Mark – God is On Our Side!
We have all been there. Our normal life as we knew it collapses around us. We no longer have control over the smallest of tasks. We can’t think straight. We can’t think at all. We feel betrayed. All our dreams are dashed and broken over the jagged rocks that have appeared on our path. We trip and fall. We tumble to our knees in an agonizing lament to the Only One who truly has control, God our Father. Our prayers don’t have complete sentences at first. We hear our shaky voices lose strength between the sobs that take our breath away. We can’t breathe right. We can’t think right. We are out of control. We, as humans, yell why, why, why is this happening to me? This scenario is agonizing for us as humans seeking help, however our situation does not come close to the agonizing prayer Jesus prayed. “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death”, Jesus shares with his closest disciples.
Jesus knows what lies ahead for He is God come down as a man. He knows the pain and suffering His human body will endure. Roman torture is well known. But beyond all of that, Jesus’ soul is crushed by the weight of all our sin, all the sin of the world being laid upon his shoulders. He will be the final, perfect sacrifice for our sin. THIS is agonizing prayer of our Savior who loves all of us more than we can fathom.
THY WILL BE DONE…
“Please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” Our Savior who carried our sin asked for another way, but there was no other way but the cross…for that is what WE deserved for the payment of our sin.
God’s plan was in motion, set in place, since the beginning of creation. God’s will is to be done. Victory is sure. Hell will be conquered. Our sins paid in full.
Mark 14, NLT
Jesus Prays in Gethsemane
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. 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.”
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? 38 Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”
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.
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!”
GOING DEEPER…
THE GREATER AGONY STILL
Our Lord’s struggle in the Garden can be understood only in the light of what would happen to Him on the cross: He would be made sin for us (2 Cor. 5:21) and bear the curse of the law (Gal. 3:13). It was not the physical suffering that almost overwhelmed Him with “anguish and sorrow,” but the contemplation of being forsaken by His Father (Mark 15:34). This was “the cup” that He would drink (John 18:11). According to Hebrews 5:7–9, He asked to be saved, not “from death”but out of death—that is, raised from the dead— and the Father granted His request. Abba is an Aramaic word that means “papa” or “daddy.” It reveals the intimate relationship between our Lord and His Father. While believers today would probably not use that term in public, it does belong to us because we belong to Him (Rom. 8:15; Gal. 4:6). Note that Jesus did not tell the Father what to do; He had perfect confidence in God’s will. Three times He prayed about the matter, and each time He yielded to the Father’s will in loving surrender.
What were the three disciples doing? Sleeping! And Peter had vowed that he would die with his Lord—yet he could not even watch with Him! How gently Jesus rebuked the disciples and warned them. “Watch and pray” is an admonition that is often repeated in Scripture (Neh. 4:9; Mark 13:33; Eph. 6:18; Col. 4:2). It means, “Be alert as you pray! Keep your spiritual eyes open, for the enemy is near!”
The third time our Lord returned to the sleeping men, He said, “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? It is enough; the hour has come” (Mark 14:41 nasb). It was the hour of His sacrifice, when He would die for the sins of the world. At that moment, Judas and the temple guards arrived to arrest Jesus, and Judas kissed Jesus repeatedly as the sign that He was the one to arrest. What hypocrisy!
Before our world comes crashing in, go to our Abba, Father, knowing what Jesus has done for us. When trouble and confusion comes, pray for help. Jesus knows, better than anyone else, agonizing times of betrayal, abuse, and abandonment. He knows what we are going through and He knows the way out. Pray like Jesus in these agonizing times of our lives with “Thy Will Be Done” and experience the victory.
Dear Lord and Savior,Your agony is beyond what we will ever experience. But it tells us You know how we feel, what we must do to navigate this life to receive victory. We are blessed to know the end of the story which is the beginning of our salvation! Oh how I love you with all that is in me! Oh, what a Savior indeed. Thank you for accepting God’s will to save us.
In Jesus Name, Amen
And we’re singing…THY WILL by Hillary Scott
I’m so confused
I know I heard you loud and clear
So, I followed through
Somehow I ended up here
I don’t wanna think
I may never understand
That my broken heart is a part of your plan
When I try to pray
All I’ve got is hurt and these four words
Thy will be done
Thy will be done
Thy will be done
I know you’re good
But this don’t feel good right now
And I know you think
Of things I could never think about
It’s hard to count it all joy
Distracted by the noise
Just trying to make sense
Of all your promises
Sometimes I gotta stop
Remember that you’re God
And I am not
So
Thy will be done
Thy will be done
Thy will be done
Like a child on my knees all that comes to me is
Thy will be done
Thy will be done
Thy will
I know you see me
I know you hear me, Lord
Your plans are for me
Goodness you have in store
I know you hear me
I know you see me, Lord
Your plans are for me
Good news you have in store
So, thy will be done
Thy will be done
Thy will be done
Like a child on my knees all that comes to me is
Thy will be done
Thy will be done
Thy will be done
I know you see me
I know you hear me, Lord
Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: Bernie Herms / Hillary Scott / Emily Lynn Weisband
What causes people to betray their closest friends, family who love them deeply, or coworkers working alongside them each day? What changes their minds about living a life of love to the point that they would sell you out to the highest bidder or to the closest ears longing to hear gossip of any kind about you and the work you are doing with others? These are age old questions of human behavior. This is the behavior of those who turn away from Christ and His life of love. 
The Last Supper
Jesus knew who would be betray him. Jesus knew the heart of Judas. Jesus knew of his mismanagement of the funds. Jesus knew that, of the Twelve, Judas was living counter to what Jesus was teaching. But Jesus still loved and served Judas that night. Jesus washed his feet before the meal, showing the full extent of His love”, (John 13:1). THEN Jesus sent him away from the group to do what was in Judas’ heart. Judas lived and died based on what was in his heart. But, listen friends, Jesus still loved him. Judas chose death over life. We can choose a better life.
This is still a phenomenon today. Most of benevolent giving comes from those who have much less in life than those who have much to give and give little…not even a tenth of what is God’s in the first place. People who give much have hearts who are aligned with God’s heart. They give from a place of love and gratitude for all He has done, is doing and will do in loving, protecting, providing and guiding them in daily living. They KNOW God. They love God with all that is in them. 
38 Jesus also taught: “Beware of these teachers of religious law! For they like to parade around in flowing robes and receive respectful greetings as they walk in the marketplaces. 39 And how they love the seats of honor in the synagogues and the head table at banquets. 40 Yet they shamelessly cheat widows out of their property and then pretend to be pious by making long prayers in public. Because of this, they will be more severely punished.”
The Widow’s Offering
There were thirteen trumpet-shaped chests around the walls of the court of the women, and here the people dropped in their offerings. The rich made a big production out of their giving (see Matt. 6:1–4), but Jesus rejected them and their gifts. It is not the portion but the proportion that is important: the rich gave out of their abundance, but the poor widow gave all that she had. For the rich, their gifts were a small contribution, but for the widow, her gift was true consecration of her whole life.
Romans 12 (Paul’s letter to the church) reminds us to give all as Jesus taught his disciples and followers. 
Our behavior comes from what is in our hearts. Our behavior reflects then what believe. Are giving our all to please God or for the notice of those around us? Does our behavior reflect what we say we believe? 
Lord, I offer my life to You
We can’t change it, forfeit it, or let God’s love for us go. We might disregard it, lay it aside and forget it for a while, but we can’t abolish it. God’s love is reckless, relentless and unchanging. We can’t morph His love into what we think it should be. God’s love just is. God is the great and only I AM. And He is Love.
28 One of the teachers of religious law was standing there listening to the debate. He realized that Jesus had answered well, so he asked, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”
32 The teacher of religious law replied, “Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth by saying that there is only one God and no other. 33 And I know it is important to love him with all my heart and all my understanding and all my strength, and to love my neighbor as myself. This is more important than to offer all of the burnt offerings and sacrifices required in the law.”
The Lord quoted Deuteronomy 6:4–5, the great confession of faith that even today pious Jews recite each morning and evening. It is called the “Shema” from the first word of the confession which means “hear.” Then He quoted Leviticus 19:18, which emphasizes love for one’s neighbor. Jesus made love the most important thing in life, because “love is the fulfilling of the law” (Rom. 13:8–10). 
The Sadducees were a religious sect that did not believe in the resurrection of the dead. They only read the five books of the law of Moses. They formed their own belief system based on their own interpretation of life here and now. And they got it wrong. It was sad-you-see for they missed the most important truth as they held onto traditions that were not of God based on their own opinion which came from misunderstanding. Jesus sets them straight. God is on our side and has a forever plan to be with us. 
18 Then Jesus was approached by some Sadducees—religious leaders who say there is no resurrection from the dead. They posed this question: 19 “Teacher, Moses gave us a law that if a man dies, leaving a wife without children, his brother should marry the widow and have a child who will carry on the brother’s name. 20 Well, suppose there were seven brothers. The oldest one married and then died without children. 21 So the second brother married the widow, but he also died without children. Then the third brother married her. 22 This continued with all seven of them, and still there were no children. Last of all, the woman also died. 23 So tell us, whose wife will she be in the resurrection? For all seven were married to her.”
We must always go back to Scripture when we are not sure. Don’t just form an opinion and move on without understanding God’s Truth in His Word to us. This is how cults are formed leaving many confused with behaviors that are not of God. Be careful. Pray for God’s Truth to be understood as we read and listen to His Holy Spirit speak to our hearts, minds and souls. 
Many of us do not like math. Some do. Yea for you. But most of us avoid it because it requires thinking from the opposite side of the brain. Therefore many of us put off balancing our checkbooks and just go with what the bank tells us we have in our account for that day. In this world of instant debit, (the charge hits before you get home), you can do that. But years ago…not so much. 
13 Later the leaders sent some Pharisees and supporters of Herod to trap Jesus into saying something for which he could be arrested. 14 “Teacher,” they said, “we know how honest you are. You are impartial and don’t play favorites. You teach the way of God truthfully. Now tell us—is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not? 15 Should we pay them, or shouldn’t we?”
Jesus saw through their hypocrisy and said, “Why are you trying to trap me? Show me a Roman coin, and I’ll tell you.” 16 When they handed it to him, he asked, “Whose picture and title are stamped on it?”
Their temporary alliance was a subtle trap, for no matter how Jesus replied to their question, He was in trouble with either Rome or Herod! But Jesus moved the discussion from politics to principle and caught the hypocrites in their own trap.We might state our Lord’s reply something like this: “Caesar’s image is on his coins, so they must be minted by his authority. The fact that you possess these coins and use them indicates that you think they are worth something. Therefore, you are already accepting Caesar’s authority, or you would not use his money! But don’t forget that you were created in the image of God and therefore must live under God’s authority as well.” 
ON TOP OF ALL THAT…We belong to God…Heart, Mind and Soul. Be good citizens where God has placed you. Be good stewards of all He has given to us to manage. But most of all, as believers, we belong to God. Our relationship with God through Jesus Christ, His Son is the most important relationship we have. Give to God what belongs to God…us!
We are repulsed by the Pharisees, who morphed into self preservation, as they ridicule and criticize Jesus at every word and action. But we need to look inside ourselves, too. We need to BE with our Lord, asking for help to stay focused on Him with pure hearts. We need to evaluate our motivations daily when serving the Servant King. We must never forget Who we serve and why we serve. We need to BE STILL and KNOW GOD. Avoid, at all costs, the trap of self.
Then Jesus began teaching them with stories: “A man planted a vineyard. He built a wall around it, dug a pit for pressing out the grape juice, and built a lookout tower. Then he leased the vineyard to tenant farmers and moved to another country. 2 At the time of the grape harvest, he sent one of his servants to collect his share of the crop. 3 But the farmers grabbed the servant, beat him up, and sent him back empty-handed. 4 The owner then sent another servant, but they insulted him and beat him over the head. 5 The next servant he sent was killed. Others he sent were either beaten or killed, 6 until there was only one left—his son whom he loved dearly. The owner finally sent him, thinking, ‘Surely they will respect my son.’
7 “But the tenant farmers said to one another, ‘Here comes the heir to this estate. Let’s kill him and get the estate for ourselves!’ 8 So they grabbed him and murdered him and threw his body out of the vineyard.
‘The stone that the builders rejected
The vineyard was a familiar image of Israel (Ps. 80:8–16; Isa. 5:1–7). According to Leviticus 19:23–25, a farmer would not use the fruit until the fifth year, though we are not sure the Jews were obeying this regulation at that time. In order to retain his legal rights to the property, the owner had to receive produce from the tenants, even if it was only some of the vegetables that grew between the rows of trees or vines. This explains why the tenants refused to give him anything: they wanted to claim the vineyard for themselves. It also explains why the owner continued to send agents to them; it was purely a question of authority and ownership. 
Let’s look prayerfully at why we do what we do . Go to God. Be with God. Ask God to help prioritize our lives, to be holy because He is holy, fitting us with HIS yoke, obeying HIS call to serve with grateful hearts. May all be done for HIS glory.
Dear Heavenly Father, Lord and Savior,
