God In The Garden

The place is very, very old. Olive trees are growing there that date back over a thousand years.

Situated on the slopes of the Mount of Olives, it overlooks the ancient city of Jerusalem. You can visit this place today, and it looks much the same now as when Jesus was here thousands of years ago. It's called Gethsemane. From Chicago, this is The Moody Church Hour, a weekly service of worship and teaching with Pastor Erwin Lutzer. Join us for a special Palm Sunday broadcast as we hear from our children and then a message on God in the Garden.

Pastor Lutzer comes now to open our service. We're so glad that you are worshiping with us today on Palm Sunday. And there's a reason why it is called Palm Sunday, of course, because as Jesus went down the mountain, the Mount of Olives, the Bible says that they cut down palm branches and they put them before him. A little later on, I'm going to be explaining to the children the significance of that. But this is a Sunday, and we do this perhaps during the Christmas season and during the Easter season. Palm Sunday is a day here at The Moody Church where we emphasize the ministry and the life and the importance and value of children. Jesus, of course, did it in his ministries. He held them. The disciples said to get them away from us.

And he said, no, for of such is the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, we honor the children also because on Palm Sunday they were among the crowd that shouted, Hosanna, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. But with me on the platform today is one of our children here at The Moody Church, Joy Elizabeth Sutton. Joy, how old are you?

Eight. And you're going to give the opening prayer today and you already have your palm branch. All right.

Would you do that? Would you invite God's blessing and you pray for us? All right. Please pray with me. Lord, we're here today to give praise to you. You are the king above all kings and the Lord over all the earth. Just like the people of Jerusalem, we sing to you, Hosanna, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. We pray that you would be king in our lives today and that you would rule over the throne of our hearts. We are grateful to you that through faith in your son, Jesus, we are receiving a kingdom that will never end. In Jesus name we pray.

Amen. All children sing. We will learn for next year.

All of the end of year. To Jesus who has blessed us. All children sing their praises. To Jesus who has blessed us.

From all that have heard they call. We are the new solid ground. The angelic congress we bring.

We're chanting clear and wild. The Lord of heaven and earth. The Lord in all we sing. Hosanna, praise, Hosanna. Hosanna, praise, praise. Hosanna in the highest, managed and softly saved.

Your prices are eaten even. The Lord of heaven and earth. The way we ever praise him, with heart and mind and voice. And in his holy presence, eternal in his voice.

Thank you. Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to message to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples saying to them, go into the village in front of you and immediately you will find a donkey tied in a coat with her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, you shall say the Lord needs them and he will send them at once. This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying, say to the daughter of Zion, behold, your king is coming to you humble and mounted on a donkey and on a coat, the foe of a beast of burden. The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. They brought the donkey and the coat and put on them their cloaks and he sat on them.

Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting. Hosanna to the son of David, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna, hosanna, blessed is he, blessed is he coming in the name of the Lord. Blessed is the king of Israel, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Waving the falls, we're welcoming the king, laying down our clothes, we lift our voices sing. Hosanna, hosanna, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Blessed is the king of Israel, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

Waving the falls, we're welcoming the king. Would you now stand and join us as we sing to the king. You are holy, you are mighty, you are worthy, worthy of praise. I will follow, I will listen, I will love you all of my days. I will sing to and worship the king who is worthy, I will love and adore him, I will love now before him. I will sing to and worship the king who is worthy, I will love and adore him, I will love now before him. You are holy, you are mighty, you are worthy, worthy of praise. You are worthy, you are worthy, worthy of praise.

I will follow, I will love you all of my days. I will sing to and worship the king who is worthy, I will love and adore him, I will love now before him, I will sing to and worship the king who is worthy, I will love now before him, I will love now before him, I will sing to and worship the king who is worthy, I will love now before him, I will love now before him, I will sing to and worship the king who is worthy, I will love now before him, I will love now before him, I will sing to and worship the king who is worthy, You're my grace of peace, I will live my life for you. Come, now is the time to worship.

Come, now is the time to give your heart. Come, just as you are to worship. Come, just as you are before your God. Come, one day every town will confess to my God.

One day every meeting will bow. Celebrate his treasure and wait for hope, we'll gladly choose him now. Come, now is the time to worship. Come, now is the time to give your heart. Come, just as you are to worship. Come, just as you are before your God. One day every town will confess to my God. One day every meeting will bow. Celebrate his treasure and wait for hope, we'll gladly choose him now. Come, one day every town will confess to my God. One day every meeting will bow.

Celebrate his treasure and wait for hope, we'll gladly choose him now. Come, just as you are to worship. Come, just as you are before your God. People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it. And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them, and blessed them. During this next song, I think we all know it, Jesus Loves Me, we'd like all the big people to sit down and all the children and kids to come to the platform. You're going to have a lesson with Pastor Lutzer in just a minute.

So if you're in kindergarten through maybe sixth grade or even younger, come and bring your parents if you're real small. Okay, let's sing. Kids, can you help me sing this one? Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so. Little ones to Him belong, they are weak, but He is strong. Yes, Jesus loves me. Yes, Jesus loves me. Yes, Jesus loves me.

The Bible tells me so. Jesus loves me this I know, as He loved so long ago, taking children on His feet, saying, Let them come to me. Yes, Jesus loves me. Yes, Jesus loves me. Yes, Jesus loves me. The Bible tells me so. Jesus loves me, He who died.

Heaven's gates to open wide. He will wash away my sin when His little child comes in. Yes, Jesus loves me. Yes, Jesus loves me. Yes, Jesus loves me.

The Bible tells me so. Here we are with the children. There's a little girl over here who should be sitting on my lap, but she doesn't want to right now. She's three years old, and her name is Evelyn Dykstra, and she is my granddaughter.

Right now, she doesn't want to sit on my lap, so let me choose this little girl. What is your name? Come here. All right, maybe we'll provoke Evelyn to jealousy. Just hang on.

Can somebody give me that Bible, please? All right, little girl, what is your name? Lily. Lily, do you have a last name, honey?

Whitaker. Okay, and how old are you? Five. Five, wonderful. Can you just hold my Bible for a second there?

Okay, yeah, hang on to it. All right, Lily, here we are. How are you doing over there, little Evelyn? I think God, in his infinite wisdom, has put it into the heart of children to not perform when they're supposed to, so that their parents and grandparents are properly humble.

Children, let me ask you a question. What city is it that Jesus was going to on Palm Sunday? Huh? Jerusalem. Can anyone tell me the mountain that he was on as he was going down?

Yes. The Mount of Olives, the Mount of Olives. And Jesus is going to Jerusalem, as we know, and among other things, they waved palm branches. Now, the reason that they took palm branches is just hold one of them up. Rebecca there, would you hold one of them up? Yeah, so everybody can see it. That's Rebecca Noss there. And the reason is, all right, now we've seen them, how beautiful they are, their beautiful symmetry, and they became a symbol in the Christian church of victory.

That's why, thank you, children, very much. That's why in the book of Revelation, it says that they have palm branches in their hands when they are standing on the shores of heaven. It is a symbol of victory. As a matter of fact, Christians used to take the palm branch and they would actually put various reliefs of it, even in cemeteries, because of the knowledge of the resurrection.

So they always believed that these were symbols of victory. So here we have Jesus coming into Jerusalem, and in a sense he's victorious, but in a sense he isn't, because he is going to be crucified. Now I want to read just what happened before Jesus came down the Mount of Olives or while he was coming down. It says in the Gospel of Luke, And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace.

But now they are hidden from your eyes, for days will come upon you when your enemies will set up a barrier around you and tear you down to the ground, and they will not leave one stone upon another because you didn't know the day of your visitation. A very sad passage, but Jesus wept over Jerusalem. And you know, children, this shows you how much Jesus actually does care for us.

He cried about the city that wouldn't receive him. And you and I, as we live in Chicago or the Chicago area, we should also have hearts that are very soft. We should feel sorry for those who don't have the blessings that we do and who do not know Jesus Christ as we have come to know him. Let's have the compassion of Jesus. Now we're going to pray together, and I think we should pray for the children of the world.

Think of how precious these children are, and yet all over the world there are children who do not have the same opportunities as these do. Can we cry out to God for them? And if you know a child that you want to pray for, you be sure to pray for them as well. Let's join together in prayer. Father, we want to thank you today that your word says that Jesus cried.

He wept as he looked over the city of Jerusalem because he thought of the children that were in Jerusalem, and he thought of their moms and dads, and he thought of everything that was going to happen to them that was going to be so sad. And we pray today that you might give us eyes like Jesus had eyes, that we too might cry over the great needs of the world. Thank you so much for these children that are on this platform today. Thank you, Father, for the ministry of Abby Noss and others who work with her in the children's ministry here at Moody Church.

We pray that you might bless it. We pray that you'll bring volunteers because constantly there is need of help in this great and growing ministry. And so we pray to you, Father, that these young ones whom you love may be nurtured in the faith. Help us to know how to help parents so that these children will grow up loving you and serving you and be able to look back and to say, surely God has had a great impact in my life. We pray for all the parents, Lord.

Only you know their needs, conflicts, financial needs, other kinds of needs, we pray. And ask only, God, that you will show mercy. And then beyond these walls, we pray for the city of Chicago and the needs of its children. Thank you for ministries like By the Hand, Club for Kids, and others that are trying to impact them and to show them that there is a better way, that through Jesus Christ they can have fullness of life. Oh, Lord, we pray. We pray for the children of the world, many of whom, Lord, today do not have food and clothes and parents.

Father, we too weep for the world today. And we ask that in grace you might help us to be the people we should be to help those who are in need, to point them in a better direction, to show them the love of Christ and to give up our financial needs so that we can help them. Lord, today we pray for our president, we pray for those who advise him, we pray for the government, all of its aspects, and we pray, O Father, today may this nation still turn to you in faith.

We ask, bring about a great sense of repentance as we turn to you. In Jesus' name, amen. Praise God the Lord, all blessings flow. Praise him, all Christians, here we go. Praise him, all of the heavenly hosts. Praise on his Son, and whom he loves.

Amen. You know, that word Gethsemane refers to a wine press, and Jesus there was trodden, the wine press, as it were. It is there, I like to think of it, that he was squeezed as a flower, and the beautiful aroma arose to God because of what took place in there. And that's why I've titled this message God in the Garden.

Wow. We almost want to take the shoes from off our feet as we listen to this passage of Scripture and as we contemplate it, because we know that we are eavesdropping in a marvelous prayer, but a prayer that is excruciating in its implications, as Jesus is there wrestling in the Garden of Gethsemane. You know, sometimes we think to ourselves that Jesus is not really an example for us. And the reason that we think that is because we say, well, he was God and I'm not. Well, of course he was God. He had a divine nature. But I want to remind you that Jesus did not take refuge in the divine nature when he was going through this struggle.

He endured this struggle as a man without depending upon the divine nature to help him. We see his incredible honesty and we see the fact, and this of course is in Matthew, Matthew chapter 26, if you turn there in your Bibles, please. Matthew chapter 26, where we see the story here of Jesus in Gethsemane, we see his humanness in two different ways. First of all, we see it because Jesus calls the disciples to be with him, three of the disciples. Chapter 26, verse 36, then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane and he said to his disciples, sit here while I go over there and pray. And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. He said, my soul is very sorrowful. Even to death, remain here and watch with me.

Wow. He took with him Peter, James and John, those who had seen him in his glory, who were there on the Mount of Transfiguration, now see him in his agony. And when you're going through agony, you need your friends next to you, don't you? You know, sometimes we say to somebody, oh, I'm praying for you. Well, that's wonderful, but there are times when we have to have people pray with us and watch with us because there are times when things are so dark and so bleak and so hopeless.

We can't make it unless somebody is next to us watching with us. Jesus invites them to do that. The humanness of Jesus. The other thing that strikes us about his humanness is his honesty. You'll notice very clearly, he says, my soul is sorrowful, even to the point of death.

These are very strong words. What he means is that he has a sorrow that is a killing kind of sorrow. Martin Luther looked at this passage and says that no one feared the process of death as much as Jesus. Nobody has feared death or the prospect of dying as much as Jesus did right here. The question, of course, is what is the cup?

You'll notice I read it a moment ago. He fell on his face, verse 39, or I should read it going a little farther. He fell on his face and prayed, saying, my father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me.

Nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will. What is that cup? Some people have thought that the cup is simply the sorrow of Jesus dying on the cross. Have you ever stopped to think about how awful it must be to die on a cross? I mean, hanging would be a blessing, but to be able to go through the experience of being nailed to a cross and then writhing there for maybe two or three days before you die.

I can't even put my mind around it. So some people are saying that Jesus feared the death of crucifixion. But of course, we know that that can't be the complete answer because there were other people who were crucified who accepted it much better. And of course, we have in the history of the church martyrs who went to their martyrdom with a great sense of victory. During the days of the Huguenots in France, when they were marching Christians to their death, it is said that the Christians sang so loudly that their enemies got a band to drown out their singing as they went to their death.

Wow. Sure looks as if they accepted it much better than Jesus here. It can't be simply because of the death of crucifixion and the pain that would be inflicted as a human being, awful though that was. There's a second answer that people have given, and that is that Jesus feared that maybe the devil, maybe the devil tried to kill him prematurely before he went to the cross. And so Jesus is wrestling there because he knows he has to go to the cross. But he and the devil are duking it out there in the Garden of Gethsemane and the devil wants to kill him.

I can't really be the answer. First of all, I think we're giving the devil more credit than he deserves because Jesus said just a couple of hours before that, I go and the prince of this world has nothing in me. In other words, there's nothing within me that corresponds to him so that he can derail God's eternal plan. Now, the devil was working in a different way. He was putting it into the heart of Judas Iscariot to betray Jesus. But we cannot say that it is the devil for that reason.

But there's another more powerful reason. In John 18, after Gethsemane is over, in John 18, after Gethsemane is over and they come to arrest Jesus. And you remember Peter tries to cut off the servant of the high priest. Actually, Peter was aiming for his head and missed and just cut off his ear.

You remember that story? Jesus said this, put up your sword. And then he said this, this is after Gethsemane, the cup which my father has given me.

Should I not drink it? He said that. Well, after Gethsemane, the attack of Satan, whatever it might be, was not the cause of Jesus Christ's anguish. What was the cup? The cup was the fact that Jesus was going to become sin for the world. And we don't know what that all involves.

We speak about it and we contemplate it. But nobody can really understand what that is like for the holy son of God to come in contact with sin. He who was with sinners in life is now going to stand in their stead in his death. Jonathan Edwards, the great theologian, says that Jesus Christ, he looked into the furnace of God's wrath and the fury of God's wrath, and he looked into that furnace knowing that it was into it that he soon would be thrown. And so Jesus began to see what he would have to go through. In order for us to grasp it at least a little bit, think of it this way. Those who are in hell and will be in hell will suffer for all of eternity. A lot of suffering and a suffering that lasts for all of eternity. Now take that length of suffering and squish it together in three hours during the darkness when the father turned away from the son. Think of squishing that into three hours and bearing all that in that period of time.

Think of that. Jesus is praying here to the father. And he's saying, father, if there is some other way, you'll notice that the text says, my father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless, not so as I will, but as you will.

If it's possible. You know, during the medieval times, they used to have huge discussions on theology, and one of them was whether or not the sacrifice of Jesus Christ was absolutely necessary and whether or not God could have used some other blood, the blood of another person or even the blood of a donkey, the discussion went, and therefore simply choose to say that that's the sacrifice. Well, the answer to that question is no. There is no other way by which redemption could have been accomplished except that the holy son of God came, shed his blood, and died in our place.

There is. No other way. And that's one of the reasons in your discussions in university classrooms, in colleges, across the backyard fence, people with whom you go to work and say, well, why Jesus?

Why not somebody else? Well, somebody else may be a teacher or a guru, but there is no other person who is a sacrifice that God will accept. It was Jesus Christ's sacrifice alone.

There is no other way. Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me. But obviously, it wasn't possible because the cup did not pass from him. He prayed it three times.

You'll notice that the text says, and again a second time, verse 42, he went away and prayed, my Father, if it is possible. So that's what the cup was. The cup is the wrath of God the Father against sin. That's what the cup is. And we cannot even begin to fathom what that really means.

We've only spoken about it and tried to grasp it. What about the acceptance of the cup? Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt.

That was the son's final word on the topic. Father, if there is no other way to do this, thy will be done, thy will be done. And so he offered himself and said that he would go through with it. And thankfully, he did because if not, you and I would not be redeemed today. There were really three cups on Calvary, actually. There was the cup of compassion. The Bible says they took myrrh and they mingled that myrrh with some wine and they gave it to him.

And the reason for that was it was a sedative, so that it dulled the pain to some extent. Jesus really didn't drink it because he wanted to taste death in all of its horror without a sedative. And then there was also a cup of mockery. Remember the soldiers, they took some cheap wine like vinegar and they put a sponge into it and then they held it to his lips.

They were kind of mocking him at that point. There was the cup of compassion. There was the cup of mockery. But here we have now the cup of iniquity. And that's the cup that Jesus drank without medication, without anything that would deaden the pain of what the wrath of God really was against sin. See, you and I treat sin so lightly. We say, well, you know, there's a good cure for it and that is repentance and faith and forgiveness.

Yeah, but think of what the sin did to Jesus and what the sin does to the Father. Death and the curse were in our cup. Oh, Christ was full for thee, but thou hast drained the last dark drop.

Tis empty now for me. He drank it completely to the dregs. Wow, thank God he did.

Thank God he did. Now, what are the takeaway lessons for you and me? Why should our lives be changed because we've heard this message? A couple of thoughts that are transforming, I think, for all of us, and that is that sometimes the most earnest prayer is not answered the way in which we would like to see it answered. It may be answered, but not like the way we want it answered.

If it be possible, let this cup pass from me. That's his desire prayed to the Father three times, and three times the answer is it is not possible. Now, the question is, does God answer Jesus Christ's prayers? Yes, I believe that even this prayer was answered. It's interesting that in the book of Hebrews it says that Jesus cried to the Father with long suffering and tears and was heard in that he cried. And the Greek word heard means that God got the point and God heard it in a sense of responding. He didn't respond to the desire of Jesus to find another way, but he did respond to the desire of Jesus ultimately to say, if there is no other way, I'm going through with it.

Not my will, but thine be done. So God answered, but not according to his initial Jesus Christ's human desire. And sometimes our prayers aren't answered either. God healed that person. Take care of this.

Look into that situation and resolve it. And we pray this with a great deal of fervency and over and over again, and it's okay to repeat the same prayer, especially when you're in distress. But Jesus said it's not possible because I have another way.

I have another way. And we have to bow with Jesus and say, thy will be done. Thy will be done.

Sometimes you hear on television with those who want us to believe in prosperity and health in every situation, they say never add that because if you add that, it negates the whole prayer because that really shows that you don't pray in faith. Well, I don't know if I agree with those folks. I think I'm going with Jesus on this one. Like I frequently do, I like to go with Jesus on this one.

And a lot of other things too. I like to go with Jesus. Now, if it be possible, but the answer is no. Well, nevertheless, thy will be done. Let me give you a second lesson, and this is very transforming and should be used by God to deliver you from a lot of resentment and anger and all kinds of other things if you grasp this theologically. And that is simply this, that our cup, because we all have a cup that God has asked us to drink, our cup must be accepted from the hand of God, not the hand of man. Our cup has to be accepted from the hand of God, not the hand of man. Now, I hope that you understand how the scripture functions at this point and how theology works. You see, Jesus didn't say the cup which the Sanhedrin hath given to me, I will drink it.

Shall I not drink it? He didn't say that. We might think, well, he should have said, the cup which Pilate is giving to me, I shall drink it. That's not what he said. He could have said, the cup which the Jewish leaders are giving to me to drink, I shall drink it.

That's not what he said. He could have said, the cup which the Roman soldiers are giving to me, shall I not drink of it? Now, God was going to use all the different people and groups that I just mentioned to do the terrible deed of nailing Jesus to the cross.

But how did Jesus see it? The cup which my Father has given me, shall I not drink it? You and I need to see beyond the instrument.

We need to stand and look at it and look beyond the immediate cause. Is there somebody in your life who wants to crucify you? Somebody who wants to do you in? Somebody who's out to get you? Somebody who wants to minimize you?

Somebody who wants to put you in your place once for all and you are angry with them and you are angry with your situation and you say to yourself, it's their fault, et cetera, which it may be. But do you see this as coming from Satan and from people? Or do you say, the cup which my Father has given me, I shall drink it? Every once in a while, people send me poems. And you know I don't use poems very often.

There's nothing wrong with them. I just don't. But this one was given to me a couple of years ago by somebody who had a dispute with somebody else. This poem delivered this person from anger and resentment and gave them the grace to forgive. And it is really, really excellent theologically.

This is good theology. It's entitled From His Hand. I will not take that bitter thrust which rent my heart today as coming from an earthly soul, though it was meant that way.

But I will look beyond the tool. Because my life is planned, I take the cup my Father gives. I take it from His hand. He knows and even thus allows these little things that irk. I trust His wisdom and His love, let patience have her work.

Though human means have brought the sting, I firmly take this stand. My loving Father holds the cup. I take it from His hand.

Now those who watch may wonder why these things do not disturb. I look right past the instrument and see my Lord superb. The trial which would lay me low must pass through His command. He holds the outstretched cup to me. I take it from His hand.

You are today where God wants you to be. And if you begin to accept that cup as from His hand instead of from the person who wants you crucified, it'll give you a whole different perspective because God's perspective is so much bigger than ours. Remember, the cup comes not from those who would harm us. The cup comes from the Father. There's a final lesson and that is that, you know, it's really not about us at the end of the day.

It's about God and His purposes. You know, you and I are born with such a sense of self-aggrandizement. We are all narcissists at some level. We are all concerned. I heard an Amen over there and actually there should have been a couple thousand of them right now.

I'm sure that your wife appreciated it when you said it. It's hard for us to realize that it's not about us. It's not about our happiness.

It's not about whether or not we like the cup that has been laid on us. It has everything to do with Jesus. It was William Barclay who says, the love of God wants what is best. The wisdom of God knows what is best. The power of God can accomplish it. At the end of the day, it is His will and not ours. So I'm asking you today, what are you hanging on to that you say, this is mine, I close my hand and I refuse to open it to God and give it to Him. I refuse His intrusion into every area of my life. It has nothing to do with us, folks. Look at Jesus in Gethsemane.

It has everything to do with Him, His will, His desires, and what God has planned. You know, I love this song and I mentioned it once on the radio because I don't think it's in our hymnal. And thank God a lot of people connected with me and said, we can send you the words. So somewhere in my file, I now have the words. So those of you who are listening, you don't have to send me the words anymore.

I could find them if I really, really had to. I love this though. My Jesus as thou wilt, O may thy will be mine. Into thy hands of love, I will my all resign. Through sorrow or through joy, conduct me as thine own and help me still to say, my Lord, thy will be done. The end of the day, it's not about us. When you begin to think that you need your own way, you need your prayers answered.

You can't live with your predicament because God isn't coming through for you and He's not doing what you think a good God should. You think of Gethsemane and let us not forget Gethsemane because it reminds us of the humanness of Jesus and what He endured and He went through with it so that you and I could be redeemed. He didn't back out of the tough assignment and He bore that cup. Of course, as all of us know, Jesus also during the same period of time, just before this, He went and He was with the disciples and the Bible says that He took bread and broke it and said this bread is my body which was broken for you. He took the cup and He says this cup is the cup of the new covenant in my blood, this drink in remembrance of me.

Why? We don't have His cup to drink exactly but when we drink the cup that He left for us, the cup that reminds us of the sacrifice of Jesus and we remember His death until He comes. And by the way, He is coming. When we do that, we are reminded of His suffering on our behalf. We worship, we repent, we yield and we give ourselves without reservation to the one who is willing to drink the cup on our behalf.

And if you are listening to this and you've never trusted Christ as Savior, you have never believed on Him, let me assure you that when you come to Him and you receive His forgiveness, you too are accepted because then you will know that He drank that cup for you too. Let us pray. Father, we stand in awe of what your Son endured. We stand in awe of Calvary. We stand in awe, Father, of the Son of God dying, giving the world words of forgiveness, words of hope, and then in the end saying, into thy hands I commit my spirit. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts that the work was accomplished, it was done, and we praise you. Help us now, Father, to worship you acceptably. May we withhold nothing, may nothing else matter than your glory. In Jesus' name we pray.

Amen. On today's Moody Church Hour, Pastor Lutzer brought a Palm Sunday message on God in the Garden, a close look at the agony of Jesus in Gethsemane. Next week, a joyous Easter program, Don't Miss Beyond the Empty Tomb, unveiling the glorious life to come after death for believers. Pastor Lutzer has written a compelling book on Cries from the Cross, A Journey into the Heart of Jesus. This book will be sent as our gift to you as our way of saying thanks for your gift of any amount to The Moody Church Hour. Just call us at 1-800-215-5001.

Ask about Cries from the Cross when you call 1-800-215-5001. Or you can write to us at Moody Church Media, 1635 North LaSalle Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois 60614. Also, you can go online at moodyoffer.com. That's moodyoffer.com. Join us next week for another Moody Church Hour with Pastor Erwin Lutzer and the Congregation of Historic Moody Church in Chicago. This broadcast is a ministry of The Moody Church.