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NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Mar_14:32-42
32They came to a place named Gethsemane; and He said to His disciples, "Sit here until I have prayed." 33And He took with Him Peter and James and John, and began to be very distressed and troubled. 34And He said to them, "My soul is deeply grieved to the point of death; remain here and keep watch." 35And He went a little beyond them, and fell to the ground and began to pray that if it were possible, the hour might pass Him by. 36And He was saying, "Abba! Father! All things are possible for You; remove this cup from Me; yet not what I will, but what You will." 37And He came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, "Simon, are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour? 38Keep watching and praying that you may not come into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." 39Again He went away and prayed, saying the same words. 40And again He came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy; and they did not know what to answer Him. 41And He came the third time, and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? It is enough; the hour has come; behold, the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. 42Get up, let us be going; behold, the one who betrays Me is at hand!"
Mar_14:32 "Gethsemane" "Gethsemane" means "oil press" in Hebrew. It apparently was a private garden just outside the city limits of Jerusalem on the Mount of Olives. It was illegal to have gardens within the city because the manure needed for the plants made the city ceremonially unclean. Apparently Jesus came to this garden quite often. It is even possible that during Passion Week He bivouacked here with His disciples. Judas knew the place well.
▣ "'Sit here until I have prayed'" In the parallels in Mat_26:41 and Luk_22:40 Jesus asks them to pray that they would not enter into temptation.
Mar_14:33 "He took with Him Peter and James and John" This was the inner circle of leadership among the disciples. They were present with Jesus on several special occasions when the other disciples were not. Apparently this led to both special training and jealousy on the part of the other disciples. Exactly why Jesus had an inner circle is uncertain. The list of the Twelve is always in four groupings of three. The groups never change. It is possible that the groups formed a rotating schedule for the disciples to go home periodically and check on their families. See Special Topic at Mar_3:16.
NASB "began to be very distressed and troubled"
NKJV "he began to be troubled and deeply distressed"
NRSV "began to be distressed and agitated"
TEV "Distress and anguish came over him"
NJB "he began to feel terror and anguish"
Jesus was in a deep state of anxiety! These are strong terms in Greek. As modern readers we are on very holy ground here in the garden as we see the Son of God in what may have been His most vulnerable human moment. Jesus must have related this account to His disciples after His resurrection. Apparently it was meant to be helpful for those who face temptation and for those who seek to understand the agony and cost of Jesus' Calvary experience.
▣ "'My soul is deeply grieved to the point of death'" This is an astonishingly emphatic statement of concern, fear, and grief on Jesus' part. Although the text itself does not provide the reason, it seems that what Jesus feared was the disruption in the intimate fellowship He had always known with the Father. This is characterized by Jesus' words in Mar_15:34. This is one of the most human moments we are allowed to witness in Jesus' struggle of faith.
This was an Old Testament idiom (cf. Psa_42:5) which expressed the tremendous intensity which was involved in the redemption of sinful mankind. All of Psalms 42 reflects Jesus' experience of rejection and death as does Psalms 22. Something of the struggle can be seen in the parallel of Luk_22:43-44 (although the UBS4 rates their omission "A" [certain]) , which records that an angel came to minister to Him and He sweat great drops of blood. The victory over the evil one was won here in the garden. The insidiousness of Satan's temptation in Matthew 4 and of Peter's supposedly helpful, but extremely destructive, comments in Mat_16:22, are fully revealed in this passage.
▣ "'remain here and keep watch'" This is an aorist active imperative followed by a present active imperative. They were on guard duty watching for Judas and the mob, but they fell asleep!
Mar_14:35 "fell to the ground and began to pray" These are two imperfects. Usually this tense means continual action in past time, but it is obvious this cannot be what is meant here. The other typical usage of this Greek verb tense is the beginning of an action in past time. Praying prostrate shows the intense emotion.
Mar_14:35 "'if it were possible'" This is a first class conditional, which is assumed to be true from the author's perspective. Jesus knew YHWH was able to do anything (cf. Mar_14:36, "all things are possible for You!").
▣ "the hour"
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▣ "the hour might pass Him by" This is an aorist active subjunctive. Jesus is asserting that YHWH is able to do anything and Jesus is hoping that He might be spared the cross (cf. Mar_14:36). This was exactly Satan's temptations in the wilderness, cf. James Stewart's The Life and Teaching of Jesus Christ, pp.39-46). From Mat_26:39; Mat_26:42; Mat_26:44 and Mar_14:39; Mar_14:41 we learn that Jesus prayed this same prayer three times, which was a Jewish way of showing intensity.
Mar_14:36 "'Abba'" This is Aramaic for the familiar term that children call their fathers at home, dad, daddy, pop, papa, etc. Jesus knew family intimacy with YHWH (cf. Heb_1:2; Heb_3:6; Heb_5:8; Heb_7:28). His death will provide this intimacy to us.
This context is the only time the Aramaic word Abba is used (i.e., in the Greek text) by Jesus. Jesus reveals the intense struggle He faced in this moment of fleshly temptation (i.e., He describes His intense emotions; He fell on the ground; He prayed three times). Here He played His trump card, His best chance of changing the Father's mind about Calvary. He calls YHWH by the most intimate family term! But still every prayer was concluded with "not my will, but Thine." God the Father demonstrates His love for fallen humanity by not responding to Jesus' expressed will. There needed to be an ultimate sacrifice for sin, but it was not easy or without great cost, emotionally and physically, for Jesus and for the Father!
Jesus knows us because He knows all the temptations of humanity (yet without sin). Fear and terror and discouragement and disillusionment are not sin! The victory was won at Gethsemane.
▣ "'Father'" The Gospel of Mark often uses Aramaic words and phrases (cf. Mar_3:17; Mar_5:41; Mar_7:34; Mar_14:36; Mar_15:34). Aramaic would have been the spoken language of Jesus and the disciples. Mark translates each of these, which shows he was not writing for Jewish readers, but Gentile readers, probably Romans because of all the Latin terms and phrases found in Mark. See Special Topic: Father at Mar_13:32.
▣ "'this cup'" This was an OT metaphor for one's destiny (cf. Psa_16:5; Psa_23:5; Jer_51:2; Mat_20:22). It was usually used in a judgmental (i.e., negative) sense (cf. Psa_11:6; Psa_75:8; Isa_51:17; Isa_51:22; Jer_25:15-16; Jer_25:27-28; Jer_49:12; Lam_4:21; Eze_23:31-33; Hab_2:16). This idiom is often associated with drunkenness, which is another OT metaphor for judgment (cf. Job_21:20; Isa_29:9; Isa_63:6; Jer_25:15-16; Jer_25:27-28). Jesus wants out! Fear is not sin. He faced fear with faith; so must we!
▣ "'yet not what I will, but what You will'" The pronouns "I" and "You" are in the emphatic position in the Greek. This was Jesus' continuing submission to the Father's will. In this context the true humanity and faith of Jesus shines forth! Though His human nature cries out for deliverance, His heart is set on fulfilling the will of the Father in substitutionary atonement (cf. Mar_10:45; Mat_26:39).
Mar_14:37; Mar_14:40 "found them sleeping" These disciples had also fallen asleep during the Transfiguration (cf. Mat_26:43 and Luk_9:32). They were not evil or even thoughtless, but human! Before we are too quick to condemn the disciples, let's note that in Luk_22:45 the phrase "they were asleep from sorrow" describes that they were unable to bear the pain of Jesus' prophecy about His own death and their subsequent scattering. Though Jesus longed to have human fellowship and intercession at this time of ultimate crisis in His life, He had to face this moment alone, and He faced it for all believers!
Mar_14:37 "'Simon'" This is the only time Jesus calls him "Simon" since He renamed him in Mar_3:16. The rock (i.e., Peter) was anything but stable, sure, and trustworthy. Peter must have remembered this "reverse" name change with great pain. I am sure that he got the message!
Mar_14:38 "'Keep watching and praying'" This is a Present active imperative and a present middle (deponent) imperative. The following context reveals the enemy.
▣ "'that you may not come into temptation'" There have been several theories as to what "temptation" refers to in this context:
1. Jesus' immediate prophecy in Mar_14:27
2. to the disciples sleeping instead of praying, Mar_14:37; Mar_14:40
3. to the disciples desertion of Jesus in Mar_14:56
4. to Peter's denial in Mar_14:69-72
5. to governmental or religious trials (cf. Mat_5:10-12; Joh_9:22; Joh_16:2)
The term "temptation" (peirasmos) had the connotation of "to tempt or try with the goal of destruction" (cf. Mat_6:13; Luk_11:4; Jas_1:13). It is often contrasted with another Greek term for test (dokimazo) which had the connotation of "to try or tempt with a view toward strengthening." However, these connotations are not always present in every context. Theologically it can be said that God does not test or tempt His children to destroy them, but He does provide opportunities for spiritual growth through trials (cf. Gen_22:1; Exo_16:4; Exo_20:20; Duet. Mar_8:2; Mar_8:16; Matthew 4; Luke 4; Heb_5:8). However, He always provides a way through (cf. 1Co_10:13). See Special Topic: Greek Terms for Testing at Mar_1:13.
▣ "'the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak'" This may be a comment on Peter's and the other disciples' words in Mar_14:29; Mar_14:31. Jesus understands this tension completely (cf. Mar_14:36).
The use of "spirit" in connection with mankind's human spirit speaks of our inner life and thoughts (cf. Psa_51:10; Psa_51:12; Psa_51:17).
In Paul's writings "spirit" is often contrasted with "flesh" (cf. Rom_8:1-11).
Mar_14:40 "they did not know what to answer Him" They had no explainable reason (cf. Mar_9:6) except the weakness of the flesh (cf. Luk_9:32).
Mar_14:41 "'Are you still sleeping and resting'" It is hard to interpret this Greek idiom. Is it a question? Is it irony? Is it a statement? Although the meaning is uncertain, it is obvious that Jesus has won the victory and He now stands erect, ready to face the night trials, the morning beatings and the crucifixion.
▣ "It is enough" This term caused several scribal changes in the Greek manuscript tradition. Does this phrase refer to the disciples' sleep? It can be translated (1) "it is enough"; (2) "it is settled"; or (3) "it is over" (cf. NJB "it is all over"). It was used in the Koine Greek papyri found in Egypt of something paid in full (cf. Moulton and Milligan, The Vocabulary of the Greek New Testament, pp. 57-58). This, then, would be something of a parallel to Joh_19:30, "it is finished" or "it is paid in full." Possibly it refers to Judas and his betrayal, which must have weighed heavily on Jesus. Jesus won the spiritual victory in Gethsemane!
Mar_14:41-42 These staccato statements are emphasized by having no conjunctions or connectors (asyndeton) between them. The events were unfolding just as Jesus had predicted. The hour had come.
▣ "the hour has come" See Special Topic at Mar_14:35.
▣ "'betrayed'" This term (paradidômi) normally means "delivered into the hands of" (cf. Mar_9:31), but its connection with Judas in most English translations intensify the meaning of "betray." See fuller note at Mar_14:10 d.