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IF JESUS LIVED TODAY HOW WOULD HE HANDLE CRISES
(Delivered 11-03-02)
(Mark 14:32-36; II Cor. 4:8-9)

One day a farmer hired a man and asked him to paint the barn.
He did it in one day. Next, he asked him to cut up a pile of
wood. Again, he did it in one day. Then he asked the man to
sort a pile of potatoes into three groups: One box for seed
potatoes; One box to sell; and one box to feed the hogs.

At the end of the day he went to check on the man and found that
he hadn't even started. He asked "What on earth is the matter?
You've always been such a fast worker!"

The man shook his head and replied, "Sure, boss, I can work, but
I just can't make them decisions."

Well, decisions are hard and sooner or later all of us have to
face them. Jesus made a lot of choices during his life and
ministry. Once, His own neighbors tried to destroy him. "The
people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. They
got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of
the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him down
the cliff" (Luke 4:29).

Many times he faced hostility and threats. He said, "Has not
Moses given you the law? Yet not one of you keeps the law Why
are you trying to kill me?" (John 7:19).

When he compared himself to Abraham, his life was threatened.
"At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid
himself, slipping away from the temple grounds" (John 8:59).

Jesus was well aware that his mission would eventually require a
sacrifice. Several times he indicated this. He said, "I am the
good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me-just as the
Father knows me and I know the Father-and I lay down my life for
the sheep" (John 10:14-15).

Even his disciples knew there was danger. When he decided to go
to Judea after Lazarus' death, "He said to his disciples, 'Let
us go back to Judea.' 'But Rabbi,' they said, 'a short while
ago the Jews tried to stone you, and yet you are going back
there?' " (John 11:7-8).

When he attempted to prepare his followers for the coming
tragedy, Peter especially protested. The Scriptures say. "From
that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he
must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the
elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must
be killed and on the third day be raised to life. Peter took
him aside and began to rebuke him. "Never, Lord!" he said. "This
shall never happen to you!" (Matt. 16:21-22).

But he finally came to a crisis that demanded an immediate life
or death decision. The Scriptures say, "And they came to a
place named Gethsemane; and He said to His disciples, 'Sit here
until I have prayed.' And He took with Him Peter and James and
John, and began to be very distressed and troubled. And He said
to them, 'My soul is deeply grieved to the point of death;
remain here and keep watch' " (Mark 14:32-34).

Notice that Jesus was very open and honest and emotional. He
admitted to his closest friends that he was confused and
miserable. "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. And He was saying, 'Abba! Father! All
things are possible for Thee; remove this cup from Me; yet not
what I will, but what Thou wilt' " (Mark 14:35-36).

He prayed alone and no one is sure how the gospel writers knew
what he said, since the only witnesses were asleep. But Mark
recorded the incident in this way: "He came and found them
sleeping, and said to Peter, 'Simon, are you asleep? Could you
not keep watch for one hour? Keep watching and praying, that
you may not come into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the
flesh is weak' " (Mark 14:37-38).

On that terrible night, Jesus prayed again and again, wrestling
with a deep momentous decision. The Scriptures say, "And again
He went away and prayed, saying the same words. And again He
came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy;
and they did not know what to answer Him. And He came the third
time, and said to them, 'Are you still sleeping and taking your
rest? It is enough; the hour has come; behold, the Son of Man is
being betrayed into the hands of sinners' " (Mark 14:39-41).
Why do you suppose Jesus showed such human emotions in the
Garden of Gethsemane? What lessons can we learn from this
incident? What point does it make about facing a crises?

I. FIRST, JESUS NEEDED PEOPLE TO SUPPORT HIM.

All of us need family and friends; but unfortunately, even our
best friends will often let us down. Many times Jesus'
followers left when he taught unpopular beliefs. In fact, they
often left him in droves. The Scripture says, "From this time
many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him"
(John 6:66).

Now, at this crucial time in Jesus' life, even his intimate
followers went to sleep. The Scriptures say, "When he rose from
prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep,
exhausted from sorrow. 'Why are you sleeping?' he asked them.
'Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation' "
(Luke 22:45-56).

II. NEXT, JESUS NEEDED SPIRITUAL GUIDANCE.

Most dedicated Christians really want to do God's will; but
during those low moments when we need him most, it's hard to
feel God's presence. Jesus had to pray 3 times before he could
determine God's will. "He withdrew about a stone's throw beyond
them, knelt down and prayed, 'Father, if you are willing, take
this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done' " (Luke
22:41-42).

Even though he had prayed this prayer of commitment; later on
the cross he felt totally abandoned and rejected. Matthew said,
"About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, 'Eloi,
Eloi, lama sabachthani?'-which means, 'My God, my God, why have
you forsaken me?' " (Matt. 27:46).

III. FINALLY, JESUS NEEDED PERSONAL COURAGE.

Our support group can only go so far; and finding God's will is
not the last word. The final choice is up to us. We often have
to struggle with tough decisions, and then stand absolutely
alone in that decision. When Jesus stood before Pilate, not one
follower was there to support him. Matthew says, "All the
disciples deserted him and fled" (Matt. 26:56).

Jesus knew a verbal defense was useless. Mark wrote, "The chief
priests {began} to accuse Him harshly. And Pilate was
questioning Him again, saying, "Do You make no answer? See how
many charges they bring against You!" But Jesus made no further
answer; so that Pilate was amazed" (Mark 15:3-5).

The Lord would have agreed with James Russell Lowell who wrote:

They are slaves who dare not be
In the right with two or three!

Now, what if this were today? Would Jesus try to find a quiet
place to pray? Would he take some friends with him? Would he
agonize over hard choices?

We can't know details, but if Jesus lived in America today
instead of Palestine 2000 years ago, his response would still be
the same.

1. FIRST, JESUS WOULD STILL NEED A SUPPORT GROUP.

People need people. All of us derive strength and comfort from
family and friends.

A man was visiting the Sequoia National Park, with it's huge
trees. The guide pointed out the General Sherman-a tree that
stands over two hundred feet high and has a seventy-foot
circumference. It has stood in California for almost two
thousand years. It's awesome. The tourist was from west Texas
where the mesquite trees are about five feet tall and look more
like scrubby, overgrown bushes than trees. He was speechless as
he stood there drinking in its majesty.

"I bet the roots on that tree are one hundred feet deep," he
remarked to the guide.

"No, sir," the guide responded. "As a matter of fact, the
Sequoia tree has roots just barely under the ground."

"That's impossible!" the man exclaimed. "I'm a country boy, and
I know better than that. If the roots don't grow deep into the
earth, strong winds will blow the trees over."

"Not Sequoia trees. They only grow in groves, and their roots
intertwine with each other under the surface of the earth. So
when the strong winds come they hold each other up."

That's exactly what family and friends and church members do
for each other. They provide a support group to hold each other
up.

2. NEXT JESUS WOULD STILL NEED SPIRITUAL GUIDANCE.

Life is complex. No one has perfect knowledge about the best
responses. There are no divine messages written in the sky.
There are no audible spiritual voices giving instruction. It's
significant that at this moment of decision Jesus used the same
methods available to us to discern God's will. He used prayer!

He also had an intellectual knowledge of the Scriptures. He had
an emotional connection with the Holy Spirit. He had a physical
evaluation of circumstances. What we know, what we feel and
what we observe gives us "a triple check for guidance."

3. FINALLY, JESUS WOULD STILL NEED PERSONAL COURAGE.

Sometimes, even when we know what to do, we don't want to do it.
Winston Churchill, when facing Nazi Germany said, "However
tempting it might be when trouble lies ahead to step aside, but
I do not intend to take that cowardly course. On the contrary,
I intend to stand at my post and persevere with my duty as I see
it."

Davie Crockett meant about the same thing in his autobiography
when he said, "I leave this rule for others when I am dead, /
"Be always sure you're right, then go ahead."

Shakespeare said, "Cowards die many times before their deaths.
The valiant never taste of death but once."
Now, if we're to take the Gospel seriously, what does this mean
for us?

Remember the Scripture says, "Whoever claims to live in him must
walk as Jesus did" (I John 2:6).

If Jesus lived today, he would face decisions and make the right
decisions. He would still depend on his Heavenly Father. A
woman said, "I was working in the yard when I heard my
daughter's small voice, 'Give me back my doll.'

5 year old Ann stood behind a tree, staring at her older brother
and his buddy. The boys had apparently snatched her doll from
the stroller she'd been pushing. They held the doll behind a
stack of last winter's firewood which had become their fort.
'Come get her,' they teased. But Ann clung to the tree, tears
beginning in her eyes, unable to muster the courage to retrieve
her doll.

Just as I started to intervene, my husband's car pulled into the
driveway and Ann ran to meet him. A minute later she showed up
at the 'fort' with her daddy right behind her. This time she
spoke with authority. 'Now, give me my doll!'

It was instantly returned.

I smiled at the change in my little girl's confidence. Once she
relied on the presence of her father, she found her courage."

It can happen to you too. If today you face a crisis that
requires more strength and courage and coping ability than you
feel you have, take heart; your Heavenly Father is with you.

Do you express yourself to special friends in a crises? Jesus
did!

Do you seek God's guidance when you face tough decisions? Jesus
did!

Do you exemplify personal courage to follow through on
commitments? Jesus did!

Remember, Andrew Jackson said, "One man with courage makes a
majority."

***
(Word Count 2010)

My ministry has been blessed immeasurably by reading other
people's sermons. When I started preaching 55 years ago, I
waited for "inspiration" before I began my sermon preparation
(usually Saturday night, about midnight). Then, I discovered it
wasn't inspiration at all-it was sheer PANIC. I would have
welcomed this service.

Comments are always welcome. (Please indicate if you do not want
your comments to appear in New Perspectives).

Miles Wesner