The Salvation Army: Australia Southern Territory
Maundy Thursday Sermon Outline / 1

Maundy Thursday –Matthew 26:36-50 (Gethsemane)

“Out of Darkness”Series

In 2011 ANZAC day falls on what would normally be Easter Monday. Many young Australians go on pilgrimage to Gallipoli hoping to connect with their family history, and discover things about themselves that have been defined by that family history. The “Out of Darkness” resource pack aims to lead us on a similar journey, back to Calvary, back to the sites and the events that define who we are as the people of God.

The theme verse for this series is 1 Peter 2:9, “you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvellous light”. We will join Jesus on his journey towards Jerusalem, and find that in the darkness of his journey to the cross, that God’s purposes were being achieved.

The series climaxes with the resurrection, that marvellous light that floods throughout Christian history, showing that no matter what happens in life, God has a good plan for the restoration of the whole of creation that will be fulfilled.

How to Use This Outline

The emphasis of this outline is on the narrative/exegetical material for the chosen passage. The emphasis of this sermon is on the following:

  • Jesus felt overwhelmed
  • Jesus struggled with God’s will
  • Jesus submitted fully to God’s will

The outline will need to be customised and contextualised by each Corps Officer for the congregation to whom the sermon will be preached:

  • Adding appropriate illustrations that will connect with the specific congregation
  • Modifying language to be appropriate to the socio-cultural setting of the Corps
  • Modifying sermon style if you prefer a topical rather than expository sermon style
  • You may also wish to make the application more specific to your context.

PowerPoint slides have been provided for the following:

  • Theme Slide– Title Slide for this Sermon
  • Scripture Slide A – Matthew 26:36-56(whole passage)
  • Scripture Slide B – Matthew 26:37-38 (highlight verse)
  • Scripture Slide C – Matthew 26:39,42 (highlight verse)
  • Scripture Slide D – Matthew 26:50, 53-54 (highlight verse)

Maundy Thursday

Key Passage –Matthew 26:36-50(NIV)

The Salvation Army: Australia Southern Territory
Maundy Thursday Sermon Outline / 1

36 Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” 37 He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled.38 Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”

39 Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”

40 Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter. 41 “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”

42 He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.”

43 When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. 44 So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing.

45 Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour is near, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 Rise, let us go! Here comes my betrayer!”

47 While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived. With him was a large crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests and the elders of the people.48 Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: “The one I kiss is the man; arrest him.” 49 Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed him.

50 Jesus replied, “Friend, do what you came for.”

Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus and arrested him.51With that, one of Jesus' companions reached for his sword, drew it out and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear.

52"Put your sword back in its place," Jesus said to him, "for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. 53Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? 54But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?"

55At that time Jesus said to the crowd, "Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me? Every day I sat in the temple courts teaching, and you did not arrest me. 56But this has all taken place that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled." Then all the disciples deserted him and fled.

The Salvation Army: Australia Southern Territory
Maundy Thursday Sermon Outline / 1

Sermon Outline – Maundy Thursday

Introduction

  1. Next week it is ANZAC Day. Many young Australians go on pilgrimage to Gallipoli hoping to connect with their family history, and discover things about themselves that have been defined by that family history. The “Out of Darkness” series leads us on a similar journey, back to Calvary, back to the sites and the events that define who we are as the people of God.
  2. The theme verse for this series is 1 Peter 2:9, “you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvellous light”. We will join Jesus on his journey towards Jerusalem, and find that in the darkness of his journey to the cross, that God’s purposes were being achieved.
  3. Today’s passage starts as Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane with his disciples, to wait for Judas to betray him and come for him with the temple guards.
  4. Read Matthew 26:36-50

Jesus Felt Overwhelmed (v37-38)

  1. The story we are looking at today, about Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane shows us the humanity of Jesus very clearly. He was also fully God, but as a human he really did struggle and have a choice about obeying God.
  2. Jesusknew what was waiting for him in Jerusalem. He had been telling his disciples since they started out on their journey to Jerusalem, “We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will turn him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!” (Matt. 20:18-19 NIV). Knowing this, Jesus still deliberately made his way to Jerusalem.
  3. But here, on the night when he would be betrayed, we see him feeling troubled and overwhelmed. God had called on him to lay down his life to save the world, and it was a heavy burden. So much so, Jesus said “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death” (v38). i.e. “This is killing me guys!”What did Jesus want in this period of emotional tumult? What most of us would want;the support of his mates, and some time with his Dad.

Jesus Struggled With God’s Will (v39, 42)

  1. We have two verses here that indicate the shift in Jesus’ thinking. He starts by praying that he won’t have to go through with the crucifixion, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me”(v39a).“I don’t want to do this” he is saying. But then he resigns himself to do God’s will in the matter, “Yet not as I will, but as you will” (v39b).
  2. After returning from finding Peter and the others sleeping, Jesus prays again. His prayer changes slightly, and we can see in it his resignation that this is the way things have to be and that he will do it because it’s his father’s will, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done” (v42).
  3. Often we think that God is distant and a bit passive. In Jesus’ struggle here we see something of the truth of the emotional cost of his taking on the mission from God to save the world. It was not easy for him, he struggled with it. It troubled him (v37). It filled him with sorrow (v37). While he passionately wanted to do God’s will, at this point in his journey he really wished God’s will was something else! How many of us can identify with being in that place, torn between wanting to do what pleases God, but wishing God wanted something else!?

Jesus Submitted Fully to the Will of God (v50,53-54)

  1. The extraordinary thing is that by the time Judas arrived at the garden, with a “large crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests and the elders of the people”(v47), Jesus had fully submitted himself to God’s will.
  2. When Judas arrived, Jesus greeted him, “Friend”. There’s a whole sermon just in that one word. Jesus greeted the man whom he knew was there to betray him to his death by calling him “friend”. Jesus’ use of the word in the gospel of Matthew “denotes a mutually binding relation between the speaker and the hearer which the latter has disregarded and scorned”[1]. Jesus is here reminding Judas of their relationship, and the mutual obligation to each other. This is a chance for Judas to repent. In the face of Judas’ worst moment, Jesus called him friend. In the midst of Jesus’ most difficult moment, he still had the strength to show Judas love. Here we see him submitted to the will of God that is to love us sinners no matter what.
  3. “Do what you came for” Jesus says next. He knows what is coming, and now after time in prayer he faces it squarely. “Let’s get this done”. He knows what God’s will is, and he is resolved to go through with it. He doesn’t try to talk Judas out of it. He doesn’t appeal to the crowd. In fact he rebukes Peter for attacking the servant of the high priest saying “Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?” (v53-54). He knows he can get out of it if he wants. He knows it is his choice, but he is determined to fulfill the scriptures that prophesied that it would happen in this way. He is determined to do God’s will;to do whatever was necessary to save everyone on the planet past, present and future; to save the whole of creation.

Conclusion

  1. Gethsemane shows us the humanity of Jesus. He was fully God, but also fully human. And he struggled with his mission. He had a choice about going to the cross. He knew what God’s will was, but he also had the option of calling on God for 12 legions of angels to rescue him from his enemies. Fortunately for all of us, he chose to go through with it. He chose to fulfil what scripture had prophesied must happen for the redemption of each one of us, for the redemption of all creation.
  2. Sometimes it’s difficult to get our heads around just how seriously God loves us. In this story we see Jesus weigh up doing what needed to be done in order to save us. And in this story, he chose us. He chose to save each one of us. He decided once and for all that we were worth it.
  3. Jesus had been in glory with the Father from before creation. He and the Holy Spirit together with the Father formed a beautiful perfect community of three-in-one, one-in-three. We were made to live our lives intheir life; in their love, their joy, their peace. Sin ruptured our union with God, and we have all experienced the ramifications of the loss of love, joy and peace. At Gethsemane, Jesus chose to kick down the door that kept us out of God’s life, even at the cost of an extremely painful death. He thought you and I were worth it.
  4. Invite people to the Mercy Seat

[1] . Vol. 2: Theological dictionary of the New Testament. 1964- (G. Kittel, G. W. Bromiley & G. Friedrich, Ed.) (electronic ed.) (701). Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans.