Jesus Prays While the Disciples Sleep in GethsemaneBible World
22:45Luke 22:45
And when he rose up from prayer, and was come to his disciples, he found them sleeping for sorrow,
Rising from earnest prayer in Gethsemane after pleading three times for the cup to pass yet for the Father's will to be done, Jesus returned to His disciples and found them sleeping for sorrow. His sorrow was the weight of bearing humanity's guilt as the sinless Son treated as a sinner, shut out from the Father's presence under God's judgment against sin that sinners might be healed. The disciples slept at the crucial hour when He had asked them to watch with Him for sympathy and prayer, burdened and drowsy with grief though only a short distance away. By sleeping they disobeyed His repeated command to watch and pray lest they enter temptation, trusting their own strength instead of seeking help to resist Satan and losing the strength that night-watch of prayer would have given them. Their sleep left Him to face the powers of darkness alone without the comfort of their prayers, and it warns believers to wake from spiritual sleep, remain alert and close to God in crisis, and watch and pray for themselves and those entrusted to them.
Christ's Agony in Gethsemane
After charging the disciples to watch and pray with Him, Jesus went a short distance away, knelt, and prayed three times for the cup to pass yet for the Father's will and not His own to be done. After an angel from heaven strengthened Him He prayed more earnestly in agony with sweat like great drops of blood falling to the ground, then rose and returned to the disciples. The third return found them still asleep, after He had endured overwhelming sorrow and anguish and made His repeated plea for deliverance.
His sorrow was bound to bearing humanity's guilt: though sinless He bore the iniquity of sinners and faced the terrible weight of God's judgment against sin, feeling shut out from the Father's sustaining presence. He stood under the most fearful strain ever laid on a human being, bearing the sins of the whole world in suffering and distress that cannot be exceeded, and in it gave an example of absolute submission, surrendering His will to the will of God. The sinless Son was treated as a sinner, wounded for transgressions and bruised for iniquities, that sinful beings might be treated as innocent and healed by His stripes, having laid off His royal robe and crown and clothed divinity with humanity to live sinlessly and make atonement, consenting to take the body of humanity and come to suffer humiliation and death though He could have refused.
The scene belongs to the night of His agony, when His steps grew so labored His companions had to support Him from falling, and His sorrow was connected with His coming betrayal, trial, and execution. It was His habit to resort to mountain solitude to spend the night in prayer when preparing for great trial or work, with this night of prayer preceding the judgment hall and the cross. So His withdrawal to pray did not surprise the disciples who were used to sleeping nearby during His nights of prayer. James with Peter and John were present as the three favored disciples in closest relationship with Him, chosen as chief witnesses who had also seen His transfiguration glory.
He deliberately brought the trying ordeal of betrayal, Gethsemane, and crucifixion before the disciples while still present to comfort, strengthen, and prepare them, knowing which followers were unbelieving and weak in faith. By sifting out the weak and undecided beforehand He prepared the faithful few not to be overwhelmed with surprise, fear, and disappointment or to hang faith on others' opinions when the multitude turned, the Master was condemned and mocked, and professed lovers forsook Him.
He remained awake praying while they slept, praying for His disciples to be kept from evil influences and for strength for duties and trials ahead, identifying Himself with human weakness and need. The destiny of a lost world hung in the balance there, for refusal to drink the cup would have meant eternal ruin to the race, but strengthened He accepted and drank its bitter woe. This reveals how little is grasped of what He endured so sinners might not perish but have everlasting life.
Disciples Sleeping for Sorrow
Rising from prayer He came to the disciples and found them sleeping for sorrow, burdened and drowsy with grief at the very hour when He was facing the suffering of the cup. Their sleep fell at the crucial time when He had asked them to watch with Him, hoping for their sympathy, companionship, comfort, prayer and steadfast faith to strengthen both them and Him in the test. Left without the comfort He would have found in their prayer and steadfast faith, He was left to face the powers of darkness alone while He suffered in prayer. He longed for their sympathy and comfort, and would have been strengthened to know they were praying for Him and for themselves. They were troubled by His suffering and had prayed at first, with no intent to forsake Him, remaining only a short distance away where they had heard the strong cries from His lips. Yet a stupor of sleep paralyzed their senses, a stupor they could have shaken off by continuing to plead with God, and if they had heeded His command to pray not to enter temptation sleep would not have stupefied them and they would have been partakers with Him in His suffering. They gazed with terror and amazement on His face marked with blood and marred more than the sons of men. Their drowsiness kept them from hearing Jesus and from fully recognizing the angels' presence and the power and glory of the scene. Though they dimly sensed the angels, they missed the evidence that could have strengthened them for the trials ahead. Those most in need of divine instruction miss it when they fail to remain in communion with heaven, for prayer and communion with God are needed to receive spiritual help and heavenly instruction. By sleeping at the most critical moment when the Son of God needed their sympathy and heartfelt prayers they were incapable of giving them, disobeying His repeated command and warning to watch and pray so as not to enter temptation. They had not understood that watchfulness and earnest prayer were needed to resist Satan's temptations, but trusted in their own strength instead of relying on the Helper He had urged them to seek, and by sleeping they lost much. Even Peter, who had promised to die with Him, was sleeping, and being left to depend on his own feeble strength he denied his Lord; their love for Him should have kept them awake. That night-watch should have been spent in noble mental struggle and prayer, which Jesus designed to fortify them for the severe test of faith to which they were to be subjected. Such watching and prayer would have brought strength to witness the terrible agony of the Son of God, prepared them to understand in some degree His overpowering anguish and the nature of His suffering and death, and made them better able to recall His words about His sufferings, death and resurrection. Amid the gloom of that trying hour some rays of hope would then have lighted the darkness and sustained their faith and hope through the trial. Instead they were left unprepared to face His death and the mockery and scorn that followed, though He knew the power the prince of darkness would use to paralyze their senses when they should be watching and praying. Peter afterward denied the Man of Sorrows in His humiliation and acquaintance with grief, but was repentant and reconverted with true contrition of soul and fresh surrender to his Saviour. With blinding tears he returned alone to Gethsemane and prostrated himself where he had seen his Saviour prostrated in great agony with bloody sweat forced from His pores. There he remembered that he had been asleep while Jesus prayed, and with heart broken his penitential tears moistened the sod stained with the sweat drops of God's dear Son. He left the garden a converted man, humbled and fitted to pity the tempted, sympathize with the weak and erring, caution and warn the presumptuous, and strengthen his brethren.
Loss and Call to Watch
On His third return after being strengthened by an angel from heaven He found them sleeping again. They were only a short distance away where they had heard the strong cries from His lips, and they had prayed for a while with no intent to forsake Him, but a stupor of sleep paralyzed their senses that they could have shaken off by continuing to plead with God. They looked with terror and amazement on His face marked with blood and marred more than the sons of men. In His hour of trial they soon fell asleep and left Him to face the powers of darkness alone while He suffered in prayer, without the comfort He would have found in their prayer and steadfast faith. They had not heeded His repeated command and warning to watch and pray so as not to enter into temptation, and did not understand that watchfulness and earnest prayer were needed to resist Satan's temptations; if they had heeded it sleep would not have stupefied their senses and they would have been partakers with Him in His suffering. He roused them and urged them to rise, watch, and pray so they would not enter into temptation.
Their drowsiness and stupor kept them from hearing Him and from fully recognizing the angels' presence and the power and glory of the scene. They therefore missed evidence that could have strengthened them for the trials ahead, dimly sensing the angels yet losing what would have helped them. The verse thus illustrates the need for prayer and communion with God to receive spiritual help and heavenly instruction. Those most in need of divine instruction may miss it when they fail to remain in communion with heaven.
He rose from prayer before His crucifixion to see whether they understood what He was passing through, and finding them asleep exposes such unwatchfulness. He had come seeking their sympathy as He faced the cup of separation from His Father while bearing sin, and their sleep becomes a warning against spiritual sleep: believers must wake, remain spiritually alert and close to God in times of crisis, and be ready to trust God. Those entrusted with care for others are warned not to sleep through their responsibility, but to help keep people from falling under Satan's temptation and to pursue perfection of character. He often prayed alone in anguish of spirit pleading with His Father, and His followers too may experience deep spiritual anguish and pour out earnest prayer to God. Such dark seasons do not drive true Christians away from Him.
Rising from earnest prayer in Gethsemane after pleading three times for the cup to pass yet for the Father's will to be done, Jesus returned to His disciples and found them sleeping for sorrow. His sorrow was the weight of bearing humanity's guilt as the sinless Son treated as a sinner, shut out from the Father's presence under God's judgment against sin that sinners might be healed. The disciples slept at the crucial hour when He had asked them to watch with Him for sympathy and prayer, burdened and drowsy with grief though only a short distance away. By sleeping they disobeyed His repeated command to watch and pray lest they enter temptation, trusting their own strength instead of seeking help to resist Satan and losing the strength that night-watch of prayer would have given them. Their sleep left Him to face the powers of darkness alone without the comfort of their prayers, and it warns believers to wake from spiritual sleep, remain alert and close to God in crisis, and watch and pray for themselves and those entrusted to them.
Christ's Agony in Gethsemane
After charging the disciples to watch and pray with Him, Jesus went a short distance away, knelt, and prayed three times for the cup to pass yet for the Father's will and not His own to be done. After an angel from heaven strengthened Him He prayed more earnestly in agony with sweat like great drops of blood falling to the ground, then rose and returned to the disciples. The third return found them still asleep, after He had endured overwhelming sorrow and anguish and made His repeated plea for deliverance.
His sorrow was bound to bearing humanity's guilt: though sinless He bore the iniquity of sinners and faced the terrible weight of God's judgment against sin, feeling shut out from the Father's sustaining presence. He stood under the most fearful strain ever laid on a human being, bearing the sins of the whole world in suffering and distress that cannot be exceeded, and in it gave an example of absolute submission, surrendering His will to the will of God. The sinless Son was treated as a sinner, wounded for transgressions and bruised for iniquities, that sinful beings might be treated as innocent and healed by His stripes, having laid off His royal robe and crown and clothed divinity with humanity to live sinlessly and make atonement, consenting to take the body of humanity and come to suffer humiliation and death though He could have refused.
The scene belongs to the night of His agony, when His steps grew so labored His companions had to support Him from falling, and His sorrow was connected with His coming betrayal, trial, and execution. It was His habit to resort to mountain solitude to spend the night in prayer when preparing for great trial or work, with this night of prayer preceding the judgment hall and the cross. So His withdrawal to pray did not surprise the disciples who were used to sleeping nearby during His nights of prayer. James with Peter and John were present as the three favored disciples in closest relationship with Him, chosen as chief witnesses who had also seen His transfiguration glory.
He deliberately brought the trying ordeal of betrayal, Gethsemane, and crucifixion before the disciples while still present to comfort, strengthen, and prepare them, knowing which followers were unbelieving and weak in faith. By sifting out the weak and undecided beforehand He prepared the faithful few not to be overwhelmed with surprise, fear, and disappointment or to hang faith on others' opinions when the multitude turned, the Master was condemned and mocked, and professed lovers forsook Him.
He remained awake praying while they slept, praying for His disciples to be kept from evil influences and for strength for duties and trials ahead, identifying Himself with human weakness and need. The destiny of a lost world hung in the balance there, for refusal to drink the cup would have meant eternal ruin to the race, but strengthened He accepted and drank its bitter woe. This reveals how little is grasped of what He endured so sinners might not perish but have everlasting life.
Disciples Sleeping for Sorrow
Rising from prayer He came to the disciples and found them sleeping for sorrow, burdened and drowsy with grief at the very hour when He was facing the suffering of the cup. Their sleep fell at the crucial time when He had asked them to watch with Him, hoping for their sympathy, companionship, comfort, prayer and steadfast faith to strengthen both them and Him in the test. Left without the comfort He would have found in their prayer and steadfast faith, He was left to face the powers of darkness alone while He suffered in prayer.
He longed for their sympathy and comfort, and would have been strengthened to know they were praying for Him and for themselves. They were troubled by His suffering and had prayed at first, with no intent to forsake Him, remaining only a short distance away where they had heard the strong cries from His lips. Yet a stupor of sleep paralyzed their senses, a stupor they could have shaken off by continuing to plead with God, and if they had heeded His command to pray not to enter temptation sleep would not have stupefied them and they would have been partakers with Him in His suffering. They gazed with terror and amazement on His face marked with blood and marred more than the sons of men.
Their drowsiness kept them from hearing Jesus and from fully recognizing the angels' presence and the power and glory of the scene. Though they dimly sensed the angels, they missed the evidence that could have strengthened them for the trials ahead. Those most in need of divine instruction miss it when they fail to remain in communion with heaven, for prayer and communion with God are needed to receive spiritual help and heavenly instruction.
By sleeping at the most critical moment when the Son of God needed their sympathy and heartfelt prayers they were incapable of giving them, disobeying His repeated command and warning to watch and pray so as not to enter temptation. They had not understood that watchfulness and earnest prayer were needed to resist Satan's temptations, but trusted in their own strength instead of relying on the Helper He had urged them to seek, and by sleeping they lost much. Even Peter, who had promised to die with Him, was sleeping, and being left to depend on his own feeble strength he denied his Lord; their love for Him should have kept them awake.
That night-watch should have been spent in noble mental struggle and prayer, which Jesus designed to fortify them for the severe test of faith to which they were to be subjected. Such watching and prayer would have brought strength to witness the terrible agony of the Son of God, prepared them to understand in some degree His overpowering anguish and the nature of His suffering and death, and made them better able to recall His words about His sufferings, death and resurrection. Amid the gloom of that trying hour some rays of hope would then have lighted the darkness and sustained their faith and hope through the trial. Instead they were left unprepared to face His death and the mockery and scorn that followed, though He knew the power the prince of darkness would use to paralyze their senses when they should be watching and praying.
Peter afterward denied the Man of Sorrows in His humiliation and acquaintance with grief, but was repentant and reconverted with true contrition of soul and fresh surrender to his Saviour. With blinding tears he returned alone to Gethsemane and prostrated himself where he had seen his Saviour prostrated in great agony with bloody sweat forced from His pores. There he remembered that he had been asleep while Jesus prayed, and with heart broken his penitential tears moistened the sod stained with the sweat drops of God's dear Son. He left the garden a converted man, humbled and fitted to pity the tempted, sympathize with the weak and erring, caution and warn the presumptuous, and strengthen his brethren.
Loss and Call to Watch
On His third return after being strengthened by an angel from heaven He found them sleeping again. They were only a short distance away where they had heard the strong cries from His lips, and they had prayed for a while with no intent to forsake Him, but a stupor of sleep paralyzed their senses that they could have shaken off by continuing to plead with God. They looked with terror and amazement on His face marked with blood and marred more than the sons of men. In His hour of trial they soon fell asleep and left Him to face the powers of darkness alone while He suffered in prayer, without the comfort He would have found in their prayer and steadfast faith. They had not heeded His repeated command and warning to watch and pray so as not to enter into temptation, and did not understand that watchfulness and earnest prayer were needed to resist Satan's temptations; if they had heeded it sleep would not have stupefied their senses and they would have been partakers with Him in His suffering. He roused them and urged them to rise, watch, and pray so they would not enter into temptation.
Their drowsiness and stupor kept them from hearing Him and from fully recognizing the angels' presence and the power and glory of the scene. They therefore missed evidence that could have strengthened them for the trials ahead, dimly sensing the angels yet losing what would have helped them. The verse thus illustrates the need for prayer and communion with God to receive spiritual help and heavenly instruction. Those most in need of divine instruction may miss it when they fail to remain in communion with heaven.
He rose from prayer before His crucifixion to see whether they understood what He was passing through, and finding them asleep exposes such unwatchfulness. He had come seeking their sympathy as He faced the cup of separation from His Father while bearing sin, and their sleep becomes a warning against spiritual sleep: believers must wake, remain spiritually alert and close to God in times of crisis, and be ready to trust God. Those entrusted with care for others are warned not to sleep through their responsibility, but to help keep people from falling under Satan's temptation and to pursue perfection of character. He often prayed alone in anguish of spirit pleading with His Father, and His followers too may experience deep spiritual anguish and pour out earnest prayer to God. Such dark seasons do not drive true Christians away from Him.