Mark 14:32-37

In Gethsemane Jesus Faces Up To What Lies Ahead As He Prepares For The Cross (14:32-42).

As the hour approached Jesus was becoming more and more aware of the appalling nature of the trial that lay before Him. It was not death He feared, but the awful cup from which He must drink, the cup of the wine of the wrath of God poured out without mixture into the cup of His indignation (Revelation 14:10).

Analysis.

a And they come to an enclosed place which was named Gethsemane, and He says to His disciples, “You sit here, while I pray” (Mark 14:32).

b And He takes with him Peter, and James and John and began to be filled with great awe and to be in anguish (Mark 14:33).

c And He says to them, “My soul is filled with deep sorrow even to death. You remain here and watch” (Mark 14:34).

d And He went forward a small distance and fell on the ground, and prayed that if it were possible the hour might pass away from Him. And He said, “Abba, Father. All things are possible to you. Remove this cup from me. However not as I will, but as you will” (Mark 14:35).

e And He comes and finds them sleeping and says to Peter, “Simon, are you sleeping? Could you not watch one hour. Watch and pray that you enter not into testing. The spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weak” (Mark 14:37).

d And again He went away and prayed, saying the same words, and again He came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy. And they did not know what to answer Him (Mark 14:39).

c And He comes the third time and says to them, “Sleep on now and take your rest” (Mark 14:41 a).

b “It is received. The hour is come. Behold the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners” (Mark 14:41 b).

a “Arise, let us advance to meet them, look, he who betrays me is at hand” (Mark 14:42).

Note that in ‘a' the disciples are to sit there while He goes to pray, and in the parallel they are to rise because the time has come. In ‘b' He is filled with great awe and anguish even to death, and in the parallel He is betrayed into the hands of sinners. In ‘c' He calls on the three to remain and watch, and in the parallel He informs them that they can now sleep on and rest. In ‘d' He goes off and prays, and in the parallel He does the same. Centrally in ‘e' He comes back and finds them sleeping and gently rebukes them.