Wicked Judgment

Luke 22:63-71.  This sermon was preached by Pastor Marty Bonner on March 20, 2016.

Today is Palm Sunday, the Sunday only days before Jesus is crucified.  Palm Sunday is all about the question, “What will you do with Jesus?”  Will you receive him as your king and the Lord’s anointed, or will you reject him and put him to death?  Mankind as a whole is looking for some kind of superman who will have the wisdom and power to fix the problems of mankind.  This same desire morphs into the desire to build some kind of artificial intelligence that can take all the data of the world and somehow tells us how to fix all our problems.  In Jesus God has offered mankind the perfect king who has all wisdom and power.  He is the only one authorized by God to rule over all of mankind and creation.  All other attempts to put the whole world under one man or group of men are essentially rebellions against God’s man.  The judgment of Jesus was and will be righteous.  However, the passage that we are looking at today demonstrates the opposite of this.  The wicked judgments that lead to the crucifixion of Jesus are themselves proof of man’s inability to accomplish this pipe dream of building its own superman.  This is the all too common story of men abusing their power and the crowds of people who love to have it that way.

Jesus Is Mistreated

The treatment of those who are arrested has been historically one of “guilty until proven innocent.”  Many people have been beaten and abused long before any guilt had been established.  The presumption of innocence has been recognized as a noble principle that civilized societies will seek to uphold.  History has taught us that such noble aspirations are often tossed aside.  Thus we see the all too familiar story playing out with Jesus.  He has been questioned, but there has not been a trial.  Yet, we see those who held him beating him.  This rough treatment is allowed to happen because the leaders who are present believe Jesus deserves death.  They have a particular end in mind for him regardless of any legality.  When you put Matthew, Mark and Luke’s testimony side by side, you see that this has been a kind of “midnight trial” at the High Priest’s home.  The trial at dawn before the Sanhedrin becomes a kind of for form only trial.  They had rehearsed the points that had already been hammered out in the night.  Thus Jesus is arrested and put on the cross in a matter of hours.  Such rush to judgment and haste to execute is spoken against all throughout the Bible by God.

We also see that they enjoyed the mistreatment so much that they mocked him.  Most likely all manner of uncivil and course things were being said.  However, we are given an example.  Jesus was known as a healer and a teacher, but also as a prophet.  Thus they blindfold Jesus and take turns hitting him.  They then ask Jesus to figure out who hit him.  If he is a prophet surely he should be able to prophesy who hit him.  Such a wicked game is made only more so by the fact that Jesus was able to know exactly who hit him.  Yet, that was irrelevant to our Lord.  This is the attitude of our Lord.  While the whole world is ripping his flesh like ravenous wolves, he is silent doing the will of God and making their salvation possible.

It also says that they spoke blasphemously about him.  Thus they reproach him, rail against him, and say things about him that are blatantly untrue.  Basically they make him out to be a deceiver and a liar who has come to destroy the nation.   This is particularly sad because Jesus had come to save us from such a being, the devil.

Jesus Is Officially Condemned

Starting in verse 66 we see that the scene changes.  Having spent the night calling witnesses and seeking legal cause to execute Jesus, the leaders are ready to go public.  This public trial is where they will jump through the hoops so that they can say they did everything right.  The council here is the Great Sanhedrin, which was composed of 70 elders and presided over by the High Priest.  They were typically priests, scribes, and Pharisees.  As dawn breaks they move their grilling of Jesus to the official place for trials.  It is likely that there are some members of the Sanhedrin that were not at the High Priest’s home earlier (Nicodemus would be one such likely member).  However, a majority of the body are already in on the arrest and judgment of Jesus.  There is no question how this council will rule.

This trial seems to go pretty quick.  Thus they quickly put the question to him.  “If you are the Christ then tell us.”  Jesus points out that they are not interested in the truth of whether or not he is the messiah.  Jesus had dealt with these leaders over the last 3 years and had been grilled by them over and over again, especially over the last 5-6 hours.  They will not believe regardless of any proofs Jesus has given and could give at that moment.  Jesus also points out that if he were to question them they would simply not answer and refuse to let him go.  We see an example of this several days before in Luke 20:5-7.  They challenged Jesus on where he got the authority to teach in the temple compound.  Jesus told them that he would answer their question if they would answer one of his.  After they agreed, he asked them, “John’s baptism, was it from heaven or men.”  The leaders had reasoned out that if they answered heaven then Jesus would challenge why they didn’t believe him and be baptized by him.  Yet, if they answered from men, the people would stone them because the people believed John was a prophet.  Thus they answered, “We don’t know where it is from.”  Jesus had often shut down the attacks of these leaders and shown how flimsy their line of reason was in public.  He could clearly do so again.  He could remind them how unable they were to judge whether John was a true prophet and yet now they presume to know for sure that Jesus could not be the Messiah.  But none of this would help.

Thus Jesus repeats the two offending statements in front of the official governing body.  The first offending statement is a reference he makes to Daniel 7:13-14.  Now Luke records a brief statement made during the day trial.  However, Matthew and Mark record a longer statement made during the middle of the night trial at the home of the High Priest.  Jesus says, “You will see the son of man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.”  Compare this to the Daniel passage in which Daniel is shown the successive world empires.  They want to have the kingdom of the world, but it will be taken from them and given to a particular person.  Daniel 7:13-14, “I was watching in the night visions, and behold, One like the Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven!  He came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before Him.  Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him.  His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom the one which shall not be destroyed.  Here we see two beings, the Ancient of Days and the Son of Man who would come on the clouds of heaven and receive an eternal kingdom.  The understanding of this passage is that the Ancient of Days is God the Father.  The mystery “Son of Man” is described with terms that give him divinity.  First he rides the clouds, which in the Old Testament is only spoken of by God.  Also, he receives an everlasting kingdom.  It is understood that the Jews did not have a concept of the trinity.  However, it is not often recognized that they had an understanding of Two Powers in heaven.  They believed that there was an invisible Yahweh and then a visible Yahweh.  This is often seen in the passages that refer to the Angel of the Lord.  When Jesus references this passage, he knows that they see the being as a divine character that is the visible representation of the invisible Yahweh.  Later this view would be declared heretical because it was too helpful to the teaching of Christians.  This was not something they would accept.  Jesus could not be this divine character from Daniel 7.  Thus they question him further, “Are you the Son of God.”  This phrase simply means divine just as Son of Man means human.

The second offending statement that Jesus makes is in response to their question.  Jesus admits that he is divine.  “You rightly say that I am.”  Our world is in great turmoil today.  The sea of mankind is being tossed to and fro by many winds.  Satan is preparing himself for his final assault upon mankind and the claim of kingship by Jesus.  There is no room for being on the fence or hiding in the shadows.  War is being unleashed in the heavens.  Which side are you on?  Do not take the side of violent men who abuse power in such a way as to execute an innocent man.  Do not participate in the violence of leaders, nor in the violence of fellow citizens who love to participate in social violence of any kind.  Jesus demonstrates to us the heart of God.  Though He has all power and authority, still He does not abuse that authority.  Yes, there is a judgment day coming to the earth, but it will be the righteous judgment of one who laid his life down for us all and not the wicked judgment of those who will kill anyone in order to keep their power and authority.  Choose this day whom you will serve.

Wicked Judgment audio

Weeping May Last through the Night”

Luke 22:54-62.  This sermon was preached by Pastor Marty Bonner on March 13, 2016.

Today we will look at a very dark time in the life of our Lord Jesus.  It is the middle of the night and he has been arrested.  Jesus described it as the hour of the power of darkness.  Of course, he was referring to more than just the natural darkness.  But, rather, he refers to the spiritual powers that had blinded the leaders of Israel and used them to accomplish an evil end.  Even as the day will later dawn so the events will continue to spiral into ever darker and darker deeds, until the Lord of glory lies dead in a tomb of stone.

Night time has always had a powerful hold on the mind of men.  It reminds us of our limitations and ignorance, and enhances our fears.  It is no coincidence then that it should become a metaphor for how our soul feels when it enters into difficult and “dark” times.  Elie Wiesel, in his small book describing his plight in the concentration camps of Hitler, simply entitles it, “Night.”  He powerfully describes the darkness as the realization of being abandoned by men and by God.  Of course later he would declare that humans must never give in to hopelessness in such times.  And so I pull a phrase from Psalm 30:5 to make the title of this sermon.  This verse reminds us that, no matter how dark the night and how real the abandonment, the night will end and the day will surely dawn.  “Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes in the morning.”  Let us learn from our Lord to embrace the dawn that is promised from God himself, in spite of the nights we experience on this earthly plane.

Peter Denies Christ

In verses 54-62 we find the disciple Peter denying Christ.  In this context to deny someone is to refuse to publicly associate with them, and to refuse to speak up on their behalf.  Hours earlier, when Jesus had warned Peter that he would do such a thing, Peter had vehemently rejected the Lord’s claim.  He insisted that he would stand by Christ even if he had to die with him.  So how could this happen when Peter so strongly desired to stand with Jesus?

Well we can begin with the phrase that says Peter “followed at a distance.”  When troubled and darkened times hit us, we are often not prepared.  Our flesh too easily slips into actions of self-preservation.  Sure, Peter still loved Jesus and was even concerned enough about what would happen to Jesus that he keeps his attention fixed upon Jesus.  Yet, at the same time he keeps enough distance between him and Jesus in order to remain safe.  We must understand that we cannot “remain safe” and be a disciple of Jesus.  We cannot “follow at a distance,” and truly be a follower of Jesus.  Such is our temptation during this time in our own society.  Do I follow Christ at a distance?  Am I attempting to protect myself from any negative fall-out that may attach itself to him?

Thus Peter ends up in the courtyard of the high priest, warming himself at the servants’ fire, and hoping to see what will happen to Jesus.  It is here that the infamous three denials will occur.  It is a young, female servant that first accuses him of being one of the disciples of Jesus.  Here Peter responds by denying that he knows Jesus.  Of course this is a lie.  Peter had basically lived with Jesus for about three years.  He knew Jesus quite well.  They had spent countless hours through all manner of ordeals.  Peter had seen Jesus do amazing miracles of healing and casting out demons.  He also saw the transfiguration of Jesus when his divine glory was allowed to shine through unveiled.  This denial is sad because the whole purpose of what Christ was doing was so that we could know Him and experience the love that the Father has for us.

But it doesn’t stop there.  Peter is challenged again by another that he is “one of them.”  Essentially Peter denies that he is one of the followers of Jesus.  So he is not only publicly separating himself from Jesus, but also his followers.  It is important to understand that we belong to a family of disciples.  We are to love each other in the same way that Jesus loved us.  To distance ourselves from each other is to distance ourselves from Jesus.  The two are intertwined.

A third time Peter is challenged.  Here he gives what we would call the categorical denial, “Man, I do not know what you are saying,” (i.e. what you are talking about).  There is no way in which you can connect me to this man.  This world is not content to leave well enough alone.  You will be challenged over and over again, until you either own up to your connection to Jesus, or you completely deny and separate yourself from him and his followers.

Immediately a rooster crows and Peter is reminded of the Lord’s words only hours earlier.  This is the time of Peter’s “sifting.”  Just as Jesus had described, Peter has failed because, even though his spirit was willing, his flesh was weak.  Luke records a significant detail.  Jesus is being questioned and abused somewhere close enough to the courtyard (if not in it) that he can make eye contact with Jesus.  Thus we have the rooster crowing and then Jesus looking Peter in the eye.  What a sad moment in the life of Peter.  He not only is faced with his failure, he suffers the further humiliation of the Lord looking right at him as he did it.  What kind of look do you think it was?  We are not really told.  Perhaps it was a “do you believe me now” questioning look.  Maybe it was simply a lonely look of one who is all alone.  Perhaps it was a tender look out of his desire to save Peter and all mankind.  I doubt it was a scowl of hatred.  Jesus knew what Peter would do and had told him to strengthen his brothers after he had repented and returned back to Christ.  Peter comes face to face with the cold, hard reality that he cannot do what he wants to do, what he needs to do, what is simply right.  Yet, Jesus would walk this dark night alone and abandoned by all men- and to a degree even by the Father Himself.

The bitter weeping of Peter is the sorrow that we experience when we discover our own futility.  We dare not attempt to avoid such moments.  They are a critical and necessary component to our salvation.   Unless we come to a place where we are made to face our inability to be righteous, we will never understand the depths of what Jesus has done for us.  In this moment our sorrow will either swallow us up destroying our faith, or it can bring us to repentance and surrender to the Spirit.  Have you had such a moment?  Do you understand that your salvation and place of acceptance in Christ is not based upon how well you have performed, but simply upon your faith in him?  Even when our faith fails to help us do the right thing, that does not mean it is completely gone.  Jesus is the true and righteous judge.  He knows when we are repentant of our sin and when we are rebelliously holding onto it.  Though weeping may last through the dark night of our soul, there is a morning that God has promised to all who will let go of themselves and embrace Him in simple faith.

weeping audio

Betrayed!

Luke 22:47-53.  This sermon was preached by Pastor Marty Bonner on March 6, 2016.

There are many stories of betrayal throughout history:  Satan and God, Absalom and David, Brutus and Julius Caesar, and of course our topic of today, Judas and Jesus.  What is unique about the betrayal of Jesus is that he knew it was going to happen and allowed it to happen anyway.  We should never think that this means it didn’t bother Jesus.  Rather, we see Jesus as a man who feels deeply and yet submits those feelings to a specific plan. 

Such betrayals can paralyze even the best of people.   It can be hard to keep focused and continue forward in life, or to even have the “want to.”  Today the most common betrayal is that which happens in the marriage relationship.  Every year in America hundreds of thousands of marriages end in divorce.  Whether that comes from full blown betrayal through adultery or a softer betrayal in which one simply quits working on the relationship, betrayal is something that we can all relate to.   In our times of pain, sorrow, and paralysis, we must recognize that Jesus knows what it means to be betrayed and he offers us a way through it.

Jesus Is Betrayed And Arrested

By definition, betrayal comes from people who are close enough to us to do so.  In the life of Jesus, there were twelve men that he drew into his daily life.  Yes, multitudes were disciples of Jesus, but only the twelve lived with him and received special instruction.  Judas was hand-picked by Jesus to be one of these twelve.  Another aspect of this closeness is that Judas was given the further responsibility of taking care of the group’s money.  Though Jesus knew Judas would betray him, he still offered him a place that was close to his heart and critical to the operation of his ministry.

Sometimes we can act like it was easier for Jesus since he was God.  However, it would actually make it worse.  Jesus demonstrated nothing but love for Judas and yet he would be stabbed in the back.  We might think of this further in regard to the human race.  We often focus on our own pain and suffering and judge God for allowing it to happen.  And yet, we rarely think about the pain and suffering we have caused Him.  He has loved us and given us a critical place in His plan for all of creation.  Yet, we have continually rebelled and gone after other “lovers.”  If you understand anything about God, understand this: God loves mankind even though we have betrayed Him and He will continue to demonstrate His love towards us to the very end.  In fact, this is true for you as an individual as well.  God loves you and will not stop loving you until the day you release your final breath.

To add insult to injury, Judas betrays Jesus with a kiss.  Now for Judas this is a simple and practical way to signal the soldiers who to arrest.  In the darkness of the garden it would be easy for Jesus to escape.  Yet, there is an immense irony to his choice of signal.  The kiss of Judas represents the insincere kisses of those who care only for themselves.  They say they love you, but in truth they are only interested in pleasing themselves.  Jesus sincerely offers Judas a different way, and yet the insincerity of Judas leads him to destruction. 

When we throw in league with the Devil, things that ought to be sacred are sacrificed to the ambitions that one serves.  Spouses, children, parents, and others are all used and abused in order to obtain what we want.  Even though such things should not be done, the betrayer doesn’t seem to care.

In the midst of the arrest Peter takes out his sword and, in trying to defend Jesus, cuts an ear off of one of the men there.  Jesus quickly lets Peter know that this is the wrong way.  God is not going to redeem mankind by raising up an army of believers who will slay the enemy.  In fact, our spiritual enemies cannot be touched by such weapons.  Mankind would not be redeemed by the sword, but by the love of God.  Jesus says, “Permit even this.”  There is a part of all of us that balks at following Jesus.  Peter had been challenged to accept certain things in order to continue with Jesus.  Yet, now things were out of hand.  Peter cannot understand the insistence of Jesus on being betrayed and put to death.  Is there a limit to the things that we will accept and endure in order to follow Jesus?  Be sure that this life will test you severely in this matter.  Peter needs to stand down because he is trying to thwart the very plan of God.  This is typical when we do what our flesh wants.  We might be trying to do a good thing, like standing for Jesus, but God is not always headed in the direction we want.  Surrendering to this is sometimes too much for people.  Perhaps Judas himself believed at the beginning.  But somewhere Jesus had crossed a line in which Judas could not permit himself to follow anymore.

It is amazing to see the grace of Jesus displayed to a man who is there to arrest him.  Jesus heals the ear of the man.  Thus he demonstrates that he truly is the Son of God in that his goodness was received by good and bad alike.  Remember the words of Matthew 5:45, “[God] makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.”  Is it possible to follow such a way?  Can I refuse to pay back wrong for wrong and instead love people even to the point of death?  We should not call it the way of love.  For no man ever loved like this.  It is the way of Jesus and of the love of God.

Jesus Rebukes His Captors

In verses 52 and 53 we see that Jesus makes some statements to his captors.  First he points out that he had not presented himself in such a way that warranted an armed arrest.  There was no reason to believe that Jesus and his group would be violent.  Jesus was famous for his teachings that promoted turning the other cheek and not paying back wrong for wrong.  The show of force is ridiculous.  Why seize him while wielding swords and clubs?  This kind of militaristic over-kill is becoming of those who have thrown their lot in with the Devil and not with God.  They could have taken him at any time and yet they choose the middle of the night and violent means.

Jesus points out that this was their time and the time of the power of darkness.  The phrase “the power of darkness” is a clear reference to Satan.  Some examples of this can be found in Acts 26:18, “I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God.”  Here Jesus explains to Paul that the world was stuck in the darkness of the power of Satan.  Also, in Colossians 1:13, Paul explains to believers, “He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love.”  The power of darkness is clearly the spiritual opposite of the Kingdom of Jesus.

Satan loves to operate through force, hiding, betrayal, and vulnerability.  Up to now, God has allowed him to have a certain time of power.  But it will not end well for Satan and those who join in league with him.  They will have their inheritance in the lake of fire, otherwise known as the second death.  Today we are choosing which side we are going to be on.  You are either putting your trust in God by faith in the way of Jesus, or you are siding with the power of darkness.  There is no other way.  Even if you find yourself having fallen away for a time, like Judas did, repent of your fear and doubt and turn back to Jesus.  The Devil loves to tempt you to fall into sin and then use that failure to cause you to despair all hope.  Even now, Jesus holds out his arms to you saying, “I have paid the price of your sin and will set you free from your guilt if you will only turn to me and believe.”  Let’s put our faith fully upon the one who not only knows what it is like to be betrayed, but also forgives us for our betrayals of him.

Betrayed Audio

Prayer and Temptation

Luke 22:39-46.  This sermon was preached by Pastor Marty Bonner on February 28, 2016.

If the cross is the visible, public trial of Jesus then here we see the private trial in which he wrestles with God over the things before him.  Ultimately Jesus gives us a key to facing trials and temptations, and that key is prayer.  Without prayer we are unprepared for them, no matter how strongly our spirit wants to please the Lord.  Peter is very determined to stand with the Lord, but will fail in the time of trial.  Jesus is not just praying for himself.  He is also teaching his disciples a lesson in temptation and overcoming the flesh.  It is also a glimpse of the agony involved in saving mankind.  Rebellious humanity can be saved, but only at great cost to God Himself.

Pray About Temptations

In verses 39 through 41 the scene transitions from the upper room inside Jerusalem to a garden outside of Jerusalem.  Judas is off to betray Jesus, so we only have Jesus and the eleven going across the shallow valley east of Jerusalem.  There they enter the Garden of Gethsemane, which is near the bottom of the Mount of Olives.  He knows he is about to be arrested and is very clearly picking the ground upon which it will happen.  It is important to recognize that Jesus gives them the command to pray.

Jesus is not running away or trying to hide.  We see this in the words “as he was accustomed.”  Jesus could have snuck out of the city and kept going.  However, he stops and spends time praying while his betrayer marshals troops to come after him.  Jesus goes where Judas would know to find him.  They had spent time there and it had become a part of their routine, especially in this last week.

Jesus also tells them why they should pray.  Somehow it will enable them to avoid temptation.  The terminology is actually the idea of entering into temptation.  Temptation itself is merely a trial or a test in which we are tempted to choose something other than God’s will.  There is nothing wrong with praying to avoid such tests.  However, some tests cannot be avoided.  Thus we need to pray also that we will not give in to those temptations or fail the test.  The Bible refers to this as falling.  It is as if you are walking the way of the Lord and something trips you up and causes you to fall down.  We also have some further description in the other Gospels.  Jesus tells them that “the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”  So when we take time to pray about the temptations and trials that we see ahead of us, it can enable us to overcome the weakness of our flesh.  Peter’s strong declaration of faithfulness to Jesus becomes the perfect illustration of this.  There is no reason to think Peter is lying.  He really does want to be the kind of disciple that would stick with Jesus even when everyone else leaves.  Yet, in the crush of the trial his flesh is unable to stand up.  Jesus is showing us that our lack of prayer and wrestling with God over the temptations of life keeps us spiritually weak.

Another aspect of prayer is that Jesus clearly wanted some people to pray with him.  Sometimes you need people close in prayer and sometimes you need to get alone.  This passage gives us a bit of both.  Luke’s account here is somewhat short.  But the other Gospels tell us that Jesus left 8 of the disciples in one area and then went a distance away with Peter, James, and John.  He even then separated a little further from them.  Thus they are close enough to hear him praying but not right next to him.  When you are facing difficult trials the sense of being alone can become overwhelming.  Having people who will not only pray for us, but also with us is imperative.  Make sure that you have friends who will pray for you and with you.  Yet, some things are so deep and so personal that we need to get alone with God.  In fact, Jesus often went off by himself to spend time in prayer.  This seems to be a mixture of both.  He wants to get alone in prayer and yet he needs them to pray with him.  May God help us to learn how to come alongside of a brother or sister in prayer when they are going through difficult circumstances and hard trials.  You don’t have to force yourself upon them.  Simply let them know that you are there for them in whatever they need.

The Lord Leads The Way

At verse 42 we get a glimpse into the prayer of Jesus.  He is our pattern and template for faithfully serving God.  So this prayer and others are important to understand.  First we see Jesus asking to avoid the cross.  The magnitude of what lies ahead weighs heavy upon the humanity (i.e. the flesh) of Jesus.  As the eternal Son of God he has already agreed to this and is just as committed as the Father.  Yet, here he is in the flesh about to go through with it and his flesh is pulling back away from it.  Now he must reaffirm the commitment in his humanity.  His time has come.  He knows that God will allow him to be taken and killed.  There are moments in life in which we face a particular decision.  Regardless of how we choose, we will then be caught up in a series of events that we can’t control.  The die is cast.  This is that moment for Jesus.  If he runs he can avoid it.  But if he stays here they will catch him.  Of course this is no gamble, but control of how this will end up is being surrendered.  Once he is arrested the human side of Jesus will have no escape short of God’s intervention.  Such heavy laden decisions must be approached with spiritual fear and trembling.  Lord help us to learn to pray in such a way that we are able to discover his will and surrender our flesh to it.

Though the flesh of Jesus is pulling away, it is not greater than his desire to do God’s will.  Specifically he is here to save mankind.  In Hebrews 12:2, speaking of Jesus, says, “who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”  He knew the end game and how important it was.  He knew what would be lost if he didn’t and what would be won if he did.  Jesus was not obligated by anything but his own love for us.  May this image remind you in your own times of doubt that the Lord loves you with an everlasting love that is willing to suffer the depths of sorrow in order to reclaim you.

At this point God strengthens Jesus by an angel.  This also happened at the beginning of his ministry when he was fasting for 40 days and the devil tested him.  Here as well as there, Jesus is in need of physical strengthening.  I do not believe the angel is strengthening the resolve or faith of Jesus.  But rather, the angel is enabling his physical body and physical psyche to endure the stress of the situation.  We do not realize how much our lack of knowledge about things in our life is a blessing.  It is a blessing because it enables us to live with peace.  If we understood completely what lay ahead of us we would most likely not eat or sleep.  Yet, in those moments when harsh realities set upon us and we become fully aware, God has many means of providing strength for us.  In fact, we should pray for the Holy Spirit to strengthen us in such times.  We see Jesus agonizing over the coming contest with severe mental and physical struggle.  This only causes him to pray more earnestly.  Our flesh tends to give up on prayer when we become overstressed.  Yet, it is important to pray more earnestly in these times.  We don’t have to be desperate, although we sometimes are.  Jesus can identify with the agony that we endure in such times.  He can empathize with what hangs over you.  In fact, because He has already overcome the world, we can rejoice.  We have hope that just as God brought Him through, so He will bring us through too.

Jesus is not the only one who is stressed here.  The disciples are exhausted from stress, lack of sleep, and sorrow.  Jesus had to wake them several times calling them back to pray.  I do not believe this is just because they didn’t want to pray.  Stress and sorrow can overwhelm a person so much that they physically shut down.  I am not excusing them, so much as pointing out the issues involved.  Some can even get to a point where they are barely able to function.  We must learn to recognize the spiritual danger around us before we get so low.  Does the Lord understand our lack of strength?  Yes, and he even empathizes with us.  Yet, before his arrest, he makes sure that these words would be stuck in his disciples’ hearts.  “Pray lest you enter into temptations.”  Prayer is far more important than we realize.  Sure we must put feet and hands to our prayers.  But don’t thing that your faith will survive the trials of this life without it, whether from yourself or others in your life who love you.

Prayer and Temptation Audio