Well, greetings to each one of you in the blessed name of our Savior. It's good to be here. It's good to be together in the house of God. What a hymn. What truth we just sang. justified freely forever. What an amazing truth. Well, I want to invite you to return to the gospel according to John. It's been a bit since we were in this, I think it was Something like April, I think April the 25th or something. I'm not sure if that is on a Sunday or not, but I think it's close to that. Almost five weeks. So I want to return here and I want to read I want to remind you why John wrote this gospel. In John 20, in verse 30, it says this way, and truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples which are not written in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ. the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name. So I just want to remind you that when we're looking at this book, this gospel according to John, it was written to build faith in you, to build faith in me. That we read these things, we study them, we take it apart, we put it back together, we look at it, we try to figure out what it meant. But the ultimate purpose is that you would gain more confidence in Jesus Christ. Isn't that a beautiful thought? That you would have more assurance, that you would be more confident that your eternity is secure in Jesus Christ. That is the purpose of the book of John, and that's the stated purpose of why John wrote this. And so we're going back to John 18, and we're beginning in our text in John 18. We just came off of the Lord's Prayer and the look at that. And so we come to John 18, and we want to read, our text today will be John 18, one through 11. And let's remember who we're looking at. This is the greatest man that ever lived. But he's more than a man. And I want you to think a little bit about the conflict that he's about to engage in. And I had to think about how we sometimes read war stories. I'm interested in world history, whether it's the Civil War or whether it's World War I or II. And sometimes we read, sometimes I read these, it's hard for me to turn away from an account where some valiant soldier, some American soldier, some account that is written up about the engagement where he won the Medal of Honor. I mean, don't we enjoy kind of reading that? It does something in our hearts as we think about someone valiantly going into a situation with such resolution. And it is the highest military honor that the United States military gives to their members is the Medal of Honor. And we just came through Memorial Day, and I read a piece where this guy had a podcast about six men that all Americans should know about. And it's not a spiritual read, but it is the idea of someone giving themselves for a cause greater than themselves. and how resolute that they were in the combat and in the engagement that they found themselves in. So it's the medal of honor. Today as we begin reading in John chapter 18, we begin the final engagement, the final mission of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It is here in John 18 and 19 that he won his medal of honor. And as we think about the Lord Jesus and what we know of him and what he did, how he came on a mission to give his life a ransom for you and for me, then my question to you today is, who is your hero? Who do you emulate? Who do you want to be like? Who is your life dedicated to? Think about that a minute. As we think about Memorial Day and the things we enjoy from the sacrifice of those who fought for our freedoms, think about the spiritual realities that you have because Christ came on a mission and we are beginning today to look at his final engagement. And we want to notice that here as we read, I want to point out some things. You know, a Medal of Honor winner, if it's given to him after his death, if he dies in the engagement that he won the Medal for, he didn't realize that it was going to be his last mission, did he? No, they don't know that. They know it's a possibility that it'll be his last mission, that he will give his life. And so, they go out and they engage the enemy. Well, here Christ engaged the enemy, and notice what it says, knowing all things that would come to him. That's amazing. He went knowing that it was costing him his life. This was a sacrifice he'd already laid down. He had already surrendered his life for the mission. So let's read. The day I've titled it, Jesus, Our Resolute Savior. Jesus, Our Resolute Savior. To be resolute simply means, we don't use this word a lot, But it simply means to be firmly determined or unwavering in purpose or opinion, steadfast, determined, unflinching. And we'll read a few examples of that. But today, we have this example in our text. Let's begin, John 18. When Jesus had spoken these words, he went out with his disciples over the brook Kidron, where there was a garden, which he and his disciples entered. And Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place. For Jesus often met there with his disciples. Then Judas, having received a detachment of troops and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, came there with lanterns, torches, and weapons. Jesus, therefore, knowing all things that would come upon him, went forward and said to them, Whom are you seeking? They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus said to them, I am he. And Judas, who betrayed him, also stood with them. Now when he had said to them, I am he, they drew back and fell to the ground. Then he asked them again, Who are you seeking? And they said, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus answered, I have told you that I am he. Therefore, if you seek me, let these go their way. That the same might be fulfilled which he spoke of those whom you gave me, I have lost none. Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant and cut off his right ear. The servant's name was Malchus. So Jesus said to Peter, put your sword into the sheath. Shall I not drink the cup which my father has given me? By the way, you know that Peter wasn't aiming for his ear. He was aiming to do business, not just his ear. All right, I want you now to flip back and turn to Isaiah chapter 50, if you would. This idea of a resolute Savior. Do you see how John highlighted all those moments when Jesus was resolute? He was unflinching and steadfast and determined to go forward. He met the challenge completely. And so, I want to look at Isaiah 50, where he says this way. This is a, it's given as a hymn of the suffering servant. In Isaiah 50, in verse four. The Lord God has given me the tongue of the learned. This is Isaiah 50 in verse four. That I should know how to speak a word in season to him who is weary. He awakens my morning by morning, he awakens my ear to hear as the learned. The Lord God has opened my ear and I was not rebellious, nor did I turn away. I gave my back to those who struck me and my cheeks to those who plucked out the beard. I did not hide my face from shame and spitting. For the Lord God will help me. Therefore, I will not be disgraced. Therefore, I have set my face like a flint, and I know that I will not be ashamed. He is near who justifies me. Who will contend with me? Let us stand together. Who is my adversary? Let him come near me. Sure, the Lord God will help me. Who is he who will condemn me? Indeed, they will all grow old like a garment. The moth will eat them up. Who among you fears the Lord, who obeys the voice of his servant, who walks in darkness and has no light? Let him trust in the name of the Lord and rely upon his God." And that is exactly what we see the Lord Jesus doing. where he trusts in God the Lord God will help me and we see that he this confidence in Christ in in his father gave Christ the resolution to set his face as it were like a flint and we have a similar passage in Luke as we think about this term in Luke 9 51 it says now it came to pass when the time had come for him to be received up that he steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem. And we see here in our account that this is exactly what he did. We see Jesus with a firm commitment to fulfilling his mission. John 13 in verse 1 it says now before the feast of the Passover when Jesus knew that his hour had come That he should depart from this world to the father Having loved his own who were in the world He loved them to the end or he loved them to the uttermost and we even see this care of the Lord Jesus Christ in relation to the disciples that he loved them to the end if you notice that This is not a request, necessarily, where he says, let them go. That's more of a command. Let them go. And after twice affirming who they were there for, remember this detachment or this cohort was a detachment that was sent with authority. It was, they were sent by the chief priests and it was also a cohort or a Roman garrison, but they had specific instructions to take Jesus of Nazareth. And twice in this passage, when Jesus says, who do you seek? They affirmed who they sought. And that's all that they had authority to take. And so he said, okay, if you, Here to sit if you seek me let these go their way and so he loved them to the end or to the uttermost even in his Even in this dying engagement. He was still caring for his For his disciples we also have in John 12 27 we see now my soul is troubled and what shall I say father save me from this hour and but for this purpose I came to this hour. I am here, I am here for this time. I'm here for this hour. Troubled, yes, but resolute. Difficult, yes, but resolute. And then we also notice that he recognized that this in this hour that he was meeting at this moment he was This is what he said in Luke 22 53 where he says this way Remember how and we read it but this is the account the same account the betrayal and arrests in the garden and Peter hacks out with the sword and And Jesus touched his ear and healed Malchus's ear. And then Jesus said to the chief priests and captains of the temple and the elders who had come to him, have you come out as against a robber with swords and clubs? When I was with you in the temple, you did not try to seize me. But then he says this, but this is your hour and the power of darkness. What we see is that the very hour of Christ, this hour, this moment of his giving himself up, there was a power of darkness at work in those who came to grab him, and those who came to, and I noticed in, it was interesting to me when Arlen was reading Psalm 118, it says there that they surrounded him like bees. my one commentary mentioned that passage in relation to this mob that came for him they surrounded him like bees and that's that's what happened it was a it was Jesus recognized it as the hour of darkness It was their hour and the power of darkness that was instigating them. And so it was fitting that they were, that it was dark. It was probably somewhere around maybe nine o'clock. It was late in the evening and Jesus had already retired to this garden as he was oft inclined to do. And, uh, Note was made in the commentaries that would have been full moon because the Passover would have been on the full moon. So there would have been ample moonlight. But so here we see it's the hour of darkness and the power of it. Now in any planned engagement Any sort of mission of warfare that is planned, a time comes for the briefings to be over. Everything's been said, all the planning is done, the mission is laid out. It is H hour, it is time to go. We are done talking, and that's what we have here in this text. When Jesus had spoken these words, those words of his prayer, those teachings all the way from John 13, 14, 15, and 16, and 17, all the way up, when Jesus had spoken these words, he went out. He took to the field of battle. He went out with his disciples over the brook Kidron where there was a garden. And this is where him and his disciples entered, probably through a gate. There was probably a walled garden. And in the other accounts, it's called the Garden of Gethsemane. And so we don't have that name here, but the other gospels definitely identify it as the Garden of Gethsemane. It probably was gated, and they entered in. And this is where the Lord took to the field of battle for his last mission. Interesting here, John says nothing about the interval between his arrival at the garden and the arrival of Judas. It says nothing at all about the struggle in prayer, the torment and anguish of soul of our Savior. He says none of these things. But the other three Gospels make it clear that there was a real torment and anguish of soul going on in this garden before Judas arrived. But John highlights rather And we recognize that the way that he did this, though it's not stated here, was through the battle that he had already dealt with before Judas got there. And so, John is rather highlighting his authority here, his power, his, as he said earlier in the Gospel of John, no man takes my life from me. I lay it down. You do not take it, I rather give it. And I think this is a picture here in John 18 that John is highlighting this truth that Jesus surrendered his life. And was it not also in John 18 where it says that the bind, bind the sacrifice to the horns of the altar. And Jesus bound himself to the altar by a voluntary submission. He bound himself to it. No one had to bind him to it. It's interesting that Judas said, this man that I kiss, seize him. Like, grab a hold of him, lest he flee. You know, it's an odd thing to think about that, and even later here, in this book, twice, I think it says here, for instance, in verse 24, then Annas sent him bound to Cephas, the high priest. And so, also in verse, yes, in verse 12, it says they physically arrested him and bound him. as he had already proven. He was the god of Samson, remember? I mean, there was nothing that could bind this Savior. He had already proven that he didn't even need his hands to destroy them. He could have sent them to hell like Korah. He spoke a word and they fell backwards, just completely unable to stand before the glory of this great Christ, this Savior of ours, and then bound his hands. Isn't that strange? He didn't need his hands, but with a spoken word he could have destroyed them. And so we see here that John says nothing at all about the Garden of Gethsemane except the fact that they entered in and Judas knew of the place. So it seems John intends to focus on Jesus meeting the enemy squarely. Notice verse four. Therefore Jesus therefore knowing all things that would come upon him. What did he do next? He went forward He did not go backward. He went forward It says and and simply calls them out. Whom are you seeking? And there was no, you know, he already knew that they were there for him but maybe the disciples didn't you know, you would think well if we just hide in the shadows here, maybe they won't see us and No. He says, whom are you seeking? And so they said. So he engaged them. And then we see, We see him, yes, how he just simply said, I am he, this is who you're looking for. And then also in verse eight, he says it again, if you seek me, let them go. I've told you who I am, I've identified myself. And then in verse 11, he says this way, shall I not drink the cup? Shall I not be engaged in my father's business, that which my father has given me? Shall I not drink it? Yes, he was resolved to do this. And so in going back as we move down through this text in verse two, we see how Judas was engaged in this work. In verse two it says, and Judas. Here is that apostate Judas. He says, he took advantage of his intimate acquaintance with Christ. He took advantage of the times that he had spent in fellowship and in interaction with Jesus, with the disciples, Took advantage of that intimacy because that's what an apostate is is someone who is from among us That's the nature of an apostate and so he was a part of them. He was of the twelve and had a intimate acquaintance with Jesus habits with where he frequented and he knew that he would often go to this place and so he takes that information that he had and Stabbed him in the back with it You see that is the nature of this betrayal He this is the apostate state notice for instance in verse 5 where he says when Jesus said Am he and then it describes Judas who betrayed him also stood with them see finally after all these months and even years of ministry with the 12 following Judas finally at the end of Jesus ministry showed his true colors He stood with them Not with Christ now. He stood with them and He had chosen and had finally revealed his true colors. And so Judas, takes advantage of his private and personal information, and the habits of Christ, and where he would fellowship, and where he would rest and be. be with his beloved disciples. And then in Luke 22, 48, when he comes up to Jesus, he says, he had told them, the one whom I kiss sees him. And then Jesus said to him, Judas, are you betraying the son of man with a kiss? This mark of fellowship, this mark of, intimacy we might say of a friendship of belonging are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss and truly you must it must have been something that Jesus felt in his spirit as you think about that that he had someone whom he had interacted with for all these time all these three years and Yet he had turned around and betrayed him and revealed his identity. But all these things Jesus had already known. He had already known that these things were going to happen to him. And so this detachment or this band, as it says here, or I think the old King James refers to it as a band. The new King James calls it a detachment of troops. We see in this band that came out, we see both Jew and Gentile coming against Christ, and the very ones that Christ in the church would later unite through the death of his, through his own flesh, he would unite Jew and Gentile. But here we see that it is Jew and Gentile. And I think it is only here that it is indicated that there were Roman soldiers involved here. Maybe not only here, but it specifically marks, because most places, the other gospels were indicating that a multitude from the chief priests and Pharisees came against him. But here it is saying that having received a detachment of troops, this Judas, who is now leading them, had received a detachment of troops, which means a cohort, And a cohort is either somewhere around 600 men. It might not be full strength. And they were particularly, they were garrisoned locally there in Jerusalem. And they were normally, especially over the Passover, they were garrisoned in the city. to help control, in the case of, because Jerusalem was full of Jews, and they were coming in to celebrate the Passover, and in case there were any riots or anything of that nature, the Roman soldiers would be close at hand. So it seems like there's a detachment of these troops that were from that garrison, united with the temple officers, the officers, the officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees so there we have we have the government was represented and the religious side of things were represented because we had the Pharisees also sending these officers and Interesting that the Jews absolutely hated the Romans. But yet, when it came to this night, they united against Christ. They were united here against the Lord. And so, it says here that it was a band or a detachment along with officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, and Luke says they were a multitude. So we don't have an actual amount here, of how many people came against him. But in Mark and Matthew both, it says it was a great multitude. And they had swords and clubs and torches. And they came against Christ with these fleshly weapons, with these items of warfare. And we'll talk a little bit more about that when Peter takes up his. He went forward knowing all these things straight into the face of the enemy. Verse four, Jesus therefore knowing all things that would come upon him, went forward and said to them, whom are you seeking? You recognize here the courage that was upon or that the Lord demonstrated moving forward. He went forward straight into the face of the enemy. And verses 5 and 6 here then are a display of his divine power. They answered him, when he asked this question, whom are you seeking? They answered him and said, Jesus of Nazareth. And Jesus said to them, I am. And the he is in italics, so this is actually a name for God as he's found in the Old Testament. And Jesus had made this claim earlier in John, I am. And here he says, I am, and then the he is added in the English. And Judas, who betrayed him, also stood with him. Now when he said to them, I am he, they drew back and fell to the ground. we see him immediately repulsing them. In this first onslaught, he demonstrated his divine power over them and they collapsed backward to the ground simply by his spoken word. But then he asked them again, whom are you seeking? And they said, Jesus of Nazareth. And it was here, I think, I'd have to look in the other accounts because we don't see it until verse 10 that he struck his ear. Can you imagine the hard-heartedness of this gang of marauders when they came out and Jesus demonstrated his power over them, where they fell backward, but as soon as he asked them the question again, whom are you seeking, they came right back at him. And it seems like a really, They had this opportunity and this display of power that they could have repented. We want nothing to do with this man. Because Jesus had already proven in the past that they had no power over him. And so he proved it to them again. And it is a mark for us that we recognize that he surrendered his life to them. He laid down his life. It was not taken. This is one area on that we have a hymn that I disagree with the terminology where it says a victim led. I do not think that Christ was ever a victim. He was rather always sovereignly in control of what was happening. That's our Lord for us. That's our Savior. He was resolute in accomplishing what He came to do. And so we see that here again. Let these go their way. You would think that a band of 12 men in light of a great multitude with torches and weapons and swords and clubs, that you would not negotiate. 12 men would not lay the law down. But that's what we see. Let these go. You've already told me who you're actually here for. And think about it. These men were given a mission. They were authorized to take Jesus of Nazareth. And so they were also, they had to cover theirselves. They couldn't go back to where they came from without repercussions. And so they were also interested in fulfilling their mission. And of course, Jesus allowed this to happen. He allowed them to be able to do that. But Jesus shows his divine care here for his disciples. He loved them to the end. Right up to the time of his arrest, he was looking out for them. Notice what he says in verse nine, that the saying might be fulfilled, which he spoke. I think this is important. Because when Jesus spoke something, Would you say it was authoritative? Absolutely. He said in John 17, in praying to his father, he said, all of those whom you've given me, I have lost none. And so now he applies this truth to their physical life, but I believe it means more than that. But here, Brothers and sisters, these disciples, these 11 were not prepared to do battle at this point. They were not prepared to enter into the fray and to join Christ in what was coming. And so he basically let them retire. He let them leave the field of battle because they were not ready. And I think this is an interesting point that the Lord will not give us more than we are prepared to handle, more than He gives. The trial is not going to be greater than what is our means in Christ to overcome. And I think we should see that here, the care of Christ in preparing us for the trial, whatever it is that you're facing, whatever it is I'm facing, that we are prepared to go forward with that. And the Lord will not give us more, as he says in 1 Corinthians 10, than we are able to bear. And so we see his care, but we see also his commitment to his word. He said something, and now he's determined to show that it is the truth, that it is indeed how he had said it. I have lost none. And let me ask you this question. We might apply this very narrowly here in John 18, but has the Savior ever lost any? Has he ever lost any whom the Father gave to him? I believe no, he has not. If they are in the Savior's care, then This is none other than the Lord God Almighty. This is the God of the universe who spoke the creation into existence and they fell back at his word. How is it that we think that he is not able to keep us? He is not able to maintain us and to keep us by his own power as 1 Peter 5 says, verse 5 says. As we look at verse 10, isn't Simon Peter an interesting fellow here? What do you think was going through his mind? Remember he had already once told the Lord, far be it from you. And Jesus rebuked him and said, get behind me, Satan, because you do not value the things of God. You don't know what you're talking about. You don't know what you're saying. And now here we see I mean, what did Peter think was going to happen? If he starts swinging a sword, they only had two swords among them, according to the other gospels. They had two swords, and there was like a great multitude against them. Did he just have the confidence that Christ would somehow take care of them? Well, he shucks that sword, and he made that stroke, and I would say it was probably by divine intervention that it just got the ear. And because think about if he would have killed this high priest servant, what would have happened if it would not have been for the Lord immediately stepping in and saying, put your sword up, put it away. then he healed and it's interesting that I think further a little bit further back we'll see that the writer of this gospel knew the high priest and knew the servant of the high priest and therefore he named him this is the only place where the the that Simon Peter was named as having the sword and the victim, Malchus, is named. It's only here in John. And it stands to reason, because John knew the high priest, that he would also have known his servant. And so we have just kind of a little side note about the authenticity of the record and how we see that here. He knew the people involved. But I want to look at this as we think about Peter, having a sword, drew it out and struck the high priest's servant. I think we can look at this as a picture, especially as we look at verse 11. So Jesus said to Peter, put your sword into the sheath. Shall I not drink the cup which my father has given me? You know, Peter was fighting the power of darkness by the power of the flesh. By the strength of the flesh, he was trying to fight the power of darkness. And Jesus said to him, just go ahead and put your weapon up. Let me take care of this. I've got this. Don't try to bring in the arm of the flesh to fight against to fight against the power of darkness here, and it's interesting that we see this principle. I should bring in this, in Mark, let me back up a little bit. We might, in Mark 14.29, Actually in verse 27, Jesus said to them, all of you will be made to stumble because of me this night. For it is written, I will strike the shepherd and the sheep will be scattered. But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee. Peter said to him, even if all are made to stumble, yet I will not be. Jesus said to him, assuredly, I say to you that tonight, even this night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times. But he spoke more vehemently. If I have to die with you, I will not deny you. And they all said likewise. And then in, I think it's in the Luke account, he says, I will never deny you. He was very adamant. And so in this, in verse 10, we see Peter with a misguided zeal. You know, he had this zeal, and he was, in a sense, declaring his loyalty. He was showing his loyalty, but it was misguided. It was not according to the plan of God. It was not, as we see here, he did not recognize that the cup which was handed to the Savior, that was handed to Christ, was actually extended from the hand of God. God, as it were, was giving this cup to Jesus Christ to drink. And Peter was standing in the way. He was not on board with the plan. And I think that's an important point, is that Peter had a misguided zeal here. And I would say that he fell back to the means of the flesh to accomplish what he thought needed to happen. And we can make this application in many ways. In a sense, what Peter was doing, he says, I can fix this. Jesus said, no, you can't. It's going to take what I am needing to do to fix this problem. I have got to drink this cup. And if you resist it, you resist the plan and the will of God. And in this sense, I believe we see a picture of the gospel here. Put the arm of the flesh up. Let me drink this cup. You will be accepted in me drinking this cup. And we see this whole thing played out in the book of Galatians, where the arm of the flesh says you must be circumcised. And when you approach God by the means of the flesh, by being able to do something, what you're doing is you're actually pushing the sacrifice of Christ aside. You're pushing away the probation that God had made. This is why it is such a huge issue where there is something actually extracurricular added to the gospel. The gospel demands an allegiance to itself by its own standards. We cannot add something to the gospel without pushing the gospel away. We cannot accept the cup or the work of Christ and then add our work to it because he will not share his glory with any man. Put your miserable weapon away. Stop thinking that you can fix your problem. I must drink this cup. I want to reinforce that this cup was the plan that was foreordained before the foundation of the world. The Father was giving this cup to Christ. Christ was going to accomplish what the Father had designed. And what God has designed for Christ to accomplish, that will certainly prevail, not this measly flesh, this arm of flesh. It cannot prevail in spiritual matters. We must maintain this standard, that nothing can be added to this work of Christ. Actually, Jesus said to him in Matthew 26, 52, put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Isn't that interesting? The very thing that we use to justify ourselves before God is the very thing that will condemn you. Remember what he says in Matthew 7, 21? Depart from me all you workers of iniquity, I never knew you. When we bring this other in, that sword that we think is really going to matter and it's going to do something, yes it will, it will condemn you. Because it denies the truth of the sacrifice. It denies the validity and the necessity of the cup that Christ drank. That very sword that we bring, that we raise up, will condemn us because it denies this other. And so Jesus rebukes Peter and he says, stop it, put it away. This is not the plan. This is not how you will be justified. In Galatians 3.3 he says this way, are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh? Are we? No, we're not. And in Galatians 6, he says this way, in verse 13 and 14, for not even those who are circumcised keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh. And in a sense, if you think about, if Peter would have somehow prevailed and there would have been some glory in there for him, you know, and they would have, Peter would have been glorified in the eyes of humanity. But no. But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me and I to the world. And so we see this picture that it is by the cup that God extends to Christ. And as he drinks this cup, this cup of God's wrath, this cup of the judgment of God that you and I were supposed to drink, He drank it for us. And this fleshly arm of Peter denied the necessity of this cup. But we cannot help ourselves. We cannot prevail. We cannot overcome spiritual darkness by fleshly means. We must have a spiritual sacrifice. In Colossians 1, I wanna close with this verse. In Colossians 1, it says, in verse 12, giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love. And this is the work of this cup. this cup that he drank. It says here in Colossians that we give thanks to the Father. For He has delivered us from the power of darkness. But He did it through Christ. He gave the cup to Christ, and Christ drank it up. And brothers and sisters, we see the resolution of Christ here in John 18, verses 1 through 11, that He would not shrink, He would not shirk. And I would just like to make this applicable to us. What is the cup that the Father has given to us? When we are called to emulate Christ, to take up the task, the duty that is laid before us, We're called to drink it. We're called to follow Christ, even in his sacrifices. Obviously, it's not a redemptive sacrifice, as we see here, that we're saved by Christ drinking this cup. But it is for us to live this way, to surrender ourselves to what the Father has given me to bear, what he has given you to bear, and accept that cup And you will find grace for you to meet the trial. And I want to thank you for your attention, and let's close with a word of prayer. Father, as we look at the wonderful example of the Lord Jesus and how that he met his last engagement here on earth with courage and commitment and resolution, and how that he was determined to not be sidetracked, Father, we rejoice and we marvel at the great love that drove him to this. that He would give Himself for such a wretch as I, and that we might have life because He gave His life. And so, Father, we pray that we might be inspired again to greater devotion and love to our Savior, that we might more willingly Surrender our lives to the cup that you have for us, that we might live for you and serve you with gladness of heart. We pray through Christ, amen.