The Call of Duty . . . The Death March

Passover in Jerusalem . . . the week Jesus made his way to the cross. The Jewish people came from faraway places to celebrate Passover. The city was crowded and unusually busy.  So.  People made arrangements to set up camp outside of the city during their stay. Most likely, the disciples, including Judas, had set up camp outside of the city at the  Mount of Olives . . . in an olive grove . . . called Gethsemane, translated as “Olive Press.”

As the disciples and Jesus made their way back to the camp from the Passover Meal, which we know as the Last Supper, they sang. (See Mark 14:26).  It was the Jewish tradition to sing six Psalms, chapters113-118,  after the Passover meal.   Think about some of the last words sung from Psalm 118: 21-24 . . . that echoed in their hearts and minds as they made their way back to camp:

²¹I shall give thanks to You, for You have answered me,
         And You have become my salvation.
    ²²The stone which the builders rejected
         Has become the chief corner stone.
    ²³This is the LORD'S doing;
         It is marvelous in our eyes.
    ²⁴This is the day which the LORD has made;
         Let us rejoice and be glad in it. 

Jesus sang the prophetic words that he was about to bring to fulfillment . . . worshiping God the Father . . . knowing His call of duty . . . accepting the death march . . . to the cross. 

They came to a place named Gethsemane; and He said to His disciples, "Sit here until I have prayed." Mark 14:32

Jesus went to pray.  It was what he needed to do.  He was faced with the unimaginable task of carrying the weight of sin.

Prayer is action.  Prayer is where guidance, peace, strength and, yes, divine power is received.

  And He took with Him Peter and James and John, and began to be very distressed and troubled. Mark 14:33

 And He said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved to the point of death; remain here and keep watch." Mark 14:34

Look at the dynamics.  Jesus left some of the disciples in one part of the campground and proceeded to take three of them to confide in . . . to understand and share his utter grief.  You see when we come close to Jesus  . . . when we give everything to Christ . . . then Jesus shares His burden . . . His heart with us. 

 And He went a little beyond them, and fell to the ground and began to pray that if it were possible, the hour might pass Him by. Mark 14:35

 And He was saying, "Abba! Father! All things are possible for You; remove this cup from Me; yet not what I will, but what You will." Mark 14:36

Jesus prayed with everything he had . . . he knew his call of duty . . . but certainly . . . in all of his humanness . . . it would have seemed to be the most horrific thing to do . .. for he was to go to the cross . . . choosing to be stripped of his power . . . experiencing every sin of humanity … sin the things that are not of God . . . the things that we do without God . . . the things that we do turned from God . . . the things that God can’t look at . . . or participate in.  Jesus’ call was not only to experience an excruciating torturous physical death . . . but an excruciating torturous spiritual death . . . to do something He had never done . .. to be without God the Father . . . there would be no presence of God . . . it would be hell.

Jesus was overcome . . . and already alone . . . his friends . . . did not understand . . . and yet he would suffer the most horrific death . . . a death that can’t be fathomed . . . He had not only been sent to serve but to save . . . the breaking in of the new . . . the powerful coming of the kingdom of  God . .. unprecedented suffering . . . birth pangs for all of creation . .. that all might be made new . . . released from the power of sin . . . into a relationship with God.  The decision was made . . . he would keep on the death march. It was His call of duty.

Can you imagine experiencing anything, life or death, without the presence of God?

The death sentence was for him alone . . . in the end . . . no one . . . no friends . . . no Father would do the job with Him . . . and he accepted His call of duty.

 And He came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, "Simon, are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour? Mark 14:37

Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." Once more he went away and prayed the same thing. When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. They did not know what to say to him. Mark 14:38-40

 And He came the third time, and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? It is enough; the hour has come; behold, the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.

 "Get up, let us be going; behold, the one who betrays Me is at hand!" Mark 14:41-42

The powerful words, “yet not what I will, but what You will," changed the course of history. We are called to be alert . . . to share the burden . . . to be prepared for the betrayer of the soul.

Jesus accepted the call to finish the march of death . . . to be completely alone . . .  separated from his Father.  He chose to go into the darkness of sin, to take the weight of all humanity’s sin.  It would be a hell that no one has ever experienced.

Learning with you to KICK START the day . . . as Jesus did . . .  answering the call to duty.

                                      Pastor Kerrie

 (written by Kerrie Palmer © 2010 All Rights Reserved)
interactstudies/ ~ kpalmer@hillchurch.com ~Church on the Hill~700 N. Hill Rd.~McMinnville, OR 97128~503.472.8476 ~www.hillchurch.com~Archives & Daily Subscription: go to http://kickstarttoday.blogspot.com/