Well, we're spending morning and evening in Luke's Gospel. We don't normally do that, but I've really, really enjoyed it actually.
! I wonder whether we should do it more often. Kind of wallow in the book of the Bible. And that's what we're going to do. It's my last Sunday before holiday next week.
And we should go to Luke 23 to 25. Verse 25, I think.
I read a letter in this past week that was written by a colonel in the German army who at the age of 42, having been falsely accused of taking part in an attempt to assassinate Adolf Hitler, he was executed, put to death in October 1944.
His name, Alexis Van Renn. And a few minutes before his execution, by hanging, he penned these words to his wife.
My dearest beloved, in a moment, I shall be going home to our Lord in complete calm and in the certainty of salvation.
These words remind us, don't they, of another man, a more famous man, who was executed the next year, in 1945.
He was hanged in Flossenburg. And the camp doctor, who had witnessed many, many executions, gave this testimony. The man's name was Deidre Bonhoeffer.
The doctor said this, I was most deeply moved by the way this lovable man prayed, so devout and so certain that God has heard his prayer.
At the place of execution, he again said a short prayer and then climbed the steps to the gallows, brave and composed.
In the almost 50 years I worked as a doctor, I have hardly seen a man die so entirely submissive to the will of God.
And so my question is this, what happened to the Lord Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane?
What happened to the Lord Jesus there? Because there's no tranquility there, is there?
There's no calmness of spirit.
His experience is that of anxiety, it is that perspiration falls onto the ground in death's family, like great drops of blood hitting the ground.
Luke tells us, and he is the most discreet of all the Gospel writers, he describes the event.
And he tells us that our Lord Jesus was in agony as he faced his death.
Mark tells us that he was in such a state of kind of mental exhaustion, he felt such pressure on the eve of his crucifixion,
that the only language he would use, which we would use, is to describe somebody so shocked by what he or short saw,
that they're driven to total distraction.
And yet the strange thing is that what this Saviour experienced before his death in the garden of Gethsemane,
explains why those wonderful Christian believers have faced their death in such peace and even anticipation, isn't it?
And even joy.
It is this unique Gethsemane that we look at tonight that makes it possible for me and for you to find God's grace and God's peace
in the midst of all the world has to throw at us.
And that is the reason why millions of Christians have died peacefully in the face of execution for their faith.
The only possible explanation for that is the Lord Jesus Christ and Gethsemane.
And this is the beginning of what Jesus is about to experience in the course of these next few hours.
And I think it's important for us to realise that what Luke is doing is Luke is taking us to the very edge,
to the very edge of the most sacred day in history in the whole universe.
It's the day that makes Christian believers, it makes it possible for Christian believers to die sinning
because our Saviour died crying.
Do you remember how the writer of the Hebrews says, the writer of the Hebrews says
that with loud crying and tears Jesus prayed that his Father would save him from death.
Such is the pressure on the Lord Jesus here in the Garden of Gethsemane
that the pressure itself is in danger of killing him.
And I want to try and explore, and yet tonight even the greatest mind amongst us can only go so far.
I want us to think about this passage which takes us to the wonder of the Gospel
and to the heart of what we hold so dear, our salvation.
And it helps us to understand why it was Martin Luther said
that the reason Christians no longer have fear of death
is because no man feared death like this man.
And Luke takes us to the heart of it.
Instead it happens chronologically and geographically.
And he's actually prepared us, hasn't he?
He's been preparing virtually all the way through his Gospel.
In chapter 2 he emphasised the absolute reality of the humanity of our Lord Jesus.
That he grew in stature.
And he grew more and more facing the task that his Father placed before him.
So he not only increased in wisdom,
and in the way he so wisely used God's Word in so many different circumstances,
especially in temptation, but he grew in favour with men.
Not only with man, but with God also.
And we must never lose sight that there's a sense in which in these verses
Jesus enters a kind of no man's land.
Between heaven and earth.
That'll be seen, won't it, in that really mysterious cry on the cross,
my God, my God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
There was, there was never a day, was there?
There was never a day in his life when his Father loved him more than this day.
And that is where this great paradox and mystery lies.
It lies at the very heart of the Gospel of God's grace.
It says that his Son was obedient to the Father's will.
And was brought to a place of awful isolation.
And dereliction.
On the cross of Calvary.
Where he seems to have lost all sense of his Father's favour on him.
Crying out, my God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
That was the hour.
and because of that amazing obedience
his father must have sung, his father must have been able to sing that song
if ever I loved you, my Jesus is now
there seems to be three stages, as there nearly always is
that I want us to focus on tonight
and the first is that Luke is drawing our attention to the Lord Jesus' isolation
his isolation from his disciples and from all humanity
his isolation from the disciples and all humanity
he began to prepare us for that in chapter 7 and 9
you've got the transfiguration and that discussion
between Jesus and Moses and Elijah
and they discuss at the end of chapter 9 what is the exodus that Jesus is about to accomplish
and the disciples, those three, they would have got a glimpse of what was about to happen
in that discussion
because the exodus began, didn't it, how did it begin?
the exodus began with a terrible night of darkness and death and judgment
and we need to notice that it is within a few verses of that turning point, isn't it?
he speaks about the transfiguration of his exodus
that you get to chapter 9 where Jesus steadfastly sets his face to go to Jerusalem
and you get a picture of a group of disciples
who have been around Jesus
but now they begin to follow Jesus at a distance
they are slightly mystified
at this determination of his to go to Jerusalem
they don't understand it
and in a sense there is distance
again and again
he explains what he's doing
and again and again they don't get it
and now as he goes to the garden of Gethsemane
it's interesting how the story is set up
so look at verse 39
and he came out and went
as was his custom to the Mount of Olives
and the disciples followed him
they are not around him
they are following him
and there is it where you would see
if there was a movie
there's another scene, isn't it?
in the city of Jerusalem
there's another man
there's another force
there's another power
there's the dark side of Judas
and he is leading another group of men
but they have swords
and they have clubs
and Jesus says to them
this is your hour
and the hour is the hour of the power of darkness
and Jesus is going to be isolated
from those he counts near and dear
and isolated
from those who came to arrest him
and it's really clear
the ESV helps us here
look at the titles that follow
Betrayal and Arrest of Jesus
denial of Jesus
Jesus is mocked
Jesus before the council
Jesus before Pilate
Jesus before Herod
Pilate delivers Jesus to be crucified
the crucifixion
the death of Jesus
Jesus is buried
and so more and more
as you walk through these passages
you see that Jesus
is going into a sphere
which no one can enter and follow him
no one can stand before him
beside him at the cross
in chapter 23 verse 48
there it is isn't it
there are crowds
that have assembled
but all his acquaintances
and the women
that are followed
23 verse 48
from Galilee
they stood at a distance
watching these things
none of the ransomed knew
how deep were the waters crossed
or how dark was the night
that the Lord passed through
ere he found the sheep
that was lost
there's an isolation
of Jesus
at the heart of the gospel
he goes
where none other can go
and where he goes
is not only isolation
but Luke makes it
vividly clear
the way that he tells this story
that Jesus' isolation
had to do with Jesus' substitution
Jesus' isolation
and secondly
Jesus' substitution
substitution
and I think
we never grasp
the gospel
you never grasp
the gospel
until you understand
that the death
he died
was not his death
but our death
and Luke
expresses that
in very dramatic
simplicity
I wonder
if you were making
a film of this
think about that
if you were thinking
about a film like this
this is what I would do
Jesus
he moves from
the upper room
to the garden
of Gethsemane
and my camera
would follow him
there as he went
and then it would
move backwards
to the upper room
where they had left
and it would focus
on that cup
do you remember
we saw it last week
that cup
that's sitting
on the table
the cup of blessing
in the Passover meal
that Jesus
as he picked up
that cup
he said
I will not drink
of the fruit
of this vine
again
until I drink
it anew
in my father's
kingdom
and then he gives
that cup of blessing
to his disciples
and he says
drink
drink deeply
of the cup
of blessing
it's a wonderful thing
what can we give
to the Lord
for all his benefits
towards us
we will take
the cup
of salvation
that is the cup
of blessing
through faith
in Christ
the blessings
of grace
and salvation
and fellowship
with the father
and all these things
he offers
that family
around the table
and he says
to his disciples
drink deeply
of this cup
and then
Achim
would zoom
back out
to the garden
of Gethsemane
and it's a shadowy
figure there
isn't it
as he kneels
and he prays
at a distance
for his beloved
disciples
and the darkness
is pierced
by a prayer
the prayer
that you hear
is father
if it is possible
let this cup
pass from me
and you know
the bible
makes it very clear
what that cup
is too
there are many
references to that
cup in the old
testament
that is the
terrible cup
of judgment
that will fall
upon sinners
it's fascinating
go home
and look
at some of the
passages
and you notice
so many things
that they say
that will happen
to whoever drinks
that cup
of judgment
are quite literally
fulfilled
in the experience
of Jesus
you will drink
and be moved
and be driven
to destruction
your glory
will be turned
into shame
you will be
demeaned
and you will be
mocked
and you see
what is happening
here in this picture
the Lord Jesus
has given to his
disciples
the cup
of salvation
the cup
of blessing
and said
drink this cup
and drink it
deeply
but the only way
that they can
drink the cup
of salvation
and blessing
is if he goes
to the garden
of Gethsemane
and drinks
this other cup
because this
isn't simply
an experience
of human
isolation
this is
isn't it
the saviour's
commitment
to an act
of saving
substitution
and the
whole Bible
comes to
its epicenter
it's like
those Old
Testament pictures
of atonement
the sacrifice
of two goats
over which
the priest
would confess
the sins
of the people
one was to
be slain
and the other
was to be
taken into
a no man's
land
by the hand
of a worthy
man
and then
let loose
and there
in the wilderness
he bore the
sin and the guilt
of the people
and here is
Jesus
beginning to
enter into
the fulfilment
of those two
pictures
he bears our
sin
and our guilt
and he goes
out into that
awful wilderness
that he is
beginning to
experience
and within
hours he will
become the
sacrifice for
our sins
it's precisely
as Isaiah
prophesied
he would be
led as a
lamb to
the slaughter
and as a
sheep before
his shearers
he would be
done
he would be
wounded for
our transgressions
he would be
bruised for
our iniquities
the chastisement
that would bring
us peace
would be upon
him
with his stripes
we will be
healed
it's the
absolute heart
of the gospel
isn't it
that he dies
in order that
we might live
forever
that he bears
God's judgment
in order that
we might be
free of it
he goes
into the
darkness
that you
might come
into the
light
he chases
our guilt
that we
might
experience
his
righteousness
he takes
our curse
in order that
we would
know his
blessing
that's how
the apostles
understood what
Jesus was
doing
God makes
him to be
sin for
us
him who
knew no
sin
Paul says
in order that
this great
exchange
that we
might become
the righteousness
of God
Galatians 3
13
God makes
Jesus a
curse
in order that
the blessing
might come to
us
it is not
only isolation
it is isolation
in the most
radical sense
in order that
there might be
substitution
taking place
of Jesus
taking my
place under
God's
judgment
to bring me
into God's
amazing blessing
there is a
green hill
far away
outside a
city wall
where the
dear Lord
was crucified
why was he
crucified
he died to
save us all
we may not
know
we cannot
tell what
pains he had
to bear
but we believe
it was for
us
he hadn't
suffered there
rock of
ages
cleft
for me
in my
place
condemned
he stood
sealed my
pardon
with his
blood
and that is
what makes
us want to
stand up at
times in a
very
Presbyterian
way
and mumble
hand
as we stand
on the
outskirts
of
God's
family
Christ
isolation
Christ
substitution
Christ
submission
thirdly
you see what he
says in the
garden he
says not my
will
but yours
and that is an
amazing statement
it's amazing for
this reason I
hope clearly it
indicates to you
that there is
nothing
absolutely
nothing in
the Lord
Jesus
that would
encourage him
to drink
this cup
he is really
saying to his
father think
about this if
you can
he is saying
to his father
this is not
my will
how could it
be
how could it
be
about the
will of the
perfectly
holy
saviour
to want to
do anything
that would
lead him
into a
position
where he
cried out
my God
why have
you
forsaken
me
no holy
man
could do
that
to will
to be
forsaken
by God
would be
sin wouldn't
it
Jesus
was a
holy
man
so there's
nothing about
this situation
that in
any sense
whatsoever
naturally
attracts his
his holy
humanity
his holy
humanity
runs from
this situation
father if
it's possible
let this
cup pass
from me
we must
never
minimise
the reality
of that
statement
by the
fact that
Jesus says
not my
will but
yours be
done
so I
wonder if
you see
what's
happening
here
Luke has
been setting
it up
so we
understand
it
right from
the very
beginning
do you
remember how
he said
early
all in
Luke's
chapter
he's saying
very clearly
that Jesus
is the
last
Adam
he's the
son of
Adam
Jesus is
paying the
price for
Adam's
sin
and Jesus
is reversing
all that
Adam did
in his
disobedience
remember
Genesis 3
Adam came
to a
tree
and it
tells us
that every
tree in
the garden
of the
knowledge
every tree
in the
garden
including the
tree of the
knowledge of
good and
evil is
described in
identical terms
that it was
beautiful to
behold and
delicious to
eat
the fruit
but about
this one tree
God has given
a command
do not eat
from the
tree
from that
tree
and there
is nothing
in Adam's
nature
that says
don't eat
that
trees
fruit
there's
nothing
that says
in Adam's
nature
don't
eat
apart from
God's
bare naked
command
and the
will of his
heavenly father
that says
to Adam
in the garden
of Eden
it says
trust me
and obey me
for there's
no other
way to be
happy
but to
trust and
obey
trust me
Adam
but Adam
disobeyed
and Adam
rebelled
against God
so now we
come to
another garden
and you are
with the
last Adam
a second
Adam
to the
fight
and to
the rescue
came
and he is
going to
an altogether
different kind
of tree
isn't he
he's going
to a tree
that is
of such
a nature
that everything
in his
holy humanity
wants to
resist it
oh father
no isolation
from you
you imagine
it is actually
inconceivable
isn't it
what this
must have
meant to
him
he'd never
known a
time
in all
of his
life
when he
wasn't
conscious
of his
heavenly
father
smiling
upon
him
loving
him
pouring
out
his
favour
upon
him
delighting
him
in him
and he
comes to
this tree
and there
is nothing
about this
tree that
could possibly
attract him
but it is
his heavenly
father's
will
there was
a greed
in concert
with his
son from
before the
foundation
of the
world
that his
son
would be
submissive
to the
father's
will
in an
obedience
in which
there was
no
attraction
whatsoever
in the
deed of
son
that he
was
summoned
to do
and
knowledge
how much
he
loves
you
and
me
and
there
in the
garden
of
gethsemane
in this
great
moment
it's
what Paul
speaks of
isn't it
in Philippians
chapter
he became
obedient
even
unto
death
even
the
death
of
cross
and
he's
really
saying
as he
looks
at
this
but
father
this
is
on
a
cursed
tree
he
knew
his
bible
to
the
lord
jesus
cursed
is
everyone
who
hangs
on
a
tree
Paul
knew
the same
bible
galatians
3
13
he
was
hanged
on
a
tree
and
therefore
he
tasted
the
curse
of
god
that
would
bring
such
desolation
upon
him
and
as we
meditate
on it
we
think
jesus
how
could
he
do
this
for
me
he's
done
this
for
us
he's
done
this
for
me
can
you
understand
the
wonder
of
soul
of
tarsus
being
able
to
say
the
son
of
god
loved
me
and
gave
himself
for
me
and
it
is
this
that
brings
us
salvation
a
child
can
understand
it
can't
he
dies
for
my
sins
and
I
receive
his
righteousness
and
his
forgiveness
upon
a life
I did
not
live
upon
a death
I did
not
die
I
stake
my
whole
eternity
we'll
come
later on
to
verses
where
people
pitied
the
Lord
Jesus
they
pitied
him
for
what
he
was
suffering
do
not
pity
him
don't
pity
him
you
can
go to
hell
pitying
the
Lord
Jesus
there
are
millions
who
felt
sorry
for
the
Lord
Jesus
warring
how
it
might
don't
pity
him
Jesus
doesn't
want
to
pity
you
are
the
one
who
pities
what
he's
looking
for
his
faith
and
he's
looking
for
the
dawning
of
the
truth
upon
your
mind
that
Jesus
died
for
me
so
I
may
live
with
him
for
all
eternity
Jesus
was
alone
that
I
may
never
be
alone
even
in the
midst
of
all
loneliness
I
will
never
be
alone
Jesus
has
become
a
substitute
for
me
and
he's
taken
my
place
on
the
cross
that
I
may
be
able
to
share
his
place
at
the
right
hand
of
the
heavenly
father
and
know
his
grace
and
his
glory
throughout
all
eternity
he
has
paid
the
price
that
I
might
have
the
gift
that's
all
ever
you
do
tonight
don't
pity
him
praise
him
and
sin
I
stand
amazed
in the
presence
of
Jesus
the
Nazarene
oh
how
marvellous
oh
how
wonderful
and that
is the
gospel
and there
is no
other
gospel
there's
so much
no other
gospel
that Paul
says
if an
angel
comes
and
preaches
another
message
let him
be
damned
but you
say
there must
be another
way
you're going
to stand
before
almighty
God
on the
last day
of
judgment
on your
life
and say
I know
what
your
son
went
through
but I
thought
I
would
come
another
way
don't
you
think
God
is
going
to
say
on
that
day
if
there
was
another
way
I
would
have
found
it
there
is
no
other
way
there
was
no
other
good
enough
to
pay
the
price
of
sin
he
only
could
unlock
the
gate
of
heaven
and
let
us
in
it
is
not
our
doing
but
his
doing
and the
cup
is
going
around
the
room
inside
the
cup
goes
around
the
room
in
the
preaching
of
the
gospel
the
cup
of
blessing
and
Jesus
offers
you
this
cup
of
blessing
I
offer
it
to
you
says
Jesus
because
I
am
going
to
drink
the
last
bitter
dregs
of
the
cup
of
terrible
judgment
and
cursing
this
cup
it
comes
to
you
tonight
will
you
drink
from
it
what
shall
we
do
we
take
the
cup
of
salvation
and
we
call
on
the
name
of
the
Lord
and
we
drink
he
did
this
for
you
do
you
believe
he
did
this
for
you
do
you
do
you
trust
him
there
is
no
other
way
you
can
make
up
all
kinds
of
other
ways
but
if
the
heavenly
father
demanded
that
his
son
go
through
this
for
your
salvation
I
cannot
begin
to
tell
you
how
foolish
you
would
be
to
think
that
you
can
say
to
him
I
found
another
way
the
cup
of
the
gospel
is
in
your
hands
drink
it
drink
it
deeply
this
is
our
gospel
trust
him
love
him
say
to
Jesus
how
could
you
do
all
this
for
me
it's
so
simple
isn't
it
because
I
love
you
with
all
my
heart
Jesus
trust
me
follow
me
serve
me
it's
amazing
isn't
it
what a
savior
that's
part