Mark 14:32-36

[snapstur]

@Shield> okay folks, let’s get started:)
@Shield> thank you for coming tonight.
@Shield> Tonight is a bit different for a few reasons.
@Shield> It is one of the reasons I have waited a few minutes to get as many users in here as possible.
@Shield> Some of you are aware of the changes happening at CCNet because either you are a channel founder, or you are a user who is signed up for our user email list which we send out weekly.
@Shield> So hopefully, most of you are aware of what I am about to share.
@Shield> In any case, here it is
@Shield> First, I have an announcement that will make the hearts of some of the ladies swoon.
@Shield> A long time user who has been absent for a prolonged period is about to return in style
@Shield> That's right
@Shield> You guessed it.
@Shield> ChatBot is returning tomorrow night.
LoOkOuT> swoons ....... giggles
@Shield> We plan to have a special celebration too!
Snapstur> w00t!!!
Guest37187> LOL
angelbaby> faints
@Shield> Tink has cooked up all the details so you can all pc her now to find out what they are.
@Shield> :D
Tink> pfftt
@Shield> Just don’t tell her I sent you, as I value my head in one piece.
carol> :)
@Shield> anyway, there is actually a reason for this
@Shield> we are upgrading our services
@Shield> We are integrating the forums and chat.
@Shield> At about 8 pm CST we will be switching servers.
@Shield> There will be about a two minute down time.
@Shield> Then we will be back up and running.
GentleDove> sorry I'm late
@Shield> Here is what you can do tonight to make it easier tomorrow for yourself.
@Shield> First, tell everyone you know:)
@Shield> Second, register your nickname on forums.christian-chat.net
@Shield> your forums registration will also be your chat registration.
@Shield> then tomorrow, after the server is changed, you can log on and identify to chat with this command line
@Shield> you will type /ns identify yourpasswd
@Shield> no longer will it be /nick yournick yourpasswd
@Shield> again
@Shield> that is after 8 pm cst tomorrow
@Shield> now
Guest37187> o/
@Shield> at that point, your nick will take effect in chat and in the forums
@Shield> yes?
Guest37187> if we forget that will we still be here as guest ???
@Shield> sure
@Shield> and then we can help you
Guest37187> TY
@Shield> we will try to have IRCops staff available in #help to help with any issues
@Shield> we welcome those of you who are experienced users and who know how to do this to help users as well
@Shield> this is a community effort
@Shield> together we will make this happen
@Shield> here is the deal
@Shield> there are lots of users who are registered on the forums and use them actively who have never ever chatted
@Shield> ever
@Shield> :)
@Shield> so, think of it as a chance to meet a bunch of new friends
@Shield> kinda cool huh?
GrumpyBear> yepyep
@Shield> now I must thank some people who have made this possible
@Shield> BrianB is our code writer for the services
@Shield> I won’t pretend to understand all that he does.
@Shield> Rest assured he has been working very hard to make this a positive experience.
@Shield> Others have helped him immensely and I am probably going to forget some names.
@Shield> a few that come to mind are Undying and Kathe in particular.
@Shield> also, BrianO has been very busy providing a place that in the long term will help us to be an effective witness to the world through online ministry
@Shield> notice that I didn’t just say chat
@Shield> and there is a reason for that
@Shield> for we are not only about chat, although that will always be a big part of our ministry platform
@Shield> we also provide the forums, the free blogs which all registered users may use, the social networking
@Shield> and much, much more to come.
@Shield> we did this because we realized that we were way behind the technological curve
@Shield> and we wanted to be good steward of our time and resources
@Shield> if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask
@Shield> you can go to #help
@Shield> you can also email chatbot@christian-chat.net
@Shield> at this time I would like to ask seekHm1st to open in prayer
seekHm1st> Father, we thank You for bringing us together this evening
seekHm1st> And we thank You for who You are.
seekHm1st> We praise You for Your goodness, and for so many things that we cannot even articulate.
seekHm1st> Prepare our hearts this evening Father, so that we can take in what You have for us.
seekHm1st> Give our teacher words to say Father, as he delves further into the gospel account, and we walk along with Jesus into Gethsemane.
seekHm1st> We thank You in Jesus' name
seekHm1st> Amen
LoOkOuT> amen
Snapstur> Amen
Angel4God> amen
angelbaby> amen
Tigre_blanc> Amen
@Shield> amen, thank you seekHm1st for your prayer.
GrumpyBear> amen
Deacon> Amen
Guest93731> amen
GentleDove> amen
Guest93731> amen
@Shield> and thank you to each of you for choosing to spend some moments of your time with us.
@Shield> I was telling seekHm1st just moments ago that I have struggled with the passage set before us in the text of Scripture we now encounter.
@Shield> The remainder of the Markan Gospel account, starting from Mark 14:32 and following to the conclusion at the end of chapter 16 is the account of Jesus' passion.
@Shield> His betrayal
@Shield> He arrest.
@Shield> His suffering.
@Shield> His death.
@Shield> His burial.
@Shield> The mourning.
@Shield> And to be sure, his resurrection.
@Shield> Tonight I would like to share a meditation from a very personal perspective.
@Shield> I do not normally do this in this setting.
@Shield> There are a lot of reasons for that.
@Shield> Frankly, I don't want to appear to be manipulating.
@Shield> Also, most of you do not know me.
@Shield> But I chose to set those reservations aside in the hopes that this will benefit some of you, perhaps more than some.
@Shield> We pick up the narrative where we left off last week under seekHm1st's teaching, in John 14, beginning at the 32 verse.
@Shield> 32 They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, "Sit here while I pray."
@Shield> very clear instructions, yes?
@Shield> let’s read on...
@Shield> 33 He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled.
@Shield> these were the closest of his disciples.
@Shield> Remember, at this point we know that Jesus fully understood that his betrayal was about to occur.
@Shield> He knew he soon would die.
@Shield> he knew that suffering was about to change everything for him.
@Shield> 34 "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death," he said to them. "Stay here and keep watch."
@Shield> this is a stunning admission.
@Shield> the Son of Man, admitting to despair.
@Shield> and sorrow.
@Shield> and grief.
@Shield> again he issues very clear instructions to stay and watch.
@Shield> You would think they would be riveted at attention, praying and wondering.
@Shield> 35 Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him.
@Shield> 36 "Abba, Father," he said, "everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will."
@Shield> Let that sink in for a moment.
@Shield> Consider what he is asking.
@Shield> What is this cup to which he refers?
@Shield> any ideas you would like to venture?
Deacon> o/
@Shield> yes Deacon?
Angel4God> o/
Deacon> dying for the sins of all mankind
@Shield> yes, thank you
@Shield> yes Angel4God?
LoOkOuT> o/
Angel4God> His forth coming crucifiction
GrumpyBear> 0/
Angel4God> sorry about the spelling
@Shield> thank you, yes LoOkOuT?
Clark> o/
LoOkOuT> sin = separation and he knew taking the sin he'd have to be separated from the father
@Shield> yes, LoOkOuT, very perceptive thank you, yes GrumpyBear?
GrumpyBear> what about if Yeshua was asking if there was another way to save us
@Shield> well, there are other passages which clearly quote Jesus saying, I am the way and the truth and the life, no one comes to the father but through me.
GrumpyBear> true
@Shield> but your question is valid, given the gravity of the situation.
Angel4God> o/
@Shield> I mean, it is a question I would ask based on the text.
@Shield> yes Clark?
GrumpyBear> O/
Clark> I was staring that words "Take this cup from Me" and it seems to me like he using cup as a reference to burden
@Shield> that is a fair point Clark, I think some study would be valuable concerning that issue.
@Shield> two more, first Angel4God and then GrumpyBear
Angel4God> I'm so glad He chose the will of His Father
@Shield> indeed:)
@Shield> yes GrumpyBear?
Angel4God> :)
GrumpyBear> I think the answer is not brought down to one point answer that it is many different answers. Christ was scared and afraid. Yet he had knowing what has to happen. So I think the answer is a lot of what was answered
GrumpyBear> if that makes any sense
@Shield> GrumpyBear, indeed. I think you are correct.
@Shield> so, let's continue
@Shield> We envision the scene.
@Shield> They are in the garden of Gethsemane
@Shield> he takes the three out to pray, asking them to keep watch, in fact to pray themselves as well.
@Shield> and he enters into a travail in his prayer.
@Shield> even to the point of despair, asking God to take this cup from him.
@Shield> Imagine the profound horror of what was about to occur.
@Shield> the sense of being removed from his father's presence, especially later in the text as he is on the cross.
@Shield> the understanding that he, as LoOkOuT pointed out, not only would take upon himself the sins of the world, he in effect, according to the Pauline text, would become sin, nailed to the cross on our behalf.
@Shield> he who was sinless
@Shield> the Son of Man.
@Shield> the Righteous One.
@Shield> the Lamb without spot or wrinkle.
@Shield> would become the target of God's wrath.
@Shield> God's judgment.
@Shield> because of me.
@Shield> because of you.
@Shield> because of the sin of human beings, our desire to seek our own ways, rather than God's.
@Shield> isn't ironic
@Shield> yet also isn't it amazing.
@Shield> August 14 has special meaning for me.
@Shield> It was the first anniversary of my father's death.
@Shield> I stood before his grave on a warm summer evening, a slight breeze, no clouds.
@Shield> Because he is a military veteran, his grave rests in a majestic setting near where I live.
@Shield> In one sense it is inspiring, but in that moment I felt anything but inspired.
@Shield> I wonder if I had but a small glimpse of the profound hurt that Jesus might have felt.
@Shield> Wanting to be close to his father, yet feeling a growing sense of distance as each moment progressed toward his sacrifice.
@Shield> As I stood before my father's grave, I grieved.
@Shield> Alone, I wept out loud.
@Shield> And I whispered to God, even going so far as to ask, "Are you there?"
@Shield> In my mind I knew, of course, that he was and is.
@Shield> In my heart, I did not feel it at that moment because of the pain of my mourning.
@Shield> Jesus mourning not only for his impending suffering on our behalf, but because of the relationship with his father was about to be severed, if only for a little while.
@Shield> Should we be surprised at his impatience when he returned to his disciples to find them sleeping?
@Shield> How would I have felt if some of my friend had accompanied me to the gravesite, only to fall asleep?
@Shield> How does Jesus feel in this day, when rather than pressing in passionately to my relationship with him, I instead do that which is right in my own eyes?
@Shield> the passion of Jesus Christ often is only considered during the Easter season by folks
@Shield> perhaps it is appropriate to be reminded of it in this season, headed into fall.
@Shield> Jesus was tempted in every way, just as we are.
@Shield> Yet he remained sinless.
@Shield> He understands our suffering.
@Shield> He understands our shame.
@Shield> He understands our struggle with our own willfulness, desiring to serve him, yet so often falling short of that ideal.
@Shield> He asks of us that we remain alert.
@Shield> and that we trust him
@Shield> That late evening, I finally had to choose to leave my father's grave, but not before acknowledging to God that I know he is present and that he is in control of everything.
@Shield> Jesus made that acknowledgement as well.
@Shield> Will you?
@Shield> Let's pray
@Shield> Our Father and our God, we know you are on the throne.
@Shield> No sin can shake the foundations of your counsel.
@Shield> No power can usurp your authority.
@Shield> No evil can overshadow your righteousness.
@Shield> No hate can stamp out your love.
@Shield> No wickedness can undo the work on the cross by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ
@Shield> For you alone are God
@Shield> and we worship you.
@Shield> in Jesus matchless name, amen
carol> Amen
LoOkOuT> amen
Deacon> Amen
GentleDove> amen
Angel4God> Amen and amen
seekHm1st> amen
GrumpyBear> amen and thank you shield
Snapstur> Amen