkey that no one else has ever written on and I want you to to prepare that donkey bring them to me and I want to ride into Jerusalem on this donkey. Most of the times, King's Road on horses, but donkey represents the humility of Jesus.

The fact that Jesus wanted to be just one like one of us so Jesus is going down the Mount of olives and I want you to visualize children.

The Mount of olives. Is it is a pretty big hill. It's a pretty big hill with lots of trees and Jesus is finding a trail and he's going to go through what is known as the Kidron Valley into the city of Jerusalem. Jesus is writing the donkey and people begin to see it and remember he was taking his time, this was not a hurried thing he probably stopped at a number of different places and people began to shout, maybe get us a look at what Jesus is doing and so they began to get together. In fact, it says that when Jesus came close to the city of Jerusalem. He stop to cry. He wept over the city because he had offered himself to the city and the city had rejected him and so he he grieved it really shows you that Jesus was a man just like us. Now when Jesus comes close to the city all kinds of people.

Some of them take their clothes and they put it in the in in the way of the donkey for the donkey to walk on it, not in honor of the donkey, but on the honor of the person who was riding on his back and then the Bible says. Others ran and got branches of trees and they took these trees and they waved them these branches. I should say can you give me one of those branches young lady just like you brought with you today. They waive these branches. Some of them took the branches and they put them.

Also on the on the ground for the donkey to walk on and that's why we call Palm Sunday Palm Sunday, it's because they had palm branches in honor of Jesus. Now here's the amazing thing children.

The Bible says that after Jesus went into the city of Jerusalem that the children obviously there were lots of children there. You can just imagine how excited they'd be there some other parents were excited about it. The children cried. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed be the son of David and here's the amazing thing you know that expression, son of David. It really means Messiah children. I want you to know today, that those children they understood more about Jesus than some of the leaders did, because the leaders didn't understand that Jesus was the son of David, you think that it's possible for children to know Jesus. Yeah, that's wonderful. Hate you come over here to your the one that raised your hand. I need to know who you are.

You. What is your name Lynn, Caitlin, did you couldn't stay here for a minute.

Do you think the children can know Jesus Caitlin come a little closer and tell us wonderful. Now Caitlin, do you know Jesus right good now. All right you can sit down Caitlin, but thank you for being such a such a willing helper to Pastor Lutzer. Now here's the point when those children shouted hosanna in the highest that word hosanna is from the Hebrew word which means save nursing save now son of David. They understood that Jesus was the Savior is not wonderful and today I just wanted say from my heart here to be Dolly Chen to all who work with our children.

The children's course.

You folks were just absolutely outstanding and I want to say to you today that you children can know Jesus, just like the children in Jesus day and whenever you think of Palm Sunday. Remember, it's those palm branches that they were waving in honor of Jesus or putting them for the donkey to step on because the children were lovers of Jesus, and you be lovers of Jesus to is that okay with you. Gabriella very fine and thank you so much little Gabriella okay. There are two famous gardens in the Bible. There's the garden of Eden where Adam fell, being succumbed by the devil. And then there's another garden is called the garden of Gethsemane where the second Adam.

That's how the Bible refers to him or the last Adam in Gethsemane also had a tremendous fight with the devil and with his own will and yet there he overcame the word Gethsemane means wine press or I should say great press. That's where all of us and grapes were sometimes pressed well. I like to think of it, but in Gethsemane there. It's as if Jesus Christ the flower of God was crushed and from him came the beautiful aroma of salvation.

I think that when we come to the garden of Gethsemane and the passage that I'm using is the 26th chapter of Matthew, though the other Gospels have an account but as well. Matthew chapter 26 Matthew chapter 26 verse 36 when we come to Jesus in Gethsemane, perhaps as nowhere else. We see his humanity. You know sometimes we think to ourselves. Jesus can't be my example because after all he was God. We say he had a divine nature, so he really doesn't understand me and my struggles what I want you to know today. He did not depend upon that divine nature. When he lived his man. That's why he prayed, that's why he was thirsty. One theologian put it this way, Jesus never found relief in his divinity from humans. He didn't. He didn't suddenly slide over to his divinity, and to say this is too much as a man, but rather he took refuge in prayer.

So as you see Jesus here in the garden wrestling. Remember that that is an example for us because sometimes we have to also wrestle in the presence of Almighty God. But here we see his humanity in different ways. For example, he asks the disciples to come and pray with him. Verse 36 then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane and he said to his disciples sit here while I go over there and pray and taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled all stop there for a moment.

Notice that Jesus said I am going through so much this is going to be so bad that I can't go through this alone and sometimes we need friends beside us. Sometimes we need people who are there for us because they need is so great, the emotional torment and the agony is beyond human comprehension and therefore we need is someone next to us. I remember counseling a woman whose husband had run off with their child.

She was in distress and despair and hopelessness and I I said well our people praying with you. She's well I church people tell me where praying for you and I said that's not really the question.

The question is are they praying with you.

Are they getting on their knees with you and agonizing because sometimes we need people next to us when we suffer. So Jesus said to Peter, James and John, you have seen me in my glory on the mount of transfiguration you three disciples. Now I invite you to see me in my agony come be with me, we see the humanity of Jesus. Also in his honesty and revealing his feelings in the next verse we read verse 38 he said to them, my soul is very sorrowful, even to � remain here and watch with me. Have you ever been sorrowful, even to the point of death. You know sometimes we say to ourselves we know if you're filled with the spirit of your walking in the spirit you're always going to have emotional tranquility. Everything is going to go well and you're never going to be in despair, you're never going to suffer depression.

You are never going to experience the excruciating emotional turbulence all yet Jesus was perfect and sinless, and look at him there in the garden with his soul troubled to the point of death, and there are some of you who are listening who probably have at times been trouble to the point of death, my wife and I know a couple whose son committed a murder and when they heard of what he did and I will not give you all of the details which make it even more difficult when they heard of what he did.

The wife said that she rolled out of bed, lay on the floor and was on able to get for hours soul troubled even to the point of death, Jesus here in great great agony although he knew that he was going to do the will of the father he had already agreed that he would do that but now it was crunch time now the cup that the father had given him was very near at hand, but would like to do in the next few moments is to actually just simply go through and to answer two questions what is the cup and how did Jesus accept it.

First of all, the question of the meaning of the cop. You'll notice as he prayed he says my father if it had to be possible, let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless, not as I will but as you will. What is this cup that he must drink while there have been various theories throughout the years. Some people have said will the cup is his human suffering. Just think of what he's going to go through the torment awaits them, and those of us who have seen the Mel Gibson movie the passion we know now a little bit more what that human suffering was about an it was beyond all imagination and they say it is that suffering. Just look at the lashes and the crown of thorns is not the real cop because you know that the Romans crucified other people this way I read one time that there were something like 30,000 a crucifixions a year among the Romans that that is the company for if were to look at Jesus as someone who is going to inspire us as to how to approach death. If I may say at this is not a very good example that you and I should approach our death. This way, even if it would be a horrific death can't just be that other people to sit while the cup is that Satan wanted to kill them in the garden and they say that to his soul was sorrowful unto death, because the devil wanted to kill Jesus there to keep Jesus from the cross. Problem with that is that that's giving Satan an awful lot of power they might not have you ever Jesus said in the upper room is the prince of this world comes but he has nothing in me.

In other words, he has no authority over me. Jesus successfully was able to reject him and to resist him for all these years and we expect now that Jesus would be able to do that here seems to me that Satan was working in a different way. He had put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot to betray Christ now that's the way the devil was working and and the devil probably did want to keep Jesus from the cross, but unlike believed that he was trying to kill him. There, but there's another reason why we know for sure that that's not the right explanation. It's because after Jesus goes through the agony of Gethsemane after he experiences all that it is, then we read in John chapter 18 verse 11 when Peter tried to cut off the ear will actually didn't try to cut off the ear of the servant of the high priest. He was aiming for his head, but missed and then Peter ended up cutting off his ear missing his target by about 6 inches. Jesus said Peter put your sword up and out here the crucial words the cup which my father hath given me.

Shall I not drink it.

The cup still had to be drunk after Gethsemane. It was not that Jesus was trying to survive Satanic attack is the devil tried to put him to death. That was not the cop. What then was the cup. The cup was the knowledge that he who now was among the sinners was going to be reckoned with them. The cup was the fact that he would be separated from the father. The cup was that he would become the sin bearer for those who would believe on him and that he would bear the heirs sin is and there penalty, the severe penalty which the father put upon them, and that he would bear that on his own to the point of being separated from the father during those difficult hours on the cross. Now think about this for long as hell will hell is forever. Is there a lot of suffering in hell does one person suffer a lot in hell yes what if you took all the suffering.

The infinite suffering of hell and you compressed it into six hours.

Jesus Christ bearing our hallow paying our penalty so that you and I might be forgiven. Do you will now begin to understand a little better.

That is, Jesus looked into that cup. He saw it in all of its ugly awfulness in all of its horrendous pain and emotional turbulence.

You understand. So Jesus is here saying that this cup is so overwhelming.

His soul is going to ride within torment in ways that we cannot describe we can say the words, but we can't describe it in this way, Jesus knows that redemption is going to be accomplished and as a man, his soul is shrinking from the very mission for which he came to this earth. My father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me. That's the cup of suffering that Jesus Christ wrestled with lets the meaning of the cup how we get to the acceptance of the cup.

Thank God. Thank God for the last part of verse 39.

Nevertheless, nevertheless, not as I will but as I will, nevertheless, not as I will, as thou wilt depends on which translation you have this one says, nevertheless, not as I will but as you will. In those simple words was the determination of Jesus Christ to go through with it and say father. If the cup has to be drunk. If there's no other way to redeem humanity.

If there's no other way for me to be obedient to your father if there is no way out.

I will be done so Jesus there in the garden, accepted the will of the father bowed humbly to receive from the father's hand.

This is bitter, bitter cop that he determined to drink. There were actually 3 cups on Calvary there was a cup of compassion you member when they brought Jesus to calibrate its is the first thing they did is they try to give them some murder mingled with wine. That was a sedative to try to make it easy and it was cup of compassion they give that to prisoners were being executed. Jesus refused it. Then there was the cup of mockery. You know, it seems to me that when Jesus was there crying, my God, my God, why has thou forsaken me, and they misunderstand him and then somebody takes some cheap wine that the soldiers had some cheap vinegar wine and they take that vinegar, wine, and they put it on a sponge and they they put it to his lips almost mocking him exactly how is that going to help his excruciating first and the agony, but there was 1/3 cup on Calvary and that was the cup that was filled with iniquity as he the sinless son of God would be made sin for us that was the cop and Jesus refused a sedative because when it came to drinking the father's cup.

He did not want to sedative. He wanted to drink it straight and drink all of it so that you and I could be redeemed, death and the curse were in our couple Christ was full for the Elvis drain to the last dark drop to 70 now for me and those of you have never trusted Christ as Savior. Those of you who think of them as a great prophet is a great man someone whom you admire, but not someone whom you are cleaving to to be your Savior. I urge you quickly come to him because if he has not borne your iniquity.

You shall bear your own for all of eternity is here. It is here in the garden that Jesus receives the strength to receive the father's cup don't notice it says the confines the disciples sleeping verse 40 that's a picture of the church today great social transformation. Great need time of great agony and were asleep.

Just acting as if the histories going on as usual. Henny says watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. I love this.

Jesus didn't say watch and pray so that you help me, he says, watch and pray for yourselves that you may not enter into temptation. Said the spirit is willing, oh yeah yeah yeah you want to do this. Yeah sure will be with you. Sure will will pray will give will go but when it comes to crunch time. The flesh is so weak he prays a second time. Verse 42 my father. If this cannot pass unless I drink at your will be done and again he finds them sleeping because their eyes are have a so leaving them again. He went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words it's okay to pray the same thing again and again as you spell out your heart to God. Jesus did. What are some of the lessons that we learn the take-home value of all this for ourselves.

First of all some of our most earnest prayers go on answered some of our most earnest prayers go unanswered, you know, here is Jesus the son of God playing in agony and the Bible says in the book of Hebrews that the father heard the son pray. But there is no way out. And so Jesus has to endure across now I need to say that I believe that all of Jesus Christ's prayers were answered. That's not true of us. But all of his work is able. God didn't answer them here.

Yes he did, because you'll notice Jesus didn't pray father get me out of this and take me straight to heaven. I believe that if Jesus had prayed that that's what the father would've done and said well then the whole human race. They will all go to hell come up and be with me. But Jesus didn't pray that Jesus knew that his desire might be that he might find another way.

But at the end of the day.

He says I yield my will to you and if I yield my will to you tonight.

I will yield my body to you tomorrow because the body is going to follow the will and tonight here in Gethsemane by will be done so Jesus, but we'll get all of our desires. When we pray doing some of you have agonized before God regarding healings regarding circumstances and and sometimes all that we can do is to go with Jesus and say father. This is my desire but at the end of the day by will be done and you need to pray, not because you get your desire but you need to pray so that you get the strength to accept whatever it is that God gives you.

Ivan in a Russian concentration camp is a Christian. He is praying to his God with his eyes closed and another prisoner making fun of him says to him, and ridicule Ivan praying is not going to get you out of this place any sooner die than says I'm not praying to get out of this place. I'm praying for strength to do the will of God. And sometimes we pray for strength to do the will of God, and it is not our desire because we have other desires which may even be good desires, but at the end of the day we say that I will be done and at great personal cost.

Second hour cups. This is critically important hour cups must be accepted from the hand of the father, not from the hand of people, let me say that again our cups must be accepted as from the hand of God, not from the hand of people no matter what.

Their intention is no Jesus in the John 18 verse 11, he did not say now the cup which the Sanhedrin are preparing for me. Must I not drink it.

He didn't say now the cup which the Jewish leaders are preparing for me or the cup that Pilate has in mind for me. Shall I not drink it or for the cup that the Roman soldiers are preparing for me. Shall I not drink it. No, all of that was part of the cup. But he says the cup which my father has given me. Shall I not drink it. So you look at the dilemma that you are in today. You look at the human conflict you look at the agony and what you will discover is that the end of the day, you must receive the cup as from God.

Sometimes people send me poems I receive a lot more than I ever use some poems have poor theology. Some have good theology and some have outstanding theology. This is one of those with some outstanding theology. Listen to this I will not take that bitter thrust which ran to my heart today as coming from an earthly soul, though it was meant that way but I will look beyond the tool because my life is planned. I take the cup. My father gives. I take it from his hand. He knows and even thus allows these little things that I trust his wisdom and his love. Let patience have her work though human means have brought the stain. I firmly take this stand. My loving father holds the cup, I take it from his hand. Now those who watch may wonder why these things do not disturb.

I look right past the instrument and see my Lord superb, the great trial which would lay me low must pass through his command. He holds the outstretched cup to me. I take it from his hand cup which your father has given you.

Shall you not drink it. Don't ever look at the cup is coming from a friend who is wronged you. Don't ever look at a cup as a human issue which makes you bitter and angry because the cup has come from the father to do something in your life that no good time could ever possibly to the cup comes to you from your father was William Barclay who says the love of God. Once what is best for us the wisdom of God knows what is best and the power of God is the ability to accomplish it. Can you receive the cup from the hand of your loving loving heavenly father is a final lesson is the obvious one.

Folks guess what, it's not about us.

It's not about whether or not we get money whether or not were promoted whether or not we are appreciated.

Whether or not we get what we think we need and what we want and marry the person that we believe there should understand the this is not ultimately not about us, it's about the father. It's about the will of God.

It's about that that cup that the father gives us any gives different cups to different people and we drink it as from his hand and at the end of the day. The issue is not my will but the main that's the issue.

It's always the issue. You know that I love the words of the song and I quoted it once and said that I'd love to have the words and I always forget that were also on radio so I received all of these folks sending me the song so you folks out there. God bless you that I have the words now my Jesus as thou wilt. All made by will be mine, into thy hand of love, I will my all resign through sorrow or through joy conduct me as thine own and help me still to say, my Lord, thy will be done, not my will, not my will, thine be done.

Let's pray father in our rebellion in our hardness of heart in our desire to get what we want to explain to you why you just give it to us yesterday that you might give us a sense of submission. There many people listening, drinking some very, very bitter cops. We pray all father that they shall accept them as from your hand and drink them for your glory yesterday father that you might help all of us to see that your grace that was shown to us in Gethsemane and Calvary and your agony is also our pattern. At times, and they we have the same determination to do your will and to drink the cup that you've given us grant that all God.

We pray now before I close this prayer. What is there in your life that clearly is under your authority, and not God's. What is it that you need to give to him to say today I received this cup from your and all father.

We know that the work that you desire to do NS cannot be done in the moment, it can begin now, but it must be completed later work mightily in your children give us unrest until father. We kneel with Jesus in Gethsemane and say that I will be done. We pray in his name. Amen.

Let's sing together in closing today. 366 all for Jesus, all for Jesus 366. It is our prayer that we are singing to the father 366 on today's Palm Sunday, Moody Church. Our pastor looks or a message on come and see his agony.

The seventh of eight pictures of the life of Christ in a series entitled come and see Jesus next week. The glory of resurrection.

As Dr. Luther speaks on come and see his empty tomb are eight part series on come and see Jesus can be yours on CD for a gift of any amount to The Moody Church. Our our thank you to you will be a set of eight messages, you can hear and then pass on to others. Just call us at 1-800-215-5001. Let us know you'd like to support Moody Church's ministry, call 1-800-215-5001 or you can write to us at Moody Church media 1635 N. LaSalle Boulevard Chicago, IL 60614. Mention the series come and see Jesus when you write or call online go to Moody offeror.com that's moodyoffer.com join us next time for another Moody Church. Our with pastor Erwin lutes are in the congregation of historic Moody Church in the Chicago. This broadcast is a ministry of The Moody Church and