Mark 14:27-42

Bringing the sermon home:

As Jesus leads His 11 closest disciples from His “Last Supper” to what many have referred to as His “prayer garden” in Gethsemane, a vivid contrast is drawn between Jesus and His disciples. Jesus announces that they “will all fall away”, as foretold in the prophecy of Zechariah 13:7. In response, they insist they will not and that they are all willing to die for Him. They are wrongly self-assured and self-confident, for they are sinfully self-reliant.

This becomes even more clear during Jesus’ time of prayer in the garden. He asks three of them to keep watch while He prays, but they keep falling asleep. He rouses them and commands them to pray for faithfulness in the face of the coming temptation (i.e., to flee from the mob when they come to arrest Jesus and to then deny knowing Him when confronted). Instead of preparing for the temptation through prayer, they return to their slumber.

In these disciples, we see the number one sign of sinful self-reliance: prayerlessness. In Jesus, we see the number one sign of humble dependence: prayerfulness. What means of grace are you consistently neglecting in your life? How is your devotional life of daily times of prayer and study? Are you faithful to seize hold of the grace given through gathering each Lord’s Day to sing, pray, read, study, and dine at the Lord’s Table? If not, does your neglect indicate sinful self-reliance? The spirit may be willing to live for Christ, but the flesh is weak, and thus we must avail ourselves of every means of grace that God has instituted for our good.

Outline:

1. God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble (vv.27-31).
2. Prayer glorifies God and prepares our hearts for submission (vv.32-36).
3. The spirit may be willing, but the flesh is weak, so pray! (vv.37-42).