Pastor Jonah Sage preached from Mark 14:32-50 in our “Finished” series. He said that Jesus is with us. Lector: Lisa Tant
Pastor Jonah Sage preached from Mark 14:32-50 in our “Finished” series. He said that Jesus is with us.
Lector: Lisa Tant
Happy Father's Day!
Joy to be with you all this morning.
Once again, we didn't plan this, but I think today's text speaks to some of the most significant, but unspoken, realities of being a dad.
This isn't a sermon about dads today, but it does reveal a deep longing in the hearts of people and, I think, particularly American fathers.
As we have said each week, these final stories of Jesus' life show us why the gospel is good news.
Have you ever considered that news is only good when some kind of longing is being met?
Some kind of problem is resolved. Some kind of need is fulfilled.
If you live in an apartment, it's not good news that you won a year of free lawn care in the company raffle. You don't have a lawn. Not good news.
But if someone said you won a free dishwasher, or free internet...good news.
So to get to the good news today, we'll have to consider the need first.
Let's begin:
They went to the olive grove called Gethsemane, and Jesus said, "Sit here while I go and pray." He took Peter, James, and John with him, and he became deeply troubled and distressed.
-Mark 14:32-33
These are Jesus' final hours, and we can see what he prioritizes.
And the simplest way I can say it is that, in his final hours, Jesus prioritized relationships.
Chapter 14 begins with a meal at a friends house. Profound relationships.
Next story is Jesus having another meal with his closest friends. Relationships.
The pain point in the meal is he says one of you will betray me. Relationships.
And now, here, he calls his three closest friends to pray with him.
Notice the pattern: big group, dinner party. Down to 12. Now down to 3.
As he gets closer to the end, Jesus' circle gets tighter.
I heard a joke one time that the greatest miracle of Jesus' life was that he was a middle aged man with 12 friends. Ever heard that?
33 years old, and had 12 close friends, and 3 best friends.
When God came near, he made friends. And at the end, he prioritized friendship.
What must this reveal about the heart of God?
American men do not prioritize friendship, do we?
We don't know how to be friends. Words like "intimacy", if they're available to men at all, are usually reserved for a spouse.
And you need to know throughout human history, we are the weird ones.
So, to the men in the room, consider this: when was the last time you were vulnerable with another man?
When was the last time you displayed weakness to another man?
Shared with him something of your heart, your struggles, your fears or pains?
Many of us would say to do that is un-manly.
Our culture only knows how to celebrates the producers and the martyrs.
Those who make a lot of money, business executives, celebrities etc.
Or those who die, like soldiers.
Our society does not know how to deal with a vulnerable man...and many of our men have learned we are supposed to be strong, stoic, soldiers who carry on
So, if that's you, or that's your expectation of being a man, I want you to listen very closely to what Jesus says to his 3 closest friends:
"My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me."...he fell to the ground. He prayed that, if it were possible, the awful hour awaiting him might pass him by. "Abba, Father," he cried out,"...please take this cup of suffering away from me."
-Mark 14:34-36
That word we translate "crushed with grief" could also be "overcome with horror."
When it said he was distressed, this means astonished, or shocked.
Have you ever witnessed a tragedy? Something horrific?
Somethign happened to a loved one, you witnessed it...have you felt that nausea, taht terror, paralyzed by fear?
You can feel it rising up in you, choking your breath.
This is Jesus here. Overcome with horror.
And not only is he feeling this way, which many of us do not have a category for.
Many of us think it's unmanly to have these kinds of emotions, but Jesus has them.
And not only does he have them he shares them with his friends.
I need you. I'm in a bad spot. Help me. Be with me. Im' so, so scared.
Other accounts of this story tell us he was so anxious and unsettled, the blood vessels of his face began to burst, causing him to sweat out drops of blood.
He's so scared he feels like he's about to die.
If we are offended by this kind of honesty, this kind of Jesus, or this vision of manhood, then we have been infected by an unbiblical culture.
He asks his dad, cries out, did you see that? Abba was like saying daddy. At 33!
Help me. Let there be another way.
To the dads, here, perhaps you're wondering what makes a child able to do that, even into adulthood.
It's the confidence of knowing he is loved. Jesus knows when he calls his father answers.
Jesus knows his father cares about how he's doing. This is intimacy.
Jesus knows how he's feeling and shares it and is confident his father will care.
If I could say one thing to the dads, it would be to find ways your child understands to communicate VERBALLY, PHYSICALLY, EMOTIONALLY, that you love the and your'e for them. You're with them.
It's not unmanly to be scared or vulnerable. It's Christ-like.
It's not unmanly to want friends, to NEED friends. It's Christ-like.
And it's not unmanly to want a less painful way forward.
But watch how Jesus ends this prayer:
Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.
-Mark 14:36
This is our model. Vulnerability, honesty, and faithful courage.
I'm scared, I don't want this, I feel terrible...but I trust you. I'll follow you.
Strength and tenderness. Majestic and meek.
And what comes next reminds some of us why we're so scared to follow Jesus like this:
Then he returned and found the disciples asleep.
-Mark 14:37
Hanging on by a thread, asks his closest friends to pray with him, and they fall asleep.
Jesus is sad about this. Wakes them up, says how could you, come on.
Many American men are wracked with loneliness, and the few that try to break the mold often find their friends asleep.
It's one thing to wonder if anyone cares, it's another to ask people to care and they take a nap instead.
This is the need: we long for intimacy, connection, but people are so frail
We are so inconsistent. And so it often feels far too risky.
Too risky to be vulnerable, honest, like this.
This whole thing repeats again. They fall asleep again.
He wakes them up, listen to how sad this is:
They didn't know what to say.
-Mark 14:40
How about SORRY, right?
So, we need friends. We need community, closeness...but it's dangerous. Risky. Painful. What do we do?
Watch Jesus:
"The time has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Up, let's be going. Look, my betrayer is here!"
-Mark 14:42
He trusts his father and endures the pain of disappointing friends.
He faces what he knows he must.
He is the FAITHFUL one, and watch all that he endures.
As soon as they arrived, Judas walked up to Jesus. "Rabbi!" He exclaimed, and gave him the kiss.
-Mark 14:45
For your sake, Jesus endured friends letting him down. For your sake, Jesus endured another friend betraying him with a kiss.
One of the men with Jesus pulled out his sword and struck the high priest's slave, slashing off his ear.
-Mark 14:47
Other accounts tell us Jesus heals this man's ear and tells his friend to put his sword away.
For your sake, Jesus allows himself to be arrested and refuses to defend himself.
Then all his disciples deserted him and ran away.
-Mark 14:50
The loneliest, perhaps saddest verse in the whole Bible.
And many of us can relate to the feeling...isolated, alone...why? Why would he do this?
There are two reasons, and one wonderful result.
First, Jesus trusted his dad.
His dad had always been there for him. Blessed him, affirmed him, loved him.
Jesus had unwavering confidence that his dad was for him and would be there.
This kind of love from his dad gave Jesus the confidence to face such incredible hardship, betrayal, and suffering.
Second, Jesus wanted YOU.
He endured the betrayals of friendship so you would have someone in your life that knows your pain.
He desired you. So he endured what he didn't deserve to give you what you've always wanted.
Jesus remains FAITHFUL throughout his whole life, even here to the end.
And the incredible result of all of this...maybe you're thinking he jsut forgives your sin.
Maybe you're thinking I'm going to tell you Jesus forgives you for your failures as a friend, so now you can go try harder to do it again.
The reason Jesus forgives your sin is not so you can try harder and do better.
The reason Jesus forgives your sin is so you can BE WITH HIM FOREVER.
You are united with Christ because of what Jesus has done for you.
And this means that now, you can be like Jesus.
You don't have to endure the pain of failing friends alone. Jesus is with you.
You can cry out to God with the same confidence Jesus did because Jesus is with you
You can embrace the strength of vulnerability because Jesus is with you.
You can face WHATEVER LIFE HAS FOR YOU knowing, in the truest, deepest sense, you are not alone.
You are seen. You are known. And you are loved.
When you are loved like this, just like Jesus loved his dad, you are set free.
Because the more you see this, the more you experience this, you'll realize that the only voice in the universe that truly matters loves you beyond your comprehension.
How did Jesus move forward? Grounded in the love of his dad.
How do we move forward? Grounded in the love of Jesus.
This love set us free.
We don't have to hide. We don't have to put on a strong face. We can turn and face sorrows, darkness, sufferings, because Jesus is with us.
And if we follow Jesus into crucifixion, we will follow him into resurrection.
Let's pray