MPV Commentary

39. Jesus went as He usually did to this place.

40. The location was the Garden of Gethsemane on the west side of Jerusalem. When we compare all the accounts of this event, it appears that Jesus took nine of the Twelve and left them there while He went to pray elsewhere. He then took Peter, James, and John with Him and began to feel overwhelmed with sorrow and anxiety, saying, "My soul is consumed with grief even to death." He asked them to stay and keep watch with Him.

However, Jesus soon felt that even their presence was too much for Him, so He withdrew from them about a stone's throw away. He knelt down and prayed the most poignant prayer (Mark 14:36), asking if it were possible for the cup of His impending death to pass from Him. If not, He said, "Your will be done." This implies that in itself, the prospect of death was so repulsive that only because it was God's will would Jesus be willing to endure it.

an abstract and a relative view. In one view, death was revolting; in the other, it was welcome as part of God's plan. By expressing His feelings about the former, Jesus shows His deep connection with humanity; by affirming the latter, He demonstrates His complete submission to God.

After this prayer, Jesus experienced a temporary respite from His anguish and returned to Peter, James, and John. However, finding them asleep, He gently rebuked them, especially Peter (Mark 14:37-38). Then, Jesus went back to pray, falling on the ground and repeating the same words but with a different emphasis: "If this cup cannot pass from Me" (Matthew 26:42), indicating that He understood God's will and was willing to accept it. "Your will be done!" He exclaimed.

Again, Jesus returned to find them sleeping, worn out by their sorrow and anxiety. He warned them as before but also offered a kind interpretation of their behavior, distinguishing between their willing spirits and weak flesh. Once more, Jesus withdrew to pray alone, and His emotions intensified, threatening to overwhelm Him.

To sustain Him for this final struggle, an angel appeared from heaven to strengthen Him (not to provide comfort or insight). Jesus' prayer became even more intense, and His sweat fell to the ground in great drops of blood. This was not a sacrificial offering but rather the internal conflict between His human nature and His indomitable will.

In this moment, Jesus cried out again, "If it must be, Your will be done!" And with that, the agony passed. He had anticipated and overcome His final struggle, securing victory on the cross. The outcome of Gethsemane was clear: "I will suffer" – a resolve that would ultimately lead to the triumphant cry, "It is finished!"

At the end of this scene, Jesus found Peter, James, and John still asleep, exhausted from their sorrow and anxiety. He bid them to sleep on, saying, "The hour has come; the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners." As He spoke, Judas approached with his armed band. Thus, they proved to be poor comforters, broken reeds, and Jesus was left alone in His work, with no one from the people to support Him.