Third Sunday In Lent
Monologues
MY TOMB WAS EMPTY
Seven Monologues For Lent And Easter
ORDER OF SERVICE
Prelude
Call To Worship (Responsive)
Leader: Remind us, Lord, that no sin is greater than your saving
grace.
People: Remind us that even as James and the others slept,
Jesus suffered for them.
Leader: Help us find our strength in the
saving power of Jesus.
People: And help us live our lives in him.
Opening Hymn -- "I Come To The Garden Alone"
Invocation (Unison)
Dear God, your love for us in Jesus Christ is almost beyond our
human comprehension. Because he suffered for us, he makes it
possible for us to serve him, and because he died for us, he
makes it possible for us to live in him. Remind us of that as we
meet Jesus tonight. Amen.
Scripture -- Matthew 26:30-50
Introduction Of Character -- Prefaces the monologue
Dramatic Monologue -- "As We Take Our Rest"
Final Words About James -- At the end of the monologue
Pastoral Prayer
Hymn Of Commitment -- "My Life, My Love I Give To Thee"
Benediction
Blessed Savior, Only Son of God, in our own individual, weak and
human ways, we would repay your gift of your life with our gift
of ours. As we leave this worship here today, help us accept your
saving grace and send us forth determined to serve you. Amen.
THIRD SUNDAY IN LENT
Matthew 26:30-50
As We
Take Our Rest
This week we walk with Jesus to the Garden of Gethsemane, and
as we do, we look through the point of view of James, one of the
sons of Zebedee.
James
I don't suppose you can ever understand what it is that really
touches me when I think about the Garden of Gethsemane.
When you think about it, you might think I would feel a sense
of my own sinfulness. That's what so many people seem to feel
when they hear the story. After all, we fell asleep. Not just
once, but three times, we fell asleep.
In the midst of Jesus' agony, we fell asleep. But that's not
what I think about when I think about the garden. I don't know if
you can understand.
As we took our rest, God loved us. That's what I think about.
As we took our rest, Jesus, the Son of God, the one God sent to
save the world, was preparing to die for us.
Oh, it's not that we weren't sinful. Of course, we were. It
is, instead, that God forgave our sin, even as we committed it.
Look at our lives with Jesus Christ. Do you remember how Jesus
walked along the sea of Galilee? How he looked out and saw, first
Simon and Andrew, and then John and me?
"Follow me," he called to Simon and Andrew, "and I will make
you fishers of men."
You all know the story. Most of you have made the good
cofession. Most of you know that when you declared Jesus Christ
as Lord and Savior of the world and of your lives, you didn't
really have any idea where he would lead you.
Your faith's different now than it was then, isn't it? It may
be stronger or weaker. You may or may not feel closer to God, but
your faith's different.
And so is mine.
Oh, there was something special about him. Of course there was
something special, but I didn't know what it was. I really
didn't.
I was the older brother of two who were among the first to be
called, and yet I didn't really understand.
You know, our lives are kind of like a tapestry. When we come
before the Savior, we'll present a sort of woven blanket with
threads of joy and threads of sorrow in it. And that's the way it
was for me in my life with Jesus.
You may remember that he called my brother and me "sons of
thunder."
You may remember that when he raised Jairus' daughter from the
dead, there were only three of us who got to be there -- Peter,
James and John.
Do you have any idea what it's like to see someone raised from
death? I don't think I can describe it. It's something we'll all
see someday, but still, there's a quiet power in it that's almost
overwhelming. Think about it! Death -- the most powerful force on
all the earth, death -- the one thing no one ever overcomes, was
overcome in Jesus as easily as if he'd waked that little girl
from sleeping.
Her eyes were peaceful, and her parent's pain was not just
gone but taken away by holy joy.
Jesus did that, and I got to see it. I got to be a part of it.
But somehow, it didn't seem to apply to me. And I'd bet there
are times when it doesn't seem to apply to you either. Oh, we
know in our minds, I guess, that, if we repent and come to Jesus,
God forgives our sins and makes it possible for us to live
forever, but in our hearts we still carry death and sin around.
We still talk about what we did 10 or 30 or 50 years ago, about
all the regrets we have.
I don't do that anymore. When I think about Gethsemane, I
think about how as I took my rest, God saved me. As I took my
rest! It's not that I was supposed to be resting while Jesus was
facing death. Jesus had said, "Wait here and watch." But even
when I couldn't do that, Jesus loved me and God saved me.
Jesus knew it would be that way. "You will all fall away
because of me," he told us. And it's not just that Jesus knew, it
is that God knew from the beginning. "You will all fall away
because of me this night," Jesus said: "For it is written, 'I
will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be
scattered.' "
We had gone with him when he healed Peter's mother. Then later
we had asked him if we wanted us to call down fire on his
enemies, and he had told us that we just didn't understand.
And finally we had asked for special places next to the throne
when he came in glory. You remember that. We sent our mother. She
knelt before him and asked that we might sit on his right hand
and his left in glory.
"You do not know what you are asking," Jesus told her and us.
"Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?"
I'll never forget the pain in his eyes. But he said something
else too. "You will drink my cup," he said, "but to sit at my
right hand and my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those
for whom it has been prepared by my Father."
We misunderstood. We expected a different kind of kingdom, and
I'd guess that's the way it is with you. I'd guess you, like us,
are into wealth or greed or power. I'd guess that you, like us,
want to be the ones to bring the kingdom in a special way.
I want to tell you something. Dear friends, I really want to
tell you something. If it hadn't have been for Gethsemane, I
couldn't drink the cup that Jesus drank.
You see, that's how I misunderstood. I thought Jesus had come
to bring some kind of worldly greatness. And yet, when John and I
requested special places, there was nothing but dissension in the
12.
"Wait here and watch," he told me, and when I failed to do
that, he still loved me, and he still went to the cross that I
and all the world might be saved.
Can you understand the power of the forgiveness I felt? I feel
like that little girl, Jairus' daughter, must have felt. It's as
if I have a whole new life. The lies I've told, the death I've
caused, the pain I've brought, the way I didn't understand --
somehow, they're all made right in Jesus.
I don't know what he meant about my having to drink the cup
that he drank. I really don't.
I don't know what the future holds, but it doesn't matter. It
really doesn't, because while I rested, Jesus was preparing to
die for me, and because he was, I have new life and I can choose
to suffer and to die for him.
I have new life right here, right now. I've been born again,
right here, right now.
That's what I wanted to say here today. When you read the
story of Gethsemane, remember, yes, we sinned. And yes, I can't
tell you how terrible I felt when it occurred to me what Jesus
had gone through while I was resting.
But that's now where it ended. Dear friends, while we rested,
he chose to suffer and to die for us, and because he made that
choice, those of us who've turned to him and lived in him have
been forgiven so that we can suffer, we can choose to die for
him.
________
Most of us know, I'd guess, that James was the first of the
disciples to be martyred for Jesus and the only one whose
martyrdom is recorded in the scripture.
"About that time Herod the king laid violent hands upon some
who belonged to the church," it says in Acts 12. "He killed James
the brother of John with the sword; and when he saw that it
pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also." Amen.
Prelude
Call To Worship (Responsive)
Leader: Remind us, Lord, that no sin is greater than your saving
grace.
People: Remind us that even as James and the others slept,
Jesus suffered for them.
Leader: Help us find our strength in the
saving power of Jesus.
People: And help us live our lives in him.
Opening Hymn -- "I Come To The Garden Alone"
Invocation (Unison)
Dear God, your love for us in Jesus Christ is almost beyond our
human comprehension. Because he suffered for us, he makes it
possible for us to serve him, and because he died for us, he
makes it possible for us to live in him. Remind us of that as we
meet Jesus tonight. Amen.
Scripture -- Matthew 26:30-50
Introduction Of Character -- Prefaces the monologue
Dramatic Monologue -- "As We Take Our Rest"
Final Words About James -- At the end of the monologue
Pastoral Prayer
Hymn Of Commitment -- "My Life, My Love I Give To Thee"
Benediction
Blessed Savior, Only Son of God, in our own individual, weak and
human ways, we would repay your gift of your life with our gift
of ours. As we leave this worship here today, help us accept your
saving grace and send us forth determined to serve you. Amen.
THIRD SUNDAY IN LENT
Matthew 26:30-50
As We
Take Our Rest
This week we walk with Jesus to the Garden of Gethsemane, and
as we do, we look through the point of view of James, one of the
sons of Zebedee.
James
I don't suppose you can ever understand what it is that really
touches me when I think about the Garden of Gethsemane.
When you think about it, you might think I would feel a sense
of my own sinfulness. That's what so many people seem to feel
when they hear the story. After all, we fell asleep. Not just
once, but three times, we fell asleep.
In the midst of Jesus' agony, we fell asleep. But that's not
what I think about when I think about the garden. I don't know if
you can understand.
As we took our rest, God loved us. That's what I think about.
As we took our rest, Jesus, the Son of God, the one God sent to
save the world, was preparing to die for us.
Oh, it's not that we weren't sinful. Of course, we were. It
is, instead, that God forgave our sin, even as we committed it.
Look at our lives with Jesus Christ. Do you remember how Jesus
walked along the sea of Galilee? How he looked out and saw, first
Simon and Andrew, and then John and me?
"Follow me," he called to Simon and Andrew, "and I will make
you fishers of men."
You all know the story. Most of you have made the good
cofession. Most of you know that when you declared Jesus Christ
as Lord and Savior of the world and of your lives, you didn't
really have any idea where he would lead you.
Your faith's different now than it was then, isn't it? It may
be stronger or weaker. You may or may not feel closer to God, but
your faith's different.
And so is mine.
Oh, there was something special about him. Of course there was
something special, but I didn't know what it was. I really
didn't.
I was the older brother of two who were among the first to be
called, and yet I didn't really understand.
You know, our lives are kind of like a tapestry. When we come
before the Savior, we'll present a sort of woven blanket with
threads of joy and threads of sorrow in it. And that's the way it
was for me in my life with Jesus.
You may remember that he called my brother and me "sons of
thunder."
You may remember that when he raised Jairus' daughter from the
dead, there were only three of us who got to be there -- Peter,
James and John.
Do you have any idea what it's like to see someone raised from
death? I don't think I can describe it. It's something we'll all
see someday, but still, there's a quiet power in it that's almost
overwhelming. Think about it! Death -- the most powerful force on
all the earth, death -- the one thing no one ever overcomes, was
overcome in Jesus as easily as if he'd waked that little girl
from sleeping.
Her eyes were peaceful, and her parent's pain was not just
gone but taken away by holy joy.
Jesus did that, and I got to see it. I got to be a part of it.
But somehow, it didn't seem to apply to me. And I'd bet there
are times when it doesn't seem to apply to you either. Oh, we
know in our minds, I guess, that, if we repent and come to Jesus,
God forgives our sins and makes it possible for us to live
forever, but in our hearts we still carry death and sin around.
We still talk about what we did 10 or 30 or 50 years ago, about
all the regrets we have.
I don't do that anymore. When I think about Gethsemane, I
think about how as I took my rest, God saved me. As I took my
rest! It's not that I was supposed to be resting while Jesus was
facing death. Jesus had said, "Wait here and watch." But even
when I couldn't do that, Jesus loved me and God saved me.
Jesus knew it would be that way. "You will all fall away
because of me," he told us. And it's not just that Jesus knew, it
is that God knew from the beginning. "You will all fall away
because of me this night," Jesus said: "For it is written, 'I
will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be
scattered.' "
We had gone with him when he healed Peter's mother. Then later
we had asked him if we wanted us to call down fire on his
enemies, and he had told us that we just didn't understand.
And finally we had asked for special places next to the throne
when he came in glory. You remember that. We sent our mother. She
knelt before him and asked that we might sit on his right hand
and his left in glory.
"You do not know what you are asking," Jesus told her and us.
"Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?"
I'll never forget the pain in his eyes. But he said something
else too. "You will drink my cup," he said, "but to sit at my
right hand and my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those
for whom it has been prepared by my Father."
We misunderstood. We expected a different kind of kingdom, and
I'd guess that's the way it is with you. I'd guess you, like us,
are into wealth or greed or power. I'd guess that you, like us,
want to be the ones to bring the kingdom in a special way.
I want to tell you something. Dear friends, I really want to
tell you something. If it hadn't have been for Gethsemane, I
couldn't drink the cup that Jesus drank.
You see, that's how I misunderstood. I thought Jesus had come
to bring some kind of worldly greatness. And yet, when John and I
requested special places, there was nothing but dissension in the
12.
"Wait here and watch," he told me, and when I failed to do
that, he still loved me, and he still went to the cross that I
and all the world might be saved.
Can you understand the power of the forgiveness I felt? I feel
like that little girl, Jairus' daughter, must have felt. It's as
if I have a whole new life. The lies I've told, the death I've
caused, the pain I've brought, the way I didn't understand --
somehow, they're all made right in Jesus.
I don't know what he meant about my having to drink the cup
that he drank. I really don't.
I don't know what the future holds, but it doesn't matter. It
really doesn't, because while I rested, Jesus was preparing to
die for me, and because he was, I have new life and I can choose
to suffer and to die for him.
I have new life right here, right now. I've been born again,
right here, right now.
That's what I wanted to say here today. When you read the
story of Gethsemane, remember, yes, we sinned. And yes, I can't
tell you how terrible I felt when it occurred to me what Jesus
had gone through while I was resting.
But that's now where it ended. Dear friends, while we rested,
he chose to suffer and to die for us, and because he made that
choice, those of us who've turned to him and lived in him have
been forgiven so that we can suffer, we can choose to die for
him.
________
Most of us know, I'd guess, that James was the first of the
disciples to be martyred for Jesus and the only one whose
martyrdom is recorded in the scripture.
"About that time Herod the king laid violent hands upon some
who belonged to the church," it says in Acts 12. "He killed James
the brother of John with the sword; and when he saw that it
pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also." Amen.
