Series: Holy Land Tour 2016 Text: Mark 14:27-52 Title: The Olive Press

Transcription

1 Sermon for June 19, 2016 Boscobel & Mt. Zion UMCs Series: Holy Land Tour 2016 Text: Mark 14:27-52 Title: The Olive Press Introduction: Good Morning BMZ! Again, so glad you are with us as we CONTINUE our SERIES, The Holy Land Tour! Just the other day and when I say, Just the other day please understand that I mean, This happens all of the time! The other day, Sarah was attempting, as parents often do, to communicate with me what was going to be happening the next day with the schedules of our daughters. When Sarah started talking about said daughter, my mind went to where I THOUGHT she was going with the conversation. I JUMPED to the CONCLUSION that I was supposed to DO SOMETHING. So, imagine my surprise when I was getting ready to DO what I THOUGHT I was supposed to do and I was TELLING SARAH what I was going to DO and Sarah looked at me like I hadn t been listening to her carefully; because I hadn t been listening to her carefully!? BTW - MEN Happy Father s Day!! Do you ever do that? Do you ever JUMP ahead of what someone is saying with your OWN ASSUMPTIONS as to what was going to actually happen? You have an IDEA in your HEAD about how it s GOING to GO and then you miss how it s REALLY GOING to GO? When we make these ASSUMPTIONS, it affects how we do EVERYTHING. It affects what we SAY and how we communicate. It affects how we ACT and our EXPECTATIONS of the PEOPLE around us. TODAY, we continue our tour of Israel and, like last week, we are in the JERUSALEM area. The first 4 weeks we spent along the Mediterranean coast and in the region of Galilee. Now, for the final 4 weeks of our series we will be spending time in and around the city of Jerusalem and studying parts of the last week of Jesus earthly life. Last week, we were at the TEMPLE, where Jesus cleared out the money-changers and the sacrifice sellers and on the Mt. of Olives where Jesus taught the disciples about FAITH and PRAYER. Oh, and Jesus killed off a fig tree that didn t bear fruit. We also learned that, according to the scripture in Mark 11, that if anyone is in the process of holding a GRUDGE, they are of no use to the Kingdom of God. These events happened on MONDAY and TUESDAY of Jesus final week as a human being. If you have your Bible with you, turn with me to MARK 14 if you don t; no worries. All of our Scriptures for today will be up on the screen and much of what we are doing is in your program. If you don t own a Bible and would like one, please stop by Java Jct/Blessed Bean and someone will get you set up with your own Bible. Speaking of which If you haven t already, I invite you to take out your message notes and Connection card... On one side you will see our Scripture for today and on the other you will find a brief outline walking us through our Scripture. You will see that there are blanks to fill in Please take the time to do so. Grab a pen and write down whatever else you think is important to you and your faith journey. After worship, drop off your CONNECTION CARD and take your notes home and refrigerate them. Please Re-read the Scripture and the notes to keep growing and learning. For those of you watching on-line, hit the button for notes and for CONNECTION CARD and stick with us. If you are watching/listening later, or IPODing; you can download the outline off of our website so you too can take notes.

2 2 Let s pray and then we will press on with where we are going today LET S PRAY (turn off marked lights during prayer)! Today, we are going to fast forward to THURSDAY EVENING. Jesus and his Disciples celebrate the Passover meal in the Upper Room (PICTURE of UPPER ROOM). This is historically where many believe that Jesus and his Disciples would have met for this special celebration and meal. At supper Jesus gives new meaning to the bread and the cup, offering himself as the ultimate sacrifice for the sins of the world. Jesus then reveals that one of his Disciples will BETRAY him and that he must DIE. I. Jesus Prediction and Peter s Denial As Jesus and the Disciples leave the Upper Room and the city, Jesus shares some Scripture with them from the Book of Zechariah. Mark 14:27 = 27 On the way, Jesus told them, All of you will desert me. For the Scriptures say, God will strike* the Shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered. 1 The Scripture says that God will strike the Shepherd and the sheep will scatter TWO schools of thought here: 1) Jesus was PREDICTING the FUTURE and letting the disciples know that they were about to be really scared and they would NOT be able to live up to their upcoming CLAIMS (wait for it); or, 2) Jesus was ENCOURAGING them to RUN away when He was arrested, so that none of them would get arrested. Then Jesus shares a follow-up statement Mark 14:28 = 28 But after I am raised from the dead, I will go ahead of you to Galilee and meet you there. 2 BTW This is the 5 th time, according to Mark, that Jesus has announced to his Disciples that He is going to be crucified and then raised from the dead. I wonder if the Disciples actually heard Jesus. Do you all remember what the DISCIPLES had as an ASSUMPTION for why they were going to Jerusalem? The way the Disciples read their Scriptures, the Messiah or The Anointed One of God, would be a GREAT WARRIOR who would conquer all of the Israelite nations enemies and oppressors and set Israel FREE. Remember that Peter had answered Jesus in CAESAREA PHILIPPI that Jesus was the Messiah. And, of course, Jesus told them not to tell anyone else. Ever since that moment, the Disciples have a plan IN THEIR HEADS that they are going to Jerusalem to take over the nation and start conquering enemies and setting the Jewish people free! They caught a GLIMPSE of what it was going to be like on PALM SUNDAY parade, shouts of praise to Jesus as the Son of God, etc. The Disciple s ACTIONS and WORDS REFLECTED their ASSUMPTION about Jesus the KING of the Jews That s WHY PETER replies to Jesus prediction that all the Disciples will scatter when Jesus is arrested with Mark 14:29 = 29 Peter said to him, Even if everyone else deserts you, I never will. 3 Peter was NOT LISTENING to what Jesus was telling him, Peter was THINKING in terms of Jesus and his Disciples being POLITICAL LEADERS in the country. There was no room in Peter s thinking for Jesus to die! Then, JESUS tells Peter that he will DENY Jesus THREE TIMES before the rooster CROWS TWICE! Again, Peter s response is from his human will Mark 14:31 = 31 No! Peter declared emphatically. Even if I have to die with you, I will never deny 1 Tyndale House Publishers. (2013). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Mk 14:27). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers. 2 Tyndale House Publishers. (2013). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Mk 14:28). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers. 3 Tyndale House Publishers. (2013). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Mk 14:29). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.

3 3 you! And all the others vowed the same. 4 The other disciples vowed the same WHY? Because there is NO WAY that the future KING of Israel is going to be ARRESTED and certainly not CRUCIFIED! I m sure Jesus just shook his head Then, Jesus and the Disciples are LEAVING the city of Jerusalem AFTER their Passover MEAL. Here s what it says: Mark 14:32-33 = 32 They went to the olive grove called Gethsemane, and Jesus said, Sit here while I go and pray. 33 He took Peter, James, and John with him, and he became deeply troubled and distressed. 5 Let s start with WHERE they were Remember how the Disciples came into JERUSALEM from BETHANY? Right! Over the Mt. of Olives. They were headed back that direction as they leave Jerusalem. (MAP of Jerusalem and Garden of Gethsemane). The Garden was/is on the Mt. of Olives They STOPPED. II. Gethsemane = Oil Press Gethsemane (oil press probably a place where the olives from the Mt. of Olives were pressed into oil). Remember the MILLSTONES from Capernaum (PICTURE of MILLSTONES)? Jesus knows that he is in for a long night, so he goes to his Father in prayer. This is a TIME of PREPARATION. Let s learn from it! First, he leaves most of the Disciples at the garden gate and takes PETER, JAMES and JOHN (his inner circle) with him further into the garden (PICTURES of GARDEN/2000 year old tree). He invites his closest buddies to stay near him and watch. Scriptures tell us to WATCH when we PRAY that doesn t mean to keep your eyes open to pray. It MEANS for us to STAY ALERT SPIRITUALLY to how we are doing and what God is trying to teach or show us! LISTEN for what GOD might want FOR you or FROM you let God be God! Let s press on (Get It?) Mark 14:34-36 = 34 He told them, My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me. 35 He went on a little farther and fell to the ground. He prayed that, if it were possible, the awful hour awaiting him might pass him by. 36 Abba, Father, * he cried out, everything is possible for you. Please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine. 6 As we read on, we find out that 3 TIMES Jesus pleads with his Daddy or Papa (Abba Father) to take away this cup of suffering, but always finishes with, BUT, Your WILL be DONE. Now, chances are we won t face EXECUTION for our faith (or, in our culture, maybe we will), but we will get BEAT UP and face some PROBLEMS people who rub us the wrong way, difficulty connecting others to God, challenges in our own faith journey falling back into the things we used to do, etc. Let s get back to the Garden of Gethsemane and figure out this FORMULA for STAYING on TRACK with GOD Mark 14:37 = 37 Then he returned and found the disciples asleep. He said to Peter, Simon, are you asleep? Couldn t you watch with me even one hour? 7 WOW! Peter, you just told me that you would NEVER LEAVE me and that you would DIE with me if you had to you CAN T even stay AWAKE! 4 Tyndale House Publishers. (2013). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Mk 14:31). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers. 5 Tyndale House Publishers. (2013). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Mk 14:32 33). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers. 6 Tyndale House Publishers. (2013). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Mk 14:34 36). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers. 7 Tyndale House Publishers. (2013). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Mk 14:37). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.

4 4 Mark 14:38-40 = 38 Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak. (REPEAT NEXT STEPS) 39 Then Jesus left them again and prayed the same prayer as before. 40 When he returned to them again, he found them sleeping, for they couldn t keep their eyes open. And they didn t know what to say. 8 Now, keep an eye on those verses as we FIND JESUS FORMULA Here s Jesus formula for staying on track with God as shown in the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus formula for staying on track with God: - Keep Watch with Me = stay AWAKE and AWARE of MORAL ATTACKS be full of integrity no matter what! MEN (Father s Day) = Do you know what God wants to ACCOMPLISH through US? We get to PROVIDE for our families SPIRITUALLY and PHYSICALLY AND, we get to PROTECT our families both SPIRITUALL and PHYSICALLY. Many men focus on the PHYSICAL Protection and PROVISION too often we FORGET to PROVIDE and PROTECT them SPIRITUALLY! - Pray to God = This gives us strength to stay full of integrity and to be like Christ. When we are IN CONVERSATION with GOD, we CONNECT in a RELATIONSHIP with GOD. Share our HEARTS with GOD and LISTEN and OBEY what HE SAYS! - Seek Support of Friends and Family = We need a support group with a similar faith we need someone to be strong when we are weak although it worked the opposite for Jesus BUT, notice Jesus took his INNER CIRCLE WITH HIM. Just having them CLOSE can bring COMFORT. And, we all NEED ACCOUNTABILITY! - Focus on the Purpose God has Given You = Helps us do God s will and not our own! It s ALL ABOUT God s KINGDOM; NOT OURS. God s Kingdom is ETERNAL and AMAZING! OUR kingdoms are TEMPORARY and WEAK! Daniel-son, You no lose a FOCUS! All of this time in the GARDEN is PREPARATION time for what is to come, but again, all of the DISCIPLES are working with their ASSUMPTION in mind Then it gets VERY INTENSE in the Garden of Gethsemane Mark 14:41-42 = 41 When he returned to them the third time, he said, Go ahead and sleep. Have your rest. But no the time has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 42 Up, let s be going. Look, my betrayer is here! 9 So, all this time, JESUS was PREPARING for what was to COME HOW? Through that FORMULA Here we go Mark 14:43-45 = 43 And immediately, even as Jesus said this, Judas, one of the twelve disciples, arrived with a crowd of men armed with swords and clubs. They had been sent by the leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the elders. 44 The traitor, Judas, had given them a prearranged signal: You will know which one to arrest when I greet him with a kiss. Then you can take him away under guard. 45 As soon as they arrived, Judas walked up to Jesus. Rabbi! he exclaimed, and gave him the kiss Tyndale House Publishers. (2013). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Mk 14:38 40). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers. 9 Tyndale House Publishers. (2013). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Mk 14:41 42). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers. 10 Tyndale House Publishers. (2013). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Mk 14:43 45). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.

5 5 III. A Sword and a Kiss Did you hear that? Judas, one of the Disciples one of the Disciples that was in CAESAREA PHILIPPI just a few weeks earlier who stood in the shadow of the Temple for Caesar Augustus, the shrines to Pan and the history of Baal worship and heard Peter proclaim and Jesus not deny that Jesus was the Messiah/Christ/Anointed One; and had the conversations with the other Disciples about how their Scriptures told of the Messiah being the One who would SET their PEOPLE FREE brought with him to the Garden of Gethsemane a mob that was armed with swords and clubs. WHY? Because Judas was ACTING on an ASSUMPTION of Who Jesus was. Judas had EXPECTATIONS of what Jesus was going to do if Jesus was going to CONQUER all of their nation s enemies, Jesus would have to have some MILITARY might/physical power! In order to arrest Jesus, Judas had to bring some POWER of his own. But, the Disciples didn t carry weapons, right!? Listen Mark 14:46-47 = 46 Then the others grabbed Jesus and arrested him. 47 But one of the men with Jesus pulled out his sword and struck the high priest s slave, slashing off his ear. 11 Then, HOW did Peter (according to Luke) lop off the ear of the high priest s servant?! Any chance that the other 11 disciples had started LIVING their lives out of the ASSUMPTION of Who Jesus was? They might have started thinking that in order for them to DO THEIR PART in Jesus taking over their country and conquering their enemies and bringing freedom; they had better start ARMING THEMSELVES. Peter was carrying a sword. I wonder if the other Disciples were armed as well Jesus response to Judas KISS and his mob armed with swords and clubs was this Mark 14:48-49 = 48 Jesus asked them, Am I some dangerous revolutionary, that you come with swords and clubs to arrest me? 49 Why didn t you arrest me in the Temple? I was there among you teaching every day. But these things are happening to fulfill what the Scriptures say about me. 12 All of these FOLLOWERS of Jesus were ACTING on their ASSUMPTION about WHO JESUS WAS, WHAT He would/could or wouldn t/couldn t DO and what they expected of him they were ALL WRONG! They were NOT AWAKE Spiritually! IV. Are You Awake? I wonder what all WE have in our heads as ASSUMPTIONS about Jesus? I wonder how many times we THINK or SAY that Jesus CAN T DO THIS or THAT BECAUSE we ve NEVER SEEN it done before. We assume something else In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus asked his closest friends to WATCH and PRAY with him. They couldn t do it. IF they had STAYED AWAKE and HEARD Jesus prayer: They would have heard that Jesus was ready to die and do the will of His Father. They would have caught the insight they needed that this Kingdom that Jesus was talking about was not the same as the kingdom they were talking about. If they would have stayed awake, maybe they would have been on the same page as Jesus. Instead, here s what happened Mark 14:50-52 = 50 Then all his disciples deserted him and ran away. 51 One young man following behind was clothed only in a 11 Tyndale House Publishers. (2013). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Mk 14:46 47). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers. 12 Tyndale House Publishers. (2013). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Mk 14:48 49). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.

6 6 long linen shirt. When the mob tried to grab him, 52 he slipped out of his shirt and ran away naked. 13 What about US? Are we AWAKE with our EYES of FAITH? Are our EYES WIDE OPEN to what JESUS WANTS to DO NEXT?! Are we on the same page as Jesus even if Jesus decides to do something we ve never seen before? OR, are we DESERTING JESUS and RUNNING AWAY? Because, if we DESERT JESUS, we are kind of like MARK (the young man in the linen shirt) we are just RUNNING AROUND NAKED with NOTHING to OFFER this WORLD! I really don t want to hear Jesus say to us, Could you not stay awake with me for even an hour? I believe that Jesus has great plans for BMZ Church to serve the Kingdom of God in SOUTHWEST WISCONSIN and BEYOND! I hope and pray that our assumptions about who Jesus is and what Jesus can and can t do don t hinder us from being all that God wants us to be!! I hope that our ASSUMPTIONS do not PREVENT us from TRUSTING GOD beyond what we ve EVER SEEN BEFORE! WAKE UP! Let s Pray! Next Steps: I will memorize Mark 14:38 Read Mark Take steps to staying on track with God, like in the Garden of Gethsemane Pray about who to Invest in and Invite to worship in the Park on July 10 th Pray about who to Invest in and Invite to worship anytime! 13 Tyndale House Publishers. (2013). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Mk 14:50 52). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.