July 7, 2025 • 28 mins
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The betrayal and abandonment of Jesus stands as one of the most pivotal moments in human history. This powerful episode examines Mark 14:43 and the events in the Garden of Gethsemane when Jesus was arrested, betrayed by Judas with a kiss and the duplicitous greeting of "Rabbi, Rabbi."
We explore the profound significance of Judas' hypocritical words, unpacking how throughout Scripture, repeating someone's name carried special weight—indicating deep emotion or emphasis. From God calling "Abraham, Abraham" to Jesus weeping "Jerusalem, Jerusalem," this pattern reveals heart posture. Yet Jesus warns that merely saying "Lord, Lord" without truly knowing Him leads to spiritual disaster. Judas exemplifies the gap between religious language and authentic relationship.
The desertion becomes total as Peter attempts a misguided defense by cutting off Malchus' ear before fleeing with the other disciples. Even the likely author of Mark's Gospel—the mysterious young man who escapes naked when soldiers grab his garment—abandons Jesus. This complete forsaking fulfills Jesus' prophecy that "the shepherd would be struck and the sheep scattered."
Most significantly, we witness the divine exchange that forms the heart of Christianity. As Jesus cries "My God, why have you forsaken me?" from the cross, we see 2 Corinthians 5:21 fulfilled: "He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." Jesus took our sin and gave us His righteousness.
When we truly grasp this exchange, we understand that when God looks at those who are in Christ, He sees not our failures but Christ's perfection. Not because of anything we've done, but because of everything Christ did. If you're struggling with guilt or feeling unworthy, remember that Jesus was completely forsaken so you could be completely accepted.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:09):
Mark 14, 43.
Alright, so we are closing inon the cross here in the book of
Mark.
It is Thursday night in ourreckoning, in the Jewish
reckoning it's good to kind ofget a grasp on this it's really
the beginning of Friday.
As the sun goes down there,thursday night, friday is
(00:30):
beginning in the Jewish mind,and so this is Passover day.
As Jesus spends time with hisdisciples, he celebrates the
Passover meal Before the sunwill go down again, jesus will
have died on the cross as theLamb of God who takes away the
sin of the world.
That Passover fulfillment there.
(00:52):
And so we are in the gardenGarden of Gethsemane, across
from the temple, there, acrossthe valley, in the garden, and
Jesus has been sharing some lastminute truths with his
disciples.
He has been praying to theFather and he has encouraged his
(01:13):
disciples to watch and pray.
The spirit is willing, but theflesh is weak Now.
He shared many other truths,shared many other truths, but it
seems as if the one there inverse 27 is kind of the mood
(01:33):
that's all around this passage,verse 27,.
Jesus says all of you will bemade to stumble because of me
this night, for it is written, Iwill strike the shepherd and
the sheep will be scattered.
So Jesus shares a version ofZachariah 13, verse 7, strike
the shepherd and the sheep willbe scattered.
And that's exactly what's goingto happen before the end of our
(01:56):
time today All of his discipleswill be scattered.
Jesus will be struck and hewill be taken.
All of them will be scatteredand he will be alone.
So notice here in verse 43, aswe read and immediately, while
he was still speaking, judas,one of the 12, with a great
(02:18):
multitude with swords and clubs,came from the chief priests and
the scribes and the elders.
Now his betrayer had given thema signal saying whomever I kiss
, he is the one.
Seize him and lead him awaysafely.
As soon as he had come,immediately he went up to him,
jesus, and said to him Rabbi,rabbi, and kissed him.
(02:43):
And they laid their hands onhim and took him, and one of
those who stood by drew hissword and struck the servant of
the high priest and cut off hisear.
And Jesus answered and said tothem have you come out as
against a robber with swords,clubs to take me?
I was daily with you in thetemple teaching, and you did not
(03:05):
seize me, but that scripturesmight be fulfilled.
Then they all forsook him andfled.
So here Jesus in the garden.
He has predicted that Judaswill come and betray him.
But you picture it?
He's there in the garden.
(03:25):
He's been praying and all atonce, as we have there at the
end of verse 41, he says thehour has come.
Behold, the Son of man is beingbetrayed into the hands of
sinners.
Rise, let us be going.
See, my betrayer is at hand.
You can picture it.
There in that quiet garden,jesus is praying.
And here comes these torches ata distance.
(03:49):
This mob probably about 600people are involved in this.
John gives us a better numberof that.
About 600 people are coming tothe garden and you can see the
torches coming.
As he looks over, he says see,my betrayer is at hand.
And at that point everythingchanges and Judas enters the
(04:17):
garden and things are about togo down.
Now John gives us a little moredetail in John chapter 18.
He says, as this mob comes,that he asks them who are you
seeking?
And they respond Jesus ofNazareth.
(04:38):
And Jesus there in John 18verse 5, says I am he.
Actually, he said I am is whatthat would be in the original
language I am the name of God,that God spoke to Moses in
Exodus, chapter 3.
So as this goes down and thepeople come towards me, he says
that's me, I am.
(04:58):
And they all, it says, fallbackwards.
This whole mob falls backwardsto the ground and once again
Jesus says who are you lookingfor?
And they say, well, we'relooking for Jesus of Nazareth,
probably wiping their eyes andgoing what just happened here.
And he says again I am.
And all of this to say thatnobody took Jesus' life.
(05:23):
He laid it down, he was incontrol.
That's all that was really toprove.
Now Judas approaches and there'stwo acts that we see here.
Judas had given them thissignal.
The one whom I kiss We'll talkabout that in a second and that
(05:45):
really is the way that heidentifies Jesus from everybody
else in this dark garden.
A kiss, now.
We struggle with this inAmerican society, right?
Some of y'all are okay.
Some of us guys are okay with ahug.
Hey, bro, hug.
You know kind of thing Startswith the handshake, ends with
the hug.
We're okay with that.
(06:06):
Some are a little freaked outby that.
In other places in the worldit's a kiss, right.
So picture it.
It's that kind of muah muahthat we see, in those you know,
eastern European or MiddleEastern countries, you'd be a
little freaked out if somebodycame up and kissed you like that
, but it's just a way ofgreeting in that time and in
(06:26):
that place.
In this case too, it's a signof respect A disciple to his
teacher.
So Judas says this is how I'llidentify him to you guys, with a
kiss Mwah mwah.
Right, and he does Now.
The other thing that Judas doesis he says Rabbi, rabbi.
(06:54):
Now, in this we see hishypocrisy, right, because he
could have just said Rabbi.
But he says Rabbi, rabbi Now tous.
We go.
Well, that's just Bible talk,right?
Isn't that how they just spokeback then it's verily, verily, I
say unto thee.
You know, it wasn't Not even inthis day.
To say something twice meantthat you were really putting an
(07:16):
emphasis on it.
There's only about 15 times inthe Bible where somebody
mentions the other person's nametwice like this.
In Genesis 22,.
Abraham is about ready toplunge the knife into his son
Isaac and God says Abraham,abraham, let me get your
attention, don't do it Now.
(07:39):
I know that you wouldn't evenwithhold your only son, moses,
when he's there in the deserttaking care of sheep and God
appears to him in the burningbush.
He says Moses, moses, samuel.
When he's a little child asleep, god comes to him and says
Samuel, samuel, david.
At the death of his son,absalom, at the death of his son
(08:01):
, absalom says Absalom, my son,absalom, my son.
And it's this deep kind ofthing in his heart.
Elisha says of Elijah, whenhe's being taken up in a chariot
of fire my father, my father,the chariots of the Lord.
And so we see in the OldTestament, when you really
(08:23):
wanted to kind of emphasize somepassion, you said it twice In
the New Testament, jesus isspeaking to Martha.
You remember Martha, good heart,a good worker.
She points to her sister, Mary,who's sitting at Jesus feet,
says well, why are you going tolet her just sit around?
Have her help me, for goodnesssake.
Feet.
He says well, why are you goingto let her just sit around?
Have her help me, for goodnesssake.
(08:44):
And Jesus says Martha, martha,you're busy about a lot of
things, but one thing is needfulGetting her attention.
Jesus, when he tells Peter thathe's going to deny him, stops
him and says Simon, simon,before this night is over,
(09:07):
you're going to deny that.
You even know me A little later.
Just a couple more examples.
A little later there's Saul,saul of Tarsus, who's
persecuting the church.
He's on his way to Damascus andJesus knocks him to the ground
and says Saul, saul, why are youpersecuting me?
So shows that that intensity,when you say it twice.
(09:33):
Matthew 23, the end there youremember.
Jesus faces off with thereligious leaders and there at
the end, he breaks down in tearsand he says Jerusalem,
jerusalem, the one who kills theprophets.
How often I've wanted to bringyou in, like a mother hen brings
(09:56):
her chicks in, but you were notwilling.
And you see that passion on thecross.
Jesus, just a few hours fromthis point, would say Eloi, eloi
lama sabachthani, my God, myGod, why have you forsaken me?
And you see that real intensity, that real don't miss it, kind
(10:17):
of thing.
But we see another point whereJesus mentions this, and let's
turn so we can get our fingersmoving this morning.
Matthew, chapter 7.
Matthew, chapter 7.
It's the end of the Sermon onthe Mount.
(10:38):
And in verse 21, jesus sayssomething that's a little
terrifying, at least enough tomake us think.
Verse 21, jesus says this Noteveryone who says to me, lord,
lord, shall enter the kingdom ofheaven, but he who does the
(11:01):
will of my Father in heaven.
Many will say to me on that day,lord Lord, have we not
prophesied in your name, castout demons in your name, done
many wonders in your name?
And then I will declare to themI never knew you.
Depart from me, you whopractice lawlessness.
So we see here, and those thatsay Lord, lord, good
(11:28):
Christianese, right, it's a goodChristian thing to say Lord,
lord, but it's not enough, lord,lord, didn't we cast out demons
and do all sorts of wonderfulthings in your name?
And Jesus says but I'll say tothem I never knew you.
So there's a difference betweenjust saying Lord, lord, and
really knowing God.
(11:51):
Judas had the words rabbi, rabbi, teacher, almost a oh teacher.
Oh, oh, captain, my captain,right, almost that kind of thing
.
Oh, teacher, my teacher, andyet it was so meaningless.
Oh, teacher, my teacher, andyet it was so meaningless.
(12:11):
We can't just rely on words andChristian needs.
I get a little sketchy when Ianalyze other people's lives, of
course, right, who are just sogood at oh God bless you,
brother, how are you today?
I'm just blessed, right, and Idon't know what it is.
Some program, something you know, teaches people at times, in
fact the church itself.
Sometimes we teach people, youknow, don't say you were lucky,
(12:33):
say you were blessed, and that'snot bad, that's good truth.
But we get where we can say allthe right things oh brother,
I'm just blessed today and yetJesus says it's not enough.
Teacher, my teacher, it's notenough and we better think about
that.
I don't know that we need tolike overthink that, but where's
(12:55):
our heart?
Because it's more than justhaving the words to say Lord,
lord, but it's truly knowing him.
And we see that with Judas here.
Judas is just a terrifyingperson because he spent like
three years with Jesus.
He participated in the miraclesas Jesus sent them out, and
(13:17):
even that night, when Jesus toldhis disciples one of you is
going to be betrayed, theydidn't go.
Judas, I knew it, like he hadhorns sticking out from his hair
, you know they all wondered tothemselves is it I?
So they actually thought it wasjust as possible.
It could have been them, asthat it could have been Judas.
(13:40):
Nobody knew.
He played his cards well.
And yet here Judas is just abig fake and we see here that
Judas the hypocrite, he reallyofficially departs.
Now it's a sad story.
When you read about Judas.
He has remorse for what he did.
(14:01):
He goes and he throws the coinsback into the temple and they
said what's that to us?
You take care of it, it's notour problem.
And Judas, it says, went outand hung himself.
He had remorse, had guilt, buthe had no repentance.
He didn't turn to Jesus.
Now, this is my opinion.
I think he had just as muchpossibility of being forgiven as
(14:24):
anybody else.
There's no sin that can't beforgiven, and I understand Judas
a little different deal.
But if he had turned to Jesus,I think he could have been
forgiven.
Forgiveness is that deep.
But he didn't.
And so Judas leaves the storyat this point.
Now that's not exactlysurprising to us, because we
(14:46):
knew this all along about Judas.
But what is surprising is ourman, peter, right, and he's the
guy we read about here inMatthew 14.
As all of this goes down, verse47, one of those who stood by
drew his sword and struck theservant of the high priest and
cut off his ear.
Well, john has no problemtelling us that that was Peter
(15:10):
who did it.
A little bit of rivalry there,maybe, between John and Peter in
John's gospel, but he has noproblem saying yeah, that was
Peter.
Peter took out a sword.
Peter chopped off the highpriest's servant's ear, and John
tells us that the high priest'sservant's name was Malchus.
So we can put some flesh onthis guy.
Malchus, the servant of thehigh priest, probably got hit
(15:35):
because he was the leastthreatening person around there.
Right, he's just there for theservant.
The high priest probably didn'teven have a sword or anything.
And Peter goes and slices hisear off, poor Malchus, right, he
cuts his ear off.
And Luke, I believe it is, tellsus that the final miracle that
(15:57):
Jesus performed was to touchMalchus' ear and undo that mess
that Peter made so good of Jesusto do that.
And Jesus tells him in John'sgospel, I believe put your sword
away.
Those who live by the sword dieby the sword, didn't you know?
(16:17):
I could call legions of angelsto save me right now.
And so Peter's in the fleshWe've seen it all along.
But he tries his best, right,he tries his best to make things
right, and Peter's going toleave Jesus.
(16:38):
But notice verse 48.
Jesus answered and said to themyou come out to me like I'm a
robber, with swords and clubs totake me.
I was with you daily in thetemple teaching and you did not
seize me.
Jesus lets him know.
Hey, why are you taking me atnight?
Why are you coming with swords?
I've been in the temple allweek long teaching and sharing
(17:00):
and doing these things.
He didn't take me there.
Well, the reason why, of course,is because the religious
leaders didn't want to make abig fuss about it.
They wanted Jesus gone, butthey didn't want the people to
riot.
There were some that really,you know, followed Jesus.
They didn't want there to be ariot in Jerusalem.
So their intent was to take himquietly at night.
(17:21):
They used Judas to do that, inthe darkness of the garden and
before people knew what washappening.
He would be dead if they had ittheir way.
But notice, all of that goesdown in verse 50.
We read then they all forsookhim and fled.
Really, it's that fulfillmentof what Jesus said Strike the
(17:43):
shepherd and the sheep willscatter.
And all of them forsook him.
Picture that.
All of his friends forsook him.
Jesus was alone.
Now, in verse 51, we have onemore person in this strange
account that has to forsakeJesus.
(18:03):
Notice there, in verse 51.
Now a certain young manfollowed him, having a linen
cloth thrown around his nakedbody and the young man laid hold
of him and he left the linencloth and fled from them naked.
So interesting story here.
You've got to wonder what inthe world is going on.
(18:25):
Why this guy?
There's a guy, a young man.
He's wrapped in like a sheet,more or less, and he's there
seeing the whole thing go downand when things get crazy they
pull at him, they try to grabhim and take him in.
He rolls out of that sheet.
He runs away naked.
Who is this guy?
(18:45):
Well, most commentators thinkthat this is probably Mark, our
author.
Mark, according to the book ofActs, chapter 12, verse 12,
lived in Jerusalem in a housewith his mother Mary.
There.
In Acts, chapter 12, peter isgoing to be in prison and the
whole church is there prayingfor Peter and God miraculously
(19:10):
releases Peter.
In Acts, chapter 12.
Peter comes to the door ofMark's house, his mother Mary's
house, knocks on the door.
Their servant, rhoda, comes andanswers the door and she's so
excited when she sees Peter thatshe runs away and slams the
door on him right and Godmiraculously delivers Peter from
(19:34):
prison.
Well, that was Mark's house.
Possible that Mark there?
Well, it was probable.
Mark lived in Jerusalem.
It's possible that the house ofthe last supper, many think was
at Mark's house.
And as things go down, mark,being inquisitive, says well,
(19:54):
I'm going to follow and see whathappens.
He's already ready for bed, sohe wraps himself in a sheet and
he goes there.
Mark perhaps is firsthandwitness to this thing in the
garden.
But but the thing that we noticehere, and where we're really
left, is that even the narratorleaves Jesus at this point.
(20:17):
Everyone leaves Jesus.
He's alone, 100% forsaken, evenon the cross, as Jesus suffered
and died.
He's alone.
It would seem that the sins ofall humanity were placed on him.
And there we already read it.
(20:38):
Jesus cries out with a loudvoice Eloi, eloi, lama
sabachthani, my God, my God, whyhave you forsaken me?
Now?
That was the point to Psalm 22.
You can read Psalm 22, and itfits up perfectly with the cross
.
It was prophesied way back inthe book of Psalms that his
(20:59):
hands and his feet would bepierced, that they would look
and shake their head and say hebelieved in God.
Let God save him.
And to the T, what goes down onthe cross?
Jesus said that he points toPsalm 22, but there was
something real that seemed to behappening there as Jesus went
to the cross.
(21:19):
Listen to this Isaiah 53, commonpassage, verse 4.
Surely he has borne our griefsand carried our sorrows, yet we
esteemed him.
Stricken, smitten by God andafflicted.
He was wounded for ourtransgressions, he was bruised
for our iniquities.
The chastisement for our peacewas upon him and by his stripes
(21:42):
we were healed.
So Isaiah tells us that on thecross, jesus took our sin upon
himself.
He died as a perfect sacrificefor your sin and mine.
And there I don't understand thetheology of it, god being
omnipresent and all of thesethings.
(22:02):
It seems that holy God turnedaway from his son as he took the
sin of the world upon himself,that he was forsaken even by his
father, that he was forsakeneven by his father, forsaken
because of our sin.
Well, let's turn one last place, so early.
Turn to 2 Corinthians, a placethat we land on often pretty
(22:35):
powerful passage, 2 Corinthians5, one worth memorizing for sure
.
Verse 21 tells us a little bitmore.
Paul tells us a little bit moreof what happened there on the
cross, 2 Corinthians 5, 21,.
On the cross, he made him, whoknew no sin, to be sin for us,
(22:59):
that we might become therighteousness of God in him.
And so we see this reallystrong truth here that on the
cross Jesus was made sin.
It was made sin for us.
So picture that, your sin andmy sin.
Now some would argue that it'slimited the sin that Jesus died
(23:24):
for.
I believe it was a sin of thewhole world, as 1 John says, it
was everybody, it was all sin,think about it, all the
nastiness that we're capable of,all the atrocities of history.
Jesus paid the price for thatsin, not anything we have to
argue about, but he became sinfor us.
(23:46):
He took on your sin, man.
There are things in my life Istill look back on and I have
strong regrets because I knowI'm forgiven, but that sin is
still in my mind.
I did it, I'm guilty, but yetJesus paid the price as a
sacrifice for all of our sin.
(24:08):
Let's look at it again 2Corinthians 5.21,.
For he made him, who knew nosin, to be sin for us.
That's good news.
He takes sin upon himself.
But notice what it says afterthat, that we might become the
righteousness of God in him.
And there's this kind oftransfer that happens at the
(24:31):
cross.
If we receive it right, if wecome to the cross and we truly
do receive it.
He takes our sin and we get hisrighteousness.
Man, there is no day that I'veever had where I go.
I've been perfectly righteoustoday.
There has absolutely never beena day where I look and go.
(24:52):
You know, I kind of nailed itright there, just all across the
board Never.
But when God looks at us inChrist and that's important in
Christ we're a new creation,we're righteous.
Now we still mess up, but whenGod sees us, he sees the
righteousness of Jesus.
(25:13):
You know, when your kids have agood day, you know you smile.
Sometimes.
Rough day my kids are perfect,right, girls.
But you know, sometimes youknow, kind of you don't smile
quite as big, right.
But God, when he looks at us inChrist, he sees perfection.
And it's so good to know thatevery time you come to God in
(25:37):
Christ, he just smiles and goes.
Couldn't have done better.
I'm so pleased.
Perfect, you did it all.
Relationship is solid.
It's just perfect because ofwhat Jesus did for us.
And so we look at this thing ofJesus being forsaken for us,
(25:58):
100% forsaken.
All of his friends, all of hisfollowers, even, to some degree,
the father.
Why have you forsaken me?
Forsaken for us to become sinfor us.
That's good news.
We're gonna need that this weekwhen we mess up.
What Jesus did is enough totake care of our sin, but also
(26:21):
to put on us righteousness,perfect righteousness, not
because of anything that we do,but because of Jesus.
That's good news, god.
It's one thing to talk about it, but it's another thing to just
know it in our hearts this week.
God, we need that.
But even more than that, I knowit's not just feeling good
(26:44):
about ourselves that you'relooking for God.
It's that we really do findourselves in Christ.
That when you died on that cross, jesus, you became sin for us
and it was our sin.
That cross, jesus, you becamesin for us and it was our sin
that brought you there.
And we've all sinned.
God, we understand that None ofus is perfect.
(27:05):
It was our sin, but, god, youloved us so much that, even
while we were still sinners,christ died for us that we could
be made clean, forgiven,perfect, righteous.
(27:29):
We could have an actualrelationship with you, just like
the Son.
God, it's so amazing that youwould love us like that, not
because of anything good thatwe've ever done, but just
because of you.
God, it's no small thing whatyou did on the cross for us.
I pray that we would take it toheart this week.
God, you would just again useyour word in our heart by your
spirit.
In Jesus' name, we pray Amen.
Mark 14, 43.
Alright, so we are closing inon the cross here in the book of
Mark.
It is Thursday night in ourreckoning, in the Jewish
reckoning it's good to kind ofget a grasp on this it's really
the beginning of Friday.
As the sun goes down there,thursday night, friday is
(00:30):
beginning in the Jewish mind,and so this is Passover day.
As Jesus spends time with hisdisciples, he celebrates the
Passover meal Before the sunwill go down again, jesus will
have died on the cross as theLamb of God who takes away the
sin of the world.
That Passover fulfillment there.
(00:52):
And so we are in the gardenGarden of Gethsemane, across
from the temple, there, acrossthe valley, in the garden, and
Jesus has been sharing some lastminute truths with his
disciples.
He has been praying to theFather and he has encouraged his
(01:13):
disciples to watch and pray.
The spirit is willing, but theflesh is weak Now.
He shared many other truths,shared many other truths, but it
seems as if the one there inverse 27 is kind of the mood
(01:33):
that's all around this passage,verse 27,.
Jesus says all of you will bemade to stumble because of me
this night, for it is written, Iwill strike the shepherd and
the sheep will be scattered.
So Jesus shares a version ofZachariah 13, verse 7, strike
the shepherd and the sheep willbe scattered.
And that's exactly what's goingto happen before the end of our
(01:56):
time today All of his discipleswill be scattered.
Jesus will be struck and hewill be taken.
All of them will be scatteredand he will be alone.
So notice here in verse 43, aswe read and immediately, while
he was still speaking, judas,one of the 12, with a great
(02:18):
multitude with swords and clubs,came from the chief priests and
the scribes and the elders.
Now his betrayer had given thema signal saying whomever I kiss
, he is the one.
Seize him and lead him awaysafely.
As soon as he had come,immediately he went up to him,
jesus, and said to him Rabbi,rabbi, and kissed him.
(02:43):
And they laid their hands onhim and took him, and one of
those who stood by drew hissword and struck the servant of
the high priest and cut off hisear.
And Jesus answered and said tothem have you come out as
against a robber with swords,clubs to take me?
I was daily with you in thetemple teaching, and you did not
(03:05):
seize me, but that scripturesmight be fulfilled.
Then they all forsook him andfled.
So here Jesus in the garden.
He has predicted that Judaswill come and betray him.
But you picture it?
He's there in the garden.
(03:25):
He's been praying and all atonce, as we have there at the
end of verse 41, he says thehour has come.
Behold, the Son of man is beingbetrayed into the hands of
sinners.
Rise, let us be going.
See, my betrayer is at hand.
You can picture it.
There in that quiet garden,jesus is praying.
And here comes these torches ata distance.
(03:49):
This mob probably about 600people are involved in this.
John gives us a better numberof that.
About 600 people are coming tothe garden and you can see the
torches coming.
As he looks over, he says see,my betrayer is at hand.
And at that point everythingchanges and Judas enters the
(04:17):
garden and things are about togo down.
Now John gives us a little moredetail in John chapter 18.
He says, as this mob comes,that he asks them who are you
seeking?
And they respond Jesus ofNazareth.
(04:38):
And Jesus there in John 18verse 5, says I am he.
Actually, he said I am is whatthat would be in the original
language I am the name of God,that God spoke to Moses in
Exodus, chapter 3.
So as this goes down and thepeople come towards me, he says
that's me, I am.
(04:58):
And they all, it says, fallbackwards.
This whole mob falls backwardsto the ground and once again
Jesus says who are you lookingfor?
And they say, well, we'relooking for Jesus of Nazareth,
probably wiping their eyes andgoing what just happened here.
And he says again I am.
And all of this to say thatnobody took Jesus' life.
(05:23):
He laid it down, he was incontrol.
That's all that was really toprove.
Now Judas approaches and there'stwo acts that we see here.
Judas had given them thissignal.
The one whom I kiss We'll talkabout that in a second and that
(05:45):
really is the way that heidentifies Jesus from everybody
else in this dark garden.
A kiss, now.
We struggle with this inAmerican society, right?
Some of y'all are okay.
Some of us guys are okay with ahug.
Hey, bro, hug.
You know kind of thing Startswith the handshake, ends with
the hug.
We're okay with that.
(06:06):
Some are a little freaked outby that.
In other places in the worldit's a kiss, right.
So picture it.
It's that kind of muah muahthat we see, in those you know,
eastern European or MiddleEastern countries, you'd be a
little freaked out if somebodycame up and kissed you like that
, but it's just a way ofgreeting in that time and in
(06:26):
that place.
In this case too, it's a signof respect A disciple to his
teacher.
So Judas says this is how I'llidentify him to you guys, with a
kiss Mwah mwah.
Right, and he does Now.
The other thing that Judas doesis he says Rabbi, rabbi.
(06:54):
Now, in this we see hishypocrisy, right, because he
could have just said Rabbi.
But he says Rabbi, rabbi Now tous.
We go.
Well, that's just Bible talk,right?
Isn't that how they just spokeback then it's verily, verily, I
say unto thee.
You know, it wasn't Not even inthis day.
To say something twice meantthat you were really putting an
(07:16):
emphasis on it.
There's only about 15 times inthe Bible where somebody
mentions the other person's nametwice like this.
In Genesis 22,.
Abraham is about ready toplunge the knife into his son
Isaac and God says Abraham,abraham, let me get your
attention, don't do it Now.
(07:39):
I know that you wouldn't evenwithhold your only son, moses,
when he's there in the deserttaking care of sheep and God
appears to him in the burningbush.
He says Moses, moses, samuel.
When he's a little child asleep, god comes to him and says
Samuel, samuel, david.
At the death of his son,absalom, at the death of his son
(08:01):
, absalom says Absalom, my son,absalom, my son.
And it's this deep kind ofthing in his heart.
Elisha says of Elijah, whenhe's being taken up in a chariot
of fire my father, my father,the chariots of the Lord.
And so we see in the OldTestament, when you really
(08:23):
wanted to kind of emphasize somepassion, you said it twice In
the New Testament, jesus isspeaking to Martha.
You remember Martha, good heart,a good worker.
She points to her sister, Mary,who's sitting at Jesus feet,
says well, why are you going tolet her just sit around?
Have her help me, for goodnesssake.
Feet.
He says well, why are you goingto let her just sit around?
Have her help me, for goodnesssake.
(08:44):
And Jesus says Martha, martha,you're busy about a lot of
things, but one thing is needfulGetting her attention.
Jesus, when he tells Peter thathe's going to deny him, stops
him and says Simon, simon,before this night is over,
(09:07):
you're going to deny that.
You even know me A little later.
Just a couple more examples.
A little later there's Saul,saul of Tarsus, who's
persecuting the church.
He's on his way to Damascus andJesus knocks him to the ground
and says Saul, saul, why are youpersecuting me?
So shows that that intensity,when you say it twice.
(09:33):
Matthew 23, the end there youremember.
Jesus faces off with thereligious leaders and there at
the end, he breaks down in tearsand he says Jerusalem,
jerusalem, the one who kills theprophets.
How often I've wanted to bringyou in, like a mother hen brings
(09:56):
her chicks in, but you were notwilling.
And you see that passion on thecross.
Jesus, just a few hours fromthis point, would say Eloi, eloi
lama sabachthani, my God, myGod, why have you forsaken me?
And you see that real intensity, that real don't miss it, kind
(10:17):
of thing.
But we see another point whereJesus mentions this, and let's
turn so we can get our fingersmoving this morning.
Matthew, chapter 7.
Matthew, chapter 7.
It's the end of the Sermon onthe Mount.
(10:38):
And in verse 21, jesus sayssomething that's a little
terrifying, at least enough tomake us think.
Verse 21, jesus says this Noteveryone who says to me, lord,
lord, shall enter the kingdom ofheaven, but he who does the
(11:01):
will of my Father in heaven.
Many will say to me on that day,lord Lord, have we not
prophesied in your name, castout demons in your name, done
many wonders in your name?
And then I will declare to themI never knew you.
Depart from me, you whopractice lawlessness.
So we see here, and those thatsay Lord, lord, good
(11:28):
Christianese, right, it's a goodChristian thing to say Lord,
lord, but it's not enough, lord,lord, didn't we cast out demons
and do all sorts of wonderfulthings in your name?
And Jesus says but I'll say tothem I never knew you.
So there's a difference betweenjust saying Lord, lord, and
really knowing God.
(11:51):
Judas had the words rabbi, rabbi, teacher, almost a oh teacher.
Oh, oh, captain, my captain,right, almost that kind of thing
.
Oh, teacher, my teacher, andyet it was so meaningless.
Oh, teacher, my teacher, andyet it was so meaningless.
(12:11):
We can't just rely on words andChristian needs.
I get a little sketchy when Ianalyze other people's lives, of
course, right, who are just sogood at oh God bless you,
brother, how are you today?
I'm just blessed, right, and Idon't know what it is.
Some program, something you know, teaches people at times, in
fact the church itself.
Sometimes we teach people, youknow, don't say you were lucky,
(12:33):
say you were blessed, and that'snot bad, that's good truth.
But we get where we can say allthe right things oh brother,
I'm just blessed today and yetJesus says it's not enough.
Teacher, my teacher, it's notenough and we better think about
that.
I don't know that we need tolike overthink that, but where's
(12:55):
our heart?
Because it's more than justhaving the words to say Lord,
lord, but it's truly knowing him.
And we see that with Judas here.
Judas is just a terrifyingperson because he spent like
three years with Jesus.
He participated in the miraclesas Jesus sent them out, and
(13:17):
even that night, when Jesus toldhis disciples one of you is
going to be betrayed, theydidn't go.
Judas, I knew it, like he hadhorns sticking out from his hair
, you know they all wondered tothemselves is it I?
So they actually thought it wasjust as possible.
It could have been them, asthat it could have been Judas.
(13:40):
Nobody knew.
He played his cards well.
And yet here Judas is just abig fake and we see here that
Judas the hypocrite, he reallyofficially departs.
Now it's a sad story.
When you read about Judas.
He has remorse for what he did.
(14:01):
He goes and he throws the coinsback into the temple and they
said what's that to us?
You take care of it, it's notour problem.
And Judas, it says, went outand hung himself.
He had remorse, had guilt, buthe had no repentance.
He didn't turn to Jesus.
Now, this is my opinion.
I think he had just as muchpossibility of being forgiven as
(14:24):
anybody else.
There's no sin that can't beforgiven, and I understand Judas
a little different deal.
But if he had turned to Jesus,I think he could have been
forgiven.
Forgiveness is that deep.
But he didn't.
And so Judas leaves the storyat this point.
Now that's not exactlysurprising to us, because we
(14:46):
knew this all along about Judas.
But what is surprising is ourman, peter, right, and he's the
guy we read about here inMatthew 14.
As all of this goes down, verse47, one of those who stood by
drew his sword and struck theservant of the high priest and
cut off his ear.
Well, john has no problemtelling us that that was Peter
(15:10):
who did it.
A little bit of rivalry there,maybe, between John and Peter in
John's gospel, but he has noproblem saying yeah, that was
Peter.
Peter took out a sword.
Peter chopped off the highpriest's servant's ear, and John
tells us that the high priest'sservant's name was Malchus.
So we can put some flesh onthis guy.
Malchus, the servant of thehigh priest, probably got hit
(15:35):
because he was the leastthreatening person around there.
Right, he's just there for theservant.
The high priest probably didn'teven have a sword or anything.
And Peter goes and slices hisear off, poor Malchus, right, he
cuts his ear off.
And Luke, I believe it is, tellsus that the final miracle that
(15:57):
Jesus performed was to touchMalchus' ear and undo that mess
that Peter made so good of Jesusto do that.
And Jesus tells him in John'sgospel, I believe put your sword
away.
Those who live by the sword dieby the sword, didn't you know?
(16:17):
I could call legions of angelsto save me right now.
And so Peter's in the fleshWe've seen it all along.
But he tries his best, right,he tries his best to make things
right, and Peter's going toleave Jesus.
(16:38):
But notice verse 48.
Jesus answered and said to themyou come out to me like I'm a
robber, with swords and clubs totake me.
I was with you daily in thetemple teaching and you did not
seize me.
Jesus lets him know.
Hey, why are you taking me atnight?
Why are you coming with swords?
I've been in the temple allweek long teaching and sharing
(17:00):
and doing these things.
He didn't take me there.
Well, the reason why, of course,is because the religious
leaders didn't want to make abig fuss about it.
They wanted Jesus gone, butthey didn't want the people to
riot.
There were some that really,you know, followed Jesus.
They didn't want there to be ariot in Jerusalem.
So their intent was to take himquietly at night.
(17:21):
They used Judas to do that, inthe darkness of the garden and
before people knew what washappening.
He would be dead if they had ittheir way.
But notice, all of that goesdown in verse 50.
We read then they all forsookhim and fled.
Really, it's that fulfillmentof what Jesus said Strike the
(17:43):
shepherd and the sheep willscatter.
And all of them forsook him.
Picture that.
All of his friends forsook him.
Jesus was alone.
Now, in verse 51, we have onemore person in this strange
account that has to forsakeJesus.
(18:03):
Notice there, in verse 51.
Now a certain young manfollowed him, having a linen
cloth thrown around his nakedbody and the young man laid hold
of him and he left the linencloth and fled from them naked.
So interesting story here.
You've got to wonder what inthe world is going on.
(18:25):
Why this guy?
There's a guy, a young man.
He's wrapped in like a sheet,more or less, and he's there
seeing the whole thing go downand when things get crazy they
pull at him, they try to grabhim and take him in.
He rolls out of that sheet.
He runs away naked.
Who is this guy?
(18:45):
Well, most commentators thinkthat this is probably Mark, our
author.
Mark, according to the book ofActs, chapter 12, verse 12,
lived in Jerusalem in a housewith his mother Mary.
There.
In Acts, chapter 12, peter isgoing to be in prison and the
whole church is there prayingfor Peter and God miraculously
(19:10):
releases Peter.
In Acts, chapter 12.
Peter comes to the door ofMark's house, his mother Mary's
house, knocks on the door.
Their servant, rhoda, comes andanswers the door and she's so
excited when she sees Peter thatshe runs away and slams the
door on him right and Godmiraculously delivers Peter from
(19:34):
prison.
Well, that was Mark's house.
Possible that Mark there?
Well, it was probable.
Mark lived in Jerusalem.
It's possible that the house ofthe last supper, many think was
at Mark's house.
And as things go down, mark,being inquisitive, says well,
(19:54):
I'm going to follow and see whathappens.
He's already ready for bed, sohe wraps himself in a sheet and
he goes there.
Mark perhaps is firsthandwitness to this thing in the
garden.
But but the thing that we noticehere, and where we're really
left, is that even the narratorleaves Jesus at this point.
(20:17):
Everyone leaves Jesus.
He's alone, 100% forsaken, evenon the cross, as Jesus suffered
and died.
He's alone.
It would seem that the sins ofall humanity were placed on him.
And there we already read it.
(20:38):
Jesus cries out with a loudvoice Eloi, eloi, lama
sabachthani, my God, my God, whyhave you forsaken me?
Now?
That was the point to Psalm 22.
You can read Psalm 22, and itfits up perfectly with the cross
.
It was prophesied way back inthe book of Psalms that his
(20:59):
hands and his feet would bepierced, that they would look
and shake their head and say hebelieved in God.
Let God save him.
And to the T, what goes down onthe cross?
Jesus said that he points toPsalm 22, but there was
something real that seemed to behappening there as Jesus went
to the cross.
(21:19):
Listen to this Isaiah 53, commonpassage, verse 4.
Surely he has borne our griefsand carried our sorrows, yet we
esteemed him.
Stricken, smitten by God andafflicted.
He was wounded for ourtransgressions, he was bruised
for our iniquities.
The chastisement for our peacewas upon him and by his stripes
(21:42):
we were healed.
So Isaiah tells us that on thecross, jesus took our sin upon
himself.
He died as a perfect sacrificefor your sin and mine.
And there I don't understand thetheology of it, god being
omnipresent and all of thesethings.
(22:02):
It seems that holy God turnedaway from his son as he took the
sin of the world upon himself,that he was forsaken even by his
father, that he was forsakeneven by his father, forsaken
because of our sin.
Well, let's turn one last place, so early.
Turn to 2 Corinthians, a placethat we land on often pretty
(22:35):
powerful passage, 2 Corinthians5, one worth memorizing for sure
.
Verse 21 tells us a little bitmore.
Paul tells us a little bit moreof what happened there on the
cross, 2 Corinthians 5, 21,.
On the cross, he made him, whoknew no sin, to be sin for us,
(22:59):
that we might become therighteousness of God in him.
And so we see this reallystrong truth here that on the
cross Jesus was made sin.
It was made sin for us.
So picture that, your sin andmy sin.
Now some would argue that it'slimited the sin that Jesus died
(23:24):
for.
I believe it was a sin of thewhole world, as 1 John says, it
was everybody, it was all sin,think about it, all the
nastiness that we're capable of,all the atrocities of history.
Jesus paid the price for thatsin, not anything we have to
argue about, but he became sinfor us.
(23:46):
He took on your sin, man.
There are things in my life Istill look back on and I have
strong regrets because I knowI'm forgiven, but that sin is
still in my mind.
I did it, I'm guilty, but yetJesus paid the price as a
sacrifice for all of our sin.
(24:08):
Let's look at it again 2Corinthians 5.21,.
For he made him, who knew nosin, to be sin for us.
That's good news.
He takes sin upon himself.
But notice what it says afterthat, that we might become the
righteousness of God in him.
And there's this kind oftransfer that happens at the
(24:31):
cross.
If we receive it right, if wecome to the cross and we truly
do receive it.
He takes our sin and we get hisrighteousness.
Man, there is no day that I'veever had where I go.
I've been perfectly righteoustoday.
There has absolutely never beena day where I look and go.
(24:52):
You know, I kind of nailed itright there, just all across the
board Never.
But when God looks at us inChrist and that's important in
Christ we're a new creation,we're righteous.
Now we still mess up, but whenGod sees us, he sees the
righteousness of Jesus.
(25:13):
You know, when your kids have agood day, you know you smile.
Sometimes.
Rough day my kids are perfect,right, girls.
But you know, sometimes youknow, kind of you don't smile
quite as big, right.
But God, when he looks at us inChrist, he sees perfection.
And it's so good to know thatevery time you come to God in
(25:37):
Christ, he just smiles and goes.
Couldn't have done better.
I'm so pleased.
Perfect, you did it all.
Relationship is solid.
It's just perfect because ofwhat Jesus did for us.
And so we look at this thing ofJesus being forsaken for us,
(25:58):
100% forsaken.
All of his friends, all of hisfollowers, even, to some degree,
the father.
Why have you forsaken me?
Forsaken for us to become sinfor us.
That's good news.
We're gonna need that this weekwhen we mess up.
What Jesus did is enough totake care of our sin, but also
(26:21):
to put on us righteousness,perfect righteousness, not
because of anything that we do,but because of Jesus.
That's good news, god.
It's one thing to talk about it, but it's another thing to just
know it in our hearts this week.
God, we need that.
But even more than that, I knowit's not just feeling good
(26:44):
about ourselves that you'relooking for God.
It's that we really do findourselves in Christ.
That when you died on that cross, jesus, you became sin for us
and it was our sin.
That cross, jesus, you becamesin for us and it was our sin
that brought you there.
And we've all sinned.
God, we understand that None ofus is perfect.
(27:05):
It was our sin, but, god, youloved us so much that, even
while we were still sinners,christ died for us that we could
be made clean, forgiven,perfect, righteous.
(27:29):
We could have an actualrelationship with you, just like
the Son.
God, it's so amazing that youwould love us like that, not
because of anything good thatwe've ever done, but just
because of you.
God, it's no small thing whatyou did on the cross for us.
I pray that we would take it toheart this week.
God, you would just again useyour word in our heart by your
spirit.
In Jesus' name, we pray Amen.
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