Old Testament Reading: Psalm 55

“TO THE CHOIRMASTER: WITH STRINGED INSTRUMENTS. A MASKIL OF DAVID. Give ear to my prayer, O God, and hide not yourself from my plea for mercy! Attend to me, and answer me; I am restless in my complaint and I moan, because of the noise of the enemy, because of the oppression of the wicked. For they drop trouble upon me, and in anger they bear a grudge against me. My heart is in anguish within me; the terrors of death have fallen upon me. Fear and trembling come upon me, and horror overwhelms me. And I say, ‘Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest; yes, I would wander far away; I would lodge in the wilderness; Selah I would hurry to find a shelter from the raging wind and tempest.’ Destroy, O Lord, divide their tongues; for I see violence and strife in the city. Day and night they go around it on its walls, and iniquity and trouble are within it; ruin is in its midst; oppression and fraud do not depart from its marketplace. For it is not an enemy who taunts me— then I could bear it; it is not an adversary who deals insolently with me— then I could hide from him. But it is you, a man, my equal, my companion, my familiar friend. We used to take sweet counsel together; within God’s house we walked in the throng. Let death steal over them; let them go down to Sheol alive; for evil is in their dwelling place and in their heart. But I call to God, and the LORD will save me. Evening and morning and at noon I utter my complaint and moan, and he hears my voice. He redeems my soul in safety from the battle that I wage, for many are arrayed against me. God will give ear and humble them, he who is enthroned from of old, Selah because they do not change and do not fear God. My companion stretched out his hand against his friends; he violated his covenant. His speech was smooth as butter, yet war was in his heart; his words were softer than oil, yet they were drawn swords. Cast your burden on the LORD, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved. But you, O God, will cast them down into the pit of destruction; men of blood and treachery shall not live out half their days. But I will trust in you.” (Psalm 55, ESV)

New Testament Reading: Luke 22:39-46

“And he came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him. And when he came to the place, he said to them, ‘Pray that you may not enter into temptation.’ And he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, saying, ‘Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.’ And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. And when he rose from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping for sorrow, and he said to them, ‘Why are you sleeping? Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation.’” (Luke 22:39–46, ESV)

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Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church, but without the benefit of proofreading.

Sermon

As you may recall, when I preached on this same text two Lord’s Days ago, I brought this question with me: What does this passage teach us about Jesus, his person and his work? In that sermon, I said, I think this was Luke’s main purpose in writing this text. He wants us to see Jesus, to consider who he is and what he has done for us! Who is Jesus? He is the person of the eternal Son of God incarnate. And what has he done for us? As the eternal Son of God, he submitted himself to the eternal will or decree of God the Father to, in the fullness of time, become incarnate, so that he might suffer in the place of sinners, atone for the sins of the elect through the shedding of his blood, die, be raised, and ascend to glory. This is the work he has done, so that he might bring many sons and daughters to glory. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus’ full and true humanity was displayed. And so too was his perfect submission to the Father’s will for him. What a wonderful Savior he is! By approaching this text with the question, What does this passage teach us about Jesus, his person and his work?, my hope was that it would move you to trust in Jesus and, by faith, receive the good gifts that he has secured for his people—the forgiveness of sins and the hope of life everlasting. 

But this is not the only question we may ask of this text. As we look upon Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, and as we consider the way in which he resisted temptation and submitted to the Father’s will for him, we may also ask the question, What can we learn from Jesus’ example as it pertains to our fight against temptation and sin? 

Is Jesus merely an example to us? No! Before he is an example to us, he is our Redeemer, Savior, and friend. As we consider him in the Garden, we must first be moved to trust in him and to worship and adore him. But this does not make him less than an example. He is that too! Having trusted in Jesus for the forgiveness of our sins, we are then to obey him. We are to obey his commandments, and we are to walk in his ways.

That the Apostles looked to the life of Jesus as an example for his disciples to follow is easy to prove.

Listen to Paul: “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” (Philippians 2:5–8, ESV)

Listen to John: “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.” (1 John 2:1–6, ESV)

So, we have looked upon Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane to consider his person and work, and you have been urged to trust in him and to worship and adore him for the wonderful Savior he is. Now, we will look upon Jesus in the garden again, to consider him as an example to us. Jesus fought against temptation in the garden, and he overcame! What can we learn from him so that we might do the same? 

Be Religious

In Luke 22:39, we read, “And he [Jesus] came out [of the Upper Room where he had celebrated the Passover with his disciples] and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him” (Luke 22:39, ESV).

I have a simple observation to make about this verse: Jesus had customs. The Greek word is Ἔθος. It refers to “a pattern of behavior more or less fixed by tradition…”, a “custom, habit” (Johannes P. Louw and Eugene Albert Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains (New York: United Bible Societies, 1996), 506.) Jesus had customs or habits. Or we might say, he was religious. 

Be religious, brothers and sisters. I understand that the word “religious” has fallen on hard times. No doubt, there is a kind of religiosity that must be avoided. Religion is devoid of the gospel and lacking in spiritual life, and love is no good. But there is also good religion. As James says, “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world” (James 1:27, ESV). To be religious is to be devout, devoted, and constant. The one who is religious is concerned with piety or holy living. Surely, these are good things. 

Jesus was a religiously devout man. He had customs. He developed and maintained holy habits. And we should do the same. 

Habits and customs are bound to form. Everyone has them. The question is, are they good and God honoring? 

If you were to ask me, What are the habits I should develop? I would encourage you to break your life into spheres and encourage you to develop and maintain healthy and holy habits in each.

Think of your life at work and in society. Be diligent in your work, whatever it is that God has called you to, so that God gets the glory in your work. Be on time for work. Focus while at work. Work at a pace that will enable you to have longevity. Strive for excellence and advancement in your profession, whatever it may be. Develop and maintain holy habits in the sphere of your labor. 

Think of life in the home. Holy and healthy habits must be developed and maintained at home, too. Husbands and Fathers, spend intentional time with your wife and children. Open the Scriptures with them. Talk about the things of the faith. Pray with them. Etc. 

Think of life in the church. Holy and healthy habits must be developed and maintained by you as it pertains to your membership in the church. Be devoted to assembling with the church for worship on the Lord’s Day. Make a habit of preparing your mind and heart for worship, even the night before. Show up early. While in worship, focus your minds and open your heart to the Word of God. Remain afterwards for fellowship. Engage in meaningful, God-centered conversations while here. Endeavor to encourage others in Christ.  Make a point of meeting someone new to bring greater unity to the body of Christ. Engage thoughtfully with your pastors and elders to benefit from their spiritual oversight. Again, I say, habits and customs are bound to form. Everyone has them. The question is, are they good and God honoring? We must labor to develop and maintain holy habits.  

Think now of your individual or private life. What are the habits to develop in this sphere? I suppose we could break things down further to consider the body and the soul—and make no mistake about it, these two things, the body and the soul, are certainly intertwined and related.

Body discipline is of some value, brothers and sisters. The Christian should think about their bodily customs and habits—diet, exercise, sleep, and the like. But godliness in the soul is of mauch greater value. As Paul says, “for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come” (1 Timothy 4:8, ESV).

Are you religiously devout as it pertains to the health and care of your physical body? If so, that is good. I commend you for it. Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, and it is right that you care for it. But do not forget that the physical body you now have will one day die and decay (unless Christ returns first), whereas your soul will never die. This is why the Apostle said, “godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come” (1 Timothy 4:8, ESV).

So what spiritual habits or customs should the Christian develop and maintain to experience growth in godliness in the inner man? 

We could talk about this for a very long time. In brief, I would exhort you, dear Christian, to slow down the pace of your life enough to, one, meditate deeply on the Word of God (and to apply it to yourself), two, pray mindfully to God the Father, through Christ the Son, and by the Holy Spirit, and three, to have authentic fellowship with other disciples of Jesus so that iron may sharpen iron. It seems to me that all of the spiritual disciplines or customs that could be listed that are of benefit to the souls of men can be categorized under some part of this exhortation: slow down the pace of your life enough to, one, meditate deeply on the Word of God (and to apply it to yourself), two, pray mindfully to God the Father, through Christ the Son, and by the Holy Spirit, and three, to have authentic fellowship with other disciples of Jesus so that iron may sharpen iron. 

Do not skip over the first part of the exhortation, which is to slow down the pace of your life. It’s been said that there is nothing new under the sun, and that is, in a sense, very true. But our modern age does present some unique challenges. We live in a very fast-paced, busy, and distracted age. I’m afraid that the pace of our modern lives, and the fact that we are constantly bombarded with media and carried away by entertainment (which is always at our fingertips), has produced shallowness in our thought lives and in our relationships. If we are going to meditate on God’s word to apply it to our minds and hearts, we must slow down enough to actually contemplate what God has said. And if we are going to develop deep and meaningful relationships with God and others, the pace of our lives must be slowed, and the distractions minimized. Slow down, brothers and sisters. Put your phones away.  Turn off the television so that you might meditate on God’s word, pray, and enjoy meaningful fellowship with one another. This can be done every day. The Lord’s Day is an especially good day for it. I’m calling you to do what the first disciples of Jesus did: “And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.” (Acts 2:42, ESV)

Though it would be beneficial to talk about the importance of developing the custom or habit of meditating on the word of God (Psalm 1) and laboring to apply it to our lives (James 1:21-25), and though it would be good to speak of the benefits of authentic Christian fellowship, I think you know what the focus of this sermon will be on, namely, prayer.  

Be Religiously Devoted To Prayer

Be religious, brothers and sisters. And today I will especially encourage you to be religiously devoted to prayer. 

You know that it was Jesus’ custom to pray. “And after he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray.” (Mark 6:46, ESV)

He prayed with his disciples. “Now about eight days after these sayings he took with him Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain to pray.” (Luke 9:28, ESV)

He taught his disciples to pray in private. 

“But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” (Matthew 6:6, ESV)

And he taught them how to pray, saying, “Pray then like this: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.’” (Matthew 6:9–13, ESV)

Here in our text, Jesus entered the Garden of Gethsemane with his disciples, as was his custom, “And when he came to the place, he said to them, ‘Pray that you may not enter into temptation’” (Luke 22:40, ESV). After this, he entered into prayer. ​​“And he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed…” (Luke 22:41, ESV). Clearly, he prayed so that he would not succumb to temptation. And when he returned to his disciples only to find them sleeping, he once again spoke to them, saying, “Why are you sleeping? Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation” (Luke 22:46, ESV).

Brother, sister, is this what Christ is saying to you this morning through his word?  “Why are you sleeping? Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation” (Luke 22:46, ESV). I know that you are not sleeping now. That is not what I mean. But perhaps you have grown sleepy and sluggish as it pertains to your private communion with God in prayer. If this is so, Christ would say to you, “Why are you sleeping? Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation” (Luke 22:46, ESV).

Dear friends, prayer is a means of grace for us. In it, we commune with God. Through it, we are strengthened spiritually so that we might walk faithfully in this world and resist temptation. Why then do we neglect it? Why do we fail to gird ourselves for battle in prayer, as the Apostle commands, and then act surprised when we are wounded in the battle? 

Jesus spoke to his disciples twice in the garden, saying, “pray that you may not enter into temptation.“ Its as if the Apostle Paul expands on this in his letter to the Ephesians, saying. “[B]e strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints…” (Ephesians 6:10–18, ESV).

Be Religiously Devoted To Thoughtful, Sincere, And Earnest Prayer

Brothers and sisters, I urge you to be religiously devoted to prayer, and may your prayers be thoughtful, sincere, and earnest. In other words, I am urging you to pray with your mind, from your heart, and with your will.

You know that it is easy to go through motions in prayer. I’ve taught you and encouraged you many times before to pray through the petitions of the Lord’s Prayer. It is a wonderful guide to prayer. By it, we are helped to address God as Father, to seek his glory first, the furtherance of Christ’s kingdom, obedience to God’s revealed will, and humble submission to his secret or hidden will. The Lord’s Prayer also invites us to bring our cares and concerns to the Lord – give us this day our daily bread – to confess our sins to him, to forgive as we have been forgiven, and to request deliverance from temptation and sin. 

 Think of how well-rounded and spiritual the Lord’s Prayer is. Think of how beneficial it would be to our souls if we were to use this prayer as a guide as we pray to God the Father, through Christ the Son, and by the Spirit, in a thoughtful, sincere, and earnest manner. Think how pleased our God would be with such mindful and heartfelt prayer. And yet so often, we go through the motions. Jesus did not go through the motions when in Gethsemane, and neither should we go through the motions when in prayer.

Notice, Jesus cried out to God as Father (Luke 22:42).

Jesus brought his sincere desires to the Father in prayer: “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me”  (Luke 22:42, ESV). 

And yet Jesus submitted his human will to the will of the Father in prayer, saying, “Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done” (Luke 22:42, ESV). 

You’ve heard it said that prayer changes things, and it does. One, though prayer does not change the eternal will or decree of God, God does providentially work through the prayer of his people to bring about his purposes in the world. Two, prayer changes us. It is through prayer that we are encouraged, knowing that God the Father loves us, hears us, and will do what is best for us. It is through prayer that we are strengthened spiritually so that we might obey God’s revealed will. It is through prayer that we are enabled to submit our wills (desires) to God’s will and to rise resolved, content, and at peace.  

Brothers and sisters, I can promise you that you will experience none of this if you are prayerless or if when you pray, you merely go through the motions. Our prayers must be thoughtful, sincere, and earnest. We must pray from the mind and heart. We must bring the will along too, submitting to God’s will, as Christ did, saying, “Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done” (Luke 22:42, ESV). 

Christ prayed earnestly, and he received strength from heaven. “And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground” (Luke 22:43–44, ESV). We ought to pray earnestly (incessantly and with intensity) too. When we pray earnestly and by faith, we must know that God, our Father in heaven, hears us, and he will surely help us in our time of need. 

Rise Up From Prayer To Walk In Obedience

There is one last thing to learn from the thoughtful, sincere, and earnest prayer of Jesus in Gethsemane, and that is, having prayed, we must rise up in the strength we have gained with the full resolve to walk in obedience to God’s revealed will and to accept his secret will for us. 

Verse 45: “And when [Jesus] rose from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping for sorrow, and he said to them, ‘Why are you sleeping? Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation’” (Luke 22:45–46, ESV). And what followed after this? The betrayal, arrest, and crucifixion of Jesus.

Like Jesus, having prayed, we must then rise to obey.

Conclusion

Dear brothers and sisters, if you have grown slack and sleepy in your prayers, please fix that today. Having placed your faith in Jesus, and having received the salvation that he has earned for you, follow Jesus’ example of prayer. As the Apostle says, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:16–18, ESV).

Baptist Catechism 103

Q. 103 Who are the proper subjects of this ordinance [that is to say, of the Lord’s Supper]?

A. They who have been baptized upon a personal profession of their faith in Jesus Christ, and repentance from dead works. (Acts 2:41,42)

Scripture Reading: Acts 2:36–42

“‘Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.’ Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Brothers, what shall we do?’ And Peter said to them, ‘Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.’ And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, ‘Save yourselves from this crooked generation.’ So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls. And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.” (Acts 2:36–42, ESV)

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Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.

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We have, for some time now, been considering the outward and ordinary means that Christ uses to distribute the benefits of the redemption he earned a long time ago to his elect, living in all times and places. These means, conduits, or delivery mechanisms are sometimes referred to as the means of grace. Baptist catechism 93 rightly identifies the Word of God, baptism, the Lord’s Supper, and prayer as the outward and ordinary means of grace. These are the things, external to us, that God ordinarily uses to save and to sanctify his people. 

Baptist Catechism 94 and 95 focus on the Word of God, read and preached.

Baptist Catechism 96 is about the efficacy of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.

Questions 97 through 100 focus on baptism, what it is, to whom it is to be administered, and how it is to be administered. 

Interestingly, Baptist Catechism 101 is about church membership. Q. 101. What is the duty of such who are rightly baptized? A. It is the duty of those who are rightly baptized to give up themselves to some particular and orderly church of Jesus Christ, that they may walk in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. So then, those who turn from their sins and place their faith in Christ are to be baptized, and these are to join themselves to an orderly church, typically, the one they were baptized in. 

I say it is interesting that Baptist Catechisms 101 is about church membership, because it is situated right in the middle of a series of questions and answers about the means of grace. The meaning is clear: God distributes these means of grace that we are here considering in and through his churches. 

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is to be preached to the world by the church, that is to say, by her minsters and members sent out 

Those who are brought to repentance and faith (through the converting ordinance of the word of God) are to be baptized into the church (by those called and ordained to do so).

And it is within the church (as members of it) that Christ followers are to “walk in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.” This means that Christians are to strive to obey God’s commands as church members, and they are to partake of these ordinances or means of grace as church members. It is in the church that the word of God is read and preached, that baptisms are administered and observed, that the Lord’s Supper is served, and that prayers are offered up to God.    

I think it was Cyprian who famously said, “No one can have God as Father who does not have the church as Mother”, and there is truth to that statement. The Holy Spirit uses the church to give birth to new believers through the preaching of the word of God. And it is within the contect of the church that new believers are nursed, nurtured, and disciplined, so that they might grow up to maturity. It is not the church that saves and sanctifies—God and Christ do. But the church used by God to bring salvation to sinners and to sanctify them further, for these means of grace that we are now considering are administered by her.  

When our catechism says in question 101, It is the duty of those who are rightly baptized to give up themselves to some particular and orderly church of Jesus Christ, that they may walk in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless, this includes the Lord’s Supper. The Lord’s supper is an ordinance (something Christ has ordered or ordained) to be observed in the church to the end of the world. 

That is what Baptist Catechism 102 teaches. Q: What is the Lord’s Supper? A: The Lord’s Supper is an ordinance of the New Testament, instituted by Jesus Christ; wherein by giving and receiving bread and wine, according to His appointment, His death is shown forth, and the worthy receivers are, not after a corporeal and carnal manner, but by faith, made partakers of His body and blood, with all His benefits, to their spiritual nourishment and growth in grace.

Finally, Q 103 asks, Who are the proper subjects of this ordinance? In other words, who should partake of this ordinance? A. They who have been baptized upon a personal profession of their faith in Jesus Christ, and repentance from dead works. 

Notice, our catechism does not say, it is they who have been baptized who are the proper subjects of this ordinance. If the answer were worded like this, I suppose it could be taken to mean that those baptized as infants may properly partake of the Supper, but that is not our view.   

I also find it interesting that our catechism does not directly ask who may partake of this ordinance, but rather who are the proper subjects of this ordinance. I’m not sure about this, but I wonder if the wording is meant to leave room for the opinion that some Particulat Baptists of the 17th century held (and some still hold today) that those who were baptized as infants in protestant churches and who hold to paedobaptsit conviction can be permitted to come to the Lord’s Table, especially when visiting from other churches. May they be served the Supper? Some would say, yes. Is it proper? Not in our view. Why? Because their baptism is invalid, given that it was not administered upon a personal profession of their faith in Jesus Christ, and repentance from dead works. 

Acts 2:41-42 is listed as a proof text in our catechism, and it is a good one: “So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls. And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers” (Acts 2:41–42, ESV).

Baptism is to be given to those who turn from their sins and profess faith in Jesus, which is something infants can’t do. 

Baptism marks the beginning of the Christian life and membership in the covenant community. The Lord’s Supper signifies continuing in Christ and in the covenant community.

Baptism may be compared to a wedding. The Lord’s Supper may be compared to an anniversary celebration.

In baptism, we say, “I believe”, and “Jesus is Lord”. In the Lord’s Supper, we say “I still believe”, and “Jesus is still Lord”.  

In baptism, God says, “This one is mine”. In the Lord’s Supper, God says, “I am ever faithful and with you still.” 

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Conclusion

Appendix

Compare the Baptist Catechism with the Westminster Shorter Catechism at this point.

Q. 92. What is a sacrament? 

A. A sacrament is a holy ordinance instituted by Christ; wherein, by sensible signs, Christ, and the benefits of the new covenant, are represented, sealed, and applied to believers.

Q. 93. Which are the sacraments of the New Testament? 

A. The sacraments of the New Testament are, baptism, and the Lord’s Supper. 

Q. 94. What is baptism? 

A. Baptism is a sacrament, wherein the washing with water in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, doth signify and seal our ingrafting into Christ, and partaking of the benefits of the covenant of grace, and our engagement to be the Lord’s. 

Q. 95. To whom is Baptism to be administered? 

A. Baptism is not to be administered to any that are out of the visible church, till they profess their faith in Christ, and obedience to him; but the infants of such as are members of the visible church are to be baptized. 

Q. 96. What is the Lord’s Supper? 

A. The Lord’s Supper is a sacrament, wherein, by giving and receiving bread and wine, according to Christ’s appointment, his death is showed forth; and the worthy receivers are, not after a corporal and carnal manner, but by faith, made partakers of his body and blood, with all his benefits, to their spiritual nourishment, and growth in grace. 

Q. 97. What is required for the worthy receiving of the Lord’s Supper? 

A. It is required of them that would worthily partake of the Lord’s Supper, that they examine themselves of their knowledge to discern the Lord’s body, of their faith to feed upon him, of their repentance, love, and new obedience; lest, coming unworthily, they eat and drink judgment to themselves.

Old Testament Reading: Leviticus 19:9–18

“When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, neither shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest. And you shall not strip your vineyard bare, neither shall you gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am the LORD your God. You shall not steal; you shall not deal falsely; you shall not lie to one another. You shall not swear by my name falsely, and so profane the name of your God: I am the LORD. You shall not oppress your neighbor or rob him. The wages of a hired worker shall not remain with you all night until the morning. You shall not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block before the blind, but you shall fear your God: I am the LORD. You shall do no injustice in court. You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor. You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not stand up against the life of your neighbor: I am the LORD. You shall not hate your brother in your heart, but you shall reason frankly with your neighbor, lest you incur sin because of him. You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.” (Leviticus 19:9–18, ESV)

New Testament Reading: 1 Peter 1:22–23

“Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God…” (1 Peter 1:22–23, ESV)

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Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church, but without the benefit of proofreading.

Sermon

About a month ago, I preached a topical sermon entitled, Church Discipline: A Variety Of Cases And Measures. In my opinion, that was an important sermon, practically speaking, because it helped the members of this church to prepare for a rather difficult members’ meeting wherein we considered and voted on several diverse church discipline cases. 

After I delivered that sermon, and especially after our members’ meeting on August 19, it has been on my mind and heart to deliver another topical sermon on church discipline, but to focus this time, not on the technical or procedural side of things—the variety of cases the church will face and the variety of measures at our disposal—but on the heart. What must be in the hearts of church members and in the hearts of elders when conducting discipline?  Also, I wish to shift our focus away from formal church discipline to what has been called formative church discipline. And so here is the title of the sermon today: Formative Church Discipline: Love One Another Earnestly From A Pure Heart.

Why do I believe there is a need for a sermon like this? First, I will say, it is not because I am aware of any serious problem within our congregation as it pertains to formative church discipline or love. I’m very pleased with the way the members of this church have carried themselves when conducting discipline. When I look out upon this church, I see members committed to the process of discipline with love in their hearts for one another. I’m delivering this sermon today, not because I think we have a problem presently, but to help protect us from a potential error.

As you know, Christ’s churches must practice church discipline in obedience to his revealed will as found in the pages of Holy Scripture. Formal church discipling can take many forms. Depending on the situation, it may involve public censure (or rebuke), suspension, withdrawal, exclusion, or excommunication. I defined these things and discussed when they are appropriate in a previous sermon. But, according to our constitution, “formative church discipline is the church engaged in edifying and disciplining itself in love.” It goes on to say, “It is the responsibility of each member to endeavor to maintain this Christian duty of mutual edification for one another(Romans 12:3-8; I Corinthians 12:12-27; Ephesians 4:7-16; I Thessalonians 5:11-14; I Peter 4:10,11). This is done by the use of and submission to the gifts of those both old and young, office bearer and member, which Christ graciously gives to his church” (Article V, Section 3).

I trust you understand what formative church discipline is. It happens continuously in the life of a church, even if you are not thinking of it in these terms. When a preacher preaches, formative church discipline is taking place. When a pastor offers counsel to a member, that’s formative church discipline. When one member encourages or rebukes another member, again, that is formative church discipline. These are all examples of the “edifying and disciplining itself…”    

But the focus of this sermon is not on what formative discipline is, but on how. How, or in what manner, is formative church discipline to be done? The answer is, in love. That is what our constitution says. Hear it again: ​​“formative church discipline is the church engaged in edifying and disciplining itself in love.” Those two words are immensely important. Formative church discipline is always to be done in love. And please do not misunderstand: formal church discipline is to be done in love, too. 

Consider this: While there are only a handful of passages in the Holy Scriptures that teach us about formal church discipline—Matthew 18; 1 Corinthians 5, 1 Timothy 5:20, Titus 3:10, etc—there are many, many passages that insist that Christains have love for one another. 

1 Peter 1:22–23, which was read just a moment ago, is one such passage. The command found in the middle of that text will shape this sermon. “Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another… earnestly… from a pure heart, since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God…” So the three points of the sermon are as follows: 1) Love one another; 2) Love one another earnestly; 3) Love one another from a pure heart.

Love One Another

First, Christians must love one another. 

Love, the Scriptures tell us, is to be the defining characteristic of a disciple of Jesus. 

Christ said, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34–35, ESV). 

In John 15:17 we hear him say,  “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you… These things I command you, so that you will love one another.” (John 15:12, 17, ESV)

Love must be felt and shown. 

“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” (1 Corinthians 13:1–7, ESV)

“Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people” (Titus 3:1–2, ESV).

“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” (Hebrews 10:24–25, ESV)

Love One Another Earnestly

True love is more than an emotion, but it is not less.  

Love one another earnestly. 

The word rendered “earnestly” pertains to an “unceasing activity, normally involving a degree of intensity and/or perseverance—‘without ceasing, continuously, constantly’” (Johannes P. Louw and Eugene Albert Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains (New York: United Bible Societies, 1996), 655).

Feel love in your heart for each other.

“Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection” (Romans 12:9–10, ESV).

“Let brotherly love continue.” (Hebrews 13:1, ESV)

“For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:8, ESV)

Put on the leading heart virtue of love, as well as the other virtues of the heart that flow from it. 

“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.” (Colossians 3:12–14, ESV)

Love One Another From A Pure Heart

Our love for one another must issue from a pure heart. 

“Love one another earnestly from a pure heart…”, our text says (1 Peter 1:22, ESV).  

Paul, in 1 Timothy 1:5 says, “The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith” (1 Timothy 1:5, ESV).

The heart must be kept pure by our obedience to the truth.  

“Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart…” 

We are able to keep the heart pure and to love because of the work of regeneration that God has done in us. 

“Love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God…” (1 Peter 1:22–23, ESV).

Those born of God will love, for God is love. 

“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love” (1 John 4:7–8, ESV).

Conclusion

Know that love is not contrary to discipline. 

Consider that God is love, and God disciplines those he loves. 

“And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? ‘My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.’ It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” (Hebrews 12:5–11, ESV)

Consider that every parent who loves their child will discipline them. 

“Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.” (Proverbs 13:24, ESV)

Know that discipline cases (especially when they are difficult) can deaden our love for one another. 

“To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: ‘The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands. “ ‘I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary. But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. Yet this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.’” (Revelation 2:1–7, ESV)

Know that love is the crucial ingredient to all our endeavors.

“So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” (1 Corinthians 13:13, ESV)

Old Testament Reading: Genesis 3:1-13

“Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, ‘Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’? And the woman said to the serpent, ‘We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’’ But the serpent said to the woman, ‘You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’ So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths. And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. But the LORD God called to the man and said to him, ‘Where are you?’ And he said, ‘I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.’ He said, ‘Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?’ The man said, ‘The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.’ Then the LORD God said to the woman, ‘What is this that you have done?’ The woman said, ‘The serpent deceived me, and I ate.’” (Genesis 3:1–13, ESV)

New Testament Reading: Luke 22:39-46

“And he came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him. And when he came to the place, he said to them, ‘Pray that you may not enter into temptation.’ And he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, saying, ‘Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.’ And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. And when he rose from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping for sorrow, and he said to them, ‘Why are you sleeping? Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation.’” (Luke 22:39–46, ESV)

*****

Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church, but without the benefit of proofreading.

Sermon

The passage that is open before us today is well-known and greatly loved. Though Luke does not mention the Garden of Gethsemane by name, as do Matthew and Mark in their Gospels, that is where this scene unfolded. Luke 22:39 says,  “And he [that is, Jesus] came out [of the upper room] and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives [that is, across the brook Kidron (John 18:2) and into the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36 and Mark 14:32), and the disciples [the twelve minus Judas] followed him” (Luke 22:39, ESV). 

As you likely know, the man, Jesus Christ, experienced great agony in his soul and body while in that garden. He was strongly tempted to abandon his mission to avoid the suffering that was before him. Nevertheless, he persisted. Through prayer, he overcame and submitted himself to the Father, saying, “Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.”  

There is so much to learn from this passage. No doubt, we may learn a great deal from Jesus’ example. What should we do when pressed hard with temptation? We ought to follow Jesus’ example and pray. And how should we pray? We must pray like Jesus prayed! He cried out to God the Father, offered his desires up to him, and submitted to him. And we should do the same. But this passage does not only teach us about fighting against temptation through prayer, it also teaches us about Jesus, his person and his work. It would be a shame to jump straight to the practical and to ignore what this passage teaches us about Jesus, for I do believe that was Luke’s main concern. He wants us to see Jesus and to marvel over the wonderful Savior he is. He wants us to know that Jesus was obedient to the Father and faithful to his mission, although the temptation to abandon his mission was very great. 

When I first set out to write this sermon, I thought I would deal with both of these questions: What does this passage teach us about Jesus, his person and work? And what does this passage teach us about resisting temptation through prayer? But as I began to write, I quickly realized that it would be best to devote one sermon to each of these questions. Today, we will consider this passage while asking, What does this text teach us about our Savior, his person and work? Next Sunday, we will take up the question, What do we learn from Jesus’ example as it pertains to fighting against temptation?

Consider The Fiathfulness Of Jesus

To appreciate the faithfulness of Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane, I think it would be best to compare and contrast him with Adam in the garden of Eden.. 

Consider a few things: 

Like Adam, Jesus was (and is) a man. This should be clear to all given what is revealed about him in the Gospels. He was born of a woman. He grew in stature and wisdom. He was sometimes hungry and thirsty. He was sometimes filled with sorrow and grief. Here in the garden, the true humanity of Jesus is put on full display, isn’t it?

Luke tells us that Jesus had customs or habits. The Greek word is ἔθος. It refers to “a pattern of behavior more or less fixed by tradition…” (Louw and Nida, 506). All humans develop customs or habits. Jesus’ custom was to come to this garden with his disciples. Luke has already told us about this custom. In Luke 21:37, we read,  “And every day he was teaching in the temple, but at night he went out and lodged on the mount called Olivet.” (Luke 21:37, ESV). And John reports the same in his Gospel, saying, “When Jesus had spoken these words, he went out with his disciples across the brook Kidron, where there was a garden, which he and his disciples entered. Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place, for Jesus often met there with his disciples” (John 18:1–2, ESV).

Luke also tells us that Jesus prayed. He was a man of prayer. After speaking to his disciples, saying, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation” (Luke 22:40, ESV), he went and prayed, so that he would not succumb to the temptation. Luke says, “And he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed…” (Luke 22:41, ESV). Have you ever wondered why Jesus needed to pray? If it is true that he is the eternal Son of God incarnate, why did he need to pray to God? He prayed because he was truly human. Yes, Jesus is the Son of God, the second person of the eternal, Triune God. But in Jesus the Son, we must never forget, assumed a true human nature. Jesus has a true human body. And Jesus has a true human soul (a mind, a will, and affections or emotions). It was as a true man that Jesus prayed. And when he prayed, he prayed with the entirety of his human nature.  

Notice his bodily posture. Luke tells us that he “knelt down.” Jesus honored God with his body. 

And as it pertains to his soul, notice that Jesus prayed with his human mind or intellect. He spoke to God, saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me.” 

What cup was Jesus referring to? The cup is clearly metaphorical. It symbolized the experience he was about to endure. To drink a cup, metaphorically speaking, is to experience something. In this case, the “cup” that Jesus was about to “drink” was a cup us suffering. 

Have you ever wondered how Jesus knew that he would soon have to endure great suffering to accomplish the mission God had given to him? I suppose we may say that he knew it because he was the person of the eternal Son of God incarnate! But do not forget what Jesus said to his disciples in the previous passage. In Luke 22:37, Jesus speaks to them, saying, “For I tell you that this Scripture must be fulfilled in me: ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors.’ For what is written about me has its fulfillment’” (Luke 22:37, ESV). This, it must be remembered, is a quotation from Isaiah 53, which is a prophecy about the sufferings the Messiah would endure. It says things like this: 

“He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief… Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows… But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed… like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt… Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors” (Isaiah 53, ESV).

Though it may be that Jesus knew what he was about to endure by means of his divine personhood and nature, it is also true that the Scriptures revealed what he would soon endure, for the Scriptures spoke of the sufferings of the Messiah ahead of time, and the man Jesus Christ knew the Scriptures. He knew (via his human mind) that his body would soon be pierced and crushed unto death, and his soul would endure unimaginable anguish and grief as he bore the sins of many to make atonement for them. The Scriptures revealed this about the sufferings of the Messiah, and the man Jesus knew that he was the Messiah. He used his mind as he prayed. He knew that the sufferings described in Isaiah 53 would have their fulfilment, and that they would be fulfilled by him very soon. And so he prayed, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me.” 

Jesus also prayed with his human emotions. Emotions are implied in verse 42. It’s hard to imagine Jesus saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me” in an emotionless way. But Luke speaks of Jesus’ emotions directly in verse 44, saying, “And being in agony he prayed more earnestly…” The word agonony refers to “a state of great mental and emotional grief and anxiety—‘anguish, intense sorrow’” (Louw and Nida, 318). The phrase “more earnestly” communicates that there was prologued intensity in Jesus’ prayer. Friends, God does not have changing emotions or passions, but human beings do. And Jesus was (and is) truly human. He prayed with great emotional intensity in the garden. 

Jesus also engaged his human will as he prayed. The will is that part of the soul that chooses to think, speak, or do something.  And pay attention to this: When Christ prayed to the Father in the garden, he submitted his human will to the divine will, “saying, ‘Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done’” (Luke 22:42, ESV). 

As I have said, the full humanity of Jesus Christ was put on full display there in the garden of Gethsemane. Just as Adam was (and is) a man, so too Jesus was (and is) a man. Just as Adam was present in the garden of Eden, body and soul, so too Jesus was present in Gethsemane, body and soul.  And just as Adam was tempted in the Garden of Eden, so too was Jesus tempted in Gethsemane. 

That Jesus was tempted in Gethsemane should be clear to all. He was hard pressed and very distressed. Clearly, Jesus was dreading the suffering that was before him and longed for a way out, humanly speaking.  

Here is a question. Was it possible for Jesus to abandon his mission? In other words, theoretically speaking, was it possible for Jesus to run away from the cross and not submit his human will to the divine will? We must say, no. I’ll give you three reasons why Jesus couldn’t fail his mission, beginning with the least and moving to the greatest.

First of all, notice the support that the man Jesus received from heaven. Luke tells us that “there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him” (Luke 22:43, ESV). Yet again, Luke reminds us of the spiritual world and the battle that rages there over the souls of men. Satan was intensely active in those days. He led Judas astray. He wished to have all of the disciples of Jesus so that he might sift them as wheat, but Jesus interceded for them (Luke 22:31). No doubt, Satan wished to destroy Jesus. Do not forget what Luke said in 4:13. After Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness at the start of his public ministry, Luke tells us, “And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time” (Luke 4:13, ESV). The battle between Satan and Jesus was clearly coming to a head. And so the evil one pressed the man Jesus hard in the garden. But all of heaven was behind Jesus and for his success.  Again, Luke reports, “there appeared to [Jesus] an angel from heaven, strengthening him” (Luke 22:43, ESV).

Secondly, we must not forget that the man Jesus was anointed by the Holy Spirit and with power. Luke told us about this anointing in 3:22. At the time of Jesus’ baptism, “the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased’” (Luke 3:22, ESV). Peter stressed this anointing of the Holy Spirit in his preaching. In Acts 10:38, we hear Peter say that “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power.” And that “He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him” (Acts 10:38, ESV). The Holy Spirit anointed Jesus and filled him with the power necessary for his work.

Thirdly, and most significantly,  it was the person of the eternal Son of God, the second person of the Holy Trinity, that was acting through the human nature of Jesus Christ. A person is a subject who acts through a nature. You are I share this in common: We have human natures—that is, we have human bodies and human souls consisting of a mind, affections, and will. What distinguishes us from one another? We are different persons acting through the particular human bodies and souls that God has given to us. We share the “what” in common, but we differ as it pertains to the “who”. What is Jesus? He is a human. But who is Jesus? Who is the person of Jesus of Nazareth? Who is the subject acting through that particular human being? He is the person of the eternal Son of God, the second person of the Holy Trinity. That is who Jesus is. He is the Son of God. And because the divine nature cannot be divide from the divine person of the Son, we confess that in Jesus, “ two whole, perfect, and distinct natures were inseparably joined together in one person, without conversion, composition, or confusion; which person is very God and very man, yet one Christ, the only mediator between God and man.”  In the man Jesus, it is the person of the Son of God who acts. Therefore, it was impossible for Jesus to abandon his mission and to fail. For Jesus to succumb to temptation and to rebel against the will of the Father would require that the person of the eternal Son of God rebel against the will of the Father, and that cannot be, for the will of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is one. 

Now, some may wonder, if Jesus couldn’t sin because he was supported by heaven, anointed with the Holy Spirit beyond measure, and is the person of the eternal Son of God incarnate, then was the temptation he endured genuine? Yes, it was genuine. Jesus was genuinely tempted as a human being. His human mind was troubled by the sufferings he would soon endure, his human emotions were truly overwhelmed by his circumstances, and the resolve of his human will was tested. So intense was the temptation in his soul, even his body was affected. Luke reports that so great was the agony of Jesus’ soul, that “his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground” (Luke 22:44, ESV). This condition actually has a name. It is called hematidrosis. One source says it is a very rare “medical condition that can be caused by extreme stress, anxiety, or physical exertion. When capillaries (tiny blood vessels) in the sweat glands rupture, red blood cells can leak into the sweat, causing it to appear bloody.” This, it seems, is what happened to Jesus’ body. So great was his stress, so intense was his angst, “his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground” (Luke 22:44, ESV). Was the temptation Jesus endured genuine? Yes, indeed.  And so the writer to the Hebrews says, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15, ESV).

Not only was the temptation Jesus endured genuine, but it was also much greater than the temptation endured by Adam in the garden. 

Consider this: both Adam and Jesus were tempted to rebel against God’s revealed will for them, but God’s will for Adam was different from God’s will for Jesus. Jesus’ mission was much more difficult. Adam was called to actively obey God’s law in paradise. This he was to do perfectly and perpetually for a period of time (theologians refer to this as a probationary period). And after actively obeying God’s law, he would have been permitted to eat of the tree of life, that is to say, he would have entered into life in glory. Compare and contrast this God’s will for Jesus. Jesus also had to actively obey God’s law. He had to keep all of God’s commandments, not only the moral law, but the many positive laws of the Old Covenant. And this he had to do, not in paradise, but in a world fallen in sin and filled with temptation. More than this, Jesus was also called to passively obey God by submitting himself to suffering—suffering throughout his life, and especially suffering on the cross. Do not forget what Jesus had just said to his disciples. Isaiah 53 has its fulfilment! And Jesus knew that he would be the one to endure the suffering that is described there. His body would be crushed, and his soul would experience the agony of death as he would bear the sins of many to make atonement for their sins before God. Never was Adam asked to do anything like this. The weight that Jesus was called to bear was much greater than the weight Adam was called to bear, and so the temptation to turn away was greater, too. 

Secondly, we should compare and contrast the fight that Adam put up in the garden when temptation came and the fight that Jesus put up. Adam hardly resisted at all. Adam’s fall into sin is described in one brief line: “and she also gave some [of the forbidden fruit] to her husband who was with her, and he ate” (Genesis 3:6, ESV). There is no indication that Adam agonized over this decision. There was no resistance; there was no fight. But Jesus resisted temptation all the days of his life. He resisted while in the wilderness at the start of his public ministry, throughout the days of his public ministry, and especially here in Gethsemane, on the night before he would go to the cross. 

Jesus endured genuine temptation in Gethsemane. And the temptation he endured was greater than the temptation endured by any man who has ever lived, for Jesus endured through to the end. He endured, resisted, and emerged victorious, saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done” (Luke 22:42, ESV).

 There is one last comparison to be made between Adam and Jesus. These two men are unique in that they lived as federal heads or representatives of others. Adam represented the human race in the Covenant of Works, and Jesus represented those given to him by the Father in eternity in the Covenant of Grace. With both of these men, success would mean success for all and failure would mean failure for all of whom they represented. We know that Adam failed, and Jesus succeeded, and this is why the Apostle says, “For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive” (1 Corinthians 15:22, ESV).

As we consider Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, it is important that we view him not as an individual man, but as one who represented others. He endured the temptation for those given to him by the Father. This is why the Apostle speaks of Jesus as” the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2, ESV). What was the joy set before Jesus? It was the reward of his obedience, namely, the redemption of the elect—even the redemption of all creation. You may go back to Isaiah 53 and see that the Messiah was destined to suffer and die for others. He was to suffer and die for his spiritual offspring. He was to suffer and die to atone for sin, to bear the sins of many, and to make many righteous. How important it is that we view Jesus as a covenantal head or representative of others in Gethsemane and on the cross. 

Conclusion

I’ll conclude now with a few brief suggestions for application. 

Firstly, it is not uncommon to hear preachers emphasize the deity of Christ, and that is a very good and important thing to do! I wish to emphasize his humanity today! Christ Jesus, our Savior and King, was and is a true man. We must think of him as such. The Messiah indeed had to be God with us, for no mere man could do the work required for our salvation. But it is equally true that the Messiah had to be truly human, for, as the ancients have said, what is not assumed is not healed or redeemed. To heal and to redeem human beings, the Messiah had to be one. That Jesus was and is truly human is seen clearly in the Garden of Gethsemane. I would urge you to reflect upon his humanity today. 

Secondly, as you think upon the man Jesus Christ, ponder how he suffered in body and soul to redeem us body and soul. He suffered, died, and rose again bodily so that he might raise us bodily. And he endured great temptation and agony in his soul and was found faithful. Consider what Jesus endured in his human mind, his affections, and in his human will. He was tempted and found faithful in every part of his human nature so that he might redeem and heal us bodily. As I said in the introduction to this sermon, there are many practical things to learn from Jesus’ example in the garden. This we will do next Sunday, Lord willing. But before I say, do this in imitation of Jesus, I think it is important to say, look at what Jesus has done for you in obedience to the Father. 

Thirdly, as you think upon the man Jesus and consider his temptation and all that he suffered, remember that he is a faithful high priest who is able to sympathize with you in your temptations and sufferings. As the Apostle has famously said, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:15–16, ESV). That is my final point of application, knowing that Jesus was tempted as we are tempted, and that he suffered more than any of us have ever suffered, “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:15–16, ESV).