Mark 14:32-42 (NKJV) The Prayer in the Garden
(Matt. 26:36–46; Luke 22:39–46)
32 Then they came to a place which was named Gethsemane; and He said to His disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” 33 And He took Peter, James, and John with Him, and He began to be troubled and deeply distressed. 34 Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch.”
35 He went a little farther, and fell on the ground, and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him. 36 And He said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will.”
37 Then He came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “Simon, are you sleeping? Could you not watch one hour? 38 Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
39 Again He went away and prayed, and spoke the same words. 40 And when He returned, He found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy; and they did not know what to answer Him.
41 Then He came the third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? It is enough! The hour has come; behold, the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. 42 Rise, let us be going. See, My betrayer is at hand.”
V32 “Then they came to a place which was named Gethsemane; and He said to His disciples, “Sit here while I pray.”
The Garden of Gethsemane is at the foot of the Mount of Olives on the west side. He had the need to pray, to talk with His Father. Sometimes we must talk to God. It is good to get alone when in emotional and other distress (Matthew 14:23). The first thing to do is to pray. Jesus wanted the others to remain where they were but hoped they too would pray.
Barclay (beware) writes: “To have stayed in the upper room would have been dangerous. With the authorities on the watch for him, and with Judas bent on treachery, the upper room might have been raided at any time. But Jesus had another place to which to go. The fact that Judas knew to look for him in Gethsemane shows that Jesus was in the habit of going there. In Jerusalem itself there were no gardens. The city was too crowded, and there was a strange law that the city’s sacred soil might not be polluted with manure for the gardens. But some of the rich people possessed private gardens out on the Mount of Olives where they took their rest. Jesus must have had some wealthy friend who gave him the privilege of using his garden at night.”
V33 “And He took Peter, James, and John with Him, and He began to be troubled and deeply distressed.”
These 3 disciples were somewhat closer to where Jesus prayed. The Greek word for troubles is (G1568) ἐκθαμβέω ekthambéō, which means trouble, shocked, amazed. (Wuest Word Studies) adds: “Swete says: “The Lord was overwhelmed with sorrow, but His first feeling was one of terrified surprise. Long as He had foreseen the Passion, when it came clearly into view, its terrors exceeded His anticipations. His human soul received new experience— He learned upon the basis of the things He suffered (Heb 5:8), and the last lesson of obedience began with a sensation of inconceivable awe. With this there came another, that of overpowering mental distress (He began to be distressed).” It is as Swete says, “the distress which follows a great shock, ’the confused, restless, half-distracted state’ (Lightfoot) which may be worse than the sharp pain of a fully realized sorrow.”
V34 “Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch.”
The sorrow of His ministry of the cross is overwhelming, but fear or no fear, He was dedicated to carry out the will of His Father. This is so true of us, for we are able to receive the assisting grace of God, too, for our Christian lives. Jesus asked the disciples to do 2 things: 1) stay here (rather than going with me to where I’ll pray) and 2) stay awake. Compare Isaiah 53:3.
V35 “He went a little farther, and fell on the ground, and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him.”
Jesus goes a little ways from His disciples, kneels down, and prays. He wanted a different way than the cross, but He was dedicated to do the Father’s will. Our attitude should always be to be a good son/daughter of God and servant of Jesus Christ desiring to do God’s will. We go through tests. This was another test for Jesus. Knowing what was going to happen, would He be faithful to the end. Our savior was faithful.
A few verses about the will of God:
Mark 3:35—doing the will of God is Jesus’s brother and mother,
Romans 8:27—the Holy Spirit prays for us according to the will of God.
Hebrews 10:36—endurance to do the will of God, which will give us His promise.
1 Peter 3:17—it might be the will of God to suffer.
1 Peter 4:2, 19—not to live in fleshly lusts but to do the will of God.
1 John 2:17—doing the will of God abides (in life) forever.
V36 “And He said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will.”
Abba is the endearment title for Father. Anything God wills is possible.
Some things God cannot do: Lie, Sin, Be stupid, Deny Himself, Change, and Die.
So, the Lord Jesus knew it would be possible, but it was not the Father’s or Jesus’s plan to change the redemption story. Jesus needed to die to pay the penalty for our sins. This was the plan made before the foundation of the world (1 Peter 1:20).
John Wesley writes: (A Plain Account of Christian Perfection) “Whatever God has forbidden, he avoids; whatever God has enjoined, he does. ‘He runs the way of God’s commandments,’ now He hath set his heart at liberty. It is his glory and joy so to do; it is his daily crown of rejoicing, to ‘do the will of God on earth, as it is done in heaven.”
V37 “Then He came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “Simon, are you sleeping? Could you not watch one hour?”
Why was Peter sleeping, especially after Jesus had warned him that he would deny him? The flesh is weak even if the spirit, the will, is strong.
Peter needed to learn that God does give grace:
Isaiah 40:29 (AKJV) He gives power to the faint; and to them that have no might, he increases strength.
Jesus wanted the disciples to pray, to share in His affliction, to support His mission, but alas, they were weak in faith. So, we all are. Let us pray for God’s strengthening grace and remember our brothers and sisters in their afflictions.
V38 “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
“Be alert and pray. Peter, you are going to be tempted to deny me; you need to be alert and pray.” Truly, God knows our weaknesses. We can be very thankful. See Psalm 103:14.
2 Corinthians 12:9 (NKJV) And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
Also, see Hebrews 4:16, Isaiah 40:29-31, and Philippians 4:13.
A comment from Bridgeway Bible Dictionary concerning temptation and tests: “Although the sin lies in giving in to temptation rather than in the temptation itself, Christians must do all they can to avoid those situations likely to produce temptation (1 Corinthians 15:33; 2 Timothy 2:22). This will require self-discipline as they develop better habits in their behavior (Colossians 3:12-13; Galatians 5:16), thinking (Romans 8:5; 2 Corinthians 10:5; Philippians 4:8), talking (Ephesians 5:11-12; Titus 2:8), and praying (Matthew 6:13; Mark 14:38). The guiding influence in helping God’s people develop these better habits is the Word of God (Psalm 119:11; 2 Timothy 3:16-17).”
V39 “Again He went away and prayed, and spoke the same words.”
Sometimes our burden is so heavy, we must pray repeatedly. Our Father does not mind. Remember Luke 18:1. Also, see Romans 12:10-12, Ephesians 6:18, and Philippians 4:6.
Psalms 55:17 (MSB) Morning, noon, and night, I cry out in distress, and He hears my voice.
V40 “And when He returned, He found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy; and they did not know what to answer Him.”
Notice that Jesus is disappointed but not angry, not condemning, and not threatening. He can and does sometimes, but with perfect wisdom, holiness, and truth, He always makes the correct decision.
Proverbs 2:6 (MSB) For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.
V41 “Then He came the third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? It is enough! The hour has come; behold, the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.”
Jesus knew what the answer was. It was His Father’s will to go to the cross and face the wrath of God for sinners. Isaiah 53:10 (MSB) Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush Him and to cause Him to suffer; and when His soul is made a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, and the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand.
Jesus knew the plan before the foundation of the universe. He volunteered to be the Passover Lamb of God.
Still, He was disappointed in the disciples for not praying with Him and for Him.
Let us remember to pray for one another when in distress (Galatians 6:2).
See John 17:1. It was Jesus’s intention to do His Father’s will.
V42 “Rise, let us be going. See, My betrayer is at hand.”
Now, the time for prayer was over. The time had begun for His suffering for our sins. The disciples were apparently confused, but Jesus knew completely what was happening. Note Jesus’s boldness.
We learn:
- To pray.
- To rely on God.
- To enjoy His strength.
- To do God’s will first and foremost.
Questions:
- Is it our will to do the will of God?
- Do we accept God’s will if it is not the will of our flesh?