Sermon: Come To The Garden

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you may be seated. If you would open your bibles to the gospel according to Matthew chapter 26 gospel according to Matthew chapter 26 we are at a series at Apologia Church called the kingdom of God it's a working through verse by verse through the gospel according to Matthew and we are in chapter 26 very powerful moments in the ministry and the life of the

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Lord Jesus there are things here before us that I think are on the bottom shelf we can apprehend we can grab hold of and understand and there are things here

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I have to confess that I believe are incomprehensible and we cannot fully understand as creatures the glory of the incarnation and the working together of the triune

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God in this particular moment there is so much here in terms of desperation and grief in the son of man

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God as a man and so the text will be

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Matthew chapter 26 starting in verse 30 hear now the word of the living and the true

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God and when they had sung a hymn they went out to the Mount of Olives then

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Jesus said to them you will all fall away because of me this night for it is written I will strike the shepherd and the sheep of the flock will be scattered but after I am raised up I will go before you to Galilee Peter answered him though they all fall away because of you

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I will never fall away Jesus said to him truly I tell you this very night before the rooster crows you will deny me three times

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Peter said to him even if I must die with you I will not deny you and all the disciples said the same then

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Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane and he said to the disciples sit here while I go over there and pray and taking with him

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Peter and the two sons of Zebedee he began to be sorrowful and troubled and he said to them my soul is very sorrowful even to death remain here and watch with me and going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed saying my father if it is be possible let this cup pass for me nevertheless not as I will but as you will and he came to the disciples and found them sleeping and he said to Peter so could you not watch with me one hour watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation the spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weak again for the second time he went away and prayed my father if this cannot pass unless I drink it you will be done and again he came and found them sleeping for their eyes were heavy so leaving them again he went away and prayed for the third time saying the same words again then he came to the disciples and said to them sleep and take your rest later on see the hours at hand and the son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners rise let us be going see my betrayer is at hand as far as the reading of God's holy and inspired word let's pray together as his people

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Lord we come into your presence Lord with a recognition of your glory in Lord of the gift of your word your revelation to us and we come to you humble right now in this moment recognizing that there are deep deep things here things that we know in our own creaturely state we could not fully begin to comprehend but we ask that you by your spirit would teach us through your word today that you would guide the teaching today speak to your people open our hearts to your truth challenge us renew us be glorified in the proclamation of your word in Jesus name amen so we're starting here today in this section after this is of course after we've learned about the betrayal of Judas we have of course the institution of the

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Lord's Supper we have this spectacular moment of Passover taking place all of God's revelation from Genesis onward throughout the

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Old Testament is now finding is now finding its summary in the life and ministry of Jesus I mean you see it so spectacularly in this moment we have the true

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Passover lamb taking his seat at the table during Passover and he is what it was all pointing to in the first place and of course

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Jesus says take and eat this is my body and he says drink this all of you and he says this is his blood the blood of the covenant which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins this is a powerful moment in the life of Jesus and we have to just stop for a moment and we have to try to get away from remembering that painting right where they're seated at a high table with all the disciples

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I mean this is a very intimate moment but it's also a moment that is filled with so much pain

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I mean they're probably on the floor very close to the floor leaning against one another it's very intimate and there's so much meaning to this moment it is a deeply held tradition by the

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Jews Passover was a commandment it was everything and now here is that true Passover lamb seated with them and when he's breaking the bread and he's giving the wine remember this that what he is giving to his people to receive into themselves at that moment and throughout time we're gonna do it today what he's giving to them is something that actually symbolizes his brokenness his pain you are bought with a price this is not just theater this is not something just merely to put on a painting and to glory in the artistry and this is a painful moment what

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Jesus is doing and breaking the bread is he's talking about his body that's going to be broken and his blood that's gonna be poured out that's going to be shed

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I mean that's a shocking thing it is recently Augustine is you know he's one and a half years old and he is beautiful and amazing and dangerous he's dangerous he has no fear he's fearless right he's fearless and he's all boy he likes to ram you with his head he thinks it's hilarious to like run across the room and slam his head into you he's like I call him a little tank

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Luke says that his feet are like all -terrain feet his big old feet his all -terrain feet he is just all like muscle and strong and he likes to ram into things and he's dangerous and a couple of weeks ago

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I think about three weeks ago he was he climbed up on this little tiny kind of just stool kind of thing he slips and falls we caught him but not

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I guess in time enough and so as we lifted up we thought he's fine next thing you know we see that his tooth has gone through the bottom of his lip and he's just pouring blood now when it first happened we were like oh we got you we got you just slipped a little bit we literally scooped him but he banged his head and as soon as we turned him around there is blood pouring from his face and you know that feeling right when you see blood something serious right it jolts you it wakes you up like this is okay take it seriously there's blood flow now this is not a minor thing and so of course we ran to the hospital and we were there to like three in the morning and all the rest but you do that when you see blood because blood is serious and here

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Jesus at the table this moment of intimacy with his people where he is showing them who he truly is and he is giving them the elements remember this never forget it this is a moment of deep pain and grief for the

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Lord Jesus I think we need to stop and think for a moment as we unpack this we're gonna go into the narrative here we're gonna unpack all these verses and talk about the garden of Gethsemane in this moment and again there are things here

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I don't think we could possibly comprehend I really don't we have to consider something about this moment this is a moment filled with very serious pain

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Jesus is not a robot okay two things you want to consider as you think about Jesus the

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God man truly man and truly God number one Jesus is not mechanical he's not a robot he is a human being yes he is truly

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God of course but he is truly human he can he has to be truly human to be your substitute to represent you if he's a goat or an animal he can never represent you because that's not the image of God Jesus is the perfect image of God he is what you and I are supposed to be and he is it in perfection and Jesus is not a

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Jesus feels the sense of loss when his friends abandon him and so this Jesus is not mechanical this is not robotic yes he's

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God but something Pastor James has said often I think it's powerful it's a second point here not only is he not a robot but Jesus did not glow as he walked down the streets of Jerusalem because he's

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God now of course we have a moment in the Gospels where sort of the veil is is torn away for a moment and you begin to see the real glory of Jesus Christ that was a spectacular moment but that was not an everyday thing that was out of the norm

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Jesus isn't walking down the streets of Jerusalem like he was in the transfiguration

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Jesus is God Jesus is man and in this moment

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Jesus is doing something at this table that represents his suffering he's breaking bread and giving them wine he said this is my blood this is what this is supposed to remind you of do this in remembrance of me but it's all about pain and it's not just the pain of the broken body and the shed blood never forget he is going as the

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Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world it's not just the physical pain of the crucifixion that Jesus is going to endure it's not just the punching in the face and the pulling of the beard and the crown of thorns crammed into his head

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Jesus is gonna receive on that tree on that cross something we could not possibly fathom it's incomprehensible to be receiving into himself the wrath of the

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Father the Holy God the perfect and just God who can never simply let sin and crimes go in order to be a just and holy

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God he must be just he must answer and Jesus is going to receive the wrath of God the just God the

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Holy God for all the sins of his people for all time this is a moment filled with pain incomprehensible so don't miss it and don't simply move through these texts and fly past them and not allow yourself to be touched by the emotion and the humanity in this moment

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I think that's probably the most important thing to grapple with here is that the humanity of the

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Lord Jesus which you and I need desperately without his true humanity he is not a perfect representative or substitutes so in this moment look

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Jesus we're gonna read things here where you see Jesus grieved and saying things like I feel like I want to die in the garden

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I feel like I feel like I'm dying as Jesus in this world in this life experiencing a fallen world in the same way you do yet without sin without flirting with temptation without yielding to temptation

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Jesus feeling everything I'd listen there's not a thing as we open this there is not a thing that you and I as the people of God that we've experienced in this world that we could bring to Jesus that he doesn't know about that he hasn't touched himself you want to talk about abandonment you want to talk about betrayal you want to talk about people lying about you they lied about Jesus they brought false reports they couldn't get their testimonies to match you have people actually working together so deceptively to betray

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Jesus but also to put him before a court system and to have him murdered

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Jesus was physically tortured they did things to his body that they had no right to do

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Jesus knows every bit of our pain the things that we experienced in this fallen world and yet he faced down these trials and temptations without sin he is a perfect high priest who sympathizes with you and I in our weaknesses and in this moment there is so much of the biblical story tied together so let's get to it in verse 20

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I'm sorry verse 30 it says and when they had sung a hymn they went out to the

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Mount of Olives they went out to the Mount of Olives now it's interesting in Matthew's narrative this is actually the third visit to the

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Mount of Olives the third visit to the Mount of Olives you see it in 21 1 and 24 3 so this the first the third time that Matthew's bringing us into this story where Jesus is at the

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Mount of Olives and you need to think about Jerusalem in in the way of it's it's actually not a very big city but it was seen as the city this is the this is the big place this is where all the action takes place this is the city of Jerusalem but as soon as you left the gates and you depart and you went out you were kind of in the country so that it was a stark difference in the city and then in the country this is way out out of the city and so Jesus now departs and he goes to the

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Mount of Olives and it's interesting because if you look at John chapter 18 John chapter 18 verses 1 through 3 it says this when

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Jesus had spoken these words he went out with his disciples across the brook Kidron where there was a garden which he and his disciples entered now

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Judas who betrayed him also knew the place for Jesus often met there with his disciples so Judas having procured a band of soldiers and some officers from the chief priests and the

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Pharisees went there with lanterns and torches and weapons and so this is by the way right here and John's gospel in chapter 18 this is of course after the

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Last Supper and then Jesus has the long discourse to his disciples sort of a final address to them but you have this description here that Judas knew where Jesus was going to be so apparently this was a place that was maybe owned by a follower of Jesus a wealthy follower of Jesus it was the

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Garden of Gethsemane he eventually ends up to pray in Gethsemane means oil press so he's the

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Garden of Gethsemane it means oil press but it's interesting because as you read the narrative here remember this that Matthew from the beginning of the gospel according to Matthew is showing you that Jesus actually fulfills all that the

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Old Testament was pointing to even to the degree that Matthew is showing that Jesus is the true and perfect Israel so you see that where even

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Matthew uses a verse that was about the people of Israel but he applies it to Jesus and he puts

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Jesus in the wilderness and he's there for 40 days and that of course is reminiscent of what took place of the people of Israel wandering in the wilderness for 40 years so Matthew's already done this and shown that all of this story was really about Jesus down to the

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Passover that was about Jesus but it's interesting in this moment in verse 30 they sing a hymn and they go to the

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Mount of Olives so here's Jesus leaving the city and going to the Mount of Olives is this alluding to 2nd

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Samuel chapter 15 verses 30 through 31 2nd

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Samuel 15 30 through 31 this is from the exegetical commentary on Matthew it says that David fled

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King David fled to the Mount of Olives weeping and praying after he learned that Ahithophel his trusted advisor had joined the plot of his son

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Absalom in rebellion against his reign so Ahithophel wanted to attack

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David at night 17 verses 1 through 2 2nd Samuel 17 1 through 2 and like Judas he hung himself when his plot didn't work out in 2nd

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Samuel 17 verse 23 so you again you see examples of there's a narrative a historical narrative in the

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Old Testament that actually ends up finding its full fulfillment in the Lord Jesus in his life

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David did the same thing he leaves Jerusalem goes to the Mount of Olives there's a plot to kill him at night or to take him at night and the person who actually fails in the plot ends up hanging themselves takes place right here in the life of Jesus now this is what's interesting here is

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Jesus leaves the table they sing a hymn they go to the Mount of Olives but this little space here if you take the

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Gospels and put them together is where you have Jesus' final address in John 13 through 17 to his disciples so I just want you to see a piece from that so you can kind of place this together in your

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Gospels as you're reading Matthew's Gospel you can oftentimes pick up more details from another

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Gospel but it's interesting because in this moment where they leave the table and they go to the Mount of Olives a lot took place according to the

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Gospel according to John I want you to see it just go to 13 I'm not going to do all of it but I do want you to see some remarkable things that take place in this section in John 13 started verse 30 here's how the

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Gospel according to John does this so after receiving the morsel of bread he immediately went out and it was night what's that about that's about Judas right so they're at the table

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Judas is going to betray Jesus and here are some of the most spectacular words

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I believe from the ministry of Jesus in these these chapters from 13 through 17 just some points here again not the whole section when he had gone out verse 31

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Jesus said now is the Son of Man glorified and God is glorified in him if God is glorified in him

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God will also glorify him in himself and glorify him at once little children yet a little while I am with you you will seek me and just as I said to the

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Jews so now I also say to you where I am going you cannot come a new commandment

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I give to you that you love one another just as I have loved you you also were to love one another by this all people will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another isn't it powerful when you put this together in terms of the timeline

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Jesus was just at the table this is a harrowing moment for all the people of God it is a moment filled with grief and pain for the

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Lord Jesus he fought he goes out to the Mount of Olives he's gonna end up at the Garden of Gethsemane but apparently this conversation takes place between those points and these are those famous sections of course you see in verse 36 there of 13 this is where Simon Peter says he's not gonna deny him but in chapter 14 verse 1 let not your hearts be troubled believe in God believe also in me in my father's house are many rooms if it were not so I would have told you that I go to prepare a place for you but I'm sorry if I were not so what

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I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you and if I go and prepare a place for you I will come again and I will take you to myself that where I am you may be also and you know the way to where I'm going

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Thomas said to him Lord we do not know where you're going how can we know the way

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Jesus said to him I am the way and the truth and the life no one comes to the father except through me if you had known me you also would have known my father also from now on you do know him and have seen him now as you continue to move through you see

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Jesus in chapter 14 verse 15 he promises to give us the helper the spirit of truth and the world cannot see because it neither sees him nor knows him you know him for he dwells with you and will be in you verse 25 these things

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I've spoken to you while I am still with you but the helper the Holy Spirit whom the father will send in my name he will teach you all things and bring to remembrance your remembrance all that I have said to you peace

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I leave with you my peace I give to you not as the world gives to you let not your hearts be troubled neither let them be afraid you heard me say to you

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I'm going away and I will come to you if you loved me you would have rejoiced because I'm going to the father for the father is greater than I mark that in that moment there the father is greater than I the

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God -man Jesus Christ and in intimate relationship with the father from all eternity in this moment the ministry of Jesus the father is greater than I it's a powerful thing to keep in mind go to chapter 17 to see some more of these glorious statements because this takes place here in this moment leaving

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Jerusalem leaving the table going to the garden here are Jesus's farewell words to his disciples can you imagine the intensity of this moment just picture it the intensity of this moment the grief of this moment the pain of this moment there's almost a sense of desperation in this moment for the disciples and this is a powerful scene and this section of scripture from 13 to 17 and John is taking place in this little moment this farewell address to his disciples final words it's like he's giving them

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I think this powerful dump of encouragement and it's it's beautiful but here it is right here 17 here it is when

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Jesus had spoken these words he lifted up his eyes to heaven and said father the hour has come glorify your son that you that the son may glorify you since you have given him authority over all flesh to give eternal life to all whom you have given him and this is eternal life that they know you the only true

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God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent I glorified you on earth having accomplished the work that you gave me to do and now father look at this and now father glorify me in your presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed there's a tension in this moment you have to recognize it because of the incarnation there's a tension in this moment the

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God man is going to endure the wrath of the father he's going to save us from God think about that as a man but he says here glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed it truly is a powerful moment and again

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I think there are things here that are incomprehensible for creatures back to 26 starting in verse 31 it says then

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Jesus said to them you will all fall away because of me this night for it is written

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I will strike the shepherd and the sheep of the flock will be scattered but after I am raised up I will go before you to Galilee so that's 31 to 32 he makes the promise that it's written

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I will strike the shepherd and the sheep of the flock will be scattered but after I am raised up I will go before you to Galilee now first thing is obviously

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Matthew points out here that this is the fulfillment of Zechariah chapter 13 verse 7 again another example of how the

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New Testament authors do not act in a way or behave like the ministry of Jesus the life of Jesus is a novelty dropped into history it's a novelty not a novelty this is a fulfillment of all that the scriptures have promised and so it's a fulfillment of Zechariah 13 7 now

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I want to have a I want to point out and note verse 31 it says

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I will strike the shepherd I will strike the shepherd who's that who's that God I will strike the shepherd and the sheep of the flock are going to be scattered so the first thing to note is that it is

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God doing this it is God who is in control and who says this

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Jesus Jesus you will all fall away because of me this night for it is written

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I will strike the shepherd and the sheep of the flock will be scattered there is a tension here that is incomprehensible

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Jesus knows it is God the Father who is doing this he's the sovereign over this entire story and yet you'll see in a moment here that Jesus in the

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Garden of Gethsemane is calling him my father there is a tension here that we cannot possibly wrap our minds around I will strike the shepherd you see this not just here in this moment for Jesus in Matthew 26 you also see the story played out long before Jesus comes and Isaiah 53

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I want you to see it with your own eyes Isaiah 53 you've been here a lot but I want you to see this example this is something that is a consistent theme regarding the ministry of the

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Messiah in Scripture Isaiah chapter 53 you know this this famous section of Scripture that has the life of Jesus and the ministry of Jesus from top to bottom it is unavoidable in Isaiah 53 in verse 6 it says this all we like sheep have gone astray there it is again

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God's people the sheep going astray being scattered that theme throughout

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Scripture of course we have turned everyone to his own way and here it is and the

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Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all

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Jesus affirms it here in this moment I will strike the shepherd that is God the

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Father striking Jesus the sheep scatter Jesus acknowledges the sovereign will of the

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Father in this moment it is the Father doing this to Jesus of course for God's people but in Isaiah 53 it says the

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Lord has laid on him who's the him Jesus the Messiah that's this is the Messianic Psalm the

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Lord has laid on Jesus the iniquity of us all another example verse 10

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Isaiah 53 10 it says this yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him the will of the

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Lord to crush him he has put him to grief when his soul makes an offering for guilt he shall see his offspring he shall prolong his days the will of the

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Lord shall prosper in his hands out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied but here in verse 10 it's the will of the

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Lord to crush Jesus now I've said this oftentimes when I've preached on this passage there is no way you and I can possibly fathom that kind of intense love that kind of intense and complicated love you have children some of us understand the love a parent has for a child this is what's a really weird thing right like you think as you have a child you think man there there is no way

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I could love anything in this world like I love this beautiful creature right here like this is this love you find even later in life you thought you'd experienced all kinds of love and then you have a child and you realize like all of yourself sort of fades away everything is about them all of your life is about them giving up for them

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I would say there's even a more interesting kind of way this turns out when you have grandchildren you're like well maybe

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I can love something more than them it's right it's kind of a weird experience like these intense levels of love but here's the deal look none of us have the capability to be able to give up our own child for somebody else can you do that you do that maybe

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I mean Jesus talks about you know perhaps for a good man somebody might die right but how about this would you allow your child to be murdered and brutalized for somebody who hates you your enemies because that's the story of the gospel

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God the Father giving his son the son of his love that he has been an eternal fellowship with from all eternity glory forever he gives up that son for his enemies that is a divine love and that's a love that we cannot possibly comprehend but Jesus says

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I will strike the shepherd God is gonna strike the shepherd the sheep are gonna scatter this is in fulfillment of course of Zechariah 13 7 but note the second detail

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Matthew 26 31 through 32 in verse 32 he says one first point after I am raised up there's a guarantee

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Jesus knows this is not out of control this is ordained he could tell

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Peter you're gonna do this Judas you're gonna do this he knows the future I'm going to Jerusalem they're gonna crucify me and in three days

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I will rise again he knows that this thing is in full control of the father the father is doing this and Jesus says what first point after I'm raised up it's guaranteed this is where the story is going after I'm raised up second point

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I will go before you to Galilee he's gonna restore them so not just he's gonna strike the shepherd and the sheep of the flock gonna be scattered the father's doing all this

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Jesus says and then I'm gonna rise again I'm gonna go before you to Galilee and then

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I'll regather you I'm gonna come and get my flock again you see even even with the betrayal and the abandonment

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Jesus has such an intense love for his people he knows for whom he has come you're gonna be scattered he says and then after I'm raised

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I'm gonna come get you I'm gonna gather you he will care and come for his flock which ends up being of course a global flock of every tribe tongue people and language look around this room right now look around this room right now look at all the different types of people the different colors all the differences

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Jesus was raised and he came to regather his flock bring them together again and of course bring the light of that gospel all over the world which is a promise from Isaiah chapter 9 but I'm getting ahead of myself reading in verse 33 now

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Peter answered him though they all fall away because of you

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I will never fall away Jesus said to him truly

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I tell you this very night before the rooster crows you will deny me three times Peter said to him even if I must die with you

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I will not deny you and all the disciples said the same give him some grace everybody was telling that tale all of them were but notice that Peter says

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I will never fall away it's never gonna happen what he's kind of the sovereign

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God he just told you what's gonna happen I don't know how we'd all react and I mean we gotta be gracious to these guys they're only human and put your you know

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I would never done that yeah you probably would have just like him right I mean don't don't put yourself over the disciples

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I mean you probably do exactly the same thing I'll never I'll never fall away Jesus I don't maybe maybe listen to him but Jesus says truly now of course you know some translations say verily truly verily or amen the word is amen it's settled

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Jesus when he says I will never fall away Jesus says amen this is settled you're not just gonna fall away he says before the rooster crows you will deny me three times now what's powerful about this is that the other disciples were in on this too

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Judas is lying through his teeth like is it me rabbi he's already done the dirty work he's there to basically betray

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Jesus is it me everybody's freaked out am I gonna betray Jesus is it me Jesus is it me and now

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Jesus says you're all gonna be scattered you're all gonna fall away and Peter's like even if I have to die I'm never ever doing it

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Jesus says three times Peter doesn't just scatter Peter actually denies him three times three times you see all the disciples said the same they all abandon him but Peter denies him three times we'll get into that later as we get to that text where he does deny the

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Lord Jesus but now look at this verse 36 then Jesus went with them to a place called

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Gethsemane and he said to his disciples sit here while I go over there and pray now can

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I just say this is really important for us as Christians to not just simply just breeze through the text right just move right through it there's times you have to stop and consider and meditate and ask the question has

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God ever done this before is this a story that's consistent with other stories in Scripture are we supposed to find more depth in this moment because you have to remember also that when the writers of Scripture are writing they are putting the most important things for their story into the text they know what they intend and of course it's divinely inspired but don't forget there is meaning to every single word in Scripture and in this moment

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Jesus leaves Jerusalem Mount of Olives now the garden of Gethsemane well who is

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Jesus he's the Messiah who is he he's the Passover Lamb the true Passover who is

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Jesus the Son of Man who is he he's our substitute you see this story isn't just again a novelty in this moment oh and they happen to be in a garden no

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Jesus according to Matthew is the true and perfect Israel go back remember Matthew opens up his gospel talking about the kingdom of God the gospel of the kingdom

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Jesus is a true and perfect Israel clearly it's being displayed to those chapters but you also have the temptation of Jesus where the

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Spirit of God drives Jesus into the wilderness and you have all of those tests those trials in the wilderness where Jesus has victory over Satan over the enemy in the wilderness where Israel had failed wherever Israel fails

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Jesus obeys Jesus is victorious he doesn't succumb to the pressure and the temptation he doesn't flirt with the temptation that Israel flirted with and ultimately succumbed to they're wandering in the wilderness because of disobedience

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Jesus goes into the wilderness and has victorious obedience that's what takes place

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Matthew's already told us that story but hey quick question is there anywhere else in the Bible that talks about a garden it's in the beginning of your

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Bible right the Bible opens up with a story of what God's presence with his people with his image where in a garden and what do you have according to scripture is you have

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Adam who represents all of humanity all of humanity in Romans 5 is basically put into two categories you're either in Adam where there is condemnation and there is death or you are in Christ where there is righteousness and eternal life there are ultimately two

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Adams which representative are you in Adam falls in the garden why because it's the will of God for Adam to do these things

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God says here's what you're to do all right here's something you can do and here's what you are not to do that's our first parent all of us

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I don't care about your color I don't care about where you're from I don't care about you

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I don't care about your ancestry every one of us have the same parent we all go back to the same dad and mom ultimately and they're both sinners and Adam represents you perfectly doesn't he that's a big old amen yes but Adam is the image of God in the garden and where God gives his image his will

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Adam sins Adam disobeys with a high hand he knows what the revelation of God is he knows what the will of God is he's in a garden he sins with a high hand against God and God does what he drives them out of his presence out of his garden the relationship with God and man is now severed and broken because of sin there is where our alienation from God takes place and now

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Jesus the perfect image of God our perfect representative the perfect substitute for God's people he now goes into the garden only this story is different for the

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Lord Jesus he goes into a garden and what does he say what

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Adam didn't say not my will but yours be done do you see that at every point of contact

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Jesus is worthy at every point of contact Jesus is a perfect Savior and a perfect representative where Israel fails

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Jesus is victorious where Adam fails Jesus is victorious Adam falls in the garden Jesus is victorious ultimately in a garden he's resurrected in a garden where death enters a garden

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Jesus conquers death in a garden victorious he's the perfect Adam and I think that that's happening here in the text but let's let's say a word here as we get into the garden let's say a word here about the

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Trinity and the incarnation now I would just point you all if you don't have it yet shame on you it is of course

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Dr. White's book on the Trinity the Forgotten Trinity it is easy to read through it is a small book it's not a ginormous book it is easy to read through it is a delight to read if you haven't read that get the

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Forgotten Trinity but we can't do a whole thing today on the Trinity reincarnation I want to make some points of contact here that I think are important for us as people of God as we go into this text to understand the glory of it this is the

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God -man he is unique because he is truly

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God and he is truly man he's not kind of God kind of man you know partially divine partially human he is unique in all of human history because he's truly

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God and truly man now in our catechism pastor

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James just talked about the Carmen Christie he talked about Philippians chapter 2 and in Philippians chapter 2 we have of course this spectacular description listen to what it says in Philippians chapter 2 it says this verse 1 so if there is any encouragement in Christ any comfort from love any participation in the spirit any affection and sympathy complete my joy by being of the same minds having the same love being in full accord and of one mind do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit but in humility count others more significant than yourselves let each of you look out look not only to his own interests but also to the interests of others have this mind among yourselves which is yours in Christ Jesus who though he was in the form of God did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped or held on to but emptied himself taking the form of a servant being born and the likeness of men and being found in human form he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death even death on a cross there it is there there is a description somewhat of the mystery taking place within the incarnation the things that we cannot fully comprehend but we have it right there we can apprehend that Jesus is in the form of God and yet he humbles himself becomes obedient even to the point of death so we can see here that in this incarnation there is a veiling of the glory of the

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Messiah in the incarnation something takes place here that is beyond our ability to fully describe there's something veiled here in the

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God -man you see what do you see in the life and ministry of Jesus Jesus talks to the father a problem for people who deny the

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Trinity and modalists and all the rest Jesus talks to the father and the father answers him from heaven there's a relationship there

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Jesus is not the father the father is not Jesus the spirit is not the father or the son there are three persons

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I read to you from John chapter 14 Jesus says the Holy Spirit whom the father will send in my name he not it he will guide you into all truth he will convict the world of sin and righteousness there are three persons one

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God three persons but Jesus the second person of the

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Trinity the eternal Son of God he condescends humbles himself takes on flesh talks to the father the father talks to him and we know in John chapter 1 in the beginning was the word

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Jesus was always there forever ago and the word was with God and the word what was

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God the same was in the beginning with God and it says that Jesus created everything in existence and without him nothing came into being that's come into being and God became flesh and walked among us we see that in John chapter 1 but you see a relationship there between the father and the son forever ago for all eternity people ask questions dumb questions

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I think they'll say you know well you know God created all this and you know what was he doing for all eternity before he created the world he's fine he's fine right like we think we're so special like well what was he doing without us he was fine we're not that great okay he was he was fun in eternal fellowship and unity from all eternity the hat the

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Bible calls him the happy God the happy God it's complex it's beautiful but Jesus in his ministry he says things in John sorry

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Matthew 24 that he doesn't know the day and hour now cultists and those who deny the deity of Christ love things like that oh yeah if Jesus is

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God how come he didn't even know the timing of his own parousia how come I mean doesn't

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God know everything oh yeah you're forgetting Philippians chapter 2 you're forgetting that this is the incarnation you're forgetting this is the

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God man this is Jesus humbling himself taking on the form of a man he is now man he is like us and think about this in these ways

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Jesus felt pain right we tend to think of like Jesus like hovering over Jerusalem sort of a thing now did

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Jesus show up moments that he has full control over his creation that he's God he walked on water he says to like a little dead girl arise and she comes up from the dead he can say to somebody see and then they could see again

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Jesus knew people's thoughts Jesus forgave people's sins Jesus showed all those aspects of being

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God and yet Jesus also felt every single inch of those nails every inch

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Jesus felt every bit of them cramming that crown of thorns into his head

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Jesus felt the beating Jesus felt the whipping and the tearing of flesh

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Jesus was gasping for air he felt the pain of hunger

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Jesus felt a desperation of thirst and Jesus felt the grief of abandonment you see this is in our catechism 1689

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London Baptist confession of faith we have a catechism just means teaching where we teach and train and equip and memorize things that are core sort of essentials of the faith important aspects of what we believe as Reformed Baptists and in our catechism we're in right now it's perfect isn't it perfect catechism question right now

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I like the providential moment of the catechism we didn't plan this but it worked out perfect catechism question number 31 what do we mean by Christ's humiliation by Christ's humiliation we mean that he was born and that in a low condition that he was made under the law and underwent the miseries of this life and underwent the miseries of this life the wrath of God and the cursed death of the cross that he was buried and continued in the power of death for a time but that point there under the law and underwent the miseries of this life that's what we're talking about right now that's where we're at in the life of Jesus two things to point out real fast it's important the active and passive obedience of Jesus we're gonna see a scene here as we read through this about the garden and Jesus grief here and basically feeling like he's dying like he wants to die we're gonna see things that I think we'll understand better if we understand concepts like the active and passive obedience of Jesus it's something

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Reformers talked a lot about in terms of if you as a believer turn from sin to trust in Christ and you're trusting in Jesus God credits to you righteousness it's a foreign righteousness it's not your righteousness your declared rights through faith in Jesus apart from any work of the law despite what the hecklers say okay it's all grace it's all alone faith in Christ but it's a foreign righteousness it's his righteousness that's credited to you and your unrighteousness that's credited to him but when we talk about the righteousness of Jesus and his obedience we tend to put it together it's it's really all of his work together we classified as the active and passive obedience of Christ it represents his whole work but we just described different aspects of it active obedience is this

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Jesus actively obeys what he is commanded from the

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Father God's law and he won't do what he's told not to in other words

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God says and he does here's the commandment he obeys it God says do this he does it

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God says don't do that and Jesus doesn't do it there's this active obedience there's him doing what you and I don't but the passive obedience is essentially this

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Jesus doesn't resist his passive obedience is he doesn't resist the

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Father's will he submits to the Father's will now you know this passage

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I believe but we're gonna go to it together I want you to go to you through your Bible so that you know where it's at in your

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Bible Hebrews chapter 4 I think there's something really powerful about this particular statement about the

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Lord Jesus that highlights really the beauty of this moment in the garden in Hebrews chapter 4 verses 14 through 15 it says this since then we have a great high priest that's

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Jesus he's your high priest he's your substitute he's your mediator since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens

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Jesus the Son of God let us hold fast our confession for we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are yet without sin there's the glory of the incarnation right there

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Jesus sympathizes with you and your weakness and in this moment listen I think for me one of the most powerful connecting points here for me in the garden is this desperation here this grief all of this moment that is sort of summed up here in this intense moment of despair shows me that I have a

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Savior who understands me when I come to talk to him when I feel like things are broken out of control when

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I feel there is difficulty when I feel that there's estrangement and despair when I feel like there's abandonment when

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I feel like there's hurt and lies and sin and slander and gossip I know that when

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I come to Jesus and I'm pleading with the Lord and I'm pouring my heart out to him

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I'm talking to a high priest who knows what I'm feeling not just knows it as God from above because he knows everything right we think about that like well

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God understands your pain well I mean I think people could say that in other false religions because they'll say yeah he sort of stands above it and he knows stuff about it and so he understands your pain not the true

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God not the God of Christianity he understands your pain because he entered in to it and you see that in this moment of deep pain he experienced everything you and I experience yet without sin now verse 37

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Jesus is just told the disciples sit here while I go over there and pray and it says here in verse 37 through 38 and taking with him

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Peter and the two sons of Zebedee he began to be sorrowful and troubled then he said to them my soul is very sorrowful even to death remain here and watch with me

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Jesus is sorrowful Jesus is deeply troubled and Jesus says in this place he says what my soul is very sorrowful even to death remain here and watch me with me think about the moment now he knows what's coming he knows the betrayer is coming on under the darkness if from the darkness coming to take him away the lies are gonna be told he knows about the crucifixion he knows this is all gonna happen and he's about to receive the wrath of God in your place and in mine and he says what it feels like I'm dying that is powerful we're at the beginning of this

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I said we have to be we have to be sure as believers to not sort of portray

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Jesus as like a robot he's not mechanical right and we can't also betray him as somebody who is hovering over the streets of Jerusalem glowing as he walked down the streets

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Jesus is the God man truly God and truly man and here in this moment he knows what he's about to endure and he says what it feels like I'm dying he tells his disciples he breaks him into sections right so he says these you sit here and by the way it wasn't like yeah take a seat

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Jesus is asking them to sit down and to be watchful prayerful with him he needs the friends he needs the people this is a moment where the

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Son of God the God man truly man truly God is in so much grief and anguish he says

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I feel like I'm dying and what does he want he wants his friends his brothers to pray with him pray with me and so sit down be watchful and pray with me that's what

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Jesus is asking his disciples for at that moment he breaks him I'm in a group you sit here and he gets a smaller group to come with them and he says

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I feel like I'm dying he's about to receive the wrath of God he's about to feel the pain of crucifixion he's about to be mocked and reviled and so he says to his people he says remain here and the word is watch this word is used in the gospel according to Matthew in Matthew 24 42 through 43 and 25 13 same word watch and in those instances it is referring to a spirited vigilance a spiritual vigilance or attentiveness in light of the

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Pharisee I remember we did that weeks ago we talked about watch for you do not know the hour the master is coming and so that word there is used as watch be attentive be ready spiritually attentive right you are ready attentive aware

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Jesus used the same word here but he tells him sit down and watch like that for me now pray he wants them to pray with him and for him and I here we go this is where it gets powerful 39 verse 39 and going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed saying my father if it be possible let this cup pass from me nevertheless not as I will but as you will you ever had a prayer like that you ever had a prayer like that where you've experienced so much grief maybe death and loss or you're so confused and you're so hurting you feel like just literally everything has come undone and you can't do anything but literally fall down and beg your high priest knows what that's like in this moment it's so much so much pain so much grief so much sorrow ahead of him that Jesus falls on his face and here's the words again this complexities here that we cannot possibly pretend to comprehend he says to the one who's going to strike him and lay the sin of God's people on to him the one who's sovereign over this that predestined this moment he says this my father you see

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I think we're different aren't we do you ever do you have any moments don't shout it out do you have any moments where you've had to endure difficulties of suffering in this life in God's hand of Providence where you've actually yelled at God you ever have a moment like that ever

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I mean I moments where you are angry with God and his Providence you shout at him where are you why are you doing this you doubt him you just wallow for a little while and unbelief condemn

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God blame God this is your fault you could be better here's a moment where Jesus knows he is about to experience the worst thing this universe has ever contemplated in terms of the justice of God he knows that it is the father's plan it's the father's will this is what he commands he decrees and Jesus says in the midst of it he says my father he never loses sight of his trust in the father or his intimacy with the father this is complicated can you just grant that and admit that there is no loss here between Jesus and the father in terms of his dependence upon the father or the intimacy with the father he still says my father and this is why he is the great high priest and this is why he is our perfect representative because he still says my father but note that he says

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Paterion in the Greek cup of suffering he says if it be possible look if it be possible let this cup pass from me nevertheless not as I will but as you will the cup here that he's referring to is the cup of suffering because of God's wrath you see it in Psalm 75 8

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Isaiah 51 17 and 22 and Jeremiah 51 7 it's a cup of suffering the cup of suffering because of God's wrath and Jesus note he says this if it's possible he knows in this moment he says my father he knows that God is the sovereign he's in control this whole thing so he comes to the father this moment of grief and sorrow and pain he feels like he's dying and he says what he says if it's possible you can do this

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I know you can but nevertheless not my will yours be done and that's why he's a perfect Savior and that is why he's a perfect representative for you and I and that is why he's a high priest who sympathizes with you because he felt that grief and pain and what did he say

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I know you can do this you're the sovereign if it's possible let the cup pass but nevertheless not my will yours be done in 41 40 through 41 the text goes on and he came to the disciples and found them sleeping and he said to Peter so could you not watch with me one hour watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation the spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weak you by the way

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I can't go into the detail on this now but it's actually limited limited instances in the gospel records where you see this flesh spirit described talked about you see the

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Apostle Paul sort of expands on you see it really later on in the letters more described the tension between the flesh and the spirit but you see here in the

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Lord Jesus in this moment of great temptation and trial Jesus says the spirit is need is willing but the flesh is weak but he says to his disciples watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation watch this what is he doing he is praying depending on the father pleading with the father he is aware watchful

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Jesus is and he's not succumbing to temptation what are the disciples not doing they're not watching they're not praying they're not vigilant so what do they do they fall into temptation they run here is the perfect God man what we are intended to be being the perfect representative of God's people and he's instructing his disciples watch and pray that you not enter into temptation

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Calvin said about this see I read some Calvin he said a sure remedy is set before us which is not far to seek nor saw in vain

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Christ promises that when his people pray in earnest prayer they can fully put away the idleness of their flesh they will be victorious there's instruction here where the

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Lord Jesus is victorious over temptation and difficulty he's instructing his people be watchful be prayerful that's how you overcome temptation be watchful be prayerful let's learn from the disciples failure here

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Jesus instructs them he promises them something and of course they failed but next point in verse 42 it says this after he he sees him sleeping it says again for the second time he went away and prayed so there's three times

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Jesus does this one two three now the first time he says what when he comes to the father he says if it be possible let this cup pass for me nevertheless not as I will but as you will second time he goes back to pray but notice the difference it's a different prayer now it says my father if this cannot pass unless I drink it if it can't pass you will be done so the first one is if it's possible you can do this you're

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God you're the father you're sovereign and the next point he says if this cannot pass you will be done now verse 43 and he came and found them sleeping for their eyes were heavy so leaving them again he went away and prayed for the third time saying the same words again apparently the same words that he just repeated and that second instance of prayer you see something that might be happening here in the text and what happened in this moment just in terms of emphasis people have argued this that this is the third time that Jesus goes to prayer now of course we know from the ancient

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Hebrew culture repetition was a big thing Jesus you'll see saying things like verily verily

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I say to you truly truly I say to you amen amen I say to you so there's an there's a repetition for emphasis and to really nail it down to drill it in we know of course at the scene in Isaiah chapter 6 where you have holy holy holy repeated about God he's the thrice holy

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God is there something here about Jesus going three times before the father to emphasize just his victory here some people have argued that verse 45 then he came to the disciples and said to them sleep and take your rest later on see the hours at hand and the

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Son of Man is betrayed in the hands of sinners rise let us be going see my betrayer is at hand here's the ending

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Jesus rises from this moment of grief and pain and misery he rises without flirting with temptation no yielding to temptation and he rises ready to die so he rises in this experience in the garden where he feels like he wants to die he feels like he's dying he rises with total victory and total dependence upon the father even experiencing some of the greatest grief imaginable so in summary

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I think we can learn from this text in the life of our Lord that he sympathizes with every single one of his people he sympathizes with all of us and yet he sympathizes in a way that is truly glorious and is the anchor of our hope he sympathizes with us yet without sin he knows what you've experienced he knows what you are experiencing just try it think of something that you can place before Jesus that he wouldn't understand what poverty you ever been to Nazareth hunger thirst betrayal abuse lies slander murder

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Jesus understands that he sympathizes yet he sympathizes as one who did not sin he is our perfect Savior and he is also the loving substitute because here's what you have to see in this whole moment here ready this whole thing the broken body the shed blood the table

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Lord's table Passover grieving in the garden going to the cross the abuse all of that are you ready here's sort of the thing you got to put at the center of all of that if you trust in Jesus it was because you you did that you're guilty you're the rebel you're the one that should have been suffering you're the one that should have been on that tree you according to scripture deserve to die the wages of sin is death you deserved this and yet Jesus endured this and as I the entire time is on his people he's the shepherd you're his sheep and he says of course in the gospel according to John that he's come down from heaven he says not to do my will but the will of him who has sent me that of all that he has given to me

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I should lose nothing he knows who his people are and he was so dedicated in his love for you that he endured all this pain all this hostility to bring you to peace with him so the question is this is he your substitute do you know him do you know this glorious Savior do you know him have you turned to him in faith you see the story of the gospel the good news of it all see this is really right here this is ugly news this is bad stuff this is painful stuff and it's what makes the good news good news what's it makes it so glorious is that this is the

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God man who lived the perfect and blameless life that you and I haven't and down to the detail here like suffering here in this moment over what's to come grieving over it he was perfect obedient and righteous he kept the law he's just in every way and he died a death that you and I deserve and he received in himself the wrath of the father for his people and he conquered that death victoriously over sin and death he was victorious over sin and death in a garden and the call of the gospel is repent and believe turn from your sin to Christ the

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Living God turn to him put your faith in him and his work alone on your behalf and you'll receive the gift of eternal life you'll never perish he'll never lose you he'll never forsake you he is a good

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Savior and I'll tell you what he our father in heaven is the best father can

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I just add to you and end with this note we live in a culture that is inundated with the problem of fatherlessness right bad dads derelict fathers people that don't do their duties as fathers here's the deal ready how do you know how do you know that somebody's a bad father you have to have some standard by which to measure right so when you complain about somebody being a bad father there has to be some ultimate standard of father to be able to say that's a bad father atheism can't do this secularism can't do this they cannot even touch this because in atheism there are no bad dads there are no bad fathers there's just what it is it's one thing just doing things to other things in this purposeless thing it means nothing there are no bad dads no bad fathers but you know if you've had a bad experience with a father you know if you've seen failures in your dad and your father you know it's a bad father you know it's a failure as a father because what because you have this supreme example of what a heavenly father is you can heal from your wounds if you've been hurt and traumatized and abandoned by a bad father by knowing this one the true one the one is the standard of all that it means to be a father that's in the

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Psalms by the way it's a powerful very encouraging thing though my father and my mother have abandoned me you've taken me in here's a father who loves supremely and perfectly and think about this love of this father he says

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I'll never forsake you I'll never lose you you're in my hands and nothing can snatch you from my hands and if you want to know the level of commitment the heavenly father has for his kids he gave up his son for the enemies who were by nature children of wrath and he called you sons repent and believe the gospel let's pray father

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I pray you bless the word that went out today for your glory and for your kingdom thank you

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Lord Jesus for your perfect life and death and resurrection I pray that if anyone who hears this doesn't know you

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Lord that by your grace and mercy you'd open the eyes of the blind give hearing to the deaf I pray that you'd raise the dead to life grant faith and repentance in the true

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Savior today in Jesus name amen so now we get to come to this table I hope it means more