And they went to a place called Gethsemane. And he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” And he took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be greatly distressed and troubled. And he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Remain here and watch.” And going a little farther, he fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. And he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” And he came and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not watch one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” And again he went away and prayed, saying the same words. And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy, and they did not know what to answer him. And he came the third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? It is enough; the hour has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.” Mark 14:32-42
Three times Jesus arose from his place of private prayer to jostle his disciples awake, and to encourage them to remain alert and prayerful. But their flesh proved weak, and they inevitably drifted back to sleep “for sorrow.” Their sorrow was so great that sleep was their only way to cope and comfort. It gave them an escape from the painful reality of their Lord’s inevitable departure (John 16:5-6).
We are told in this passage that Jesus was also “greatly distressed”, troubled, and “very sorrowful, even to death.” Yet he handles his sorrow differently than his disciples. He shows us what the new man, the better man, the whole man, the perfect man does in the midst of great suffering. He clings to the Father for help and hope. Secured in that hope, Jesus rose to accomplish the Father’s will (Hebrews 12:2), even though it meant his arrest, wrongful conviction, and murder at the hand of sinners.
You read that right. It was the Father’s will that Jesus would be arrested and eventually crucified. And he reminded his disciples and the hired battalion that this was all part of God’s plan – to defeat sin and to save sinners. And even though evil appears to have won the day, and the power of darkness had cast a gloomy shadow, God’s plan and purposes would not be thwarted.
The very Word of God has come in the flesh. The one who created the world and all that is in it, both seen and unseen, has entered into the landscape that he had constructed out of nothing. The clearest manifestation of God’s glory had visited them. He announced and authenticated his identity and mission to them through many signs and wonders. And he urged them to repent and believe. But still, they condemned their rightful Messiah and the rightful King to death. Ironically, the one who had come to condemn no one, but to offer them salvation (John 3:17).
As we read yesterday, all of us – the religious and irreligious, the political and nonpolitical – are culpable for our rebellion. We are a single, multigenerational society of old-world order of God-haters (Psalm 2:1-3). And we deserve Divine justice.
Have you ever seen Lady Justice? She’s the statue of a blindfolded woman carrying balances in one hand and a sword in the other. In the United States, this personification of justice has come to symbolize our national commitment to impartiality, due process, the presumption of innocence, and other qualities that serve as the bedrock of American jurisprudence. As Americans, we look to the courts (along with the executive and legislative offices) to uphold our “unalienable rights” of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
All of us value justice. We want the benefits and protections that our laws provide. But just how far does (and should) our commitment to justice go? What if justice meant the removal of my rights and privileges or worse, the death penalty?
God is not a powerless victim. He’s the Divine Judge; the all-powerful, holy, righteous, sovereign ruler of the universe. His anger is hot and justified (Nahum 1:6). His judgment is fiercer than Lady Justice’s sword and is more certain to fall on the guilty – that’s you and me. But in love, God provided a way to execute justice while simultaneously granting mercy. On good Friday, Jesus went to the cross. And there he experienced the punishment for sin we deserved. His vicarious atoning work appeased God’s just wrath, paid the infinite debt we owed, and cleansed our sin. By his wounds we have been healed (1 Peter 2:24). By trusting in the propitiatory (wrath absorbing) work of Jesus, we are saved from condemnation. Our guilt is removed and we are recipients of God’s grace, mercy, and love – now and forever.
Let these words comfort you today. Jesus willingly suffered in your place to purchase your soul from the vicious grip of sin and death. He shouldered justice so that we could receive God’s grace, mercy, and love. The cross is the fulfillment of Scripture that was necessary to secure your eternal freedom.
Join us tonight at 7:00 pm for our Good Friday livestream service. Then celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ with us on Sunday morning at 10:00 am for our Easter livestream service.