I. The Fourth Week of Lent 00:01
…ask that today, as your word is spoken, as your songs of praise are sung, as the Eucharist is received, you would just open up your light in our life, and that the darkness would flee. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Welcome to the fourth week of Lent. I hope you’re doing well this season. I know the fourth week is like that special spot in the marathon. A friend of ours, Drake Mercer, is actually running a marathon today up in L.A., so prayers for him. He is absolutely insane; this is like his fifth or sixth marathon. But I know there’s a point in the marathon where you hit that dip, where it’s like 20 miles in. You have just enough left to go that it seems impossible, and you’ve done just enough to be completely exhausted. And so, in the same way, welcome to the fourth week of Lent. You’ve done just enough to know that there’s still way more to go, and you’ve done enough to be exhausted. So I hope today we can encourage you and bolster you.
And it’s just really awesome. I know that word gets used of shoes and other things, but I mean it in the full sense: full of awe, what God is doing in our midst. And I just want to thank everyone who’s pressing in, who’s praying, who’s coming to… we’ve been having some worship nights… who’s showing up on Sunday morning. God has just been really present with us in this season.
And so I just want to invite you, as we talk about the story that we’re talking about: this is the same journey that we are on this morning. We’re going to be talking about Jesus on his march to the cross. We’ve been talking about this all Lent, because that’s really what Lent is about. I had somebody ask me, “I’ve never done… what is this Lent thing about?” And my answer was basically, well, it’s so that all of us can try for 40 days to think about what it would mean to walk to our death. What would it mean to clear ourselves out and march headlong into torture, betrayal, and death? That’s what Lent’s about.
But as we always have to say, Easter is coming. Even Jesus, who marched to his death, did it not because he thought, “This will be a beautiful symbol for all the worlds of my love.” No, no, no. He did it for the joy that was set before him, which means he did it for the resurrection. He endured the cross, he embraced the cross, but he didn’t do it for the cross. He did it for the resurrection. And so, as we do, let’s not get too caught up in our self-flagellation about how awful we are, but let’s remember that it’s all because Easter is coming. Prepare yourself. Easter is coming.
II. Silent Wednesday 02:05
Okay, so we’ve talked in the past few weeks about Holy Week. This whole Lent, every Sunday, we’ve been talking about different days of Holy Week. So we covered Palm Sunday in the first week of Lent. Then we did Holy Monday, where Jesus overturned the tables. Then we did Tuesday, where Jesus’ authority was challenged, and he challenged the authority of those other people to challenge him right back. He gave as good as he got, and far better. And then we have Thursday.
And everyone who’s taken Mrs. Powell’s kindergarten and first grade class says, “No, after Tuesday comes Wednesday, guys!” Well, there’s this interesting thing in Holy Week, in the tradition of the church. We call it Silent Wednesday. Basically what that means is we don’t have any stories of what Jesus was doing on Wednesday. And so the church has always celebrated the idea that Jesus took Wednesday to hang out with his friends in Bethany. That’s where he’s been hanging out, and then he makes these journeys into the city every day. So he’s hanging out with his disciples and his friends in Bethany, because he knows this is the last chance he gets before the whole drama of his crucifixion unfolds. And so, like any of us, he wants to spend that time pouring into his friends, fellowshipping with them, because he loves them.
Sometimes we kind of look at Jesus’ Holy Week march and we’re like, “Man, he’s such a soldier. He just does what he does, and he goes here, and he does that.” It’s like, no. He was also a man who wanted to spend time with his friends, because he knew the challenge of his life was the next day. And so we’re going to go into Thursday, but remember Silent Wednesday: Jesus was a man like all of us.
So there’s this drama going on on Silent Wednesday, not with Jesus, but with the leaders of Jerusalem, because they know the very next day, Thursday, starts the Passover celebration. And they’re worried. The chief priests and the scribes, the people who are the religious leaders in Jerusalem at the time, are worried that this miracle worker, this Jesus who rode in on Sunday to shouts of “Hosanna,” a kingly procession, is going to use Passover to take over Jerusalem and proclaim himself King of Israel. That’s what they’re worried about. And they’re trying to find a way to arrest him outside of when he’s in the city, because in the city he’s surrounded by hundreds of people who are his biggest fans. And they’re thinking, “If we go and try and arrest this man who’s healing the blind, raising the dead, speaking truth and words of life, then the entire people are going to revolt.” That’s what they’re worried about. “And they’re going to make him King.”
They didn’t realize Jesus absolutely was making himself King of Jerusalem during Passover, and King of Israel. They didn’t realize that, although they had the destination correct, they had the how completely backwards. They thought he was going to cause a political revolt, where his followers would rise up and install him as the new king. And instead he waged spiritual warfare by going to the cross, and he was crowned King of the Jews on the cross. Crazy.
So let’s talk about how this came about, because let’s just say none of us would do it that way. None of us would say, “I want to be King of Israel, so I’m going to have the Roman tyrants crucify me.” That’s not how God did it in Exodus. In Exodus, Pharaoh had all the Israelites enslaved, just like Rome has all the Israelites under oppression here. And what did God do? God showed up and he broke them free through the Passover, and he killed the bad guys. So isn’t Jesus going to do that too?
Well, Jesus has been spending all of Holy Week telling people, “I’m doing it differently. I’m doing it in a way that will establish my kingdom for all eternity.” Yes, absolutely, God shows up and moves physically on our behalf. He heals people, he raises the dead, he moves armies, he changes the world for good. But what Jesus is doing is something more important, because he knows that Rome is there today but it’ll be gone tomorrow. None of us in this room are named Julius or Augustus or Nero. None of us are named after the Pharaohs or the rulers of Rome, because Rome has come and gone. We’re named names like John. We’re named names like Matthew. We’re named names that are from the kingdom that has no end. We’re named names like Jesse, as we read in our Old Testament this morning. That’s my name, in case you didn’t know.
So there is this drama going on of: yes, Jesus is going to be crowned King, but how? And so the chief priests and the scribes are like, “We have a brilliant plan. We will arrest him in secret, we will get him in trouble with either King Herod or the Romans, and we’ll have him murdered.” And Jesus is thinking at the same exact moment, “I’ve got a brilliant plan. I will get arrested in secret, I will be tried by King Herod and tried by the Romans, and I will be murdered. Fantastic.” Interesting.
III. Judas to Betray Jesus 07:51
So let’s keep going. How does this come about? Well, in Mark chapter 14, beginning in verse 10:
10 Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went to the chief priests in order to betray him to them. 11 And when they heard it, they were glad and promised to give him money. And he sought an opportunity to betray him. Mark 14.10–11
So if you’ve ever wondered why Judas was important, the point was they needed to find him when he was alone. That was it. They needed somebody to say, “Come here, this is where he’s hanging out alone,” so they didn’t have to arrest him in front of the people who they were worried might fight them if they got into this match publicly. So Judas is there, he’s betraying Jesus, and there are spiritual overtones here of what’s going on, and we’ll see that as we go through it.
But Mark puts an interesting story right before that, which we’re not going to take the time to read. He has the woman who comes and anoints Jesus’ feet. The great line from that is: the one who has been forgiven much loves much. And she’s poured herself out. She broke this alabaster jar of this really expensive, like sixty-thousand-dollar, ointment. In one moment she broke it, threw it on Jesus, and Jesus said, “You don’t understand. She’s anointing me for my burial. This has spiritual significance, and nowhere that the gospel is preached will she not be talked about.” So he’s rebuking them.
But in that story we’re learning an interesting point, and this is why Mark puts it here. Judas is the one who has a problem with it. Judas is the one who says, “You could have given this money from that ointment to the poor.” And we’re also told in the Gospel that Judas managed the finances, and we’re even told his intent was to steal the money. “You put sixty thousand dollars in the offering, I can get some money out of that.” And it’s a really fascinating point, because don’t you think, if you were the one stealing money, you’d keep your mouth shut at that moment? It wasn’t wise of Judas to say, “Hey, we could have had all that money over here, where I manage it. You could have given all that to me,” if he’s a thief.
But there’s a principle I want to illustrate here. In this moment Judas is betraying himself, because of what Jesus said elsewhere. In Matthew 12 he says, “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil” (Matt 12.34–35). So imagine the scene. The woman is washing Jesus’ feet, and Judas is getting uncomfortable, because he realizes the tag on that jar of ointment says, I don’t know, a famous perfume company. He’s like, “That’s a sixty-thousand-dollar bottle of perfume.” And out of his heart, which has been corrupted by his thieving, his mouth speaks it: “Wait, what is she doing? We could have given that to the poor! She could have sold that! What’s happening?” And he betrays himself by his own words.
And then it says from that moment on, Judas sought to betray him. His heart had been won over by the wealth and the power that came with it. He saw in Jesus an opportunity to ride on the coattails of greatness. Just like all of the disciples, they thought the same way the chief priests and the scribes did: “We’re riding to a political kingdom where we will have all the power.” But for Judas, because of the thieving aspect, because his heart had been corrupted, as soon as Jesus starts talking about being crucified and starts letting people break sixty-thousand-dollar bottles of ointment all over the place, he’s thinking, “I’ve got to betray this man. I’ve got to find a way to get my power elsewhere.” And so, whatever’s going on (I mean, we don’t know all the complexities of this story), those are the hints we get of why one of Jesus’ closest friends, one of Jesus’ twelve, betrays him.
IV. The Passover With the Disciples 11:56
So that’s the setting as we launch into the Passover meal. On Silent Wednesday, I wouldn’t be surprised if that was the day Judas ducked out to go talk to the chief priests. I mean, we don’t know exactly the timing, but Jesus is hanging out with his buddies, and Judas is off betraying his Lord, making a deal to turn him over.
12 And on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the Passover lamb, his disciples said to him, “Where will you have us go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?” 13 And he sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him, 14 and wherever he enters, say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says, Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ 15 And he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready; there prepare for us.” 16 And the disciples set out and went to the city and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover. Mark 14.12–16
So my only point here (we’re getting through the drama, so I like to read the story so we see the setting), my only point here is: hey, is your guest room ready for Jesus to show up today? I know it’s kind of a Sunday school interpretation, let’s say. I could imagine coloring the pictures and having little doors on the house and putting the furniture in, in Sunday school, to remember the lesson. But that is the lesson here. Somebody in Jerusalem had their guest room ready for Jesus to show up. And my question to you today is: are you preparing your hearts this Lent to eat the Passover meal with Jesus? Because today we’re doing it. We’re having the Eucharist, which Jesus transfigures in this very story out of the Passover meal. It’s the same message as when we talked about Jesus overturning the tables in the temple. Have you prepared your heart? Because Jesus is coming.
17 And when it was evening, he came with the twelve. Mark 14.17
We’re going to stop there again. Before supper, what did Jesus do? We’re not told in Mark’s Gospel, because he was trying to write a summary, but we know from the other Gospels that Jesus washed the feet of his disciples. Once again, not the way I would do it. “Hey, I’m in charge. Peter, you get the honor of washing my feet tonight.” Come on, that’s how we would organize it. Instead, Jesus is already fighting the battle of the cross. Don’t you know that him washing the feet of his disciples was the same battle as going to the cross and keeping his mouth shut when they said, “Why don’t you defend yourself?” Because he was humbling his heart to serve, to remind his own self, “I’m here to serve,” and to live it out, so that we could learn from him how to lead.
How do we lead this world, this crazy, evil world that we decry? “Oh man, those terrible public schools, and that awful governor, and that awful president, that awful this, awful that, or those awful corporations.” How do we lead them out of the darkness? We serve them. At least that’s something I’ve been thinking about. It’s also how we lead one another. And let me tell you, the church can often be the worst type of hierarchy. That’s what we learn from the Pharisees. Don’t be so sure you’re not in one of those hierarchies: “I’m in charge, and I get to do this, and I get to do that.” No, we serve one another. We serve one another.
V. Is It I? 15:05
18 And as they were reclining at table and eating, Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me.” 19 They began to be sorrowful and to say to him one after another, “Is it I?” Mark 14.18–19
And the disciples have learned something, because at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, I guarantee you, if this conversation was had, they would have said, “Is it him?” They’ve learned something. They have some humility. And all of us should look at our own heart and say, “Is it I?” We should all know that we have every possibility of being the one who does the dumb thing that hurts our Lord, or that hurts the people around us. And we should constantly ask ourselves, especially in Lent: where is that place in my heart that the enemy could use to hurt those around me, to take me away from the plans of what God’s doing in my life? Great question: is it I?
20 He said to them, “It is one of the twelve, one who is dipping bread into the dish with me. 21 For 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.” Mark 14.20–21
There’s so much there that we’re not going to talk about, so I’m just going to say one thing here. There had to be a Judas. It was a part of God’s plan for Jesus to be betrayed by his friends. It’s written in the Scriptures. He’s fulfilling prophecy: “as it is written.” He knows he’s going to be betrayed. But it didn’t have to be Judas. Judas had every chance to not betray his Lord, just like all of us. So it had to be a Judas, but it didn’t have to be Judas.
Now, of course, there is no such thing as a true hypothetical rewriting of history. Time is what it is; it’s existed since eternity. God knew what was going to happen. It was always going to be Judas, and it always will have been Judas. But, man, he had the choice. He could have not done it. And that’s such a tragedy. We’ll see that again when we talk about the crucifixion. There are people like Pontius Pilate; there are so many people. We talked about Pharaoh against the Israelites. They had a choice, and they chose to put themselves against God. And rather than saying, “Those stupid idiots,” I like to think, “Is it I? Am I the one who would choose to go against God?” Now, then I have my days where I’m like, “Those stupid idiots. I’m so good.” And I have to remind myself: it could be me too.
VI. The Institution of the Lord's Supper 18:12
“And as they were eating, he took bread.” This is the central point, guys. It’s like, if you’re reading The Lord of the Rings, it’s the moment when Aragorn steps off the ship and saves the day at the Pelennor. This is the high point of Jesus’ story. He’s instituting the Eucharist, the highest form of worship, right in this moment. Pay attention.
22 And as they were eating, he took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to them, and said, “Take; this is my body.” 23 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank of it. 24 And he said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. 25 Truly, I say to you, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.” Mark 14.22–25
And you read that and you’re like, “That’s the high point of all Scripture? They just shared a cup and bread?” It’s like, yes. Well, okay, there’s the resurrection; there are other places that are also high points. But this is a high point, so high, in fact, that we read it every single week in our Eucharistic prayer. Because what’s happening here?
Well, let’s remember the Passover in Egypt. Let’s go back, because he’s celebrating something that has been celebrated for thousands of years at this point. Back in Egypt (we were there last fall, through our Exodus series) we have this wonderful story where God says, “You’re stuck in slavery to Pharaoh. I have a plan. Kill a lamb, an unblemished lamb. Eat a meal, and I will rescue you from death this night.” And then Jesus is doing the same thing, and he says, “I have a plan. There will be a lamb who will be slain, an unblemished lamb. It’s me. Eat this meal, and I will save you from death for eternity.” It’s greater than Exodus. Exodus was one night, one kingdom, one transition. Jesus’ sacrifice is the true Passover. He is the true Lamb, and what he did saves us for eternity. And it’s all about this meal right here. Come and partake.
And it’s deeper, because in the Passover meal it wasn’t like the spirit of the angel was in the stuff. No. It’s like: I am the Passover meal. You’re eating a lamb. You can get that at Cava, in a Cava bowl. It’s Mediterranean; it’s very tasty. But it’s not Jesus. You’re eating something that’s not me. And now he’s saying you can partake of me. And you are what you eat. It’s true in a very deep spiritual sense. It is true, believe it or not.
So let’s talk about what’s going on here. I’m not going to get into all of the symbolism, because I heard a teaching once, and it was amazing, and I would never be able to replicate what he did. So if you want to read about it, go look up the symbolism of the Eucharist and the Passover supper, because all the connections are just amazing. But I want to pull one thing out. This was planned from the beginning. We’re told Jesus was crucified before the foundation of the world (Rev 13.8). So in this Passover supper, they had this one symbol that I’m going to pull out, where they had this stack of three unleavened bread matzah discs, or pieces. There’s the top one, the middle one, and the bottom one. They’d hold up the top one, say a prayer, and set it aside. Then they’d grab the bottom one, hold it up, say a prayer, and set it aside. Then they’d grab the middle one and hold it up, and in silence they would break it and then put it into a little wrapped napkin. But there wasn’t a prayer with that one. So what did it mean? It meant what Jesus said: “Take, eat, this is my body, broken for you.” He did the same thing they’d done every Passover for thousands of years, and then he told them what it meant. He broke the bread and told them, “This is my body.”
It’s just so beautiful to me that God had this symbolism built in. And you imagine the disciples: “That’s what the broken bread meant!” Because he doesn’t break the other two pieces. They have the prayers that kind of explain what they are, but with this one it’s just, “What does that mean?” And then it’s wrapped in this white cloth specifically, and it’s like a burial shroud. It’s just so cool.
There’s more. In this moment the old covenant is transfigured into the new covenant. It’s still being fulfilled in the cross and the resurrection. We’re in the drama. There’s no separation between the Last Supper and the cross and the resurrection. It’s this whole event that is taking place over these three days. And so let’s not get legalistic about when the covenant happens. It all happens. This is it. It’s happening as he’s doing this. He’s making the new covenant with his people, and covenants are signified by a meal, a shared meal. And so that’s what’s happening here.
VII. You Will All Fall Away 22:11
Let’s keep moving.
26 And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. Mark 14.26
So they did their thing. They celebrated the Passover; Jesus instituted the Last Supper. Now they’re going to the Mount of Olives.
27 And Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away, for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’ 28 But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.” 29 Peter said to him, “Even though they all fall away, I will not.” 30 And Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” 31 But he said emphatically, “If I must die with you, I will not deny you.” And they all said the same. Mark 14.27–31
It just reminds me of that Scripture: for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Rom 3.23). Every one of them abandons him in the moment of trial. We’re going to mention that in a second; keep that thought in your minds.
VIII. Abba, Father 23:11
32 And they went to a place called Gethsemane. And he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” 33 And he took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be greatly distressed and troubled. 34 And he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Remain here and watch.” 35 And going a little farther, he fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. 36 And he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” Mark 14.32–36
And that’s where the battle was won. In this whole drama, Jesus had every opportunity to avoid the cross, just like Judas had every opportunity to not betray Jesus. Judas chose one way; Jesus chose another. And he chose it right here.
And why did he choose it? Let’s talk a little bit about that. There are only two places in the entire Scripture where that phrase is used: “Abba, Father.” Ab is used elsewhere; father’s used all over the place. But “Abba, Father”: what is he saying? Well, let me just tell you one thing, because I have to summarize, but there’s more behind this. It doesn’t mean “Daddy.” When people get up and publicly say, “Daddy God, thank you for this service,” I love that they are offering affection and honor to their God, who is their Father. But I just want to clarify that that’s not really what Abba means. In fact, there is no English translation of the word Abba.
And this isn’t just a matter of semantics. I want to make a point here. Where did Jesus’ decision for the cross come from? It came from his utter trust and obedience to his Father. And what Abba means is something like utter trust and obedience to your father. It’s something like what you would say when your father gave you a task to do: you’d say, “Yes, Abba.” And when you were scared and you needed your father to comfort you, you’d say, “Abba, help me. Abba, I need you.” It’s this intimate, trusting phrase that’s more than “Daddy.” There’s some intimacy there, so I get the point. And it’s different than “Dad,” and different than “Father.” And so he says, “Abba, Father.” It’s this intimacy.
So where does Jesus’ decision come from? It comes from his connection to his Father. Period. Because he doesn’t raise himself from the dead; the Father does. So he’s going and he’s dying, like literally dead, can’t do a thing, and he has to trust his Father. There is no greater trust than that, let me tell you. And so it comes out of that Abba-Father relationship. It’s all contained in that word: that trust and that intimacy. And so if you think you’re going to go out in the world and conquer nations without the trust and the intimacy of your relationship with God the Father in your life, you’re just wrong.
And that’s what God’s been doing on these Fire Nights. I’m telling you, we had these worship nights, and people are coming up and they’re encountering the Father heart of God, and it’s changing them. Now, if you don’t go to the Fire Night, does that mean you can’t get it? No, you can get it today. It’s here. We had two different prophetic words today that said, if you’re worried that you didn’t go to the Fire Night, guess what? God’s here too. And your Abba Father wants you to know him deeply.
I’ll just tell you the other place that it says this, in case you’re wondering, “Man, Jesse’s on this Father thing.” Well, here we go, Romans 8:15:
15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. Rom 8.15–17
Paul’s making the same connection. Why do we suffer with Jesus? Why do we take on Lent? Why do we go through our life trusting God when the worst possible things in the world happen? Because we are connected with our Father, and we trust him that he will also glorify us. He will transform us, and he will make us new.
IX. Could You Not Watch One Hour? 27:33
Okay, we’ve got to wrap it up, so let’s go to what’s going on here in the end.
37 And he came and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not watch one hour? Mark 14.37
He uses his first name. You don’t see him call him Simon elsewhere. You see this moment where he’s like, “Simon, you let me down. My best friend let me down.” And that’s part of this cross process that Jesus is going through. He will be betrayed and left aside by everyone around him.
38 Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 39 And again he went away and prayed, saying the same words. 40 And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy, and they did not know what to answer him. 41 And he came the third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? It is enough; the hour has come. Mark 14.38–41
“It is enough.” It’s like, “All right, I’ll do it.” You know, I think of Thanos: “I’ll do it myself.” I don’t think that’s his heart. His heart is for them to watch and to be involved in this thing. And he has so much mercy and compassion on them. He says, “It is enough. Let’s go. The hour has come.” He’s not going to make fun of them or give them a hard time about this. They’re already forgiven.
The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 42 Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.” Mark 14.41–42
That’s where we’re leaving the story today. Jesus is betrayed. And next week we’ll talk about what happens, because it doesn’t get better, let me tell you. Next week we’re going down, down, and we’re walking with Jesus to the cross. Amen.