We said last week that we were going to open up every week in the three weeks leading up to Easter with just a time of prayer over this place leading to Easter weekend. We know that Easter weekend is one of those incredibly specific weekends that people are even more so receptive to coming and hearing the gospel, to responding to the love of Christ and the saving offer that is put on the table. And we said last week that we were going to every week, on the front side of the message pray for three very specific things. Number one, we were going to pray that God would place on every single one of our hearts a person or a family that we would personally reach out to and invite to be with us here at one of the services. To come sit with us, to be with us, to be at the service and experience the Resurrection Day. 

The second thing we said we would pray for is really that God would go ahead of us and go ahead and prepare their hearts. Now that's what God does. I don't know if you've ever been in a conversation like that. When you first opened your mouth, it was almost like they had just been begging for someone to come to them and talk to them about that. That's what we're going to pray for God to begin to do in our hearts, that we're all going to reach out to. And then the third thing that we are going to pray is for there to be a just, mighty movement of the Holy Spirit on Easter weekend. A mighty movement that our planning is not the reason. Our preparation is not the reason, but the Holy Spirit of God does something in an incredible way that all of us would look at and just go, yes, Lord. So this morning I want to stay true to my word and just continue that thought from last week. So let's go to the Father in prayer. 

Lord Jesus today we offer ourselves to you. We ask you to be incredibly present in our midst. And Lord Jesus, today we begin to pray even now for Easter, Lord. God put people on every single one of our hearts. Lord, that we know that needs to hear the gospel or reconnect with the gospel. People that we can invite you to be with us. Lord, give us a boldness and give us the courage. Give us the foresight to step into their worlds and ask them to come with us. Lord. Secondly, God, we honestly just ask that you prepare the way for us. Lord, and already step into the conversation God, so that it is almost as if they were just begging for someone to ask. Lord, third, we just ask for the movement of your spirit. We ask for a mighty movement for your glory got done for our glory or for any person's glory but God for yours. God, I just pray that at the end of Easter weekend, God, it is the beginning of a fresh newness of your Holy Spirit moving in this place. Lord Jesus, we pray for salvation. We pray for people to reconnect with you. We pray for people to find a home here. We pray for this community to be saved, Lord Jesus. And it's in your name we pray. Amen. Amen. 

Just want to remind you that in the app, as well as on the website, there is a digital invite that you can use to begin the conversation. Around the building, you can find some little cards that are little three by three cards that are square, that also have all the information if it helps you to have something in your hand. I will say that if you take some of those and if you hand them out at restaurants and stuff, do not do that without about a 25% tip, please. All right. Don't just kind of leave that instead of it and be like a good day. Here's your tip, right? Go ahead and do both just for the glory of God. All right. 

So, hey, look, we're already in week two of just the series that we're just calling the road to the cross. The road to the cross. If you want to scan the QR code, you can find the sermon notes that are in there. Last week we started this series and we said that all that we're going to do is pick three major events as Jesus has put his face towards the cross and we're going to pull some truths. We're going to see the reality of what the Savior is doing, and we're just going to see how God moved in those events then and then also, how does that carry into us now? Now, obviously, we can't look at all the events. I just did everything but beg you last week to go and read the gospel accounts. As Jesus begins to put his face towards the cross, I've got a total of three weeks to try to get as much of us prepared for Easter as possible, and that is a daunting task. All right, so go read that. Last week we looked at Mark, chapter ten at this guy named Blind Bartimaeus, and we saw him last week. We saw him kind of cry out to Jesus to be heard by Jesus. We saw him be healed by Jesus, set free by Jesus. And last week, at the end of the whole message, we really just asked God, God, would you open the eyes of our hearts? Would you open the eyes of our hearts to see you, to experience you just like Bartimaeus did? 

Well, this week, today we're going to continue in this series, and we're also going to continue in the book of Mark in Mark's gospel account. But we're going to skip over to chapter 14. All right. We're going to skip over to chapter 14. And we're going to walk today through what I would just kind of call one of the most sobering, one of the most, in many ways, mysterious and holy, as well as one of the most hope-giving passages in the whole Bible. All right. Today's passage is going to give you hope because you're going to see the loving nature of who Jesus really is. It's also incredibly holy because you're going to also see just the loving nature of how Jesus was the sinless Lamb of God, right? That took upon the sin of the world. You're going to see that today's passage is kind of in some ways mysterious because it's showing us a different side of the relationship of God the Father and God the Son that we're not normally seeing, nor that we will ever see again. In fact, today's passage in many ways, no matter how much you study it, how much you dive into it, it has a sense of mystery. That kind of same mystery that Paul talks about in Ephesians chapter three of those glorious riches of Christ Jesus, that no matter how well somebody like me can explain this passage, it's really only through the revelation of the Holy Spirit that can help you understand the depths of what we're about to read. And then the last passage is about to show us, quite frankly, just an application that that that the moment of pain in our lives. Because here's the reality. 

Either we're in pain, we're just coming out of pain, or we're on our way to pain. Right? That's kind of where we are. That, even in the moment of pain, this passage today is going to show us where our hope comes from. Even in those valleys of the shadow of death. We're about to see it. We're about to walk with Jesus and watch Him as he has his face said to the cross. Jump into an incredible, incredible, painful situation. Mark, chapter 14 is where we're at. Let me kind of give you the background because a lot has happened, right? A lot has happened. Mark 14 we're picking up Jesus super late on Thursday night of the crucifixion week, or possibly even after midnight into early Friday morning. He's on his way to the cross. The disciples have just left the upper room. They've just celebrated the Passover, which has become the Lord's Supper. Jesus gathered his guys up together and they headed out of the city. They're heading down the slope of the Kidron Valley, heading out of Jerusalem towards the Mount of Olives. Now, in order to do that, you had to cross the Kidron Brook or the Kidron River. At that time, all theologians agreed that in the Passover week that river was so close to the city, and so downhill from the backside of the temple, that so many lambs were being slain for the sins of all the people coming to bring their sacrifice. That river would have been stained red with blood. 

So put this in your mind. Just a minute. Jesus is walking out of the Lord's Supper after celebrating the cup, right? The cup represents his blood that was sacrificed for us. He's walking down the Kidron River, crossing a river that was stained with blood from the Passover lambs. He has his disciples with him, and he is in a moment where he knows where his face is pointing. That's what's happening in the text. So the disciples are with them. In fact, 11 of the disciples are with them because Judas has already left. He's already started the betrayal, and now they're on their way to what the Bible calls the garden. And as they're on the way, Jesus is teaching the truths. If you want to read them this week, he's teaching the truths from John 14 through John 17. He's teaching the truths of heaven and of peace with God. And surrendering to God. He’s teaching the truths of praying, and he prayed the high priestly prayer over them on the way there. He's also reminding here them that, hey, I'm going to, I'm going to die. I'm going to give my life for you. But I'm not leaving you on your own. I'm going to leave the Holy Spirit. And then all of a sudden, as they've crossed the Kidron Valley after they've heard all this teaching, then they come to this garden, they come to this small garden, and we're going to talk more about it in a minute. 

But this is the place that we're about to see today, where heaven kind of meets earth in this ultimate moment. And Jesus literally becomes the sacrifice for our sins. So what I'm going to do today is I'm going to read the account all the way through from the book of Mark. A lot of times I don't do that, but but listen, this text is so rich today. I don't want to break it up on the first pass, but what I want to do after that is I want to come back to the account again, and I want to pull in the account from the other gospels, from how all the other writers have it, because in it, what we get is this beautiful, holistic picture from three different personalities, all proclaiming what's about to happen here. Now, if you've been in church for a long time, let me just give you a warning and an encouragement. The warning here is don't let the familiarity of this passage just go, yeah, read that I'm out because I guarantee you this one passage today, can literally change your life and your relationship with the Savior.

All right. We're going to walk through today this holy moment. Mark chapter 14 starting in verse 32. If you ain't found it by now, that's all the intro I got. Here we go right here. This says this. It says they went to a place called Gethsemane. He and Jesus said to his disciples, sit here while I pray. And he took Peter and James, and John along with him. And he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Jesus said to them, stay here and keep watch. Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and he prayed if it possible the hour might pass from him. Verse 36. Abba, Father, he said, everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me, yet not what I will, but what you will. Then he returned to his disciples, and he found them sleeping. Simon, he said to Peter, are you asleep? Couldn't you just keep watch for one hour? Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. Verse 39 once more he went away, and he prayed the same thing. 

When he came back again, he found them sleeping because their eyes were heavy and they did not know what to say to him. Returning the third time, he said to them, are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners. Rise! Let's go! Here comes my betrayer! So what happens right here is Jesus lifts his eyes, and in the distance, he sees the mob of people come. Most theologians believe it could be up to a thousand people of the guards and the high priests, and the Sanhedrin and the Pharisees and just the onlookers, all of these people. He looks up. He sees Judas, the betrayer, and the mob to take Jesus to the cross. Now, as we start reading this text at a slower pace, what you begin to see is that the day is obviously the 11 disciples, minus Judas. What they have done is they have slipped into this private garden that is just called Gethsemane, which is an incredible picture of who Jesus is. Because the word Gethsemane literally means oil press. It means oil press. You say, Matt, what does that have to do with anything? Well, in this garden there were olive trees. There were all over this garden. And in the corner of, the whole garden, there would have been a press that literally would take the fruit of the olive. And when it was pressed the oil down so that they could use it for all kinds of purposes, which is a really incredible picture of the pressing that Jesus had on his life. 

The cool part about this garden is, is that we don't know whose garden this was. It was some nameless kind of believer or follower of Jesus, just like the colt that we're going to see next week. We don't know whose it is, but we know that it was a follower of Jesus. And the reality is, is that this garden is still there today. We know exactly where it is, and in fact, it's one of my top places in Israel to go in to see the olive trees, to see the place where Jesus is about to take on sin. Now, as you jump into 32, you see the 11. What do they do? They walk into the garden, and at the first stop, Jesus leaves eight of the disciples and he takes with him Peter, James, and John, which is incredible. Why? Because these are the same guys that there were there were the leaders, right? These are the same guys that were at the Transfiguration, the same guys that were kind of tasked to lead the calls of who the disciples were. But also on the backside of that, if you've really read this week, you'll also know that these are also the same three guys that have gotten in trouble in the last moments. James and John got in trouble two weeks ago. Remember that in Mark chapter ten? For asking to be the first and the second in the kingdom, and then right above this in verse 29, Peter has just got in trouble for running his mouth, saying, he's not going to run away from the Lord. So it's kind of ironic that these are the guys that Jesus takes with Him. So Jesus leaves the eight and at the first stop, and then he continues with this. Look at verse 32, right as he's leaving him, he says this. Mark 14:32 sit here while I pray. 

That's what he says. But that's not all. Jesus says, remember how I said, I'm going to use all the accounts? Remember, the gospel writers are just recollecting what they remembered being said, and each one of them brings their personality into the text. Luke tells us when he tells the story in Luke chapter 22, verse 40, Luke says it like this. On reaching the place Jesus, he said to them, pray that you will not fall into temptation. So Jesus looks at the boys and goes, hey, sit here while I go to pray. And by the way, while I go to pray, pray that you won't fall into temptation. And this is normal, right? This makes sense because that's exactly what Jesus has just been talking about as they crossed the Kidron Valley. He's just been reminding them that, hey, listen, you're going to scatter. You're going to deny me. Things are about to get intense. And I, Jesus says, I want to remind you that when things get intense, when things get crazy, when life begins to be turned upside down, Jesus is looking at them and he looks at us and says, listen, you can't do it on your own. Do you get that right, church? 

You can't do this life on your own. And what Jesus is telling these people is, is that you can only do it through God's power. You can only do it with God's grace. And look, this is the same message Jesus has preached the whole time he's been with these guys, right? He's looked at them over and over and over again and said, hey, you need to pray. You need to watch me. I pray, you need to pray. You need to ask the father, right? The Lord's Prayer that we looked at kind of a couple of months ago. Lord, lead me not in temptation, but deliver me from the evil one, right? Jesus is looking at them and it seems like his normal message. But it's way more than a normal message for Jesus. And here's why. Because we know what's happening. Think about it with me just for a second. It's amazing that Jesus, his face, is set on the cross, right? 

We know that. It's the whole series. We're looking at it here. But as Jesus face is said to the cross, as Jesus is walking into this season of despair, right? Jesus is not only about to live out a life of prayer, but he pauses enough to teach his disciples that they need to pray. Do you know what this shows us? Write this principle down. We have a Savior who has always and will always deeply care for us. We have a Savior who has always and will always deeply care for us. No matter what we think he may have going on. We are always on his mind. I mean, think about it. Jesus has just prayed for these guys and he's now stepping into this moment where he's about to have major business with the father, and he shows them and he teaches them. You need to pray. You need to pray. That's what's going to get you there. You need to lift these things up. Now for us, we have it even better. Why? Because now we're on the other side of the cross and we have a high priest that is constantly interceding on our behalf. Listen, church, you don't have to do life on your own no matter what level of despair you're at. You have a savior who loves you, and you have a gift of prayer that you can lift to him. And back to the disciples. The disciples had no idea what was going on. You do realize this, right? 

I know that when we read this, we think, wow, come on dummies, you know what's going on. Why don't you just stay with them? No, they didn't know. Honestly, that's why Jesus had to repeat himself so much. But the compassion of Jesus is already showing. It's already on display. But it's about to get exponentially more. Watch this in verse 33. Watch the text. It says he, Jesus. He took Peter, James, and John along with him. You might want to underline this next phrase. And he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. Verse 34, my soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. He said to them, stay here and keep watch. Now listen, if you're a student of the Bible, or even if you're a student of history, these two verses are probably two of the most perplexing theological verses that you will ever read in the New Testament. You say, Matt, why? Why is that? I've read that 100 times. I never even pause. That's part of our problems, right? These are two of the most perplexing verses in the whole Bible. And let me explain what I mean by that. Here's what I mean. Jesus's whole ministry on this earth from the time he was 12, teaching in the synagogue right till this moment has all revolved around what? It's all revolved around his strength. It all revolved around his confident teaching. It's all revolved around his healing of other people. It's facing opposition, his raising of others from the dead. It's all revolved around what? He is teaching his disciples that he is going to die. Are you tracking with that? That has been the M.O. of who Jesus is. It's been power. It's been His presence. It's been confidence. It's been I am in control and I am going to die. But here in verses 32 and 33, it almost seems. Now stay with me. It almost seems right. If we kind of just quickly read it, it almost seems like Jesus is showing some kind of weakness, some kind of moment of just not being brave. It almost seems. When you get to read it slowly, it almost seems like Jesus is scared, doesn't it? Have you ever slowed down enough to recognize this? It almost seems that Jesus is just like, I don't know. I'm scared about this, which is incredibly confusing if you think about the fact that he's been talking about how he's going to die from the time we have seen him on the scene. And it's also kind of confusing because we've seen a lot of people through the years. A lot of the world's greatest Christian heroes have been martyred, right? For their faith, and their attitude have been way less confusing and scared and more this resolute idea of what? I will never turn away. Right. 

That's where most of the martyrs have been. I mean, one of the most famous martyrs that I just kind of thought of this week was this guy named Polycarp. All right. He was a disciple of the apostle John. He knew Jesus, he loved Jesus, but he was born during a time when if you were a Christian and they found out about it, you were going to get killed. Well, they found out about Polycarp. They strapped him to a stake to kill him. They literally built a fire up under him and asked this guy, Polycarp, hey, do you have any last words before we burn you? And Polycarp at the top of his lungs, I'm paraphrasing this. You can go read it this week. Literally said, hey, listen, boys, you're afraid of this little fire that's going to last for a couple of minutes. Do you think I'm afraid of this fire that's going to last for a couple of minutes? You need to be afraid of the fire that you're going to burn in hell. That's what Polycarp said while he was about to die. 

Now, when we when we read this text, it doesn't seem like that's where Jesus is. Right here. Why? Hang on a minute. All of Jesus's life has been about courage. It's been about him talking about his death often. He even faced Jerusalem with his courage, about him. But when you think about Jesus is not under any physical pain. He's not on the cross yet. But what did Mark say? Go back to the text. It says this. And he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. So suddenly, all at once, something happened to Jesus. Look closely. Look closely at verse 32. Right, he began, what does the word begin to mean? It means that something that wasn't there is now there. Something that wasn't happening is now happening. All right. That's what it means. What's the second phrase? He began to what? He began to be deeply distressed. You know what? Jesus is at this moment, seeing something that he has never seen before. He's seen something that he's never experienced before. What did it say? He was deeply distressed. Do you know what that word or phrase means? It means to be utterly amazed with a shocking horror. 

That's what it literally means, I mean, but when you think about Jesus, I know this is big boy theology. All right? So listen closer. What could shock and amaze Jesus? When you think about that He's omnipotent. When you think about that he's omniscient. When you think about that Jesus knows everything from the beginning of time to the end of time. What could Jesus experience that he had not experienced in history that he has not known since now? Is there anything? Yeah, there is, and I'm gonna show you in just a few minutes. But what did it say? He was deeply distressed. And also Mark used this word. What? He was troubled. He was troubled. 

Now troubled is not like. Oh, you got in a little trouble in English class. No, that's not what it means right here. The word troubled is the strongest word meaning being overcome or anguished with an incomparable, just level of distraught. Excuse the example, I couldn’t come up with anything better this week. It's almost like you're going home today and finding every single one of your family members in your home brutally murdered. That's the level that this word carries. But that's not even a strong enough mental picture. In fact, look at verse 34. It says this. It says my soul is overwhelmed. Jesus says. To what? To the point of death. Church, this isn't figurative language here. This is not Jesus throwing out some hyperbole language. Jesus does not exaggerate what Jesus saw. Stick with me. What Jesus saw in this moment, somewhere between 32 and 33. 

What Jesus saw almost killed him physically. Are you feeling that? It almost killed him physically. I've always expressed this through this text. That it almost killed Him. In fact, Luke says it was so bad in his account of this, Luke said it was so bad an angel had to come and literally save Jesus's physical life. Look at in verse 43 of Luke 22 it says this an angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. Which is ironic because Jesus's next step was the cross, right? It was the cross. But it couldn't happen until this event happened. Luke continued in 22, verse 44, he says this and beginning to be in agony, Jesus prayed even more earnestly, and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. Church, this is so much strain. The Jesus's capillaries, a condition called hematidrosis. His capillaries in his face because of the stress, because of the anguish, because the burden, they burst in his face. 

You know, when this usually happens. And I know this is just strong language. This usually happens when a kid falls into a swimming pool and drowns. That's the level of stress. I just want you to feel it. You gotta feel it to know what's happening. In his text, he literally had something happening to wear to where his face began to turn to blood. So let's go back. So Jesus, the creator of the universe, the one who spoke the world into existence, the one that walked on water, the one that cast demons out of people, the one that literally rose, raised from the dead. Jesus who already knew that he was going to die, already knew that he was going to be crucified. He already knew all of this. But at this moment he was so stressed that his face literally began to bleed. But what did he see? What did he see? What could get him to this point? Well, I tell you in just a minute, I'm gonna show you what he did. Look at verse 36, Mark 14:36. It says this. Watch what Jesus does. 

He says, Abba, Father, He said, everything is possible for you. He says, take this cup from me, not what I will, but you, but you will. Abba, listen to me. Abba is the closest term of endearment. No Jew would have ever prayed this. This is an intimacy with the father. This is a respect for who the father is. So what is Jesus doing in this very moment of distraughtness and despair? What is he doing? He's calling out to the Father because you see, if you know the scriptures, you will know that from eternity past, up until this very moment, there is never been a moment that there hasn't been 100% intimacy with the Father and the son, the son and the father. When one spoke, the other heard. When one spoke indeed needed, the other acted. There was always this intimacy. Jesus often went to the Father. The father was often speaking. They had had harmony. But here, at this moment, in the hour that Jesus needed the Father the most, notice what you don't see in verse 37. Notice what you don't see. There is no answer from the father. There's no answer from Father God. There's no word from the father. In fact, Jesus gets so distraught in the silence which would have killed any of us. Probably. And Jesus needs something. So what does he do in verse 37? Jesus. He didn't get anything from the father, so watch what he does. Then he returned to his disciples. All right. He's like, hey, I'm not here. Anything for the father. I'm going to go get something for the boys. I want them to encourage me because of what I'm dealing with. And he found them sleeping. Simon, he said to Peter, are you asleep? Can you keep watch for one hour? What does Jesus do? He's like, I'm not here for the father, I need something. I come to my boys, my boys are asleep. All right. I'm gonna go back to pray. I didn't get anything from the father. I'm gonna come back to my boys. They're asleep. I'm going back to the father. I'm not getting anything from the father. I'm going back to the boys. I didn't get anything. Here's what's happening. 

Let me explain to you. This is built up all I can build up. Here's what's happening. Here's what Jesus is seeing. Here's what He is experiencing. Here's what he began to see between verses 32 and 33. Jesus is already beginning to experience God the Father turning his face away from Jesus. That's what he's seeing. Jesus in this very moment, in this moment, is already beginning to drink the cup of divine wrath from the Father. That's what he saw that he had never seen before. In fact, one writer said it like this. This is the moment of horror of the one who lived wholly for the father, who came to be with his father for a brief moment before his death and found hell rather than heaven, opened up before him. At this very moment, church, Jesus was 100% alone. He was 100% rejected. He was 100% despised. He was 100% hurt. And I can't even come up with an illustration that describes what he's feeling. But let me just kind of give you a principle that maybe can bring some weight to what Jesus is experiencing. Here it is. You can write it down. We have a Savior. Then in one moment, in one moment suffered the equivalency of hell for us in one day. I feel this. In one moment he suffered the equivalent to an eternity in hell for us. 

You say, man, how could he do that? Why? As I said, this very moment in the garden, all sin, the world's sin right here is put on Jesus. It's put on Jesus. Your sin and my sin. Adam’s sin and Moses’s sin. All the people in history sin. All the people right now sin. All the people from all times and all languages and all people groups. Jesus is taking on the cup of God's wrath for eternity in this very moment. And in Gethsemane, Jesus is experiencing the horror of eternity in hell for me. For me. Why? Because eternity is eternal separation and it's the damnation for our sin that is exactly what is happening to Jesus right here. Listen, I always thought. I always thought you probably did too. I always thought that it was the physical pain that made Jesus's death so bad. I always thought it was the physical stuff. Right? I mean, it is. It's brutal. It's probably one of the worst ways that anybody's ever created to die, right? The humiliation, the pain, the loss of control of bodily function. Isaiah says it is so brutal, that you don't even recognize sometimes who was up there. So yes, the physical pain is incredibly bad, but that's not what made Jesus get to the point of despair and Gethsemane that he thought he was going to die. 

The utter despair was from Jesus looking into the full cup of God's wrath. That's what it is, and it almost killed him. It almost killed him. And what did he do? He drank it all up. He said, for some of you in college days, he not only drank it up, he slammed that glass on the table and said, it is finished. There is no more, tetelestai. I’ve done it. Church, that's Gethsemane. That‘s Gethsemane. That’s the gospel. That's the weight of the Savior experiencing your sin and my sin, and all sin for all time. And he's asking God, can this cup pass for me? God said, oh no, it can't. So he drank every bit of it. He took the wrath so that I could have the joy for what was before me. That's Gethsemane. 

He took what I deserved. Now, look, I don't want to take away from this moment because I think this is the moment we just sing Kumbaya and we head out of here because you can't get better than that. But let me just give you three quick words. Quick, three quick kinds of walk-away words that I just kind of fell into this week as I was just praying through this passage. Number one, I'll just say from this passage, number one, just recognize. Recognize this, recognize that Jesus is the only way. Do you remember what Jesus said right here in verse 37 and in verse 40? Remember what he did? He went to the father. And what did Jesus say before the Father? Father, if there is any other way, Father, let's do it. Let's do it. Remember he said that, right? But listen to me closely. There was no other way. There wasn't another way. There's no doubt that God has decided to offer us salvation. And there's no doubt that what we have just seen is that there is no other way for your sins to be forgiven, and for you to have a relationship with the Father God, except through Jesus, except through Jesus. Why? Jesus is the holy substitution. 

Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. This is why he came. This is who he is. He is the lamb that was slain for our sins. So how in the world can any of us give any credence to any audacity that says all roads lead to the same place? How could any of us say it's because I'm good? It's because I'm moral. It's because I'm this. It's because I'm that. Listen, church, there is no other way. Jesus just showed us. He was asking, is there another way? God? Is there another way? God? There's not. It is only through Jesus. In fact, the gospel in its core is that Jesus is in my place. Second Corinthians 5:21 God made him who had no sin to become sin on my behalf, so that we may become the righteousness of God. 

Listen, Jesus drank the whole cup of wrath to the very last drop, so there would be none left for those that are in him. That's what we celebrate. That's what we need to recognize. We don't have wrath. We have joy. It's a gift. But let me ask you today, have you surrendered your life to allow Jesus to be the substitute for your sins? Not are you a good person? Not do you believe good? Have you given him the chance to save you? To save you? You can right now by saying, Lord Jesus, I know that I'm a sinner. I know that I need you. Will you cover my sins and give me life? Give me life. Number one is recognizing Gethsemane showed us that we recognize Jesus. Number two, this word hit me this week just the word amazement. It's just the word amazement. I know it's clunky. It doesn't even fit. It doesn't rhyme. It's not the same letter. None of that. But it's just the word amazement. And it's that amazement that in His darkest hour, you were and you still are on his mind. Let me just tell you this. Before the physical pain, Jesus was already suffering. But Jesus went anywhere. He went anyway. And this moment of Gethsemane something happened that blew him away. And it was when he received my wrath. 

Do you realize, that Jesus could have called off the whole thing? I mean, he had a legion of angels. He could have called in. But what did he do? What did he do? He went to the cross with full joy. You say, Matt, what do you mean by that? Hebrews 12:2, right? For the joy set before him, He endured the cross, scorning its shame, and he sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. So what kind of Jesus? But what can a joy with Jesus get from going to the cross? That's nonsense, Matt. No, it's not. Listen, the joy that Jesus got was that he was doing it to save you. To do what? To give you joy, to give you forgiveness, and to ensure that you will never walk through the Gethsemane of life. You do realize this, right? There will never be a moment in a believer's life from Jesus on that will ever be separated from the Father. There will never be a moment in a believer's life that when you call out to the father, he doesn't respond. There will never be a moment and a believer's life that you will suffer the wrath of God and the rejection of God. Why? Because he was your substitute. That's why we're amazed. Church, if Jesus didn't abandon you in the garden, he's not going to abandon you now. He’s just not. Number one. Recognize he is the only way. Number two, be amazed that even in despair, you were on his mind. So you know you're still on his mind. 

And number three, this is our reasonable response. Surrender, surrender. Surrender to what Matt? Lord, not my will, but yours. Or if you remember, I was when I was a kid, dying right? Not your will, not my will, but yours. Listen, the only reasonable response when you read Gethsemane is the same response that Jesus shows. It's authenticity. Jesus was all I mean, he was authentic, right? He was like, if there's any way, if there's any way, if there's any way, this literally is about to kill me, Lord. But what does he do? He wholeheartedly surrendered to the father. Mark 14:36 Abba, Father, he said, everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. That's the honest plea, the honest cry. Yet. Man, this needs to be all of our prayers this week. Not what I will, but what You will. Church, Jesus surrendered to the Father. And if we believe what happened in Gethsemane really happened, surrender is our only logical response. Does that mean we're never going to slip up? No, that's not what it means. Does that mean we're never going to have a sin in our life? No, that's not what it means. But if we believe that Jesus literally took on the sin that I deserve and drank the cup of the wrath of the Father and gave me a chance to be cleansed, and be his, then all I can do is say I'm yours, Lord. I’m yours, Lord. 

How marvelous, how wonderful is my Savior's love for me? Let me ask you something this morning. What's keeping you from surrendering? Is it your past? Listen, Jesus has already been there. Is it your right now? Okay. I can tell you he is here. Is it? Is it tomorrow? He's already conquered that too. It started in this garden right here. Let me ask you this. Have you wholeheartedly surrendered your life to him? Maybe today you need to invite Christ into your life. Maybe today's the first time in your entire life that something has clicked in your soul and said, Man, I need Jesus. It's almost as if a scale from your heart and the eyes of your heart have fallen off today like blind Bartimaeus. And you go, and that's what he did? Wow. 

Do you need to give your life to Jesus today? In just a second, we're going to worship together. We left some time to do this today I'm going to be standing over by the Next Steps banner for a few minutes and listen, if you need to give your life to Jesus today, let me just tell you, do this. Just walk over there to me and look at me in the face and just go, hey Matt, I need Jesus today. What do I need to do? If you're online, you can fill out the next steps form, or if you just are kind of a little bit weirded out about walking over here, you can do that as well and just say, hey, I need Jesus today to save me, to give me life. If that's what he did. I'm in wholeheartedly. Maybe today though, your life has not been a representation of what Gethsemane has given you, and maybe today you just need to pause and say, God, I'm sorry. 

Listen, he already knows it. He's already covered that sin. But in order to restore the power in your life, all he wants you to do is say, God, I blew It. Show me Lord, walk with me, Lord, and give me power. 

Lord Jesus, in these next couple of minutes God, walk with us. Show us Jesus, how marvelous you are, and let it shape us. Thank you for the cross. Thank you for Gethsemane. It's in your name. 

Amen. Amen. 

Let’s stand and sing together.