Jesus Prays While the Disciples Sleep in GethsemaneBible World
22:46Luke 22:46
And said unto them, Why sleep ye? rise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation.
In Gethsemane Jesus left His disciples with the charge to watch and pray with Him, went a little way off and knelt pleading for the cup to be removed yet for the Father's will to be done, was strengthened by an angel while praying more earnestly with sweat as great drops of blood, then returned to find them sleeping for sorrow in the hour when the destiny of a lost world hung in the balance. In that agony He bore the guilt and terrible weight of the sins of the whole world, the sinless One treated as a sinner that sinners might be treated as innocent, giving in all His suffering an example of absolute submission of His will to God. His command to rise and pray warns that watchfulness and earnest prayer are necessary to gain strength not to enter into temptation, because though the spirit is willing weak human flesh can overcome faithfulness, and only refuge in God can withstand Satan. Their sleep came from a drowsiness they could have shaken off by pleading with God, but by sleeping they missed the spiritual strength, instruction and communion they needed for the trial ahead, so that Peter relied on his own strength and denied his Lord, though afterward he returned to the place of prayer in true contrition and was reconverted to strengthen his brethren. While they slept He prayed that they be kept from evil and strengthened for coming duties, teaching all followers to pray continually and remain in constant connection with God for help and light, and warning those who care for souls never to be spiritually asleep but to live watchfully to help others resist temptation.
Christ's Agony in Gethsemane
The words were spoken in the Garden of Gethsemane in His agony, after leaving the disciples with the charge to watch and pray with Him and going about a stone's cast away to kneel and pray for the cup to be removed yet for the Father's will to be done. He was strengthened by an angel from heaven and prayed more earnestly with sweat as great drops of blood falling to the ground, then rose and returned to find the disciples sleeping for sorrow and charged them to rise and pray so they would not enter into temptation. It was the hour when the destiny of a lost world hung in the balance, when refusal to drink the cup would have meant eternal ruin to the human race, revealing what the Son of God passed through that people might not perish but have everlasting life.
In that agony He bore the guilt of humanity and felt the terrible weight of sin, and must seek strength through prayer so as not to enter into temptation. God permitted the most fearful strain ever brought upon a human being to come upon His Son, and that strain cannot be exceeded because He was bearing the sins of the whole world. The sinless Son was treated as a sinner so sinful human beings might be treated as innocent, wounded for transgressions and bruised for iniquities, with the chastisement of peace upon Him bringing healing. In all that suffering He gives an example of absolute submission to the divine will, having laid off His royal robe and kingly crown and clothed divinity with humanity to live a sinless life and make atonement, consenting to take a human body though He could have refused the humiliation and surrendering His will to the will of God.
He often prayed alone there pleading with His Father, and withdrew to pray apart while the disciples stayed behind. That prayer was before His betrayal and execution. Such darkness should not drive true followers away from Him, for they too will face seasons of deep spiritual anguish and pour out earnest prayer to God.
The disciples with Him included James, John, and Peter, the favored three brought into closest relationship with Him and His chief witnesses afterward. They were the same three who saw His transfiguration and beheld Him glorified. John was thus permitted to witness His agony as he had witnessed His glory on the mount.
They were accustomed to sleeping nearby while He prayed in this garden, so His withdrawal to pray did not surprise them. They were only a short distance away and heard His cries and prayed as they heard His suffering, and they did not mean to forsake Him. Yet when He returned to them the third time after being strengthened by an angel, they were found sleeping and looked with terror and amazement on His face marked with blood and disfigured beyond human likeness.
He longed for sympathy and companionship and had hoped to find them awake and able to offer Him a word of sympathy. But they fell asleep while He endured His hour of trial, leaving Him to face the powers of darkness without their watchful support. Their sleep illustrates spiritual sleep, and calls believing Christians to wakefulness.
He foresaw for them His betrayal, His agony in Gethsemane, and His crucifixion as their most trying ordeal. He knew who among His followers were unbelieving and who were of weak faith, weak in character, and undecided. He deliberately brought about an earlier crisis that turned many away while He was still present to comfort and strengthen His chosen and prepare them for what was to follow. He did this so that when He was betrayed and condemned, humiliated and reviled by the multitude crying for crucifixion, the faint-hearted would already be gone and the faithful few would not sink beneath fear and disappointment, be overwhelmed with surprise, be carried away by professed followers turning from Him, or hang faith on the opinions of others.
Prayer Against Entering Temptation
The command to rise and pray is a warning to seek strength through prayer so as not to enter into temptation, for watchfulness and earnest prayer are necessary to resist temptation because willing spirits are hindered by weak human flesh that can overcome willingness to remain faithful. Prayer and watchfulness are needed to withstand Satan's temptations and to seek refuge in God through earnest prayer, yet the disciples slept despite repeated warnings, unaware of their need. Their sleep came from a stupor and drowsiness they could have shaken off if they had kept pleading with God, and if they had obeyed His command they would never have let sleep dull their senses but would have shared with Him in His suffering.
That drowsiness kept them from hearing Him and receiving the spiritual help, strengthening evidence, divine instruction, and communion with God they needed before the terrible scenes and trials ahead. It left them with only a dim awareness of the angels' presence and unable to take in the scene. Prayer would have strengthened them to witness His agony, understand His sufferings, death, and resurrection, remember His teaching that He would die and rise again, hold on to hope, withstand the trial, and remain with Him; instead Peter relied on his own weak strength and denied his Lord.
Peter's sleep left him unready and he denied Jesus in His humiliation and grief, but afterward he returned to the very place where Jesus had lain and prostrated himself where his Saviour had been prostrated. He remembered that he had been asleep during those prayers, and wept in true contrition with blinding, penitential tears until his heart broke. He left reconverted and humbled, ready to pity the tempted, able to sympathize with the weak and erring, to caution and warn the presumptuous, and fully fitted to strengthen his brethren. While they slept He prayed that they be kept from evil influences and strengthened for coming duties and trials, teaching followers, including ministers, to turn to God in earnest, frequent prayer for strength in times of distress.
Because daily temptations make it necessary, believers must pray continually and remain in constant connection with God for help, light, strength, and knowledge, especially when facing trial, lest those needing divine help miss it by failing to remain in communion with heaven. The scene warns those responsible for caring for souls not to be spiritually asleep but to live watchfully so they can help others resist Satan's temptation, and it applies the disciples' sleep to spiritual unpreparedness in a time of crisis, stressing the need to remain closely connected with God. His example teaches that true followers will also face seasons of deep spiritual anguish and pour out earnest prayer to God, and such darkness should not drive them away from Him.
In Gethsemane Jesus left His disciples with the charge to watch and pray with Him, went a little way off and knelt pleading for the cup to be removed yet for the Father's will to be done, was strengthened by an angel while praying more earnestly with sweat as great drops of blood, then returned to find them sleeping for sorrow in the hour when the destiny of a lost world hung in the balance. In that agony He bore the guilt and terrible weight of the sins of the whole world, the sinless One treated as a sinner that sinners might be treated as innocent, giving in all His suffering an example of absolute submission of His will to God. His command to rise and pray warns that watchfulness and earnest prayer are necessary to gain strength not to enter into temptation, because though the spirit is willing weak human flesh can overcome faithfulness, and only refuge in God can withstand Satan. Their sleep came from a drowsiness they could have shaken off by pleading with God, but by sleeping they missed the spiritual strength, instruction and communion they needed for the trial ahead, so that Peter relied on his own strength and denied his Lord, though afterward he returned to the place of prayer in true contrition and was reconverted to strengthen his brethren. While they slept He prayed that they be kept from evil and strengthened for coming duties, teaching all followers to pray continually and remain in constant connection with God for help and light, and warning those who care for souls never to be spiritually asleep but to live watchfully to help others resist temptation.
Christ's Agony in Gethsemane
The words were spoken in the Garden of Gethsemane in His agony, after leaving the disciples with the charge to watch and pray with Him and going about a stone's cast away to kneel and pray for the cup to be removed yet for the Father's will to be done. He was strengthened by an angel from heaven and prayed more earnestly with sweat as great drops of blood falling to the ground, then rose and returned to find the disciples sleeping for sorrow and charged them to rise and pray so they would not enter into temptation. It was the hour when the destiny of a lost world hung in the balance, when refusal to drink the cup would have meant eternal ruin to the human race, revealing what the Son of God passed through that people might not perish but have everlasting life.
In that agony He bore the guilt of humanity and felt the terrible weight of sin, and must seek strength through prayer so as not to enter into temptation. God permitted the most fearful strain ever brought upon a human being to come upon His Son, and that strain cannot be exceeded because He was bearing the sins of the whole world. The sinless Son was treated as a sinner so sinful human beings might be treated as innocent, wounded for transgressions and bruised for iniquities, with the chastisement of peace upon Him bringing healing. In all that suffering He gives an example of absolute submission to the divine will, having laid off His royal robe and kingly crown and clothed divinity with humanity to live a sinless life and make atonement, consenting to take a human body though He could have refused the humiliation and surrendering His will to the will of God.
He often prayed alone there pleading with His Father, and withdrew to pray apart while the disciples stayed behind. That prayer was before His betrayal and execution. Such darkness should not drive true followers away from Him, for they too will face seasons of deep spiritual anguish and pour out earnest prayer to God.
The disciples with Him included James, John, and Peter, the favored three brought into closest relationship with Him and His chief witnesses afterward. They were the same three who saw His transfiguration and beheld Him glorified. John was thus permitted to witness His agony as he had witnessed His glory on the mount.
They were accustomed to sleeping nearby while He prayed in this garden, so His withdrawal to pray did not surprise them. They were only a short distance away and heard His cries and prayed as they heard His suffering, and they did not mean to forsake Him. Yet when He returned to them the third time after being strengthened by an angel, they were found sleeping and looked with terror and amazement on His face marked with blood and disfigured beyond human likeness.
He longed for sympathy and companionship and had hoped to find them awake and able to offer Him a word of sympathy. But they fell asleep while He endured His hour of trial, leaving Him to face the powers of darkness without their watchful support. Their sleep illustrates spiritual sleep, and calls believing Christians to wakefulness.
He foresaw for them His betrayal, His agony in Gethsemane, and His crucifixion as their most trying ordeal. He knew who among His followers were unbelieving and who were of weak faith, weak in character, and undecided. He deliberately brought about an earlier crisis that turned many away while He was still present to comfort and strengthen His chosen and prepare them for what was to follow. He did this so that when He was betrayed and condemned, humiliated and reviled by the multitude crying for crucifixion, the faint-hearted would already be gone and the faithful few would not sink beneath fear and disappointment, be overwhelmed with surprise, be carried away by professed followers turning from Him, or hang faith on the opinions of others.
Prayer Against Entering Temptation
The command to rise and pray is a warning to seek strength through prayer so as not to enter into temptation, for watchfulness and earnest prayer are necessary to resist temptation because willing spirits are hindered by weak human flesh that can overcome willingness to remain faithful. Prayer and watchfulness are needed to withstand Satan's temptations and to seek refuge in God through earnest prayer, yet the disciples slept despite repeated warnings, unaware of their need. Their sleep came from a stupor and drowsiness they could have shaken off if they had kept pleading with God, and if they had obeyed His command they would never have let sleep dull their senses but would have shared with Him in His suffering.
That drowsiness kept them from hearing Him and receiving the spiritual help, strengthening evidence, divine instruction, and communion with God they needed before the terrible scenes and trials ahead. It left them with only a dim awareness of the angels' presence and unable to take in the scene. Prayer would have strengthened them to witness His agony, understand His sufferings, death, and resurrection, remember His teaching that He would die and rise again, hold on to hope, withstand the trial, and remain with Him; instead Peter relied on his own weak strength and denied his Lord.
Peter's sleep left him unready and he denied Jesus in His humiliation and grief, but afterward he returned to the very place where Jesus had lain and prostrated himself where his Saviour had been prostrated. He remembered that he had been asleep during those prayers, and wept in true contrition with blinding, penitential tears until his heart broke. He left reconverted and humbled, ready to pity the tempted, able to sympathize with the weak and erring, to caution and warn the presumptuous, and fully fitted to strengthen his brethren. While they slept He prayed that they be kept from evil influences and strengthened for coming duties and trials, teaching followers, including ministers, to turn to God in earnest, frequent prayer for strength in times of distress.
Because daily temptations make it necessary, believers must pray continually and remain in constant connection with God for help, light, strength, and knowledge, especially when facing trial, lest those needing divine help miss it by failing to remain in communion with heaven. The scene warns those responsible for caring for souls not to be spiritually asleep but to live watchfully so they can help others resist Satan's temptation, and it applies the disciples' sleep to spiritual unpreparedness in a time of crisis, stressing the need to remain closely connected with God. His example teaches that true followers will also face seasons of deep spiritual anguish and pour out earnest prayer to God, and such darkness should not drive them away from Him.