Guilt and Grace in the Garden
Reading: Luke chapter 22 verses 39-53:
Ill:
Things I have learnt from gardening:
• Nothing ever looks like it does on the seed packet.
• Your lawn is always slightly bigger than your desire to mow it.
• Whichever garden tool you want is always at the back of the shed.
• The only way to ensure rain, is to give the garden a good soaking.
• Weeds grow at precisely the rate you pull them out.
• Autumn follows summer, winter follows autumn, drought follows planting.
• Evergreens go a funny shade of brown in the winter.
• The only way to guarantee some colour all year round is to buy a garden gnome.
• However bare the lawn, grass will appear in the cracks between the patio paving stones.
• "Annuals" mean disappointment once a year.
• When weeding, the best way to make sure you are removing a weed and not a valuable plant is to pull on it. If it comes out of the ground easily, it is a valuable plant.
• Our passage this morning has nothing to do with gardening;
• But it is set in a garden – hence the references!
Ill:
• Story told of a man who under orders from his wife;
• Went into an organic gardening centre to buy some veg.
• Wanting to make sure he had got the right produce;
• He showed his basket to the assistant and said:
• ’These vegetables are for my wife. Have they been sprayed with any poisonous chemicals?’"
• The assistant replied: "Sorry sir, you’ll have to do that yourself.’"
I want this morning just to highlight 4 key words & 4 simple applications:
(1). The Place - Obedience (verse 39-40a):
“Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him.
On reaching the place….”
On the western slope of the Mount of Olives is the Garden of Gethsemane:
• Jesus often went to this garden with His disciples,
• To rest, meditate, and pray (Quote: “As usual to the Mount of Olives”).
ILL:
• Philip Melancthon, the great Reformation theologian,
• He once said to his friend Martin Luther,
• “This day you and I will discuss the governance of the universe.”
• What Luther said in response was unexpected:
• “This day you and I will go fishing;
• And leave the governance of the universe to God.”
Quote: A play on the words of Jesus:
“Come apart and rest awhile;
If you don’t you will just come apart!”
Ill:
According to a Greek legend,
• In ancient Athens a man noticed the great storyteller Aesop;
• He was surprised to see him playing childish games with some little boys.
• He laughed and jeered at Aesop,
• Asking him why he wasted his time in such frivolous activity.
• Aesop responded by picking up a bow,
• Loosening its string, and placing it on the ground.
• Then he said to the critical Athenian,
• “Now, answer the riddle, if you can. Tell us what the unstrung bows implies.”
• The man looked at it for several moments;
• But had no idea what point Aesop was trying to make.
• Aesop then explained, “If you keep a bow always bent, it will break eventually;
• But if you let it go slack, it will be more fit for use when you want it.”
At this particular time Jerusalem was filled with pilgrims attending the Passover:
• At Passover numbers in the city swelled from 600,000 to 2 million people;
• That’s four times as many people as usual!
• So when Jesus needs some isolation from the crowd,
• He had a place of escape – A garden on the western slope of the Mount of Olives.
• In this quiet place he could get some rest, to recharge his (physical & Spirit) batteries.
• To gain strength and encouragement from his heavenly Father;
Note: The name Gethsemane means "oil press" a place of crushing!’
• Even today there are ancient olive trees in Gethsemane,
• Although certainly not the ones that were there in Jesus’ day.
• The olives from those tress would have been picked and put into the press for their oil.
• What a picture of suffering!
• So Jesus himself would also go through the "oil press" a place of crushing!’
• And taste our judgment for us.
Remember that Jesus fully knew what lay before Him:
• Yet He still went to the garden of Gethsemane;
• He was not concerned about his own personal safety of comfort;
• But rather in doing the Father’s will
• We know from Matthew’s (26:36-46_ and Mark’s (14:32-42) account.
• He left eight of the men near the entrance,
• That he took Peter, James, and John and went to another part of the garden to pray.
• No doubt at this critical hour he longed for some encouragement and companionship;
• But, alas, they went to sleep!
Symbolism:
• Jesus has many names in the Bible (at least 117):
• One of those names is found in 1 Corinthians chapter 15 verse 45:
• Where he is called the Last Adam.
• Notice he is not called the second, third or fourth Adam,
• He is the Last Adam, absolutely unique and there will never be another one.
• Question: Why?
• Answer: Because both the first Adam & the last Adam were born sinless:
• One by creation and the other by an act of the Holy Spirit (ill: Xmas).
Ill:
Think back to Genesis chapter 3 and note the contrasts between the two gardens:
• In Eden all was delightful;
• In this garden all is terrible.
• In Eden Adam & Eve talked with Satan.
• In this garden Jesus talked with the Father.
• In Eden Adam sinned
• In this garden Jesus suffered.
• In Eden Adam fell.
• In this garden Jesus conquered.
• In Eden events were by day.
• In this garden events are by night.
• In Eden Adam fell before Satan.
• In this garden soldiers would fall before Christ.
• In Eden the race was lost.
• In this garden Jesus can brag “Concerning them I have lost none!”
• In Eden Adam took fruit from Eve’s hand.
• In this garden Jesus took the cup from his Father’s hand.
• In Eden Adam hid himself.
• In this garden Jesus would boldly show himself.
• In Eden God sought Adam.
• In this garden Jesus (the last Adam) sought God.
• In Eden Adam was driven.
• In this garden Jesus was led.
• In Eden the sword was drawn.
• In this garden the sword was sheathed.
• The first Adam was disobedient in a garden,
• As a result, the first Adam brought sin and death to mankind;
• But Jesus (The Last Adam),
• By His obedience, will bring righteousness and life to all who will trust Him.
Ill:
• The Bible tells us that history will one day end in another garden,
• The heavenly city that John describes for us in Revelation chapters 21 and 22.
• In that garden, there will be no more death and no more curse.
• It will be a place of perfection, paradise!
Quote:
• Eden was the garden of disobedience and sin;
• Gethsemane was the garden of obedience and submission;
• And heaven shall be the eternal garden of delight and satisfaction.
(2). The Kiss - Treachery (verses 47-48)
“While he was still speaking a crowd came up, and the man who was called Judas, one of the Twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss him,
48 but Jesus asked him, Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”
• What causes a person to sell-out a friend for money;
• I guess and hope we will never know!
Ill:
• In 1535 another traitor, an Englishman called Henry Phillips;
• Persuaded (one of my heroes) William Tyndale to venture out onto the streets of Antwerp.
Quote: The Foxes Book of Martyrs:
• So when it was dinner time, Master Tyndale went forth with Philips,
• And at the going forth of Pointz’s house, was a long narrow entry,
• So that two could not go in front.
• Master Tyndale would have put Philips before him,
• But Philips would in no wise, but put Master Tyndale before,
• For that he pretended to show great humanity.
• So Master Tyndale, being a man of no great stature,
• Went before, and Philips, a tall, comely person, followed behind him;
• Who had set officers on either side of the door upon two seats,
• Who might see who came in the entry.
• Philips pointed with his finger over Master Tyndale’s head down to him,
• That the officers might see that it was he whom they should take.
• The officers afterwards told Pointz, when they had laid him in prison,
• That they pitied to see his simplicity.
• They brought him to the emperor’s attorney, where he dined.
• Then came the procurator-general to the house of Pointz,
• And sent away all that was there of Master Tyndale’s,
• As well his books as other things;
• And from thence Tyndale was had to the castle of Vilvorde,
• Eighteen English miles from Antwerp.
• After being confined in prison for a year and a half:
• Tyndale was strangled and then burned at the stake in Brussels on October 6th 1536.
• Tyndale in case you are unaware was in every sense the ‘Father of the English Bible’.
• In my opinion the greatest translator of them all!
• What causes a person to sell-out a friend for money;
• I guess and hope we will never know!
Quote:
• The psychology of Judas has been described as;
• “A riddle wrapped up in a puzzle and locked in an enigma.”
Like all good traitors:
• There appeared to be nothing in his character or behaviour;
• That hinted at his true spiritual condition, and Jesus never gave him away to the others.
• If anything, Jesus did all He could to rescue Judas.
• Certainly many of his teachings must have pierced the heart of Judas!
• The repeated warnings against love of money should have stopped Judas,
• But he did not heed them.
• Nor did Jesus’ denunciation of hypocrisy;
• Make any impact on this false apostle.
• Note: Judas is a warning to us:
• That you can be close to Jesus and yet not saved!
Notice:
• I think this passage teaches us;
• That Judas knew very little about Jesus:
• Judas had lived with the Lord Jesus for perhaps three years,
• And had listened to Him teach; yet he knew very little about Him.
• I say that because verse 47 tells us he brought “A crowd”:
• John’s gospel says; He brought “a detachment of soldiers” who were armed.
• Judas still after 3 years has no-idea that Jesus is “The Lamb of God”
• Who would meekly submit ‘Led like a lamb to the slaughter’ and that there would be no need to battle?
Note:
• Matthew’s gospel & John’s give us extra detail as to what happened in this garden.
• One thing that is very clear is hat Jesus is in full control of this situation;
• The disciples may have been shocked by these events but not Jesus!
• In Matthew’s & John’s gospel it is Jesus who is giving the orders (not Romans or Jewish leaders)
Judas had arranged to identify Jesus to his enemies by way of a kiss:
• The kiss of Judas,
• Which was given repeatedly to the Lord,
• Was certainly one of the basest acts of treachery;
• Recorded anywhere in sacred or secular history.
Ill:
• In that day, a kiss was a sign of affection and devotion.
• Members of the family kissed each other in meeting and in parting,
• Yet despite the kiss;
• It is very clear that Judas was not a member of God’s family.
Ill:
• Disciples greeted a rabbi by kissing him; it was a sign of devotion and obedience.
• But again Judas was not truly a disciple of Jesus Christ,
• Though he belonged to the group of disciples.
• There is no obedience here and no desire to follows the masters will!
Verse 54:
• By surrendering to the officers and allowing them to seize him;
• Jesus helped to protect His disciples.
• He kept them safe not only spiritually
• But also physically (fulfilling his promise to them in John’s gospel 6:39, 10:28, 17:12).
• Not one of them were arrested or tortured;
• He went through this dark situation all alone!
(3). The Sword - Rebellion (verse 49-51)
“When Jesus’ followers saw what was going to happen, they said, Lord, should we strike with our swords?
50 And one of them struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear.
51 But Jesus answered, No more of this! And he touched the man’s ear and healed him.”
John in his gospel identifies who swung the sword:
“Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, cutting off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.)”
ill:
• A lady once came to Billy Sunday (late 18’00’s);
• He was a famous baseball player, and then even more famously as an evangelist.
• She came to him and tried to rationalize her angry outbursts.
• “There’s nothing wrong with losing my temper,”
• She said. “I blow up, and then it’s all over.”
• “So does a shotgun,” Sunday replied, “and look at the damage it leaves behind!”
Well like a shot gun Peter is about to blow up:
• He quickly drew out a small sword (a scabbard) and started to fight!
• A scabbard was a long knife with a blade five or six inches long.
• Ideal for gutting fish;
• But on this occasion Peter wanted to gut something far bigger than a fish!
Peter’s sword symbolizes rebellion against the will of God.
• First of all he should not have been carrying it on a feast day.
• It was against the law!
• Second Peter should have known that Jesus would be arrested
• And that He would willingly surrender to His enemies (Matt. 16:21ff, 17:22-23; 20:17-19).
• While we admire his courage and sincerity of Peter,
• What we see is a demonstration of zeal without knowledge – and that’s always dangerous!
Ill:
Peter actually makes every mistake possible in this incident!
• He fought the wrong enemy,
• He used the wrong weapon,
• He had the wrong motive,
• And he accomplished the wrong result!
• He was openly resisting the will of God;
• And hindering the work that Jesus came to accomplish!
Note:
• Jesus did not need Peter’s protection:
• Matthew in his gospel (26 verses 52-54) tells us:
• He could have summoned legions of angels had He wanted to be delivered.
Note:
• Dr Luke tells us that Jesus healed Malchus’ ear (chapter 22 verse 51),
• Making this the last public miracle Jesus did before the cross.
• It was a double blessing both to Malchus (restored)
• And for Peter had He not healed Malchus, Peter might have been arrested and crucified!
Personal question: What is your sword?
• Rebellion against the will of God is something that each one of us has to deal with!
• We need to learn that we cannot live for God our way! (ill: Rope)
• Ill: Moses – ended up killing an Egyptian.
• But when he did things God way he set his people (2 million) free!
Ill:
• Story told of an old Scottish woman;
• Who went from home to home across the countryside selling thread, buttons, & shoestrings.
• When she came to an unmarked crossroad,
• She would toss a stick into the air and go in the direction the stick pointed when it landed.
• One day, however, she was seen tossing the stick up several times.
• “Why do you toss the stick more than once?” someone asked.
• “Because,” replied the woman,
• “It keeps pointing to the left, and I want to take the road on the right.”
• She then dutifully kept throwing the stick into the air;
• Until it pointed the way she wanted to go!
• Rebellion against the will of God is something that each one of us has to deal with!
• We need to learn that we cannot live for God our way!
(4). The Cup-Submission (verses 41-46)
“Jesus withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed,
42 Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.
43 An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him.
44 And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.
45 When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow.
46 Why are you sleeping? he asked them. Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.”
• In these verses Peter had a sword in his hand,
• In these verses symbolically Jesus had a cup in His hand.
• In these verses Peter was resisting God’s will;
• In these verses But Jesus was accepting, embracing God’s will.
Verse 42:
“Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done”.
• The cup represented the suffering that Jesus would endure
• And the separation from the Father that He would experience on the cross.
• Matthew tells us that Jesus prayed this prayer three times (chapter 26 verses 39, 42, & 44)
• Which testifies to the enormity of the task he was facing.
• Not just the physical sufferings of crucifixion (ill: Passion film)
• But also the spiritual sufferings (ill: 1 Corinthians chapter 5 verse 17).
Symbolism:
• The metaphor of a cup is often used in the Bible;
• To illustrate many things.
• Ill: When Babylon captured Jerusalem, (Isaiah chapter 51 verse 17).
• We are told that the city had "drunken the dregs of the cup of trembling"
• Ill: Jeremiah pictured God’s wrath against the nations as the pouring out of a cup
• (Jeremiah chapter 25 verses 15-28).
• Ill: There is the cup of consolation
• (Genesis chapter 16 verse 7)
• ill: There is the cup of salvation;
• (Psalm 23 verse 5).
To "drink the cup" means to go through a particular experience good or bad;
• We use a similar expression: "not my cup of tea";
• Meaning: saying no to a certain course of action.
• To "drink the cup"
• Means accepting, a particular type of experience;
Jesus was able to accept the cup because it was given to Him from the Father’s hand.
• Since it was God the Father who had mixed and measured the contents of the cup,
• Jesus knew He had nothing to fear.
• This is a good lesson to us:
• We need never fear the cups that the Father hands to us.
• We need never fear what is in the cup;
• Because the Father has prepared it for us in love.
• We may suffer short-term pain and heartbreak,
• But He will eventually transform that heart-break, that suffering into glory.
Quote:
“Out of the dark forbidding soil
The pure white lilies grow.
Out of the black and murky clouds,
Descends the stainless snow.
Out of the crawling earth-bound worm
A butterfly is born.
Out of the sombre shrouded night,
Behold! A golden morn!
Out of the pain and stress of life,
The peace of God pours down.
Out of the nails—the spear—the cross,
Redemption—and a crown!”
Punchline: Jesus accepted the cup; What about you?
