Luke 22:39 – 62
It’s a simple request. ‘Pray. Pray that you will not fall into
temptation.’
And it’s not as if Jesus asks something he’s not prepared to do
himself: ‘Jesus withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and
prayed.’
But of course, the disciples had already shown their natural
inclinations, and it’s really no surprise when they fail to pray and fall
asleep.
Just think about these 12 men who have witnessed the teaching,
the kindness, the humility and power of Jesus:
- One of them has left the meal early and gone out into the night to betray him.
- The others have argued about which of them should be considered the greatest.
- Peter promised his loyalty, ‘I’m ready to go with you to prison and death.’ But Jesus says, ‘Peter, before the cock crows today, you will deny three times that you know me.’
And so they walk to the Mount of Olives: Jesus in front, the 11
remaining disciples following on. Then, after Jesus has prayed, Judas returns, leading a crowd of
religious leaders, temple guards and servants to Jesus, and he betrays Jesus
with… a kiss.
Though Jesus taught the disciples to love their enemies and pray
for those who persecute them, they draw their swords and attack the servant of
the High Priest. And Jesus has to heal him. Then, as Jesus is arrested and taken away to prison, Peter hangs
back from Jesus and follows only ‘at a distance.’
Later, as Jesus stands before the high priest, Peter warms himself
by the fire.
A servant girl comes up and takes a good look at him, ‘This
man was with Jesus.’
‘Woman, I don’t know him.’
A little later, someone else thinks he recognises Peter, ‘You are
one of them’. But again, Peter denies Jesus, ‘Man, I’m not!’
As time drags on, Peter gets into conversation with some of the
others gathered around the fire, and hearing his accent, someone else says, ‘This
man was with him – he’s from Galilee like them.’
‘Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about,’
says Peter.
And the cock crows.
Far from going to prison and to death with Jesus, Peter has
denied him 3 times.
So here we have the disciples: Self-promoting. Superficial.
Spineless. Violent. Faithless. Power-hungry. It’s a desperately sad picture of humanity.
“But”, you protest, “you’re exaggerating: The disciples didn’t understand Jesus and
his call to humility... and verse 45 tells us they were exhausted
from sorrow… Judas
was disillusioned with Jesus’ focus on spiritual matters and his lack of social
and political action… Peter
was frightened – Jesus had been arrested – his denials are understandable. You’re
too harsh on the disciples.”
Maybe. Maybe not. What’s Jesus’ own verdict on the situation? Have a look at v53.‘This is your hour – when darkness reigns.’ This isn’t a moment of mere weakness.This is a dark, dark hour. This is the moment when ignorance and
evil reign.
And what was Peter’s verdict on his own denials? As soon as Jesus looked at him, and he realised what he’d done,
v62, “he went outside and wept bitterly.”This hard-nosed fisherman, this natural leader of men, wept
because of his cowardice.
It was a simple request, ‘Pray that you will not fall into
temptation.’ But they didn’t pray, and they did fall into temptation.
And while they should have been praying, Jesus was praying
on his knees, ‘Father, if you are
willing, take this cup from me. Yet not my will but yours be done.’ An angel came
– probably with a message from heaven -and strengthened him. And
being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of
blood falling to the ground.’
How can you describe or imagine the agony of Jesus at this
moment?
‘Should I do my Father’s will and drink the cup or walk away?’ The cup – the cup of suffering, yes, but so much more than that.
It’s described in Isaiah 51 as the cup of God’s wrath that makes men stagger.
This is the cup that contains the divine, eternal and just punishment
for the self-promoting, superficial, spineless, violent, faithless,
power-hungry, murdering darkness of humanity.
And as he contemplates the horror of this cup, Jesus prays more
earnestly and his sweat drips from his face like drops of blood. His exertion
in prayer is like that of an Olympic Athlete.
And he makes his decision. ‘Father, not my will but
yours be done.’Jesus has not fallen into temptation – not even when faced
with the prospect of drinking the foaming cup of God’s wrath. Jesus isn’t too tired to pray. He won’t deny or betray his
Father.
And then Judas arrives, walks up to Jesus and kisses his cheek. Jesus turns to the leaders of God’s people – the chief priests,
the officers of the temple guard, and the elders – ‘Am I leading a rebellion
that you have come with swords and clubs? Every day I was with you I the temple
courts, and you did not lay a hand on me. But this is your hour – when darkness
reigns.’ This is the hour when the perfectly good, honourable, sinless Son
of God is treated as an evil criminal.
But think back to what Jesus had said just before they left the
Last Supper: v17, ‘It is written, ‘he was numbered with the transgressors’;
and I tell you that this must be fulfilled in me. Yes, and what is written
about me is reaching its fulfilment.’
So here he is, numbered with the transgressors – treated as a
common criminal, as if he had done wrong, as if the Son of God had blasphemed. This truly is the darkest hour when the moral order is turned
upside down; the ultimate injustice is done; the good is punished as if it were
evil.
And yet… it’s not only the religious authorities who treat Jesus
as a criminal. God does too.
As we saw earlier, Jesus has steeled himself to drink the cup of
God’s wrath – not because he has been disobedient, but because we
have, and he drinks the cup on our behalf. If you remember, the reference to the cup of wrath was in Isaiah
51. And in Isaiah 52 & 53 we have that most astonishing OT
passage describing Jesus’ death:
He was pierced for our transgressions,
He was crushed for our iniquities;
The punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
And by his wounds we have been healed.
We all, like sheep have gone astray,
Each of us has turned to his own way,
And the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
And the passage concludes:
he poured out his soul to death
and was numbered with the transgressors;
yet he bore the sin of many,
and makes intercession for the transgressors
Why was Jesus numbered with the transgressors? Why was he counted
as a sinner by God? Why did he drink the cup of God’s wrath? Because he bore the sins of many.
Because he bore the sins of the disciples: the self-promoting, superficial,
spineless, violent, faithless, power-hungry disciples. But he bore more than just their sin. He bore our sin.
My sin. Your sin.
An yet, here’s a question you must answer for yourself: have
you ever recognised and admitted that he also carried your sins?
Oh, you may have been attending church for years. You may
understand the theory of the cross of Christ. You may even be able to give a
good explanation of penal substitutionary atonement.
But have you ever experienced the overwhelming freedom and joy of
Jesus carrying your sins to his cross and paying your penalty?
When we sang that opening hymn, was it truly, deeply personal to
you?
And
when I think that God, his Son not sparing,
Sent him to die, I scarce can take it in,
That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin.
Sent him to die, I scarce can take it in,
That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin.
After Peter had persistently denied Jesus, the cock crowed.
The Lord Jesus looked straight at him. And Peter remembered what Jesus had said
to him, ‘Before the cock crows today, you will disown me three times.’ And
Peter went outside and wept bitterly.
Peter needed that jolt – that look from the Lord – to make him
realise the seriousness of his attitude towards Jesus – his mistrust, his
denial, the way he distanced himself from Jesus.
What will it take to jolt you out of your complacency, your
denial, your mistrust, your cold-heartedness, your downright disobedience
towards Jesus?
Can you look at Jesus on his knees in the garden and remain
unmoved as he faces the horror of the cup of God’s wrath which should be yours,
but which he will drink for you?
At the end of the service this morning, we’re going to sing an
old hymn. Again, I ask you, can you sing this for yourself?
Thy grief and Thy compassion
were all for sinners’ gain;
mine, mine was the transgression,
but Thine the deadly pain.
What language shall I borrow
to praise Thee, heavenly Friend,
for this, Thy dying sorrow,
Thy pity without end?
Lord, make me Thine for ever,
nor let me faithless prove;
O let me never, never
abuse such dying love!
