Thursday: The Upper Room and Gethsemene

We've come to some very meaningful and familiar passages of Scripture in Passion week.  We will be looking at Jesus' Last Supper.  If you want to add some meaning to your day today, consider celebrating the Lord's table while you listen.  I will make note in the podcast when that would occur.  

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This is podcast number two in regard to Thursday on the Thursday of Passion Week, become the time when Jesus and his disciples have left the upper room and are headed to the garden of Guest Semini. Now Jesus and the remaining 11 disciples leave that room and begin to walk over the brook. I drawn to the Garden of Guest, 70 on the Mount of Olives. It is about a one mile walk. Well, on that walk, Jesus takes the opportunity to teach his disciples further. He talked to them about his relationship to them, and it's importance about the opposition that they're going to receive from the world about the coming of the Holy Spirit, about his resurrection, about prayer. And then, finally, he prays for his disciples. Now I'm just gonna be reading this section of Scripture and commenting on occasion. This is a long passage, so we just want to contemplate what it says during this time, it says in John, Chapter 15 beginning with verse one. I am the true vine, and my father is a husband Hman every branch in me that bears not fruit, he takes away, and every branch that bears fruit he purges that it may bring forth more fruit. You can almost imagine Jesus walking along the way and pointing to a fruit tree along the pathway in which they were going and using. It is an illustration for what life in Christ is going to be after he is gone, and how God and the Lord Jesus determined whether or not the person is truly in the faith. Do they have fruit? Verse three. Now you are clean through the word which I have spoken to. You abide in me and I in you as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, accepted. Abide in the vine No more can you accept you bite in May. I am the vine. You are the branches he that abides in me and I and him. The saying brings forth much fruit. Without me, you can do nothing. It's pointing out just like a vine that's attached to the main route of any plant that vine cannot survive. Independent of the route, Jesus says. I am the vine. You are the branches. If a man abide, not in me. He is cast forth as a branch and is withered, and men gather them and cast them into the fire and they are burned. If you abide in me and my words abide in you You shall ask what you will and it will be done unto you. Here it is my father glorified that you bear much fruit. So shall you be my disciples as the father's love me So I have loved you. Continue you in my love. If you keep my commandments, you shall abide in my love even as I have kept my father's commandments and abide in his love These things I've spoken to you that my joy might remain in you and that your joy might be full. This is my commandment that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends. He's saying, Listen, I'm about to go to the cross and in that I will be laying down my life for you, my friends, I'm laying down my life that you might have salvation. And that is the kind of love that I want you toe have for each other. A self sacrificial kind of love. Verse 14 says you are my friends. If you do whatsoever, I command henceforth I call you not servants for the servant doesn't know what his lord does. But I have called you friends for all things that I have heard of my father I have made known to you. You have not chosen me. But I have chosen you and ordained you that you should go and bring forth fruit and that your fruit should remain that whatsoever. You ask of the father in my name. He may give you these things. I command you that you love one another after this dialogue of his about their relationship and love for him. He wants to make them aware that the world is going to oppose them. So inverts 18 of chapter 15 of John. He begins by saying If the world hate you, you know that it hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. But because you are not of this world I've chosen you out of the world. Therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you The servant is not greater than his Lord If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they have kept my saying, they will keep yours as well. Don't expect anything out of this world more than what I have received. And he is about to go to the cross verse 21. But all these things will they do to them for my name's sake. Because they know not him that sent me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they had not had sin. But now that they have no cloak for their sin, he that hated me hated my father also. If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin. But now have they both seen and hated both me and my father. But this comes to pass that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law. They hated me without a cause. But when the comforter has come whom I will send to you from the father even the spirit of truth which proceeds from the father he shall testify of me. And you also shall bear witness because you've been with me from the beginning. These things. I have spoken to you that you should not be offended. They shall put you out of the synagogues. Yea, the time comes and whoever kills you will think he's doing God's service. And these things will they do to you because I have not known the father nor me. But these things have told you that when the time shall come you may remember that I told you of them and these things I said not under you at the beginning because I was with you. So he's telling them to expect persecution to expect that people are going to oppose them, that people are not going to agree with them, that people are not going to accept the message but in comfort. He reminds them again what he said when they were up in the upper room and they would have the Holy Spirit working in them. Chapter 16 Verse five says. But now I go my way to him that sent me and none of you asked me where you going. But because I have said these things to you. Sorrow has filled your heart. Nevertheless, I tell you the truth. It is expedient for you that I go away or if I go not away, the comforter will not come to you. But if I depart, I will send him to you. And when he has come, he will reprove the world of sin and of righteousness and of judgment a sin because they believe not on me of righteousness. Because I go to my father and you see me no more a judgment Because the prince of this world is judged. I have yet many things to say to you. But you cannot bear them now. How be it when he the spirit of truth has come? He will guide you into all truth, for he shall not speak of himself. But whatsoever he shall hear that shall he speak? And he will show you things to come. He shall glorify me, for he shall receive of mine and shall show it to you. All things that the father has are mine. Therefore said I that he will take of mine and shall show it to you Now This is some pretty heavy stuff that he's giving them. Even the promise of a comforter doesn't seem to be much when they don't understand or know that comforter. So then, in Chapter 16 verse 16 he tells him that there's going to be joy and that there's going to be a resurrection. It says a little while and you shall not see me and again a little while and you shall see me because I go to the father. Then said some of his disciples among themselves. What is this that he says to us a little while and you will not see me and again a little while? And you will see me because I go to the father? They said, Therefore, what is this? He says a little while. We cannot tell what he says Now. Jesus knew that they were desire is to ask him and said to them, Do you inquire among yourselves of what I said a little while and you will not see me and I get a little while and you shall see me. Verily, verily I say to you that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned to joy. He's describing for them that they will go through intense grief. It's important that they understand. He knows that. But he also tells them After that grief, your sorrow will be turned into joy. After the cross comes the resurrection 1st 21 a woman when she is in travail has sorrow because her hour has come. But as soon as she has delivered of the child, she remembers no more the anguish for joy that a man is born in the world. And you now therefore have sorrow. But I will see you again and your heart will rejoice. And your joy No man takes from you and Jesus concludes this bunch of promises here with a promise of answered prayer in peace 1st 23 And in that day you will ask me nothing. Verily verily I say to you whatsoever. You ask the father in my name. He will give to you either to have you'd asked nothing in my name. Ask and you will receive that your joy may be full. These things I have spoken to you in proverbs. But the time comes when I shall no more speak to you in proverbs. But we'll show you plainly of the father. It was necessary before the cross that Jesus speaking shrouded terms not only to the multitude which of the disciples as well but after the resurrection. Then he could open up to them the scripture, and open up to them the meaning behind everything that had been done prior to the cross 1st 26 At that day you shall ask in my name and I say, Not unto you, that I will pray the father for you, for the father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came out from God. I came forth from the father and him come into the world again. I leave the world and go to the father, his disciples said to him, Low now speaking style plainly and speak of snow proverb. Now are we sure that thou knowest all things and need? It's not that any man should ask the by this We believe that thou Caymus forth from gun 1st 31 Jesus answered them. Do you now believe Behold the hour comes Yea is now come that you will be scattered every man to his own and we'll leave me alone And yet I am not alone because the father is in me these things. I have spoken to you that in me you may have peace in the world. You will have tribulation But be of good cheer I have overcome the world at this point in the narrative, it would seem as though they had arrived at the garden of Guest Cimini and before they enter in and Jesus separates himself from his disciples he lives up a prayer for his disciples. And this is what he says. These words spake Jesus and lifted up his eyes to heaven and said, Father, the hour has come glorify thy son that thy son also may glorify thee as I was given him power over all flesh that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. And this is life eternal that they might know thee. The only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou has sent I have glorified the on the earth. I have finished the work which you gave me to do. And now o father glorify thou me with I known self with the glory which I had with the before the world Waas I have manifested thy name into the men which thou gave us me out of the world. Fine, they are. And thou gave us them. Me and they have kept my word. Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou gave me are of thee for I have given unto them the words which thou gave us Me and they've received them and have known surely that I came out from the And they have believed that thou descent me. I pray for them. I pray not for the world but for them, which thou has given me for they are mine in all our Zain and I in our mind and I am glorified in them. And now I am no more in the world. But these air in the world and I come to the Holy Father Keep through thy known name those whom thou hast given me that they may be one as we are. While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name those that thou gave us Me I have kept and none of them is lost. But the son of tradition that the scripture might be fulfilled. And now come I to thee and these things I speak in the world that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them thy word and the world has hated them because they're not of the world. Even as I am not of the world, I pray not that thou should has take them out of the world. But thou should has keep them from the evil They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth. Thy word is truth as I was sent me into the world. Even so, have I sent them into the world. And for their sakes, I sanctify myself that they also might be sanctified through the truth. Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word that they all may be one, as thou father are in me and I and the that They also may be one in us that the world may believe that thou has sent me and the glory which thou gave us. May I have given them that they may be one as we are one I and them and thou and me that they may be me made perfect in one and that the world may know that that was sent me and has loved them as thou hast loved me Father, I will that they also whom now has given me be with me where I am that they may be Hold my glory which I was given me for that love ist me from the foundation the world o righteous Father The world is not known Leave. But I have known the and these have known that thou has sent me and I have declared unto them thy name and will declare it. But the love where without love me may be in them and I in them. You know, John tells us a lot of things that Jesus said in the upper room on the way to the garden Many of these things that I've read in this podcast for things that the other Gospels didn't include. But the conclusion for today is described in the rest of the Gospels. It says in Matthew Touch 26. At this point, as I said, probably at the edge of the garden of Guest Semini Jesus says to his disciples all you shall be offended because of me. This night, for it is written. I will smite the shepherd and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad. But after I am arisen again, I will go before you into Galilee. Well, this point, Peter answers and says him, though whole men shall be offended because of the yet will I never be offended. Peter here repeats his pledge of allegiance that he had made before. Then Jesus repeats his prediction of Peter's denial. Jesus said to him, Verily, I say to thee that this knight, before the cock crowed twice. You will deny me thrice. But Peter spake the more vehemently and said, though I should die with thee yet will I not deny the? Likewise also said all the disciples well, once they arrived in the garden of the guest Semini, we can imagine that the disciples would have been tired and discouraged and stone cold. Quiet, Matthew, 2026 says, Then come with Jesus with them on to a place called Gas Emini and said to the disciples, I pray that she Internet. It's temptation. Sit you here. Well, I go and pray yonder and he says he took with him, Peter and James and John and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. Then he said to them, My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even unto death. Terry, you here and watch with me. So he left some disciples further out and took with him three. And then he went on even further into the garden. He withdrew himself from them about a stone's cast and kneeled down and prayed and fell on his face and prayed, saying, Oh, my father, if it is possible, if thou be willing, let this cup pass for me nevertheless, not as I will but as thou wilt and he comes to his disciples and finds them asleep and said, Peter Sleepiest. Now what could you not watch with me? One hour watch and pray that you enter, not into temptation. The spirit, indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak, and so he leaves him again. The second time it separates himself and praise saying, Oh, my father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done. He returned and found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy and he woke them again and they didn't know what to answer him. He left them and went away and prayed the third time, saying the same words. Luke adds in his gospel that there appeared in Angel unto him from heaven that was strengthening him and being in an agony. He prayed more earnestly, and a sweat was as it were, great drops of blood falling down to the ground. And Matthew concludes, then Kamathi to his disciples and found them sleeping for sorrow and said to them, Sleep on now and take your rest. Behold the hours at hand and the son of man is betrayed into the hands of centers. After a moment, Jesus returns to them and says, Rise, let us be going. Behold, he is at hand. That death betray me. Well, we've read a lot today, so let's just go to the Lord in prayer. Any father, we can't help but reflect the mood of this time in Passion Week. In our own hearts, the disciples were tired. Jesus had spoken many things to them, and all of it was overwhelming. They were emotionally drained because of their failures and predicted failures. It had been a long day of preparation And now they were out late into the night, were there with him. But we know that tomorrow is the account of the crucifixion. We know it's well that on Sunday Jesus will rise from the grave. We pray, Lord, that you will strengthen us to remain vigilant in our dedication at this time to remember your sacrifice and your glory. During this week, we pray this in Jesus name, Amen.