Mark 14:26-42, Are You Awake?

Mark 14:26-42 and the Call to Wakefulness

If you open your bibles with me, please do mark chapter 14 if you haven't already mark chapter 14. Be reading from verses 26 to 42. Hear the word of the lord. And when they had sung a hymn they went out to the mount of olives and jesus said to them You will all fall away for it is written.

I will strike the shepherd and the sheep will be scattered. But after I am raised up, I will go before you to galilee peter said to him. Even though they all fall away. I will not. And jesus said to him truly I tell you this very night before the rooster crows twice.

You will deny me three times. But he said emphatically if I must die with you, I will not deny you. And they all said the same. 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 and prayed and 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. May the lord add his blessings to the reading of his holy word. Well, are you awake? Maybe right now after you've been standing to sing but in about 30 minutes as I drone on and on Will you still be awake?

You know, I understand it's easy to get lulled into sleep, especially if you're a little sleep deprived, you know after switching to daylight savings time. And your body now is suddenly still. And it's easy your mind now is tempted to follow your body.

Into sleep.

But you should stay awake so you'll be aware of what's going on. If you're not awake, you might be in for a rude awakening. If you're not awake, you're not aware. You don't know what is going on around you.

You're missing reality. A little over a year ago. We were in new york city for mike and nancy's hearing. And we had to go get up early from our hotel which is near central park and travel by subway To the court which was down in the south south of manhattan near where the world trade center site used to be.

I waited out in a lobby. And where there were the people from all kinds of countries because it was immigration court. So there's all kinds of exotic Nationalities there. Interesting I thought. But you know I've seen that before.

I saw a little sleep deprived. I got drowsy. I closed my eyes And slumped down in my seat on the verge of sleep unaware totally now of my surroundings.

And suddenly.

Mary is leaning down over me. And says it's over. They got their green card and I blinked. And it took me a few seconds for that to register. And I just said you mean I don't have to testify. That really wasn't.

Such a rude awakening. That was an okay awakening. Sometimes the awakenings though are a lot ruder. I remember the way plane travel used to be in the 90s and before airports were open. If you Wanted to go right to the gate to see off a friend or to greet someone when they arrived you could.

You didn't have to have a ticket or an id just breeze right in sure. There was some kind of security screening. Put stuff through an x if you have a backpack or something put it through an x-ray. But it wasn't a hassle.

It was all it was almost like a bus station except nicer. Uh, that's the way it used to be. That's the way it was when I flew across the pacific and the in the country. About a dozen times that we breezed in and out of airports at least american ones.

And we noticed them the foreign ones were different. They were much secure much secure but in america, it was like the attitude was. Nothing to worry about. Then on september 11th 2001 We suffered the rudest of awakenings.

It wasn't as though anything had changed. There was terrorism before. We just were asleep to it. It wasn't as though something new had happened had dawned that no one else knew about. We just didn't know about it.

The threat had always been there only now. We we americans were awake to it. Wakefulness Is to be aware of reality aware of what's going on of the threats of the dangers the vulnerabilities the weaknesses.

Maybe aware of the future. Hope the good things that are to come. That others are asleep to that. They are unaware of you. You think maybe something you're secure. Everything's taken care of. You have a good job guaranteeing pitching you think so you can spin freely now you have sound close relationships.

So you think you can rest assured life is easy. And you're just coasting along sleepwalking through life that way, but then there are rude awakenings company goes bankrupt. And then you have no job or pension.

It turns out you thought they were solid. But they weren't. The spouse proves unfaithful you look back on it and you wonder how did you miss all the signs of the problems? They seem obvious now. There were red flags, but you didn't see them at the time.

How could you have been so unaware? Like you were daydreaming. Some want to be sure that that will never happen to them. So they recruit god To to watch over them. That's what they do religion for to to watch their money or watch their family as if.

They think if they say the right prayers they go to the right services if they do the right stuff. They listen to the right things that will keep disaster away. Oh it it might. If it wakes them up to reality if if what they hear or maybe from the bible from preachers if it exposes their sins and it it teaches you to.

To not try to serve god in money. If it convicts and confronts and transforms sinful behavior. So that your marriages and families really are like what the bible describes. And if you really do follow jesus with all your heart and it's not just a tactic.

That you pursue To have more money or to have a happier marriage. God's word might keep you safe. If you follow it you actually do it. But if you just think just by listening to it. You know putting it on plaques on your wall.

Having it on your radio as you drive having devotionals every morning saying you believe it. But not doing it. If you somehow think that that earns god's protection just by that. You know like paying the premiums on your insurance that earns you coverage.

You know if that's what you think. You're in for a rude awakening. It must wake you up and change you. As someone said wakefulness is the way to life.

The fool sleeps.

As if you were already dead. But the master is awake. And he lives forever. I think that's true. Although be careful. Is there something in there? I find about. I find this about doctrinal errors or behavior problems.

All the time people are just asleep. To the implications. Maybe of some doctrine that they don't quite understand some hidden agenda and some saying. Or in some behavior. When there's something wrong with a popular teacher or movement.

The crowds that follow them are often asleep to the problem. Sometimes i've looked at statements of faith some nurture particularly when they make up their own statements of faith and you can see they miss something or they phrase something in such a way that Some heretic can come along and and reinterpret it and they don't understand it.

Because they don't know. Because they're asleep to what the potential problem is. If you're not a Awake, you're not aware. Uh to what a little error or little unfaithfulness. Shows, you know, jesus said he was faithful in a little is will be faithful in much and the reverse is true, too.

You're unfaithful in a little thing. You'd be unfaithful in a big thing if you're not conscious of what little signs show. Maybe like in dating. You know, what's a show a little too assertive about what to eat or You know what to watch on tv.

That's just a little thing you let it slide. But if you're not awake. You might be in for a rude awakening. When that little issue becomes a big one. Are you awake?

By the way.

Were you aware of the implications of that quote? Earlier about wakefulness. Odd term. Wakefulness. I like it in a way. It's a trendy new term in america. You're hearing sometimes in schools that talk about teaching the kid the kids to for wakefulness.

Sounds great. You know where it comes from. Are you aware where that quote comes from? That was buddha. That that's buddhism. That wakefulness buddhism, by the way. For all its talk of being awake.

Isn't.

Awake, they're completely asleep. To to god to sin to to salvation. Here the lord jesus is awake and he tells us to wake up and we see that in two major parts first the warning versus the swagger. Then the wakefulness the wakefulness versus the willfulness.

The Warning of Jesus and Peter’s Swagger

Well, jesus has just represented the passover as the lord's supper as a way to remember him. And then they sang a hymn probably from psalm 118. They sang him by the way, you calvinist out there. There are any here just so you know.

We see here jesus sang. Okay, it wasn't all doctrinal lectures from him. Jesus sang. Just so you know. But anyway, they sang him probably from psalm 118. Oh give thanks to the lord for he is good for his steadfast.

Love endures forever. What a thing to sing. When he knows what's coming in just the next 24 hours. Amazing thing to sing, isn't it? So they go from praise but quickly to practicality. Jesus says to the disciples you will all fall away.

He's already said that one of them will betray him. Now he says. And he's probably on their way to get simony as they're walking together. He says that the rest of them will be too frightened so they'll all fall away.

The greek word is offended. Scandalized stumbling over their fear.

Of getting.

For themselves what jesus is getting? That that will offend them and they'll stumble. So they'll run for cover. And he knows this because zechariah chapter 13 verse 7 says I will strike the shepherd and the sheep will be scattered.

Interesting.

That verse begins.

Awake.

Oh sword.

Against.

My shepherd. The sword the authority to kill is roused against the shepherd himself the apostles. Like us our sheep. He warns them that they are soon about to come to a stumbling stone. It's a warning, you know, you're supposed to put out warnings if someone might stumble like someone, you know.

They mopping on a hard floor like this you put out a sign slippery when wet so people are careful Of the danger so they'll step carefully. Or maybe like a watch your step sign. There's a sudden step down or up so you don't trip and fall.

And jesus here gives them fair warning. You know watch out you're gonna you'll stumble of course. Notice, you know lack his prediction of betrayal. Like that last time that he also knows that. They will they will still Stumble, it's not like be careful or you will stumble.

He knows you're gonna stumble. Even though they are put on notice. They still don't take it seriously enough. To be on the alert to be to be ready to steal their courage so they don't fall away and flee but so they stay loyal to him when the.

When when he gets tough. The warning is not enough to wake them up. That's because that they're swagger. Peter really had swagger. I mean, here's a guy with swagger. He he knew he was a tough guy. I mean jesus had even nicknamed him peter, which means rock.

So he's he's he's mr. Rock. He saw as a rock. He thinks yeah. So there's no way. He he's hearing this talk about falling away. Now even though they all these other disciples you're their wimps those other guys even though they all fall away I will not huh.

They might be weak. They might be unstable. They might be easily intimidated and not me. I'm as immovable as a boulder you can count on me jesus. Peter's sure of himself and that gives him boldness. He declares his loyalty with bravado.

I will not be offended. Sometimes it's the ones who don't know themselves. Who are the loudest to talk? Peter wasn't aware of his weaknesses what he was really like of how how quickly and how easily He would fold.

He's not just promising. Although he is promising, but he's not just doing that. He's he's boasting. Now there's nothing wrong with making promises vows commitments. Just make sure you're going to keep them.

Peter wasn't wrong to. To promise not to fall away. He wasn't wrong. That was a good thing to do. He was wrong and that he was asleep. He was totally unaware of how weak he really was that doesn't excuse his sin.

He definitely sinned. He made a commitment and he should have kept it when the pressure was on. The very reason we make commitments is so that we'll keep them. When it's hard, you know. The reason why we say wedding vows at our wedding is not because they just sound good in a wedding.

Oh, it's such beautiful words. It's so that when years down the road. When that other woman Is looking pretty good, you know the one in the office the one you work with. The other than neighbor. Ah. When you're tempted to think man, she'll really appreciate me.

I like this lousy something i'm married to. When he has cancer and he's vomiting because of the chemo. It's not much fun to be around him. When he's made a decision and you don't like and you think if you cry enough you can get your way.

That's.

Why we make wedding vows so that we'll forsake all others in sickness and in health. That will be submissive and supportive when you're not getting your way. We make commitments when we feel like making them.

So that we'll keep them. When we don't feel like keeping them. Our church asks some commitments of our members. They're spelled out clearly in Our church covenant. Now it may surprise you. I don't think that we ask any more of our members than other churches ask of theirs, especially baptist churches.

Because you know many baptist churches have mostly almost exactly the same covenant that we do. We tweaked it a little bit. But it's mostly the same. So we don't ask more of our members than other churches ask of theirs.

What we ask more is that you be aware of your commitments. That you be awake. Be conscious of what you committed to so that when you feel like doing something else. When someone is pressuring you to do something else when you're just not feeling that thrill anymore about being reformed or biblical.

Then.

You look at that commitment. And it wakes you up. It might be a rude awakening. But you'll realize you've been straying or maybe tempted to stray. When I do a wedding I like to go through the wedding vows with a couple so that they Know what they're committing to.

The vows aren't just verbal decorations. Just like you know the poetry of a couple in love. I use mostly the same traditional vows as anyone else. What I ask is that the couple be especially aware Of those vows of what they mean be awake to them.

And we should all be Awake to what we've committed to. That might mean be aware of your own personal weaknesses. Be aware of what could make you stumble now like peter here. It was totally asleep to it.

You know people mock vice president pence when he said that he would not meet alone with a woman. I thought it was wise. I thought that shows he's awake. He's aware of his weaknesses of the potential problems.

So if seeing some r-rated for you seeing some r-rated movies some images in them will cause you to stumble and make you. Depending on why it's r-rated of course will make you plunge into pornography.

Be aware of that. Be awake to your weaknesses if just hanging out with certain people will give you ideas. You shouldn't have know that. Don't just have swagger. Well, i'm so strong. I'm so mature. I'm so enlightened.

I don't have to be so prudish so restrained. I don't have to deny myself this or that wake up to who you really are of how weak you really are. Now peter here he's asleep. Even before he got into the garden and literally fell asleep.

He was already asleep. He thinks he's the tough guy who won't be intimidated by anything. But in just a few hours it all it will take is a little servant girl to have him trembling in his sandals. Jesus said to him.

Truly.

Again stating with certainty what's going to happen in the future truly Peter you can count on this. Against all your bravado against all your swagger. I tell you this very night before the rooster crows twice.

You will deny me three times. Now that should be a rude awakening. Right there. That's that should get his attention. That should be enough just to knock the swagger out of him and get him to face the reality of who he really is.

So he can repent so he can change so he could get the grace of god to be strong and to stay loyal to jesus. But but it doesn't. Pride is the most deceptive sin. It hides itself often in virtues here like boast of loyalty.

You know, which loyalty is normally a virtue, isn't it then exclaiming your loyalty? Is that a good thing? When when you experience other sins, maybe like lust or hatred it might tempt you but you know, it's there.

It's out in the open it's clear but pride is stealthy. It slithers into the carcasses of dead virtues. Boasting of what I can do. Maybe maybe of good things. What I will do. Who I am. I have a degree from a bible college.

I will love you till death. Do us part. I will take up my cross.

And.

Walk together in christian love with this church. If I must die with you, I will not deny you peter said. Sounds like loyalty. Sounds like discipleship. Peter even said it he says. Emphatically, he said it vehemently said it with passion.

He said it louder and stronger than when he vowed it the first time. Wouldn't it sound like music to your ears? If someone pledged such loyalty to you, can you imagine man? That guy's on my side. He's got my back.

He's with me. Except it's really just swagger. How do you wake some someone up like that from their pride from their real weaknesses what they are what they are really made of. Words may not do it. The bubble of their pride will have to be pierced with the reality of of who they are.

Of seeing what they're really made of. Seeing how weak they really are. So it wasn't just jesus's words That broke peter's pride. Although it should have been. He should have believed jesus's words and and sought grace.

Then humbled himself then and sought god's grace, but it wasn't the words that broke him. It was his spectacular failure. If you've had swagger let the words break you first before the failure does. You thought you are somebody spiritually you're tough you think you won't stumble over temptation.

You think you you keep your commitments? You won't be swayed by a servant girl or anyone else intimidating you from doing what you resolve to do what you promise you think. But then you'll see how strong you really are.

Then after you've fallen. After you've been swayed and scared away from doing What you had committed to do after the rude awakening. Maybe after you've cried some. Repent and come back. Are you awake?

Do you notice did you notice amongst. Among all that that jesus said to peter and to the rest of them. What jesus promised in there? While while telling them that they were all going to fall away. Did you notice something?

They they all probably missed it the disciples all probably just missed it because they're just unaware. Their pride was so offended by being told that they're going to fall away that they just didn't hear.

Something else jesus said jesus told them. After you've stumbled after you all desert me and. You've finally been awoken to how weak you really are then in verse 28. But after you've stumbled. Your swagger has shown to be empty.

But.

Despite your stumbling and denials.

After I am.

Raised up jesus says I will go before you to galilee.

We'll regroup there.

You might stumble especially if you've let pride lull you to sleep. But don't be afraid. He's the shepherd after all. And he'll regroup us. We're not just supposed to be. Awake to our weaknesses to our vulnerabilities to the fact that all it will take is a little servant girl to.

You know asking us questions to get us to make a stumble to get us to deny christ. All it would take is a little emotional manipulation a tearful accusation. You don't care about me. If if you really are stay true or a little intimidation, you're not one of those bigots and haters.

Are you? You know the ones that believe the bible. You're not one of those. Are you? That's all it takes to make us stumble. Don't just be awake to how Weak you really are. Although be awake to that but not just that.

Be awake to the promise he makes he will rise. And shepherd us for us. He has risen and is Shepherding us and the good shepherd will lose not one of his sheep. Be awake to that. Next is the struggle of wakefulness versus willfulness.

Christ’s Distress and the Father’s Will in Gethsemane

The lord jesus leads them to gethsemane where they've been many times to pray and he leaves many of his disciples behind. While he takes peter james and john with him a little further into the garden and they are facing death.

In verse 34 It says he he was greatly distressed and troubled. So this was not a a stoic, you know peaceful. Emotionally calm just resolved. Walking into my fate into death. I'm, you know. Like like he doesn't care.

Like the way the philosopher socrates just calmly drank the hemlock that he was ordered to drink to kill himself or even Probably just a few months after this steven and axe who being pelted with rocks.

Looked up to heaven and saw jesus and prayed for his murderers. Or about a century later the early christian leader polycarp who being given the choice by the roman governor to deny christ. Or face death by being burned confessed.

86 years have I served him and he has never done me injury. How can I then blaspheme my king and my savior. Others throughout christian history like john husk. Saying while he's tied up the wood is piled around him about to be burned to death.

That god will raise up another reformer who they will not be able to burn. With others many went to resolutely to their deaths rather than cave into pressure like hugh latimer and nicholas ridley. Two puritan preachers in england who who were tied to the same stake together to be burned together to death.

And latimer turned to ridley and said play the man master ridley. We shall this day light such a candle by god's grace as I trust shall never be put out.

Man.

All of these were inspired by christ to face their deaths with courage and hope. But then why here? Is christ himself? greatly distressed and troubled. He even confesses in verse 34. My soul is very sorrowful deeply grieved.

In other words the weight of the the mental stress is so great. He says. Even to death he said that he could he could die right here. But this weight of grief out of anxiety this crushing load on him on his psyche.

So great that alone could kill him. Why is he so distressed At the face of death when others and particularly people that he inspired were made brave by him.

Why.

Because he wasn't just facing death the loss of physical life. He was facing sure. He was facing the most agonizing humiliating death of the cross, but he was also facing the wrath of god. Stephen polycarp puss latimer ridley and many others could come to death knowing that if they Were made absent in the body. They were present with christ.

They would be they would be with god that god would be with them through it all. Here though christ faces the bitterness of being forsaken by the father the the sinless one Becoming sin for us. And that is greatly distressing Troubling grievous To the point of death.

So he goes on a little farther into the garden. He's just i'm by himself.

He falls to the ground.

And he prays, you know, this is not like this poised. Just kind of grace, you know hands gently clasped together looking up into heaven. He's on face down in the dirt Passionate praying that if it were possible.

If there's any other way.

That this hour. This time when he becomes the true passover lamb. When when the weight of the sins of his people is put on him. When he has to pray in just a few hours my god, my god, why have you forsaken me?

That this might pass.

From him if there's any other way at all.

That was his will. That's what he wanted. That it passed that he not have to do this. And so he prays abba father all things Are possible for you. Now surely he's saying father you you can make another way.

Surely you you can save your people. Another way without me having to bear the sins of the people on the cross.

Is there another way?

Way.

Well here that's not really the point some kind of theoretical question whether this happened because there was no other possible way. What's the point is that this was the father's will? Jesus's will.

Is that there be another way? The the father's will is that he do this. This is what the father chooses. Jesus wants out. If people can be saved, you know, maybe he's asking can be said maybe they can be saved by a new law.

Give them a new law. Or maybe you can just excuse their sin. No, let me sacrifice. If there's another way then do that anything other than this. But the father's will is for this. And here in the garden we have the struggle between jesus's will and the father's will.

Now the first human sin the sin of adam. It was also in the garden. And he had a choice between his will. And god's will. And he knew god's will don't eat of this particular fruit. He was offered. You know, he had all kinds of all the other fruits he could eat up.

He had all his needs taken care of. But this one thing Don't do this. And he knew that law. But then his wife gave him another choice, you know. Another fruit that fruit to eat that he's not supposed to take and it looked good.

Maybe when I eat it, he thought when I exercise my will when I impose my choice I assert What I want then i'll become like god. I'll be the one whose will is in control. And there in the garden adam chose his will.

And the essence of sin.

Is willfulness.

I will do what I will do. That's the heart of sin. It's the declaration of independence from god that I can choose anything I want and no one not even god can tell me otherwise. So the first adam sinned when he chose willfulness and that totally twisted his Nature in all our natures from him and ever since we've been asleep even dead.

In sin unaware unconscious of god of righteousness Sin is putting our will in place of god's. The little toddler is told clearly. Don't touch that. But he touches it. Anyway.

He's willful.

That's sin. The older child is told by the teacher Don't talk in class. But he talks anyway. It's not just misbehavior that you can manage. It's willfulness. It's depravity. It's sin. The young adult is told not to succumb to sex out of marriage, but he or she does anyway.

It's not just immorality. Just not just lust. It's willfulness. It's I will do what I feel like doing. The bride bristles at the old wedding vows to love honor and dreaded word obey because it offends her willfulness.

Or maybe she doesn't care About the words because yeah words who cares vows commitments can all be ignored. So she says she says them but then she refuses to actually do them. To submit to her husband.

Oh, we excuse it. That's just her. Expressing her feelings. She's emotional. No, it's willfulness. It's the essence of sin and now she'll try to lead her husband into sin. To to affirm her in that choice.

She's made to be willful and if he is like adam choosing his will over god's will if he's not awake to god's will. Expressed in his word if he's weak like the disciples here asleep in his pride unaware of his need.

Of his weakness. Unaware of his need to listen to others to tell him what god's word says then he'll fall for it. He'll stumble. Are you awake. The struggle in the garden Is whether the last adam will choose to be willful.

Like the first adam was.

Its wakefulness.

To god's will to the weaknesses of our flesh versus willfulness. And and think what the father is is asking jesus to do here endure.

The cross.

I.

Didn't think what he asked us. He wills us to abstain from immorality to speak the truth. Submit to a husband or don't surrender to a spouse who is not submitting to god and yet we're so weak. We find that Hard.

We still often choose willfulness. But jesus is being told To take up his cross the literal one of her. And horrendous execution and the spiritual one of enduring the punishment from god for our sins and he prays that the father Removes your father take this away from me removes this bitter cup from him.

That's definitely what he wants. He wants not to suffer. He wants to avoid tasting alienation from god. He doesn't want to bear our sins if he's like us. If he doesn't want to bear our sins if it if it takes all this this alienation from god this torment.

If he's like us asleep in our pride in our in our weaknesses if he's willful. He has the attitude, you know, no one's going to tell me what to do. Is this attitude just making excuses for our willfulness?

Oh, it's just a little child discovering his boundaries. Oh, they're just youth exploring their sexuality. Oh, she's just emotional. We got to be patient With her besides can't fight every battle. So might as well give on this one.

Adam thought. I guess maybe that's why he's going through his mind. I'll give on this one this fruit thing. And whatever she digs her heels in and assists on. If jesus is like us He'll choose his will.

And we'll have no sin bearer. And we we will all be damned. But instead he prays the end of verse 34. And here's where our salvation Is one. Oh, he still has to go through with it. Through the beatings and the lashings and the scourging and the crown of thorns pressed down on his scalp and being nailed To a cross and mocked and stabbed through the heart.

He still has to die. But after after this this point here in the garden After this struggle between willfulness and wakefulness he prays. Yet not what I will. But what you will. So from this from this choice to reject willfulness Comes our salvation.

Jesus won the struggle against willfulness. And so won our salvation. But in the struggle between willfulness and wakefulness The disciples are losing. Jesus finds them asleep. And he particularly wakes up peter.

You notice that he singles out peter. One who has had so much swagger before who had boasted so loudly so emotionally about how he had never abandoned jesus, of course. It's precisely that pride That is causing him to sleep.

You know. Since he believes he's so rock solid. What do you got to what he got to watch for what I got to pray about.

I got it.

So he's thinking of himself You know, I got this jesus. You know, don't worry about it.

I can relax.

I can I can even sleep. Because i'm solid i'm a rock. But jesus asked in verse 37 Doesn't say hey rock wake up. No, he says simon. Not not rocky simon. Could you not watch?