06/01/09

Good Monday Mornin

 ³²They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, "Sit here while I pray." ³³He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. ³⁴"My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death," he said to them. "Stay here and keep watch."

 ³⁵Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. ³⁶"Abba,^[e] Father," he said, "everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will."

 ³⁷Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Simon," he said to Peter, "are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour? ³⁸Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."

 ³⁹Once more he went away and prayed the same thing. ⁴⁰When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. They did not know what to say to him.

 ⁴¹Returning the third time, he said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. ⁴²Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!" Mark 14:32-42

On the eve of His crucifixion Jesus’ soul was overwhelmed with sorrow. The reason why is He knew the impending circumstances that He faced. He knew that He was going to have to take on something so much bigger than He had ever taken on before. He was having to give up what He wanted in order to give the Father what He wanted.

One of the hardest things that Jesus every taught was self crucifixion, or self denial. And it remains a very hard thing to this day. Just when we think that we have it whooped, we realize that we do not and God displays a point in our lives that needs to be handed over to Him.

The thing about self crucifixion is that we must submit our will to God’s and that requires trust in Him. We have to come to realize that what God has for us is so much more than anything we could ever conjure up for ourselves. But you see that goes back to original sin, we think that we know better than God does about what we do or do not need. And usually the thing that we do not need is the thing that feels the best to us. But there will always be a nagging feeling deep down inside that lets us know it is not God’s will and plan. This is a struggle.

The Scripture says that Jesus was so troubled by this, He sweated drops of blood. This is a proven scientific fact that one can be so stressed that the blood capillaries in the forehead will rupture and blood will come through the pores with sweat. However, this takes a great deal of stress and anguish in order for it to happen. This tell us of the battle that Jesus was going through. I think this is what the author of Hebrews said when he wrote, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who had been tempted in ever way, just as we are – yet was without sin.” So when we struggle with the desires of our flesh battling the desires of His Spirit, Jesus knows the feeling.

I want you to notice that Jesus gave Himself over to the Father. Willingly. He had to battle it, but in the end He wanted what God wanted more than what He wanted. And that is the key to living a Kingdom life. We have to be willing to say, “Not my will but Yours be done”

What is it in your life that you know God wants you to trust Him with? Is it your job? Is it your marriage? Is it an addiction? Whatever it is just know it will be a battle, you will have a Gethsemane experience where your soul will cry out for what it wants, but you have to be willing to give your everything over to the Father every day.

I love you guys… have a great week.

Pastor Jason Lyle

But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.

Hebrews 10:39