Easter - Ascension/Return
In this message from Lead Pastor Joe Donahue, we explore the moment Jesus ascended to Heaven and what it means for believers today. Pastor Joe reminds us that the only way we come to faith is because God opens our minds to understand Scripture—and that understanding leads to transformation. A life that’s been forgiven looks different, speaks differently, and blesses others like Jesus did.
Last week, we examined the Resurrection, and this week, we will examine Jesus's ascension.
Luke 24:36-53 (NLT2)
And just as they were telling about it, Jesus himself was suddenly standing there among them. “Peace be with you,” he said. 37 But the whole group was startled and frightened, thinking they were seeing a ghost! 38 “Why are you frightened?” he asked. “Why are your hearts filled with doubt? 39 Look at my hands. Look at my feet. You can see that it’s really me. Touch me and make sure that I am not a ghost, because ghosts don’t have bodies, as you see that I do.” 40 As he spoke, he showed them his hands and his feet. 41 Still they stood there in disbelief, filled with joy and wonder. Then he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” 42 They gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43 and he ate it as they watched. 44 Then he said, “When I was with you before, I told you that everything written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and in the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. 46 And he said, “Yes, it was written long ago that the Messiah would suffer and die and rise from the dead on the third day. 47 It was also written that this message would be proclaimed in the authority of his name to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem: ‘There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent.’ 48 You are witnesses of all these things. 49 “And now I will send the Holy Spirit, just as my Father promised. But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven.” 50 Then Jesus led them to Bethany, and lifting his hands to heaven, he blessed them. 51 While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up to heaven. 52 So they worshiped him and then returned to Jerusalem filled with great joy. 53 And they spent all of their time in the Temple, praising God.
If you are a follower of Jesus, at some point, you understood that Jesus died on the cross to pay the penalty for your sin, you asked him to forgive you, and you accepted him as your Savior and surrendered your life to him.
As we see in verse 45, that only happened because:
GOD HAS OPENED YOUR MIND TO UNDERSTAND THE BIBLE
The only reason you are a follower of Jesus today is because God has opened your mind to understand the bible. The disciples already had a lot of head knowledge about the Bible. By the time a Jewish boy turned ten, they were required to have the first five books of the Old Testament memorized. Genesis. Exodus. Leviticus. Numbers. Deuteronomy. In the Jewish language, that was roughly 80,000 words!
Yet even though they had memorized 80,000 words. Even though they attended the synagogue for worship every week of their lives. Even though they spent roughly three years with Jesus. They still needed God to open their minds to understand scripture.
They knew God created them. They knew that Adam and Eve chose to sin, and sin entered the world. They knew that all descendants of Adam and Eve sinned. They knew THEY were sinners…and they knew they were separated from God…But they did not UNDERSTAND why JESUS died on the cross and rose from the dead.
I grew up Catholic. I understood that God created me.I understood Jesus paid the price for sin on the cross. I understood he rose from the dead. But I wasn’t changed on the inside until God opened my mind to understand how to surrender my life to Jesus.
And, if you have surrendered your life to Jesus, it is only because God has opened your mind to understand the hope found in the Bible. That means God loves you and has chosen to open your mind to HIS TRUTH about your life. You have been FORGIVEN.
FORGIVEN PEOPLE LIVE DIFFERENTLY
When you repent and surrender your life to Jesus, everything changes. You do not just stop doing certain things. You start doing new things. You stop lying. You start telling the truth. You stop stealing. You start working and giving. You stop tearing people down. You start building others up. The change in your life is not behavior modification, it is transformation. You live differently because you have been transformed.
Jesus described these believers as witnesses that prove to the world they saw Jesus alive. Paul described how forgiven people live differently:
Ephesians 4:24-32 (NLT2)
Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy. 25 So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body. 26 And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 for anger gives a foothold to the devil. 28 If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need. 29 Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. 30 And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. 32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.
Paul does not say, “Try harder.”He says, “Put on your new nature.” That means we stop living like we used to. And we begin to live like Jesus.
When you are forgiven for your sin, your life changes. Here is what it looks like:
You stop lying. You tell the truth.
You stop letting anger control you. You deal with it quickly.
You stop stealing. You work hard. You give to others.
You stop using harmful words. You say what is helpful.
You stop holding onto bitterness. You choose to forgive.
Paul is clear, if Jesus has changed your life, your life should look different. There has been an inward change because you have been forgiven.
Now, some of us stopped doing the obvious things, but we never started doing the right things. We stopped stealing, but we never started giving. We stopped lying, but we aren’t really speaking the truth. We stopped using foul language, but we never started building people up. Have you stopped the obvious things but never started doing what is right?
If we truly have surrendered our lives to Jesus, then we understand we live differently. So, embrace the freedom that God has given to you through Jesus. Demonstrate the freedom of forgiveness through a visible change in your life. So, since God opened your mind, you have been changed, and you are being changed to become more like Jesus…
JESUS BLESSED OTHERS, AND SO CAN YOU
Luke 24:50 (NLT2)
Then Jesus led them to Bethany, and lifting his hands to heaven, he blessed them.
The word BLESSED can be hard to understand. I was an altar boy. I remember the Priest taking Holy Water and flicking it on people in the church – and they considered that a blessing. In the movie Rocky…right before his big fight, Rocky asks Father Carmine for a blessing. Father Carmine says a prayer in Italian and makes the sign of the cross. We say God Bless you when somebody sneezes. A biblical blessing means to speak life, give thanks, or ask for God’s favor over someone.
So, as Jesus was leaving, he wasn’t telling his disciples what a bunch of miserable sinners they were…He did not threaten to punish them if they did something wrong while he was gone. Before he ascended into Heaven, Jesus spoke well of his disciples, thanked them, and asked God’s favor upon them. He BLESSED them through ENCOURAGEMENT. He spoke words of LIFE over them. He did not point out all their flaws; he focused on using his words to cause their hearts to swell with joy…not just joy – GREAT JOY.
51 While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up to heaven. 52 So they worshiped him and then returned to Jerusalem filled with great joy.
The words Jesus said to them filled their hearts with GREAT JOY. He blessed them, and you can bless others, too. You can encourage others with words of life and hope. Your words can bless others. Rather than finding the flaws and pointing out the failures of people around you, use your words to bless them and point out their good.
I am reminded of the Seinfeld episode in which Frank Costanza creates a holiday called Festivus, and at the Festivus dinner, he goes around the table and tells everybody why he is sick of them! The sad truth is that while many people may not have a Festivus tradition like that, many choose to live every day like that. They use their words to criticize, tear down, and destroy others. But, WORDS of BLESSING can bring great JOY to others.
Don’t you feel good when others speak well of you? Don’t you feel good when somebody goes out of their way to say THANK YOU to you and appreciate and value you?
So here is your challenge: find one person to bless with your words. Encourage them. Speak life. Show the change that Jesus has made in you.
Easter - The Resurrection
In this message, Pastor Joe Donahue unpacks the Easter story through the eyes of the disciples—men who walked with Jesus yet still struggled to believe He had risen. With honesty and compassion, Joe relates their journey to our own doubts and how Jesus still meets us right where we are. If you’ve ever wanted to believe but struggled to fully trust, this message is for you.
I have not always been a follower of Jesus. I grew up Catholic. I was an altar boy. I said the rosary. I knew the prayers. I believed in Jesus. But I was not a Christian. I believed in Jesus. But I was not following Him. I was eighteen in 1991 when I became a follower of Jesus.
And it may surprise you to know - after Jesus was brutally murdered on the cross and rose from the dead - His friends struggled to believe he was really alive.
Luke 24:1-12 (NLT2)
But very early on Sunday morning the women went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. 2 They found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. 3 So they went in, but they didn’t find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 As they stood there puzzled, two men suddenly appeared to them, clothed in dazzling robes. 5 The women were terrified and bowed with their faces to the ground. Then the men asked, “Why are you looking among the dead for someone who is alive? 6 He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Remember what he told you back in Galilee, 7 that the Son of Man must be betrayed into the hands of sinful men and be crucified, and that he would rise again on the third day.” 8 Then they remembered that he had said this. 9 So they rushed back from the tomb to tell his eleven disciples—and everyone else—what had happened. 10 It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and several other women who told the apostles what had happened. 11 But the story sounded like nonsense to the men, so they didn’t believe it.
It makes sense to me that if anybody ever wanted Jesus to be alive, it would have been the men who followed him for three years of their lives. When somebody you love dies tragically and suddenly, you miss them and want them to be alive.
Jesus did not die of a long, drawn-out battle with cancer or disease. One moment, Jesus was healthy and enjoying dinner with his closest friends; the next moment, he was arrested and murdered.
The disciples had seen him work miracles and change lives. They ate with him, learned from him, and saw the hope he brought to people. They wanted Jesus to be alive more than anybody. And their initial response reminds us that when it comes to the resurrection of Jesus…
SOME WILL ALWAYS STRUGGLE TO BELIEVE
The disciple's first response was not “Jesus is alive!” Their first reaction was that they believed the women were nuts! Their story sounded like nonsense to them. They refused to believe Jesus was alive.
That may be where you are today. You believe Jesus existed. You believe he did good things. You believe that he was put to death by execution on the cross…But just like the disciples, you struggle to believe He rose from the dead.
Let me say this. I am glad you are here today.
You came because you love someone who kept inviting you to church. Maybe you said yes after being asked five or six times. Maybe it was your mom, your wife, or your friend. And you finally said, “Fine. I will go.” That says something about you. That says you care about them. So, thanks for accepting their invitation.
Now, it is important to note that the disciples changed their minds. They went from refusing to believe to fully surrendering their lives to Him. How did they get there?
Well, in between verses 12 and 36, Jesus made a few special appearances. Jesus appeared to a couple of his disciples walking down a road and talked with them. Then he appeared to Peter. Then he appeared to his disciples, to show them the nails in his hands and feet.
And the disciples got together, and they were talking about it.
“Jesus appeared to me!” “Me too!”
“He showed us his hands and feet…”
“We had an entire conversation with him…”
And right in the middle of those conversations…
Luke 24:36-41A (NLT2)
And just as they were telling about it, Jesus himself was suddenly standing there among them. “Peace be with you,” he said. 37 But the whole group was startled and frightened, thinking they were seeing a ghost! 38 “Why are you frightened?” he asked. “Why are your hearts filled with doubt? 39 Look at my hands. Look at my feet. You can see that it’s really me. Touch me and make sure that I am not a ghost, because ghosts don’t have bodies, as you see that I do.” 40 As he spoke, he showed them his hands and his feet. 41 Still they stood there in disbelief, filled with joy and wonder…
This was a moment when the disciples could not believe their eyes. Jesus, who had suffered and died on the cross, was now standing in front of them. And they still stood there in disbelief. They looked Him in the eye. They saw the wounds in His hands and feet. But their minds could not accept what they were seeing. His body was supposed to be decomposing. Not standing. Not speaking. Not alive.
They wanted to believe he was alive, but they had watched him die. Their resistance reinforces the suffering and brutality of the cross they witnessed. The fact of his suffering left no room for hope.
Before Jesus was arrested in the Garden, he had been pleading with God to find another way to bring forgiveness to mankind rather than face the brutality of the cross.
Luke 22:42 (NLT2)
“Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”
We do not understand the phrase “cup of suffering” the way the Jewish people did back then. In the Old Testament “the cup” is often used as a metaphor for the wrath of God.
Isaiah 51:17 (NLT)
Wake up, wake up, O Jerusalem! You have drunk the cup of the LORD’s fury. You have drunk the cup of terror, tipping out its last drops.
Jeremiah 25:15 (NLT)This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, said to me: “Take from my hand this cup filled to the brim with my anger, and make all the nations to whom I send you drink from it.
Habakkuk 2:16 (NLT)
But soon it will be your turn to be disgraced. Come, drink and be exposed! Drink from the cup of the LORD’s judgment, and all your glory will be turned to shame.
Isaiah called it a cup of terror. Jeremiah called it a cup filled to the brim with God’s anger. Habakkuk called it a cup of the Lord’s Judgement. In the Garden, Jesus asked God to let the CUP OF SUFFERING PASS.
We have seen God’s wrath in other places in the Bible…In the flood that covered the earth. In the fire that fell on Sodom and Gomorrah. In the ten plagues that crushed Egypt.
But on the cross, God’s wrath over sin would fall on Jesus. That is what Jesus feared. That is what He faced. And the disciples saw every bit of it. They saw His back ripped open by the scourging. They heard His final breath. They watched Him die. And they knew, nobody could possibly be alive after that.
If you have heard the message that JESUS is ALIVE over and over again, yet walk away with doubt, understand so did the very same men that followed Jesus!
Jesus stood in the same room. He looked these men eye to eye…yet they STILL had their doubts! They wanted to believe – but because of the punishment Jesus paid for our sin, they just couldn’t.
Is that you? Maybe you really would like to believe that Jesus is alive, but you have your doubts. If the disciples - who talked with Jesus face to face - struggled to believe, it makes sense that some still struggle today. But Jesus did not give up on the disciples. He kept showing up.
And then we read in verse 45 that everything began to change…
Luke 24:45 (NLT2)
Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.
JESUS STILL OPENS MINDS TO BELIEVE
So if you want to believe - ask Him. Right now. In your own words, say, “God, open my mind to understand Jesus.”
After Jesus opened their minds to understand, He taught them...
LUKE 24:46b-47 (NLT)
…it was written long ago that the Messiah would suffer and die and rise from the dead on the third day. 47 It was also written that this message would be proclaimed in the authority of his name to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem: ‘There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent.’
If you asked God to open up your mind, the first thing Jesus wants you to understand is WHY he suffered, why he died, and why he rose from the dead. Jesus suffered, died, and rose from the dead, for YOU to receive forgiveness for your sin, and repent.
1 Peter 3:18 (NLT2)
Christ suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but he was raised to life in the Spirit.
Jesus rose from the dead to bring you safely home to God.
Maybe today God has opened your mind to understand Jesus. Maybe something has clicked, and you understand why Jesus paid the price for your sin. In verse 47, Jesus said, “There is forgiveness of sin for all who repent.”
There is forgiveness of sin for all who repent. The word repent simply means, to change your direction. It’s a U-turn. Repentance changes your direction.
REPENTANCE LAUNCHES A NEW LIFE
When Jesus opened their minds, the disciples chose to believe that Jesus was alive, that he had died for their sins, and they fully believed by surrendering their lives to him through repentance.
In order to be forgiven for your sins, you too must repent. In order to experience a brand new life, in order to start over, you must first repent.
PRAYER OF REPENTANCE
“God,
I BELIEVE that Jesus paid my penalty for sin on the cross.
I BELIEVE he died and rose from the dead.
I BELIEVE he is now with you in Heaven, and one day he will return.
I CHANGE MY DIRECTION and SURRENDER my life to you to be my SAVIOR…
THANK YOU for forgiving me and changing my life.
AMEN.”
If God has been speaking to you today, apply it to your life, invite a friend, and I will see you back here next week. Let’s keep loving God with all our heart, and loving our neighbors as ourselves.
Easter - The Crucifixion
Before there was an empty tomb, there was a cross—and the cross changes everything. In this powerful message, Pastor Marty Parker walks through Luke 23:26–56, showing how Jesus took our place, offered grace to the undeserving, and gave His life so we could live. The cross isn’t just a moment in history—it’s a personal invitation to receive forgiveness, healing, and life.
Next Sunday, we’ll celebrate the most significant event in human history: the resurrection of Jesus Christ. However, before we reach the empty tomb, we must sit at the foot of the cross. Because before Jesus rose, He bled. Before there was life, there was sacrifice.
Today, we’re walking through Luke 23:26–56, the crucifixion of Jesus. But this isn’t just a history lesson. This is the moment that changed eternity. This is the moment that changes you.
Luke 23:26–56
26 As they led Jesus away, a man named Simon, who was from Cyrene, happened to be coming in from the countryside. The soldiers seized him and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus. 27 A large crowd trailed behind, including many grief-stricken women. 28 But Jesus turned and said to them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, don’t weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. 29 For the days are coming when they will say, ‘Fortunate indeed are the women who are childless, the wombs that have not borne a child and the breasts that have never nursed.’ 30 People will beg the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and plead with the hills, ‘Bury us.’ 31 For if these things are done when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?”
32 Two others, both criminals, were led out to be executed with him. 33 When they came to a place called The Skull, they nailed him to the cross. And the criminals were also crucified—one on his right and one on his left.
34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” And the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice.[f]
35 The crowd watched and the leaders scoffed. “He saved others,” they said, “let him save himself if he is really God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.” 36 The soldiers mocked him, too, by offering him a drink of sour wine. 37 They called out to him, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” 38 A sign was fastened above him with these words: “This is the King of the Jews.”
39 One of the criminals hanging beside him scoffed, “So you’re the Messiah, are you? Prove it by saving yourself—and us, too, while you’re at it!”
40 But the other criminal protested, “Don’t you fear God even when you have been sentenced to die? 41 We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong.” 42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.”
43 And Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
44 By this time it was about noon, and darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock. 45 The light from the sun was gone. And suddenly, the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn down the middle. 46 Then Jesus shouted, “Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands!” And with those words he breathed his last.
47 When the Roman officer overseeing the execution saw what had happened, he worshiped God and said, “Surely this man was innocent.” 48 And when all the crowd that came to see the crucifixion saw what had happened, they went home in deep sorrow. 49 But Jesus’ friends, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance watching.
50 Now there was a good and righteous man named Joseph. He was a member of the Jewish high council, 51 but he had not agreed with the decision and actions of the other religious leaders. He was from the town of Arimathea in Judea, and he was waiting for the Kingdom of God to come. 52 He went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. 53 Then he took the body down from the cross and wrapped it in a long sheet of linen cloth and laid it in a new tomb that had been carved out of rock. 54 This was done late on Friday afternoon, the day of preparation, as the Sabbath was about to begin.
55 As his body was taken away, the women from Galilee followed and saw the tomb where his body was placed. 56 Then they went home and prepared spices and ointments to anoint his body. But by the time they were finished the Sabbath had begun, so they rested as required by the law.
Jesus Took Our Place
Luke tells us that Jesus wasn’t crucified alone. Two criminals were led out with Him—men guilty of their crimes. But Jesus? He had done nothing wrong. And yet, He’s treated like the worst of them. He’s mocked, beaten, and nailed to a cross like a criminal. And then, with blood dripping from His body and the weight of the world’s sin crushing His shoulders, Jesus says: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”
Church, that’s your Savior
Not crying out in rage. Not defending Himself. He’s asking God to forgive the very people killing Him. Why? Because this wasn’t just a tragedy—it was a divine exchange. Jesus took our place.
Romans 6:23 says, “the wages of sin is death,” and someone had to pay. That someone was Jesus. He took what we deserved so we could receive what He earned. Let that hit your heart today: Jesus died for you. He died instead of you.
Grace Is Offered to the Undeserving
As the cross stands tall, one of the criminals joins in the mocking. But the other criminal speaks up. He says, “We’re getting what we deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he looks at Jesus—beaten, bloody, dying—and says, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
What does Jesus say? “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.” Are you kidding me? No good deeds. No baptism. No church attendance. Just a simple request: “Remember me.” And Jesus says, “I will. You’re coming with me.” That’s grace.
Grace doesn’t wait for you to clean yourself up. Grace meets you right where you are. Grace says, “You still belong.” And maybe some of you today feel like that criminal; you’ve made mistakes, you’ve messed up big time, and you wonder if it’s too late.
It’s not. If you still have breath in your lungs, you still have a chance to say yes to Jesus.
Darkness Fell So Light Could Shine
Luke says it was noon midday when darkness covered the land for three hours. Creation itself responded to the death of its Creator. Then, in verse 46, Jesus cries out, “Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands.” And with that, He breathed His last. This wasn’t defeat.
Jesus didn’t get killed; He gave up His life. He chose this moment. He laid it down. And in doing so, He took on all the darkness of the world so you could walk in the light. The cross is not just about pain. It’s about purpose.
He was separated so you could be brought near. He was crushed so you could be healed. He was abandoned so you could be accepted. That’s the power of the cross.
The Cross Demands a Response
After Jesus dies, the Roman centurion, this hardened soldier who had likely witnessed countless crucifixions, praises God and says, “Surely this man was innocent.” Other people beat their chests and walked away in grief. Still others, like the women who had followed Jesus, stayed close.
Everyone saw the same cross, but not everyone responded the same way. And the same is true today. The cross demands a response. You can walk away from it and keep living like nothing’s changed…You can feel sad, feel convicted, and then go back to life as usual…Or you can fall to your knees and say, “Jesus, I believe. You died for me. I give you my life.” There is no neutral ground at the cross.
Let me ask you: What’s your response to the cross?
This is not just a story from 2,000 years ago, it’s your invitation today. To receive forgiveness. To find healing. To begin a life-changing relationship with the Savior who gave His life for you. Jesus took your place. He offers you grace. He carried your darkness. Now He asks for your response.
If today you want to say yes to Jesus…If you want to come back to the God who never gave up on you…If you’re ready to stop running, stop pretending, and just surrender…
Then pray this in your heart with me:
“Jesus, I believe You died for me. I believe You rose again. I give You my heart, my past, my future. I don’t want to live without You anymore. Today, I surrender. Be my Savior. Be my Lord. Amen.”
Next week, we celebrate the empty tomb. But today, we honor the cross, the place where death met its match. And where love paid the price for our freedom.
The cross changed everything. Let it change you.
Easter - Agony & Temptation
In this message kicking off our Easter series, Pastor Joe explores the intense moment Jesus faced in the Garden of Gethsemane. It was a night of agony, temptation, and surrender—one that mirrors the tension we often feel when we want to follow God but struggle with our own desires. Through Jesus’ example, we see that prayer and community are essential when we face spiritual battles.
Last week, we concluded our Spiritual Warfare series by talking about the Valley of Darkness in Psalm 23. And today, we are launching our four-week Easter series, and we will look at the temptation Jesus faced in the Garden, the crucifixion, the resurrection, and the ascension into heaven.
If you have ever given into temptation – and afterward thought – how on earth did I end up here – today’s message will help you out.
In 4th grade, I was playing “Keep Away” on the playground. Keep Away was a little like Rugby and football. We had two teams, and each team would kick off to the other team, and the receiving team would try to run the ball all the way back down the field into the endzone. We would pass it back and forth…but if you were tackled with the ball, it immediately became the other team's ball. I wasn’t wearing my glasses…so I couldn’t see the ball. The team kicked the ball off to us…I scooped up the ball and began to run like mad toward the end zone. As the OTHER TEAM is chasing me down, one of my own teammates, Tammy, is behind me screaming, “Back Door!” “Back Door!” I had no idea that she wanted me to throw the ball back to her. I thought she was yelling at me to go toward the back door of the school…So I aimed for the door and kept going. Suddenly, Tammy grabs the short hairs on the back of my head and jerks me to the ground. The ball fell…the other team picked it up and started making their way down the field. Tammy is standing over me, yelling, “I said, Back Door!” I felt confused and disoriented. I couldn’t believe one of my own teammates took me out.
For many, the feeling I felt lying there on the ground is the very same that many have when temptation overtakes them and they give into temptation and choose to sin rather than to obey God’s will. They think, I was running along so well, I can’t believe I did this….How did I wind up down here?
Luke 22:39-46 (NLT2)
Then, accompanied by the disciples, Jesus left the upstairs room and went as usual to the Mount of Olives. 40 There he told them, “Pray that you will not give in to temptation.” 41 He walked away, about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, 42 “Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” 43 Then an angel from heaven appeared and strengthened him. 44 He prayed more fervently, and he was in such agony of spirit that his sweat fell to the ground like great drops of blood. 45 At last he stood up again and returned to the disciples, only to find them asleep, exhausted from grief. 46 “Why are you sleeping?” he asked them. “Get up and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation.”
There is a medical condition called Hematidrosis (He-muh-ta-drosis). You can look it up on WebMD. On rare occasions, if an individual goes through intense pressure and stress, they sometimes actually sweat blood through their skin. This wasn’t a pretty picture. Jesus wasn’t saying a PROPER churchy prayer. He was kneeling on the ground, groveling, begging, and pleading with God that he would not have to suffer. This was the JESUS – fully God and fully man, experiencing the fear of death, pain, and torture.
But it was not only the concern of physical pain and death that Jesus was experiencing that caused blood to seep out of the pores of his skin. Jesus told his disciples twice to pray… so that they would not “enter into” temptation. Have you ever wondered what temptation was that Jesus was so concerned about? It was not a temptation toward lust. The disciples were not lounging around the couch late at flipping through channels and seeing flesh on TV. They weren’t browsing the internet. They weren’t rolling dice, playing cards, and gambling money at the local casino. They weren’t fighting with one another or stealing money. It wasn’t a temptation to gossip or slander others.
The temptation that Jesus cautioned his friends about was the very same temptation he was in agony over. In the Garden…Jesus faced the temptation to do what HE wanted to do, rather than do what God wanted him to do. Jesus was being torn apart in agony because he wanted to be obedient to God – but he didn’t want to walk the talk. Jesus was in agony because he wanted to obey God, but he didn’t want to carry his cross. He wanted to obey God, but he didn’t want to be arrested, whipped, and tortured. He wanted to free people from their sins, but he didn’t want to be crucified. That is why Jesus sweat blood. He was torn.
TEMPTATION IS STRONGER WHEN YOU ARE ALONE
All he asked of his friends was that they stay awake and pray. This was a group of friends that he had “done life” with for the past three years. Jesus had healed Peter’s mother-in-law. He had blessed them with a ridiculous catch of fish that they could profit off of. He laughed with them, spent time with them, and invested in them even when nobody else would give them the time of day…He gave them hope. He showed them God’s love. And now, when Jesus wanted his friends to pray, they couldn’t even stay awake.
So, Jesus faced the worst time of his life, alone. Maybe you know what that is like. Maybe you know what it is like to face difficulties, changes, temptation, diagnoses, and fears all alone. Perhaps you do not have any friends who will gather around you and pray with you as you walk through struggles in this life. You don’t have too anymore. I can not say this more plainly: Join a lifegroup!
Last fall, Kristy and I joined a life group. And, we are growing to care for one another. We are growing to trust one another. We are building friendships rooted in the Word of God, his love, and love for each other. If you are walking through life alone, you do not have to. Maybe you have joined a lifegroup in the past and it wasn’t a good fit. Try again. God has a circle of friends waiting for you. They will help you turn and trust in God during seasons of challenge and change. And, they will be able to stand with you when you face temptations of all kinds.
If you are a follower of Jesus…and you are serious about following Jesus, you understand that…
NO BELIEVER IS IMMUNE TO TEMPTATION
1 COR. 10:13
No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to man…
As a follower of Jesus, sometimes we convince ourselves that other believers have it together and WE are the only ones who struggle with sin. We know others struggle with the temptation to sin – but we sometimes convince ourselves that others don’t struggle like WE DO. We think, “They read their Bibles all the time; they don’t struggle like me…Something must be wrong with me…”
Every marriage is hard. Parenting is hard. Finances are hard. Obedience to God is hard. Life is hard. And just like Jesus faced in the Garden, in the midst of the HARD, temptation OVERTAKES us all and we give into temptation and sin.
So where does that temptation come from? I am convinced that our MEMORIES can stir up a desire and temptation to sin. Think about it. Jesus was and always will be God. Jesus existed long before he became a human. He knew what it was like to EXIST as LORD overall. Before he became a human, he could do all He wanted to do.
But when he became a human, he gave up his rights as God…and in the Garden…Jesus was tempted to TAKE UP his rights once again. His MEMORIES of his LIFE AS GOD stirred up this DESIRE he faced to take control of his own life and do what he wanted to do. And you and I need to understand that…with certainty:
PAST PLEASURES CAN REIGNITE PRESENT TEMPTATIONS
(JAMES 1:13-14)
Usually, we are only going to be tempted to do something that we like to do. We are only going to be tempted to do something that we find pleasure in.
There are things that we like and things we do not like. For instance, chocolate. The only reason you find pleasure and enjoy eating chocolate is because you have tasted it before.
James 1:14 (NLT2)
Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away.
A DESIRE to sin occurs only because we have experienced it or something similar to it before…and we liked it! Maybe the experience came through people, places, or your past. Maybe you remember how you used to live before you became a follower of Jesus. Memories of experiences that appealed to us in the past, can stir up temptation in our present and future. If we enjoyed it in the past, our flesh tells us we will enjoy it again.
This highlights the importance of guarding our families, ourselves, and our marriages today. We may have messed up in the past – but we know if we give into those pleasures in the future, it could damage those around us, and hinder our relationship with God. Parents, it is vital that you stand with your children to guard their eyes and hearts while they are young. Internet filters, cell phone apps, password codes for the tv channels… If your child or teenager ever stumbles one time in this area – those lingering memories of what they saw will stay with them for a lifetime. So guard against creating new memories that could lead to temptations by gathering with friends and practicing prayer, because,
PRAYER + GODLY FRIENDS = POWER TO OVERCOME
(JAMES 4:6-8, HEB 2:18)
If you have been walking blindly into temptation after temptation…strengthen your prayer life. Begin to pray on a regular basis what Jesus prayed in the Garden – not my will, but your will be done. Ask God for his will to be done in your marriage, with your children, at your work…Ask God to help you be content and trust in His plan for you.
The brother of Jesus, writes in James 4:7:
James 4:7-8 (NLT2)
So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.
We see Jesus demonstrate this truth in the Garden. He humbled himself before God. He bared his soul. He resisted temptation and God strengthened him. And Jesus will strengthen you today. Whatever you are facing. Whatever you are challenged with. If you surround yourself with friends. If you begin to pray like never before and humble yourself to God…Every temptation you face in life CAN be overcome. You have Jesus on your side fighting for you…
Hebrews 2:18 (NLT)
Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing, he is able to help us when we are being tested.
And I thank God that He has not left us alone to walk in this world. He has given us friends, he promises to help us himself.