BLOODY BUT UNBOWED
THE 52 GREATEST STORIES OF THE BIBLE • Sermon • Submitted
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Today’s text brings us to Christ final pre-crucifixion moment with his disciples. What would Jesus do? What would he say? Why the Garden?
What would Jesus do? His Father’s will and face his final temptation. We find his first recorded temptation in the wilderness following a 40 day fast. His final temptation will take place in a garden following a feast. This is no ordinary garden for it is found on the Mount of Olives. Gethsemane means “to press”. According to the prophet Isaiah Christ must be crushed just as a olive press crushes an olive. It is here in the garden that Christ begins his journey as the “man of sorrows acquainted with grief”
He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
). Furthermore, Isaiah tells us; “it was the will of the LORD to crush him” ().
Furthermore, Isaiah tells us; “it was the will of the LORD to crush him”
).
I grew up hearing church folk saying; “the safest place is in God’s will”. The Son is in the center of the Father’s will and yet his sorrow is so severe that it came near to killing him. His sorrow is great for the sin which he is bear is great.
Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.
I grew up hearing church folk saying; “the safest place is in God’s will”. The Son is in the center of the Father’s will and yet his sorrow is so severe that it came near to killing him. His sorrow is great for the sin which he is about to bear is great.
Sorrow was not new to Jesus. He experiences it at the tomb of Lazarus (). However, this moment was the pinnacle. As we enter the enter the garden this morning let us confess our cognitive limitations. There are mysteries contained in this event that finite human simply cannot understand fully. However, there are truths here that we can understand and practice.
Temptation is nothing more than a battle over whether we will do the Father’s will. It is the Father’s will to crush him. Crucifixion is the Father’s will.
Satan slithers into the garden to present an alternate path. Let us not forget that Satan’s objective is to keep Christ from going to the cross. Satan is not responsible for Christ death. The Father slew his Son. He completed the act which he stopped on Moriah with Abraham and Isaac. Jesus was the Lamb chosen before the foundation of the world. Peter said this of Jesus death in the first Christian sermon;
Satan is not responsible for Christ death. The Father slew his Son. He completed the act which he stopped on Moriah with Abraham and Isaac. Jesus was the Lamb chosen before the foundation of the world. Peter said this of Jesus death in the first Christian sermon; “this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men
this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.
Following Jesus baptism and prior to his public ministry Jesus is led into the wilderness to be tempted. Now at the conclusion of his ministry and prior to his death Jesus goes to face his final temptation.
Following Jesus baptism and prior to his public ministry Jesus is led into the wilderness to be tempted. Now at the conclusion of his ministry and prior to his death Jesus goes to face his final temptation.
In the wilderness temptation Christ faced three recorded temptations, each one of them was to give Christ what was rightfully His without the cross. In this hour of temptation, the power of darkness has come one final fight. In the great, sovereign purposes of God, there is a determined time – limited, to be sure; in which Satan can release all his tempting efforts to stop the Son of God from the cross. This is the greatest battle, and when it is over, Satan is vanquished, and Jesus comes out of the garden triumphant.
This fight was so intense that Jesus said in
And he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Remain here and watch.”
; “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death”. So intense that even a perfect human body was well-nigh unable to stand under its onslaught.
; “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death”. So intense that even a perfect human body was well-nigh unable to stand under its onslaught.
Do you ever doubt that Christ has forgotten about you? If so, this text is for you. While enduring his greatest most intense spiritual battle Jesus was ever concerned about his own;
And when he rose from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping for sorrow,
and he said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation.”
(ESV)
This is a great illustration of omniscience. God can be totally consumed with what He is doing and, at the same time, never lose track for one split second of the needs of all His own beloved children. The Father is completely aware of our situation even when we are unaware of him.
This is a great illustration of omniscience. God can be totally consumed with what He is doing and, at the same time, never lose track for one split second of the needs of all His own beloved children. The Father is completely aware of our situation even when we are unaware of him.
Jesus brings his own to the garden to teach them how to face their own temptations. They, especially Peter, need this teaching. Remember what Christ told Peter in this same chapter;
“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat,
but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.”
(ESV)
Let me stress that Jesus temptation is unique. However, there are principles that are applicable to us. Let’s answer our second question; What would Jesus say?
Let me stress that Jesus temptation is unique. However, there are principles that are applicable to us.
What does Jesus say about temptation? And when he came to the place, he said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.”
And when he came to the place, he said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.”
It’s late Thursday night, probably early Friday morning. They have just finished the Passover meal with the singing of . The sovereign calendar dictates that he must die Friday afternoon, between 3:00 and 5:00, when the Passover lambs are being slain, because He is the true Passover. He must be in the grave before sunset because He must be in the grave three days – a Friday, part of it; all day Saturday; and a portion of Sunday. There are only hours now; midnight has very likely passed.
Jesus went to this garden because it was his custom. It was a secluded spot where he could fight his final Satanic battle. It was also a place where Judas alone could find him. Jesus only told Peter and John about the Passover meal location. Why? So, that Judas plot could not occur earlier. Jesus had not yet completed his work. It is in the garden that Christ finishes his pre-crucifixion ministry.
Jesus only told Peter and John about the Passover meal location. Why? So, that Judas plot could not occur earlier. Jesus had not yet been completed. It is in the garden that Christ finishes his pre-crucifixion ministry.
In the garden we see the height of supernatural conflict, Satan fighting the Son of God. “He said to them, ‘Pray that you may not enter into temptation.’” Pray that you may not literally be overwhelmed by temptation or that temptation would be successful. Pray.
In the garden we see the height of supernatural conflict, Satan fighting the Son of God.
“He said to them, ‘Pray that you may not enter into temptation.’” Pray that you may not literally be overwhelmed by temptation or that temptation would be successful. Pray.
Jesus knew He was temptable.
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.
) He could not sin, but He could be tempted. He did not sin, but He was tempted. He had been tempted, but here would be the greatest temptation of His entire life. As a man was temptable. Though pure and holy, he was incapable of sinning, yet he knew the reality of human weakness to which He had willingly subjected Himself.
He could not sin, but He could be tempted. He did not sin, but He was tempted. He had been tempted, but here would be the greatest temptation of His entire life. Though pure and holy, he was incapable of sinning, yet he knew the reality of human weakness to which He had willingly subjected Himself. His temptation was real and intense that it almost killed him. However, his struggle with temptation is not the same as ours. Believers struggle with temptation because of our sinful flesh. We are fully forgiven and have become new creatures in Christ. We have been raised from the dead like Lazarus and like him we stink. We are new creation’s incarcerated in unredeemed flesh. We are redeemed still possessing remnants of our fallenness. Satan’s temptation to us is to hold onto sin and not come to righteousness.
His temptation was real and intense that it almost killed him. However, his struggle with temptation is not the same as ours. Believers struggle with temptation because of our sinful flesh. We are fully forgiven and have become new creatures in Christ. We have been raised from the dead like Lazarus and like him we stink. We are new creation’s incarcerated in unredeemed flesh. We are redeemed still possessing remnants of our fallenness. Satan’s temptation to us is to hold onto sin and not come to righteousness.
We, the redeem, still struggle because the power of sin remains in us. We struggle because the power of sin is innate to us, because the power of iniquity is intertwined in our being. Unholy impulses reside in us. Our battle is to fight against our innate attraction to sin, to fight against our fallenness, and to abandon it and embrace righteousness and holiness and purity.
Christ struggled with temptation in exactly the opposite way. He struggled because of His holy flesh. He struggled because He was totally devoted only to that which was pure, righteous, and perfect. He struggled because the power of holiness was the only motive. He is holy, holy, holy. We struggle with three things: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life. He struggled against three driving dominant, all-consuming, all-pervading impulses: holy, holy, holy.
We’re trying to abandon sin and embrace holiness. Christ was being tempted to abandon holiness and embrace sin bearing. He’s not fighting against sinful impulses to be holy. He’s fighting against holy impulses to be made sin.
Satan is tempting Him to cling to holiness, just as He did when He tempted Him in the wilderness, “Cling to the right to be satisfied. You shouldn’t be hungry. Cling to the right to be acknowledged as Messiah. Jump off this building, take what You deserve, cling to the right to rule the kingdoms of this world. I’ll hand them to You; You don’t need the cross. You don’t need to embrace sin. You don’t need to embrace sin to be satisfied; You don’t need to embrace sin to become acknowledged; You don’t need to embrace sin to take Your rightful throne.
He was having to fight against holy impulses; we have to fight against sinful impulses. We fight to hold onto God. He fights to let go of God. We fight to be joined to God; He fought against being separated from God. It was a temptation to let go of all that He had known. He had never been separated from the Father. He had never been made the bearer of the wrath of God for sin.
Upon their arrival he tells them, “pray that you may not enter into temptation”. Peter needed to pray for temptation was coming soon for him as prophesied by Christ. The rest needed to pray for Zechariah had prophesied that they would all scatter when the Shepherd was smitten. The power of darkness was coming for them and Christ remedy was prayer.
Here again is that ever-present balance between sovereignty and human responsibility. He says, “I have prayed for you that your faith fail not” - that’s divine sovereignty – “but you better pray as well - that’s human responsibilty.” What should their prayer be? He taught; “lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil”.
So, the lesson is clear, Christ goes to His temptation; they go to their temptation. “Everyone needs to pray. We must empty ourselves of all self-confidence, of all spiritual pride, of all overestimation of our strength and pray for divine help.”
If we are going to follow Christ pattern in overcoming temptation, then we must anticipate temptation and be ready with prayer.
If we are going to follow Christ pattern in overcoming temptation, then we must anticipate temptation and be ready with prayer.
Don’t get caught, when the temptation hits with its full force, not having prayed. Help awaits the one who prays.
If we are going to follow Christ pattern in overcoming temptation, then we must expect agony in our praying.
If we are going to follow Christ pattern in overcoming temptation, then we must expect agony in our praying.
Jesus shows us that one who prays honestly and earnestly, in the face of temptation, feels agony. There is an agony in legitimate prayer.
“Knelt down” – that’s the the verb that Luke uses. This is where we begin to consider the severity of the affliction that He is feeling as He struggles in this temptation. Standing not kneeling was the customary posture for prayer. The fact that Luke, in a very mild way, says He was kneeling down doesn’t tell the whole story, because having knelt,
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.”
says, “He fell on His face.” And and 35, “He began to be very distressed and troubled and fell to the ground and began to pray.” And , as I read earlier, “with strong crying and tears.”
And
And he took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be greatly distressed and troubled.
And going a little farther, he fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him.
and 35, “He began to be very distressed and troubled and fell to the ground and began to pray.” And , as I read earlier, “with strong crying and tears.”
And
And , as I read earlier, “with strong crying and tears.”
, as I read earlier, “with strong crying and tears.”
What you have here is the Lord Jesus lying flat on the ground, sobbing and crying out loud in the agony of this struggle. This is the Man of Sorrows. What depressed Him, what distressed Him, what grieved Him, what made Him sorrow? It was the realization of the coming wrath of His own Father falling on Him. This is just more than He can bear physically. And so, He’s prone on the ground, crying at the top of His voice. The lesson here is that if we’re going to triumph over temptation, you must hate it. You must feel afflicted by it. You must feel the pain of it, the assault of it, the repulsiveness of it. Their needs to be an agonizing in prayer because you love holiness and you hate sin.
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.
What you have here is the Lord Jesus lying flat on the ground, sobbing and crying out loud in the agony of this struggle. This is the Man of Sorrows. What made Him sorrow? It was the realization of the coming wrath of His own Father falling on Him. This is just more than He can bear physically. The lesson here is that if we’re going to triumph over temptation, you must hate sin. You must feel afflicted by it. You must feel the pain of it, the assault of it, the repulsiveness of it. Their needs to be an agonizing in prayer because you love holiness and you hate sin.
We are different from Jesus because we don’t feel the perfect hatred of sin. However, facing temptation in prayer must include the most basic attitude of a genuine hatred of sin. We need to be afflicted by the thought of sin. Just as Christ agonized over becoming sin we must agonize in our fight against sin.
If we are going to follow Christ pattern in overcoming temptation, then we must be submissive.
If we are going to follow Christ pattern in overcoming temptation, then we must be submissive.
Victorious praying is submissive.
saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.”
In all our struggles, the bottom line is, “I want to do Your will; I want to do Your will; I submit to Your will; I submit to Your will.” That’s the only way we can overcome the flesh. Feel the weight of sin, feel the affliction of sin, feel the affliction of any solicitation to do evil, and long in your heart to do the will of God.
In all our struggles, the bottom line is, “I want to do Your will; I want to do Your will; I submit to Your will; I submit to Your will.” That’s the only way we can overcome the flesh. Feel the weight of sin, feel the affliction of sin, feel the affliction of any solicitation to do evil, and long in your heart to do the will of God.
And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.
And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.
, “This is the confidence which we have before Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us, and we have the requests that we asked from Him.” You plead to know the will of God and to do the will of God. This is foundational in prayer.
You plead to know the will of God and to do the will of God. This is foundational in prayer.
If we are going to follow Christ pattern in overcoming temptation, then we experience restoration.
If we are going to follow Christ pattern in overcoming temptation, then we experience restoration.
In our fight against temptation we must meet anticipated temptation with prayer. As we fight in prayer there will be agony. Victory over temptation is achieved with submissive praying.
And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him.
Luke 22:43, “Now an angel from heaven appeared to Him, strengthening Him.”.
What is the significance of the appearance of this angel? The angel is an affirmation that His Father cared for Him, just as the angels that came after His first temptation to strengthen were an affirmation of the fact that the Father would, in time, give Him everything He wanted and everything He deserved, and everything He was entitled to. This time, He knows, because holy angels are around the throne of God; hovering, hovering, hovering, waiting to be dispatched by God to minister to those whom God loves.
What is the significance of the appearance of this angel? The angel is an affirmation that His Father cared for Him, just as the angels that came after His first temptation to strengthen were an affirmation of the fact that the Father would, in time, give Him everything He wanted and everything He deserved, and everything He was entitled to. This time, He knows, because holy angels are around the throne of God; hovering, hovering, hovering, waiting to be dispatched by God to minister to those whom God loves.
What a promise, that if we go into prayer with anticipation, if we feel the agony of sin and temptation, if we come to the point of wonderful submission, as
Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?
says, “God sends His angels to minister to His people. Not visibly, as in the case of Christ, but nonetheless His angels. , “His angels always look at His face, ready to go to the aid of those He loves.” He needed strength more than a human body has in itself; even a sinless one.
, “His angels always look at His face, ready to go to the aid of those He loves.” He needed strength more than a human body has in itself; even a sinless one.
How severe was the struggle? Why did He need an angel to come?
And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.
This comment only comes from Luke the physician, of the physical effects of this agony. The word agony means to be in combat unto death. The word earnestly is a medical term used of stretching muscles to the max of their capability. He can’t pray any harder; He can’t pray any stronger. He’s praying to the limits of His own capability.
He is praying in such extremity that literally His body begins to show the effects. “And His sweat” – hidrōs, from which we get hydro, water. And “drops of blood” – thromboi haimatos– thrombosis is a medical term. This suggests a very, very dangerous condition known as hematidrosis, the effusion of blood in one’s perspiration caused by extreme anguish and physical pain, subcutaneous capillaries dilate and burst, mingling blood with sweat brought Him to the threshold of death.
Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.
,
He’s striving so hard, with such agony, that He starts to shed blood. He just soaks His clothes with sweat dripping off His head and His face to the ground; His blood mingles with it. He is blood/sweat saturated as He lays prone on the ground.
He’s striving so hard, with such agony, that He starts to shed blood. He just soaks His clothes with sweat dripping off His head and His face to the ground; His blood mingles with it. He is blood/sweat saturated as He lays prone on the ground.
There’s no statement about the triumph, but it’s evident,
And when he rose from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping for sorrow,
“When He rose from prayer” – that’s all it needs to say; it was over. The power of Satan had given its best shot. Satan tried to keep Him from the cross. When He got up off the ground, He was bloody but unbowed, and He came to the disciples blood soaked and found them sleeping .”
They should have been praying. If He needed to pray, how much more did they need to pray? Why were they sleeping? Late? Past their bed time? Long hard day? Ate too much at the Passover meal? No! They slept because of sorrow. They anesthetized themselves just by the sheer force of sadness. They knew they were going to scatter; He told them that. They knew Peter was going to deny Him; He told them that. They knew He was going to go to the cross and be arrested and die.
Fatalism crept in. What’s there to pray for? He had warned them to pray. Yes, He prayed for them. He is the Great High Priest who intercedes for His own, but we are to pray as well. Luke condenses His response into one single statement,
and he said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation.”
He said it to them constantly, but every time He came back, He found them asleep again. In the words of
Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
.
Jesus came from prayer a third time according to
The third time He came out, according to Mark, He said, “That’s enough. That’s it.” , “The hour has come; behold, the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. Get up, let’s be going; the one who betrays me is at hand!” No more time to pray. No more time to prepare.
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.
No more time to pray. No more time to prepare.
So, our Lord goes to face the enemy triumphantly over temptation through prayer, and they go to face the enemy defeated by lack of prayer. Our Lord has won the victory, defeated the prince of hell, stands covered with bloody sweat on His blessed face and soaked through His clothes, but He is bloody and unbowed. He is ready to face the enemy; He will face the betrayer; He will take his kiss; He will face the Jewish leaders; He will face the Romans. He will go to the cross, and He will crush the head of the serpent, and He will be made sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in Him, and He will triumph over death, and He will burst out of the grave to be exalted to the right hand of the Father as King and – King of Kings and Lord of Lords forever.
The last temptation is done, the cup is in His hand, and He’s about to drink it, and the cup is not trembling. No wonder P. P. Bliss wrote,
“Man of Sorrows, what a name
For the Son of God who came
Ruined sinners to reclaim
Hallelujah, what a Savior.”
Why the Garden?
Why the Garden?