Going to Gethsemane, and Agony Therein.

  43 And there appeared unto him an angel from heaven, strengthening him.

  44 And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became as it were great drops of blood falling down upon the ground.

[Commentators give instances of bloody sweat under abnormal pathological conditions.]

  44 And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became as it were great drops of blood falling down upon the ground.

  45 And when he rose up from his prayer, he came {^a cometh} unto the disciples, and findeth {^c found} them sleeping for sorrow,

  46 and said unto them, Why sleep ye? rise and pray, that ye enter not into temptation.

[The admonition which had at first been addressed to all the eleven is now spoken to the chosen three] ^a and saith unto Peter, ^b Simon, sleepest thou? couldest thou not watch one hour? ^a What, could ye not watch with me one hour?

  41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

[Peter, having boasted of his loyalty, has his weakness pointed out and is further warned to be on his guard, since the weakness of his nature will not stand the coming strain. The slumber caused by the prostration of grief. When we remember the excitement which they had endured that night, the tender words spoken by Jesus, the sadness of which was intensified by the atmosphere of mystery which pervaded them, the beautiful and touching prayer, and lastly this agony in the garden, it is not to be wondered at that the apostles, spurred by no sense of danger, should succumb to the long-borne tension and fall asleep. Had they comprehended how much the Lord needed their wakeful sympathy as he came again and again seeking for it, they would probably have kept awake.]

  46 and said unto them, Why sleep ye? rise and pray, that ye enter not into temptation.

  41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

  ^b 39 And again ^a a second time he went away, and prayed, ^b saying the same words. ^a saying, My Father, if this cannot pass away, except I drink it, thy will be done. [Jesus here speaks of draining the cup. The "cup" was a common Hebrew figure used to denote one's divinely appointed lot or fortune-- Psalms 23:5 ; 75:8 ; Isaiah 51:17 ; 23:31-33 .]

  43 And he came again and found them sleeping, for their eyes were ^b very heavy; and they knew not what to answer him. [They were ashamed of the stupor which had come upon them and knew not what apology to make for it.]

  ^a 44 And he left them again, and went away, and prayed a third time, saying again the same words.

  ^b 41 And

  ^a 45 Then cometh he to the disciples, ^b the third time, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and that your rest: it is enough; ^a behold, the hour is at hand, {^b the hour is come;} ^a and ^b behold, the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.

  42 Arise, let us be going: behold, he that betrayeth me is at hand.

[Our Lord's words are paradoxical. In our judgment the saying is best understood by regarding the first part of it as spoken from the Lord's viewpoint, while the latter part is spoken from the disciple's viewpoint. It is as if he said, "So far as I am concerned, you may sleep on and take your rest, for the time to be of comfort or assistance to me has wholly passed. But so far as you yourselves are concerned, you must arise and be going, because Judas with his band of temple police is upon us."]

  ^b 41 And

  ^a 45 Then cometh he to the disciples, ^b the third time, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and that your rest: it is enough; ^a behold, the hour is at hand, {^b the hour is come;} ^a and ^b behold, the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.

  42 Arise, let us be going: behold, he that betrayeth me is at hand.