NOTES for Mat 26:36-46
36 Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder. |
37 And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. |
38 Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me. |
39 And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. |
40 And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour? |
41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. |
42 He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done. |
43 And he came and found them asleep again: for their eyes were heavy. |
44 And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words. |
45 Then cometh he to his disciples, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. |
46 Rise, let us be going: behold, he is at hand that doth betray me. |
Hide
Entering the garden of Gethsemane, Christ asks very little of the disciples: sympathy, some easing of His ultimate pre-death loneliness. He, who warned us of the need to be ready to bear the cross, does not force it on us at all, since He has already taken the main weight upon Himself. But precisely for this reason He has the right to ask us not even for help, since we have nothing with which to help Him, but for a small yet real compassion. After all, even a drop wears away a stone, and a little mouse can help pull out a huge turnip.
But the disciples dozed off from exhaustion and distress. This is the kind of small thing we understand so well and would easily forgive in ourselves. And as a result the Teacher was left in hopeless darkness. Three times the disciples fell asleep, and one of them was Peter, for whom the threefold drowsiness became a prelude to the threefold denial. Already in Gethsemane he had an opportunity to understand that he should not overestimate his strength at that time. But then he did not yet understand this.
And after all, the Lord does not often demand anything excessive from us; usually what He asks is within our strength. But we ourselves allow the circumstances that have fallen on us, which we ourselves call "excusable," to weaken us. And so we refuse to help Him resist the evil of the world.
Without question, He can manage without us. But will it be easy for us to stand before Him if we did not want to do even the smallest thing He asked of us?
Readings for 9 October 2025
After registering, you can subscribe to any Bible reading plan. Personalized settings and other services for registered users are planned, so we recommend registering now. Registration is free. | ||
