Matthew 26:31-56

Intro:

7/17/13

Q: Do you have any get away spots where you love to retreat to? Maybe a vacation spot? or, a place in town where you pull over under a tree? or, a look out spot? or, maybe locking yourself in the bathroom if you have little ones? {lips under door... mom!} Jesus had one where He often retreated to! Jn.18:2 When Jesus had spoken these words, He went out with His disciples over the Brook Kidron, where there was a garden, which He and His disciples entered. And Judas, who betrayed Him, also knew the place; for Jesus often met there with His disciples. Read: starting in vs.30-35.

Peters, Self-Confidence! (31-35)

(W.W.) Gods best gifts are not things but opportunities. What we call adversity, God calls opportunity. Peter missed many imp. opp.s! Peter Boasted when he should have Listened! (32-35) Peter Slept when he should have Prayed! (36-46) Peter Fought when he should have Surrendered! (47-56) Peter Followed when he should have Fled for safety! (57-75) But, when the opp. came to Repent, he Wept! vs.31 - Conversation on the way to Gethsemane. He 1st quotes Zech.13:7. - He who was able to speak words of infallible Truths, yet He fell back upon the inspired record in the O.T. [awesome!] vs.32 - Next He adds a 2-fold promiseResurrection & Reunion(n-Galil.) Of course theyll forget this, so Hell have to send an Angelic

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messenger w/a post-it in 28:7,10. Note: I will go before you- (so shepherdy!) As a Shepherd leads his flock. vs.33 - This is not only Presumptuous & Self-confident, but a flat Contradiction of the Masters Declaration! This was as terrible & as serious as the deck hand who boasted about the Titanic, God himself could not sink this ship! (1,502 perished) Even if all willI will never - Few people need voice lessons to sing their own praise! Sign in front of an Atlanta restaurant featuring fried chicken: If the Colonel had our chicken recipe hed be a General! vs.34 - Double self-confidence leads to Triple Denial! Jesus basically says, not only are you not better than the rest, you will show yourself more cowardly! Whats amazing is we have a perfectly obedient Rooster, & a Denying Disciple! vs.35 - We here All were involved in this, not just Peter! Again Peter contradicts his master straight to His face, w/His selfconfident Declaration! Peters 1st part of denying Christ had begun already, for he was denying what Jesus just prophesied! I guess youd say Peter was in Denial? Ever notice? We always weaken whatever we exaggerate!

Jesus, Surrender (36-46)

Here we step carefully into the Garden, as we now tread on Holy ground! There is Mystery here! Awe! Wonder! This is a section for Prayerful, Heart-broken meditation!

Matthew 26:31-56

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Here we find the garden called Gethsemane= oil-press, which is significant of our Lords agony. Poem: Twas here the Lord of life appeared, & sighd & groaned, & prayd, & feard; Bore all incarnate God could bear, With strength enough, & none to spare. vs.36,37 - He left 8 disciples at the entrance to the garden, & Peter, James, & John, went farther w/Him, then a stones throw away He went alone! Here seems a perfect example & reconciliation of Gal.6:2 & 5! vs.38 - Q: Do you ever seek the presence & prayers of those close to you? vs.39 - This comes against the traditional picture! On 1 knee, hands reverently folded, leaning against a rock, & gazing off into the distance w/a warm glow about Him! God was on His Facewhat a sight! As much as His Human nature shrank from the cup, still more did he shrink from any thought of acting contrary to His Fathers will![ as you will] Nevertheless - The most wonderful nevertheless in the bible! vs.40 - What - Not interrogation or exclamatory, but only so or thus! It was bad enough James & Jn. were sleepingbut Super Pete? He who made the loudest protestations of devotion deserved to be the most blamed for his unfaithfulness! Die Peter? How about stay awake? Q: Do we prize the privileges Christ gives us? (the 3) vs.41 - How kind for Christ to find something Praiseworthy given the situation their spirit was willing! Temptations - He knew what temptations were coming their way - so He would have them doubly armedWatch & Pray!

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Watch - Be alert as you pray! Keep your sp. eyes open for the enemy is near! vs.42 - (W.W.) He was not Wrestling w/Gods will, or Resisting Gods will, but was Yielding to Gods will! It was a Holy Soul being repulsed by sin!Yet this was His mission in the world! The Mystery of His Humanity & Deity is seen vividly in this scene. Quote: Mystery (W.W. pg.124 Real Worship) Lk. mentions that the 2nd time He prayed more Earnestly, His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. vs.44 - The same words - Just pray onceNo! Dont repeat a prayer twiceNo! vs.45 - They had failedbut their Lord had succeeded! vs.46 - He awakens the sleeping disciples to prepare them for what was coming! {Id be tempted to let em sleep til the mob was rt. theirthen yell!} The crushing in the Olive-Press was over. - The long looked for hour had come! - Jesus went calmly forward, divinely strengthened to meet the terrible trials that yet awaited!

The Mobs, Search & Seizure (47-56)

vs.47 - Note: Judas, one of the 12 - the very horror of the thing is thus emphasized. one of the 12 would do this? Judas takes no chances for failure for he well knew the strange power of Jesus. [1] A band of soldiers from the garrison in Antonia. (Jn.18:3) [2] The Temple Police. (Lk.22:52) [3] A multitude who had lanterns & torches(in spite of the full moon!)

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He knew His strange power?Nope! He didnt understand either His Almighty Power nor His power to willingly give himself to thiswhich is the greater of the 2! vs.48,49 - Ever read of another disciple kissing Him? (no, interesting) Jesus was betrayed by the very act that ought to have been the token of firmest friendship! He used the Kiss as a weapon, not as a sign of affection! He kissed him repeatedly! (filhsen/philesen) (katefilhsen/kataphilesen)intensifies this verb. This same compound verb occurs in (Lu 7:38) of the sinful woman! in (Lu 15:20) of the Father's embrace of the Prodigal Son! and in (Ac 20:37) of the Ephesian elders and Paul. Prov.27:6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend, But the kisses of an enemy are deceitful. vs.50 - Friend - I could think of a few other words I would have chosen that might have been more applicable! Oh, vilest of mankind; Son of perdition; You kissing thief; Backstabbing Betrayer, Why have you come - (Adam where are you?) If therefore you seek me, let these go their way! Jesus always thoughtful of others, whether in the garden or on the cross! vs.51,52 - If only Peters hands would have been clasped in prayer, instead of around a swords hilt! Like Moses in Egypt, Peter rushed ahead & trusted in the arm of the flesh. - Had Jesus not healed Malchus, there probably would have

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been Four crosses on Calvary! vs.53 - Flashing down from the court of heaven - each timid disciple(12) might have found himself captain of an Angelic legion! vs.54 - One difficulty thoughHow would scripture be fulfilled if I did that? vs.56 - The Determined Disciples became the Deserting Disciples! Jn.16:32 Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. {Later, even the Father would leave Him!} END: You decideThe Sword or the Cup? The Cup usually involves suffering, but that suffering ultimately leads to glory! We need not fear the Cup, for it has been prepared by the Father esp. for us! He knows how much we can take, & He mixes the contents in Wisdom & Love!