Our Humanity...

In Mark 14, we have been looking at Passion Week, the last 8 days of the Jesus’ life on earth.  We are on Thursday night, and Jesus has just completed transitioning from the Passover Meal to the Lord’s Supper. 

 

Afterward, He and His disciples minus Judas left the upper room and went to the Mount of Olives close to the Garden of Gethsemane.  This morning’s message is entitled, “The Hopelessness of Our Humanity…”

 

 

Our Humanity

 

1. In our humanity, we are often spiritually prideful.

We see this in the life of Peter.  He thought he was invincible.  He thought he couldn’t fail.  He saw himself as stronger than he was. 

 

Speaking to all of Twelve except Judas, Jesus prophesied that they all would stumble in verse 27.  Different translations use words like stumble, fall away, desert, and be offended.  We take our English word “scandalize” from this Greek word that is translated “stumble” in the NKJV.

 

Jesus didn’t mean that they would lose their salvation.  However, He did mean that they would temporarily disassociate with Him because they would not want the treatment He and any and all of His associates would receive.

 

The rest of verse 27 is a quote from Zechariah 13:7. The “I” refers to God.  Jesus is the “Shepherd.”  The “sheep” are the 11 disciples.  After God allows Jesus to be executed, there would be a temporary scattering of these men. 

 

However, Peter didn’t want to believe it.  Peter said he would never desert the Lord, but before the rooster would crow twice, Jesus said Peter would deny him three times. 

 

By the way, does it upset you and hurt you when family or friends are unfaithful?  Does it upset you or hurt you when family or friends betray you and stab you in the back?  Be encouraged.  You’re in good company.  Jesus experienced the same with Judas.

 

Jesus invested in Judas for three years.  However, at the end of those three years, Judas said no to Christ and turned his back on Jesus in betrayal. 

 

In verse 32, we see Jesus actually entering the garden and said to eight of the disciples to stay put until He returned.  However, He took His innermost circle of disciples with Him further into the garden.  That inner circle was Peter, James, and John.

 

 

2. In our humanity, we can get physically exhausted.

The disciples had been up since early Thursday morning.  It was now past midnight on Thursday night and into Friday morning. 

 

Jesus asked them to watch and pray.  They couldn’t do either because of their physical exhaustion.

 

Some of you here today are not only physically exhausted but you are mentally and emotionally exhausted.  Our world today is exhausting. 

Learn to rest daily and weekly.  Learn to get away and unplug or at least unplug.  God told us to do such because He knew what was best for us. 

 

As Jesus went further in the garden with the Three, verse 33 says He began to be troubled and deeply distressed.  Not only did Jesus experience unfaithfulness, He also experienced unrest. 

 

In verse 34, Jesus said His psyche was exceedingly sorrowful unto death.  Other translations say troubled, deeply grieved, overwhelmed, crushed.  This was one of the most trying times of Jesus earthly life.

 

Peter, James, and John were told to wait and watch while Jesus spent some time alone.  Rather than watching for Judas, He more than likely meant for them to stay alert in the face of temptation.

 

Jesus also experienced the unfamiliar.  Why did Jesus feel the way the unrest that He did in verses 33-34?  The answer is found in verses 35-36.

 

Jesus went a little further by Himself.  He fell face down on the ground.  His sweat became like drops of blood and prayed for this unfamiliar experience to pass from Him. 

 

What was unfamiliar?  The One who knew no sin would become the sin of all humanity for the first and only time.  He would become every murder, every abortion, every rape, every affair, every profanity, every drug use, every drunken stupor, every look at pornography, every robbery.  He would become our sin, and the thought was overwhelming. 

 

However, that is not all.  Also, for the first time ever and only time, and for a brief moment, because God cannot have fellowship with sin, there was a brief interruption in the intimacy between God the Father and God the Son. 

 

In the words of Jesus, God the Father would forsake Him, and He couldn’t bear the thought.  This was completely unfamiliar ground for the Lord Jesus. 

I don’t know what your experience is this morning, but if you’ve ever experienced unfaithfulness from a family member or friend, if you’ve ever experienced unrest because of your current situation, and if you’ve ever faced the unfamiliar, you’re in good company.  Jesus did too.

 

 

3. In our humanity, we are easily tempted.

Peter was trending downward.  Notice that Jesus called him Simon in verse 37.  He wasn’t living like the strong rock that Jesus envisioned. 

 

Jesus had prophesied of his unfaithfulness and warned him again in verse 38.  The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.

 

In verse 40, Jesus found them sleeping again.  They had succumbed to the temptation to sleep and not watch and not pray.

 

 

Conclusion/Application

If you are down and deflated from today’s text and this story in Jesus’ life, that’s exactly how you should feel.  In our humanity, we are hopeless. 

 

If left up to us, we have no hope.  We are spiritually prideful, get completely exhausted, and are easily tempted. 

 

However, I conveniently skipped over one verse.  Did you notice it?  It is verse 28.  Jesus alluded to His resurrection.

 

Brothers and sisters, Jesus’ resurrection is our only hope.  Because He conquered sin, death, and the grave, we have hope for eternal life and hope for victorious living in this life.  Paul said it like this in 2 Corinthians 12:9.

 

8 Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. 9 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

 

Even though we look at ourselves and are hopeless, remember Jesus’ resurrection and know that there is hope for me and hope for you regardless of our current situation because His power is perfected in and through my weakness. 

 

By myself, I am hopeless, but Jesus is my only hope!