King's Cup: Jesus in Gethsemane

Hopson Boutot

Poquoson Baptist Church

Matthew: The King and His Kingdom • Sermon • Submitted 7 months ago • Presented 7 months ago

Matthew 26:31–46

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Lead Vocalist (Phoebe)

Welcome & Announcements (Mike L)

Good morning family!

Ask guests to fill out connect card

2 announcements:

1) Trunk or Treat, October 29

Trunk or treat is a great opportunity to love our community and plant gospel seeds. It is an intentional way for us to remind Poquoson PBC is here and we care.

Last year we were blessed with an outpouring of the community coming. This year we have a plan in place to accommodate a larger crowd if that happens again and will be using the gym to filter long lines.

Right now we are in need of trunk sign ups and candy donations.

You can bring your candy donations any Sunday between now the end of the month, and you can sign up using the sign-up sheets at the announcement wall.

2) Women’s Retreat

In Williamsburg, November 3-5

Rooms are still available, as well as day passes for the teaching on Saturday

Now please take a moment of silence to prepare your heart for worship.

Call to Worship (Psalm 42:1-5)

Prayer of Praise (Phoebe Garcia)

Lovingkindness

O Christ what Burdens Bowed Thy Head

Prayer of Confession (failure to pray), Stephen Keatts

Assurance of Pardon (Psalm 28:6)

Jesus Strong and Kind

Your Will Be Done

Scripture Reading (Matthew 26:31-46)

Page 989 in the black Bibles

Pastoral Prayer (Mike L)

SERMON

START TIMER!!!

It’s 399 B.C. in Athens, Greece and a philosopher named Socrates is about to take a drink. He’s surrounded by friends, but this is not a happy occasion.

Socrates is in prison and his friends are weeping.

A few days earlier Socrates was put on trial for undermining the traditional values and religious beliefs of the city. The Athenian people accused him of questioning the existence of their gods and corrupting the minds of their young people.

A jury declared Socrates guilty and sentenced him to death by poison. Socrates could have appealed for a lesser punishment, but he famously refused to compromise. He was willing to die for what he believed.

While awaiting execution, Socrates was visited in prison by many friends and followers. Socrates was cheerful and eager to discuss philosophy, bravely continuing the same teaching for which he was about to die.

When his execution day arrived, Socrates was given a poisonous cup of hemlock to drink.

A witness said Socrates took his bitter cup “'without trembling or changing colour or expression'. He then 'raised the cup to his lips and very cheerfully and quietly drained it'. When his friends burst into tears, he rebuked them for their 'absurd' behaviour and urged them to 'keep quiet and be brave'. He died without fear, sorrow or protest.” [1]

I want you to compare that account with the account we just read from Matthew’s gospel.

Socrates took his cup without trembling and drank it cheerfully.

But Jesus says His soul is “very sorrowful, even to death.”

Socrates encouraged his friends to be of good cheer.

But Jesus urges His friends to pray.

Socrates didn’t appeal for a more lenient sentence.

But Jesus repeatedly appeals to the Father to let this cup pass from Him.

In his excellent book The Cross of Christ, John Stott asked a provocative question: “was Socrates braver than Jesus? Or were their cups filled with different poisons?” [2]

Turn to Matthew 26:31

It’s now late Thursday evening. Jesus and His disciples have celebrated the Passover and the Lord’s Supper together.

Judas has left to begin his evil betrayal, but Jesus and the other eleven disciples are heading towards a garden called Gethsemane.

And in the garden of Gethsemane we encounter a text that feels very much like holy ground.

William Barclay says this is a text we must "approach on our knees.” [3]

D.A. Carson says the right response is “hushed worship.” [4]

Here we see Jesus unlike we’ve ever seen Him up to this point in Matthew’s gospel.

In virtually every moment of Jesus’ ministry He seems confident, courageous, and fully in control.

But here in Gethsemane we see Him staggering and quivering in agony on the ground.

Why? Why can Socrates drink his cup with cheer while Jesus is in agony? Why does Jesus seem so out of control in this moment?

The only satisfying answer is that Jesus looks different here because this is the darkest night of His life.

And yet, just like a flashlight shines much brighter in the darkness, we see things about Jesus more clearly in the dark night of Gethsemane.

The Big Idea I hope to show you from today’s text is that In Jesus’ darkest night we clearly see who He truly is.

If you’re not a Christian, my prayer for you today is that you will see Jesus clearly. The Bible says Satan blinds the minds of unbelievers so they cannot see. Would you consider praying right now, “God, please help me to see today?”

If you’re a Christian, my prayer for you today is that you will see Jesus more clearly. We grow in holiness as we look to Christ, so when our growth is stunted it’s usually because we’re not seeing Jesus clearly. So I’m praying you see Jesus’ beauty and glory afresh so you may follow Him more faithfully.

Two truths we clearly see in the darkness of Gethsemane:

1) Jesus is Truly HUMAN and Truly GOD.

Throughout the history of the church there have been several false teachings about the humanity of Jesus.

Some falsely taught that Jesus is not really human at all. He just looks human. Sort of like Clark Kent, Jesus is merely disguised as a mild-mannered Jewish rabbi. But He’s not really human.

Others falsely taught Jesus was only partly human. He was human on the outside, but on the inside He was God. He had a real human body, but it was inhabited with a soul and a mind that wasn’t really human.

Still others falsely taught Jesus is only human. He’s just an ordinary guy, and if He really did the miracles recorded in the gospels it’s only because He was a really good human connected to the Divine.

This passage stands in stark contrast to every single one of these false teachings about Jesus.

Here we see a Jesus who isn’t pretending to suffer, but really is suffering because He’s truly human.

Here we see a Jesus who is suffering both physically and spiritually. He is suffering on the inside and the outside, because He is human in every way we are yet without sin.

Here we see a Jesus who is truly human, but also truly God!

Our text includes three proofs that Jesus is both truly human and truly God...

A) Jesus Suffered

Jesus’ suffering is proof of His humanity, and we see that beginning in...

Matthew 26:36–37—Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.” And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled.

The word Gethsemane means “olive press,” meaning this was probably a garden of olive trees with a large press used to prepare olive oil. As the olives were put under severe pressure to create the oil, Jesus is about to be put under severe pressure in the garden.

In this moment of severe pressure, Jesus wants to be near His closest friends.

So He walks a bit further into the garden with Peter, James and John and tells them He is sorrowful and troubled.

The words suggest deep distress, agony, excruciating sorrow and anguish.

Some of you have felt deep agony and sorrow before, but this is a sorrow more intense than any of us can imagine...

26:38—Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.”

Famous artwork often depicts Jesus in Gethsemane with a halo, well-manicured nails, long wavy hair, bleach-white robe, looking very peaceful and religious as He gracefully kneels to the ground and prays.

That is not what this scene looked like.

Jesus is saying, “My soul is so troubled I feel like I could die.”

In Luke’s account, we learn His sweat became like great drops of blood falling to the ground. (Luke 22:44)

This is actually an extremely rare medical condition called hematidrosis. Under extreme stress the blood vessels can rupture causing blood to ooze into the sweat glands.

Jesus was in absolute agony in this moment, under such extreme stress His physical body is responding to the turmoil in His soul.

Jesus is not like Clark Kent. He’s not pretending to be suffering on the outside while inside He’s serene and calm. He is truly human, both body and soul. His suffering is internal and external.

But why is Jesus so concerned about dying?

Everything He’s been doing has been leading to the cross. Dying is exactly what Jesus wants to do! So what’s the issue?

26:39—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.”

Jesus is in agony because He doesn’t want the cup of suffering He’s about to drink.

In a bit we’ll talk about what that cup represents, but for now I want you to notice Jesus is involved in an immense struggle for obedience.

Which is the second proof in our text...

B) Jesus Struggled

When I say Jesus struggled, I am not saying Jesus sinned.

Often when we say “I’m struggling!” We mean “I’m sinning!”

But the word literally means a fight, a battle, a conflict. Struggle doesn’t imply failure, but intense effort!

Have you ever thought about how Jesus had to fight to obey?

Perhaps you’ve thought obedience always came easy for Jesus. After all, He’s God! But He’s also truly human. And in His humanity, obedience was sometimes hard.

Hebrews 5:7–8—In the days of His flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to Him who was able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverence. Although He was a Son, He learned obedience through what He suffered.

Although Jesus is the eternal Son of God, He had to learn obedience. He had to fight for it with blood, sweat, and tears!

How did He fight? The same way you and I need to fight: through prayer.

Jesus’ battle for obedience took place over three rounds.

In the first round, Jesus prays, “Father, let this cup pass from me!”

In other words, “If there’s any other way, please let me take it!”

In this moment, Jesus is being tempted to escape the cross.

But Jesus wins round one when He prays “Not my will but Your’s be done.”

Round two begins in 26:42—Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.”

Notice Jesus’ prayer has changed just slightly.

In the first prayer He asked for the cup to be removed.

But now Jesus doesn’t ask for it to be removed, He asks for strength to obey.

Round three is in 26:44—So, leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words again.

Just like in the wilderness, Jesus battles for obedience three times.

In the wilderness Jesus fought for obedience with the weapon of Scripture.

In the garden, Jesus fought for obedience with the weapon of prayer.

But in the third round, Matthew tells us Jesus prayed the same words He prayed in round two.

We know Jesus wins round three because in 26:46 He says"Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.”

Although Jesus struggled and labored and fought against temptation, He emerged absolutely victorious!

Which leads to the third proof in our text...

C) Jesus Never Sinned

If you’ve been at PBC for any length of time you’ve heard that all of us have sinned.

We don’t talk about that because we want you to leave here feeling depressed, but because from beginning to end, the Bible repeatedly says sin is our greatest problem.

Romans 3:23—all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

The problem of sin all started long ago, when another man was tempted in another garden..

The first man, Adam, was created without a sin nature. If any human could’ve endured the heat of temptation it was him. And he was living in a garden paradise when he was tempted. He had everything he could’ve wanted! And yet...

Adam said “not Your will, but mine” and ate the forbidden fruit.

Jesus prays, “not My will, but Yours” and drinks the cursed cup.

Adam’s sin brought temporary pleasure, but lasting anguish for the human race.

Jesus’ righteousness brought temporary anguish, but lasting pleasure for all who will believe.

Paul summarizes the difference between Adam and Jesus in...

Romans 5:19—For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.

How can Jesus make many righteous through His obedience? Because He is not merely a man. He is also truly God!

How should we respond to these truths about Jesus?

If Jesus is God but not man, He cannot identify with us in our weakness. He doesn’t know what we’re going through.

If Jesus is man but not God, He can’t help us in our weakness. He may be able to relate, but He can’t do anything about it!

Because Jesus is the God-man, He can do both!

Hebrews 4:15–16—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. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

We can boldly come to Jesus in our suffering and in our struggles because He knows what we’re going through and He’s able to help us.

We can boldly come to Jesus because He is truly human and truly God.

Perhaps some of you need to boldly approach Jesus for the first time.

To do this you’ll need to confess you really need help. You’ve sinned and fallen short of God’s glory and no matter how hard you try you can’t make it right.

You’ll also need to believe Jesus really can help. That He’s the God-man who lived a sinless life and died a sinner’s death!

We invite you to turn from your sins and trust in Jesus today!

After you do that, you’re going to need to continue running to Jesus!

Christian, are you faithfully running to Jesus?

Are you asking God to take your cup of suffering away from you?

Are you asking for strength to obey if God doesn’t take it away?

Are you persevering in prayer, even if it means asking for the same thing repeatedly?

Are you trusting in your ability to do any of this well, or in the fact Jesus did it all perfectly?

Hebrews 12:2 says Jesus endured the cross by looking beyond its shame to the joy on the other side.

In the same way, we can be faithful through intense suffering if we look beyond the short-term pain to the long-term joy we have in Jesus!

Where are you looking? Yourself? Your neighbor? Your circumstances? Or Jesus?

In Jesus’ darkest night we clearly see who He truly is.

He is truly human and truly God.

But as we look at Jesus, we also see an important truth about those of us who belong to Him:

2) We Are Truly KNOWN and Truly LOVED.

Tim Keller once wrote: “To be loved but not known is comforting but superficial. To be known and not loved is our greatest fear.” [5]

You can relate, right? Somebody meets you and there’s an instant connection. But then you think, “If you really knew me you wouldn’t like me at all!”

And when we think of our closest relationships, we sometimes fear people will stop loving us the more they learn about us.

So we wear masks, we hide who we really are, we keep people at a distance so we don’t lose the little love we have.

If there was someone who knew absolutely everything there is to know about you—every shameful secret, every dark thought, every bitter feeling, every selfish act—and loved you anyways, that would change everything wouldn’t it?

That’s the love we have in Jesus, and it’s clearly seen right here in the garden...

First, notice how Jesus truly knows His disciples...

Before He even enters Gethsemane, He warns them...

26:31–35—… “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, 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.” Peter said to him, “Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you!” And all the disciples said the same.

Jesus makes several brutal predictions about what the disciples are going to do that night...

In verse 31, He predicts they’re all going to fall away.

When Judas enters the garden with an armed mob, the disciples will all run away.

Peter, of course, denies he’ll fall away so...

In verse 34, Jesus predicts Peter will deny Him three times before morning.

Jesus truly knows His disciples. He knows what they’re going to do in His darkest night. He knows how overconfident they are, how sleepy they’ll become, how frightened they’ll be. But Jesus LOVES them anyways. Notice how He works in the garden to pursue them.

First, He invites Peter, James, and John to watch and pray with Him. Let’s check in to see how they’re doing...

26:40—And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour?

Years ago when I was talking on the phone with my then-girlfriend Holly I would occasionally fall asleep while she was talking. All of a sudden I would be startled by the sound of silence and I’d call Holly back profusely apologizing for (once again!) falling asleep when I should have been listening.

Now if Holly had a reason to be frustrated in those moments, how much more did Jesus?

But Jesus doesn’t hang up on His disciples. He pursues them! Look at what He says...

26:41—Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

The disciples have all said, we’re not going to fall away Jesus!

But Jesus says, your spirit may want to resist this temptation, but your flesh is too weak. You need God’s help!

And yet, Jesus finds His friends sleeping, not once but twice more.

Here’s what shocks me about this passage:

Jesus knows exactly what’s going to happen.

He warns His disciples they’re going to fall away. He invites them to pray so they don’t fall away. Yet three times they fall asleep when they should be praying.

Peter, James and John had been with Jesus for three years. They saw His glory on another mountain. And yet here, in Jesus’ moment of greatest need they’re sleeping!

And yet even though Jesus truly knows His disciples, He does not stop loving them.

Unbeliever: you don’t have to clean yourself up to come to Jesus! He already knows you fully! Repent and believe in Him today and let Him clean you up.

Christian: Jesus is not surprised by your moment of greatest failure. He still loves you!

And if Jesus loves us this way even though He knows the depths of our sin, as a church we ought to cultivate a culture where we know each other and love each other like Jesus.

We should fight to know one another deeply. We should ask each other questions, share each other’s burdens, and confess our sins and struggles.

And we should fight to love each other truly. To forgive one another, to help each other in our weaknesses, to bear with one another in love.

But if you really think about it, this sort of love is offensive, isn’t it? We sometimes see patient love that repeatedly forgives as a form of enabling. Our sense of justice wants people to change before they’re loved this way.

How can a holy God know and love His people like this even when they’re at their worst?

The answer is found when we look at the cup Jesus was about to drink.

Remember John Stott’s question: “was Socrates braver than Jesus? Or were their cups filled with different poisons?”

Socrates drank the cup of physical suffering and death.

That’s not a cup anybody really wants to drink, but many have drank that cup with courage and confidence.

History is filled with stories about how Jesus’ followers have died with remarkable courage.

Tomorrow is the 468 year anniversary of one of such story.

Two English Reformers named Hugh Latimer and Nicholas Ridley were burned at the stake because they refused to deny the gospel.

As the fires began to burn, Latimer said to Ridley, "Be of good comfort, Master Ridley, and play the man! We shall this day light such a candle, by God's grace, in England as I trust never shall be put out."

If men like Socrates and Latimer could drink the cup of death cheerfully, why is Jesus in such anguish?

Because Jesus’ cup was filled with a different poison.

The Scriptures repeatedly use the language of a cup to refer to God’s wrath against sin.

Job 21:20 mentions “the cup of the wrath of the Almighty."

Jeremiah 25:15 mentions a “cup filled with the wine of [God’s] wrath.”

The cup Jesus is about to drink is the cup of God’s wrath.

John Stott says “the cup. . . symbolized neither the physical pain of being flogged and crucified, nor the mental distress of being despised and rejected even by his own people, but rather the spiritual agony of bearing the sins of the world—in other words, of enduring the divine judgment that those sins deserved.” [7]

On the cross Jesus is going to endure something far worse than anything Socrates could have ever imagined.

A cup of hemlock is a quick and painless mercy.

What Jesus would endure is the totality of God’s white-hot fury against sin being poured out on Him in our place.

The only reason a holy God is able to truly know and truly love His people is because their penalty has already been paid!

Romans 8:1—There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Christian: you are fully known and fully loved because your debt was fully paid at the cross! Jesus fully absorbed the wrath of God in your place.

Unbeliever: if you will not trust in Jesus, you will drink the cup of God’s wrath on Judgment Day. And you will drink it down to the dregs. But you don’t have to! You can trust in Jesus today!

Maybe you’re skeptical...

Perhaps you say, “My god is a god of love, not wrath.”

But how do you know your god without wrath really loves you? A god without wrath doesn’t have to pay anything to love. The love of that god is cheap and easy.

But the love of Jesus cost something. The love of Jesus cost everything. He was willing to drink the wrath of God because He loved His people!

Denying the wrath of God might make you feel better. It might make you feel more loved. But it actually turns love into something easy and cheap. But if you look at Jesus in the garden you see His love is costly.

And the price Jesus pays to love us is a price only the God-man could pay.

Only a man can suffer and die. So Jesus is truly human.

And only the eternal God can pay an eternal penalty for sinners like you and me. So Jesus is truly God.

In a few moments we’re going to celebrate the baptism of a few young people who believe these truths.

But what about you? Do you see the penalty your sins deserve?

Do you see how Jesus was tempted like we were, yet without sin?

Do you believe He died to pay the penalty for that sin?

Do you believe He rose again?

If not, would you like to today? As we sing, there will be someone waiting at the white flag to talk with you or I’d be happy to talk with you after the service.

If you believe, rejoice! Stand amazed in the presence of Jesus. He is truly human and truly God. And if your faith is in Him you are truly known and truly loved!

Prayer of Thanksgiving

I Stand Amazed

Celebration of Baptism

Benediction (Psalm 67:1-2)

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