39 And he came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him. 40 And when he came to the place, he said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” 41 And he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, 42 saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” 43 And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. 44 And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.1 45 And when he rose from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping for sorrow, 46 and he said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation.”
Section Overview
Jesus has warned the disciples of spiritual battles, and now one of the greatest battles in history ensues at the Mount of Olives. Luke does not tell us that it occurs in the garden of Gethsemane but simply calls it “the place.” The paragraph is framed by the admonition to the disciples to pray that they would not enter temptation. Meanwhile, Jesus himself enters the greatest trial and temptation of his life. Moving a bit away from the disciples, he prays to God as his Father, asking him to remove the cup of suffering from him. Still, he resigns himself to the Father’s will in the whole matter. The verses about an angel’s strengthening him are disputed but are probably original. The temptation is so intense that Jesus requires divine assistance.
Section Outline
V. Death and Resurrection in Jerusalem (19:28–24:53) . . .
E. Arrest and Trial (22:39–23:25)
1. The Arrest (22:39–65)
a. Pray Not to Enter Temptation (22:39–46)
Response
Hudson Taylor was known for his prayer life, and he was used mightily by God because he depended on God for strength and perseverance. We may feel as if we are doing nothing when we pray, but prayer reveals whether we are trusting in the Lord or in ourselves. When we pray, we show that we know we are prone to wander and need divine enabling to endure.
Jesus, of course, is our supreme exemplar, as he gives himself entirely to God’s will as he faces the cross, the greatest evil and suffering the world has ever known and will ever know. We can take comfort that Jesus is like us, that he is flesh and blood, that he did not want to suffer, that he hoped the cross could be avoided. We have a Savior who knows what it is like to be tempted in every arena of life (Heb. 2:18; 4:14–16). We have a God who knows what it is like to be human, who knows what we feel when we suffer. No one can say that our God in Jesus Christ does not know what it is like to suffer, that he does not know what we are experiencing. Jesus, as the Son of God, has suffered more than all of us.
We see from these verses that the disciples are sleeping because their hearts are filled with grief. Sometimes, when a spiritual battle rages, we are filled with sadness and despair. We withdraw from life and sleep instead to avoid life’s pain. Sometimes what we need above all is sleep; we should not apply this text simplistically. At the same time, Jesus reminds the disciples that sleep and withdrawal are not the pathway to victory. We must depend upon God to help us in our hour of need, realizing that we can make it by only his power, not ours.