Well, good evening. It's good to be here tonight. As I was studying for this message, I heard an old preacher one time mention this. I want to speak to you tonight about something that thrills me. Because if it doesn't thrill me, it'll never thrill you. You ever run across sometimes in the providence of God and he opens up a passage and allows you to see some things? And I was able to see some things, some for the first time, some I've already seen before. If you would turn to John chapter 18, we'll just be looking at the first 11 verses tonight, but before we read those verses, I want to entitle this message, A Tribute to the Lamb. And when I thought about this, we have two words that are synonymous with tribute, and of course, eulogy. And we know that eulogy refers to words about someone that's deceased, and its basic meaning, both in the English and the Greek, from which it is borrowed, is praise. In other words, eu meaning good, and logos meaning speech, a good speech, a speech of praise for someone that is deceased. But we don't serve a God that is dead. We serve a God that is alive. And that's why I would entitle it a tribute, because a tribute brings on something even much deeper than what we would see with just a human being. For example, a tribute or a special way to honor the life of someone living or deceased. An example of that would be this. We give a tribute to someone who has died. For example, we might write a heartfelt letter or a sympathy card. We might organize a memorial service, a celebration of life, if you would please. We may donate money to a charitable cause of which they were deeply invested in. We might even plant a tree in their honor. When I begin to look at this tonight, we're getting ready to look at these 11 verses in a way which I haven't seen before. The hour has come for which Christ had foretold. He will face betrayal, false charges, cruel beatings, humiliating scorn, and merciless, a merciless crucifixion. But you know what, that's not the most shocking part. And here's what revealed to me. He will do it for all of us. And as I seen this and it began to open up the text here, let us look together and we'll continue into our lesson. Chapter 18, verse one. It says, when Jesus had spoken these words, he went forth with his disciples over the brook Sedron, which was a garden into the which he entered and his disciples. And Judas also, which betrayed him, knew the place, for Jesus oft times resorted thither with his disciples. Judas then, having received a band of men and officers from the chief priest and Pharisees, cometh thither with the lanterns and torches and weapons. Jesus, therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth and said unto them, Whom seek ye? They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am he. And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them. As soon then as he had said unto them, I am he, they went backward and fell to the ground. Then asked he them again, Whom seek ye? And they said, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus answered, I have told you that I am he. If therefore you seek me, let these go their way, that the same might be fulfilled which he spake. Of them which thou gavest me have I lost none. Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and smote the high priest's servant and cut off his right ear. The servant's name was Malchus. Then said Jesus unto Peter, put up thy sword into the sheath, the cup which my father hath given me, shall I not drink it? What a powerful passage of scripture. The Lord is about to face the most difficult moments any human being could ever experience. I don't know of any man that would ever suffer like Jesus Christ has suffered. He is about to drink a tragic cup ordained by the counsel of Almighty God before the foundations of the world were ever put in place. One of my key verse here tonight will be verse 11, the last part particularly, the cup which my father hath given me, shall I not drink it? And I thought about that verse and looking at it in a context of chapter 18 and 19 of our Lord's life. These are the last moments of his life upon earth, of his pain, of his abandonment, of his separation, of his death. And yet they are nothing less than a wonderful tribute to the Lamb of God. You know, my main point in looking at this passage is this written tribute that we may become more like him so our lives will become living tributes to him. You know, a similar thought that the Apostle Paul wrote about in Romans chapter 12, verse one, he said, I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God. which is your reasonable service. In other words, that is the least that you could do, and you will see why as we develop the text. If you would look back in verse one, and let's begin there. It says, when Jesus had spoken these words, he went forth with his disciples over the brook of Sedron, where it was a garden to the witch he entered and his disciples. And I found out in my studies, I've seen another story similar to this in 2 Samuel, chapter 15, verses 13 through 37, and I'll just summarize it for time's sake tonight. But in that passage, David had crossed the Kidron Valley, across the brook. David's own son, Absalom, was chasing hard after him. He had betrayed his father. And the nation also had rejected David. And I thought it was something that I looked at that verse. In verse 30 of that passage, it says that David went barefoot, weeping, in this very place that we're reading about in John chapter 18. He went by the ascent of Mount Olivet, weeping. Fast forward several centuries into the future, and we see here in John 18 one, centuries later, the son of of David, Jesus Christ, crossed the Kidron Book, rejected by the nation, and he will be betrayed by one who was close to him. Another thing of interest that intrigued me, this is the week of the Passover that we're talking about. The time of these events is a Passover celebration. And according to one source in the writings of Josephus, the Jewish historian, he said thousands of lambs had been sacrificed in a week-long ceremony. And these lambs, their blood was poured on the altar as an offering to God. And from this altar, I thought this was interesting, there was a channel which carried the blood from the altar to the brook Sedron. This blood would stain the waters of the brook. And think about this, Jesus Christ is crossing this very brook, where these waters are full of blood. And in verse four, if you'll look with me, it said, Jesus, therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, being omniscient, he knew that his own blood would be poured out as the Lamb of God who had come to take away the sin of the world. Jesus, for our sakes, timed elements of his ministry carefully. You know, it's amazing how people would try to manipulate our Lord for their own benefit, for social conditioning, for benefits of food or whatever it would be. But you know what, I found out that one of the earliest accounts in keeping with the father was early on in his ministry. In John chapter two and verse four, Mary had made a request of Jesus to perform a miracle at the wedding of Cana. And Jesus responded this way, my hour has not yet come. And I thought, of all the times that I've read that phrase, my hours have not come. And I know that we had studied it in time past in biblical counseling, we looked at that, I think maybe 33 times that was mentioned. But I looked at this, and John lets us know, he performs a miracle which he calls the first of miracles, or the first of signs. These miracles or signs are the same Greek word. You know, perhaps Mary wished for Jesus to make himself publicly known at that time. But while Jesus ultimately honored Mary, and he did, and her request, it may be that in saying, what have I to do with thee? Woman, why do you involve me? My hour's not yet come. But we do know he was gently reminding her that it wasn't her place to direct his ministry. How gracious our Lord is. Jesus' words, my hour has not yet come, indicate he was working on a divine schedule, not man's schedule. He was managing the pace at which people would be confronted with the reality of who he was. I'd never seen that. He did perform a miracle, and this ought to thrill your heart, but he did it discreetly. And guess what he did? He only revealed it to a select group of people. Only the servants knew that the water had been turned to wine and poured it to the governor of the feast. Doesn't that really make you think about your salvation? That it's not something in general, but that it's very particular. That in time, only according to the divine decrees of God, he looked down and he saw you, and he drew you with a power that so Unmistakable, you knew it was of God, and opened your eyes and let you see, and he saved you particularly. When I look at this, like I said, he did perform a miracle, but discreetly, and only a select group of people saw it. Let's look at some of the players, so to speak, in this drama, in the plan of redemption here. Look with me, if you would, in verse number two. And Judas also, which betrayed him, knew the place where Jesus oft times resorted thither with his disciples. Now the first character that we'll see in this passage is Judas Iscariot. And let's just flesh it out a little bit about this character. We know from scripture he is possessed by Satan himself. If you would, turn back just a couple chapters to John chapter 13 and look with me in verse number two. And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him. I'd also would like for you to turn back one more chapter, chapter 12, and verses four through six. Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, which should betray him, why was not this ointment sold for 300 pence and given to the poor? Then he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and he had the bag, and bear what was put therein. If you begin to look at this character, Judas Iscariot, one thing that stands out to me is this, he was filled with greed, he was filled with covetousness, because he cared not for the poor, he cared not for our Lord. It explicitly states he was a thief, A thief is someone that no one trusts. I know I don't trust a thief. But in looking at this, as Judas saw Jesus, think about this, the kingdom plans would not involve an overthrow of Rome. Maybe he was thinking that the thrones for each of the disciples that he mentioned in Matthew 19, verse 28, he had promised it was not going to materialize. He decided to get whatever he could get. And one commentator, he made a note that I put down here. I read after, said that 30 pieces of silver was the price of a crippled slave that had been gored by an ox. That's what the Lord meant to him. My point of emphasis is, I'm asking myself these questions. How could Judas betray the Lamb of God? Judas had walked and talked and he had eaten And he had followed him for three years. But Judas didn't know the heart of Jesus. And on top of that, he had no relationship with Jesus. That's why he's called the son of perdition. That word in the Greek, Apollia, it means ruin, loss. It also has this man. It's a second death. It's exclusion from the Messiah's kingdom. And there's just more, just with that one word that I could give you, but for time's sake, we'll continue on. If you would look at verse three, turn back to John 18, verse three. Judas then having received a band of men and officers from the chief priest and Pharisees, cometh thither with lanterns and torches and weapons. Now, I'd like to break this down if I could. Maybe in my mind, in three areas of preparation that they were possibly, it could possibly be there, this is what I'm thinking as I'm trying to develop the passage. They were prepared for his disciples' loyalty, because he did have some disciples that loved him, and the writer of this book was called the Beloved. Maybe they thought one of the 11 would step forward and say, I'm Jesus. No, I'm Jesus. could have been a possibility. If you would turn back to Mark 14, verse 45. I know these are a lot of verses, but I want to see the clarity of how the gospels bring this to light. And notice here in Mark 14, 45. And as soon as he was come, he'd go a straight way to him and saith, master, master, and kissed him. Now, let's just develop that just for a moment. We know that this one Greek word here about kissed him is a Greek word, kata phileo, and it is an intensified word that indicates a close embrace. and perhaps several kisses. I mean, a very endearing quality that exists with this type of kiss. Because we know that a kiss was common in the days of Jesus Christ. And examples of a kiss, a kiss between a student and his teacher was a mark of homage and respect to the teacher. It has been said that inferiors kissed the back of their superior's hand. And if they were above the level of a servant, they could kiss their palm. Those who saw pardon from an angry monarch would kiss their feet. But thus the kissing of Judas. Was so despicable. It was the worst of false affection. Imagine here the spiritual truth that that here in utter deceit. You have Satan. Identifying the savior. You have the serpent embracing the sun. You have the lion, the roaring lion, that walking about seeking whom he may bow. You have the lion clutching the lamb. And as I said, we already looked at verse four. Jesus knew it. He knew what was coming upon him. And here's a truth I discovered. Yet there was no rejection from Jesus. This is why I said this is what only thrilled me, but humiliated me as well. Christ never said, Judas, get away from me. You disgust me. He didn't say that. If you would look in Matthew, you don't need a term, but you were taking notes, you can put it for reference in Matthew 26, 50. It says this friend. Wherefore art thou come? Then came day and laid hands on Jesus and took him away. And what here's what I thought about, you know, Dennis has been preaching for quite some time in the gospel of Matthew. And if you remember in Matthew chapter five, there's a great truth that he covered. And I thought this fit perfectly in Matthew chapter five, verse 44, it says, but I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you. You're talking about a hard spiritual truth because it is one that I fail continually. Jesus Christ preached or practiced everything that he preached. Think about this. This passage comes to mind. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. What kind of mind? The attitude that Christ had, and that made me think about this line of questioning, because I have been betrayed in life, and I'm sure probably everyone in this room at one time or another has been betrayed by someone. Have you ever been rejected? Have you ever been abandoned? Do you feel you're entitled to write that person off? Are you entitled to a little bit of hatred? Are you entitled to exact a pound of flesh, your revenge? Let's continue fleshing out the scenario here. I think the second thing we see here, they not only prepare for deception, They prepared for cowardice as well. Look, if you would. Judas then having received a band of men, verse three, and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, now notice, cometh thither with lanterns and torches and weapons for one man. Whom seek ye? Jesus of Nazareth. For one man, an unarmed carpenter. And how do you, I know that he's unarmed because he rebukes Peter for picking up the sword, put it away. Now, I thought this is real interesting here. Why all the torches and lanterns? Did they think he would hide? Did they think that he would, they'd have to search among the trees and behind every rock? But instead of hiding, verse four reveals, that Jesus stepped forward and identified himself. Now, if you want to see the sovereignty of God, the power of God, At, we could say, the only time weaker that Christ could have been would have been on the cross, as far as human weakness is concerned. But let's just look at this just for a moment. The third thing they possibly prepared for, having that many men, the leaders anticipated resistance. A band of men and officers from the chief priest, again, I'm reading this, and lanterns and torches and weapons. Most commentators say that the band of men there was probably, quite possibly, a Roman cohort of around 600 men. Some have even suggested it could be a smaller amount, a maniple, which consisted of 200 men. And it's also been, if you look at this too, you had there The temple, the chief priests had their own police force, their own security. And then on top of that, you had all the Pharisees and Sanhedrin, all the religious leaders for one man. And let's just say, on a conservative basis, let's just say it was 500. I think it could have been more. And why did this army come to arrest this unarmed carpenter? And this is hypothetical on my part, just to speculate. But I do believe this, they knew he was no ordinary man. They had seen his miracles. They had sought to arrest him before, and somehow he escaped them. And while they had prepared all three times for deception, we see here for resistance, we see all three times they prepared, but they were not prepared for what would happen next. Look at John 18, we'll read four through six. Jesus, therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth and said unto them, Whom seek ye? They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am he. And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them. And as soon as he had said unto them, I am he, they went backward and fell to the ground. I just want to make a quick reference here that I am he, in your Bible too, and you probably know this, there's a taliside. That is something that the translators put there as far as for grammar is concerned. But we're going to look at the I am here in just a moment. First thing he does is Christ, if he was cowering, Or if he was, why did he do what he did? In other words, the first thing that Christ does is make a declaration. He steps forward to them and he said, whom seek ye? They said, Jesus of Nazareth. He said, I am. And you can read it in the text yourself. And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with him. And as soon as he had said to them, I am he, they went backward and fell to the ground. Now, think about this. He identifies himself as I am in the Greek. It's ego. Amen. And it is the name of God that was revealed the first time to Moses at the burning bush. And with that, he shocked the religious establishment with that. I would have to be, if I was in that crowd, I would be just a little bit hesitant of wanting to put my hands on this man named Jesus of Nazareth. Remember, Moses asked the question, Lord, what shall I tell the people that your name is? tell them I am, have sent thee. But you know that's just not enough. How did they miss who Christ was in John's gospel? And if you would, we'll go through this in progression. Turn back to John chapter six. I want you to see this, okay? And I know you've seen it, but we'll see it again here. In John chapter six, look in verse 35 with me. And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life. He that cometh to me shall never hunger, and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. If you would, look at John chapter eight, turn over there, verse 12. Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world. He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. Look at John chapter 10, verse seven. Then said Jesus unto them again, verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. Look at verse 14 to that same passage. I am the good shepherd and know my sheep and am known of mine. Look in John 14, verse six, probably the most familiar that I would think of, of the I am. 14 verse six, Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh unto the father but by me. And one that I quoted from about a month ago when I had the opportunity and privilege to speak, in John chapter 15 verse one, I am the true vine, and my father is the husband. The I am has spoken. These statements became the way to connect God personally and was used throughout Israel's history to convey that God always was, always is, and always will be. I think the writer of Hebrews said it best, Jesus Christ the same, yesterday, today, and forever. He's I am, continuously present. He's transcendent, as Dennis would say. He's beyond our understanding of what time is to us. He's beyond that. And yet this time, it turned back to John 18. This time in John 18, five and six, I am is at the time when his enemies think, we've got him. We can subdue him. This guy's filled the people with all this hope and all his promises, we've got him. And as soon as he said unto them, I am, they went backward and fell to the ground. Do you know what? One breath of omnipotence slammed them flat on their backs. It's as if Christ pulled back the curtain of his deity for a second, for one brief second, and they did what all men would do before a sovereign Lord. they will fall prostrate before him. You know, I sent Mark a little message this week, and I began to think about different songs, and I thought about one that we sing. It's a well-known one here. All hail the power of Jesus' name. Amen. Let angels prostrate fall. Bring forth the royal diadem, and crown him Lord of all. But verse four, Oh, that with yonder sacred throne, we at his feet we fall. We'll join the everlasting throne, crown him Lord of all. What a savior, what a privilege to be a child of God. But the second thing he does, he reveals his deity, he reveals his authority. Christ is in command. There's no moment of his life that he did not cease to be God incarnate. No one is going to take his life. He has chosen to give it up. Notice, the text reveals it to us. He's not hiding, he's revealing. He's not cowering, he's in command. He even helps his frightened and intimidated enemy to arrest him. Because in the middle of all the chaos and panic and things that goes on in this very thing, he takes charge. He takes charge of the things even in this. You know, I was looking at something. One passage I think gives clarity to this, and I want you to turn back if you would, John chapter 10. in verse 17 and 18. And I'm gonna turn back, cause I had some notes, it's kinda like sometimes you ever get ahead of yourself with an idea? Well, I did in this case, but I said, I can use this though. I just need to get back to it. Now think about this. Some in our day have false views of our Lord's life and ministry. We've heard a lot of it. Buddhism, Mormonism, a lot of isms, Islam, whatever. They look at his death as he was unwitting and an unwilling victim. And some look at him as a sage or a philosopher, an individual, a teacher of morality and ethics. That his attempts went horribly wrong and ran afoul of Jewish and Roman authorities. And he didn't mean to, but he managed to get himself executed. how wrong that they are. Because when I look at what he says himself concerning this, in John chapter 10, verse 17 and 18, therefore doth my father love me because I lay down my life that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself I have power to lay it down. I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my father. I don't see where he was a victim, unwilling, or anything. I see here it's not the decision of the Sanhedrin. It's not the decision of the religious leaders. It's not the decision of the nation of Israel. It is not the decision of the emperor of Rome. It is the decision of the Lamb of God who willingly gave his life. Because he's chosen to do so. Another thing I want us to look at, turn back to John 18. Look at verses 7 through 9. Jesus answered, I have told you that I am he. If therefore you seek me, let these go their way, that the saying might be fulfilled which he spake, of them which thou gavest me have I lost none. And I just want us to look at this, if you would. Look back to John 13.1. This is another one I mentioned the last time I was here, and it just seems to keep coming up to me. Now, before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come, that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own, which were in the world, he loved them unto the end. Another passage to John 15, if you just turn over to that, if you would. John 15, verse 16. You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you and ordained you that you should go and bring forth fruit and that your fruit should remain that whatsoever you shall ask of the father in my name, he may give it you. You know, when I read that verse, I said, this has got to be future tense. This appears, it seems to me to be future. How would they be able to bring forth fruit and fruit remain if they were to be incarcerated and crucified? There's no way they could bring forth fruit. John 17, 12, this is probably, I don't know of a prayer any greater than this prayer. While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name. Those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost but the son of perdition that the scripture might be fulfilled. And now, back to John 18, seven through nine. Again, let's, seven through nine, let's look at it. Then ask he them again, whom seek ye? And they said, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus answered, I have told you that I am he. If therefore you seek me, let these go their way, that the same might be fulfilled which he spake of them, which thou gavest me, I lost none. In other words, looking at that, Jesus was making sure that there would only be one cross, not 12. We know that because where would the church come from if the disciples, if the apostles were crucified? None of the disciples were to die along with him. And how do we know this? He already declared it. I just read it to you. I just read it. Of all that thou gavest me, I have lost none. Jesus made sure the word was fulfilled. But you know what, sometimes in this narrative, this redemption narrative, We always find somebody wanting to help out, don't we? Poor old Peter sometimes. It is often that we speak of Peter concerning his weakness, of his boasting, of his faithlessness, of his cowardice. And in the future, much of that lays in store for Peter. But notice his courage. He, one man, he drew his sword against hundreds I'm one man with one sword, and let's say there's 500. Odds don't really look good for me. But put ourselves in this story. What would you do? Would we calculate the risk? Would we consider the danger? Would we hesitate at possible failures? In other words, would we risk everything for the honor of Jesus Christ? And look at this, what happens next? John 18, 11, look, if you would. Then said Jesus unto Peter, put up thy sword into the sheath, the cup which my father hath given me, shall I not drink it? There's a parallel passage, if you would turn it with me to Matthew 26. I know there's a lot of verses, but this, I've had such a great time studying this. 26, verse 52. Then said Jesus unto him, put up again thy sword into his place, for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword. Now look at verse 54. But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled that thus it must be? Peter, this is not your battle. This is a spiritual battle. Isn't that what we're in for the most part? The Apostle Paul writes to us in 2 Corinthians 10, verse 4, he said, for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds. And also in Ephesians 6, verse 12, for we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in heavenly places. Now note the sovereign power and control of this situation. And I think this is interesting, because in that same passage, turn if you would to Luke 22 now, Luke chapter 22, verses 50 and 51. And one of them smote the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear. And Jesus answered and said, suffer ye thus far. And he touched his ear and healed him. Now, let's just think just for a moment just about this, okay? If you want to see mercy in the midst of madness, here it is. Here's a miracle that out of unbelieving people that they failed to see. When I looked at this, the Greek word can be translated, when he cut off his ear, that means to shear it and to cut it away. Yet Luke is the only one of the gospel writers that pens this about this account. And what was it? Perhaps Luke being a medical doctor found it, was the only one that found it of any interest. Luke does not tell us that Jesus picked up his severed ear and reattached it. And one commentator that I read after he said this, he said, the noun used in verse 51 to refer to the ear differs from verse 50. It actually refers to the place of the ear. It literally means this, Jesus touched where his ear was. And the guy had a miracle ear. Let me explain myself, okay, by that, when I say about a miracle here. Who are we talking about? We're talking about the great I am. He's the only one that can create something out of nothing. I was getting to that. I love my father, my earthly father, my spiritual father. Look at this. The count could be easily overlooked. But what an astonishing act of Christ. But who are we talking about? As I said, we're talking about the I Am. It's not a medical reattachment. This is, however, a miracle recreation. And now the perspective of Jesus, and we'll be closing here in just a moment. Christ's perspective on handling betrayal. You know, that's something. I didn't handle betrayal very well. one particular to me, not with composure, but this is what enabled him to face the angry mob, that is Jesus, with calm, with authority, and with mercy. Look at verse 11 of John 18. Then said Jesus unto Peter, Put up thy sword into the sheath, the cup which my father hath given me. Shall I not drink it? The drinking of a cup is often used in scripture to illustrate suffering and sorrow. One example that I've seen was in Isaiah 51, 22, when Babylon was captured by, captured Jerusalem. And it says this, thus saith the Lord and thy God that pleaded the cause of his people. Behold, I have taken out of thine hand the cup of trembling, even the dregs of the cup of my fury. Thou shalt no more drink it. Also in Jeremiah chapter 25, It speaks of the cup of wrath for the nations, and speaking to the fact of means to go through a difficult experience. Now, when I look at verse 11 here again, the last part of it, the cup which my father hath given me, shall I not drink it? Jesus refers to all the suffering he's about to experience. Now, I have a question. How was Jesus able to accept and to drink from this cup? And the answer, he recognized that the cup had come from the father. Jesus saw the father behind everything. Think over his life and ministry that we find him isolating himself along and praying to his heavenly father. He didn't see Judas, he saw the father. He didn't see the angry mob, he saw the Father. Jesus could handle betrayal and pain and suffering because he could see the hand of the Father giving him the cup. And so I went through several players, so to speak, in this narrative here tonight. We see Judas and we see the mob and we see Peter and we see our Lord. And so what I would like to ask is this, what example, what an example Jesus was for us, and so you can reflect upon it maybe in time past, and maybe even right now. Are you in a valley? Have you been betrayed? Have you ever been rejected? Do you suffer? Are you afraid? The cup has been mixed in your life and handed to you by the Father. Will you not drink it? We just studied the garden account. Inside the garden, it's pandemonium. For the disciples, it's panic. But for Jesus, it's peace. Remember when we started, I mentioned A tribute to the lamb? Think about this, what he has promised us in John 14, 27. He took upon him our judgment, and he gave us his righteousness. And in the midst of our weakness, he says this in John 14, 27. Peace I leave with you. My peace I give unto you. Not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. Where are you in this garden saying? This is questions that I've developed, I looked at. Do you identify with the mob of rejecters? That is, if you're not with Christ, you're against him. There's no such thing as neutrality when it comes to Christ. Do you identify with Peter? A hands-on type of guy. Do you think the Lord needs your protection or your strength? Or are you like our Lord? I go back, Philippians chapter 2 now, it really opened up to me. Verse five again, let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant. And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Here we go, wherefore God, hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow of things in heaven, things in earth, and things under the earth, and that every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is glory to God the Father. I mentioned this to Charlie before. I come tonight and I told him, I said, I thought you would probably appreciate this. I know he has always loved Charles Spurgeon, and I do too. He was speaking about this, and I'll close with this. Spurgeon once preached, knowing full well the contents of his cup. He took it, he lifted it to his lips, and he drank damnation dry. What a thought. What a savior. Pay tribute to you. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we're thankful for the time and your word tonight. I pray dear God that. What feeble attempts I have made, dear God, I pray that you are honored. I pray that the hearts of your people are encouraged, that they're thrilled, because Lord, I was thrilled when I seen these things. And Lord, I ask you tonight, Lord, that the families that are among us that are hurting, we think of Brandy, loss of her brother. We think of Joe, who's home recovering. And dear God, there's many people that have issues, and so I pray that tonight they would find their comfort in you. And dear God, as we get ready to leave this place, Lord, may we take the truth of your word with us. And Lord, we pray you give us opportunities to share the name of Jesus with those that we come in contact with each and every day. Lord, we'll give you the honor, praise, and glory for all that you do. In Christ's name, amen.