Podcasts about gethsemane jesus

Feb. 9th, 2025 Devoted to Prayer Self-reliance is often celebrated as a mark of success and maturity in our culture today Acts 2:42-44 The Believers Form a Community 42All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord's Supper), and to prayer. 43A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. 44And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. When we prioritize self-reliance, we miss out on the richness of what God intended and designed for us to experience. James 1:22 But don't just listen to God's word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. Philippians 2:3-5 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset of Christ Jesus. Hebrews 10:24-25 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another. Postures of prayer: I should pray I must pray Our Rhythms: Engage Push Exhaustion Jesus Rhythms: Engage Withdraw Refill George Muller “I saw more clearly than ever, that the first great and primary business to which I ought to attend every day was, to have my soul happy in the Lord. The first thing to be concerned about was not, how I might serve the Lord, how I might glorify the Lord... but how I might get my soul into a happy state, and how my inner man may be nourished. I saw that the most important thing I had to do was to give myself to the reading of the Word of God and to meditation of it.” John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. Isaiah 37:14 Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers and read it. Then he went up to the temple of the Lord and spread it out before the Lord. 15And Hezekiah prayed to the Lord: Psalm 55:22 Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you, he will never let the righteous be shaken. 1 Peter 5:7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Matthew 26 (Garden of Gethsemane) Jesus gave God his feelings Jesus gave God his desires Jesus gave God his trust Prayer isn't a play to be good, it's a place to be honest 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 16Always be joyful. 17Never stop praying. 18Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. The Welcoming Prayer by Father Thomas Keating Welcome, welcome, welcome. I welcome everything that comes to me today because I know it's for my healing. I welcome all thoughts, feelings, emotions, persons, situations, and conditions. I let go of my desire for power and control. I let go of my desire for affection, esteem, approval and pleasure. I let go of my desire for survival and security. I let go of my desire to change any situation, condition, person or myself. I open myself to the love and presence of God and God's action within. Amen.

Our buddy, Chris, a Perry and Shawna listener, reflects on his recent divorce, how painful it is, and has been, and why he wouldn’t steer his younger self away from falling in love with his ex-wife all over again. Then, Shawna shares about a greater freedom she’s beginning to experience. The freedom of seeing this life as a place to learn, to make mistakes, and learn from them. A place where she doesn’t have to get everything perfectly right. Was Abraham a monster for being willing to sacrifice his son? What God a monster for commanding him to do so? Some argue that. But that would be a grave misunderstanding. At the heart of God’s testing of Abraham is the revelation of the limitless love of God and the crux of what Good Friday is all about. Remember when Mary poured that perfume on Jesus and he said it was in preparation for his burial? Have you ever thought of how that fragrance would have been the fragrance everyone would have smelled on Jesus way to the cross? When we pour ourselves out before the Lord it’s a beautiful fragrance he carries with him. Jesus was fully man and fully God. In a devotional by Tara Leigh Cobble she points out that in the garden of Gethsemane Jesus’ humanity surrenders to His divinity just like our humanity must surrender to His divinity.Support the show: https://give.moodyradio.org/fall-share?v=def&appeal=MRWM&_gl=1%2a142i9we%2a_ga%2aNTE4MTE5MmUtY2U1Yy00YmQ3LWU4MmUtNjEwYTQ5YzAyODRj%2a_ga_4WH1937046%2aMTY5NTExODEwMS4yOTkuMC4xNjk1MTE4MTAxLjYwLjAuMA..&_ga=2.197426156.215784306.1695059984-1182841406.166859587See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Matthew 21:7-9   Hosanna is typically translated as “Please Save Us”.   Timeline of Jesus last week: •   Sunday: •   Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem (Everyone shouts Hosanna!) •   Monday: •   Jesus cleanses the temple and runs out the money-changers •       Matthew 21:13 “He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,' but you make it a den of robbers.” •       Matthew 21:15-16 “But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying out in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant, 16 and they said to him, “Do you hear what these are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes; have you never read, “‘Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise'?” •   Tuesday: •   Jesus curses the fig tree. •   Wednesday: •   Sanhedrin plot to kill Jesus •   Wednesday/Thursday: •   Preparations begin for Passover •   Thursday: •   The Last Supper - Jesus with Disciples •   Jesus prays in the Garden of Gethsemane - Jesus sweats blood during prayer   •   Friday (Good Friday) •   Jesus betrayed by Judas •   Jesus arrested •   Jesus put on trial with Jewish leaders: Annas and Caiaphas •       Peter denies Jesus three times •   Jesus put on trial with Roman leaders: Goes before Pilate (Everyone Shouts Crucify Him!) •   Jesus is scourged, crowned with thorns, and mocked as Kings of the Jews •   Jesus is crucified on the cross •       Started about 9am •       Jesus died on the cross about 3pm •       This is Day 1 •   Jesus is buried in the tomb in the Evening. •   Saturday: •   This is Day 2 •   Sunday: Easter Sunday •   This is Day 3 •   Mary Magdalene finds the empty tomb. •   Mary tells the disciples and Peter and John go to see for themselves. •   Jesus appears to His disciples. •   (Jesus is not dead, He is Alive!)   How did we go from praising Jesus and yelling “Hosanna” to yelling “Crucify Him” in the span of a week?   The issue is our sin. •   Romans 2:23 “For have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” •   We wanted Jesus to be something He wasn't and do things against His plan. •   We still do this today. •   We still try to get Jesus to do our will instead of accepting the Will of Jesus. •   We still try to get Jesus to bend to our will and do our bidding. •       Jesus is not a genie in a bottle. You don't get your wishes. •   We choose things and people over Jesus all the time! •                                  We choose our own Barabbas…sometimes daily.   We look to Jesus just as the Jewish people did…wanting a mighty King and warrior who is to overthrown the darkness that has taken over.   Lets look at what scripture says… •   John 16:33 “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” •   1 Corinthians 15:57 “But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” •   Colossians 2:15 “He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.”   What are you to yell now church? Hosanna! (Please Save Us) or Crucify Him!?   You want a King that has won the battle? You want a King that was the victory? You want a King who is willing to take your place and raise you up on high? You want a King who would die for you?   You have One…His name is Jesus!

In the garden of Gethsemane Jesus went through extreme pressure - pressure that no other human would have to go through. In those moments when He was "exceedingly distressed" He said gave His 'yes' to being a willing volunteer to the will of God and in doing so received GRACE for the path ahead. If you're in a battle for the will and call of God for your life this message will so greatly help and encourage you to follow the pattern of our amazing Jesus, and step into His amazing grace.

Class 2 - Submission: How to Find the Will to do God's Will even When it is Not Your Will In this short series we are exploring how our security in the Father enables our willing submission to him. Last time we talked about the way in which we hear Father's voice. We considered the example of Jesus, and, I hope, took inspiration from his ability to hear his Father's voice in passages like: “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17 NIV11), and, “Then a cloud appeared and covered them, and a voice came from the cloud: “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!”” (Mark 9:7 NIV11) The Trouble with Submission Submission is, for some people, a troubling word. It carries connotations of oppression, abuse and control. Richard Foster in his book Celebration of Discipline states, “Revolutionary submission commands us to live in submission to human authority until it becomes destructive.” Demands for submission to oppressive human authority can be destructive, but when God calls us to submit to his will, he invites us into a constructive life. If you fear full submission to God, you are a normal human. Don't worry. Just invest in what we talked about last week. Security in God's love is the antidote to anxiety over submitting to him. Trying to be submissive to God's will for our lives without security in his love is, frankly, terrifying! But, with full assurance of his love for us, it is liberating. We must reckon with our human nature — ‘The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.' (Mark 14:38). We agree with Paul when he wrote, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.” (Romans 12:1 NIV11). But, as someone said, the problem with living sacrifices is that they tend to squirm off the altar!      Surrendering Our Will to God's Plan To make sense of submission to the will of our Heavenly Father, we take our cue from Jesus, who said, “I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me.” (John 6:38 NIV11). How did he feel about God's will? He delighted in it, ““My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.” (John 4:34 NIV11), Just because he delighted in it does not mean it was easy. Jesus' prayer in the Gethsemane is a poignant example of submission to God's will in challenging circumstances (Matthew 26:39). Despite the overwhelming weight of impending suffering, Jesus humbly surrendered to the Father's plan, saying, “not as I will, but as you will.” His submission demonstrated the depth of His trust in God's wisdom and divine purpose. Conclusion In Leadership or Servanthood? Hwa Yung writes — “Jesus in life, ministry, and mission lived in the full consciousness of his filial relationship with his Father and in the unfailing security of the Father's love. This allowed him to go about life in a calm and cool manner, and gave him inner strength and fearlessness in the face of immense challenges and unrelenting opposition.” It makes no sense to pray, ‘your will be done' (Matthew 6.10) and live in opposition to God's will. How do we align our will with the will of the Father? 1. Be honest - in Gethsemane Jesus told his Father he did not want to do his will. 2. Pray long enough to process your feelings - in Gethsemane it took at least three hours for Jesus to get where he needed to be to fulfil God's will 3. Pray the prayer of faith, even if you are not feeling it - in Gethsemane Jesus prayed “Yet not as I will, but as you will.” (Matthew 26:39 NIV11) before he was fully there. As my friend Charl put it we need to pray, “Father, help me to will your will even though I don't will it right now.” 4. Take the time to refresh your security in the Father, and you will find praying to live in submission to his will much more appealing than you might think. Questions for reflection - How do you honestly feel about the idea of living in full submission to the Father's will? - What is it about example of Jesus which is relevant and attractive to you? - If you want to grow in your willing submission to the Father, how will that happen? Next time we will go on to look at how Jesus' security in the Father's love and his willing submission to the Father's will made all the difference to his prayers. Please add your comments on this week's topic. We learn best when we learn in community.  Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here's the email: [malcolm@malcolmcox.org](mailto:malcolm@malcolmcox.org).  If you'd like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://[www.malcolmcox.org](http://www.malcolmcox.org/).  Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review.  “Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” (Psalms 100:2 NIV11)  God bless, Malcolm

Class 2 - Submission: How to Find the Will to do God's Will even When it is Not Your Will In this short series we are exploring how our security in the Father enables our willing submission to him. Last time we talked about the way in which we hear Father's voice. We considered the example of Jesus, and, I hope, took inspiration from his ability to hear his Father's voice in passages like: “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17 NIV11), and, “Then a cloud appeared and covered them, and a voice came from the cloud: “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!”” (Mark 9:7 NIV11) The Trouble with Submission Submission is, for some people, a troubling word. It carries connotations of oppression, abuse and control. Richard Foster in his book Celebration of Discipline states, “Revolutionary submission commands us to live in submission to human authority until it becomes destructive.” Demands for submission to oppressive human authority can be destructive, but when God calls us to submit to his will, he invites us into a constructive life. If you fear full submission to God, you are a normal human. Don't worry. Just invest in what we talked about last week. Security in God's love is the antidote to anxiety over submitting to him. Trying to be submissive to God's will for our lives without security in his love is, frankly, terrifying! But, with full assurance of his love for us, it is liberating. We must reckon with our human nature — ‘The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.' (Mark 14:38). We agree with Paul when he wrote, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.” (Romans 12:1 NIV11). But, as someone said, the problem with living sacrifices is that they tend to squirm off the altar!      Surrendering Our Will to God's Plan To make sense of submission to the will of our Heavenly Father, we take our cue from Jesus, who said, “I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me.” (John 6:38 NIV11). How did he feel about God's will? He delighted in it, ““My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.” (John 4:34 NIV11), Just because he delighted in it does not mean it was easy. Jesus' prayer in the Gethsemane is a poignant example of submission to God's will in challenging circumstances (Matthew 26:39). Despite the overwhelming weight of impending suffering, Jesus humbly surrendered to the Father's plan, saying, “not as I will, but as you will.” His submission demonstrated the depth of His trust in God's wisdom and divine purpose. Conclusion In Leadership or Servanthood? Hwa Yung writes — “Jesus in life, ministry, and mission lived in the full consciousness of his filial relationship with his Father and in the unfailing security of the Father's love. This allowed him to go about life in a calm and cool manner, and gave him inner strength and fearlessness in the face of immense challenges and unrelenting opposition.” It makes no sense to pray, ‘your will be done' (Matthew 6.10) and live in opposition to God's will. How do we align our will with the will of the Father? 1. Be honest - in Gethsemane Jesus told his Father he did not want to do his will. 2. Pray long enough to process your feelings - in Gethsemane it took at least three hours for Jesus to get where he needed to be to fulfil God's will 3. Pray the prayer of faith, even if you are not feeling it - in Gethsemane Jesus prayed “Yet not as I will, but as you will.” (Matthew 26:39 NIV11) before he was fully there. As my friend Charl put it we need to pray, “Father, help me to will your will even though I don't will it right now.” 4. Take the time to refresh your security in the Father, and you will find praying to live in submission to his will much more appealing than you might think. Questions for reflection - How do you honestly feel about the idea of living in full submission to the Father's will? - What is it about example of Jesus which is relevant and attractive to you? - If you want to grow in your willing submission to the Father, how will that happen? Next time we will go on to look at how Jesus' security in the Father's love and his willing submission to the Father's will made all the difference to his prayers. Please add your comments on this week's topic. We learn best when we learn in community.  Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here's the email: [malcolm@malcolmcox.org](mailto:malcolm@malcolmcox.org).  If you'd like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://[www.malcolmcox.org](http://www.malcolmcox.org/).  Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review.  “Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” (Psalms 100:2 NIV11)  God bless, Malcolm

After three days of teaching, Jesus gathers privately with his disciples to observe the Jewish Passover meal. During his time with them, he institutes what we now observe as the Lord's Supper, or Communion. As they sit together, Jesus gives them a new command to “love one another.” Soon after, in the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus is arrested, tried, and finally crucified. All throughout these events, Jesus demonstrates humility and displays the kind of servant Messiah he is. Join us as we study Jesus' sacrifice and the example he sets for us on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. Together we'll discuss the origins and meaning of these holy days in Scripture, re-examine our expectations, and reflect on Jesus Christ's example and its influence on our mindset and behavior today.

JESUS IN THE GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE – Jesus Walking in the Way of the Cross  LYRICS TO MUSIC: In the garden he waits For the very moment he has made Like the face before a fist Like the eyes before a kiss It's beautiful anguish   In the garden he prays That this overflowing cup Could pass away And in this hour of need If there ever such a thing Out of fear I fall asleep Oh the hour has come… In the garden he bleeds But a glimpse of the coming sea And every angel up above Cannot calm the sorrow When a Father leaves his Son Oh the hour has come… MESSAGE SUMMARY:  Written in 1802, Beethoven's only oratorio ‘Christ on the Mount of Olives' (Christus am Ölberg) is intense, moving, and dramatic. A fifty-minute barrage of harsh yet beautiful German words pours from the mouths of a soprano, a tenor, and a bass. Unlike many of Beethoven's contemporaries, Jesus' humanity is fully embraced in his composition. Christ's coming betrayal is witnessed amidst his own anguish and pain. From his very lips, the listener hears Jesus question his Father; every cry for mercy, every plea for help, every request for strength. Much like many other works of art, Beethoven's piece sheds new light on Jesus' suffering. It births new perspective, and makes the listener think, if even for a second, about the intricacies and complexities of the man Jesus Christ. It makes one ponder just what his betrayal meant not only to all humanity, but to Jesus himself. Understanding Christ's humanity is something that is hard to do. Where does one begin? Few have experienced anything near the physical torture he endured, and to fully understand his spiritual and emotional anguish is impossible. For “he himself bore our sins in his body on the cross,” (1 Peter 2:24). This is certainly a weight no other could carry. He experienced the cup of wrath (Matthew 20:22), the fullness of God's fury toward sin. But we know that he did so in a very human body. And it was in this body that the fullness of deity dwells (Colossians 2:9). We know he grew hungry (Matthew 4:2). We know he became tired (John 4:6). His emotions were no less real than any others', as the author of Hebrews tells us, he lifted his prayers to the Father with crying and tears (Hebrews 5:7). Seeking to better understand Christ's humanity will help us better understand how he saved humanity. Knowing the pain he endured can help us understand the frequent pain in our own lives. As Jesus prepared for his most difficult hours, the human nature of his closest friends took a prominent position. The disciples who accompany him cannot seem to stay awake in prayer. ‘For their eyes were very heavy,' (14:40) seems to be a sorry excuse at such an important time. But oh how often we share the apostles apathy! Like the disciples, we often get distracted, lose focus, or fall asleep during prayer. We too await the magnificent return of the bridegroom (Matthew 25:1-13), but we so often cannot keep our eyes open. As Beethoven's oratorio ends, we hear for a third time Jesus powerfully cry out “Nevertheless, not my will, but Thine.” What magnificent words to hear! That Jesus would fully embrace and admit his humanity, yet fully submit to his Father. These are the words that begin his journey to the cross, and usher in his final hours of sorrow. But they are also the words that allow for the world's redemption. Despite the melancholy and heartbreak woven throughout Beethoven's piece, the final moments of his work build in intensity, with flurries of rising notes and triumphant chords. It ends with the chorus singing: ‘Glorious worlds above us spire, Happy Seraphs sing your joys. Man, join in the holy choir, Hail the great Redeemer's praise'   Written by Jesse Braswell Roberts / Poor Bishop Hooper golgothamusic.com // poorbishophooper.com // Second edition ©2022 Jesse Braswell Roberts / Poor Bishop Hooper   TODAY'S PRAYER: Thank and praise God for his perfect plan. Ask Jesus to give you a better understanding of his humanity. Ask Christ for forgiveness regarding your inability to pray, and for the strength to endure in prayer. Ask Christ to give you a sense of readiness and expectancy for his return. Praise and thank Christ for his willingness to endure the cross. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, Because of who I am in Jesus Christ, I will not be driven by Loneliness. Rather, I will abide in the Lord's Presence. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Mark 14:32-42: “And they went to a place called Gethsemane. And he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” And he took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be greatly distressed and troubled. And he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Remain here and watch.” And going a little farther, he fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. And he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” And he came and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not watch one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” And again he went away and prayed, saying the same words. And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy, and they did not know what to answer him. And he came the third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? It is enough; the hour has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.”; Matthew 26:36-46; Luke 22:39-46. A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “How Does God Say I Love You, Part 4: Violation of the Covenant”, at our Website: https://awtlser.podbean.com/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

Arrest in Gethsemane- Jesus prayed in agony in the garden because He knew what was ahead of Him. Not just betrayal, arrest, mocking's, beatings and crucifixion, but separation from God. Peter jumped to the defense of Jesus in the garden when the authorities came for His arrest.

In the Garden of Eden we lost our freedom but in the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus won it back. Learn how to drink the cup of His love.

His Prayer For You Pastor Michael Lodge Jesus prayed for you!  No really on April 3, 33 AD in the cool of the night in the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus prayed specifically for you.  Today we look at this amazingly intimate prayer and are guided by His prayer for us.   Click on the links below for additional Cascade Church resources. Connect Card: https://cascadechurch.org/connect Give Online: https://cascadechurch.org/give

In the Garden of Gethsemane – Jesus' Pathway to the Cross (VIDEO) LYRICS TO MUSIC: In the garden he waits For the very moment he has made Like the face before a fist Like the eyes before a kiss It's beautiful anguish In the garden he prays That this overflowing cup Could pass away And in this hour of need If there ever such a thing Out of fear I fall asleep Oh the hour has come… In the garden he bleeds But a glimpse of the coming sea And every angel up above Cannot calm the sorrow When a Father leaves his Son Oh the hour has come… MESSAGE SUMMARY:    Written in 1802, Beethoven's only oratorio ‘Christ on the Mount of Olives' (Christus am Ölberg) is intense, moving, and dramatic. A fifty-minute barrage of harsh yet beautiful German words pours from the mouths of a soprano, a tenor, and a bass. Unlike many of Beethoven's contemporaries, Jesus' humanity is fully embraced in his composition. Christ's coming betrayal is witnessed amidst his own anguish and pain. From his very lips, the listener hears Jesus question his Father; every cry for mercy, every plea for help, every request for strength.   Much like many other works of art, Beethoven's piece sheds new light on Jesus' suffering. It births new perspective, and makes the listener think, if even for a second, about the intricacies and complexities of the man Jesus Christ. It makes one ponder just what his betrayal meant not only to all humanity, but to Jesus himself.   Understanding Christ's humanity is something that is hard to do. Where does one begin? Few have experienced anything near the physical torture he endured, and to fully understand his spiritual and emotional anguish is impossible. For “he himself bore our sins in his body on the cross,” (1 Peter 2:24). This is certainly a weight no other could carry. He experienced the cup of wrath (Matthew 20:22), the fullness of God's fury toward sin.   But we know that he did so in a very human body. And it was in this body that the fullness of deity dwells (Colossians 2:9). We know he grew hungry (Matthew 4:2). We know he became tired (John 4:6). His emotions were no less real than any others', as the author of Hebrews tells us, he lifted his prayers to the Father with crying and tears (Hebrews 5:7). Seeking to better understand Christ's humanity will help us better understand how he saved humanity. Knowing the pain he endured can help us understand the frequent pain in our own lives.   As Jesus prepared for his most difficult hours, the human nature of his closest friends took a prominent position. The disciples who accompany him cannot seem to stay awake in prayer. ‘For their eyes were very heavy,' (14:40) seems to be a sorry excuse at such an important time. But oh how often we share the apostles apathy! Like the disciples, we often get distracted, lose focus, or fall asleep during prayer. We too await the magnificent return of the bridegroom (Matthew 25:1-13), but we so often cannot keep our eyes open.   As Beethoven's oratorio ends, we hear for a third time Jesus powerfully cry out “Nevertheless, not my will, but Thine.” What magnificent words to hear! That Jesus would fully embrace and admit his humanity, yet fully submit to his Father. These are the words that begin his journey to the cross, and usher in his final hours of sorrow. But they are also the words that allow for the world's redemption. Despite the melancholy and heartbreak woven throughout Beethoven's piece, the final moments of his work build in intensity, with flurries of rising notes and triumphant chords. It ends with the chorus singing: ‘Glorious worlds above us spire, Happy Seraphs sing your joys. Man, join in the holy choir, Hail the great Redeemer's praise' Written by Jesse Braswell Roberts / Poor Bishop Hooper golgothamusic.com // poorbishophooper.com // Second edition ©2022 Jesse Braswell Roberts / Poor Bishop Hooper TODAY'S PRAYER: Thank and praise God for his perfect plan. Ask Jesus to give you a better understanding of his humanity. Ask Christ for forgiveness regarding your inability to pray, and for the strength to endure in prayer. Ask Christ to give you a sense of readiness and expectancy for his return. Praise and thank Christ for his willingness to endure the cross. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, Because of who I am in Jesus Christ, I will not be driven by Loneliness. Rather, I will abide in the Lord's Presence. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Mark 14:32-42: “And they went to a place called Gethsemane. And he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” And he took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be greatly distressed and troubled. And he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Remain here and watch.” And going a little farther, he fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. And he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” And he came and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not watch one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” And again he went away and prayed, saying the same words. And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy, and they did not know what to answer him. And he came the third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? It is enough; the hour has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.”.  Also, Matthew 26:36-46; Luke 22:39-46. A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “How Does God Say I Love You, Part 4: Violation of the Covenant”, at our Website: https://awtlser.podbean.com/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

In the Garden of Gethsemane – Jesus Pathway to the Cross LYRICS TO MUSIC: In the garden he waits For the very moment he has made Like the face before a fist Like the eyes before a kiss It's beautiful anguish In the garden he prays That this overflowing cup Could pass away And in this hour of need If there ever such a thing Out of fear I fall asleep Oh the hour has come… In the garden he bleeds But a glimpse of the coming sea And every angel up above Cannot calm the sorrow When a Father leaves his Son Oh the hour has come… MESSAGE SUMMARY:    Written in 1802, Beethoven's only oratorio ‘Christ on the Mount of Olives' (Christus am Ölberg) is intense, moving, and dramatic. A fifty-minute barrage of harsh yet beautiful German words pours from the mouths of a soprano, a tenor, and a bass. Unlike many of Beethoven's contemporaries, Jesus' humanity is fully embraced in his composition. Christ's coming betrayal is witnessed amidst his own anguish and pain. From his very lips, the listener hears Jesus question his Father; every cry for mercy, every plea for help, every request for strength.   Much like many other works of art, Beethoven's piece sheds new light on Jesus' suffering. It births new perspective, and makes the listener think, if even for a second, about the intricacies and complexities of the man Jesus Christ. It makes one ponder just what his betrayal meant not only to all humanity, but to Jesus himself.   Understanding Christ's humanity is something that is hard to do. Where does one begin? Few have experienced anything near the physical torture he endured, and to fully understand his spiritual and emotional anguish is impossible. For “he himself bore our sins in his body on the cross,” (1 Peter 2:24). This is certainly a weight no other could carry. He experienced the cup of wrath (Matthew 20:22), the fullness of God's fury toward sin.   But we know that he did so in a very human body. And it was in this body that the fullness of deity dwells (Colossians 2:9). We know he grew hungry (Matthew 4:2). We know he became tired (John 4:6). His emotions were no less real than any others', as the author of Hebrews tells us, he lifted his prayers to the Father with crying and tears (Hebrews 5:7). Seeking to better understand Christ's humanity will help us better understand how he saved humanity. Knowing the pain he endured can help us understand the frequent pain in our own lives.   As Jesus prepared for his most difficult hours, the human nature of his closest friends took a prominent position. The disciples who accompany him cannot seem to stay awake in prayer. ‘For their eyes were very heavy,' (14:40) seems to be a sorry excuse at such an important time. But oh how often we share the apostles apathy! Like the disciples, we often get distracted, lose focus, or fall asleep during prayer. We too await the magnificent return of the bridegroom (Matthew 25:1-13), but we so often cannot keep our eyes open.   As Beethoven's oratorio ends, we hear for a third time Jesus powerfully cry out “Nevertheless, not my will, but Thine.” What magnificent words to hear! That Jesus would fully embrace and admit his humanity, yet fully submit to his Father. These are the words that begin his journey to the cross, and usher in his final hours of sorrow. But they are also the words that allow for the world's redemption. Despite the melancholy and heartbreak woven throughout Beethoven's piece, the final moments of his work build in intensity, with flurries of rising notes and triumphant chords. It ends with the chorus singing: ‘Glorious worlds above us spire, Happy Seraphs sing your joys. Man, join in the holy choir, Hail the great Redeemer's praise' Written by Jesse Braswell Roberts / Poor Bishop Hooper golgothamusic.com // poorbishophooper.com // Second edition ©2022 Jesse Braswell Roberts / Poor Bishop Hooper TODAY'S PRAYER: Thank and praise God for his perfect plan. Ask Jesus to give you a better understanding of his humanity. Ask Christ for forgiveness regarding your inability to pray, and for the strength to endure in prayer. Ask Christ to give you a sense of readiness and expectancy for his return. Praise and thank Christ for his willingness to endure the cross. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, Because of who I am in Jesus Christ, I will not be driven by Loneliness. Rather, I will abide in the Lord's Presence. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Mark 14:32-42: “And they went to a place called Gethsemane. And he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” And he took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be greatly distressed and troubled. And he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Remain here and watch.” And going a little farther, he fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. And he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” And he came and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not watch one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” And again he went away and prayed, saying the same words. And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy, and they did not know what to answer him. And he came the third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? It is enough; the hour has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.”.  Also, Matthew 26:36-46; Luke 22:39-46. A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “How God Says He Loves Us: Part 2 -- The Covenant with Abraham”, at our Website: https://awtlser.podbean.com/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

"Curate's Corner with Kim Thomas" is a resource of The Village Chapel in Nashville, TN. Tune in through the season of Lent as we look at the story of Jesus' last week as told through classic art, prayers and scriptures. Find more resources related to our Lent devotionals at: https://thevillagechapel.com/lent/

In his agony in Gethsemane Jesus prayed three times for a way around his suffering: “Yet not as I will, but as you will…. may your will be done.” (Matthew 26:39,42) The only way for the purpose of God to be accomplished is through the pain and suffering of the Cross. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/chinwendu-nkwopara/support

Garen Forsythe | 03-28-2021 | Gethsemane: Jesus suffering for our sin - Mk 14:32-41 by 12th Ave

In this sermon we learn what it means to truly know Jesus, not just know "about" Jesus, and it starts with meeting with "Gethsemane Jesus".

Covered in this episode:*Rebroadcast from 7/29/19 – Abba, Father / The Lord’s Prayer Revisited / See & ENTER the Kingdom / Converts, not Disciples / Rom 8:15 “…by which we call out ‘Abba, Father’…” / Mark 14:32 Gethsemane / Jesus has the cup in His hands / Pain & Suffering are Inherent in  being Disciples / […]

Covered in this episode:*Rebroadcast from 7/29/19 – Abba, Father / The Lord’s Prayer Revisited / See & ENTER the Kingdom / Converts, not Disciples / Rom 8:15 “…by which we call out ‘Abba, Father’…” / Mark 14:32 Gethsemane / Jesus has the cup in His hands / Pain & Suffering are Inherent in  being Disciples […]

Continuing in the Lord Teach Us How to Pray Series (PART FOUR) we now journey to take a deeper look at one of the most intimate moments in Jesus’ life. In the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus prays, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.  What does His prayer mean, what clues have we overlooked, and what are we to learn from Jesus’ prayers? We will discover the significance of the words that Jesus uses and each clause of His prayer just before being betrayed in the Garden of Gethsemane. Would you like to discover even more? Start reading Elucidations for free https://a.co/aYgra1I   Order Elucidations (Book): * Amazon Kindle https://a.co/aYgra1I * Amazon Paperback https://amzn.to/2R1C8fR * Amazon Author’s page https://amzn.to/35K5ogI * Barnes & Noble paperback https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/elucidations-gerald-lewis/1136649702?ean=9781078786065

Online-Predigt von Xenia Besenreuther

Today we have completed a week of Prayer and Fasting. Ps Katrina does a quick review of the week and then introduces Ps Danny. Together they announce that today we say goodbye to Liam and Brendan, two multi-instrumental, highly talented members of the worship team who will certainly be greatly missed. And then onto today's message ..... Also speaking about the week of prayer and fasting, Ps Danny points out that to fast or not to fast is a Choice. He also reads to us a Scripture that mentions, "When you fast ....." which certainly tells us that fasting is expected of us - there is no 'if' there. He then looks at several Scriptures where a choice is made, notably that, in spite of His unwillingness in the flesh, in the garden of Gethsemane Jesus chose to go ahead with God's will and the cross. Next, Ps Danny shows us that if we truly have Freedom of Choice then that means we firstly need the Truth. If we don't firstly have Freedom of Choice then there is no Truth in our decision. We may choose an option because we are forced into it or because we fear some consequences if we don't. Ps Danny reads from numerous scriptures to show that choice is all through both testaments. How to make the right choices and have peace about your decision? This message will give you much help with that .....

Jesus is in the Garden of Gethsemane at one of the lowest moments of His life here on earth. He’s about to be betrayed and crucified. But, He’s also about to become sin for us and experience the wrath of God, separation from the Father, so that in Christ we can be forgiven and be redeemed. Separation from the Father was something Jesus did not want to experience. So, in the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus is in distress and trouble, and in agony calls out to the Father to see if there’s another way to accomplish the will of Father. Knowing that this is the only way for salvation and this is the Father’s will, Jesus prays “Yet not my will, but Yours Be Done.” Are we willing to say the same thing to our Heavenly Father when His will in our lives seems challenging, difficult and even painful like it was for Jesus?

Have you ever asked yourself this important question: "What would I do differently if I knew Jesus was coming today?" What would happen if every believer let that question determine their actions and decisions? What kind of difference would that make in Christian families and in the church? Jesus had been teaching and fellowshipping with His disciples forty days after His resurrection. The final day, He walked with them to the top of the Mount of Olives sharing with them, suddenly He began to ascend into heaven. The disciples stood looking up at what was happening before their very eyes and two angels appeared and spoke to them. “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into Heaven? This same Jesus which was taken up from you into Heaven, will so come in like manner as you have seen Him go into Heaven” (Acts 1:11). Why were they starring into the sky? I know why they were staring into the sky. How many times in your life do you see someone ascend off the earth into Heaven? Complete amazement, that is why they were staring into the sky! That was not really the point of the angels' question. They were bringing a message of assurance to the men who had faithfully followed the Lord Jesus Christ. “This same Jesus”; not a reasonable facsimile or a representative; but this very same Jesus is coming back to earth again. Learn how you can read the signs of the times through the prism of history in this powerful course Where Are We At On God's Timeclock Get 30% off when you use the coupon code: timeclock It was a divine confirmation of what Jesus had promised the disciples on the night He was betrayed and arrested. Walking from the upper room to the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus gave some of His most important teaching. Part of the teaching was about His second coming. "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also” (John 14:1-3 NKJV). The question arises, What would you do differently today if you knew Jesus was coming? It is not a fairy tale or a sermon preachers have used for centuries to scare people into responding to an altar call. It is as certain as Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem, His crucifixion and His resurrection. Jesus said, “I will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am there you maybe also.” He also assured us, “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but my Father only” (Matthew 24:36). What we do know is Jesus provided sign markers so we could know the nearness of His second coming. "Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near — at the doors! Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away” (Matthew 24:32-35 NKJV). It is imperative, you live every day with the certainty, Jesus could come today! Are you ready? So, what would you do different today if you knew Jesus was coming? If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider leaving us a review. This helps the Foundational podcast reach more listeners.  Be sure to tell a friend about the Foundational blog and podcast, and share with them about the free Bible Reading Challenge journal they will receive when they subscribe to receive my newsletter! If you would like to learn more about Jesus' second coming and the signs that point to His imminent return, take my course "Where Are We On God's Time Clock". This is an extensive look at Biblical prophecy through the lens of current events. Learn how you can read the signs of the times through the prism of history in this powerful course Where Are We At On God's Timeclock Get 30% off when you use the coupon code: timeclock More Posts on Jesus' Second Coming:

In the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus faced a struggle within; “Turn from His Cup or demonstrate His Love.”

In the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus faced a struggle within; “Turn from His Cup or demonstrate His Love.”

APR 15-21 Gethsemane, Jesus Loves Me With songwriter Melanie Hoffman. From the album "Stories of Jesus," used by permission.

In the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus prayed the hardest words he ever prayed: “Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” When we pray in the Lord’s Prayer “your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven,” we are praying the words Jesus taught us, the words he himself prayed when facing his greatest agony. What might these words and Jesus’ example teach us about the struggle of obedience to God’s will? Join us for “Your Will Be Done” from Matthew 6:10, in the Lord’s Prayer.

In the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus lets us know He is determined to go to the Cross in perfect submission to the will of His Father (Pastor Gene Pensiero)

A daily devotional through the recorded words Jesus spoke while He walked alongside us. Our website http://alittlewalkwithgod.com. Thanks for joining me today for "A Little Walk with God." I'm your host Richard Agee. Today's words from Jesus made me think of a bizarre episode from Dr. Phil. In just a minute I'll tell you why. Scripture John 6:32-40 Jesus:  I tell you the truth: Moses did not give you bread from heaven; it is My Father who offers you true bread from heaven.  The bread of God comes down out of heaven and breathes life into the cosmos. Crowd:  Master, we want a boundless supply of this bread. Jesus:  I am the bread that gives life. If you come to My table and eat, you will never go hungry. Believe in Me, and you will never go thirsty.  Here I am standing in front of you, and still you don't believe.  All that My Father gives to Me comes to Me. I will receive everyone; I will not send away anyone who comes to Me.  And here's the reason: I have come down from heaven not to pursue My own agenda but to do what He desires. I am here on behalf of the Father who sent Me.  He sent Me to care for all He has given Me so that nothing and no one will perish. In the end, on the last day, He wants everything to be resurrected into new life.  So if you want to know the will of the Father, know this: everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him will live eternally; and on the last day, I am the One who will resurrect him. Devotional My wife is a Dr. Phil fan and the other day she was watching one of his programs she captured on our DVR and a young lady's conversation with him captured my attention. I'm usually reading something whenever Carole listens to Dr. Phil, but when this you lady said she was pregnant and Jesus was the child, I perked up. Six home pregnancy tests Two clinic pregnancy tests Sonogram on television Still didn't believe the results Knew she was pregnant with Jesus Mental illness causing her to think bloated belly meant pregnancy and could let go of delusion until her belly flattened one night in an institution Dr. Phil sent her to for help. Jesus came to share the truth God wanted us to hear Many followed only for the miracles He performed Many followed out of curiosity to see what He would do next Many liked what He said but fell away when the pressure was on (including His closest disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane) Jesus calls us to believe Not just because of the wonders He performed Not just because of the testimony of others Not just because of the evidence of scripture Exercise faith and allow His spirit to confirm who He is When we exercise enough faith to believe Jesus is the Son of God who came to rescue us from the penalty of sin, death, He forgives our sins and grants us eternal life to be enjoyed with Him in heaven. If you want to learn more about my church, you can find us at SAF.church. If you like the devotional, share it with someone. If you don't, tell me. I hope you'll join me again tomorrow for "A Little Walk with God."  

In the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus experienced a deep anguish of the soul in the hours preceding His betrayal. Why was He so filled with dread? He was painfully aware of the profound event that was about to take place.

In the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus experienced a deep anguish of the soul in the hours preceding His betrayal. Why was He so filled with dread? He was painfully aware of the profound event that was about to take place.

The Marvel of God’s Creation The scripture says, "I will praise you, O Lord, because I am fearfully and wonderfully made." And as I was thinking about Isaiah 50, I focused specifically on the capacity of hearing. The human ear is a stunning marvel of God's creation. It is just incredible what we can hear. The range of decibel levels of very quiet sounds like you could imagine a quiet whisper or the breathing of a newborn on the chest of a mother or a father, just those tiny sounds that you can hear all the way up to something deafening, like a jet airplane flying right overhead. My father grew up in a house in Miami, Florida, and somewhere in there they built Miami International Airport, about a mile from my father's childhood home. And I remember sleeping or trying to, in that house and the jets would be about 100 feet over that house. And the rattling of the windows and things falling off the walls. I guess they learned after a while not to put things that would fall off the walls on the walls, but just the deafening roar of the jet airplanes. And so, the range of human hearing is just astonishing. One of the most amazing aspects of the ear is its ability to selectively hear certain sounds. Like you could be in a crowded room with music playing and all kinds of conversations going on and you're able to zero in on one person and their conversation and hear specifically what they're saying to you. Or a mother at a crowded playground can hear her child crying over the din of all kinds of play and laughter, and all kinds of things. Even in the middle of a conversation she may be having with another mother, she's like, "Wait a minute." And she's listening and she can hear the child crying. And I find that amazing. We can zero in, or you could listen to a symphony orchestra, and there are just dozens and dozens, maybe even 100 instruments and you can focus on a specific instrument and listen to just that melodic line from the oboe or from a trumpet, or something like that, or the base and it's just beautiful. God made the ear to hear. And the wide range of the sounds that we can hear from the general rustling of leaves that a breeze makes, all the way up to the awesome power of a thunder, lightning storm, it's just incredible. Now, you heard Kurt say just a moment ago, this incredible verse, Romans 10:17, God has ordained hearing as the way by which the saving message of the Gospel enters our lives. "Faith comes by hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ." But we are able, sadly, to tune out God's word and not listen to it. It can come to us so powerfully and we're still able in some very tragic way, to turn a deaf ear to what God is saying. Now the unifying theme, I believe, the angle I'm going to take today from Isaiah 50 is that of hearing. We're going to see how God again and again, spoke to the nation of Israel but they didn't listen. He called out to them and they didn't listen. And because they would not listen, he sent them away into exile. And this is the very thing that God had told the prophet Isaiah would happen. You remember back in that famous chapter Isaiah 6, the year that King Uzziah died, he saw the Lord in that whole calling of Isaiah into ministry, "Whom shall I send and who will go for us?" "Here am I, send me." "Alright, well, what's the mission? What's the message?" He said, "Go and tell this people: 'be ever-hearing but never understanding, be ever-seeing, but never perceiving. Make the heart of this people callous, make their ears dull and close their eyes. Otherwise, they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn and be healed.'" Isaiah was told that the nation's refusal to listen to God, would result in the total destruction of their country. In Isaiah 6, 11 and 12, he said, "For how long, O Lord?" And he answered, "Until the cities lie ruined and without inhabitant. Until the houses are left deserted, and the fields ruined and ravaged. Until the Lord has sent everyone far away." That's exile. So, their failure to listen to God's word would result in the destruction of their land and exile. Now we're going to see in Isaiah 50, this problem is addressed. Only now, God is speaking across 100 plus years to the remnant that's there in Babylon, explaining again and making very clear how they came to be there, why they were there. And he zeroes in on the fact that their ancestors refused to listen to God. But in the middle of this incredible chapter, someone pops up and the connection between verse 3 and 4 is not so clear. But out of nowhere, someone pops up and speaks to us directly in the first person. And this individual characterizes himself as one who perfectly listens to God, who listens to everything God says and obeys everything he tells him to do. And he's willing to listen even if it means terrible suffering for himself. Even being beaten on his back and having his beard plucked out. And he would do this to save a people from their own failure to listen to God. Those people would be saved out of their hardness of heart into a whole new pattern of obedience to God in the pattern that he displayed for us. Their hearts of stone would be removed, their hearts of submissive yielded-ness to God by His Spirit would be given to them and everything would change. Instead of spiritual deafness, they would be characterized as he was by perfect listening to God and perfect obedience to him. So Isaiah 50 is about listening, because it ends in the last two verses, with a challenge. The text brings us to a fork in the road and says, "Who are you going to listen to? Are you going to fear the Lord and listen to His servant, Christ, or are you going to walk by your own lights and by your own wisdom? And if you do, you will lie down in torment." That's the whole chapter. So now let's look at it in detail. And I pray and I already have prayed and I will continue to pray that God would give you ears, to hear. How many times did Jesus say that? He who has ears, let him hear, he wants you to listen today. So I pray that this would hit you in a way that would be memorable and would transform you. I. A Nation Who Refused to Listen Sent into Exile (vs. 1-3) So at the beginning in verses one through three, we have a nation who refused to listen sent into exile. And it begins with this question in verse 1, this is what the Lord says, "Where is your mother's certificate of divorce with which I sent her away or to which of my creditors did I sell you? Because of your sins, you were sold, because of your transgressions your mother was sent away." So God is speaking here, through Isaiah the prophet across 100 plus years to the exiles in Babylon, explaining how it came to be that they're there and not in their own promised land. And he uses this image of marriage and divorce which will be very familiar to those of you that have read a lot of the prophets, the Old Testament, the image of Israel as God's wife. And in some way, God had married Israel, but Israel was adulterous, Israel was unfaithful to her husband. He's using this image of marriage. In Jeremiah two, he says there, "I remember the devotion of your youth, how as a bride you loved me and followed me in the desert." Israel was holy to the Lord. Many times in the prophets we have this image. But God is saying that Zion, her mother, Israel's mother, the ancestors, were sent away, put away, by her husband because of their wickedness and because of their sins. He also uses the image of slavery, "To which of my creditors did I sell you?" He says. So they are, as though they were a wife put away there, as though they were children that were sold into slavery to pay a debt. But it's interesting how he asks, "Can you rummage and go find the certificate of divorce? You're not going to be able to find it. And actually, I didn't sell you to anyone. You're still mine. I didn't owe anybody anything, and I can bring you back any time I want. And I can renew our love relationship, any time I choose." That's what he's saying, but what he's doing is he's cutting off a self-righteous, forgetfulness and a self-pity among these people saying, "Understand you are there because you sinned. You're in the trouble you're in because you sinned." You know There's a proverb that says, "A man's own folly ruins his life, but his heart rages against the Lord." Does ever characterize you? You do some really stupid or perhaps even immoral sinful things, you get into deep trouble because of it, and you're raged that God doesn't love you. It's not true, your own sins have caused this problem for you, that's why you're in the problem that you're in. And then God goes to say, "Look, it happened specifically because you refuse to listen to me." Israel Refused to Listen to the Sovereign God Look what he says in verse 2, "When I came, why was there no one? When I called why was there no one to answer?" God goes into the issue that Israel would not listen to Him, when He spoke to them. They refused to listen. "I called out to you, and you didn't answer me. Why were you so spiritually deaf? When I summoned you why didn't you come and obey me?" Now, how did God do that? Well, he spoke to His people through His servants, the prophets, and again and again, God sent prophets to Israel and again and again, they refused to listen. At the end of the whole history of this as Israel is about to be sent away, or was being sent away in the Babylonian exile in 2 Chronicles 36:16-17 it says that the Lord sent word to them through His messengers again and again because he had pity on them, but they mocked God's messengers, they despised His words and they scoffed at His prophets, until the wrath of the Lord was aroused, and there was no remedy. And so he brought against them, the king of Babylon. That's the message. And it's the very thing that Jesus taught about in Matthew 21, you remember? The Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who planted a vineyard and he built a watch tower in it, and a wine press and put a wall around it and then he rented the vineyard to some tenant farmers and he went away. And in due time, he sent some messengers to the tenant farmers to collect the fruit, but they seized the messengers, they beat them and killed them. So he said, "I called out to you, and you did not answer, you did not listen." But yet, even still, God is every bit as powerful as he ever was when he established them in the Promised Land. He hasn't lost his strength, he hasn't lost his power, he can still do all of the same things. Look at verses two and three, he says, "Was my arm too short to ransom you? Do I lack the strength to rescue you? By a mere rebuke I dry up the sea. I turn rivers into a desert, their fish rot for lack of water, and die of thirst. I clothe the sky with darkness and make sackcloth its covering." God is omnipotent, he can do anything. He's bringing their minds back to how God made a way through the Red Sea, or how he made the fish die during the plague, you remember how he turned the water into blood and all the fish died there in Egypt? God can still do all of those same things. He can go to war on behalf of Israel and rescue them. God is every bit as powerful now as he ever was. And his arm is not too short to ransom us. That's an image. A number of years ago, I heard a black preacher back in the 19th century, whatever, said, "Your arm's too short to box with God." Think about that. You ever picture like a world-class heavyweight champion and there's some six-year-old who's really mad at him and he wants to get at him and he's got him like by the forehead just holding them there with a smile on his face. And here's this little kid trying to do this, trying to punch this big man and the man just smile and hold him off. Your arm is too short to box with God. What does that mean? You lack the power. God is omnipotent. How could you try to take God on? Well turn it around, He said, "My arm's not too short, I can do anything I want. My arm is not shortened at all," and is sovereign power. He can still do anything and everything that he willed to do. "So why is it you're not listening to me? Why is it you're not calling on me in the day of trouble?" That's what he's saying to them. II. A Servant Who Listened Perfectly Sent as Savior (vs. 4-9) Now, suddenly, right in the text, in verses 4 through 9, we have this suffering servant pop up. And it's kind of like that's the way it was in history, too. Jesus just popped up in history. In the fullness of time, when God said it was time, he just came. And so it is, I believe, Isaiah 54 through 9 is talking about Jesus. And actually it's not even talking about Jesus, it's Jesus talking to us. He's speaking in the first person. Now, I know it's possible you can read this as though this is Isaiah, the prophet, speaking and I know that Isaiah was faithful and listened to God, and all that, and all the prophets were and I accept that. But in that way, Isaiah was just a type and a shadow of Christ's perfect obedience to the Father. Jesus is the perfect prophet fulfilling all of those prophetic images. So ultimately, this is Jesus speaking to us. And he speaks in verse 4 of his perfect obedience. Look what he says here. "The sovereign Lord has given me an instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me, morning by morning awakens my ear to listen like one being taught." So here we have a direct contrast between Israel that's hard of hearing, people of God, who aren't listening to God and this servant that's perfectly listening to him. Israel was sent into exile because they refused to listen to God. And when later, he would return them from the exile and bring them back to the promised land, they would still be characterized by the same hardness of hearing. So God must send a Savior, the suffering servant, to listen to him on their behalf, and to obey God on their behalf and to suffer on their behalf and die on their behalf. And at the center of the suffering servant's life is a listening ear and a submissive heart. That's the center of Christ saving work, a listening ear and a submissive heart. Jesus is speaking to us in verses 4 through 9, we hear his word centuries before he was born of the virgin Mary, and was wrapped up in swaddling clothes and laid in the manger. Centuries before any of that happened, before he was presented to Israel as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, centuries before any of the ministry of miracles, and incredible teachings, and before he died on the cross and before he rose again, before any of that, he's speaking to us. And these verses give us as no other verses do, you're not going to find anything like this, even in the Gospels, an amazing insight into the intimacy of Jesus' relationship with his Father, of his love relationship with his Father. Verse 4 says that God the Father has given him an instructed tongue. Jesus' words were a perfect medicine for a world sick with sin. Jesus said the Father taught him what to say. Specifically the word that would sustain the weary. Is that you today? Do you need a word from Jesus? Are you weary? Are you weary and heavy-laden? Are you weary and struggling? Jesus knows the word to sustain you. And he learned it from his Father, the Father taught him what to say to sustain the weary. And we go beyond this to look at the details of Jesus' private devotional life. He says the Father wakens him morning by morning, wakens his ear to listen like one being taught. And now we come to the infinite mystery of the incarnation. Here we have the perfect submission of God the Son to God the Father. In heaven, God the Son, neither slumbers nor sleeps, ever, doesn't need to sleep. On earth, he had to be wakened morning by morning. In heaven, Jesus knows everything, always has and always will. Like I said, a number of months ago in another sermon, I love this statement. Has it ever occurred to you that nothing's ever occurred to God? I love that statement. God doesn't have anything pop in his head. It was already there. That's what omniscience is all about. Jesus is omniscient, in heaven, he doesn't learn anything in heaven. But the infinite mystery of the incarnation is that Jesus learned things on earth. There were things he didn't know. So when he was an infant, he was what he appeared to be, an infant who couldn't say a word, wrapped in swaddling cloths laid in the manger completely powerless. And he had to learn things. It says in Luke 2:52, Jesus "grew in wisdom and stature and favor with God and men." So he's just throughout his life, he's learning things, he's growing in his understanding. It says also in Hebrews 5 that although he was a Son, Jesus learned obedience from what he suffered. So that directly connects Jesus with the verb learn. He learned things. That should blow your mind, circuit breakers just popping off, that's the mind-blowing circuit breakers. Just I can't understand how can he be God which means omniscient and learn things? I don't know. But that's what we're celebrating at Christmas time, isn't it? The incarnation and the mystery? And so, he's learning things and this gets into the practicalities of even his daily quiet time. If you looked at Mark 1:35 later, but this is what it says, "Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place where he prayed." So that's his morning quiet time, very early he goes to a private place where he can listen to his father, and his father talked to him and shared things with him predominantly from Scripture, but also what he would face that day. And Jesus' enemies were astonished at His teaching, and at His learning. I remember how in John 7:15-16, Jesus' enemies were amazed and said, "How did this man get such learning?..." He never studied at our university? We looked through the enrollment records and he was never there. So how did he get all this advanced learning?" Jesus said these words, "My teaching is not my own. It came from Him who sent me." Do you hear that? The father taught me all the things that I know. In John 14:24, He said, "The word you hear is not mine but it is from the Father who sent me." No one in history ever spoke like this man, no one. Do you remember the time that the temple police went off to arrest Jesus? I love that story. And they come back empty-handed and dazed, amazed, right? I think they might have gotten his autograph if he gave it, I don't think he would give it, but they were just amazed. They said, "Where is he?" They said, "No one ever spoke like this man." In direct fulfillment of verse four of this chapter, his words were amazingly comforting to broken-hearted sinners. For example, he said to a paralyzed man who had faith, he said, "Take heart son, your sins are forgiven." Isn't that comforting? How would you love to hear that from the judge of all the earth? "Take heart son, your sins are forgiven." In the same chapter, to a woman had been chronically ill with bleeding, he said, "Take heart daughter, your faith has healed you." He knew the word that sustained the weary, especially this one, most famously, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." So every morning, the father awaken Jesus is here to listen and he would be trained what to say to bring comfort and consolation to sinners. And so there's this beautiful summary statement of all this in John 12:49-50, he says this, "I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent me, commanded me what to say and how to say it. I know that His command leads to eternal life, so whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say." So Jesus literally was given his script by the Father, and He says in John 6:63, "The words that I speak are Spirit and they are life." So as we listen to Jesus speaking these words, they are spirit and life for us. And so Isaiah 50, verse four, ushers us into a secret chamber of Jesus' quiet times and how the father taught him what to say to broken-hearted sinners. But verse five and six talk about his obedience to that. The Servant Speaks of His Humble Submission to Abuse Look at it again, "The Sovereign Lord has opened my ears, and I have not been rebellious, I have not drawn back. I offered my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard. I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting." Not only did the Father give Jesus' words to say but he also gave him works to do, and Jesus did all of them, all of them. So verse five shows Jesus' submission to obey the Father's will. "The Lord has opened my ears," that's an obedient heart. "I have not been rebellious, I've not drawn back." I did whatever the Father told me to do, that's what I did. He was a servant to the Father and he did the works the Father gave him to do. I love at the end of his ministry, before he goes to the cross, but in anticipation of his own obedience at the cross, he says in John 17:4 directly to the Father, "I have brought you glory on earth by completing all the work you gave me to do." Wouldn't you love to be able to say that to God for just one day? Just one day, "I have brought you glory today by doing everything you told me to do." I'm still looking for that one perfect day, maybe you are too. Jesus had a perfect life, he was obedient to everything the Father told him to do. He says in John 8:29, "The one who sent me is with me, he's not left me alone for I always do what pleases Him." Now, the ultimate degree of that was his willingness to suffer for us, to suffer in our place as our substitute. He was not rebellious, he did not draw back. And the perfect picture of this was Gethsemane. You remember how in Gethsemane Jesus is brought right to the brink of the cross and the Father metaphorically offering him the cup of wrath, the cup of judgment, the cup of death, he says, "Will you drink it?" "Going a little farther, He fell with His face to the ground and He prayed, 'My Father if it is possible, let this cup be taken from me, yet not as I will, but as you will.'" That's the spirit of this. "I was not rebellious. I didn't draw back. I drank the cup you gave to me." A couple verses later, it says he went away a second time and prayed, "My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away, unless I drink it, may your will be done." And so the prophecy here in verse six speaks plainly of the suffering that Christ would have to go through to save us from our sins. He didn't refuse the suffering, he offered his back to those who beat him, he offered his cheeks to those who plucked out his beard, he didn't hide his holy face from mocking and spitting. Here, we have the humble savior led like a lamb to the slaughter. All of this abuse would come to him and it was all part of his atoning work. Jesus took our sins on Himself, and with it came all of this abuse that sinners deserve, and he did not refuse it, but humbly submitted to it, and no one in history has ever been more obedient to Scripture than Jesus. Perfectly obedient. Do you remember how Peter tried to rescue him with his sword and he was going to fight and he says, "Put your sword away for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. Do you think I cannot call on my Father and he would at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?" Listen to the next word, though, "But how then would the Scripture be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?" "Scripture mandates that I die, and therefore I will die. I was not rebellious. I did not draw back. I went forward and died." And it says beautifully in Romans Chapter 5, "Just as through one man's disobedience, that many were made sinners, so also through the one man's obedience that many are made righteous." Find your salvation in Jesus' perfect obedience to what he heard from the Father to do. The Servant Speaks of His Vindication by God Now, verses seven through nine speak of Jesus' vindication by God, "Because the Sovereign Lord helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore I have set my face like flint, and I know I will not be put to shame. He who vindicates me is near who then will bring charges against me? Let us face each other. Who is my accuser? Let him confront me. It is the sovereign Lord, who helps me, who is he that will condemn me? They will all wear out like a garment, the moths will eat them up." So, the ultimate end of the suffering servant is not disgrace, but total complete absolute vindication by Almighty God. Isn't that awesome? Vindication, not shame or disgrace, absolute vindication. The circumstances described in verses six show an astonishing level of abuse which would sum up with abject degradation. People spitting at you, plucking out beard, stripping you, beating your back. But the servant refused to be ashamed. Think about Hebrews 12:2, "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising its shame and sat down at the right hand of the throne of Heaven." Now what does despise mean? Is that I thought little of it, it's nothing to me, the shame is nothing to me, I get to win a people for God, I get to save them from hell and therefore the shame is as nothing compared to that. And so he says, "I'm not going to be ashamed." He sets His face like flint and he goes to the cross and God totally vindicated Jesus by His glorious resurrection from the dead. The tomb was empty on the third day, that's his vindication by God. And He raises him up through the clouds, through the sky, through the heavenly realms, up to the very highest pinnacle of power, and sits Him down at the right hand of Almighty God. Now who is ready to accuse Him at that place? Who's going to stand in front of Him and bring any accusation against God, at that point? Who's going to accuse him? They're going to wear out like garment, the moth will eat them up. Now, isn't it amazing that the Apostle Paul borrows these exact same words and applies them not to Christ, but to us? He applies these same words to us, God's elect. Listen to what he says in Romans 8:33-34, he says, this should sound very familiar to you, this is Romans 8 now, not Isaiah 50, "Who will bring any charges against those whom God has chosen?" That's the elect. "It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus who died, more than that was raised to life, is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us." All of this honor, and security and protection that we have in our forgiveness comes from Christ's atonement and resurrection because we are in His exaltation. We are in Christ, and therefore we are at the right hand of God in Him, and we are protected and no one can accuse us and therefore, there is now no condemnation for those of us who are in Christ Jesus, that's awesome. And so His resurrection is our vindication. It says in Romans 4:25, "He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification." It's an interesting verse because it links our justification to Christ's resurrection, not death there. And so, we are vindicated completely by Christ's resurrection, and that's awesome. So, to sum up verses four through nine, we have presented very clearly for the first time in Isaiah the suffering of the servant. He's perfectly obedient to His Father, He knows the word that sustains the weary and he doesn't hide his face from mocking and spitting or his back from beating. This is the suffering servant. III. A Key Question: Will You Listen to the Servant or to Yourself? (vs. 10-11) Now we are brought to a fork in the road in the text. The key question for you, who are you going to listen to? Are you going to listen to the servant of the Lord, as He speaks to you, or will you listen to yourself? Those are the options. So look what he says in verse 10, "Who among you fears the Lord, and obeys the word of His servant? Let him who walks in the dark, who has no light, trust in the name of the Lord and rely on his God." So it all comes down to this, do you fear the Lord and will you listen to his servant as he speaks to you? As his servant, Christ speaks the Gospel to you will you listen to that and be saved? Romans 10:17 says, "Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message and the message is heard through the word of Christ." Christ is speaking the kingdom to you, he's speaking forgiveness to you, he's telling you to repent and believe the gospel. Mark 1:15, "Will you fear the Lord and listen to his servant?" Apart from Him, we are walking in the dark. Apart from Him, we have no light, apart from Him, we're lost, we're in sin and we need a savior. Do you know this to be true of yourself? If so, God's already worked grace in you, he's already shown you who you are. Come out of darkness into the light of salvation. Jesus said in John 8:12, when Jesus spoke again to the people, He said, "I am the light of the world, whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but have the light of life." Colossians 1:13 says, "He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us over into the Kingdom of the Beloved Son." Rescued from darkness. So listen to the word of the servant and come, or, you can do verse 11. And what does verse 11 say? "But now, all you who light fires and provide yourself with torches, flaming torches, go, walk in the light of the torches you have set ablaze." Go ahead and do that, go ahead, light your own fires, walk by your own lights, walk by your own wisdom, figure it out on your own, don't listen to the servant, don't walk in the light of Christ, just do your own thing, be confident in your own righteousness, say, "I don't need a savior." I saw a bumper sticker about two months ago, that said, "Born right the first time." Wow, immediately it was like a slap in the face, but not for me. Whoever put that on was slapping their own self in the face. You must be born again. But this person said, "No, I don't need that, I don't need that, I'm fine." So, this text is odd in that it's commanding you to go ahead and do that then. "I'm going to give you over to it, go ahead and walk in the light of your own torch. Go ahead and figure it out on your own, go ahead and save yourself. This is what you'll get from my hand. You will lie down in torment." That's the final word of Isaiah 50, it's a warning to us. I can't read this except to hear Proverbs 3:5-6, "Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths." IV. Applications So what should we do with this text? Well, can I urge you, be very, very careful how you listen to the Word of God. Jesus said that in Luke 8:18, "Consider carefully how you listen." Your soul depends on how you listen to God's Word. Remember the parable of The Seed and the Soils? Are you the rocky soil, the hard soil, are you the thorny soil, or you're the good soil, what are you? What do you do when you hear the word of God? Secondly, thank God that Jesus obeyed, listened to the Father on your behalf, thank him for that, worship him during this Christmas season, Oh, believer, Oh, Christian, just say, "Thank you for listening to the father for me, for my salvation. Thank you that in you, no one will bring any accusation against me. Thank you that I'm free from condemnation, I'm free from Satan standing to accuse me, I'm free from that. Your vindication has become my vindication. Thank you Jesus, thank you for that." Thirdly, have a quiet time, like Jesus did. Can I just use a how much more argument? If he needed a quiet time, how much more do you? He wasn't messed up, like we are, we're messed up. We could argue we needed even more than he did, but he had them even better than we did. So very early in the morning, a great while before dawn, am I pinching on you a bit here? A great while before dawn, what would that be about 5:00 AM? A great while before dawn? Okay, when it's quiet, when it's dark, when there's no one going to bother you, have a quiet time. Get the Scripture open and listen like one being taught, like Jesus did. And don't be merely a hearer of the word, but like Jesus in verse six, do what it says, even if it hurts you, even if it costs you something. And if I can just plead with you if you're here outside of faith in Christ, if you're lost, can I just plead with you not to walk in the light of your own intellect, in your own salvation, in your own righteousness? Can I plead with you to take that torch you lit that you consider your own guiding light and throw it down into a bucket of water or into the ocean and say, "I am lost. I'm lost. I don't know what I'm doing, I don't know where I'm going. I don't know what's going to happen to me when I die, I need a savior. Jesus, be for me the light of the world. I need your light." Call on Him and He will save you. Don't leave here in the darkness. And finally let's be willing as a church, to suffer, to not hide our face from mocking and spitting and beatings, for the sake of the gospel. Let's be willing to evangelize lost people. There are people surrounding us every day like the person who put that bumper sticker on the car, people surrounding us thinking these thoughts, they need a savior. And they are among the hardest to reach on earth, because they've heard it so many times. We are here to reach them. Let's be willing to suffer as Jesus did, lower level, but let's be willing to suffer. Let's be willing to suffer financially, what Kurt said, "Let's sacrifice financially, as never before, for the sake of missions." Let's not know that there are brothers and sisters fully-trained ready to go, but they're not going because of funding. That might actually be the clearest application of 2nd Peter 3, "Looking forward to the day of God, and speed it's coming," how? Give money because those folks will be unleashed and unreached people groups will hear. Let's walk in the light of the Lord, as He's given it to us in the scripture, close with me in prayer.

Pastor Mike Sciarra continues through the gospel of Matthew preaching on Gethsemane: Jesus at His Heartfelt Best.

Message from Bobby Herrington on March 24, 2013

What are you afraid of? Being a Texas, you may say, "I a'int fraid a nuttin'" yet the truth is we all face fear. But you don't have to be broken by fear. In fact the very things that you fear can strengthen you. In the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus faced his fears and found the strength to face the cross through the power of prayer. Join us this Sunday at 8:30 or 11:00am as we begin our Easter series "Unleashed" with a sermon entitled "Facing your Fears" from Matthew 26:36-46.

Jesus arrested – In the garden of Gethsemane Jesus was arrested without reason, betrayed with a kiss, misunderstood by his disciples, taken away without a fight and stood silently before the authorities. This message is an incredible reminder of what true love and an undying commitment looks like.

Den Abend vor seinem Tod verbrachte Jesus mit seinen engsten Freunden in einem Garten am Fuß des Ölbergs. Noch heute versammeln sich dort am Gründonnerstag Hunderte von Christen, um die Nacht im gebet zu verbringen. Der Name des Gartens, “Gethsemane”, … Weiter