Matthew 26:47-56is about "Jesus’ arrest"and it still happened in Gethsemane.
In Gethsemane, Jesus experienced flesh suffering without any sins until He was arrested by a great multitude led by Judas Iscariot. He was tortured and crucified.
In the last days, God’s church must also experience flesh suffering without any sins (suffering with Jesus), in the form oaf suffering to be able to minister God, suffering to defend the truth, injustice, arrest, etc. This is the time before antichrist reigns over the world up to the time antichrist reigns over it for three years and half.
The ambience of Gethsemane can only be tackled by watching and praying, and we must always be in the ambience of spiritual revival (being well shepherded).
Matthew 26:37-38, 40
26:37 And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed.
26:38 Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me.”
26:40 Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “What! Could you not watch with Me one hour?
Jesus took three disciples to watch and pray, and enter the ambience of spiritual revival.
The meanings of sleeping spiritually are as follows:
If we are being negligent in watching and praying, and being negligent in shepherding (not being well shepherded), we will not be able to survive in facing the ambience of Gethsemane (suffering in any fields).
This morning, we learn about John.
Mark 14:51-52
14:51 Now a certain young man followed Him, having a linen cloth thrown around hisnaked body.And the young men laid hold of him,
14:52 and he left the linen cloth and fled from them naked.
John only had a linen cloth thrown around his naked body,it means that he loved God less, even he did not love God (had no love).
This kind of life loves something (family, work, etc.) more than loving God.
In ordinary situation, John was seemed good.
But, when he was faced on suffering (the ambience of Gethsemane), he was not able. John left the linen cloth and fled from Jesus naked.
John loved himself such that he forsook Jesus.
The meanings of being naked spiritually are as follows:
If we sleep spiritually, we will not survive in facing the ambience of Gethsemane, and will be naked.
Peter, James, and John were the chosen disciples. But all of them did not survive in facing the ambience of Gethsemane. Who are we compared to them?
Actually, John has been naked. It means that he has lost the ministry, he has lost everything.
But, John was given chance by God to enter the ambience of Gethsemane once more, that is John was outcast to the Patmos Island. It equals to experiencing flesh suffering with Jesus, to grow spiritually (entering the spiritual revival) and not to continue being naked.
In Gethsemane, John was still together with the other disciples and there were olive trees. But, on Patmos Island, John was alone in desolate place.
The practices of spiritual revival experienced by John on Patmos Island are as follows:
In Gethsemane, Jesus experienced flesh suffering without any sins until He was arrested by a great multitude led by Judas Iscariot. He was tortured and crucified.
In the last days, God’s church must also experience flesh suffering without any sins (suffering with Jesus), in the form oaf suffering to be able to minister God, suffering to defend the truth, injustice, arrest, etc. This is the time before antichrist reigns over the world up to the time antichrist reigns over it for three years and half.
The ambience of Gethsemane can only be tackled by watching and praying, and we must always be in the ambience of spiritual revival (being well shepherded).
Matthew 26:37-38, 40
26:37 And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed.
26:38 Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me.”
26:40 Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “What! Could you not watch with Me one hour?
Jesus took three disciples to watch and pray, and enter the ambience of spiritual revival.
- James, who denotes faith.
- Peter, who denotes hope.
- John, who denotes love.
The meanings of sleeping spiritually are as follows:
- Being negligent in watching and praying.
- Being negligent in shepherding = being negligent in the purification work of God’s Word. God blesses us.
- Peter was wrong in using the sword.
- All the disciples forsook Him and fled.
Matthew 26:56
26:56 But all this was done that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.”Then all the disciples forsook Him and fled.
If we are being negligent in watching and praying, and being negligent in shepherding (not being well shepherded), we will not be able to survive in facing the ambience of Gethsemane (suffering in any fields).
This morning, we learn about John.
Mark 14:51-52
14:51 Now a certain young man followed Him, having a linen cloth thrown around hisnaked body.And the young men laid hold of him,
14:52 and he left the linen cloth and fled from them naked.
John only had a linen cloth thrown around his naked body,it means that he loved God less, even he did not love God (had no love).
This kind of life loves something (family, work, etc.) more than loving God.
In ordinary situation, John was seemed good.
But, when he was faced on suffering (the ambience of Gethsemane), he was not able. John left the linen cloth and fled from Jesus naked.
John loved himself such that he forsook Jesus.
The meanings of being naked spiritually are as follows:
- Being failed and humiliated.
- Being failed in sins up to the peak of sins, that is eating-drinking sins (smoking, getting drunk, consuming drugs) and marrying and being given in marriage sins (sexuality sin with all its variety, wrong marriage).
- In curse situation, in tears, up to the perdition (as the situation of Adam and Eve who were naked and were outcast from the garden of Eden).
If we sleep spiritually, we will not survive in facing the ambience of Gethsemane, and will be naked.
Peter, James, and John were the chosen disciples. But all of them did not survive in facing the ambience of Gethsemane. Who are we compared to them?
Actually, John has been naked. It means that he has lost the ministry, he has lost everything.
But, John was given chance by God to enter the ambience of Gethsemane once more, that is John was outcast to the Patmos Island. It equals to experiencing flesh suffering with Jesus, to grow spiritually (entering the spiritual revival) and not to continue being naked.
In Gethsemane, John was still together with the other disciples and there were olive trees. But, on Patmos Island, John was alone in desolate place.
The practices of spiritual revival experienced by John on Patmos Island are as follows:
- Revelation 1:9-10
1:9. I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.
1:10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet,
Being able to hear the loud voice of a trumpet, until being able to practice it (being obedient).
Ezekiel 33:1-6
33:1. Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
33:2 “Son of man, speak to the children of your people, and say to them: ‘When I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from their territory and make him their watchman,
33:3 when he sees the sword coming upon the land, if he blows the trumpet and warns the people,
33:4 then whoever hears the sound of the trumpet and does not take warning, if the sword comes and takes him away, his blood shall be on his ownhead.
33:5 He heard the sound of the trumpet, but did not take warning; his blood shall be upon himself. But he who takes warning will save his life.
33:6 But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, and the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes anyperson from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand.’
The sound of the trumpet is directly related with our life. We must be serious!
The watchman (pastor) and the congregation (sheep) must be serious and be watchful.
Loud sound of trumpetdenotes the sharp true teaching Word, which is believed by God to a pastor, which is preached continually and repetitively to remind the congregation, such that they will not be perished by God’s judgment.
It equals to shepherding Word.
Shepherding Word is sharp, but it is to save us from the coming judgment.
Thus, experiencing spiritual revival means being able to hear, enjoy, and obey the shepherding Word, although it is sharp.
John 14:15
14:15. “If you love Me, keep My commandments.
Proverbs 10:12
10:12. Hatred stirs up strife, But love covers all sins.
The result iswe experience the love of God to cover all our sins.
The measure of loving God is especially being obedient to shepherding Word.
The process of God’s love covers our sins is as follows:- Shepherding Word, which is preached hard and repetitively, reveals our repeated sins which expose our life.
- Once we hear the Word, we will get angry or irritated. After the Word is repeated, we can realize and regret the sins. Afterwards, we must confess the sins to God and the others.
- After being forgiven, we must not do sins anymore!
We can live in righteousness and holiness means we wear the robe of righteousness,and we are no longer being naked. - For right and holy life (having the robe of righteousness/ salvation), God will add the robe of ministry.
Ephesians 4:11-12
4:11 And He Himself gave some to beapostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,
4:12 for the equipping of the saintsfor the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,
If we only live in righteousness, we still have thin cloth and we may become naked once we are stumble.
But, if we already wear the robe of ministry, we will not easily become naked. Throw away the sins and preserves the robe of ministry!
Revelation 19:8
19:8 And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.
We will be lifted up on the glorious clouds. We will enter a thousand years Kingdom of Peace, until enter the eternal New Jerusalem, and we will never be naked anymore. - Shepherding Word, which is preached hard and repetitively, reveals our repeated sins which expose our life.
- Revelation 1:17
1:17 And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last.
Being able to fall at Jesus’ feet = worshiping God with broken heart.
It means as follows:- Confessing that I am not worthy and having many weaknesses.
- Confessing that I have no power.
- Confessing that I am not precious, I am only clay which is proper to be trampled down.
- Fully surrendering to God, only putting hope on God’s mercy.
The example is Job, who had to experience temptation completely. Peter began to sink until he could stretch out both his hands to God.
This morning, let us just by the encouragement of the Word stretch out both our hands to God and live in God’s love.
In Gethsemane, Jesus prayed and submitted His flesh desire to be able to fully submit to the Father’s will. It equals to stretching out our hands and surrendering to God.
Do not follow the flesh desire! Flesh deceives us. We must surrender and obey God.
Broken heart is not only marked by tears, but the most important is our submission to God.
Another example is Abraham who was fully surrendering to God and sacrificing Isaac. A widow in Zarephath submitted a handful of flour and a little oil for God first.
Right at that moment, God stretched out His right hand to touch John. It equals to God touches and holds/ embraces our lives.
The results are as follows:- Psalm 16:11
16:11 You will show me the path of life; In Your presence isfullness of joy; At Your right hand arepleasures forevermore.
There are pleasures forevermore, that is:- We experience God’s care for our daily life, future, up to eternal life.
- We experience spiritual care, that is we have joy in God, although we are in the middle of sufferings.
Mumbling or murmuring in sufferings means we are already outside God’s hands.
- We experience God’s care for our daily life, future, up to eternal life.
- Psalm 118:15-16
118:15 The voice of rejoicing and salvation Isin the tents of the righteous; The right hand of the Lord does valiantly.
118:16 The right hand of the Lord is exalted; The right hand of the Lord does valiantly.
The right hand of the Lord gives victory over the enemy.
It means God solves all our problems, even the impossible one. There is a way out of every problem.
Exodus 15:6
15:6 “Your right hand, O Lord, has become glorious in power; Your right hand, O Lord, has dashed the enemy in pieces.
The example is when Israelites faced deadlock (there is no way out in front, back, left, or right side). They confessed that it was the hand of the Lord which gave victory, which gave the way out.
Do not take a self way out outside the Word! That is a deadlock and perdition. - God’s hands lift us up in His time.
It means as follows:- God lifts us up from every failure and makes it successful and beautiful in His time.
- God lifts us up from falls in sins.
God helps us to live in righteousness and holiness. We are used by God for His glory. - God lifts us means God purifies and renews us, until we become perfect and as glorious as Him. We will be lifted up to the glorious clouds to be with God forever.
The proof that we are hold by God’s hands is we live in peace, we believe and fully surrender our life to God. - God lifts us up from every failure and makes it successful and beautiful in His time.
- Confessing that I am not worthy and having many weaknesses.