In this message, we explore how to walk in surrender. We examine the themes of betrayal and submission through biblical narratives. Learn how these events can shape your spiritual journey. Join us as we uncover valuable lessons on trust and resilience. Discover how to navigate personal relationships while maintaining your faith. Tune in for thoughtful insights and practical advice on overcoming betrayal and fostering submission to God's will.
Trevor H. Lund is the founder of Live LIGHT Academy at https://livelight.ca/ and the Creative Storyteller at https://revtrev.com Check out https://revtrev.com/tv for past videos and live casts and https://revtrev.com/radio to subscribe to his podcast wherever you listen.
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In our series with the Road to the Resurrection, we are at Maundy Thursday - the night he was betrayed.
It’s also the night his disciples did support Him in prayer, the night he was deserted and the night he was denied. But we remember it as the night He was betrayed.
We’re going to look at how Jesus walked out that day and how we can walk in surrender to God.
Because When we adopt surrender we embrace His peace.
Can we pray?
There are three events on the night Jesus was betrayed that demonstrate how He walked in surrender that we are going to focus on today.
There’s more I can say, but I’m going to focus on three events that lead up to the other events.
The Washing of the Disciples Feet,
The Celebration of the Last Supper,
The Betrayal in the Garden.
These show us what surrender really is and how we can apply it in the day-to-day of our everyday.
1. Washing the Disciples' Feet
John 13:1-17 Before the Passover celebration, Jesus knew that his hour had come to leave this world and return to his Father. He had loved his disciples during his ministry on earth, and now he loved them to the very end. It was time for supper, and the devil had already prompted Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God. So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him.When Jesus came to Simon Peter, Peter said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”Jesus replied, “You don’t understand now what I am doing, but someday you will.”
If you ever need a promise claim that one.
“No,” Peter protested, “you will never ever wash my feet!” Jesus replied, “Unless I wash you, you won’t belong to me.” Simon Peter exclaimed, “Then wash my hands and head as well, Lord, not just my feet!”Jesus replied, “A person who has bathed all over does not need to wash, except for the feet, to be entirely clean. And you disciples are clean, but not all of you.” For Jesus knew who would betray him. That is what he meant when he said, “Not all of you are clean.” After washing their feet, he put on his robe again and sat down and asked, “Do you understand what I was doing? You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right, because that’s what I am. And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you. I tell you the truth, slaves are not greater than their master. Nor is the messenger more important than the one who sends the message. Now that you know these things, God will bless you for doing them.”
When we adopt surrender we embrace His peace.
Surrender is not what the world tells you it is. It’ s not giving up to someone or something who is trying to bully you. It’s not the “loser” in the “winner and loser” zero-sum politics that some people like to play.
Surrender is demonstrated by Jesus: Jesus took on the role of a servant. He washed the feet of the one who would betray him, the ones who would desert him, the one who would deny him.
He flipped everything up-side down. You want to be the greatest you need to serve the best. It is not about you, it’s about the one who sends you.
The one who is sending you is God. The one you need to become more and more like is Jesus. He left you an example so you can follow in his steps.
* Surrender is a willingness to lay down your own desires for the sake of others.
It is choosing humility over pride and service over status.
Philippians 2:3-4 NLT Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.
Let’s continue the story in Luke and talk about the Last Supper.
⠀2. The Last Supper
Luke 22:14-23 When the time came, Jesus and the apostles sat down together at the table. Jesus said, “I have been very eager to eat this Passover meal with you before my suffering begins. For I tell you now that I won’t eat this meal again until its meaning is fulfilled in the Kingdom of God.”Then he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. Then he said, “Take this and share it among yourselves. For I will not drink wine again until the Kingdom of God has come.”He took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”After supper he took another cup of wine and said, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood, which is poured out as a sacrifice for you.“But here at this table, sitting among us as a friend, is the man who will betray me. For it has been determined that the Son of Man must die. But what sorrow awaits the one who betrays him.” The disciples began to ask each other which of them would ever do such a thing.
When we adopt surrender we embrace His peace.
I mentioned it’s Maundy Thursday. Do you know what that means?
"maundy" comes from the Latin word "mandatum," meaning "command" or "mandate".
It comes from Jesus instituting a new covenant at his last passover meal.
Have you ever wondered why we celebrate communion, but not foot washing? It’s because the Corinthian church got communion so badly that Paul needed to correct it. He wrote to them that he has special revelation that he received from the Lord that he reminded them of.
Paul had a special revelation from the Lord that communion was to continue until the Lord comes back. It’s how we regularly remember everything that changed at the cross.
Everything changed at the cross:
- Guilt was removed (Justification). Romans 3:23-24
- The price of sin was paid (Redemption). Romans 3:25
- Our sins were washed (Propitiation). 1 Corinthians 6:11
- We were made friends again with God (Reconciliation). 2 Corinthians 5:19
- We are no longer fallen (Identification). Ephesians 2:4-6
- Satan’s Rule Was Ended (Reclamation). Colossians 2:15
- The curse of the law was canceled (Expiation). Galatians 3:13
Why Celebrate Communion and Not Foot Washing
So we know the earliest church celebrated communion, and it was because God illuminated it to Paul that we know it’s for us until Christ returns and we celebrate what it represents with Him.
For the first 3 centuries the church gathered around table. So getting this right was so important. It wasn’t until the 4th century we started gathering around the Word.
On the other hand, from earliest time we understood washing each other’s feet meant submitting to one another in love. It is a way of life, not a ceremony…unless God gives someone a special revelation for a specific time.
Pick up the story
Let’s pick it up the story with Luke you’re not going to believe this. Remember, they were just asking each other which one of them could ever betray Jesus, next verse…
Luke 22:24-27Then they began to argue among themselves about who would be the greatest among them. Jesus told them, “In this world the kings and great men lord it over their people, yet they are called ‘friends of the people.’ But among you it will be different. Those who are the greatest among you should take the lowest rank, and the leader should be like a servant. Who is more important, the one who sits at the table or the one who serves? The one who sits at the table, of course. But not here! For I am among you as one who serves."
Now, two things could be happening. I think John was the last Gospel written and John wrote it when he was an old man. He could remember the events in a different order—we know this conversation happened on the night Jesus was betrayed.
But I know young men—I once considered myself young—and it’s totally reasonable for young men to go from “I’m not going to betray him” to “I’m the best one here.” And it’s completely natural for young men to be correct twice the same night for the same arrogance and misplaced trust.
So I don’t have a problem with John putting this correction when Jesus washed their feet and Luke putting it when they were on the way to the garden.
But you’d like to feel the eye of Jesus rolls. You’d like to imagine him slapping his forehead. When are these guys going to clue in?
But he doesn’t because what’s true for us is true for him.
When we adopt surrender we embrace His peace.
His disciples were so confident that they were still arguing about who would be the greatest. Remember Jesus sent them out to heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons and raise the dead. They came back rejoicing that even demons were subjected to them. They just saw the crowd wave palm branches and throw down their cloaks and shouted Hossana!
And even though Jesus was talking about dying, they thought he was just talking in riddles again or just saying things they couldn’t understand yet but maybe in time, they would understand it.
They knew the Messiah would come in power. And they knew Jesus was the Messiah. Therefore Jesus would come in power.
The logic holds.
The one who actually might have believed what Jesus said about dying was Judas Iscariot. Remember he went out to heal the sick and cleanse the lepers and cast out demons and raised the dead. He returned, with them all and all excited.
How did the devil prompt him? We’re not told. We know he kept the money bag and helped himself to it. There was something in him looking out for self.
But I wonder if Judas was the first to realize Jesus was serious when he said He was going to die. It would have shattered his belief in Jesus being the Messiah.
If he believed Jesus was going to die and knew the Messiah was going to come in power, then Judas hadn’t surrendered to God’s plan. So instead of embracing peace, he tried to take control.
Surrender is the opposite of trying to take control.
* Surrender is trusting God's plan, even when it challenges your understanding.
We know what to do when God’s plan doesn’t make sense to our thinking…
Philippians 4:6-7 NLT Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
When we adopt surrender we embrace His peace.
Let’s pick it up with Matthew…
Matthew 26:30-35Then they sang a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives.On the way, Jesus told them, “Tonight all of you will desert me. For the Scriptures say, ‘God will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ But after I have been raised from the dead, I will go ahead of you to Galilee and meet you there.”Peter declared, “Even if everyone else deserts you, I will never desert you.”Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, Peter—this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny three times that you even know me.” "No!” Peter insisted. “Even if I have to die with you, I will never deny you!” And all the other disciples vowed the same.
When we adopt surrender we embrace His peace.
I’ve learned the hard way to not argue with Jesus. I’m not saying “I don’t still do it at times.” I’ve learned His peace is more important than my will being done.
When I disagree with him—and yes, that still happens—I’ll find a Psalm that feels the same way I do and wrestle with that Psalm until I ultimately decide to agree with Jesus.
I guess I do it enough that I’ve created a webpage on my site with every Psalm of Lament grouped into emotions so I can find the one that feels the way I currently am feeling more quickly. https://revtrev.com/psalms/
Let’s move on to the Garden. I’ll move through Luke and Matthew’s accounts…
3. Betrayal in the Garden
Luke 22:39-42
Then, accompanied by the disciples, Jesus left the upstairs room and went as usual to the Mount of Olives. There he told them, “Pray that you will not give in to temptation.” He walked away, about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, “Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”
Matthew 26:40-42
Then he returned to the disciples and found them asleep. He said to Peter, “Couldn’t you watch with me even one hour? Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!”Then Jesus left them a second time and prayed, “My Father! If this cup cannot be taken away unless I drink it, your will be done.” When he returned to them again, he found them sleeping, for they couldn’t keep their eyes open. So he went to pray a third time, saying the same things again.
Luke 22:43-44
Then an angel from heaven appeared and strengthened him. He prayed more fervently, and he was in such agony of spirit that his sweat fell to the ground like great drops of blood.
Matthew 26:43-46
Then he came to the disciples and said, “Go ahead and sleep. Have your rest. But look—the time has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Up, let’s be going. Look, my betrayer is here!”
When we adopt surrender we embrace His peace.
Jesus pointed out to his disciples that prayerlessness leads to temptation. He prayed through because he knew what he had to endure.
Do you let prayerlessness lead to temptation?
We have no idea what he was going through. On a spiritual level—what was it like to take the sins of the whole world on himself? We’ll never know.
We have lost the significance of the cross for the ones who experienced first hand.
I was going to buy an oversized guillotine around my neck to show you how ridiculous it is. I was shocked and a bit horrified at the selection of guillotine necklace on Amazon—and you should see the suggestions it’s giving me know.
So maybe let me explain it a different way.
Did you know what the earliest image of Jesus on the Cross is?
It’s this one. It’s graffiti from the 1st century…
Can you see it? Here it is cleaned up…
Can you read Latin? I can’t either. Here it is in translation
“Alexandro worshiping his god.”
This graffiti was probably created to make fun of “Alexandros,” a Christian, by implying that he worshiped a “donkey-headed” God. The inscription that accompanies the image indeed reads: “Alexandro worshiping his god.”
The fact that “Alexandro’s God” is being crucified makes it even worse, as during the 1st century crucifixion was a punishment reserved for serious crime offenders.
It was the worst of the worst. Proper Roman citizens wouldn’t even say the word crucified or crucifixion in public. It was not a topic talked about. It was certainly not something celebrated…
…Christians did not celebrate the cross in images until the 5th century — 100 years after Constantine outlawed crucifixion as a punishment in Rome. It was out of use for 100 years before we see it become more common in Christian iconography.
We don’t understand the Cross like those who saw Jesus on it did. We don’t understand the pain, the humiliation, the degradation. Jesus sweated—as it were—drops of blood.
Hematridrosis
Hematridrosis is a condition which the capillaries surrounding sweat glands rupture due to extreme physical or emotional stress. Blood mixes with sweat, causing the person to sweat blood.
Has that happened to you? It hasn’t happened to me. I can never know what Jesus went through in the garden. I’m glad there was an angel there to help him.
We can’t
- understand the spiritual side.
- comprehend the physical pain.
- grasp the societal shame.
But we know Jesus showed us a life of surrender when he showed us his anguish in the Garden.
Surrender is not giving in to the turmoil.
* Surrender is aligning your heart to God’s will.
Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.
When we adopt surrender we embrace His peace.
Judas led a crowd with men with swords and clubs to the garden and signaled to them who Jesus was with a kiss.
Jesus asked who they were looking for and they told him and he send “I am he” and they fell back. And he said, “Take me, and let these guys go”, so they reached for him and Peter took a sword and cut off the ear of the high priests’ servant.
Jesus healed the servant and told his disciples to stand down. And they scattered.
Can Jesus give us any better example than that, showing us…
When we adopt surrender we embrace His peace.
Jesus went like a lamb to the slaughter while being a lion on a throne. He didn’t answer his accusers or debate what they were saying about him. He wasn’t surrendering to them. He was surrendered to the will of his Father.
There’s more to this night, but we’ll leave our look at it here.
Feeling Hopeless
When I was in Seminary I had a professor who said, “The only service people should leave a little bit depressed by, it’s a Maundy Thursday Service.”
You get it don’t you?
To leave feeling what the disciples felt would be to leave hopeless, ignorant of what was coming.
Does it matter?
We’re all going to have times in our life when our hope has been misplaced or our plans have been disrupted or all of sudden our world stop making any sense.
What do you do when your trust has been lost?
That’s a great question, I’m so glad you asked.
That’s why I’ve developed the How to Walk in Surrender Tool.
How to Walk in Surrender Tool
You’re going to have to lay down and DIE
D - Direct your hope on the One who can’t disappoint Hebrews 12:2
I - Insist on agreeing with His promises Psalm 91:4
E -Exchange your problems for His Peace 1 Peter 5:7
Let’s unpack this…
D - Direct your hope on the One who can’t disappoint
Hebrews 12:2 …fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Remember: Surrender is trusting God's plan, even when it challenges your understanding.
When our hope is in any else but Jesus, our hope will lead to disappointment. You know this true, because you’ve had disappointment—in relationships, in health and in what you receive for what you do. The battle for hope is the battle for identity and these three areas are where we are always attacked. If your hope is in any of them, you will be disappointed.
But your hope can be in Jesus. You know the difference that makes. If you don’t you need to. Ask Holy Spirit how to do it. I have some tools that can help.
Is my hope in Christ alone?
I - Insist on agreeing with His promises
Psalm 91:4 He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armour and protection.
Remember: Surrender is a willingness to lay down your own desires for the sake of others.
We are transformed by the renewing of our mind. That renewal comes from reading the Word that reads us. It is living and active and It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. Let him show you what His promises are for you.
There are 8,810 promises of God…
Promises of God - https://revtrev.com/promises
Do I hold on to His promises?
E -Exchange your problems for His Peace
1 Peter 5:7 Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.
Walking in Surrender does not mean not asking God to make it easier for you. It’s understanding that prayer can keep you from temptation.
Remember: Surrender is aligning your heart to God’s will. You do this in prayer.
You exchange your problems for His peace. Work through the CAST my Cares Upon Him Tool…
CAST my Cares Upon Him
C - Centre in on His care for you 1 Peter 5:7
A - Agree with a Psalm that feels like you do Psalm 62:8
S - Set your focus on gratitude Philippians 4:6-7
T - Take ahold of some promises Psalm 91:4
Do cast all my cares on Him?
When we adopt surrender we embrace His peace.
Review…
How to Walk in Surrender Tool
You’re going to have to lay down and DIE
D - Direct your hope on the One who can’t disappoint
Hebrews 12:2 Is my hope in Christ alone?
I - Insist on agreeing with His promises
Psalm 91:4 Do I hold on to His promises?
E -Exchange your problems for His Peace
1 Peter 5:7Do cast all my cares on Him?
Conclusion
We’re going to close in Communion and continue in communion after the service is dismissed.
Put on the music as we prepare to take communion.
Paul tells us
1 Corinthians 11:23-34 For I pass on to you what I received from the Lord himself. On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and said, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, he took the cup of wine after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood. Do this in remembrance of me as often as you drink it.” For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing the Lord’s death until he comes again. So anyone who eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord unworthily is guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. That is why you should examine yourself before eating the bread and drinking the cup. For if you eat the bread or drink the cup without honoring the body of Christ, you are eating and drinking God’s judgment upon yourself. That is why many of you are weak and sick and some have even died. But if we would examine ourselves, we would not be judged by God in this way. Yet when we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned along with the world. So, my dear brothers and sisters, when you gather for the Lord’s Supper, wait for each other. If you are really hungry, eat at home so you won’t bring judgment upon yourselves when you meet together. I’ll give you instructions about the other matters after I arrive.
Let’s examine ourselves in this moment.
Ask God if there is any reason that those who trust in Him would be ashamed because of you, Is there any reason you can cause them to be humiliated. (See Psalm 69:6)
If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. 1 John 1:8-9
Thank you for the promise:
“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh” (Ezekiel 36:26)
Dismiss to fellowship
