The Church of Eleven22 - The Last Supper and Gethsemane - Death to Life - Matthew S7E1

Episode Date: September 27, 2026

In Matthew 26, Jesus moves closer to the cross, showing us what true surrender, obedience and faithfulness look like. From the Last Supper to the Garden of Gethsemane, we see that following Jesus is not about relying on our own strength, but trusting Him even when obedience is difficult. Through the failures of Judas, Peter and the disciples, we are reminded that our worst moments do not have the final word. Jesus remains faithful even when we fall short. As He prays, “Not as I will, but as You will,” Jesus shows us what it means to fully surrender to the Father and faithfully walk toward the cross. 📖 Scripture References: Matthew 26:17-46 John 2:5 Matthew 5:3 John 13-17 Revelation 19:6-9 Romans 8:1 Luke 9:23 Galatians 2:20 Mark 2:1-12 John 14:6 Sermon Reference: Are You Sleeping in the Garden? - Saturated with Pastor Robbie Gallaty: https://youtu.be/MrF0BwBJdWc 📌 Supplemental Resources From This Week: • This Week’s Full Service • Deepen Podcast • Death to Life Intro • Matthew Season 7 The Church of Eleven22® is a movement for all people to discover and deepen a relationship with Jesus Christ. Eleven22 is led by Pastor Joby Martin and based in Jacksonville, Florida, with multiple campuses throughout Jacksonville and the surrounding areas.   To find out more about how God is moving in and through The Church of Eleven22, visit coe22.com

Amen and amen. How we doing? Good? I need you to be a little gooder than that. All right. Hey, we got your Bible with Matthew chapter 26. We're going to dig in. It's going to get real intense. It's not my fault. It's just where the text goes. Before that, let's just brag on God a little bit. Anybody come to Saturated at least one night? Anybody come at least one night?

Let's go. Anybody come all five times? All right, you get to eat first in heaven. You tell them I said so, okay? here's a couple things man uh we had over 76,000 people in attendance at our campuses. That's really cool. We had one over 1.2 million people worship with us online all over the country and really all over the world. And 921 of you got baptized on Sunday. Praise God.

That's right. I see you. You were one. You were first. And one of the service. Way to go. And it's even better to that. Warden Kish texted me right before the 522 service.

They baptized seven men in Marion Correctional before the service tonight. Let's go. Let's go. So I hope you're saturated. And the best thing, man, is we met with Jesus during saturated. Amen. And so I hope it hadn't leaked out. I hope you're still saturated.

And speaking of good news, Please say welcome to our Riverside campus this weekend. We open up our Riverside campus. And so we're growing. Praise God for that. So for those of you that got baptized, for those of you that had an awesome time, it's saturated, for those of you that God spoke to,

you repented of sin, you felt the presence of God, all the things, man. Way to go. And let me give you a big fat warning. My friend Josh Howard and was preaching here last year, and he said this, that the birthmark of the Christian is a bullseye. And the moment you begin to take steps of obedience

towards the voice of the good shepherd, the enemy hates it because all he wants to do is steal killing to Shorley. And my warning for you is this, expect spiritual warfare in your life. Because the higher the mountaintop, the lower the valley. And all throughout my own life and your own life, And even more importantly, all throughout the scriptures, this is the way it always goes. I mean, think about Jesus.

We talked about this when we first started Matthew, man. Remember Jesus gets baptized? You want to talk about a high holy moment? He's out there in the water. And the heavens open up after he gets baptized. And God, the Father, speaks out loud over his boy and says, behold my son and whom I am well pleased. High holy moment, right?

The very next thing that happens in the scriptures, he's in the desert, fighting against the devil of hell for 40 days and 40 nights. You get ready. In the life of the Apostle Paul, you see it over and over and over. He'll roll into a town. He preaches the word. A revival breaks out. And then guess what happens right after a revival?

There's a riot and they beat him and stone him and try to kill him. So get ready. In fact, we see this in the life of Jesus a couple of weeks ago, which wasn't a couple weeks ago in Matthew. We're on Thursday right here. This is where we are. in the Bible. In Matthew 26 is Thursday. Remember what happened on Sunday? Jesus comes riding in on a donkey, on a colt. And the whole city gathers around and they cut palm branches and they sing,

Hosanna, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. And you know what the disciples are thinking? We nailed it, man. It's going so good. And then by that Friday, that same crowd is going to get together and they're not going to sing Hosanna. They're going to say, crucify him, kill him. In fact, I don't know why I'm sorry. surprised. Jesus said, don't be surprised when this world hates you. It hated me. And yet, last week was a high holy moment for me and for many of you. I met with the Lord, experienced the presence of the living Christ. I mean, it's incredible. And this week, I got more hate mail than I ever than I typically receive. A typical is a pretty good, pretty good run of it. Not just in breadth, but also in depth. Some people I don't even know, one guy called me an empty suit. I was

I don't even wear suits. They don't even have no sense, man. So it was a good title because none of the things make sense. But whatever. But it's not just from people like that. I mean, people that, you know, I love sent mean things too. So just do not be surprised. You're going to see it right here in the text.

The people that Jesus loves most are going to abandon him and betray him. What's about to happen right now is the spiritual intensity is dialed up to a tent. Jesus didn't teach it and preaching anymore. No more stories. He's not going to gather people together and give illustrations. He's not going to be like, hey, just reminds me of a story of a dad who had two kids. Let me tell you about birds and flowers or about farms. None of that anymore.

What's going to happen now is Jesus is beelining towards the cross. That's where we're going. Matthew chapter 26. I'm just picking up right where we left off last week. Verse 17. Now, when the first day of unleavened bread, the disciples came to Jesus saying, where will you have us prepare for you to eat the Passover? We talked about the Passover a ton last week.

The Passover was one of the two biggest holidays in the life of the Jewish people. This is like Christmas and Easter. You can't have one without the other. For them it was Passover and it was the Day of Atonement. These are the two biggest festivals and remembrances. And so the day of Passover we talked about last week, this is the people of God were slaves in Egypt. God heard their cry, and he sent Moses to go tell Pharaoh, let my people go.

And they called it Passover because the tenth plague was that you would take the blood of a lamb and put it on the doorposts over your house. And when the angel came through, he would pass over whoever had the blood of a lamb on the doorposts of the house. That's what they're celebrating. It's a really big deal. Verse 18, and Jesus said, go into the city to a certain man. This makes me laugh every time. One, we know that it's not like a story that's made up. And Jesus is like, hey, I don't want you to just go any random person.

There's a certain person I want you to talk to it. And I don't know if this is like Matthew writing this years later. And he's like, you know, remember we talked to, you know, what's his name? Can't remember his name. But there's a particular man. Jesus says, go talk to that guy. Go to a certain man. And here's what I want you to say to him.

The teacher says, my time is at hand. I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples. You notice, Hayden, you didn't ask a question? He doesn't say, may I keep the Passover? He says, I will keep the Passover at your house. You know why? Because Christ is king, and he don't take a poll. He does what he wants with who he wants or when he wants.

And this is so important. Look what happens next. And the disciples did as Jesus had directed them, and they prepared the Passover. This is what I hope for you. The disciples do, John 2.5, where Mary tells the service, do whatever he tells you to do. And imagine this. Jesus is like, there's a certain man, go find Ted, tell him, we're having Passover at your house. And nobody's like, well, that seems a little presumptuous, Lord.

They just do exactly what he says to do. This is what we need to be. It's the kind of people that just do what the Lord tells us to do. In fact, if you're not doing what the Lord tells you to do, it's evidence that he's not actually your Lord. You might believe that it exists, but what it means for him to be the Lord is that you do whatever. whatever it is he tells you to do, especially when it doesn't make sense. Because if you can do it in your own power, you don't even need him. But when he tells you to do that thing that doesn't make sense in your mind, you do it.

And here's why. You have no idea what hangs in the balance. You have no idea what you're missing out of on when you don't obey the voice of the good shepherd. Imagine this dude, the certain man. Imagine him for the rest of his life. Jesus is crucified, dead, buried, resurrected, and then all of a sudden, over the next several years,

the followers of Jesus begin to expand all over the place. And for the rest of this guy's life, he's like, hey, you know Jesus, the one that runs the way, these people that are called Christians that are spreading all of, guess what? He did the last supper at my house. Do you realize that not only you don't realize

the impact of your obedience on everyone, but you miss out on an incredible opportunity to walk in the joy of being apart partnering with the almighty god for his purposes and so the disciples did as jesus had directed them they prepared the passover verse 20 and when it was evening he reclined at table with the 12 i told you this before this is a detail in the bible because this is not a story it's an actual event but da vinci got it totally wrong. Everybody was not sitting at a high top with 12, 13 guys on one side of the table like they're about to judge the diving competition. That's not how it worked, dude. In the first century, they would lay all over the floor on these pillows and they had this tiny little table that

they would lay by and that's where they are. And in fact, if you're in the gifted class, okay, they usually sit more down towards the front. Sorry to judge you in the back, but that's what I just did. If you want to read way more details, John's Gospel's Chapter 13 through 17, include a whole bunch of details that Matthew just decides to skip over for whatever reason. Verse 21, so they're sitting at the table, they're having the Passover meal, we're about two. And as they were eating, Jesus says, truly I say to you, one of you will betray me. It's kind of shocking to the group. I mean, they've left everything to follow him.

You remember the conversation? They're like, we've left our families, we left our livelihood, we left our livelihood, we left everything to follow you. And he looks at the group and he goes, one of you will betray me. Verse 22, and they were very sorrowful and they began to say to him one after another.

Is it I, Lord? It's just going around the table. Is it I, Lord? Is it I Lord? One of the things I want you to see here is notice that the disciples never graduated beyond the very first thing that Jesus taught in his first recorded sermon, which is this,

blessed or the poor in spirit. And you know what else they didn't do? Peter's going to speak up here in a minute at a different time. But 11 guys, they're going around. They're going around. He said, I, Lord, you know what they didn't do? They didn't get defensive. And they didn't be like, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.

If anybody's going to do it, it's probably going to be Thomas. I mean, you know, his name's going to be, doubt. Thomas. That's not what they did. They actually, when Jesus said, somebody's going to betray me, you know what they thought? They thought, oh yeah, I could do that. They held up the mirror of what God was saying to them instead of trying to deflect it to somebody else. Listen, believer, blessed of the poor and spirit is not just a thing that helps you realize that you need Jesus for your salvation, blessed or the poor in spirit is the attitude we should always come to Christ with.

I mean, Martin Luther, the great reformers, says the life of the Christian is that of daily repentance. Do you know, we cannot simultaneously fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and the perfect of our faith, and look down our nose at somebody else and be like, well, I ain't that bad. No, no, no, no. The heart of the believer ought to always be when you look at somebody who has made us. dumpster fire of their life, the attitude ought to be, but by the grace of God, there go I. And so they say, is it I, Lord? Is it I Lord? Is it I Lord? There's going around the table. Is it I Lord?

Verse 23, and Jesus answered, He who has dipped his hand in the dish with me will betray me. The son of man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the son of man is betrayed, it would have been better for that man if he had not been born. In verse 25, Judas, this is the man he's talking about, who would betray him. And he answered, is it I, rabbi, do you feel the weight of it? 11 of the 12 disciples say, is it I, Lord? Is it I, Lord? Is it I, Lord?

11 times. And then Judas says, is that I, rabbi, not Lord. This is terrifying. Jesus said to him, you have said so. John lets us know that then he says, go do what you're going to do. And Judas leaves. Do you hear what's happening?

We talked about it last week a little bit. That Judas was around Jesus. He had just never surrendered his life to the Lordship of Jesus. Judas knew how to do church, man. He just didn't know Jesus as his Lord and Savior. And do you realize what a big deal this is? Of all the people, Judas had a title. He was the treasurer.

He was in charge of stuff. He was trusted with stuff. Judas did miracles with his own hands. He fed the 5,000. Judas cast out demons because he was a part of the crew. Judas knew how to be with the disciples. He had just never surrendered his life to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. I am terrified, particularly.

for the Southern American Church of the number of people that show up every week and they know church. They just don't know Jesus as their Lord and Savior. They can tell you the teachings because they know him as a teacher. They can tell you the one about the dad and the two sons and about the birds and about the flowers and they love the one of Judge Not, Lest you be judged.

That's not what it means, but they think they know what it means. And they know him as a teacher, but they don't know him as Savior. May it not be so of you. He's not merely a teacher. He is Lord. And probably my favorite book, I reread it every January, Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis. He starts with the idea.

He's talking to lost people in Europe during World War II. That book started as a radio program, was a bunch of sermons, and then he turned it into a book. And mere Christianity means like, what's like the basics of Christianity? And he starts with anybody that just believes that there is such a thing as good and evil,

then you have to understand that there must be a God by which we measure good and evil. And then he begins to connect the logical dots that Jesus is the Christ, the son of the living God. He is who he says he is. And when he sums up the first section of the book, he says this. I am trying here to prevent anyone from saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Jesus. That I am ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I do not accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said

would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic on the level with a man who says he's a poached egg or else he would be the devil of hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was and is the son of God or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool. You can spit at him and kill him as a demon

or you can fall at his feet and call him, and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to. Do you know him as Lord? This ain't about playing church, man. This is about bending your knee to the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And so, Judas says, is it I, rabbi? And he goes, you said it. Go. And Judas says, takes off. You get to verse 26, and if you've got an ESV Bible like I have, the little caption over it says, Institution of the Lord's Supper. And what Jesus is going to do is he's going to take the Passover meal, which was to remember the Exodus written about in Exodus, the whole book of

Exodus. And what he's going to say is, hey, the point of the Passover is not to remember something that happened, but the point of the Passover was actually pointing to me. right now. And he's going to take this meal that they have done every single year of their life, and we are going to celebrate the Lord's Supper to close our service. And here's what he's saying. He goes, all of that was about me. The blood of the lamb on the doorpost of the house so the angel of death passes over. That's going to happen tomorrow. I am the lamb that will be slain. And when you put the blood of me, when you receive me as your savior, then the blood of me, the Lamb of God, who's come to take away the sin of the world, covers the door of your heart, and so the angel of death passes over you,

and you have life. This is what he's doing. And I can't even fully explain how mind-blown the first century of disciples would be. I mean, this is the biggest holiday that was about Moses and all the things back then, the biggest tradition. Imagine on Christmas Day, if your older brother stands up as your opening presents and says, the reason we celebrate Christmas, and the reason we celebrate sharing gifts. And the reason we open these presents is all because of me. I'm like, I don't think so. This is what Jesus is saying.

The difference would be your older brother being ego maniac, and this is God himself speaking. And so now as they were eating, Jesus took the bread, and after blessing it, he broke it. And he gave it to the disciples. And he said, take eat, this is my body. And he took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to this. him saying, drink of it, all of you. For this is my blood of the covenant,

which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. And I tell you, I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my father's kingdom. I don't think they have any idea what he's talking about until the next day when they see him hanging on the cross with his broken body and his bloodshed. But look what he points to. He's like, I'm not doing this.

again until I return to take you home and we're going to do this again in heaven. What this is talking about is the great marriage supper of the Lamb. It's explained in Revelation chapter 19, verse 6. Listen to what Jesus tells John, the Revelator, and he writes this down. This is Revelation 196, and then I heard, that's John, and then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude like a roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder crying out. Hallelujah, for the Lord our God, the Almighty reigns, let us rejoice and exalt and give him glory for the marriage of the lamb has come and his bride, that's us, his bride has

made ourselves ready. It was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure, for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. And the angel said to me, write this, blessed are those who were invited to the marriage supper of the, the Lamb and he said to me these are true words of God every single time we take communion together not only are we reflecting and remembering on what Christ has done for us it is a it is for us to look forward to what Christ will do for us when every tear is wiped away there is no more mourning there is no more crime there is no sickness there is no death there is no sin and we are with him forever and ever and ever joining sitting at

the table of God forever enjoying this marriage supper of the lamb for the one who bled and died for me and you. It's a really big deal. And so they do the Lord's Supper communion. Verse 30, and when they had sung a hymn, they thought it was a good idea to sing a song afterwards. And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives, but during the hymn, many of the disciples left early so that they could get their kids first and beat the crowd out of the parking lot. It's not what it says. It's not what it says. I ain't trying to beat you up, but I need to pastor you a little bit.

We don't close the end to the service by singing, bringing, and praying because we can't figure out how to end. I think it would be a travesty for you to sit under the word of God for, let's be honest, I talk for an hour every week and just hear my voice. That's not the voice you need to be listening to. The real preacher here is the Holy Spirit. And so the reason we close this way, Jesus thought it would be a good idea to seal the moment of teaching

by having them respond by singing. It's like a prayer. All of us at all of our campuses at the same time sing the same song to the same God. And a part of what we're trying to do, the reason that we invite you to come and pray, the come and pray people aren't just the people in need. The reality is we're all in need. Every single day of our life.

Anybody who thinks, I got this, you need to be the first one down here on your face going, God, I ain't got this. I need your help. And what I really want to happen is to give you a moment to reflect on the spirit of God speaking in the places of your soul where my dumb stories can't get to. And we, we, this is, that is not the time to hustle up and get out of here, man. It's the most important thing that we do. but it's going to be in those moments where God seals in your heart. Here's what I'm asking you to do, telling you to do, over this next week. And it's that moment where you humble yourself before the Lord and say,

God, if you don't help me, there's no way I can do this. So don't miss it. Don't miss it. What it actually says is when Jesus, when they had sung a hymn after everybody sank, then they went out to the Mount of Olives. and then Jesus said to them, you will all fall away because of me this night. For it is written, I will strike the shepherd

and the sheep of the flock will be scattered. But look at verse 32. So he says, hey, listen, man, every single one of you is going to fall away. And this has been the plan from before you were born because it is written in the Bible. Listen, you know you can't actually break the word of God, you just break yourself against it.

That's how it goes. And this is so gracious. I don't know how I've missed this. I've been preaching for 34 years. I started it as 19 and 53. And this week in the tree stand, I saw this for the first time. He says,

you are going to leave me and betray me. And you would think he might follow up with, how dare you? That's not what he does. He says, every single one of you are going to fail miserably when I need you the most. Look at the very next verse, verse 32, but after I'm raised up, I will go before you to

Galilee. Every single one of you are not going to keep your promise, and I'm still not done with you. I'll see you on the other side of the empty tomb. I hope this is good news for you. I hope you realize that therefore now there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, that your worst days don't define you. When you break your promises to God or you sin or you fall, Jesus is not on his throne, surprised. You realize this? Jesus did not sit up after you send again and go, like, what in the name of me is she doing now? He knows. And the world tries to define you by your past. And Jesus says, no, no, no, I get to tell you who you are. And what he's telling the disciples is, even when you are faithful, here's what's better than that, I will always be

faithful to you. And then Peter. Peter's thought, it's been a good opportunity for me. Say a couple things. Jesus just said, it is written. Every single one of you will fall away. And Peter says, verse 33, Nuh, Jesus, why don't you sit right there

and let me tell you how it's done? I know I'm quoting Charlie Daniels' man, but still, that's what he's saying. You think you know how this is going. Let me tell you what I'm going to do. You know who has. two thumbs and won't betray you, this guy. This is what he's doing, man. You know what he's not doing is being poor in spirit? He's being proud in spirit. And look at it. It's bold, man. This thing would

go viral on TikTok. It would. He's like, Peter answered him, though they all fall away. He's pointing at everybody. Look at these losers. I'm not like these losers. I mean Bartholomew. Who even is he? We don't know anything about him. I've been in three years. He hadn't talked one time. Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away. All right, Peter. Verse 34, and Jesus said to him, truly, I tell you, you're going first. This very night before the rooster crows, you will deny me not one, not to who, but three times. You're worse than you think, Peter, verse 35, and Peter said to him, no-uh. He's arguing with Jesus about the future.

Do you know why? Because Peter is counting on Peter. Peter said, even if I must die with you, I will not deny you. And then all the disciples said, what he said. They're like, we're in. Hey, let's just be honest, man. Peter makes promises that he won't keep. You ever do that?

You ever pray this prayer? God, if you just get me out of this one, I'll never do it again. Remember? Your girlfriend was holding your hair back? Remember? Just get Lord pleat, right? Promises in the flesh won't last very long, man. This is why what you need is not a little motivational speech from you.

And I'm going to be honest, I can rock a motivational speech. I am. I'm like Kirby, smart in the locker room at halftime, minus all the cuss words. I can motivate you, but how long does it last? We have heard from our parking team that it's, It doesn't make it to the parking lot, by the way. I have heard on firsthand testimony that during saturated, somebody called one of our parking team members a demon.

That's awesome. Be very careful about emotional promises to Jesus based on your own power. They rarely last. You see, we are to never graduate from blessed or the poor in spirit. For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. What Jesus says is that this thing is written that you will abandon me. It's part of the plan. And how many of you know that we learn the most about who we are and how much God loves us,

not on the mountaintop, but in the lowest parts of our life? Have you noticed that? And here's what's crazy. In our relentless pursuit for comfort in this world, in our community that we live in, in our pursuit of happiness, so many of us, our number one prayer request is, God, please take me out of the uncomfortable situation that I, I'm in. And I think God's like, what are you talking about? The whole point is for you to be conformed to the image and likeness of Christ. And where do you think that happens? It happens in the fire. Not sitting on your couch watching television. Jesus is like, listen, boys, you're

about to learn the most about your walk with me that you've ever learned by the grace that you're going to receive when you fall flat on your face and you realize now I can look up to see that I need help. I've told you this a million times. when I read this, it reminds me of when I was coaching football at Providence, man, coaching these boys, and we're in the weight room. And they are working out like pretty boy beach boys. That's what they're doing. Because we live at the beach, and everybody wants to look good with their sleeveless shirts on.

And so, listen, man, we're trying to train up football players. And all they're doing is biceps and triceps. Bro, you don't use your biceps in football instead of the pick up your helmet to put it on. so you can go knock somebody to heaven. Kirby almost came out in me. No, man, you can do hard things. You got to get under that squat rack, and you've got to work on that base,

and you've got to go deep, and you've got to do heavy lunges and power cleanses. You know, you've got to deadlift. You've got to do hard things, and I'm in there, and I'm watching them all just half-downer talking, and they're just with their phones. I'm like, oh, my gosh. I'm going to murder somebody here, in the name of God.

And I screamed out, What are you doing? Hell, look at me, scared. I mean, you've got to lift. You got to lift hard. Everybody wants to be strong and nobody wants to be sore. And I thought, well, that's the American church.

Everybody wants to be conformed into the image and likeness of Christ. You just don't want to follow Christ to the cross. Jesus said, you want to follow me? Daily, pick up your cross and follow me. There is no resurrection without a crucifixion. I have been crucified with Christ. It's no longer I who live.

But Christ who lives in me. If you want Christ in your life, you're signing up for a crucifixion. And Jesus is saying, hey, listen, man, you can fail miserably. But I've got really good news. The cross is out of us all. It will not define you. I will define you. In verse 36, then Jesus takes the boys with him to a place called Gethymony.

This is going to be the second most painful experience of Jesus' life. Githsemony is an olive grove. It's at the bottom of the mount of olives. The word Githeminine means crushing. It's a place of crushing. And the Bible says that he would often go there to pray. And so Jesus went with him to a place called Gethsymany, and he said to his disciples, sit here while I go over there.

and pray, and Jesus is not just picking a random place. It's called the place of crushing, and what they would do is this is where they would make olive oil in the first century, and the way that you make olive oil is that you crush olives. That's how you get olive oil. And the first time I was there, every time we go, we go to the Garden of Githemite. And when you, and the archaeologists have found a first century olive press. It's this big stone vat thing, and there's this big stone vat thing, and there's this big, millstone and then you put the olives in there and then you crush them with this stone and it is a

picture of what Jesus is about to go through. There's actually three different presses or crushings that they do to olives. The first one is they just collect the olives and they put it in a bag and they just stack the bags and these sacks on top of each other and it's just the weight of the olives press out the first part of the olive oil and this is what's called extra virgin olive oil. That's how they get it. It's just the weight. And Jesus is going to go through this in the Garden of Gassimini. It's his first crushing.

John Owen says he begins to feel the penalty for sin because he, for the first time in eternity feels a separation from God. And then after the first crushing, oh, and by the way, that before the like clear, pure, extra virgin olive oil comes out, the first thing that comes out of the olive is this deep purple and red fluid. And just a minute, Jesus is going to fall on his face and he's going to pray with such intensity that he sweats like drops of blood. And so after that first pressing, then they take the olives and they put them in that thing and they put that big grinder on it and they just grind them up to a pulp. This is where you get like olive spread.

And Jesus is going to be arrested. He's going to be tried. He's going to go to three different trials with Herod, with Caiaphas, and finally with Pontius Pilate. And in every single one, he's going to be used and abused. He's going to be beaten. He's going to be stripped and naked. They're going to pluck out his beard.

They're going to press a crown of thorns down upon his head. They're going to take a cat of nangtails, and they're going to whip him until an inch of his life, the second crushing. And then when they get finished with the olive press, they take the pit or the core of the olive, and they smash them into nothing. And Jesus will be crucified on a cross. Just like they crushed the olives, he will be crushed.

And of all the places in the world, Jesus is like, hey, let's go to the Garden of Crushing, because I need to pray. In verse 37, in taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, that's James and John, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Real quick, do you have friends like that? I hope and pray, I know I talk about this all the time, because it's one of the most important things that the Bible tells us.

We need each other. Do you have the kind of friends that when you feel like you're being crushed under the weight of this world, whether it's your decisions or somebody else's decision against you or whatever it is, man? Do you have the kind of people when you feel sorrowful when you are in a spot that you can say, hey, I need three of you or four of you to come with me and to fight for me and to pray with me. Around here we call them mat carriers. We get it from Matthew, I mean, Mark, Chapter 2. There was a guy who was paralyzed on a mat and he had four friends and they each picked up a corner of the mat.

And they were willing at great expense and cost to themselves to do whatever it took to drag that brother to Jesus. Do you have friends like that? And if not, why? Why? Because please don't believe the lie that like many American men believe, well, I got this. Bro, you ain't got this. Because listen to me. I know you're awesome.

But Jesus, the second person of the Trinity, God the Son, who by his very power spoke all things into existence and his power holds all things together. And everything that is, both seen and unseen, was made by him, for him, through him and to him. And yet he found himself in a place in his life where he, He was like, I can't do this on my own. Will you please come watch and pray with me? So if he needed that in his life, then who the heck do you think you are to think I got this? You're like, well, where do I find people like this?

Disciple group. That's why we have a disciple group. You're like, well, I went to one. I didn't like it. Try another one. You went to a restaurant. You didn't give them on eating. It matters like crazy.

And maybe you've been to one and be like, well, I didn't really get much out of it. Have you ever considered that it might not be what you get it? out of it, but what you bring to it that actually matters? That there's some other people in our church that are being denied a mat carrier because you won't humble yourself and pick up a corner of their mat. We need each other, folks. We need each other. And you know, I'm like, well, I'll pray about it.

No, you won't. How dare you blame it on God. I'm telling you, it is very clear. We are created as image bears of God. God in none of us itself is a perfect relationship. We were wired for relationships. You should be in a disciple group by tomorrow. You can just walk out in the lobby.

There'll be people there by the connect center, but he was talking to me. I'm the idiot. Like, great, we got a group for you. It's called all the groups. So he's like, hey, boys, you three. Peter, James, John, will you come with me? Verse 38, and he said to them, my soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Remain here and watch with me.

You ever felt that? Anybody ever suffer with anxiety and depression? I don't think I can make it. Jesus knows exactly how you feel. The Bible says that he begins to pray with such intensity that he sweats like drops of blood. One of the primary questions people will ask, especially people that don't believe in God,

they'll ask this, if God is good, why would he allow so much suffering? That's a good question. I mean, I can answer it, but that's a good question. But would you consider this? We serve a God that is not just observing suffering from afar. but God became a man and suffered more than any ever human being has ever suffered and unjustly so. Some of the suffering that we go through is our own dang fault or somebody else's fault.

He did nothing wrong and he chooses to go through this suffering for us. How about explain that one to me? Then I'll answer your question. And he feels like he's going to die. And notice he doesn't keep it to himself. He tells his friends, if you've ever had some kind of thought like that, man, you need to tell. somebody because gross things grow in the dark. And if you fight the devil into the dark, you're going to get your tail kicked.

But when you shine the light of the love of Christ on these things, then darkness has to flee. And then going a little farther, he fell on his face. And he prayed, saying, my father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will. Do you realize what he's praying here? the NIV translates it this way. Father, if there be any other way, let this cup pass from me.

You know what he's saying? You know what one of the primary objections people have to the claims of Christianity is the uniqueness of Jesus? They're like, what do you mean he's the only way? You believe that he's the only way? First of all, it don't matter what I believe. I mean, it matters for me in my eternity,

but it don't matter to anybody else. I'm just quoting what he said. he said, I am the way, the truth, and the life, and no one comes to the Father except through me. Sounds like he's the only way, doesn't it? You know why? Because words have meaning, and that's what those words mean. And so what Jesus is saying is like, okay, God, if there's another way to reconcile sinful humanity with a holy God, then why in the heck am I going to die on the cross?

That would be trivial if Jesus didn't have to pay for our sin. If there be any other way, let this come. cup, the cup that he's talking about, according to the Old Testament, this is one of the primary illustrations they would use of the wrath of God that is stored up against sinners and sin, because all sin must be paid for because God is a holy and just God. And so it's like, Dad, if there's, like, if you can just be good enough or be pretty good, or if one of those other guys are right and you can align your chakra or just, you know, get reincarnated enough times or obey the law or seems like an awful waste of my blood.

Father, if there be any other way, let this cup pass from me. Not my will, but your will be done. Verse 40, and he came to the disciples, and he found him sleeping. And he says, Peter, so could you not watch with me for one hour, watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation? The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. I will never be able to read those verses the same again after listening to Robbie Gallagher sermon, Wednesday of Saturate. if you missed it, your assignment is to watch it before tomorrow. I'm serious, man.

He asks this question, are you asleep in the garden? And one of the things we'll find out, and whenever it comes up in the text soon, that Peter is going to fail miserably in the courtyard. He's going to deny Christ for the third time. And he says failure in the courtyard is because he was asleep in the garden. He says, watch and pray. And then look what happens in verse 42. And again, for the second time, Jesus went away and prayed.

my father if this cannot pass unless I drink it your will be done you realize what's going on here you ever pray for something and not get what you want it happened to Jesus and he's perfect he's perfect you ever come back to God and be like hey it's me again uh about that thing I was trying to tell you that you should do for me Jesus does it too but here's the difference here's what you do when you don't get what you ask from God. Number one, you keep praying. Number two, you trust God. And number three, you do whatever he tells you to do because you have no idea what hangs in the balance. His ways are always better than our ways. 43. And again, he came and found him sleeping for their eyes were heavy. Listen, listen. What he's talking to his father about is dying on a cross

for the redemption of humanity. Humanity is not making a great case as to why they should be redeemed. Do you understand what I'm saying? It's not like every time he comes back. The disciples are like, oh, praise Jesus, you're back. We love you. We're going to take the gospel to the ends of the earth. They're not doing that at all. Every time he comes back, he's like, people, being people, man. And yet he dies for us anyway. This is a one-way love. And again, he came and he found them sleeping for their eyes were heavy. And so leaving them again, he went away, and he prayed for the third time, saying the same words again. And then he came to the disciples

and he said to them sleep and take your rest later on. See the hour is at hand. The son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be gone. See, my betrayer is at hand. If you ever go to Israel with you, I'm going to with me and I'll take you to the Garden of Gassimini. And one of the things that you'll see

is that if you're in the place where they believe Jesus was praying, It's like the bottom of the Mount of Olives. Then there's this little valley. It's not very big. It's called the Kidgeron Valley. And on the other side of it, not very far at all. Then there's the eastern wall of Jerusalem.

And it's eye level. And there's no lights and there's no street lamps and there's no cars driving by. It's what we call country dark. And Jesus looks over and he sees a garrison of Roman. soldiers being led by Judas and he can see him and he goes boys here they come and then you know what he does he does not let fear paralyzing by faith he takes the steps into the assignment that the father has given to him and he heads to the cross for the redemption of all mankind and a part of the reason that Jesus institutes the Lord's supper is so that his

people would never forget the cross. And so we are going to celebrate the Lord's supper and then we're going to sing a hymn and nobody's going to leave until we get done with that. And so if the ushers would start handing out the elements and I know if you grew up in church you have done this maybe a bunch of times. So let me give you a couple of pastoral

encouragement. This is the Lord's table. This ain't my table. But it is the Lord's table. So be honest with yourself. If Jesus is not your Lord, I'm sharing this out of love, based on some things that Paul says to the church in Corinth, you don't want to take of the body and blood of Jesus because you're just inviting the judgment of God upon yourself. So just pass, no problem. But if Jesus is your Lord, regardless of the denomination you're from, it don't matter. We kind of made all that stuff up anyway. This is the Lord's table. If you believe that when Jesus down on the cross, somehow that counted for you, then please partake. And in fact, maybe right now, you want to put your faith in Jesus. And part of the first step of obedience for you is that you would partake for the first time

as a follower of Jesus. Then feel free. That's between you and the Lord. And so as we just read, they were celebrating the Passover meal and so they gathered together and there were all these different things that they were eating but it hinged around the unleavened bread and the cup. And in the Passover that we read about in Exodus it's the reason that the bread was unleavened

is because when the final plague was going to hit Pharaoh once the first born of his house was gone he was like get out of here. And so Moses instructs the people when you bake bread we ain't got time for you to wait on it to rise so make unleavened bread sleep with your tennis shoes on tomorrow we're having to the promised land that's why they had unleavened bread and the reason they had the wine it was to remember the blood of the lamb that was put on the doorpost of the house and so they sit down at the table

and these boys had celebrated this Passover meal every year of their life and again as i mentioned before what jesus is telling them is he is personalizing it he is taking the Passover meal which is to a historical event in the Old Testament, and he's elevating it and personalizing it to what's happening right there and right then. And he takes the bread, and he's supposed to say rabbi stuff about Moses and the Exodus, and he doesn't. He takes the bed and he breaks it, and he says, this is my body broken for you. And I think, they're thinking, do what? They have no idea what he's talking about. Until the next morning,

when they see his broken body at the cross, then and only then do they begin to realize that he is enduring the full wrath of God to be broken for our sin so that we don't have to be. And he says, this is my body broken for you. And as often as you eat of it, you do so in remembrance of me.

And then he takes the cup. And I imagine the disciples are like, what is he going to say now? And he holds up the cup, and we just read it earlier, and he says this. These are some of the most hopeful words you'll ever hear in your entire life. And he says, this is the cup of the new covenant. Now, if you're new to Bible study, covenant and testament mean the same thing. So the Old Testament is an old covenant. And it's a covenant of law.

and the New Testament is a new covenant instituted by Jesus for anyone who believes and it's a covenant of grace and when we look at what we just read about in the Garden of Gassimony what Jesus says is Father if there be any other way let this cup pass from me that was the cup of the wrath of God

and what he's going to do the next day on the cross is he's going to endure the full wrath of God that he's not just going to die for us He's going to die instead of us. Paul in his second letter to the Corinthians, chapter 5, verse 21 will say it this way. And God made Him, who is without sin, to be sin for us, that we would be made the righteousness of Christ. Let me explain it, and just like regular talk. That on the cross, Jesus took on our sin, past, present, and future.

and he endured the full righteous judgment of a righteous and holy God. And he drank the cup of the wrath of God down to the very last drop. And he pushed up on his nail pierce feet and he declared, it is finished. It is paid in full. And anyone who would believe that when Jesus died on the cross, somehow that counted for me, then we are imputed with Christ's righteous life.

and that gives us a right standing before God. So because Jesus drank of the cup of the wrath of God, for anyone who believes we are invited to drink of the cup of the grace of God. This is a joyous occasion. And he says it this way. He says, and you do so in remembrance of me. If you look this word up in Greek, it doesn't just mean remember that. Like, oh yeah, Jesus died on the cross 2,000 years ago.

No, no, no, no. You go and you grab that actual event that happened and you bring it up to today because it is a current and present reality. The best thing I can think of is this is when Gretchen and I every year celebrate our anniversary. We don't just remember that we said I do 26 years ago. What we're saying is we still do today because of that covenant we made back then. Every single time you drink of the cup of the grace of God and you remember that He saved you, you remember that you're still in that covenant right now.

So as often as you drink of this, you do so in remembrance of me. And then the Bible says, we just read it, that they all stuck around and they sang a hymn. And that's what we're going to do. And so we're going to close like we close. We're going to sing. And so if you're saved, you ought to sing like it. And we're going to sing, man.

We're going to sing about the blood of Jesus. And we're going to bring our ties and our offerings as an act of worship. And we're going to pray. And it's like Jesus told Peter, Peter, watch and pray so that you won't fall to temptation. So the only people that need to come and pray are those of you that get tempted every once in a while. All the perfect people, you can stay right where you are. So would you please stand? let me pray for you and then we'll respond.

Our good and gracious Heavenly Father, God, we love you more than anything because you first loved us. Lord, I thank you that this is love, not that we first loved you, but you first loved us. And you sent Jesus as the propitiation for our sin, the payment that satisfies. And so, God, if we are in Christ, that means you are not dissatisfied in us,

but because Christ satisfied the law of God, the justice of God. And we are in Christ, and Christ is in us, that we get to stand. righteous before you. And so God, I thank you that our past doesn't define us, our worst days. Don't tell us who we are. Only you get to tell us who we are.

And in you, you call us sons and daughters, and we are invited to your table. And so, Lord, we need your help. We can't do this without you. So, Lord, would you meet with us once again? Would you empower us to be the people you have called us to be to a lost and broken world? We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen. So let's sing, let's bring, let's pray. Let's respond.