Sermons
August 13th, 2023 by Pastor Solley081323AM Let This Cup Pass
Sub. Christ
Theme: Christ in the Garden
Text: Matt 26:36-44
“Let This Cup Pass” Matthew 26:36-44
Introductions
Jesus was a man of prayer more so than any other man who ever walked upon this earth. One of more will known of the recorded prayers of Jesus takes place in the Garden of Gethsemane just hours before He would give His life a sacrifice for our sin on the cross of Calvary. – Matt 26:36-44 – Gethsemane means press and there was a wine or olive press in that place. Interesting that the Bible tells us in Isa 53:10 “Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him;” The Hebrew word translated bruise in that verse means to be pressed. The life of Jesus was pressed out of Him on the cross and here Jesus is in prayer in the place of a press, Gethsemane.
I. This is also know as His prayer of agony: Matt 26:36-38 Jesus was very heavy or full of heaviness, under great pressure. Jesus was exceeding sorrowful even to the point of death. – Matt 26:37-38 – And Jesus prayed for a cup to pass from Him. – Matt 26:39 – So great was the need, so great was the pressure of what was in that cup that Jesus prayed three times for it to be removed. So great was the pressure of what was in that cup that it brought the Son of Man to the point of death. – Matt 26:38 – This is a prayer of agony.
A. But what was in that cup? What was in that cup that Jesus had to bear that brought Him to this point? – Matt 26:39 – 44 – What was in that cup that brought such agony to Jesus?
1. It was not the cross: Many wrongly think that Jesus was praying to get out of the cross. That is not so. – John 10:17-18 – This a very short time before Jesus was in that Garden.
a. Nothing changed from the time Jesus said those words and His prayer in the Garden.
b. Jesus came for the cross. Isa 53:5-6 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
2. Jesus came for the cross and He is NOT praying to get out of the cross: Jesus laid down His life willingly.
B. But if not the cross, and Jesus was not praying to get out of the cross, then what was in that cup? What was bringing such agony to the very Son of God that He would pray three times for that cup to be removed?
1. Cups hold things: There was something in that cup? But what?
2. And Jesus did end up drinking what was in that cup: Jesus took what was in that cup.
3. What’s more, Jesus took it for us, Jesus bore what was in that cup for you and me?
II. I want to look this morning at what was in that cup: And there are several things that the Holy Spirit has laid upon my heart.
PROP: Have you ever pondered what was in that cup? TS. As we look into the Word of God this morning keep in mind Jesus took that cup for you and for me? What was in the cup?
Body
I. It was a cup of betrayal: Matt 26:46-50 Judas was of course that one who betrayed Jesus. – Matt 26:47-48 – As Judas comes to Jesus in that place of the press he came giving a sign so they would know who Jesus was. – Matt 26:48 – Perhaps this band did need a sign, perhaps they did not know Jesus by sight. But it is not the act of betrayal that would hurt Jesus so much here because Jesus did know that was coming because Jesus spoke of that betrayal back in Matthew chapter twenty to His disciples.
A. It was who it was that betrayed Jesus and how it was done that made that cup so difficult to drink for Jesus: Matt 26:46-49 Judas was one of the twelve. Jesus had multitudes of disciples or followers. Then there were seventy that were separated, then twelve. Judas was one fo the twelve. And Jesus had done much for Judas, more than anyone else in his life had done for Judas.
1. Jesus chose Judas to walk and live close to Him: Only twelve people in this world were chosen and Judas was one of them.
2. Jesus has spoken directly to Judas about eternal life: Judas heard the plan of salvation and the way of salvation from the very mouth of Jesus Christ. Jesus told Judas how to be born again.
3. Judas witnessed the miracles of Jesus: Judas was an eyewitness to the power of God.
4. Judas knew of the love, of the mercy, of the grace, of the compassion of Jesus Christ: Judas had all those extended to him.
5. Jesus trusted Judas: Judas was the treasurer of the group.
6. Jesus Christ had done more for Judas than anyone else had ever or could ever do: Judas was one of the twelve.
7. Judas was also a very good actor: No one in the group, not the multitude, not the seventy, not the twelve knew that Judas was a pretender. Not any of those ever expected what was really in the heart of Judas.
-2-
B. And Jesus was betrayed by one close to Him, by one he had done so much for, Jesus was betrayed by a kiss: Matt 26:48-50 Jesus was betrayed by a friend. – Matt 26:50 – How much this must have hurt our Lord. It would have been better if one of the Pharisees who hated Jesus had done this, but Jesus was betrayed by a friend.
1. How bitter that must have made that cup: Ps 41:9 That makes it a cup of agony, to be betrayed by a friend.
2. That makes it a very hard cup to drink of, to be betrayed by a friend: Ps 55:12-14
3. Jesus asked that it might be removed but it was not: Jesus was betrayed by a friend.
C. Jesus took that cup of betrayal for you and for me: Whenever you are betrayed in a similar way remember Jesus knows what you are feeling, Jesus knows what you are going through, Jesus bore that cup for you and Jesus can help you.
1. Pastor Myron Wiend, many years before I was called into the ministry, had this to say in a message I heard him preach: The ones that you do the most for, the ones that you help the most, the ones that say they love you, are the very ones that will try and do you in.
a. I heard him say it again in a message not all that long before he passed.
b. But he also said to stay faithful for Jesus knows what you are going through because he went through it Himself.
2. Brothers and sisters in Christ when you are betrayed in such a way stay faithful for Jesus is there to help you: That is when Hebrews 4:15 becomes so real to us. – Heb 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
3. Jesus knows exactly what you are going through, Jesus knows how you feel, and Jesus is there to help you: Heb 4:15… but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Jesus knows.
D. Jesus took a cup of betrayal for you and for me:
II. It was a cup of loneliness: Matt 26:56 Notice the wording here. – Matt 26:56 – Then all the disciples forsook Him.
A. It would appear in reading the Bible that from the time Jesus began His public ministry that he was never alone: Tempted of the Devil for forty days in the wilderness and after that never really alone.
1. To have any time to Himself Jesus had to rise early in the morning and get apart and alone: Other than those times Jesus was never really alone.
a. When Jesus entered into a town the Bible says it was noised. In other words the news spread rapidly.
b. Soon the entire town or city surrounded that Him. – Mark 2:1-2
c. When Jesus went into the desert places multitudes followed him. One time 5,000 men, another 4,000 men and that was not counting women and children.
d. Jesus could go no place alone. – Luke 8:45
e. It seems Jesus was never really alone.
2. But in the garden He experienced a cup of loneliness: Matt 26:56 Who are all the disciples? The multitudes, the seventy, the twelve and finally that inner circle.
3. Even the inner circle left Jesus alone: Matt 26:37 Now Jesus was left alone.
5. And some had claimed that they would never leave Jesus alone: John 13:36-37
4. Jesus took that cup of loneliness:
B. To be left all alone is a terrible thing: It is not good for man to be alone. I have taken that somewhat out of context, but the Bible says it is not good for man to be alone and we will make that application here.
ILL. I am a loner. I like to be apart by myself. I am content to spend long hours by myself, I am a loner. But I always know that I will not be alone for long. I lived at home until I went to college, I had a close friend for a roommate in college, when I left college I moved back in with my parents and then I got married. For 65 years I have never really been alone. There have been a few times my wife and I have been apart as I was away or she was away but even then I get lonely after just a few days. I can say I am a loner but I have never really been alone.
1. But there are times when we will experience loneliness: The death of a spouse brings loneliness. When other loved ones leave this world it brings loneliness. When people move away it brings loneliness. Natural times of loneliness.
2. And there are times when we feel forsaken just as Jesus did: Not betrayed, but people who we thought would stand with us don’t.
3. To feel alone is never a good thing: To be alone is even worse.
4. Jesus took a cup of loneliness and when you fell so all alone there is one who knows exactly how you feel and one who can help you: That very same one has promised to never leave or forsake you, to never leave you alone. Heb 13:5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
C. It was a cup of loneliness:
-3-
III. It was a cup of dismay: Matt 26:55 The Bible says that Judas came with a great multitude to betray and arrest Jesus. – Matt 26:47 We are not told the number but we are told it was great. Those are the same words used of the 5,000 men who were fed by Jesus. Could we say then about 5,000 were with Judas, about 5,000 came armed to arrest Jesus? – Matt 26:47
A. Why the armed multitude? What violence had Jesus every displayed in his life? What violence had His disciples ever displayed in their time with Him? What threats had Jesus ever made? What riots had Jesus ever started? Why the armed multitude?
1. Jesus asked that Himself: Matt 26:55 Why the multitude, why the weapons?
2. This was the testimony of Jesus while in this world: Matt 12:20 Jesus was humble, Jesus was meek, Jesus was mild. Jesus was not a violent criminal, Jesus was no threat at any time.
3. It would have taken only one man and that man unarmed to arrest Jesus: Matt 26:55 So why come with an armed multitude?
4. It was a cup of dismay:
B. At times it does dismay us the way people may choose to treat us: We may not understand the actions of people and the way that they choose to treat us when we have not treated them badly.
1. We may at times be hated for no other reason than people choose to hate us: Luke 6:22 ; John 15:18 ; 1 John 3:13 There will be times when we are hated without cause or reason.
ILL. Some years ago now a person I know was talking to someone I didn’t know and the one I didn’t know proclaimed in a very clear way how much they hated me. The one I did know asked what I ever did to that person and I told them I had never talked to them, never met them. But there was a hatred there. Don’t be surprised if people decide to hate you without cause.
2. We will as well be moved to wonder why: 1 John 3:13
3. But Jesus bore that cup as well: Jesus knows exactly how you feel when you are hated without a cause and Jesus can help.
C. It was a cup of dismay:
IV. It was a cup of deceit: Matt 26:57-65 There was noting about the arrest and trial of Jesus that was not deceit and lies. Everything they did that night was based on lies and deceit and they knew it and wanted it that way. – Matt 26:59
A. The lies and the deceit that night were plentiful: Everything that night rested on lies and deceit.
1. According to Jewish law a trial was never to be held at night: This one was held at night under cover of darkness.
2. According to Jewish law witnesses had to agree: There was no agreement among the accusers.
3. According to Jewish law the accused would be brought before the people: Jesus was never brought to the people.
4. According to Jewish law death would be by stoning and they would do it: Not with Jesus. – Matt 27:1-2
5. When turned over to Rome there were more lies: Luke 23:1-2
6. It was a cup of lies: Lie after lie filled that cup.
B. None of us can claim to be perfect and sinless as Jesus was and is: But it still hurts when people openly lie about us. For most of us, including myself, there is enough to accuse us of that is true.
1. But when people lie about us, openly and knowingly it does hurt: I do enough things that get me into trouble that no one has to tell lies. But lies are told about all of us and lies hurt.
a. Did you know when you walked into this building you walked into a cult where the preacher controls what everyone does in their homes, in their families, in their workplace, that the preacher is cult leader. That has been said many, many times.
b. Did you know the preacher hates everyone that does not agree with him? That has been said many, many times.
c. Did you know the preacher only does things for people so he can get something out of them?
d. When people lie about you it hurts.
2. And it hurts you when people could just tell the truth but choose to tell a lie: Especially because people will choose to believe the lie and ignore the truth.- Luke 23:3 – What Pilate should have done was believe Jesus instead of fearing the people.
3. But people would just as soon believe a lie and ignore the truth:
4. When people lie about you and others believe the lies Jesus knows exactly how you feel and Jesus can help you:
ILL. Our camp ministry was almost destroyed by a lie several years ago, most people do not know about it, but the Lord shed light on the lie that was being told before there was great damage.
C. It was a cup of deceit:
-4-
V. It was a cup of denial: Matt 26:69-75 It was one thing to leave Jesus alone and that had to hurt, but then another to deny that one even knew Jesus and to do it so strongly. – Matt 26:74
A. Peter was the one who was sure he would never deny Jesus: Matt 26:33-35 This recorded as well in Mark and Luke.
1. No matter what others do Lord I will never deny you: Matt 26:33
2. Jesus, I will die with you before I deny you: Matt 26:35
3. And Peter was willing to do just that: Matt 26:51 And that one was Peter as we are told in John 18. Peter meant everything that he said. Peter would never deny Jesus, would die with Jesus first and Peter meant everything that he said.
B. But what happens just a few hours later? Matt 26:74 I believe that hurt Jesus as well. Peter who was the strongest, Peter who was the bravest, Peter who exercised faith that had him step out of the ship and walk to Jesus on the water.
1. Peter denies that he ever knew Jesus and took an oath to that effect: Matt 26:74
2. How do I know this hurt Jesus? Luke 22:60-61 I believe Jesus turned and looked at Peter so Peter would know just how much this hurt Jesus.
3. It was a cup of denial and that hurt Jesus:
C. And the hurt that is there when one close to us denies us, turns away from us, acts as if they never knew us: Has that ever happened to you? Some who were seemingly so close to you act as if they never knew you?
1. That hurts when people deny us, deny knowing us: The same was done to Jesus.
2. When people deny you Jesus knows exactly how you feel and Jesus can help you:
D. It was a cup of denial:
VI. One more thing was in that cup and I want to make sure we do not pass it up; it was a cup of victory: Matt 28:5-6 If I had to stop with a cup of betrayal, or a cup of loneliness, or a cup of dismay, or a cup of deceit, or a cup of denial this would be a very discouraging message. But I do not have to stop at betrayal, or loneliness, or dismay, or deceit, of denial this morning.
A. We all will experience those five things over our lifetime: There will be no exceptions and some of us will experience those five things time and time again. There will be no exceptions.
1. But Jesus has experienced those very same things: Jesus knows exactly how you feel.
2. And Jesus can help you today: Whatever is in your cup this morning was in His as well and Jesus can help you.
a. Jesus knows what it is to be betrayed by a trusted friend and Jesus can help you today.
b. Jesus knows what it is to be lonely and Jesus can help you today.
c. Jesus knows what it is to be in dismay and Jesus can help you today.
d. Jesus knows what it is to be lied about and Jesus can help you today.
e. Jesus knows what it is to be denied and Jesus can help you today.
3. Jesus can help you because all those things were in that cup and Jesus bore them all for us: Heb 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
4. Jesus can help you today:
B. And Jesus can help you because there was also victory in that cup: Matt 28:5-6 And We can have victory today in Jesus Christ.
1. 1 Cor 15:57-58 Aren’t those wonderful verses. Do you know what makes them so wonderful? They are true.
2. 1 John 5:4-5 Aren’t those wonderful verses. Do you know what makes them so wonderful? They are true.
C. Praise God it is also a cup of victory and we can have victory in Jesus Christ today:
Conclusion
Having looked now at Jesus in prayer in Gethsemane, at Jesus in agony in prayer, at Jesus praying for a cup to pass and what was in that cup what can we say today?
I. It was a cup of betrayal: Matt 26:46-50 Judas was of course that one who betrayed Jesus. – Matt 26:47-48 – As Judas comes to Jesus in that place of the press he came a sign so they would know who Jesus was. – Matt 26:48 – Perhaps this band did need a sign, perhaps they did not know Jesus by sight. But it is not the act of betrayal that would hurt Jesus so much here because Jesus did know that was coming as Jesus spoke of that betrayal back in Matthew chapter twenty to His disciples.
-2-
II. It was a cup of loneliness: Matt 26:56 Notice the wording here. – Matt 26:56 – The all the disciples forsook Him.
III. It was a cup of dismay: Matt 26:55 The Bible says that Judas came with a great multitude to betray and arrest Jesus. – Matt 26:47 We are not told the number but we are told it was great. Those are the same words used of the 5,000 men who were fed by Jesus. Could we say then about 5,000 were with Judas, about 5,000 came armed to arrest Jesus? – Matt 26:47
IV. It was a cup of deceit: Matt 26:57-65 There was noting about the arrest and trial of Jesus as far as the leaders of Israel that was not deceit. Everything they did that night was based on lies and deceit and they knew it and wanted it that way. – Matt 26:59
V. It was a cup of denial: Matt 26:69-75 It was one thing to leave Jesus alone and that had to hurt, but then another to deny that one even knew Jesus and to do it so strongly. – Matt 26:74
VI. One more thing was in that cup and I want to make sure we do not pass it up; it was a cup of victory: Matt 28:5-6 If I had to stop with a cup of betrayal, or a cup of loneliness, or a cup of dismay, or a cup of deceit, or a cup of denial this would be a very discouraging message. But I do not have to stop at betrayal, or loneliness, or dismay, or deceit, of denial this morning.