I'll be reading from Matthew chapter 26, verses 30 to 56.
!
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 Galilee.
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 rooster 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 Zebedee,
he began to be sorrowful and troubled.
And then he said to them,
My soul is very sorrowful even to death.
Remain here and watch with me.
And going a little farther, he fell on his face and prayed, saying,
My father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me.
Nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.
And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping.
And he said to Peter,
So could you not watch with me one hour?
Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation.
The spirit is indeed 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 very heavy.
So leaving them again,
he went away and prayed for the third time,
saying the same words again.
And then he came to the disciples and said to them,
Sleep and take your rest later on.
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.
And while he was still speaking,
Judas came, one of the twelve,
and with him a great crowd with swords and clubs
from the chief priests and the elders of the people.
Now the betrayer had given them a sign,
saying,
The one I will kiss is the man.
Seize him.
And he came up to Jesus at once and said,
Greetings, Rabbi.
And he kissed him.
Jesus said to him,
Friend, do what you came to do.
Then they came up and laid hands on Jesus
and seized him.
And behold,
one of those who were with Jesus
stretched out his hand
and drew his sword
and struck the servant of the high priest
and cut off his ear.
And then Jesus said to him,
Put your sword back into its place,
for all who take the sword
will perish by the sword.
Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father
and he will at once
send me more than twelve legions of angels?
But how then should the scriptures be fulfilled
that it must be so?
At that hour,
Jesus said to the crowds,
Have you come out
as against a robber
with swords and clubs to capture me?
Day after day,
I sat in the temple teaching
and you did not seize me.
But all this has taken place
that the scriptures of the prophets
might be fulfilled.
And then all the disciples left him
and fled.
Well, good morning, everyone.
Well, it's good to see no one's in the first two rows.
I can speak and spit as loud as I want,
but it's probably a good thing.
Our families had a cold earlier in the week.
Will you pray with me as we come to God's word?
Let's pray.
Father, we always need your help
to even want to listen to your word
and to understand,
to believe, to obey.
Father, I pray that you give us a bigger view
of your son
through your word to us this morning
and a bigger view of your grace
so that our lives might
trust you and obey you more.
And I pray this in Jesus' name.
Amen.
Well, unanswered prayer.
Unanswered prayer can trouble many of us
in our faith, can't it?
Or seemingly unanswered.
Even when we pray for good things,
godly things,
we feel desperate,
but we feel like there's no hope,
that there's no help.
When what's happening in your life
and what God has asked you to do
just feels impossible.
When things get worse
rather than better.
Whether it's
he's asking you to let go
of something precious
in your life
so that you might
love him first
or
it's just some
extremely hard,
painful times
or an extremely difficult
act of obedience.
When we feel like we get
unanswered prayer,
it can really rock us.
Is God with me or not?
And I think over time
we can
go
two bad directions.
One is we just stop
wrestling with God at all.
We stop praying
because we don't think
he's answering.
Another direction is
we pray
but we're afraid.
We know God is sovereign
but we're praying in a way
where we're like
I'm afraid of your will.
I'm not sure
I trust your good.
Now,
please hear me right.
I believe James 5
that says
the prayer of a righteous man
or woman
is powerful
and effective.
But there is no one
more righteous
than Christ
and in our passage today
the Father answered
no.
No.
The Father said no.
It is the greatest
no
anyone
has ever received
to a prayer.
I've received
no's
and I'm glad
he said no
to a lot of things
actually
but
this is
a big no.
But in it
we see
more clearly
what's in the heart
of Christ.
We see the depths
of Christ's heart
here in Gethsemane.
So we're
just outside Jerusalem
we're on the
Mount of Olives
in the garden
of Gethsemane.
Jesus has taken
his closest friends
Peter,
James and John
to pray.
They've just shared
the Passover.
He knows
he's the true lamb.
He knows that.
what we looked
at last
he knows
he's the
substitute
that
his people
will shelter
under his blood
shelter from
God's wrath.
He knows
his death
is going to
set his people
free from the
power of sin
and Satan.
He knows
his blood
is going to
create
the eternal
covenant
community
of fellowship
with God.
He knows
that.
His death
has been on
his mind
the entire
gospels.
It's always
at the forefront
of his mind.
He knows
it's the
primary
objective
of his
coming
into the
world.
He knows
it's been
leading to
this moment.
His entire
life
something really
amazing about
the person
of Christ
is he's
so in
control.
His entire
ministry
he's in
control
of his
person
of the
situation
but look
at him
here in
Gethsemane.
he is
not a
fanatic.
He's
not a
suicide
bomber
who's
longing
for
martyrdom.
He's
not.
He's
not a
stoic
just
calmly
accepting
his fate.
He's
a mess.
He's
a mess.
You
can't
get
stronger
language
in
verse
38.
my
soul
not
just
sorrowful
but
exceedingly
very
sorrowful
even
to
death.
I
feel
like
I'm
going
to
die
right
here.
And
he
falls
on
his
face.
He's
in
the
dust.
And
Luke's
gospel
tells us
the fear
is so
strong.
Blood
is
forced
through
his
pores
And
it's
clotting.
In
the
cold
night
air
he's
sweating
drops
of
blood.
He
is
a
mess.
Many
of
his
followers
have
faced
death
more
courageously.
When
M and
I
visited
Oxford
we
went
to see
the
martyr's
memorial
where
there's
an
X
on
Broad
Street
in
Oxford.
People
just
happily
going
about
their
day
and
in
the
middle
of
this
public
place
is
this
X
where
they
burnt
at
the
stake.
In
1555
Nicholas
Ridley
and
Hugh
Latimer
because
they
supported
the
English
Reformation
the
truths
we
hold
so
dear.
They
were
burnt
at
the
stake.
And
apparently
Hugh
Latimer
he's
famous
for
people
hearing
him
say
when
the
flames
were
coming
up
be
of
good
cheer
Master
Ridley
and
play
the
man
for
we
shall
this
day
by
God's
grace
light
such
a
candle
in
England
as
I
trust
shall
never
be
put
out.
So
what's
going on
here
with
Jesus
if
his
followers
can
face
death
like
that
can't
he
play
the
man
what
can
make
the
divine
son
of
God
have
such
darkness
of
soul
Mel Gibson's
movie
The Passion
I'm
not
raising
it
necessarily
to
recommend
it
emphasizes
the
brutality
and
the
physical
pain
of
his
beatings
in
the
cross
like
that
there's
no
mistaking
how he
directed
the
emphasis
there
it's
gore
in
the
gospels
you see
Peter
bitterly
weeping
after he
denies
Christ
he's in
mental
anguish
you see
Judas
full of
remorse
he's in
mental
anguish
but
the
gospels
don't
emphasize
Jesus'
physical
pain
or his
mental
pain
at the
cross
it's
just
very
matter
of
fact
and
they
crucified
him
it's
not
the
physical
pain
or
mental
pain
I'm
not
doubting
there
was
great
physical
and
mental
pain
but
it's
Jesus'
prayer
that
tells
us
what's
going
on
the
cup
verse
39
my
father
if it
be
possible
let
this
cup
pass
from
me
nevertheless
not as
I will
but as
you
will
the
prophets
describe
this
cup
Isaiah
51
17
after
the
Babylonian
destruction
of 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
Jeremiah
25
15
take
from
my
hand
this
cup
of
the
wine
of
wrath
and
make
all
the
nations
to
whom
I
send
you
drink
it
they
shall
drink
and
stagger
and
be
crazed
because
of
the
sword
that
I
am
sending
among
them
it's
the
cup
of
his
wrath
the
father
doesn't
have
a
bad
temper
his
wrath
is
his
considered
righteous
judicial
anger
at
evil
now
many
have
a
problem
with
the
idea
of
God
having
wrath
let
me
let me
quote
from
someone
who
has
experienced
much
more
hardship
than
I
have
in
my
life
hopefully
I get
his
name
right
Miroslav
Volf
he's
a
theologian
he lived
in
during
the
time
of
the
war
in
former
Yugoslavia
and he
writes
this
according
to
some
estimates
200,000
people
were
killed
and
over
3 million
were
displaced
my
villages
and
cities
were
destroyed
my
people
shelled
day
in
and
day
out
some
of
them
brutalized
beyond
imagination
and I
could
not
imagine
God
not
being
angry
how
did
God
react
to
the
carnage
by
doting
on the
perpetrators
in a
grandfatherly
fashion
by
refusing
to
condemn
the
blood
bath
but
instead
affirming
the
perpetrator's
basic
goodness
wasn't
God
fiercely
angry
with
them
though
I
used
to
complain
about
the
indecency
of the
idea
of
God's
wrath
I
came
to
think
that
I
would
have
to
rebel
against
a
God
who
wasn't
wrathful
at
the
sight
of
the
world's
evil
God
isn't
wrathful
in
spite
of
being
love
God
is
wrathful
because
God
is
love
because
God
is
love
it's
at
the
cross
Jesus
took
the
wrath
of
God
but
it's
here
in
Gethsemane
that he
seems
to be
given
this
special
view
of it
he's
given
this
foretaste
of it
he's
beginning
to
taste
the
abandonment
the
anger
the
father
as it
were
set
this
cup
down
before
him
and
says
will
you
drink
it
Jonathan
Edwards
he
preached
on this
passage
in
1757
he
says
this
God
brought
him
to
the
mouth
of
the
furnace
that
he
might
look
into
it
and
stand
to
view
its
raging
flames
and
see
the
glowings
of
its
heat
that
he
might
know
where
he
was
going
and
what
he
was
about
to
suffer
here
in
Gethsemane
he
is
standing
at
the
mouth
of
the
flames
and
the
father
set
this
cup
before
him
will
you
drink
it
no
human
being
has
ever
faced
a
death
like
this
so
his
first
prayer
my
father
if
it
be
possible
let
this
cup
pass
from
me
he's
asking
is there
no
other
way
is there
no
other
way
when
I was
a
scripture
teacher
at a
high
school
I was
called
a
bigot
by one
of the
students
and
I've
never
been
called
big
anything
so
I had
to look
up
what it
meant
I don't
know if
that was
your
class
Sean
was it
isn't
it so
unreasonable
of us
Christians
it's so
prejudiced
that you
we look
on the
rest of
the world
sincerely
searching
for God
through
other
beliefs
and we
say
they're
going to
go to
hell
because
they're
not
believing
in
you're
the
only
way
Jesus
is
praying
is
there
another
way
I
don't
want
to
drink
this
many
believers
and
churches
down
play
and
just
let's
just
be a
bit
quiet
about
this
idea
of
God's
anger
if
you
just
say
God
loves
everyone
what
does
it
cost
God
to
love
you
nothing
but
here
in
Gethsemane
we see
the cost
we see
the great
love of
God
when you
factor in
the wrath
of God
he's
praying
is there
no other
way
surely
God's
almighty
wisdom
and
power
he
can
think
of
a
way
that
mankind
can
be
saved
from
hell
and
brought
into
heaven
at the
same
time
save
his
son
Gethsemane
says
there's
no
other
way
unless
Jesus
standing
at the
mouth
of this
furnace
chooses
to drink
the cup
in your
place
in my
place
why
did
the
father
have
his
son
experience
this
now
in
this
garden
I
think
we
see
the
greatness
of
his
choice
for
you
for
me
the
greatness
of
his
choice
he's
outside
he's
in Jerusalem
he's not
in Jerusalem
sorry
he's
outside
in the
open
air
there's
no
walls
keeping
him
he's
in the
dark
his
disciples
are
asleep
Judas
isn't
here
yet
the
crowds
are
not
here
yet
he
can
run
he
can
slip
away
and
it's
in
this
moment
the
father
gives
him
this
foretaste
of
hell
he
could
just
run
away
he
knows
he's
about
to
face
the
hatred
of
mankind
he
knows
he's
minutes
away
from
Judas
and
the
representatives
of
the
chief
priests
and
of
the
people
coming
and
hating
him
without
cause
simply
for
Jesus
saying
he
alone
can
reveal
the
true
God
to
you
he
alone
can
reconcile
you
to
God
the
world
such
injustice
none
of
us
have
experienced
injustice
like
that
he's
about
to
experience
the
hatred
of
the
world
he
came
to
save
but
he
chose
to
drink
the
cup
he's
got
all
the
power
to
change
this
situation
Peter
uses
his
sword
no
doubt
aiming
for
the
head
but
misses
and
gets
the
ear
and
Jesus
rebukes
him
at
once
Peter
isn't
protecting
Jesus
is
protecting
Peter
from
his
unfaithfulness
he
has
all
the
power
of
heaven
to
change
this
situation
in
the
Roman
army
apparently
a legion
of
soldiers
is
about
6,000
soldiers
do
you
think
that
I
cannot
appeal
to
my
father
and
he
will
at
once
send
me
more
than
12
legions
of
angels
one
angel
would
be
enough
heaven
will
be
emptied
of
its
armies
if
I
just
call
them
in
an
instant
he's
got
all
the
power
to
change
this
situation
but
he
picks
up
the
cup
perhaps
even
more
painful
than
the
injustice
and
cruelty
of
enemies
is
when
your
friends
aren't
there
for
you
when
you
need
them
the
most
that
is
some
of
you
experience
that
deeper
than
I
have
that's
deep
pain
and
here
we
have
it
his
three
closest
friends
seeing
him
in
such
agony
to
stay
here
and
pray
he's
facing
hell
and
they're
so
uncaring
literally
facing
hell
and
they're
so
uncaring
and
ungrateful
and
so
weak
and
unable
to
stand
with
him
I
can't
watch
for
one
hour
after
such
boasts
though
they all
fall
away
I
will
never
fall
away
even
if
I
must
die
with
you
I
will
not
deny
you
and
all
the
disciples
said
the
same
and
the
disciples
left
him
and
fled
abandon
him
and
Jonathan
Edwards
again
he
imagines
what
Christ
could
have
said
to
himself
in
that
moment
why
should
I
yield
myself
to
be
thus
crushed
by
the
weight
of
divine
wrath
for
them
who
have
no
love
to
me
and
to
my
enemies
shall
I
be
the
richer
for
having
saved
a
number
of
miserable
haters
of
God
and
me
who
deserve
to
have
divine
justice
glorified
in
their
destruction
do
you
see
how
great
his
choice
is
the
father
sets
his
cup
before
him
he
is
free
to
run
away
in
the
dark
he
knows
the
world
is
going
to
pour
out
their
hatred
on
him
in
a
moment
he
has
all
heaven's
power
at
his
disposal
his
friends
are
so
ungrateful
and
unfaithful
abandoning
him
and
he
picks
up
the
cup
he
chooses
!
the
cup
when
he
prays
for
the
second
and
third
time
I
think
his
prayer
is
shifting
!
the
first
prayer
is
there
no
other
way
second
prayer
is
your
will
be
done
he's
praying
for
help
in
his
human
weakness
that
he
might
not
fail
your
will
be
done
he's
praying
that
his
suffering
achieves
all
God's
will
all
his
purposes
for
his
death
the
glory
of
God
and
his
grace
the
eternal
redemption
of
us
and
our
happiness
forever
the
redemption
of
all
creation
may
your
will
be
done
in
this
now
when
he
prays
for the
second
and
third
time
your
will
be
done
I
don't
think
this
is
him
his
will
being
crushed
and
forced
by
the
father's
will
I
think
it's
an
expression
of
his
deepest
desire
of
his
heart
every
part
of
his
body
doesn't
want
to
go
through
with
this
but
here
we
see
his
deepest
prayer
we
get a
glimpse
of
the
relationship
between
God
the
father
and
God
the
son
in
that
phrase
when
he
said
do
you
think
I
cannot
appeal
to
my
father
and
he
will
at
once
send
me
more
than
12
legions
of
angels
I
think
I
imagined
it
as
this
fatalistic
view
where
the
son
had
no
other
option
but
to
go
to
the
cross
and
here
he's
saying
if
I
appeal
to
my
father
he'll
rescue
me
at
once
Jesus
doesn't
see
fatalism
he
doesn't
see
the
father
taking
the
cup
and
forcing
it
down
his
throat
the
father
would
send
angels
to
save
his
son
of
course
he
would
so
when
you
praise
your
will
be
done
it's
an
expression
of
his
deepest
longing
it's
not
just
accepting
this
is
the
script
your
will
be
done
I
have
to
follow
it
it's
not
saying
well
suppose
it
doesn't
matter
what
I
want
it's
only
what
the
father
wants
it's
not
that
it's
my
deepest
longing
is
that
your
will
be
done
he
chooses
to
obey
his
father
he
trusts
his
father's
will
that
it's
good
well
Jesus
praying
your
will
be
done
is
first
something
he
alone
had
to
do
for
us
and
second
it
becomes
a
great
model
for
us
to
pray
the
same
thing
in
any
situation
we're
in
but
it
first
has
to
be
for
us
he
alone
had
to
drink
the
cup
of
God's
wrath
you
and
I
can't
do
it
I
wondered
why
he
tells
his
disciples
ahead
of
time
you're
all
going
to
fall
away
because
of
me
he
tells
Peter
you're
going
to
deny
me
this
night
three
times
I
don't
think
he's
rubbing
their
noses
in
it
he's
not
rubbing
their
noses
in
their
favor
he's
preparing
them
when
you
fall
when
you're
faithless
I
know
the
weakness
of your
sinful
nature
that's
why
I'm
picking
up
the
cup
we
get
to
drink
the
cup
of
the
Lord's
supper
we
get
to
drink
the
cup
of
covenant
of
peace
of
fellowship
because
he
drank
the
cup
of
wrath
him
praying
your
will
be
done
is
drinking
a
cup
we
will
never
have
to
drink
the
first
Adam
was
in
a
garden
he
was
told
by
God
obey
me
obey
me
about
the
tree
obey
me
and
you
will
live
and
he
chose
not
to
the
second
Adam
is
in
a
garden
the
representative
of
the
human
family
obey
me
about
the
cross
about
the
tree
obey
me
and
I
will
crush
you
abandon
you
agony
when I
completely
withdraw
from
you
obey
me
no one
has ever
been asked
to do
that
and
he
chose
to
drink
the
cup
your
will
be
done
he's
our
Passover
lamb
he's
our
true
and
better
Adam
the
head
of
the
new
family
it's
his
obedience
that
covers
his
family
what can
I ask
have you
come to
him
to take
shelter
under
his
blood
please
don't
be
I don't
know if
you're
new to
Christianity
or
looking
into
it
but
don't
be
indifferent
about
the
idea
of
God's
anger
we
use
hell
as a
bit
of
a
curse
word
we
make
jokes
about
it
but
look
at
the
terror
of
the
son
of
God
in
Gethsemane
it's
right
to be
afraid
but
be
afraid
so
that
you
come
to
him
he
alone
can
obey
in
your
place
he
alone
can
drink
that
cup
you
can't
drink
it
I
can't
drink
it
I
don't
want
to
drink
it
I
won't
have
a
drink
thanks
to
him
but
also
if
you're
a
believer
who
is
afraid
that
your
faithlessness
you
just
think
he'll
give
up
on
you
and
you
can't
keep
up
your
side
of
the
relationship
look
at
the
faithlessness
of
these
disciples
he
knows
that
he
knows
our
weakness
and
he
chose
to
pick
up
the
cuff
for
you
there's
nothing
you
can
do
he's
taken
hell
for
you
knowing
we
are
so
weak
you
can't
stuff
it
up
now
because
he
chose
to
pick
up
the
cup
looking
at
his
choice
that
empowers
us
to
voluntarily
choose
to
pray
your
will
be
done
God
never
will
set
before
you
the
cup
of
wrath
never
is
a bit
random
but
I
was
doing
washing
up
in
the
sink
once
and
I
cut
myself
on
tongs
I
don't
know
how
you
do
that
but
I
managed
to
do
that
and
I
was
bleeding
in
the
sink
while
was
trying
to
dress
my
wound
for
some
reason
that
was
just
the
moment
in
my
life
where
I
saw
my
blood
and
I
knew
that
I
will
never
be
caused
pain
as
punishment
it
never
means
his
anger
not
wrath
he
never
sets
the
cup
of
wrath
before
us
because
it's
already
been
drunk
he
sets
before
us
things
very
precious
in
our
life
that
we
don't
want
to
let
go
of
because
he
wants
to
give
us
more
he
sets
before
us
very
hard
things
to
do
hard
situations
but
there's
only
one
thing
strong
enough
to
convince
our
hearts
to
voluntarily
choose
to
pray
my
deepest
desire
is
your
will
be
done
is
if
we
look
at
Jesus
in
Gethsemane
and
he
did
it
for
me
he
took
hell
for
me
Elizabeth
Elliot
many
will
know
her
name
she
was
telling
the
story
of
what
God
used
in
her
life
to
teach
her
to
trust
his
will
she
tells
this
story
when
I
was
about
four
years
old
a
young
woman
who
was
on
her
way
to
China
as
a
missionary
visited
our
home
when
I
was
eight
years
old
I
found
out
that
John
and
Betty
Stam
this
woman
who
came
to
visit
had
been
captured
by
Chinese
communists
chained
together
stripped
half
naked
and
marched
through
the
streets
of
a
little
village
and
they
were
both
beheaded
when
I
was
12
I
found
a
prayer
that
Betty
had
written
when
she
was
about
18
years
old
I
was
so
taken
by
it
and
wanted
to
make
it
my
own
prayer
that
I
copied
it
into
the
back
of
my
Bible
and
little
could
Betty
have
ever
imagined
that
anyone
would
ever
read
that
prayer
she
just
had
put
it
down
in
her
own
Bible
!
Lord
I
give
up
all
my
own
plans
and
purposes
all
my
own
desires
and
hopes
and
accept
thy
will
for
my
life
I
give
myself
my
life
my
all
utterly
to
thee
to be
thine
forever
fill
me
and
seal
me
with
thy
Holy
Spirit
use
me
as
thou
wilt
send
me
where
thou
wilt
and
work
out
thy
whole
will
in
my
life
at
any
cost
now
and
forever
if
we
look
at
him
in
the
garden
who
for
your
sake
drank
the
cup
of
wrath
your
heart
my
heart
I'm
still
learning
this
can
choose
freely
choose
to
say
my
father
your
will
your
will
be
done
will
you pray
with me
let's
pray
father
impress
upon
our
hearts
the
depth
of
your
love
and
Christ's
love
for
us
so
that
you
would
teach
us
to
wrestle
with
you
in
prayer
in
every
situation
so
that
you
might
find
in
our
hearts
that
deep
down
our
deepest
longing
is
that
we
trust
you
that
you
are
good
and
that
we
want
you
to
be
glorified
in
every
situation
we
want
you
to
restore
us
to
the
image
of
Christ
for
our
eternal
happiness
that
will
be
used
by
you
for
the
salvation
of
others
Lord
find
in
us
that
willingness
to pray
your
will
be
done
and
to
delight
in
your
will
in
Jesus
name
I
pray
Amen