Luke chapter 22, verses 39 to 53.
Let me read it out loud for us.
And he came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples
followed him.
And when he came to the place, he said to them, pray that you may not enter into temptation.
And he withdrew from the stone's throw and knelt down and prayed, saying, Father, if
you are willing, remove this cup from me.
Nevertheless, not my will, but yours be done.
And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him.
And being in agony, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat became like great drops of blood
falling down to the ground.
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.
While he was still speaking, there came a crowd, and the man called Judas, one of the twelve,
was leading them.
He drew near to Jesus to kiss him.
But Jesus said to him, Judas, would you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?
And when those who were around him saw what would follow, they said, Lord, shall we strike
with the sword?
And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and coughed his right ear.
But Jesus said, no more of this.
And he touched his ear and healed him.
Then Jesus said to the chief priests and officers of the temple and elders who had come out against
him, have you come out as against a robber with swords and clubs?
When I was with you day after day in the temple, you did not lay hands on me.
But this is your hour and the power of darkness.
This is God's holy and authoritative word.
In our tireless effort to put together a good life, we fill our schedules with activities
to enhance our quality of life, improve the prospects of our children.
We plan meticulously for emergencies and also come up with contingency plans, take every precaution
to ensure a healthy and wealthy family, successful career, and a carefully curated group of friends.
But something or someone without fail interferes with our plans.
This is the nature of living in a fallen world full of unpredictable events and sinful people.
Suffering is inextricably woven into the very fabric of life.
But the prevailing worldview tells us that suffering is essentially meaningless and unnecessary.
That it's an interruption to life as usual and to be avoided at all costs.
It teaches us that a life full of suffering is not worth living.
That we should devote all of our human creativity and ingenuity to alleviate suffering, to eliminate suffering at all levels.
But that approach does nothing to help us make sense of and deal with the suffering that is there.
The Bible takes a different view.
Instead of emptying suffering of meaning and seeking to uproot it altogether,
it imbues suffering with meaning.
Helps us to endure it.
That's what this passage is about.
It particularly teaches us that in the midst of our suffering,
we can entrust ourselves to the strengthening, sovereign, and sin-bearing God.
And that's the outline I will follow as we go through this passage.
First, let's talk about how God calls us to entrust ourselves to Him in the midst of our suffering.
It says in verse 39 that Jesus came out and went, as was His custom, to the Mount of Olives,
and the disciples followed Him.
He has just concluded, as we saw last week,
His last supper with His disciples, His last Passover.
With them.
And now they go out to the Mount of Olives with the intention to pray.
And Luke tells us that this was something that Jesus did habitually.
He says that it was His custom to do this.
Luke, more than any of the other authors of the Gospel,
emphasized Jesus' constant prayer and communion with God.
And then they come to the place,
which we know is called Gethsemane from the other Gospels.
And here Jesus tells His disciples,
pray that you may not enter into temptation.
But what temptation or trial is Jesus speaking of here?
And that reference is likely to what we spoke of last week from Luke 22, verse 31,
where Jesus warns Peter, Simon Peter,
Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you,
that he might sift you like wheat.
I noted last week that the word, the pronoun you, in verse 31,
is not singular, referring to Simon Peter alone,
but it's actually plural, referring to all the apostles.
And so even though Simon is singled out as the leader and representative among the apostles,
Satan intends to test all the apostles
to see if they would abandon Jesus.
Jesus, he's sifting them to see if he can filter them out like debris,
than to pick them out and discard them,
expose them as fraud, unfaithful disciples.
Jesus himself faces an even greater trial,
so he withdraws a stone's length, stone's throw,
from the disciples in order to pray himself.
There's a touch of emotion in the word withdrew, in verse 41,
because he's literally pulling away from the disciples
to engage in this prayer struggle by himself.
He knows that this is a trial he must face alone,
that his disciples cannot suffer with him or for him.
And then it tells us that he knelt down to pray.
This is also striking because Jews typically pray standing up.
We saw this earlier in Luke chapter 18, verses 9 to 14,
where the Pharisee and the tax collector are compared to praying to God side by side,
and they're both praying, standing up and looking up,
standing up to God, standing up before God.
But the fact that Jesus kneels here expresses his desperation.
He's desperate.
He's crying out to God.
He's humbling himself before his Father.
And this is typically reserved for cases of desperate pleas.
For example, in Acts 7, verse 60, which is also written by Luke,
Stephen falls to his knee to pray while being stoned to death
as the first Christian martyr.
So you could sense the kind of desperation that's characterizing Jesus' prayer here.
And then he prays in verse 42,
Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me.
Nevertheless, not my will, but yours be done.
This prayer really shows us the reality of Jesus' incarnation,
that he took on human flesh.
Because he was fully God, but he was also fully man.
And every fiber of his humanity resists,
militates against this impending death, his suffering.
This is a genuine request.
It's not an abstracted request.
It says, if you are willing, Father, remove this cup from me.
Of course, Jesus knew with certainty that this was his Father's will.
But his prayer, by articulating that he's expressing his inner turmoil,
could there be any other way, Father?
Is there any other way?
Father, remove this cup from me.
It's a cry of desperation.
I'll unpack in detail later why Jesus has such a hard time with this.
But it suffices to observe for now that he's in great distress.
It's described in verse 4.
He says,
He prayed even more earnestly so that he was sweating profusely.
It doesn't say that he was literally sweating blood,
which some people take this to mean.
It says that his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.
It's a simile that portrays Jesus' intense anguish.
Blood is about four times as viscous as water.
Some of you are interested in these kinds of things.
I didn't.
And so it doesn't flow.
That means it doesn't flow as easily as water does.
And so it drips much more heavily, right?
So if you can picture it, Jesus was sweating so much,
it's like collecting and accumulating on his body,
and then it drips like thick blood, like congealed liquid.
That's how much he's sweating because he's praying so earnestly before the Father.
And he recognizes that he's not praying to a powerless God,
but to the all-powerful God.
So he doesn't say,
if you can, Father.
He says,
if you are willing,
remove this cup from me.
He also knows that he's praying not to a detached overlord,
but to an intimate, loving Father.
So Jesus doesn't bury his questions,
his pain.
He expresses the fullness of emotions
in complete transparency and honesty.
And this is what it looks like to entrust ourselves to God, our Father.
Prayer is the most tangible expression of that trust
because in prayer, we do not, strictly speaking,
do anything or get anything done, right?
If you think about it,
that's in fact precisely why sometimes we don't pray.
We feel like we're not getting anything done.
I could be using this time to be getting things done,
doing things,
solving my problems.
We consider prayer a perfunctory preamble to our activities,
but prayer is not a preamble to something else we do.
It's a relational conversation
and a transaction between God and man.
It can bring the power of heaven down to earth.
So before his greatest undertaking,
when facing his most difficult trial yet,
we find Jesus not busying about with activities,
trying to get something done.
Rather, he's praying,
agonizing in prayer,
asking God to do something.
That's what it means to entrust ourselves to God.
Now, God the Father does not grant his son's request,
but he does answer his prayer
by sending an angel from heaven
to strengthen him,
as it says in verse 43.
This is an important point in this passage,
although it's easy to overlook it
in the midst of all these great verses.
Verses 40 to 46 are structured symmetrically,
if you look at it closely,
so that each verse in the first half of those verses
mirror the second half.
So in verse 40,
Jesus tells his disciples
to pray that they may not enter into temptation.
And then in verse 46,
he again tells his disciples to pray
that they may not enter into temptation.
And in verse 41,
Jesus pulls away from his disciples
to kneel down and pray.
And in verse 45,
Jesus rises from prayer
to return to his disciples.
And then in both verse 42 and verse 44,
Jesus is praying to God the Father.
It's the content of his prayer.
And that leaves verse 43 alone in the middle,
which by itself does not have a matching part
in the symmetrical structure.
This kind of symmetrical structure
is called a chiasm.
And it's ancient literature
often employs this rhetorical device.
And the purpose of it is to bring
focused attention to the element in the middle
that alone doesn't have a matching element.
And so the focal point is actually verse 43.
The Father does not deliver Jesus
from his suffering,
but he does strengthen him
in his suffering.
And this is why we can entrust ourselves to God
in our suffering,
because we know that he will strengthen us
in our suffering.
When you pray to God for something
and he answers you with a no,
you pray earnestly for something,
God, please take this,
seek this from me,
please give me a child,
please save my family.
When he gives you all these things,
when you don't get a yes for an answer,
but instead get a no from God,
don't assume that God, therefore,
has abandoned you.
That God doesn't care for you.
Because in the midst of your suffering,
God is with you,
in the midst of you,
to strengthen you.
Now, Jesus is receiving this strength
from God the Father,
but the disciples are a study in contrast.
After his prayer,
Jesus finds the disciples
sleeping for sorrow,
he says,
and he tells them,
why are you sleeping?
Rise and pray
that you may not enter into temptation.
He had told them to pray
that they may not enter into temptation,
so it's no wonder then
that the disciples are unprepared
for the events that follow.
When Judas, the betrayer,
comes with his arm bent
to arrest Jesus.
They fumble about
trying to figure out what to do,
and one of them impulsively
slices off the ear
of the servant of the high priest.
And Jesus, however,
in contrast to the disciples,
is poised
and in total control
because he
had already risen
from an intense
spiritual struggle in prayer.
So then,
this is intended to teach us
that prayerful waiting
and prayerful watching
is a secret
to not succumbing
to trials
and temptations.
I want to ask you,
are you
always falling
to the same temptations
in your life?
Does it seem like
you have the same trial
that you never seem
to be able to overcome?
Find the strength
to endure through.
Then let me ask you,
have you been
prayerful and watchful?
Ephesians 6,
18-19,
which we referenced
last week as well,
teaches us
we are to put on
the full armor of God
in our spiritual warfare
by praying
at all times
in the Spirit
with all prayer
and supplication,
keeping alert
with all perseverance,
making supplication
for all the saints.
Prayer is the
often enjoined
but seldom employed
key to victory
in Christian life.
Are you praying?
Are you watchful?
of course,
when overcome
with great sorrow
and encumbered
by the relentless
pace of our lives,
it's easy
to get lost.
It's really difficult
in those situations
to pray
and consciously
entrust ourselves
to God
and that's the same
reason why
the disciples
fell asleep.
It says that
they were sleeping
for sorrow.
verse 45,
they were physically
and emotionally
exhausted
from a hectic
week in Jerusalem
and a troubling
day they had just
spent speculating
and discussing
about which
of the twelve
apostles
would betray
their Lord
and all the more
in our wariness
and grief,
however,
when we're
particularly vulnerable,
that's when most
we should be
leaning on God
and entrusting
ourselves to Him
in prayer
because when we do
that,
He strengthens us.
So when you are
struggling with
severe depression,
some of you
struggle with
seasonal depression
as you approach
winter.
I guess winter
is here.
Is it technically here?
No,
it's still not here.
When you're struggling
with severe depression
or when you ask
God to take it away
and He doesn't,
know with certainty
that He is with you
to strengthen you.
When you come down
with the flu
just before a big
project
or before your
exams at school,
midterms that are
going on right now,
pray to God to heal
you and entrust
yourself to Him.
But if He doesn't
heal you,
know with certainty
that He is with you
to strengthen you
through it.
when you have a long
and stressful day
at work
and you're returning
home,
looking forward
to finally
getting some quiet,
enjoying a restful
evening,
stretched out on the
couch with your
legs on the coffee
table.
But then instead
when you come home,
you come home
to a house
in disarray
with your children
throwing tantrums
and your spouse
frazzled
and seeking
your help.
Cry out to God
for help.
Know that God
will be in the
midst
to strengthen you
so that you can
care for and
strengthen
and serve your
family.
As Charles Spurgeon
once said,
the refiner is never
very far from the
mouth of the furnace
when his gold
is in the fire.
In suffering,
rather than giving
us his good
gifts to
relieve us,
God often
gives us
himself
to sustain
us.
That's what he
did here.
He does not
take the cup
of his God's
wrath away
from Jesus,
but he sends
an angel,
his representative
to be his
presence
for Jesus.
And it's only
in our suffering
at times
when we feel
that God
is all we
have.
That's when we
truly know
that God
is all we
need.
It makes
suffering so
much more
bearable
when you
remember that
God is
with us.
That's the
strengthening
God.
And this
narrative ensues
in verse 47.
And let me
read verses
47 to 53
just one more
time to jog
your memory.
It says,
While he was
still speaking,
there came a
crowd,
and the man
called Judas,
one of the
twelve,
was leading
them.
He drew
near to
Jesus to
kiss him,
but Jesus
said to him,
Judas,
would you
betray the
Son of Man
with a kiss?
And when
those who
were around
him saw
what would
follow,
they said,
Lord,
shall we
strike with
the sword?
And one
of them
struck the
servant of
the high
priest and
cut off
his right
ear,
but Jesus
said,
no more
of this,
and he
touched his
ear and
healed him.
And then
Jesus said
to the
chief priests
and officers
of the
temple and
elders who
had come
out against
him,
have you
come out
as against
a robber
with swords
and clubs?
When I
was with
you day
after day
in the
temple,
you did
not lay
hands on
me,
but this
is your
hour and
the power
of darkness.
There's so
much injustice
and corruption
in this
account of
Jesus'
betrayal.
First look
at verse
47,
it says,
there came
a crowd.
Generally
in the
Gospel of
Luke,
a crowd
is depicted
as being
favorable
toward Jesus.
It's the
crowds that
just days
earlier
greeted
Jesus as
he was
entering
into
Jerusalem
and
seated
on a
donkey,
hailing
him as
king.
But now
Jesus was
on top of
the world
just a few
days ago.
Now
everything
starts to
turn on
him.
And first
thing we
see here
is the
crowd.
The crowd
has turned
on him.
It's a
crowd that
has not
come to
enthrone
him,
but to
arrest
him,
to kill
him.
And not
only the
crowd,
Luke's,
it says
that
Judas,
whom Luke
makes sure
to know,
was one
of the
twelve.
Think about
the horror
of that.
He spent
years with
Jesus.
He's seen
Jesus'
life.
He has
benefited
from his
teaching.
He has
served
alongside
him.
He has
been
Jesus'
most
trusted
of
companions.
one of
the
twelve.
He
ate
with
Jesus.
And it
is he,
one of
the twelve,
that
betrays
Jesus.
It gets
worse.
It says
that he
draws near.
He drew
near to
Jesus.
The phrase
draw near
used in
other parts
of Luke's
gospel
convey a
posture of
longing and
receptivity
toward
Jesus.
You
know who
always
draws near
to
Jesus
throughout
the
gospel
of
Luke?
It's
the
tax
collectors
and
sinners.
They're
always
described
as
drawing
near
to
Jesus.
Luke
15.
1.
Blind
beggar
draws
near
to
Jesus
for
healing.
Luke
18.
Verse
40.
But here
someone
once again
draws
near,
but not
for
healing,
not to
be
ministered
to by
Jesus,
but to
betray
Jesus.
With
the gesture
of
friendship,
a kiss,
that
phrase
with
a kiss
is
fronted
in the
Greek
for
emphasis.
With
a kiss,
Judas,
do you
betray
the
Son
of
Man?
And
the
same
word
for
love.
It's
a sign
of
love.
It's
a sign
of
strong
affection
among
family
members
and
close
friends.
And
what
shamelessness
for
Judas
to
betray
his
teacher
with
this
intimate
gesture.
And
then
Jesus
disciples
finally
recognizing
what's
happening
asks,
Lord,
shall we
strike
with
the
sword,
but an
impulsive
one,
we know
that this
is,
you could
guess it's
Peter,
we know
that it's
Peter from
John's
gospel,
chapter
18,
verse
10.
Jesus
to
actually
answer
the
question,
and
then he
just
cuts
off the
right ear
of the
servant
of the
high
priest,
which
could
have been
really
bad.
But
Jesus
stops
them saying,
no more
of this,
and then
he heals
the injured
man,
even at
this
critical,
desperate
hour,
when he
could have,
he of all
people had
the right
to say,
well,
I don't
have the
time,
I don't
have the
emotional
energy,
I don't
have the
strength to
deal with
somebody else's
problems right
now,
about to go to
the cross
to die,
but in the
midst of that,
Jesus has
compassion,
he heals
even this
man who
has come
to arrest
him,
and
consider the
iron of
this,
his
apprehenders
have come
with swords
and clubs,
fully prepared
to use
violent force,
they're
treating
Jesus like
a robber,
but they're
the ones
that are
acting like
robbers,
so Jesus
tells them,
do you like
robbers have
you come
with swords
and clubs,
and
let's
look at
what this
crowd consists
of further
in verse 52,
Luke specifies
that they were
the chief
priests and
officers of
the temple,
and elders
that have
come out
against Jesus,
this means
Jewish
religious
authorities,
their military
authority,
and their
civil authorities,
all of
them have
come out
in concert
to address
Jesus,
in other
words,
the crowd
has turned
on Jesus,
and the
entire
Jewish
people
have turned
on Jesus,
the people,
the chosen
people of
God,
that God
has set
his name
upon,
they have
all turned
against
Jesus,
and not
only them,
one of
his own,
not just
the larger
group of
disciples,
but one
of the
twelve
has turned
against
Jesus,
and Jesus
exposes their
treachery in
verse 53,
when I was
with you day
after day in
the temple,
you did not
lay hands
on me,
Jesus
ministered out
in the open
with total
transparency and
integrity,
if he had
really done
something wrong
that warranted
arrest,
then they could
have done it
right there,
but of course,
they're scheming,
they're seeking
to do something
that is
unlawful,
they knew
Jesus was
innocent,
yet they have
come in the
cover of night
with swords
and clubs
to carry out
their lawless
deed,
and that leaves
only one
conclusion,
Jesus says,
this is your
hour,
and the power
of darkness,
referring to
spiritual evil
authority,
power that
Judas and
Jewish leaders
are serving,
have become
agents of,
so note how
Jesus,
everything has
turned against
Jesus,
he was just
a few days
ago at the
top of the
world,
but now all
have turned,
and even
though everything
seems to be
going awry
for Jesus,
surprisingly,
he's the one
that appears
to be in
charge of
this entire
narrative,
in fact,
neither Judas
nor the
Jewish leaders
say a single
word in this
entire passage,
look at it
again,
it's Jesus
who highlights
the hypocrisy
of Judas,
it's Jesus
who restrains
his disciples
saying no more
of this,
it's Jesus
who exposes
the treachery
of the Jewish
leaders,
all of this
is there to
show us that
even in the
midst of his
crisis,
Jesus is in
total control
of his situation
as we have
seen over and
over again
throughout the
gospel of
Luke,
this is the
hour and
power of
darkness,
yet,
in this
moment of
seeming
triumph of
the devil,
Jesus is not
succumbing to
the power of
darkness,
he is in
control,
he's submitting
to his
father's will,
this reminds
me of Acts
2,
23 to 24,
where Peter
charges the
Jewish people,
this Jesus
handed over
to you
according to
the definite
plan and
foreknowledge of
God,
you crucified
and killed
by the hands
of lawless
men,
God raised
him up,
losing the
pangs of
death because
it was not
possible for
him to be
held by it,
Jesus,
though it
seems like
the devil's
triumphing,
though it
seems like
evildoers are
getting the
best of
him,
Jesus was
handed over
not by
hands of
men,
but according
to the
definite plan
and foreknowledge
of God,
this is
helpful for
us because
even in
the midst
of the
cruelest
injustices
and the
most gut
wrenching
betrayal,
even something
as tragic
as the
death of
the Messiah,
the perfect
sinless
son of
God,
even this
is not
outside of
God's
plan and
power,
he was
sovereign
through it
all,
God vindicates
Jesus in
the end by
raising him
from the
dead,
and that
means we
as God's
people,
we can
submit ourselves
and entrust
ourselves to
God in the
midst of our
suffering,
because we
know that
God too is
sovereign in
the midst of
our suffering.
when you
lose a
promotion,
perhaps when
you lose
your job
due to the
cruelty of
your colleagues
or unfairness
of your
boss,
when you
suffer gross
injustices and
discrimination on
the basis of
your ethnicity,
race,
gender,
when your
spouse is
killed in a
car accident
by a
distracted and
grossly
negligent
driver,
when you
incur great
financial loss
because of
a dishonest
neighbor.
In short,
when things
don't make
any sense,
God's
sovereign
through it
all.
That means
no suffering
that befalls
you has
ever escaped
God's
oversight and
care for
you.
Every loss,
every sorrow,
every
disappointment
is measured
out by
our all
powerful and
loving,
sovereign God.
So then we
don't have to,
like the
disciples try to
do here,
panic and
try to seize
control of the
situation.
We can simply
entrust ourselves
to God,
pray to God
that He might
strengthen us
through it,
trusting that He
sovereign.
And maybe
you're kind
of like me
and you've
probably already
done things
to bumble
your situation.
You don't
naturally
entrust yourself
to God.
Take heart in
this fact too
because obviously
the disciples
mess it up.
Peter kind of
messes up big
time, right?
He cuts off
the guy's right
ear, the
servant's right
ear.
But even
through it all,
God's sovereign.
Even through
your mistakes.
Even through
your faithless
deeds.
The often
quoted verse
Romans 8, 28
really is true
for us.
We know that
for those who
love God,
all things work
together for good.
For those who
are called
according to
His purpose,
what is this
good that God
does for us?
It's definitely
not earthly
comfort.
Since the only
innocent and
deserving man of
this kind of
comfort and
peace, that was
Jesus, and He
suffered a lot.
The answer
then lies in the
following verses
in Romans 8, 29
to 30.
For those whom
He foreknew, He
also predestined to
be conformed to
the image of His
Son, in order that
He might be the
firstborn among
many brothers.
And those whom
He predestined, He
also called.
And those whom
He called, He
also justified.
And those whom
He justified, He
also glorified.
The good that God
guarantees for us
is not earthly
comforts, but it's
the comfort of
knowing that we
will in the end
be conformed to
the image of
His Son.
That we will in
the end be saved
and glorified with
Jesus.
It's coming when
we will receive
full vindication for
all of our
suffering, all the
injustices we
endure, and we
will be restored to
God, our Father,
and all of our
tears will be wiped
away.
That's the good
that God promises
us, that all
things will work
out for our good.
In a book
entitled, After
Auschwitz, Richard
Rubenstein, a
respected Jewish
rabbi, reflects on
the aftermath of
the Holocaust.
He says this,
We stand in a
cold, silent,
unfeeling cosmos,
uneided by any
purposeful power
beyond our
resources.
After Auschwitz,
what else can a
Jew say about
God?
Thomas Hobbes
was right after
all.
In a world where
there is no
evidence that what
is true and right
would ultimately be
vindicated, and
what is false and
wrong will ultimately
be punished and
eradicated.
In such a world,
life is at best
short, nasty, and
brutish.
church.
But let me ask
you, after
Gethsemane, what
else can a
Christian say about
God?
After Golgotha, the
hill upon which
Jesus bore the
cross for us, what
else can a
Christian say about
God?
That even in the
coldest and darkest
corners of human
history, that God
is sovereign, that
He is the God who
brings justice, that
He will vindicate, that
He will save, that
ultimately what is
false and wrong will
be punished, that
ultimately what is
true and good and
right will prevail.
What else can we
say after Gethsemane?
So 2 Corinthians 4, 16
to 18 says this, so
we do not lose
heart.
Though our
outer self is
wasting away, our
inner self is being
renewed day by day,
for this light,
momentary affliction
is preparing for us
an eternal weight of
glory beyond all
comparison.
that's the true
reality for us in
our suffering.
And for my final
point, sin-bearing
God, return with me
to verse 42 and
revisit Jesus' prayer
on the Mount of
Olive.
I asked earlier why
Jesus is so desperate
and troubled.
Why couldn't He, like
some of the other
martyrs, Christian
martyrs in human
history, just face
His death with total
peace?
Why was Jesus in
such anguish?
The cup that He
asks the Father to
remove from Him is
an allusion to an
Old Testament motif
that represents God's
wrath and judgment.
For example, in
Isaiah chapter 51,
verse 17, it says,
Stand up, O
Jerusalem, you who
have drunk from the
hand of the Lord the
cup of His wrath.
who have drunk to the
dregs, the bowl, the
cup of staggering.
It's a fearful image, a
cup.
Imagine, against your
will, being forced to
drink again and again
and again until you are
totally witless, out of
control.
that's the picture of the
wrath, of cup of God's
wrath.
So in other words,
Jesus is not
dreading physical death
in and of itself.
He's dreading here what
His death entails.
Namely, that for our
sake, He who knew no
sin would be made
sin for us, that He,
the righteous one, would
endure the wrath and
punishment of God that
we sinners deserved.
It's the weight of it all
that Jesus dreads.
Yeah, the whipping is
terrible.
The crucifixion is
painful.
But this, it's tough, it's
really impossible for us to
grasp the enormity of
Jesus' suffering.
Think about it this way.
A person who is rejected
and shunned by an
acquaintance of one or two
days is not going to be
devastated.
When I try to make
conversation on the
airplane with the person
next to me and they don't
seem interested at all,
hey, I'm not bothered.
My ego's not hurt, right?
It's just a stranger.
But imagine a person who
is rejected by someone he
or she has been dating for
a few months.
Now, that's going to hurt a
little bit.
A person that you thought
liked you.
A person that you thought
you could maybe get into a
more serious relationship
with.
Now, imagine that you have
been married to someone for
several decades and then
your spouse rejects you.
Now, that painful
experience will scar you for
the rest of your life.
To be rejected by someone
you had given all to,
trusted and completely,
to be rejected by that
person.
But to an infinitely greater
degree, the Son of God,
who has enjoyed a perfect,
loving relationship with His
Father for eternity past,
must now endure the wrath and
judgment and alienation from the
Father He has never known.
He's always had His favor,
His love,
His kindness.
There was nothing to come,
nothing could ever come between.
Yet, He has taken up our sin
upon His shoulders.
And no wonder Jesus dreads this cup
of wrath.
Father, is there any other way?
Can you remove this from me?
We all know that
truism,
that what doesn't kill us only
makes us stronger.
But I want to tell you,
especially if you're not yet a
follower of Jesus Christ,
there is one suffering in the
world
that doesn't make you stronger,
it actually will kill you.
And that's sin.
Because sin separates us from God.
It alienates us from God,
our Creator,
our Heavenly Father.
Romans 6, 23 says,
The wages of sin is death,
but the free gift of God
is eternal life in Christ Jesus,
our Lord.
All the suffering that we
experience in this life,
all the suffering we experience
in our own lives,
within ourselves,
within our friends and
neighbors and family members,
in all of creation.
All of these are but symptoms
of the underlying root of sin.
And unless that sin is dealt with,
we cannot be restored to God.
Jesus is your only remedy for sin.
That's why He's suffering here
in this passage.
That's why He's going to the cross,
so that He can bear that suffering
for your sake,
so that if you repent of your sins
and believe in Jesus,
you might be saved
and have eternal life with Him.
If you're a believer,
this means you can rest assured,
Christ bore your sins,
every last one of them,
once and for all.
now all suffering that you experience,
there are trials that will make you stronger,
that will refine you,
just like a lump of coal
that under pressure becomes a diamond.
anyone else?
Charles Spurgeon writes about this
in one of his sermons.
He says,
in all this that I am called to suffer, there is not even a single particle of punishment for my sin.
God has punished Christ. Consequently, He cannot punish me. To punish two for one offense would be
unjust. Therefore, there is nothing penal in all that I am suffering. I do not know of any reflection
more consoling than this, that my sorrow is not laid on me by a judge, nor inflicted on me as the
result of divine anger. There is not a drop of wrath in a river full of a believer's grief.
Does not that take the bitterness out of affliction and make it sweet?
Are you with me? Are you following this? Because Christ has suffered and died on our behalf.
He drank the cup of God's wrath Himself down to the dregs. We are now heirs with Christ and adopted as
sons and daughters of God. Therefore, we can be assured that all of our sufferings and afflictions
that we experience in this life, they don't come from a wrathful judge. They come from the hands of
our loving Father to discipline us, to refine us, not to break us or destroy us.
He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, will He not also, along with Him, give us all things?
So if you're experiencing infertility, recurring miscarriages,
don't think that God is punishing you for your past sins.
Christ has already been punished for you.
If you develop a rare form of malignant cancer, don't you believe that God is punishing you for anything you've done?
It does not come from a vengeful God. It comes from the hands of a loving Father.
If you have a chronic illness that does not seem to go away, don't think for a moment that God is punishing you for something you have done.
Jesus has been punished for you. He drank the cup of God's wrath down to the dregs.
Jesus has been punished for you for something you have done.
Only the sin-bearing God who suffered in our place can help us make sense of and persevere through our suffering.
Only the sin-bearing God who once for all proved His love for us can fully entrust ourselves to Him.
So I urge you this morning, come as you are to God in your suffering.
Pray, entrust yourself to Him, the strengthening, sovereign, and sin-bearing God.