5, 6 and 7. The tune is Woodside 508. Jesus, while he dwelt below,
as divine historians say, to a place would often go, near
to Cedron's brook it lay. In this place he loved to be
and was named Gethsemane. Him 802 singing verses 1, 5,
6 and 7. Tune Woodside, 508. Satsang with Mooji ? It to me comes ev'ry day ? ?
E'en strange the hour to be ? ? And to see the light of day ? ? Make us your body ? ? Let us
make the passage through your blood ?
? Mother brings her babies to sleep ? ? She will sleep in solitude
? ? Prepping for their patient sleep ? To Him, to Him I sing, While
in earth death shall come in, ? Before a mountain ebbs the stream
? ? And its cold victims return ? ? Is she here at last ? ? And deny the sacred signs ? ?
Therefore truth's denier be ? ? Gave proof through the night
that our flag was still there ? ? Where liberty rests ? ? From
sea to land ? ? And home to the brave ? Let us read together from the
Holy Word of God in the Gospel according to Luke, chapter 22. Luke's Gospel, chapter 22. Commence reading at verse 14,
and we will read down to verse 46. Verse 14. When the hours
come, he sat down and the twelve apostles
with him and he said unto them with desire have I desired to
eat this Passover with you before I suffer for I say unto you I
will not any more eat thereof until it be fulfilled in the
kingdom of God and he took the cup and gave thanks and said
take this and divide it among yourselves. For I say unto you,
I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom
of God shall come.' And he took bread, and gave thanks, and break
it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body, which is given
for you. This do in remembrance of me. Likewise also the cup after supper,
saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for
you. But behold, the hand of him that
betrayeth me is with me on the table. And truly the son of man
goeth as it was determined, but woe unto that man by whom he
is betrayed. And they began to inquire among
themselves, Which of them it was that should do this thing?
And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be
accounted the greatest? And he said unto them, The kings
of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and they that exercise
authority upon them are called benefactors. But ye shall not
be so. But he that is greatest among
you let him be as the younger, and he that is chief as he that
doth serve. For whether it is greater he
that sitteth at me, or he that serveth, is not he that sitteth
at me, but I am among you as he that serveth. Ye are they
which have continued with me in my temptations, and I appoint
unto your kingdom as my father hath appointed unto me, that
ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones,
judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And the Lord said, Simon,
Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift
you as wheat. But I have prayed for thee, that
thy faith fail not, and when thou art converted, strengthen
thy brethren. And he said unto him, Lord, I
am ready to go with thee, both into prison and to death. And
he said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this
day before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me. And he
said unto them, When I sent you without purse and script and
shoes, lacked ye anything? And they said nothing. Then said
he unto them, But now he that hath a purse, let him take it,
and likewise his script. And he that hath no sword, let
him sell his garment and buy one, For I say unto you, that
this that is written must yet be accomplished in me. And he
was reckoned among the transgressors, for the things concerning me
have an end. And they said, Lord, behold,
here are two swords. And he said unto them, it is
enough. And he came out and went as he was wont to the Mount of
Olives and his disciples also followed him. When he was at
the place, he said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation. And he was withdrawn from them
about a stone's cast, and kneeled down and prayed, saying, Father,
if thou be willing, remove this cup from me, Nevertheless, not
my will but thine be done. And there appeared an angel unto
him from heaven, strengthening him. And being in an agony, he
prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was, as it were, great
drops of blood falling down to the ground. And when he rose
up from prayer and was come to his disciples, He found them
sleeping for sorrow and said unto them, Why sleep ye? Rise
and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. May the Lord bless
the reading of his own precious word. Teach us how to pray. Gracious God, we do pray that
thou would bless the reading of thy holy word of truth, that
thou would seal it by thy spirit into our hearts. We do pray as
we gather here today, this afternoon, that the word of truth may be
opened to our heart and to our understanding. We have read a deeply solemn
portion of Thy Word when our Eternal Father laid
upon Thee the iniquity of us all. And, O Lord God, we do pray
that Thou wouldst sanctify Thy truth in our hearts, that we
may meditate thereon. O Lord, that thou would meet
with us as we gather as a little church around the table of the
Lord, and grant thy sweet presence and thy rich blessing to rest
upon us, that we may be as little babes, that we may drink of the
sincere milk of the word, and that we may grow thereby. We
pray that we may grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord
and Saviour Jesus Christ, we come like the dear Apostle that
I may know him in the power of his resurrection, in the fellowship
of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death. Do solemnise our hearts in this
service and grant that we may truly worship our Lord Jesus
Christ. For him hath God exalted as a
Prince and as a Saviour, for to give faith and repentance
and remission of sins. We pray to be led of the Spirit
of God, to be guided into the truth as it is in Jesus, and
we might feel the sweet power of it in our hearts. Grant, most
blessed Spirit, that it may be a sealing time with us, and the
word of truth may be sealed into our hearts, indelibly impressed
there. Oh, do hear us, Lord, we humbly
beseech thee for thy great name's sake. We pray that we may not
stand at a distance, but that we may be made nigh by the precious
blood of Christ. as of a lamb slain from before
the foundation of the world. O gracious God, we do pray that
thou wouldst grant that we may have an interest in that eternal
covenant ordered in all things and sure. We think of those divinely
certain words, all that the Father giveth me shall come to me, and
him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out. Lord, we
do pray that we might know the truth, and the truth may set
us free. For where the Spirit of the Lord
is, there is liberty. And if the Son shall make you
free, then shall you be free indeed. And Lord, we pray that
we might know that freedom, that liberty, that light, that life,
that power. that we might know it and we
might truly worship Thee, the only true God and Jesus Christ,
whom thou hast sent. May we have an experience, Lord,
of what the dear Apostle speaks of. For God has sent the Spirit
of his Son into our hearts, crying, Abba, Father, Lord, we pray,
that it may be so, as we gather together this afternoon, a sweet sense that we are indeed
the sons and daughters of the Lord God Almighty. O Lord, we do pray that Thou
in Thy precious mercy would remember our deacons and bless them indeed.
Remember each one of our brethren and sisters in Christ. and graciously
continue to unite us together under a sacred sense of thy love,
thy mercy, thy grace, we do humbly beseech thee. And that, Lord,
we pray for grace to bear one another's burdens, thereby fulfilling
the law of Christ. We pray that we may have communion
one with another and that we may feel that union and communion,
and that we may nurture that union and that communion. Oh,
do hear us, Lord, we humbly pray thee. We thank thee for the unity
of the Spirit in the bond of peace. And we pray that thou
wouldst take us the foxes, the little foxes that do so, spoil
the vines, for our vines have tender grapes. We pray that those
tender grates may be brought to fruition, that one and another
may be brought forth to testify of the wonderful grace of God
in Jesus Christ, testify of that wonderful mercy that they have
found. I point to thy redeeming blood and say behold the way
to God. Lord so work among us We do humbly
beseech them and graciously bless the children, the young friends,
bless them with that rich grace that is in Christ Jesus. Bless
them with light and understanding in thy word. Bless them with
the revelation of Jesus Christ personally unto their own souls.
We do humbly beseech them. Bless them, O Lord, with a sacred
sense no more a stranger or a guest, but like a child at home. So,
Lord, may they truly feel that, and that there may be a deepening
of those bonds of love, of union, and of communion. Lord, we do
pray that there in thy precious mercy would graciously remember
the prodigals that have wandered away, We pray that thou wouldst
work in them, to will and to do that which is thy good pleasure,
and to return, and to lay hold of a precious Christ, that we
may be given, O Lord, that rejoicing, to see the prodigals return,
to see the mighty power of thy grace. O Lord, do hear us, we
pray thee, and do bless us, we beseech thee. We pray, O Lord,
that thou wouldst remember all in any trouble, or trial, or
perplexity, sorrow, sadness, bereavement, that thou wouldst
graciously draw near, that thou wouldst undertake for each one,
and that thou wouldst give them to feel in all our afflictions
he was afflicted. And may the angel of thy presence
sustain them, O Lord, we do beseech of thee. Thou said in thy word,
it is through much tribulation that ye shall enter the kingdom.
We pray, O gracious God, that we may indeed by thy grace enter
the kingdom, the eternal kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ. Lord,
we do pray that thou in thy precious mercy would fill our hearts with
gratitude with thanksgiving for all thy tender mercies, thy loving
kindnesses that have passed before us in the way. Thou hast exhorted
us in thy word to make your requests known unto God by prayer and
by supplication with thanksgiving. So we pray for a truly thankful
heart. We're thankful for Jesus Christ,
for the fullness of that grace that is in him, for that everlasting
salvation that he has wrought out for his people, that glorious
everlasting robe of his righteousness wrought by his own personal obedience
as he walked as a man here upon earth. We thank thee for that
wonderful atonement for sin, for the putting away of sin,
for reconciling poor sinners unto God. O we thank Thee for
the precious blood of the Lamb that cleanses from all sin. We
thank Thee that He died for our sins and rose again for our justification. We thank Thee that He has bodily
ascended into heaven and that sitteth at Thy right hand that we have indeed an advocate
with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, tis he instead
of me is seen when I approach to God. Oh, we do pray, most
gracious Lord, that thou wouldst hear us in heaven, thy holy dwelling
place. And when thou hearest, O Lord,
forgive and receive us graciously. come this afternoon and touch
one's lips with a live coal from off the heavenly altar, we ask
for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen. Let us now continue singing in
hymn 802, and we sing from verse 20 to
the end. Hymn 802, singing the last four
verses. Sins against the holy God, sins
against his righteous laws, sins against his love, his blood,
sins against his name and cause. Sins immense as is the sea, hide
me, O Gethsemane. Hymn 802, singing the last four
verses from verse 20. Tune Norricum 887. ? Spread thy grace, O God of hosts
? ? Spread thy grace, O God of hosts ? ? Spread thy grace, O
God of hosts ? ? Thee for us every day ? ? There's
a heaven in the air ? Oh. ? O'er the land of the free and
the home of the brave ? O night divine, O night divine,
O night divine. ? And crown thy good with brotherhood
from sea to shining sea ? O new-born King, O Lord! Hail,
Lord, of forever years! Hail, Lord, show me your mercy, Greatly feeling to need the Lord's
gracious help, direct your attention to Luke chapter 22 and we'll
read verses 41 to 44 for our text Luke chapter 22 reading
verses 41 to 44 and he was withdrawn from them
about a stone's cast and kneeled down and prayed, saying, Father,
if thou be willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not
my will, but thine, be done. And there appeared an angel unto
him from heaven, strengthening him. And being in an agony, he
prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was as it were great drops
of blood falling down to the ground. As we approach this subject, I feel very much of what we read
on a number of occasions in the Old Testament, take thy shoes
from off thy feet for the place whereon thou standest. is holy
ground. And friends, when we come here
to the Garden of Gethsemane, it is holy ground. It's here that is fulfilled what
we read in Isaiah 53, and he laid upon him the iniquity of
us all. The Eternal Father took the sin
of the Church and He laid it on His only begotten Son who
was manifest in the flesh. He laid upon Him. It's what is
called the doctrine of imputation. He imputed our sins to Him as
if they were His own sins. and he became our sin-bearer. We could quote the words of our
Lord Jesus, to this end was I born and for this cause I came into
the world to be the subsidy of his people, to stand in the rune,
the place and the stead of his people, to be wounded for our
transgressions to be bruised for our iniquities and that the
chastisement of our peace might be upon him for with his stripes we are healed. You know, there's that lovely
word in the second epistle to the
Corinthians in the fifth chapter, that beautiful word concerning
the Lord Jesus as being our sin-bearer. Verse 21 of 2 Corinthians 5,
For he hath made him, that is, our eternal Father, has made
his only begotten Son manifest in the flesh. For he hath made
him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, Jesus knew no sin. He did no sin. Neither was guile
found in his mouth. For it made him to be sin for
us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of
God in him. What an exchange, isn't it? The
righteousness of Christ is the righteousness of the true believer
by faith. So in this wonderful sacred gospel
of Jesus Christ our sin becomes his and his righteousness becomes
ours. That is what the doctrine of
imputation is. It works both ways. and it's here in this portion
we have before us this afternoon the wonderful truth, the solemn
sacred truth of our Lord Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane taking
our sin, bearing our sin and subsequently to go to Calvary
As the Apostle says in one of the epistles, he took our sins
and he nailed them to his cross. That is why he suffered and bled
and died. It was to redeem his people. It was in the room and the place
and the stead of his people, our sin bearer. And he was withdrawn
from them about a stone's cast and kneeled down and prayed. I know it's something that is
hard to conceive in our minds, but when the Lord Jesus lived
as a man here upon earth, as a man he lived by faith. Now it's very difficult for us
to conceive, but as a man he lived by faith. And here He gives
exercise to that faith. The hymn writer says, doesn't
he, prayer gives exercise to faith and love. We read that the Lord Jesus Christ
used to spend whole nights in prayer. Whole nights in prayer. Praying to his Eternal Father. What a thought that is, isn't
it? And he was withdrawn from them
about a stone's cast. I was in a time of affliction
and this portion of the word was made very precious to me,
very sacred to me. Especially here where it says
he was withdrawn from them about a stone's cast. I'd just come out of hospital
and I went straight to my bed feeling very, very ill and as
I laid on my bed the enemy of souls, even Satan, came with
such vehemence and power. The only way I can explain of
that experience what was it was like my reason was on a knife
edge the enemy came with such power and such vehemence and
I felt that I was going to fall into this abyss of insanity and these words I cried unto
the Lord to help me and these words dropped into my heart with
such savour, sweetness and power, he hath given us the spirit of
love and of a sound mind. How sweet that was. How precious
that was. I lay probably for about half
an hour, quietly, feeling the sweetness of that. And then I
had a view by faith of our Lord Jesus Christ. in the garden of
Gethsemane. I couldn't get too close. And
this scripture came to my mind. And when, you see, and he was
withdrawn from them about a stone's cast, I kneeled down and prayed. You know, friends, I had a view
of our Lord Jesus Christ that broke my heart, a view Him being
made sin for us. A view of that dear Saviour,
as it says here in verse 44, and being in an agony, He prayed
more earnestly and His sweat was, as it were, great drops
of blood falling down to the ground. How hateful does sin appear when
we see it in this suffering saviour. You'll have a sense and realisation
of sin such as you've never had before. When you see how our
Lord Jesus Christ suffered, bled and died for our sins. And it says, Sir Joseph Hart
says, my sins were the nails and the spear. My sins It becomes
a very personal thing. My sins were the nails and the
spear. It's only he that could walk
that path. We can't get even near him. And
he was withdrawn from them about a stone's cast and kneeled down
and prayed, saying, If thou be willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless,
not my will, but thine, be done. J.C. Philpott, in one of his
discourses, he speaks of this and he said we see the reality
of the sacred human nature of the Son of God. this tremendous cup of suffering,
of sorrow, far deeper, far greater, than ever we can really conceive
in our mind. You think our gracious Eternal
Father took the sin of the whole church, the sin of the whole
church from the time of Adam right to the end of time. and
he took that sin and he lifted it off the church and he laid
it on his only begotten son that was manifest in the flesh. He
bare our sins. He certainly did. And this is
what brought forth being in agony. It was the tremendous weight
of the sin of the whole church. And in this pathway that is so
deep and beyond our comprehension, remembering that this is Jesus,
the Son of God, who was manifest in the flesh, and there appeared
an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. You know, friends, and we need
to make these distinctions. His divine nature never needed
any strengthening. He's the eternal son of the eternal
father. And he himself said to his disciples,
all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. But that
holy human nature that the son of God assumed, that needed strengthening. Joseph
Hart says in one of his hymns, strength enough and none to spare. So tremendous was that weight
of the sin of the church. It almost crushed him. Father, if thou be willing, remove
this cup from me. There's no hint of rebellion
here friends. In fact there is contrition. I often think of that word in
Isaiah chapter 57. It speaks there of our Lord and
Saviour Jesus Christ in verse 15, Isaiah 57 verse 15, For thus
saith the High and Lofty One, that inhabiteth eternity, whose
name is holy, I dwell in the high and holy place with him
also that is of a contrite and humble spirit. That's Christ.
That's our Lord Jesus Christ. It's the Eternal Father speaking.
I dwell in the high and holy place with him also that is of
a contrite and humble spirit. And this Christ and this one
of a contrite and humble spirit to receive the spirit of the
humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones with him
also that is of a contrite. and humble spirit as our Lord
Jesus Christ. And this is what we see here
in the Garden of Gethsemane, our Lord Jesus Christ, Father,
if thou be willing. What he's saying is if there
is any other way whereby thy church, thy people, my spouse
can be redeemed. So tremendous, you know, friends, the thought of these terrible
sufferings. It merely shows to us the reality
of the sacred holy human nature that the son of God assumed.
Here he was to drink this tremendous cup of suffering, of sorrow,
of grief, of agony. Father, if thou be willing, remove
this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but
thine be done. You see, submission. You know friends, we need that
spirit of submission to be given to us. Submission to the will
of God. Submission to the purposes of
God. And that realisation that he
makes no mistakes. We need that spirit of submission
to be granted. That spirit of contrition, to
be humble. He says, doesn't he, humble yourselves
therefore under the mighty hand of God. Humble yourselves therefore
under the mighty hand of God. And he was withdrawn from them
about a stone's cast and kneeling, kneeled down and prayed. saying
father if thou be willing remove this cup from me nevertheless
not my will but thine be done and there appeared an angel unto
him from heaven strengthening him. The other place of course
where the angel was sent from heaven is in the just Immediately
before he was sent into his public ministry we read that he was
driven of the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the
devil for 40 days and 40 nights. He had no drink and no food in
those 40 days and 40 nights. And if you know anything of the
temptations of Satan, you will know that it weakens us. It greatly weakens us. When the
enemy comes in like a flood, it greatly weakens us. Sometimes, I had a temptation,
friends, I walked in it for nearly two years. I didn't realize it
was a temptation, but how it wears us down. It wears us down,
it brings us utterly to nothing. How much more so, our Lord Jesus
Christ. And when in the wilderness there,
we read that an angel sent. An angel came to strengthen him. We come back to what we already
said, his divine nature needed no strengthening. He's Jesus
Christ, the same yesterday and today and forever. He's the Eternal
Son of the Eternal Father. But that holy human nature that
he assumed, that he lived as a man here upon Earth, it knew what weakness was. It
knew what extreme weakness was. Again, we come back to that word,
we mentioned it this morning. He was tempted in all points,
like as we are, yet without sin. The Lord Jesus Christ, his sufferings
were very real, very intense, beyond what we can even begin
to... We can only, as we think of what
is revealed to us in Holy Scripture, that it was the whole Church
of God The whole Church of God, the sin of the whole Church was
laid on Him. We cannot conceive the tremendous
weight of the sin of the Church. He was made sin for us. He that knew no sin was made
sin for us. And He was withdrawn from them
about a stone's cast and kneeled down and prayed saying, Father,
if thou be willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not
my will, but thine, be done.' And there appeared an angel unto
him from heaven, strengthening him." Oh, my beloved friends,
how deep were the sufferings of Christ. that the eternal Son
of God passed through in that holy human nature. We've often
tried to emphasize and press the point that it was his own
personal human nature. It never had any existence separate
to the Son of God. As soon as the Holy Spirit overshadowed
the womb of the Virgin, the Son of God assumed the seed of the
woman. And he became bone of our bone
and flesh of our flesh. And that human nature is in heaven
now, sitting at the right hand of the Father. It's clearly recorded
in Holy Scripture. Joseph Hart, he takes it up beautifully,
doesn't he? A man there is, a real man, with
wounds still gaping wide from which rich streams of blood once
ran. in hands and feet and side. And
he's emphasizing that no metaphor in sacred reality. This same
dear man in heaven now reigns. You know friends, that union
that was formed in the womb of the Virgin Mary between the divine
and the human is an indissoluble union. The young ones, you may
say, what do you mean by indissoluble? It will never be dissolved, there
will never be any separation between the Son of God and that
sacred, holy human nature. Not even in death itself. In that tomb, three days and
three nights, in the tomb, there was the Son of God. There was
never any separation. His holy human soul was in heaven,
that is why he was in death. He died for our sins. He died
for our sins. And he rose again for our justification. That we should be declared to
be without sin. He shed every drop of his precious
blood to redeem us. to deliver us from sin and Satan's
power. Oh, my beloved friends, may the
Blessed Spirit work faith in your heart to see this precious
Saviour, to see Him in your room, in your place and in your step.
May He give you to feel and know and experience He was wounded
for our transgressions. It says, doesn't it, in Isaiah
53, that he was numbered among the transgressors, for he bared
the sin of many. Our Lord Jesus, though he was
holy, though he was pure, though he was righteous, though he did
no sin, though he fulfilled God's holy law, and this was essential,
this was essential, that he was perfect and pure and holy, because
the sacrifice to be offered on the cross of Calvary had to be
pure and it had to be holy. Otherwise there would be no acceptance
of that sacrifice if it was not pure and if it was not holy. I often direct you to Hebrews
9 and how beautifully does the Apostle set it before us there.
Hebrews 9 verse 11, But Christ, being come an high priest of
good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle.
That's his holy human nature. Perfect tabernacle, not made
with hands. That is not by natural generation. It was a divine act of God that
the Holy Spirit overshadowed the womb of the Virgin. And the
word tabernacle means a dwelling place. The word was made flesh
and dwelt among us. neither by the blood of goats
and calves but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy
place having obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the
blood of bulls and of goats and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling
the unclean sanctify to the purifying of the flesh how much more shall
the blood of Christ who through the eternal spirit, that's his
divine nature, who through the eternal spirit offered himself
without spot to God, purged your conscience from dead works to
serve the living God. How much more shall the blood
of Christ, the blood of Christ, a precious blood, cleanses from
all sin? Doubt it not. It's the blood
of Jesus, the Son of God. It's of infinite worth. It's
like His glorious righteousness. It's the glorious everlasting
righteousness of Jesus, the Son of God. And His precious sin-atoning
blood. It's holy blood, it's pure blood.
It's blood that cleanses from all sin. It is. for as much as ye were not redeemed
with corruptible things such as silver and gold, but with
the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb slain from before
the foundation of the world. And he was withdrawn from them
about a stone's cast and kneeled down and prayed, saying, Father,
if thou be willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not
my will, but thine be done. And there appeared an angel unto
him from heaven, strengthening him. And being in an agony, he
prayed more earnestly. Oh, the tremendous weight of
the sin of the church, of the curse of the Lord. He was made
sin for us. We read in Zechariah, a Waco
sword against my shepherd and the man that is my fellow. And
this is it, a Waco sword against my shepherd and the man that
is my fellow. The sword of divine justice that
should have swept the whole church of God to eternal perdition.
It found a substitute, a holy substitute, a perfect substitute. substitute that would take away
all the sin of the church and being in an agony he prayed more
earnestly and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood
falling down to the ground. May the Lord add his blessing.