Sermon Tone Analysis

We’re heading towards a climactic event in this Gospel of Mark.

There is a crescendo as Christ approaches the point at which He will hang for our sake on the cross.

The tension is building in this passage.

But this text that we will consider this morning almost appears to be climactic moment in and of itself.

It reminds me of cycling the Argus Cycle Tour (Cape Town Cycle Tour) and riding up Chapman’s Peak, you reach Little Chappies.

As you approach it, it looks like the top of Chapman’s Peak, but as you get there and round the bend, there ahead of you, some way off, you see the actual peak.

In our case, the actual peak will be the crucifixion of Jesus, which is still some way ahead.

But this event that we look at this morning is certainly significance, and filled with tension.

You will recall that Christ has just eaten the last Passover meal with His disciples Jerusalem.

He then leaves Jerusalem, and begins to head across the Kidron Valley towards the Mount of Olives.

On the way he spoke to His disciples and told them that they would all desert Him, which they of course denied, particularly Peter.

But we pick up in verse 32, as they’ve just had that conversation.

Mark 14:32 They went to a place called Gethsemane…

We read in verse 32 that they move to a particular place which was known as Gethsemane.

Gethsemane literally means “press of oils”, referring to a press for crushing oil out of olives.

According to John 18:2...

Now Judas, who betrayed him, knew the place, because Jesus had often met there with his disciples.

This was a place that the disciples and Jesus frequented.

Very possibly it was a place they went in order to get away and have some peace and solitude.

But Judas the betrayer was himself very familiar with this place, and anticipated that this is where Jesus would be, so that he could betray Christ into the hands of the group of people that would soon approach him.

…and Jesus said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.”

As Jesus arrives there, he is with 11 of his disciples.

Already Judas has gone out to the chief priests in order to betray Jesus into their hands.

But the remaining 11 disciples are with Jesus here.

As He arrives with His disciples at this garden called Gethsemane, he says to 8 of his disciples that they should sit there and wait for Him while He goes away in order be in prayer to the Father.

This is another one of those moments of private prayer, where Jesus goes away in order to present His requests before the Father.

Only twice before has Mark recorded Jesus praying alone (1:35; 6:46; on prayer, see further on those passages and at 9:29).

The prayers of Jesus in Mark are all set in times of decision and crises, this being the most traumatic.

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One further point that we must consider has we see the events that unfold here is that this event is taking place after the Lord’s Supper / Passover meal, which was eaten in the evening.

This was probably going into the late evening hours, with the sun either having already set, or about to set, by the time that they actually head out to the Garden of Gethsemane.

Mark 14:33 He took Peter, James and John along with him…

As Jesus leaves the 8 disciples at this initial point near the garden, he takes along with him the three disciples that we’ve come to know as those in the so-called “inner circle” – those who were close Jesus.

In one sense we may wonder why it was that Christ took these three a little further, since even they would not be present with Him when He prayed to the Father later on.

But whatever the reasoning is, we’re going to learn some important lessons that Christ teaches these three disciples which are helpful for us.

It’s interesting to note however that it was these three disciples, Peter, James and John, that had sworn great allegiance to Jesus, and had sworn that they would be able to endure any measure of suffering that may come their way in their service of this Saviour.

You will recall that James and John were those who had asked for the positions of authority – one at the right, and one at the left hand of Christ – in His kingdom.

In response to this, we read the words in Mark 10:38-39…

““You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said.

“Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?” “We can,” they answered.

Jesus said to them, “You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with,” (Mark 10:38–39, NIV84)

James and John certainly believed themselves to be ardent followers of Jesus, and most worthy even of the greatest positions in Christ’s kingdom.

Peter also was the one who had just expressed to Jesus in the strongest of terms that he would in no ways forsake Jesus, and that even if all the other disciples turned away, he would never turn away.

And so if Jesus were to have any disciples with him for encouragement support in this time that he was about to face, it was these three who had vowed their allegiance!

…and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled.

As this point, we find that Jesus began to be deeply distressed and troubled.

What is so striking to us here is the extent of the turmoil that Christ has within Him as He considers the moment that is approaching.

If there is one thing that we can learn from this turmoil that He faces it is that He is human.

He experienced the full range of emotions and feelings that any one of us would experience in our lives.

Certainly, there are many records of the emotional responses of Christ under various circumstances.

In John 15:10-11, we find a record of experiencing that emotion of joy as he taught His disciples:

“I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.”

(John 15:11, NIV84)

We know very well through our study thus far in the Gospel according to Mark that Jesus experienced anger at the religious leaders due to their hypocrisy.

In Matthew 23:33 he said to them:

““You snakes!

You brood of vipers!

How will you escape being condemned to hell?” (Matthew 23:33, NIV84)

You will recall that he drove out those who were buying and selling in the temple courts.

The reason that He primarily did that was because His disgust at the fact that those who were buying and selling were nothing but greedy and oppressive in their conduct.

Christ experienced frustration at the fact that His disciples were so slow to learn and to understand His ways and His work.

For example, in Matthew 17:17…

““O unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you?

How long shall I put up with you?

Bring the boy here to me.”” (Matthew 17:17, NIV84)

In the Gospels, we find record of Jesus having been deeply moved when he arrived at the tomb of Lazarus and saw the weeping and sadness of the people.

John 11:35 says…

“Jesus wept.”

(John 11:35, NIV84)

Certainly, in His complete and full humanity, Jesus responded with the full range of human emotions as were fitting to the circumstances.

Certainly those responses were in no way sinful.

They were appropriate under the circumstances, and completely without sin.

But in the context of our current verses, we find an emotional response from Christ that is not equalled anywhere else through His entire recorded life.

As Christ considers the approaching events that are about to unfold, we read that He was deeply distressed.

Another translation for these words here is that he was filled with horror and anguish!

Now consider, friends, that Christ had spent His entire life preparing for this moment where He would be betrayed and taken to the cross.

With that perfect knowledge, it didn’t lead Him to have no emotional response to what was unfolding.

Here, we find the fullness of the humanity of Jesus as He is horrified as He considers these events approaching.

He will be betrayed by one of His own disciples into the hands of sinners.

He will be abandoned by His disciples as they run away in fear for their own lives – the sheep being scattered as the sword of God comes against the Shepherd.

And then He will go to the cross, to bear the curse, the shame, of the sins of man, as the powerful wrath of God is poured out on Him.

And He is moved deeply within Himself as all of this plays through His mind.

Let us understand that as much as we recognise the sovereignty of God in every circumstance in life, and the perfect will of God unfolding in every detail of life, even in the most painful of situations, we are not called to be stoics.

Emotion and turmoil of the soul may arise.

We may find ourselves in times of deep anguish of soul.

Depression may overcome us.

The pain within may seem to overwhelm us.

Do not be disheartened in such times.

If there is one thing that should at least bring some measure of comfort in times like that, it is that Christ Himself knows and understands the pain.

Mark 14:34 “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” he said to them…

At this point, Christ begins to explain to His 3 disciples – Peter, James and John – something of the pain that He is experiencing at that moment.

He expresses this inner turmoil that he is facing.

“My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow.”

He conveys this in a sense that it appears that He scarcely able to carry this load that is weighed down on Him.

He is overwhelmed with this sorrow, He says, “to the point of death.”

It is almost as if he was about to succumb to death through the sorrow alone that He was experiencing.

No doubt the ultimate fulfilment of Psalm 42:5-6 and Psalm 116:3 were realised in this moment.

“Why are you downcast, O my soul?

Why so disturbed within me?

Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.

My soul is downcast within me…” (Psalm 42:5–6, NIV84)