 The title of our sermon this morning is his glory in submission, his glory in submission, the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ in his submission to God the Father in particular in this glorious work of redemption. We come to John chapter 18 and as we come to John chapter 18 this morning we're faced, as the Lord and his disciples are faced with, we are faced with the impending arrest, the suffering and the death of the Lord of glory. However, faced with such tragic circumstances, such dark circumstances, the purpose of John through these circumstances is that the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ would be magnified in the darkness, that we would see him for who he is and what he has done and that we would see him in his excellencies, in his perfections, in his glory. You know he's left the disciples now in John chapter 18, he's left the disciples with parting instruction and after preparing them for what lies ahead, he prays for them, he commends them into the hands of God the Father and now again he sets his face like a flint toward the cross. Even now as we enter into these verses in John chapter 18, there is a meeting taking place in the house of Caiaphas, the high priest. The members of the Sanhedrin are there, the members of the temple guard are there, temple police and someone who has been extremely close to the Lord Jesus Christ for the extent of his earthly ministry is also there with them in betrayal. Now according to the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God Jesus will be delivered up by a vile betrayer, by this traitor, he'll be taken by lawless hands, he'll be bound, beaten, scourged, crucified and killed and in this account as we enter in upon his passion as it's called, his suffering, John focuses his account on the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ and his glory here specifically in the context of his sovereign submission. You can imagine the condescension of the Lord of glory stepping out of heaven to take upon himself the dirt of this earth, the dirt, the flesh of our existence and walk with rebel sinners and die for those whom the father had given him, those who had been all their lives subject to bondage, rebels against God, sinners, God's law courts and he now goes toward the garden for them. We'll see that sovereign submission, the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ, one in his courageous submission, his courageous submission in verses one through four. So we come to verses four through nine, we'll see his humble submission, the humility of the Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious humility of the Lord Jesus Christ and lastly we'll look at his determined submission in verses 10 through 12. Let's begin point one on your notes, his courageous submission. Let's begin with verse one, John chapter 18 verse one where John records, when Jesus had spoken these words, he went out with his disciples over the Brook Kidron where there was a garden which he and his disciples entered and Judas who betrayed him also knew the place for Jesus often met there with his disciples. Then Judas having received the detachment of troops and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees came there with lanterns, torches and weapons. Jesus therefore knowing all things that would come upon him went forward and said to them, whom are you seeking? The narrative in verse one begins with both an exit and an entrance. The narrative begins with an exit and with an entrance. When Jesus had spoken these words verse one or after Jesus had spoken these words, he went out. These words that are referred to in John chapter 18 verse one certainly refer to his high priestly prayer in John chapter 17 that we just walked through together. Also though certainly referring to the entirety of the farewell discourse, his parting words, the farewell discourse that really began in John chapter 13 with the departure of Judas the betrayer. He taught them as they left the upper room in John chapter 14 verse 31. He talked as they walked together through the city of Jerusalem toward this eastern exit now facing the Mount of Olives. It's late on Thursday night when they exit the city, when they cross over the Kidron ravine and begin their ascent of the Mount of Olives and they enter there a garden. It is a courageous exit. Now think about it, right? The Lord voluntarily walks out of the city knowing all that would come upon him. He leaves the city of Jerusalem in a courageous exit, a bold and determined entrance in upon the final act of his earthly ministry. Verse four, Jesus therefore knowing all things that would come upon him, he went forward. A courageous and voluntary exit, a bold and determined entrance. His hour has come. His hour has come. He knows all things that would come upon him. He is going to suffer and he courageously walks out of the city and enters the garden. This is the captain of our salvation marching to his death. Courageous submission, bold obedience, faithful determination to do the will of the father and having loved his own who are in the world. He loves them to the very end. This is a determined walk, a determined march of the captain of our salvation to his death for sinners like you and me. As we consider this text, I want us to take away from these verses that sense of triumphant faith that the Lord Jesus Christ has here. I'd like us to walk away with a sense of his courageous submission. You know, there are men who can say, I stormed the beach at Iwo Jima for my country, right? Maybe you've met them. We know from history, there are martyrs who walked the path from their cell to the stake for the cause of Christ. There was never a walk like this one. Knowing all things that would come upon him, he went forward. We're going to unpack what those things are as we work through the text. That thought that the Lord Jesus Christ, knowing all things that would come upon him and yet he exited the city, entered the garden. That fact has motivated many a martyr. There are many who have gone from the cell to the stake for Christ meditating upon that walk from Jerusalem to the garden. There have been many a brother, many a sister who have stood to preach the gospel thinking on, meditating on the Lord's submission here in this inexorable walk toward the cross. Maybe many of you in coming to Christ, humbling yourself, confessing your sin, turning from your sin, knowing that the Lord Jesus Christ here submitted to this fateful march for you. Maybe many of a husband humbling themselves before their wife and asking for forgiveness. Many a brother in conflict, humbling themselves to ask for forgiveness. Paul says, let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. This is a courageous exit. Turn with me to Hebrews chapter two. Hebrews chapter two. I want to give you a sense of this. Hebrews chapter two. I want to begin in verse nine. In walking to the garden, in exiting the city of Jerusalem here, after the end of his parting instruction to the disciples, he is submitting himself to the Father to endure suffering. He will endure suffering, suffering unlike anyone else on earth has ever experienced. And we'll see him as he agonizes in the garden over it. As the Lord makes his way to the place where they will arrest him and bind him, we should meditate now on why he goes to suffer. Why does he go to suffer as he walks to the garden? Look at verse nine. As he walks to the garden, we see Jesus, Hebrews chapter two, verse nine, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor that he by the grace of God might taste death for everyone. Verse 10, because it was fitting for him, fitting for God the Father for whom are all things and by whom are all things in bringing many sons to glory to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. It was fitting. In other words, it was suitable. It was right. It was right that God should perfect his son through suffering as the way to bring many sons to glory. Now, what does it mean there that he made him perfect? Jesus Christ was sinless, sinlessly perfect. He was the sinless son of God. And so he's already perfect in that sense. I think we finally answered our question over in Hebrews chapter five. Look at Hebrews chapter five and drop down to verse eight, where our author explains in verse eight that though he was a son, yet he learned obedience by the things which he suffered. Now, think through this with me. It doesn't mean that he was disobedient before, right? And it had to learn obedience. In the Greek, there's a play on the words there with learned and suffered, learned obedience by the things which he suffered. It's the Greek word immathan learned or epatha suffered. Immathan epatha gave birth to a common Greek proverb or a Greek saying that meant this. Learning comes by suffering. Learning comes by suffering. In other words, the Lord Jesus Christ was perfected as his submissive obedience was tested and tried and found faithful in the crucible of suffering. As the Lord obeyed, submitted himself, courageously submitted himself to the suffering, the Lord Jesus Christ in his obedience was tested, was tried and his obedience found faithful even in suffering. His obedience was found to be unfailing in the face of extreme testing, proving himself obedient through suffering. He was being made perfect. Look at verse nine. And having been perfected, he became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey him. Our obedience, the obedience of the genuine Christian is the fruit of his own obedience. And then the salvation that was purchased by the obedience of the sun is given to those obedient through him. I look back in chapter two, Hebrews chapter two, in verse nine, we see Jesus who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor that he by the grace of God might taste death for everyone, for it was fitting for him, for God, for whom are all things and by whom are all things in bringing many sons to glory to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. It was fitting for God that he must succeed in a perfect obedience where all of us have failed. Where we have failed, he must succeed in perfect obedience. And that tested, that obedience tested in suffering. He became, as Paul says, obedient to the point of death, even the horrible and tragic death of the cross. And he does that to bring many sons to glory. Look at verse 11. For both he who sanctifies, that's Christ, and those who are being sanctified, that's believers, you and I, if you're in Christ, both he who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one for which reason he is not ashamed to call them brothers. He obeyed even through suffering as we in him obey even through suffering. And he does that to bring many sons to glory. Go back to John chapter 18. So John chapter 18 verse one then, this is the captain of our salvation walking out in courageous submission, with whom, with whom we are joint heirs, if indeed we suffer with him, that we also may be glorified together. So think with me, brothers, sisters, when you're about to knock on the door and evangelize someone, and maybe you're a little fearful, when you're about to approach a stranger, and you're a little fearful, when you're about to stand up on the, on the campus and open air preach, and some angry guy comes at you from across the parking lot at the murder mill, and you're a little fearful, remember the Lord's courageous submission. When you're about to give, even though it's going to hurt this month, remember all that the Lord has given. When you're rejected by friends, you're rejected by a spouse, rejected by a loved one, rejected by your family because of the gospel. When false disciples leave you scoffing as they go, tossing hand grenades as they leave, blessed are you when they revile you and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice, the Lord says, and be exceedingly glad, great is your reward in heaven. Remember the Lord's courageous submission. He's not ashamed to call us brethren when we suffer with him. You don't want to be called a brother, right? A sister. John chapter 18 verse one, the Lord, knowing all things that would come upon him, verse one, went out with his disciples over the brook, Kidron. The word for brook there in verse one is a Greek word meaning ravine. Literally it means winter flowing, winter flowing. It's a meaning that for that little brook, that little ravine, that it would run with water during the rainy seasons, run with water if the snow melted and ran down into the ravine. At other times it was dry. So literally it was a winter flowing ravine. Didn't always have water in it. At this time, as the Lord crossed over it, Passover, it was said that the Kidron ravine ran red with blood. Now estimates are at that time, during Passover, the upwards of a quarter of a million lambs and goats were slaughtered in the temple just above the ravine. Josephus, 30 years after this Passover, recorded 256,000 sacrifices on the temple mount. As they spilled the blood of those lambs and goats, they had drains around the altar, drains around the temple mount that would drain that blood. And you can imagine the blood shed would drain that blood out the eastern side of the city of Jerusalem. That blood would drain into the brook Kidron. So picture the scene. The Lord Jesus Christ at Passover, after the slaughter of the lambs crossed over that bloody ravine, knowing that he himself would bring an end to all that bloody sacrifice, all that sacrifice that could never take away sin, knowing that he would be the very fulfillment of Passover by the shedding of his own blood once for all in just a short time from now. That was the same brook that David had crossed. Turn with me to 2 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 2 Samuel 15. So much history was in play here as the Lord Jesus Christ crossed over the brook Kidron to make that ascent up the Mount of Olives toward the Garden of Gethsemane. He stepped over that bloody brook surely across his mind. This was the same exit that David had made in 2 Samuel, Chapter 15. Look there beginning at verse 13, 2 Samuel 15, verse 13. Now a messenger came today, David saying, the hearts of the men of Israel are with Absalom. If you remember the story, Absalom, Absalom has betrayed David. Absalom has executed a plot to draw the hearts of the people away from David, the king, and to him the hearts of the men of Israel are with Absalom, the traitor. Verse 14. So David said to all his servants who were with him at Jerusalem, arise, David said, let us flee or we shall not escape from Absalom. Make haste to depart lest he overtake us suddenly and bring disaster upon us and strike the city with the edge of the sword. And this king's servant said to the king, David, we are your servants ready to do whatever my Lord the king commands. Then the king went out with all his household after him. Here, David is also fleeing from a betrayer. David is also, David is fleeing his own son Absalom. What does he do to get away from the betrayer? Verse 23, drop down to verse 23. All the country wept with a loud voice and all the people crossed over. The king himself also crossed over the Brook Kidron and all the people crossed over toward the way of the wilderness. Drop down to verse 30. So David, the same fateful path, David went up by the ascent of the Mount of Olives, and he wept as he went up, and he had his head covered and went barefoot, and all the people who were with him covered their heads and went up, weeping as they went up. Imagine that scene in 2 Samuel chapter 15, and now think 1,000 years later, 1,000 years later in John chapter 18, verse 1, David's greater son, the Lord Jesus Christ, the one who now reigns on the throne of David, crosses the same ravine. But the Lord Jesus Christ is not driven from the city by the betrayer. The Lord Jesus Christ walks out of the city to meet his betrayer. He's not fleeing. He's determined to go out and see him, to go out and meet him. David sins. David's sin brought about the faithfulness of his own son. David's sin brought out the antagonism of his own son, where Christ is the sinless son of God, not deserving of any of this. Where Christ is a son, as a son is faithful over his own house, crowned with glory, whose house we are if we hold fast, our confidence and rejoicing of the hope for him to the end. So David's crossing. His crossing of the Brook Kidron all those years ago was a time for those people, and David a fear. It was a time of weeping, a time of sorrow for the king and for the people. And Absalom had the upper hand. David betrayed by his counselor Hithafel. But back in John chapter 18, verse 1, when the Lord crosses over, it is an astounding act of great triumph. Although it looks like everything is going bad, right? It is an astounding march, an astounding exit of great victory, great triumph. It's a courageous and glorious submission. And notice also back in John chapter 18, verse 1, notice also that here they entered a garden. He went out with his disciples over the Brook Kidron, where there was a garden, which he and his disciples entered. Now notice that John doesn't identify it here as the Garden of Gethsemane as the synoptics do. The synoptic gospels identify the garden. John doesn't. He simply says it's a garden. And it appears as though the reference here is intentional. I want you to look with me. John takes care to note there's a garden here. He does the same where Jesus was crucified in John chapter 19. Flip the page with me, John chapter 19. Look at verse 40. John chapter 19. And in verse 40, John records, then they took the body of Jesus and bounded in strips of linen with the spices, as the custom of the Jews is to bury. Now in the place where he was crucified, there was a garden. And in the garden, a new tomb which no one had been laid. So there they laid Jesus because of the Jews preparation day for the tomb was nearby. So he takes care to note that there was a garden where Jesus was crucified. Flip the page again and look at chapter 20 and look at verse 13. It's this garden in which Jesus also first appears after his resurrection. Chapter 20, look down at verse 13 or begin at verse 11. Mary stood outside the tomb, verse 11, weeping as she went. She stooped down and looked into the tomb. She saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. Then they said to her, woman, why are you weeping? She said to them, because they have taken away my Lord and I do not know where they've laid him. Now when she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there and did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, verse 15, woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking? She supposing him to be the gardener. She's standing in the garden, right at the tomb. Supposing him to be the gardener said to him, sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him and I will take him away. Jesus said to her, Mary as she turned and said to him, Roboni, which is to say teacher. And Jesus said to her, do not cling to me for I've not yet ascended to my father, but go to my brethren and say to them, I am ascending to my father and your father and to my God and your God. God, he appears first in his resurrection in a garden back in John chapter 18. As the Lord enters into the garden in John chapter 18, verse one, I think the reference here is intentional. The Lord Jesus Christ enters in as the second Adam to reverse or undo all that the first Adam had done due to his sin in the garden of Eden. The garden sanctuary of Eden is said to be a temple of the presence of God as he dwells with man. God created a garden and there he was to dwell with man. Man was to tend the garden, expand the garden, the garden and the glory of God would fill the earth as his glory as the waters cover the sea. Ezekiel 28 verse 13, Ezekiel calls it the garden of God. In verses 14 and 16, he calls it the holy mountain of God. You think about the garden theme through the, through the Bible cover to cover Israel's later temple where the very presence of God dwelt among his people was built according to God's specific instructions was made with carvings of flowers and of trees of pomegranates of animals and so on. Again, recalling the splendor of the garden of Eden and it was built on a mountain in Jerusalem. Terminator Revelation chapter 21, Revelation chapter 21. Again in Revelation chapter 21, John writing again, where Adam fails, the Lord Jesus Christ is victorious. Revelation chapter 21, look down beginning at verse 22. Here again, John writing as the new Jerusalem has descended out of heaven. John says in verse 21, but I saw no temple in it for the Lord God almighty in the lamb or its temple, the city had no need of the sun of the moon or the moon to shine in it for the glory of God illuminated it. The lamb is its light and the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it. Its gates shall not be shut at all by day. There shall be no night there and they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it, but there shall be by no means enter in, enter at anything that defiles or causes an abomination or lie, but only those who are written in the lamb's book of life. Listen to this in chapter 22 verse one. He showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the lamb. In the middle of its street and on either side of the river was the tree of life which bore 12 fruits each yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations and there shall be no more curse reversing everything that the first Adam had done, the second Adam, the Lord Jesus Christ, now victorious. The throne of God and of the lamb shall be in it and his servants shall serve him. Verse four. They shall see his face and his name shall be upon their foreheads. There shall be no night there. They need no lamp nor the light of the sun for the Lord gives them light and they shall reign forever and ever. So what happens? What happens in the very first garden? What happens with the first Adam? Everything that God created was perfect. Everything that God created, a dwelling place of God with man that God commanded Adam not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. For in the day that he ate of it, God said that he would surely die. Literally, he told Adam, dying, you will die. Adam disobeyed God's command and in Adam disobeying God's command, all mankind fell in Adam and all mankind are born under the curse of the law. That's what happens in the very first garden with the first Adam. What happens as the Lord Jesus Christ enters this garden? In John chapter 18, verse one, Jesus, Lord Jesus Christ, perfectly submits to the will of the Father in absolute obedience to all of his commands and through the voluntary laying down of his life, his own life as the sinless Son of God, the second Adam does what the first Adam could not. Turn with me to Romans chapter five. Romans chapter five. And Paul describes it this way in Romans chapter five, beginning in verse 18. Paul says, therefore, as through one man's offense, judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation. Even so, through one man's righteous act, the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience, many were made sinners, so also by one man's courageous submission, so also by one man's obedience, by one man's righteousness, many will be made righteous. Think about this picture, this contrast, right? Your eternal destiny, your eternal destiny this morning stands with either Adam or the Lord Jesus Christ. Your eternal destiny, where you will go when you die, whether to heaven or to hell, stands in your connection to your union with your representation by either Adam or the Lord Jesus Christ. Adam is the representative of the entire human race. You were born a child of Adam. You were born united to Adam under the curse of Adam, having fallen in Adam. You were born Adam's son, Adam's daughter. Now, some may think to themselves, you know, that doesn't sound fair to me, right? I don't like the idea that I was represented by Adam in the garden. I don't like the idea of having a representative in Eden. If I were there, but in God's wisdom, right, in God's infinite wisdom, this is how he, God, in his infinite wisdom and in infinite love, in infinite mercy, infinite grace, abounding in grace, abounding in mercy. This is how God has determined to save and praise God that he has. You may not like representation in the garden with Adam, but praise God for the representation that he has provided for you and I on Calvary. Christ, Christ is the representative of all those born again in him. Christ is the representative for all those who would by faith turn from their sin, turn from their rebellion, turn from their wickedness, turn from being the God of their own lives. If you'll turn from that and turn to Christ, then Christ is the representative of all those who by faith would trust in him that by virtue of his own substitutionary death on the cross, bearing their punishment due for their sin and rebellion, your sin can be forgiven, your guilt can be removed, you can be made righteous in the blood of the Lamb and stand before God justified. All of your filthy sin, all of your wickedness, all of that burden, that weight of sin that weighs you down can be lifted. All of your filthy sin is credited to him. He who knew no sin became sin for us. Your sin imputed to him and all of his perfect righteousness, his courageous submission, his steadfast obedience, his faithful walk, his faithful life, all of that imputed to you who believe so that you not only stand before God as if you've never sinned, you not only stand before God as if you've never sinned, but you can stand before him perfect in his own sight as his perfect sinless Son, clothed, clothed in the righteousness, the white linen robes of the righteousness of his own Son. In Adam, you're born in sin, you're born under the curse, you are condemned already. The Bible describes you as a son of the devil, a child of wrath. Dying, God says, you shall surely die. Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law to do them. Your life is born the reality of that fact. Your life has borne the reality of that fact day in, day out as you sin against God, as you sin with your thoughts, as you sin with your words, as you sin with your deeds, sin upon sin upon sin, stacking up to heaven, a stench in the nostrils of God, you press to live for yourself, you press to fulfill the lusts of your flesh, but in John chapter 18 verse 1, the Lord marches into that garden on the Mount of Olives. He marches into that garden to submit himself to be taken by lawless hands, crucified and put to death at sinners. You and I will put our faith and our trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, if we will entrust ourselves to him that we could be set free to consider what the Lord has done here in John chapter 18. Have you been made righteous in the blood of the Lamb? Have you been made righteous by his courageous submission? Has that obedience, has that glorious sacrifice, has it been applied to you? All of that is what has been secured for us through the obedience of Christ, the glorious submission of Christ. And we are now, we are now to submit to the Lord from the heart as the Lord has submitted himself to God the Father. The Lord in courageous submission here in John chapter 18 goes to purchase the salvation of his people. He went out with his disciples over the Brook Kidron where there was a garden which he and his disciples entered. As we come to verse two, verse two tells us, Judas who betrayed him also knew the place for Jesus often met there with his disciples. Jesus often met there in that garden. They often gathered together. Luke 21, 37 tells us that every night during Passover week they met together in that garden. Although John doesn't mention that garden by name, we know that this is the Garden of Gethsemane. It was a place they often gathered together. It would have been a place of sweet fellowship, right? Them coming together during ministry to rest to pray. It was often a place where the Lord would go away to pray. And he does that here as well on the eve of his death. Turn with me to Mark chapter 14. Mark chapter 14, the Lord goes to this garden with his disciples here to pray. Mark 14 and look down at verse 32, Mark's account of this very event. Mark records in verse 32, they came to a place which is named Gethsemane and he said to his disciples, sit here while I pray. And he took Peter, James and John with him and he began to be troubled, troubled and deeply distressed. Then he said to them, my soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch. He went a little farther and he fell on the ground and he prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Take this cup away from me. Nevertheless, not what I will, but what you will. He began to be troubled, deeply distressed. My soul, he said, exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. All things are possible for you, Father. Take this cup from me. It's important to understand what's going on here, right? There are, there are martyrs we've known from history who have gone to the stakes, singing hymns, who sang and prayed as they put their hands into the flames, right? There are the disciples who the Bible says rejoiced to suffer beatings and scourges. Paul would say that to die is gain. We see Daniel in the lion's den, right? Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego in the fiery furnace. We have examples of believers who would pay the ultimate price for their faith. And yet here we see the Lord troubled, deeply distressed, exceedingly sorrowful. The Lord here being fully man is exceedingly sorrowful and deeply troubled. Why? Why? It's the cup. It's the cup. He's not merely fearful here, Mark 14, of what would happen to his physical body. He's not concerned here only with the physical pain or the physical torture that he was about to endure. He's in agony over the cup. Psalm 11 verse 6, upon the wicked he will reign coals, fire and brimstone and a burning wind shall be the portion of their cup. Psalm 75 verse 8, for in the hand of the Lord there is a cup and the wine is red. It is fully mixed and he pours it out. Surely its dregs shall all the wicked of the earth drain and drink down. Isaiah chapter 51 verse 17, the wicked have drunk at the hand of the Lord the cup of his fury. You have drunk the dregs of the cup of trembling and drained it out. Ezekiel chapter 23 verse 33, it is the cup of horror and desolation. Revelation chapter 14 verse 10, it is the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of his indignation. The Lord Jesus Christ is going to the cross where he will be mercilessly pounded by the undiluted fury of Almighty God, not for his own sins and not for your particular sins only, but for the sins of all those that God the Father had given to him and all of the sins of all of those who deserve to drink to the dregs their own cup. He would take that cup upon himself, the cup of all those upon himself in a matter of just a few short hours on the cross, where you would spend an eternity drinking that cup to the dregs if it were you casting the hell. And he took it all upon himself. He did that in your place. If you repent and believe the gospel, he took that cup for you. That's why he is troubled and deeply distressed. That's why he's exceedingly sorrowful even to death. Take this cup away from me, he prays in Mark 14. You're going to face your own cup if you don't turn from your sin. If you don't turn from your sin and with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, all your strength, turn and love the Lord Jesus Christ as your own. If you don't turn from your sin and entrust yourself to him and you will drink your own cup, you will face the wrath of God poured out full strength into the cup of his indignation. It will be to you a cup of horror and desolation. It will be the cup of his fury against you and you will drink it to the dregs for all eternity. It is a cup of trembling, right? A cup of horror. Fire and brimstone, burning wind shall be the portion of your cup. Turn from your sin and trust Christ. Look with me at Luke, Luke chapter 22. Luke chapter 22, just Luke's perspective on this event. Luke 22 and look at verse 39. Luke chapter 22 verse 39. Coming out, coming out of the city, he went to the Mount of Olives as he was accustomed and his disciples also followed him when he came to the place. He said to them, pray that you may not enter into temptation and he was withdrawn from them about a stone's throw and he knelt down and he prayed saying, Father, if it is your will, take this cup away from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours be done. Then an angel appeared to him from heaven, strengthening him, what gracious mercy and being in agony, being in agony, he prayed more earnestly. Then his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. It's a condition called hematidrosis, hematidrosis. It's defined as a condition in which the capillary blood vessels that feed the sweatlands rupture, causing them to exude blood and it occurs under conditions of extreme physical or emotional stress. He began to sweat, sweat like great drops of blood. Look at Matthew chapter 26. Matthew chapter 26. More information here about his prayer. Matthew chapter 26 and look at verse 40. In verse 40 he came to the disciples and found them sleeping and he said to Peter, what could you not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. If Peter knew what was about to come upon him, he'd be praying. Verse 42. Again a second time, he went away and prayed saying, oh my Father, if this cup cannot pass away from me unless I drink it, your will be done. Look at the progression with me. He prays that the cup might be taken from him. An angel comes, strengthens him, strengthens him. The Lord has strengthened by it. And so the second time that he prays, he prays with more resolve. If this cup can't pass for me, unless I drink it, your will, Father, your will be done. Verse 43. He came and found them asleep again for their eyes were heavy. So he left them, went away again, prayed this time the third time, saying the same words. And he came to his disciples and said to them, are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is at hand. The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going. See, my betrayer is at hand. More resolve, more resolve regarding the will of God each time. Now notice that John, we compare these accounts. John doesn't focus on the details here of the Lord's agony. John is concerned only to focus on the Lord's triumphant and victorious submission. Just as he writes in John chapter 20, verse 31, right, that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name. Here in our other accounts, we see a record of the Lord's suffering. What happens next? Look at verse 47. What happens next? While he was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the 12, with a great multitude, with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and elders of the people. Now his betrayer had given them a sign saying, whomever I kiss, he is the one. Seize him. Immediately, he went up to Jesus and said greetings, Rabbi, and kissed him. But Jesus said to him, friend, why have you come? And they came and laid hands on Jesus and took him. Suddenly, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand, drew his sword, and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear. Jesus said to him, put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Or do you think that I cannot now pray to my Father and he will provide me with more than 12 legions of angels? How then could the scriptures be fulfilled that it must happen thus? In that hour, Jesus said to the multitude, have you come out as against a robber with swords and clubs to take me? I sat daily with you, teaching in the temple, and you did not seize me. But all this was done that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook him and fled. Look back at John chapter 18. John chapter 18, verse two, Judas, who betrayed him, literally delivered him over, gave him over. Judas also knew the place. For Jesus often met there with his disciples, verse three. Then Judas, having received the detachment of troops and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, came there with lanterns, torches, and weapons. Now, Jesus, Judas here, Judas, having taken, that's what it means they're received, having brought a detachment of troops. Matthew recorded it as a great multitude. The Greek word is spara, it means cohort. And a cohort was one tenth of a legion of the Roman army or 600 soldiers. Sometimes a manapole, another word, a manapole or a part of a cohort was also referred to as a cohort and a manapole contained 200 soldiers. Anywhere from 200 to 600 soldiers, a great multitude. That multitude, under the charge of a commander, officers in verse three, refers to the temple guard, the temple police. And then with them a number of chief priests and Pharisees came also. A great multitude considering the Roman cohort, pilot must have been involved. In order for the temple guard, the officers to come, the Sanhedrin must have been involved. So this great multitude all coming out to arrest the Lord Jesus Christ, they came in the dark of night with lanterns and torches to find the light of the world. They came with weapons and a tremendous show of force to arrest the Prince of Peace. And it was first that Judas is with them. It's not a surprise to the Lord. There's another snake in this garden. Jesus calls him the son of perdition, a son of hell. Jesus calls him a devil in John chapter six. And it just reminds us, we'll talk about this more next week, how close a person can come to being a genuine follower of the Lord Jesus Christ only to be revealed as a vile hypocrite. Judas was with them. Notice second, that Jesus Christ didn't flee. Jesus Christ didn't flee. Verse four, Jesus therefore, knowing all that would come upon him, he went forward and he said to them, whom are you seeking? And Jesus went into the garden, a place that he frequently went, a place that you would expect to find him. Notice first two that Judas also knew the place. The Lord wasn't hiding, trying to evade them. In fact, in verse four, he went forward to meet them. The Lord Jesus Christ takes the initiative. The Lord Jesus goes out. This is divine courage. This is divine determination. After his prayer, he has embraced the will of God to drink that cup and he goes out to meet them. When they came to take him in John chapter six, to make him king by force, he withdrew from them. Now that they have come to take him by force and nail him to a cross, he goes out to meet them. Voluntary, glorious submission, courageous submission, knowing all that would happen to him. He submitted to the will of God to face the undiluted wrath of God for sinners. The Lord's courageous submission on display. In all of this, as the Lord suffers, obeys the will of God and suffers, obeys the will of God and suffers. The Lord Jesus Christ, Hebrews says, he learned obedience. And we explain what that means. He became perfected. His perfect obedience fire tested in the crucible of suffering. But he has victory in that garden. He is triumphant in that garden. We're called, by scripture, to consider his submission, to consider his obedience. Whatever trials we face, whatever trials, whatever difficulty that you are facing, let us face them with a courageous submission. Whatever adversity, go out to meet it in faith. I don't complain. Don't gripe about your lot in life. Don't shrink back in faithless fear and doubt. Whatever decision, whatever difficulty, whatever difficulty, determine in it to glorify God. Look at the glory of his submission here, the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ and his obedience. When you're called to fearful circumstances, press forward to meet them with the boldness that Christ exhibits here by faith in his heavenly father. Trusting. You trust. I need to trust. We need to press forward in a courageous submission. Whatever he calls you to do, do it. Philippians chapter two, verse five, Paul says this, let this same mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but he made himself of no reputation, took the form of a slave and came in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself, became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore, God also has highly exalted him and given him the name, which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow of those in heaven and of those on earth and of those under the earth. And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God, the father. Let's pray. Father in heaven, Lord, thank you for this glorious work that you have done, secured, made provision for on behalf of centers. Thank you for that work. And I pray, Lord, that by your grace to us, through your spirit, you would cause us to meditate upon these things, meditate upon the glorious work that was done, the awful price that was paid to secure our salvation, and how that was really and actually, not figuratively or potentially, how it was determined to be done by our Lord Jesus Christ, who loved his own, who are in the world to the end. And I thank you, Lord, that to us who are born again in him, who now in him suffer through trials and tribulations and difficulties and adversity, they would look to him, the captain of our salvation, and they would suffer with him in great boldness and courage. It is theirs by faith in the Son of God who loved us and gave himself for us. I pray that in great faith, Lord, that we would honor our Lord and we would walk worthy of that calling with which we were called, and we would follow his glorious example and march out to meet whatever trial, whatever difficulty, whatever obedience we were called to, that we would not shrink back into disobedience, that we would not shrink back into neglect, but that we would sell out for Christ. He is worthy of that commitment, worthy of our faith, worthy of our trust, because he is faithful. We thank you, Lord, for this time and this passage. I pray, Lord, that you would sanctify us by your word. Your word is truth. In Jesus' name, amen.