We're going to begin our worship by singing to God's praise in Psalm 91 from the Scottish Psalter.
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It's on page 351, Psalm 91 at verse number 1.
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In him trust I will.
We stand if we are able to sing from verse 1 to verse 6 to God's praise.
In all of him that is, the mighty shall abide.
I call the Lord my Father to save.
He is my refuge still.
He is my fortress and my hope.
And in him trust I will.
Assured he shall be saved.
And give deliverance from such a father's spirit.
And give us from the noise of best of lands.
His feathers shall be mighty like us.
Under his wings shall we.
His faithfulness shall be a shield.
And give us a shield and power unto thee.
The child of need to be afraid.
Or terror's of the night.
Nor for the hour.
O love doth fly.
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Let's bow our heads in prayer.
Almighty and most gracious God,
we are thankful to you for this new day.
We rejoice in you as the God who is
the God of the night and the God of the day,
the God who has caused the sun to rise
on this new morning.
And we gather to worship you
and we give thanks to you for the beauty of this day,
for its peace and for its good gifts
and for its privileges.
You are a great God who has created the universe
and created this world and all that dwells in it.
Give thanks to you for the way in which
your fingerprint on all that is made
reminds us of your glory and of your power.
And we pray today as we worship you
that the beauty that we see around us
will be in itself a stepping stone
to draw near to you as our God
and come to understand and to know and to appreciate
the beauty of the revelation you have given to us
in the passion of your Son.
We rejoice today in the Lord Jesus Christ as our Saviour.
We marvel at the news that you sent him into this world.
Lord, we can never fully appreciate what that sending meant
and what coming into this world meant for him.
But we do give thanks to you for that great sending.
We do give thanks to you for the life that the Lord Jesus lived.
We give thanks to you for the death that he died
and for the resurrection power with which he came back from the dead.
And we are thankful today that his work is not yet complete.
We are thankful that he is at your right hand
and we come to you in his name
thankful that he has secured with his death and his resurrection
the great gift and grace of salvation.
And praying today that we may sense indeed
our need to bow down at his footstool
to acknowledge his glory as our Saviour
and to give thanks to you for his finished work
and in doing so to be reminded
that there is the prospect of his return.
And we give thanks to you for the promises of your word
that your Son will return to this earth
and that he will stand upon it
and that every eye will see him.
So bless our worshipers.
We do worship you
that we may appreciate the work of your Son
and that in appreciating and laying hold
of all that he has done by faith
that we may live with that hope of everlasting life in our hearts
and the sure expectation of meeting with your Son
on that great last day
when the trumpet will sound
and when the dead will rise from their graves
and when all of the people of God
will be gathered around your Son
around your throne
and at last led into fountains of living water
and there to enjoy the eternal blessedness
of the paradise of God.
We pray for your blessing to be upon us
as we worship you.
We pray your blessing to be upon us
as we reflect upon your word.
We pray for your blessing to be upon all of our people.
We are mindful of those who are away from us at this time on holiday.
We pray that you will bless and keep and protect them
and guide them in their time away.
We are thankful to you for the children that are with us today
and for their parents.
We pray that you will bless our young people
and you will bless your word to them
and their learning and their understanding
of the truth of the gospel.
May their young hearts be blessed by you
so that all that they hear and all that they learn
would be the seed that is planted by you
that will bring forth fruit in their lives
in the days that are to come.
Bless them in all of their learning
in day school and in Sunday school
and give them the knowledge and the understanding
of your word
as they grow up in life
that they may appreciate the light that comes from the Bible
that helps them along life's way.
We pray for your blessing to be upon the children
as you gather in different groups today
and as you'll be near to all those
who provide oversight and teaching and leading as well
we do commit them to your care
and as you will hear us in these prayers
as we continue before you now
help us and accept us and go before us
for we ask all these things for Jesus' sake.
Amen.
Well boys and girls it's good to see you today
it's good to see boys and girls visiting us as well
and I know that many of your friends will be away on holiday
but it's always a joy to see you coming to God's house.
Our Bible message today is about Jesus
and Jesus making his way through life
and making his way to the cross
and going to the cross on Good Friday
and of course you are on your Easter holidays
and Good Friday and Easter Sunday
will come later on in the month.
I'm going to think of three things today
in our wee story
and the three things begin with P
that's the letter P
the first of these is plans
and some folks are on holiday today
and some folks go away on holiday at different times
but we make holiday plans
we decide where do we want to go
with our families or in our school trips.
I was on the ferry a week last Wednesday
and I think there were over 60 children
from the Stornoway Primary School on the ferry
a big group going away on a school trip
and perhaps you were one of them
but they were well behaved
and they were accompanied by some adults as well
so we make plans to go on our trips.
I was in Auburn last Sunday
preaching in Auburn
and I knew in December I was going there
so I had to make plans
and the date was in my diary
and I should be there
and for us all today
as those who worship God
we want to be the children of God
we want to belong to God's family
and to belong to God's kingdom
that should be our plan
and if our plans don't include that
then God wants us today to remember
that the most important plan that we can have
is to plan to be in God's kingdom
and to be in God's family
and so the first P is plans
and when Jesus came into the world
he had a plan
and God had a plan for him
and Jesus went and he fulfilled
all that God said about the plan.
The second P is preparation.
If we have plans
we need to prepare
and Jesus lived his life
preparing to fulfill everything
that God had given to him.
If I'm going on my school trip
then I need to work out where I'm going
I need to work how I'm going to get there
and need to make sure that I get there safely.
If I'm going to Oban to preach
or going to Oban at holiday
which is a great place to have a holiday
and by the way
if I'm going to Oban at holiday
then I need to work how to get there
I need to go to my Google Maps
and get the best way of getting to Oban
and the best way of getting there safely.
And if I'm going by car
I need to get my ferry ticket
so there is preparation
if I'm going to get where I plan to go.
And we come to church
it's part of our preparation
to be the children of God
and to be in God's kingdom.
We go to Sunday school
we learn about Jesus
and about God
and about God's word.
We are preparing to be
in God's kingdom
and to be the children of God.
We read our Bibles at home
we learn our Bible stories
and we do our prayers at home
we are learning the story of Jesus
because we need to learn about Jesus
and about God
if we are going into God's kingdom.
So we have a plan
that's where we want to be.
We are doing the preparation
there is work to be done.
Now not just for boys and girls
but for all of us here today
we have to prepare ourselves
if we're going to be in God's kingdom.
My third P is power.
And there's something I haven't mentioned
if I'm going to make my trip to Oban
or if I'm going to make my trip by car anywhere
there is something I have not mentioned.
Can you ever think what that might be?
What do I need as well as all of that preparation?
Well if I make all of these plans
and my car is sitting at home
and there is no fuel in it
I can make all the plans that I can
but I can't go anywhere.
So I need to make sure that I've got fuel in my car
I need to make sure that I've got
not just fuel in my car
but enough fuel to get me where I'm going.
And no matter what else I do
unless I have fuel, petrol or diesel in my car
I'm not going to go anywhere.
So if I am going to Oban
which is 170 miles from Arable via Anvarnes
I need to make sure I've got enough fuel in my car
to get me the 170 miles
because I don't want to run out of fuel
in the middle of nowhere
and be completely lost.
We need power.
We need petrol.
We need fuel in our car.
And today that's what God wants to remind us of.
We need to prepare ourselves
and learn all of the story of Jesus
and the story of God
but more importantly
and most importantly
we need to have Jesus in our hearts
and we need to have the Spirit of God in our hearts.
And Paul was writing to people
in a church in Ephesus like ourselves
he was praying for them
that Jesus would dwell in their hearts by faith.
And today all of you, all of us together
we need to make sure that we have that power in our hearts.
It's the love of God
the love of Jesus
the Spirit of God in our hearts
and that's when we are in God's kingdom.
That's when we are in God's family
and that's when we can look forward
to being with Jesus
when we leave this world.
Okay?
So we have plans.
We need to have plans.
That's where we want to go.
We want to be with Jesus.
We need preparation.
We need to learn about God
and about Jesus
and about how to get there.
But we need to make sure
that we don't forget
that we need Jesus in our hearts
and God's Spirit in our hearts
because that's when
we are truly the children of God
and when we can be sure
of being with Jesus.
Thank you for listening.
So now we're going to repeat
the Lord's Prayer together.
Let's continue now in our worship of God
by singing,
the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.
Amen.
Let's continue now in our worship of God
by singing to his praise, this time from Psalm 65.
Psalm 65 and the sing Psalms
and it's on page number 82.
And we're going to sing at the beginning of the Psalm.
Psalm 65 at verse 1.
It's on page 82.
In Zion, praise awaits you, Lord.
To you our vows will pay.
To you all people will come near.
You hear us when we pray.
We stand to sing from verse 1 to the verse Mark 5.
To God's praise.
Amen.
To you all people will come near.
You hear us when we pray.
When we bear over them license and guilt upon us day.
Give our love our trespasses and watch our guilt away.
And bless our woes to something.
Within your hearts of grace.
We live with blessings in your hands.
In your hearts of holy place.
Where constant beats of righteousness.
You answer us, O God.
Let's pray, O God.
the New Testament from the Gospel according to Matthew chapter 26. Matthew
chapter 26 and we're reading at verse 26. Matthew 26 and verse 26. Let us hear the
word of God. Now as they were eating Jesus took bread and after blessing
it they broke it and gave it to the disciples and said take eat this is my
body and he took a cup and when he had given thanks he gave it to them saying
drink of it all of you for this is my blood of the covenant which is poured out
for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you I will not drink again of this
fruit of the vine until the day when I drink it new with you in my father's
kingdom. And when they had sung a hymn they went out to the Mount of Olives
then Jesus said to them 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 gallery. 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 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. 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 Sebedee he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them my soul is
very sorrowful even to death remain here and watch with me. And going a little further he fell on his
face and prayed saying my father if it be possible that this cup pass from me nevertheless not as I
will but as you will. And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping and he said to Peter so could
do not watch with me one hour. Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing but the
flesh is weak. Again for the second time he went away and prayed my father if this cannot pass unless I drink it your will be
done. And again he came and found them sleeping for their eyes were heavy. So leaving them again he went away and prayed for the
third time saying the same words. Then he came to the disciples and said to them sleep and take your rest
later on and see the hour is at hand and the son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise let us be
going. See my betrayer is at hand. Now when there's God's word we trust that he blessed to us our reading
from it. Once more we bow our heads in a word of prayer.
Lord our God we are thankful to you for your word. You have made yourself known to us in the words of
scripture and we do give thanks to you for every way in which we have an insight into your work and your
purposes and your plans. We are thankful to you for the words that we have read and for the insight
that we have of the journey of your son and his experience when he faced the cross of Calvary.
We are thankful to you that we can learn so much from what he experienced and we are thankful to you
that he experienced all of these things so that we would not suffer the very things that he endured
if we believe in his name. And today we do pray for your word to be in our hearts and by the light and
the power of your Holy Spirit to be alive in our minds in such a way that we may see the truth as it is
in Jesus. That we may see the truth and what it says about ourselves and that we may realize in the
depths of our beings today that we need to know the Lord Jesus as our Savior. That we need trust in him.
That we need the safety and the security that comes alone from resting in him and in all that he has done
on behalf of sinners like ourselves. And so we pray for the power and influence of your Holy Spirit in our
time of worship together, drawing your hearts, leading us to you, leading us to understand and to know
and to know better the things of God and being persuaded day by day of the truth of them, of the value
and the preciousness of them and recognize day by day the great need that we have to find our satisfaction
in these very things that we have in the word of God and to find a rest in you day by day in the midst of
the insecurities of life, in the midst of the many ways in which circumstances change, in the midst of
the many ways in which we can come out of one crisis into the next and when our world can be in turmoil.
So bless us and bless your word to us, all of us together here before you. Remember those who are
unable to be with us, confined in their homes, we pray that you will reach out to them. We are thankful to you
that you are the God who is always present with your people and we know that there are times when your people
may conclude that you are not with them and we pray for any today who may be coming to such a conclusion
that you will provide them powerfully with a reminder of your unforgettableness, of your presence with them,
of your grace in their hearts and of your arms around them. Bless all of our homes and all of our families.
Be with those who are unwell, we commit them to you. Be with those who mourn and grieve the loss of loudness,
we remember them before you, not only in our congregation here but beyond all of the brokenness in the world and
all those whose hearts are filled with heaviness today. We pray that your hand will be upon them
and that your light and your comfort and your peace and your love would come to them and would carry them
through their times of trial and testing and their times of grief and sorrow. Bless the world in which we live.
We remember the nations of the earth in the midst of so much turmoil and so much uncertainty in these days.
We ask you, O Lord, to lay your hand on those who are in positions of authority,
who are so influential in the culture of this world as we see it, humanly speaking.
We pray you, O Lord, to influence for good, to guide and to direct, to give us order, to give us peace,
to restore order and peace where there is conflict and disorder, and to bring to the peoples of this world
a sense of the goodness and of the grace of God. We give thanks to you for the whole church of Christ
in the world. Pray your blessing to be upon all who love your name today, all who gather to worship as we do.
May you encourage, may you enrich, may you build up and may you even restore in the faith
all those who gather to wait upon you on this day.
I'm praying especially for your persecuted people that you will bless and protect them
in the midst of the danger that they face because of their faithfulness to you,
what show them and to be gracious to them and strengthen them day by day
and to make their witness powerful, even to change the hearts of those
who are their greatest enemies. So bless your people and bless your word
and bless all those who go out to preach today and be merciful to all connected to us.
We pray for your blessing to be upon the Reverend Calamurdo at this time of holiday.
May you bless him with rest and may be refreshed in his time away
and may come back refreshed and ready to continue serving you here.
And we pray for your blessing to be upon the intermoderary, Reverend Colin McLeod as well,
that you will strengthen him in all his own burdens and responsibilities as we commit them to you
and the care and the direction of our congregation during these days.
We commit ourselves to you and pray that your hand will be upon our hearts
to steer our thoughts and our paths in the days that are to come
and to provide for us ministry in the gospel sent by you, equipped and prepared by you
to be over your people here. So bless us and be near to us and go before us now.
Blessing your word to us. Watch over us and keep us and guard us
from every distraction as we do worship you and accept us and our mercy.
For we ask all these things for Jesus' sake. Amen.
Amen.
Our next item of praise is Psalm number 69. It's at verse number 13. It's in the Scottish Psalter on page 306.
Page 306 at verse number 13. And we can associate these words with the words that we read from the Gospel of Matthew
and Jesus in the Garden here is a prayer that is very much a messianic prayer.
A prayer belongs to Jesus especially.
But in an acceptable time, my prayer, Lord, is to thee, in truth of thy salvation, Lord,
and mercy great hear me.
I'm going to sing from verse 13 to the verse 18 to God's praise.
Amen.
I pray, Lord, is to thee, in truth of thy salvation, Lord,
and mercy great hear me.
In liberty and of the life, from shame in gloomy peace,
Reveal from those that do be made, and from the water stream.
Let not the flag of me prevail, whose watcher overflows,
Nor did we swallow, nor the pit, and our mouth upon me close.
Hear me, O Lord, because thy love and kindness is most good,
Turn on to me, according to thy mercy's multitude.
For from thy servant high by faith, I've come soon again.
From here, my soul, I'll yet redeem, because my hope's in heaven.
So we're going to get on to the Gospel of Matthew and chapter 26.
And we can read at verse 36.
Matthew 26, and at verse 36.
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 so on down through the rest of this section.
Now speaking to the children, we notice the importance of plans.
And the importance of knowing where we are going,
As well, of course, as knowing where we are coming from.
And when we read the story of the Gospel,
We understand that Jesus knew exactly who he was.
And time after time, as we see in this passage itself,
He proclaims himself to be the Son of Man.
And he connects himself to all that God has spoken in the Old Testament,
With the promise of salvation through a King,
Who would have a kingdom and who would have glory.
He knows who he is.
And he also knows the plans of God.
And as we read through the Gospel,
We see the way in which Jesus,
At every step of the way,
Is doing the things that God had set out for him to do.
He came because of God's plan.
And he is working out the plan of God
At each step in the Gospels.
He knows where he has come from.
And he knows that one day,
He will arrive at his destination.
And that destination will be at the right hand of God.
There are plans.
There is preparation.
And as we read the story of Jesus,
There is also power.
Jesus has the power of the Holy Spirit,
With which he is able to do the will of God,
And serve God,
And do all the powerful things,
That we see Jesus doing in the Gospels.
And as the scene develops in this Gospel itself,
We see that there is a particular event and place,
That begins to become central in the life of Jesus.
He is fulfilling his ministry amongst all of the people.
He is healing the sick.
He is restoring sight to those who are blind.
He is showing his power by bringing people around himself.
And as he does,
So he comes at last to the place where he leaves Galilee behind.
The place where he has done most of his work.
And he goes on to Jerusalem.
And he knows he is going to face hostility there.
And we think in this month of Good Friday and Easter Sunday,
And we look back on the events that took place in the life of Jesus.
And these events are of course significant and momentous.
And they were the same for Jesus himself.
For him, there were the most significant events in his life,
As well as coming into this world,
To die and to be raised were the two most significant things in his life.
And bearing that in mind today,
We want to look at this passage,
Where the primary focus is on the Lord Jesus.
And that's important for us to notice that.
Sometimes we get so caught up in ourselves and what we need and what we want,
That we lose sight of the primary focus of God on Jesus in the gospel.
And so through this passage today,
The disciples are a kind of sidebar in the story.
The real story is about Jesus in this moment.
And we want to think of this passage under the title,
Jesus and the shadow of Good Friday.
First of all,
There is a shadow.
A shadow can be something positive in the Bible.
We sang Psalm number 91,
Where it speaks of abiding in the shadow of the Almighty God.
That's a positive thing.
That's where we want to live our lives,
Under the shelter of God.
And the psalmist says in Psalm number 63,
That in the shadow of your wings I will find joy.
Shadow in the Bible can be a powerfully positive thing,
That speaks to us of our relationship with God,
And where we need to be as the children of God.
But it can also be a very negative thing.
For example, in Psalm number 107,
The psalmist speaks of coming to sit in darkness,
And in the shadow of death.
It can be very negative.
And in our broken world,
The Bible time after time speaks about the way in which
Suffering and death itself
Covers us like a shadow.
Positive and also negative.
And when we read this story,
It becomes clear
That the shadow for Jesus
Is something very negative.
It's something that speaks of all the bad things
That we have in life,
And that speaks of the bad things
That he must endure.
Let this cup
Pass
From me
The cup is a very simple thing
In our everyday lives.
We pour whatever it is,
Our tea and our coffee into our cups,
And we drink from our cups.
They are very simple things.
In the Bible,
Cups were filled by
By those who
Who
Were hosting guests.
Cups were filled with
With rich things
And passed around
To the guests
To show of the riches of the king
Who was hosting the people.
Psalm number 23 speaks of
Of the cup
And the abundance of the
Gifts of God.
The cup can again give us
A variety of things
In the Bible.
And when we
Read this passage here,
Jesus is referring to
A specific cup.
Let this
Cup
Pass from me.
And this is really important
Because it points us to
Which cup Jesus is referring to.
And we
Read further on
Earlier on
In the passage
The way in which he speaks
Of the
Blood
Of the covenant
Which is poured out for many
For the forgiveness of sins.
He had given thanks.
He gave it.
He took the cup
And he gave it to them.
This cup
Is the new covenant
In my blood.
And all of these
Adjudice that
Describe this cup
Speak of the
Awful situation
That Jesus was facing.
It's a new covenant.
That means there is
An old one.
And the Bible tells us
That that old covenant
The old relationship
With God
Is completely broken.
And in this new
Covenant
That is in this cup
That Jesus is about
To take in his hand
This new covenant
Must in some way
Fix the brokenness.
The covenant
Must in some way
Address the broken relationship.
And we
Read in this
Passage itself
That that's about
Forgiveness of sin.
We read throughout
Our Bible
That it's about
Turning away
The wrath of God.
We read in our Bibles
That it is
About Jesus
Paying the ransom price.
There are huge
Elements
As he drinks this cup
Related to
The broken relationship
That arises
From the broken
Covenant
Of God
With his people.
And when we
Come to
Think of
This cup
Today
This cup
Of the new covenant
God wants us
To think
Of our own
Relationship
With God.
To understand
Where we are
By nature
In our relationship
With God.
To remind us
That our relationship
With God
Is broken.
And to remind us
That to fix
That broken relationship
Is not a simple fix.
It's something
That only God
Can do
And only God
Can do
Through what
Jesus is going
To do.
But we must
Realize what
The brokenness
Means.
That we have
Sinned against God.
That we are
Alienated from God.
That God
Has become our
Enemy because
Of our sin.
That the distance
Is so far
Because we have
Broken our
Relationship with God.
This cup.
And that very
Same cup
Which is
The new covenant
In his blood.
It begins
Something new.
And that's
The good news
Of the gospel.
That Jesus
Not only
Takes away
The old
That is broken.
But that
Having met
The conditions
Of that broken
Relationship
That he
Establishes
Something new.
And that's
The good news
Of the gospel.
But the way
From the broken
To the new
Is what
Jesus
Is staring
In his face
As he
Approaches
The cross
At Calvary.
He is
Looking
At this
Cup.
And
In a
Symbolic way
It's as if
For the first
Time
God has
Taken
This cup
And placed
It
In the
Hands
Of Jesus.
And although
Previously
Jesus knew
Where he was
Going
And why he
Was going
There
That now
There is
A sense
Of an
Unveiling
Of the
Detail
Of all
That that
Means.
He is
Coming face
To face
With the
Reality
Of what
He already
Knew
And the
Depths
Of the
Reality
Of
Reconciling
Sinners
To God
This
Cup
The late
Principal
Donald McLeod
Put it like
This
Here
Satan
Shows him
Not all
The kingdoms
Of the world
As in
Previous
Temptations
But the
Full
Cost
Of his
Love
The curse
What will
It mean
The full
Ransom
Price
What will
It mean
Forsaken
By God
What will
It mean
Think of
Jesus
In the
Garden
Think of
Him coming
Face to
Face
For the
First
Time
With the
Reality
That shortly
The father
Whom he
Loves
And who
Loves him
In return
Is going
To hide
His face
From him
That's
What it's
Going to
Take
How do
We expect
Jesus
To respond
To that
We see
In verse
37
That he
Began
To be
Sorrowful
And
Troubled
!
There was
A sense
Of physical
Pain
A sense
Of emotional
Suffering
There was
A deep
Sense
Of affliction
Arising
From the
View that
He never
Had of
This
Cup
He was
Sorrowful
And
Troubled
He was
Humanly
Speaking
Overwhelmed
By the
Very thought
Of what
He had
To drink
He was
Full of
Heaviness
And we
Should not
Lose sight
Of the
Way in
Which Jesus
Was impacted
By this
Cup
The way
In which
His
Humanness
And the
Way in
Which his
Sense of
Weakness
Caused him
To feel
Such a
Weight
Of
Heaviness
In this
Situation
That he
Was as if
Not only
Burdened
With sorrow
But surrounded
By sorrow
And the
Sorrow that
Led him
Through the
Next whole
Period of
Time
Up until
The cross
At Calvary
He was
Sorrowful
And he
Was
Troubled
And
He already
Felt
Alone
And he
Takes three
Disciples
With him
And he's
Pleading with
Them
He has
Been pleading
With them
All of his
Life
For them
To follow
Him
And the
Promise
That he
Is with
Them
But in
This moment
The picture
Is reversed
And he
Wants them
To stay
With him
To be
Alongside
Him
Imagine
The son
Of god
The
Jesus
Of nazareth
The son
Of man
Depending
On three
Disciples
In his
Greatest
Hour
Of need
The shadow
Of the cross
On good
Friday
Let's think
Of what
Jesus saw
As he
Looked
Into
The cup
That god
Was placing
In his
Hand
The shadow
Leads to
The struggle
And we
See
That his
Response
And his
Struggle
That he
Engages
With god
Through prayer
What else
Can he
Do
He
Prays
To god
Oh my
Father
The father
Concerning
Whom he
Says
In john
Chapter 11
I know
That you
Have always
Heard
Me
And he
Comes in
This moment
Of trouble
And of
Sorrow
And he's
Crying out
To his
Father
Whom he
Knows
Loves him
Whom he
Knows
That that
Love will
Never come
To an
End
And whom
He loves
Himself
With a
Love that
Corresponds
To the same
Love of the
Father for
Him
He
And the
Father are
One
Such is
The closeness
Prayer
The struggle
That leads
To prayer
What an
Example
In our
Struggles we
We tend to
Turn away
From god
And drown
Ourselves in
Our sorrows
And in our
Struggles
Here is
The example
Of the
Right
Response
!
But as
You will
If it is
Possible
If you
As if he
Were saying
To his
Father
If you
Have
The power
In any
Way
To take
This cup
From me
And let's
Remember that
When Jesus
Adressing
His
Father
And saying
If it is
Possible
If you
Have the
Power
We know
That god
Has all
Of the
Power
We know
That with
His power
He created
The universe
We know
That he
Is able
To do
Everything
And anything
We know
That he
Said to
Abraham
Is only
Too hard
For the
Lord
Everything
Is possible
For the
Lord
And Jesus
In this
Moment of
Struggle
With god
He is
Exploring
The possibility
That beyond
His own
Understanding
At this
Point
That there
May be
Some
Other
Way
He is
Pushing
The boundary
He is
Pushing
Beyond
Where he
Is
And perhaps
God has
The power
And god
Can do
It
In some
Other way
And we
Read that
In the
Gospel of
Matthew
In the
Mark in the
Account in
Chapter 14
All things
Are possible
With you
If it is
Possible
He is
Exploring
Let this
Cup
Pass
By me
Let it
Develop in
Such a
Way
That I
Don't
Encounter
The drinking
Of it
That no
Matter how
Close I
Am to
It right
Now
That it
Will
Bypass
Me
That you
And your
Infinite
Power and
Glory and
Wisdom
Will find
A way of
Taking this
Cup out
Of my
Hand
And allow
Me to go
Forward in
My journey
Without drinking
This cup
At all
Is that
Not
What you
And I
Would pray
For
If it is
Possible
Please don't
Let me go
Down this
Road
Please don't
Let me
Experience what
Is lying
In front
Of me
In other
Words
It's the
Human
Response
To such
A prospect
And we
See Jesus
Here
So like
Yourselves
Proving
His
Humanness
Proving
That he
Is one
Of us
When faced
With a
Struggle
He is
Looking for
A way
To avoid
The intensity
Of drinking
This cup
And the
Suffering
That that
Involves
Father
If it is
Possible
And
As if he
With all
Respect as if
He was
Balancing
His own
Prayer
Nevertheless
Not as
I will
But as
You will
There is
Never a
Conflict
There is
A struggle
There is
The exploring
Of a
Possibility
Of some
Other way
But there
Is never
A conflict
Not as
I will
But as
You will
Father
Whatever
Your will
Is
That's the
Path I
Want to
Follow
But in
This moment
Is it at
All possible
That there
May be
Another way
And as
We
Think of
That struggle
For Jesus
Let's
Take it
All to
Heart
As we
Think of
What Jesus
Has done
For us
In the
Gospel
Let's
Think of
Him
Not just
On the
Cross
But on
The way
To the
Cross
And let's
Come alongside
Him
As the
Disciples
Were commanded
To do
That they
Fell asleep
Today
Do not
Fall asleep
When we
Think of
What Jesus
Was going
Through
In the
Garden
Of
Gethsemane
Be
Wide
Awake
Be
Alert
To what
He is
Going
Through
Because
It is
Related
To you
It is
Connected
To you
It is
Connected
To your
Salvation
And it
Speaks
Also
Of the
Darkness
Of your
Lostness
If you
Don't
Have faith
In Jesus
The day
May come
When you
Will cry
For the
Same
Is it
Possible
That this
Wrath
May not
Come upon
Me
Be alert
To what
Jesus
Is doing
And saying
And be
Alert
To what
It means
For your
Salvation
Part one
But we
See as
Jesus
Continues
In his
Prayer
We see
That there
Is
There is
Development
He is
Growing
In his
Understanding
Of where
He is
And so
Often in
Life
That's
What
Happens
God
Puts
Me
In a
Crisis
And
I
Cannot
See my
Way
Through
That
Crisis
But in
The very
Darkness
Of the
Crisis
The light
Begins
To dawn
And I
See something
That was
Unknown to me
Before
The struggle
Is the
Means
Through which
The light
Shines
And the
Day
Begins
To dawn
And Jesus
In his
Second
Prayer
In
Verse
Number
42
Again
For the
Second
Time
He went
And prayed
My
Father
If this
Cannot
Pass
Unless I
Drink it
You will
Be done
He has
Explored
The
Possibility
But now
He is
Face
To face
With the
Fact
That there
Is no
Other
Way
That this
Cup
Cannot
Pass
By him
The only
Way
Forward
Is for
Him
To drink
It
And let's
Be sure
Today
That if
There was
Another
Way
Through which
God
Could save
You and
Me
Bring us
Into the
Kingdom
Of heaven
Make us
The children
Of God
If there
Was another
Way
Other than
His son
Going to
The cross
On good
Friday
Then that's
What would
Have happened
But there
Is no
Other way
There is
No other
Passion
There is
No other
Path
There is
No paradise
Without the
Path
That Jesus
On
To the
Cross
On good
Friday
If it
Cannot
Pass
By
Unless I
Drink it
Your will
Be done
Jesus
Is embracing
The will
Of God's
Father
He came
Into this
World
His delight
Was to
Do the
Will of
God
And that's
Never going
To change
And he
Realizes
As he
Now comes
To
Within
Eye view
Of the
Cross
As he
Comes
Under its
Shadow
He now
Realizes
That is
Where the
Will of
God
Takes
Him
It was
The will
Of the
Lord to
Crush him
Says
Isaiah
The
Lord laid
On him
The
Iniquity
Of his
All
He knew
Where he
Was going
And now
He is
Face to
Face
With the
Fact that
There is
No other
Way
For him
The struggle
Which brings
Him
At last
To be
Aligned
With the
Will of
God
And to
Understand
That no
Matter how
Great the
Power of
God is
That there
Is no
Other way
Of salvation
But for
Him
To go
To the
Cross
Let's
Continue to
Reflect
As we move
On
And as we
Come to
Think of
Jesus moving
From the
Shadow
Through the
Struggle
Coming to
Submission
What does
That mean
He gives
Himself
Over
Completely
To God
The
Sidebar
Is
That the
Disciples
Were there
And the
Sidebar
Is that
The
Disciples
Failed
Jesus said
To them
Watch and
Pray lest
You fall
Into
Temptation
There's a
Time of
Struggle
For you
And for
Me
You watch
And pray
Lest you
Fall into
Temptation
He comes
Back and
He finds
Them sleeping
Twice he
Does that
The
Peter was
Confident
That he
Would
Never
Deny
Jesus
Peter
Could you
Not
Watch
With me
For one
Hour
They
Failed
In their
Submission
To the
Will of
God
And in
The
Path of
Discipleship
And following
The
Lord Jesus
Watch and
Pray
They
Did
Not
Take
Heed
They
Were
Asleep
The
Sidebar
The
Contrast
And perhaps
That's where you might
Find yourself
As we come to
The submission of the
Lord Jesus
That here
Here you are
And God
Has told you
To watch
Not just to
Watch what's
Happening
But to be
On your
Guard
Because
Here is the
Moment of
Temptation
Here is the
Moment of
Testing
Here is the
Moment of
Proving what's
In your
Heart
Here is the
Moment of
Showing
If your
Words really
Mean
Anything
Here is the
Moment of
Showing
Your
Closeness
Your
Dependence
Your love
For the
Lord Jesus
Here is the
Sidebar
And where
Does that
Sidebar
Leave you
Do you
Join with
The
Disciples
And are
You
Sleeping
Your
Way
Along
And all
Of the
Most
Important
Things
In
God's
Plan
Are
About
To be
Fulfilled
Here is
Jesus
He comes
Back to
The
Disciples
Who
Have
Failed
And he
Says
To them
In
Verse
Number
45
Then he
Came to
The
Disciples
And said
To them
Sleep
And take
Your
Rest
Later
On
You
Have
Failed
In the
Testing
That there
Is no
More
Time
For
Prayer
Now
You
Are
Going to
Have
To do
That
Later
On
The
Moment
Has
Passed
Them
And
Now
The
Case
That
The
Hour
Has
Come
For
Him
The
Hour
Is
At
Hand
And
The
Son
Of
Man
Is
Betrayed
Into
The
Hands
Of
Sinners
Rise
Let
Us
Be
Going
See
My
Betrayer
Is
At
Hand
The
Son
Of
Man
Is
Betrayed
Into
The
Hands
Of
Sinners
We
Know
The
Story
Of
The
Trial
We
Know
The
Story
Of
The
Conviction
We
Know
The
Story
Of
Embading
The
Cross
We
Know
The
Story
Of
Him
Being
Nailed
To
That
Cross
By
Wicked
Men
On
Good
Friday
The
Son
Of
Man
Is
To
Be
Betrayed
What
Does
Jesus
Do
Now
Does
He
Pray
One
More
Time
No
He
Is
Ready
To
Go
And
Do
The
Father's
Will
Rise
Let
Us
Be
Going
Let
Move
On
From
Here
As
We
Read
In
The
Gospel
Of
John
The
Cup
That
The
Father
Has
Given
To
Me
Will
I
Not
Drink
It
Not
Only
Has
Jesus
Overcome
The
Struggle
But
He
Has
New
Energy
And
New
Focus
And
He
Leaves
The
Garden
And
His
Betrayer
Comes
And
He
Is
Given
Over
To
Them
But
He
Is
Going
So
Now
Clearly
The
He
Goes
To
The
Cross
Willingly
And
Ready
To
Sacrifice
Himself
And
I
Guess
We
Can
See
The
Closing
Scene
Something
Like
This
The
Opening
Scene
Is
That
The
Cup
Is
There
And
The
Shadow
Of
Calvary
Falls
Upon
Jesus in the garden. But the closing scene is very different. He is the son of man who has been
promised glory with God, a kingdom, and dominion. And what does Jesus now see in this closing scene?
That behind the cross is the very glory of God and the light of the glory of God
that causes the shadow of the cross to fall on him where he is. But as he now rises from the garden,
what he sees in the first place is not the cross itself. It is the light that shines behind it.
It is the glory of God. And when he prays in John 17, the hour has come, glorify your son.
And that's him looking to the glory that creates the shadow that falls upon him in the garden of
Gethsemane. I was thinking about this kind of image and looking at this yesterday. And we live just
down below the war memorial. And depending on the height of the sun, the shadow can be very long
or very short. But it's a massive building. And in certain conditions, the shadow falls quite far.
But other times, the sun is high. There's hardly any shadow at all. But it reminds me of this image.
The image that I believe Jesus had in his own mind as he went from here. Your glory, my Father.
Me being glorified with you. The light of your glory. Let me look to you. And then let me go on my journey.
And willingly drink of this cup. Willingly be stretched out by evil people and nailed to this cross.
Willingly endure your wrath. Willingly endure my body being broken.
With the weight that I must bear of your wrath in repairing and in addressing the conditions of the covenant that is broken.
So that these people might have forgiveness of sin.
And so let's go today with a real sense of the shadow of Good Friday.
What it meant for Jesus.
The struggle that he had because of that shadow.
And let's not stop short of thinking about his submission.
His willingness to go.
And the sense of that willingness.
Being inspired and having fuel for the journey.
By the light of the glory of God.
Shining upon him.
And his Father looking upon him.
And preparing him and bringing him to that place of glory.
And let's ensure that we don't sleep on our way through the story of Easter.
But that we walk with the disciples.
That we have recovered from our sleeping.
And that we understand why Jesus must go through these things for our salvation.
And that we may hear them with gladness.
And ensure that they become meaningful.
In changing our own hearts and lives.
And in discovering the new covenant.
The forgiveness of sins.
That Jesus speaks of here.
And then we may well do.
Take the cup of salvation.
And call upon the name of the Lord.
May God bless this word to us.
Let us pray.
Most gracious God.
We rejoice in you.
As our Father who is in heaven.
We rejoice in you.
As the Father who sent your Son into the world.
We give thanks to you.
And you are the God who did not spare your own Son.
But delivered him up for us all.
And help us to rejoice today.
In the knowledge of the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ.
In the knowledge that there is peace with God through him.
And give us faith to believe in him.
To accept him.
As he has offered to us in the gospel.
And give to ourselves that sight.
And that prospect of your glory.
As we journey on through the struggles of life.
Here I pray we ask.
And have mercy.
For we pray these things for Jesus' sake.
Amen.
The closing psalm is psalm number 16.
And sing psalms.
It's on page 17.
Psalm 16.
And at verse number 5.
And we'll sing to verse number 8.
And we'll notice that the latter part.
The end of the psalm is quoted by Peter.
With regard to Jesus.
In Acts chapter 2.
And the resurrection of Jesus.
But we'll sing at verse number 5.
O Lord you are to me my cup and portion sure.
The share that is assigned to me.
You guard and keep secure.
We stand and sing from verse 5 to verse 8.
To God's praise.
Lord you are to me my cup and portion sure.
The share that is assigned to me.
You guard and keep secure.
The share that is assigned to me.
And surely my inheritance
To me is a delight
And praise the Lord my God
Whose counsel guides my choice
And even in the night my heart
Revolves in such an choice
Before me constantly
I set the Lord alone
Because he lives
At my right hand
I'll not be overcome
I'll go to the main door
after the benediction
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ
The love of God the Father
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit
be with you all now and forevermore
Amen