The Shadow of Aloneness
RF: The Shadow of Aloneness
R4: Psalm 31:9-14 "Be merciful to me, O LORD, for I am in distress; my eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and my body with grief. My life is consumed by anguish and my years by groaning; my strength fails because of my affliction, and my bones grow weak. Because of all my enemies, I am the utter contempt of my neighbors; I am a dread to my friends -- those who see me on the street flee from me. I am forgotten by them as though I were dead; I have become like broken pottery. For I hear the slander of many; there is terror on every side; they conspire against me and plot to take my life. But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, "You are my God."
R1: John 12:23-28 "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me. Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? `Father, save me from this hour'? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!"
R2: Mark 14:32-41 They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples,
R1: "Sit here while I pray."
R2: He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled.
R1: "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,"
[to R3 and R4:]
“Stay here and keep watch."
R2: Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him.
R1: "Abba, Father, everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will."
R2: Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping.
[R3 and R4 have heads bowed]
R1: [to R3:] "Simon, are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour? Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."
R2: Once more he went away and prayed the same thing. When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. They did not know what to say to him. Returning the third time, he said to them,
R1: "Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners."
RF: Why? Why did Jesus go ahead and drink the painful cup? The terrible answer comes to me: because I need Him to do it; I need His sacrifice. Jesus summarizes the disciples’ and my own condition with the saying “the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak”. I’m full of good intentions, but I’m also full of sin. I need God’s forgiveness, I need God’s new life, I need the death of Jesus. Jesus knew that, and Jesus loved us, so Jesus obeyed the Father. Jesus would have to face the cross alone because our hope rests on Christ alone.
(extinguish candle)
Let us silently meditate in prayer on the aloneness of Jesus.
Song: Amazing Love
RF: The Shadow of Aloneness
R4: Psalm 31:9-14 "Be merciful to me, O LORD, for I am in distress; my eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and my body with grief. My life is consumed by anguish and my years by groaning; my strength fails because of my affliction, and my bones grow weak. Because of all my enemies, I am the utter contempt of my neighbors; I am a dread to my friends -- those who see me on the street flee from me. I am forgotten by them as though I were dead; I have become like broken pottery. For I hear the slander of many; there is terror on every side; they conspire against me and plot to take my life. But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, "You are my God."
R1: John 12:23-28 "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me. Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? `Father, save me from this hour'? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!"
R2: Mark 14:32-41 They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples,
R1: "Sit here while I pray."
R2: He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled.
R1: "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,"
[to R3 and R4:]
“Stay here and keep watch."
R2: Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him.
R1: "Abba, Father, everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will."
R2: Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping.
[R3 and R4 have heads bowed]
R1: [to R3:] "Simon, are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour? Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."
R2: Once more he went away and prayed the same thing. When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. They did not know what to say to him. Returning the third time, he said to them,
R1: "Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners."
RF: Why? Why did Jesus go ahead and drink the painful cup? The terrible answer comes to me: because I need Him to do it; I need His sacrifice. Jesus summarizes the disciples’ and my own condition with the saying “the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak”. I’m full of good intentions, but I’m also full of sin. I need God’s forgiveness, I need God’s new life, I need the death of Jesus. Jesus knew that, and Jesus loved us, so Jesus obeyed the Father. Jesus would have to face the cross alone because our hope rests on Christ alone.
(extinguish candle)
Let us silently meditate in prayer on the aloneness of Jesus.
Song: Amazing Love