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Mark | 1 -7 | 8-12 | 13:1-13 | 13:14-27 | 13:28-37 | 14:1-9 | 14:10-21 | 14:22-31 | 14:32-52 | 14:53-72 | 15:1-20 | 15:21-41 | 15:42-47 | 16 | PDF | Test and Certificate |

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Mark 14:32-52 – Jesus’ Prayer in Gethsemane and Arrest

Outline

I. Jesus and the disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane (32-42)
II. Jesus is arrested (43-52)

I. Jesus and the disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane (32-42)

Discussion Questions

• What task did Jesus give to the disciples?
• What extra task did He give to Peter, James, and John?
• How would you describe Jesus’ emotions and state of mind in the garden on the eve of His death?
• What words are used in the passage to describe how He felt?
• How does He describe His own feelings? What did Jesus do to deal with these feelings?
• How can we understand Jesus asking for “this cup” to be removed from Him?
• Did the disciples adequately carry out the task Jesus had given them? What was the problem?
• How did Jesus react to their failure?
• What lessons do we learn from Jesus in this passage?
• How does this passage give you a deeper understanding of Jesus? The cross?
• Since He is God, why did pain or death bother Him? Was He not immune to pain?
• What lessons do we learn from the disciples?
• Do you face the same struggles as the disciples did? In what kind of situations? How can we be victorious even when our flesh is weak?

Cross-References

Luke 22:39-46 – Parallel passage. Angel strengthens Jesus.

Romans 7 – Paul faces the struggle of doing what he doesn’t want to do.

1 Corinthians 9:27 – But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.

Matthew 6:13 – And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Psalms 119:35-37 – Lead me in the path of your commandments, for I delight in it. Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain! Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways.

1 Corinthians 16:13 – Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.

1 Peter 5:8 – Be sober and vigilant because the devil is like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour.

Hebrews 4:15 – For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.

Verse by Verse Commentary

Introduction

My kids have a daily schedule printed out and hanging on their door. It starts off with, “Wake up, make bed, brush teeth, eat breakfast…” After preparing this sermon, I realized their daily schedule should read, “Wake up, make bed, prepare for battle, brush teeth, eat breakfast.”

Are you prepared for battle?

No matter how young or old you are, you will face a battle every day. You will face a battle as you face temptation. You will face a battle between your spirit, which wants to serve God and your flesh. In today’s passage, we will see that Jesus faced a similar battle. We get an amazing glimpse into Jesus’ mind as He faces perhaps the biggest temptation, the biggest battle of His life. We will see the model Jesus gives us for victory. And we will also see how the disciples responded when they faced a battle against temptation of their own.

1. Jesus asked the disciples to keep watch and pray –

Jesus was about to face the most intense battle of His life. In some sense, He was alone and would face it alone. But at least on this night, He had the disciples with Him and they were to provide prayer support. Jesus clearly valued their prayer support.

Jesus then went further into the garden, taking only His inner three, Peter, James, and John. These three were closer to Jesus. He revealed more to them and gave them more responsibilities.

2. Jesus’ humanity –

He was greatly distressed and troubled.

Mark 14:33-34 – And he took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be greatly distressed and troubled. And he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Remain here and watch.”

This passage shows us Jesus’ humanity very clearly. We often highlight Jesus’ divinity, sometimes to the point of overlooking the fact that He was a human like you and me. Jesus was not carved out of a rock, stoic and emotionless.

Many cults have a distorted view of Jesus. Some of them minimize Jesus’ humanity, claiming Jesus was only a spirit and His body was merely a shell or not even real at all. But look at Jesus. He is extremely troubled.

Luke 22:44 – And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.

He is troubled to the point that He sweat blood. This is a very rare condition called hematidrosis and it has been observed by doctors on occasion when people face extreme distress. So why was Jesus so troubled? He knows the sheer amount of pain and suffering He is going to face. In the Garden of Gethsemane, we see Jesus facing the consequences of choosing to become a human. Philippians 2 describes how Jesus gave up His divine rights and willingly became a human, even when He knew it would lead to death on a cross. Jesus’ becoming a human was always leading to this very point in time when He would take on the suffering of the world. He knew this very clearly.

John 2:4 – And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.”

He knew this hour was coming.

But this knowledge did not make it easier. This knowledge made it more difficult. There is a saying that “ignorance is bliss.” If Jesus did not know in detail what was going to happen to Him, He would not have been so troubled. But He knew. Every scourge of the whip, every hit with the rod, every prick of the crown of thorns, every hateful insult, every hammer of the nails, every bruise, every cut, and the weight of the world’s sin on His shoulders, Jesus knew.

Reflect – Would you be willing to die for your faith?

Saying “yes” and making that decision now in the nice comfort of your home is good. But if Christians started being persecuted and we actually faced torture and death right in front of us, that decision would be much harder to keep. Would we finish the fight? Would we keep the faith? At that moment, doing is harder than saying.

That is the decision Jesus now faced. From eternity past, He could see in crystal clear detail exactly what He would face. Imagine you could view a large high-definition screen of your own suffering and death ahead of time. That’s terrible! To Jesus, His own death and suffering were seen and understood even more clearly than watching an HD video of it.

I believe it is important for us to see Jesus’ humanity here. And the reason is this: Jesus’ victory as a person gives us hope. Jesus was not an alien. Neither was He a robot nor a kind of unfeeling, impersonal superman. He had feelings as we do. He experienced pain as we do. And He experienced temptation as we do.

Matthew 16:22-23 – And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.” But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”

We see the temptation to turn back, even from Peter. Peter tells Jesus that He doesn’t need to die. The literal words in Greek are “God have mercy on you!” Surely the Messiah, the Christ, would not need to suffer! Surely God would not punish His own Son!

Here in the garden, He was also tempted. He was tempted to give in to despair and fear. He was tempted to give up His calling and escape. He faced the same exact battle that we do. Seeing His victory gives us hope. Seeing His example gives us a model.

Hebrews 4:15 – For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.

He was tempted in all ways as we are yet without sin. He understands you. He knows the battle that you are going through. He knows the temptations you face. He knows the inner struggles that you have that no one knows about. He understands the doubts and fears and worries that swirl through your mind. He sympathizes with you. And He wants to help you if you will turn to Him.

Reflect – What are some of the reasons why Jesus was so distressed?

• His close friend was about to betray Him for money, even after being warned.
• His disciples would flee and even deny they knew Him.
• They would come to arrest Him like a common criminal, fully equipped with clubs and weapons of every kind.
• Jesus would be mocked and publicly ridiculed.
• People who hailed Him as the Messiah would turn against Him and demand His crucifixion.
• He would be mercilessly beaten and tortured.
• He would be wrongfully brutally murdered.
• He would face separation from His Father.
• His Father, whom He had perfect and eternal fellowship with, would pour His wrath out on Him.
• Jesus would be punished for the sins of the world, innocent, He would become sin for us.

3. Jesus’ response to His feelings –

Jesus prayed.

Jesus’ prayer is a model. His life is a message from God to us. Here, He shows us how to respond to stress. He responded by praying. Jesus is the living manifestation of what obedience to God’s Word looks like in action.

Jesus lived out Scriptural principles like Philippians 4:6.

Philippians 4:6 – Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

Jesus was distressed. He prayed. And after His prayer, He was able to face the most horrific suffering ever known with complete calmness and serenity.

Application – When you face stress or worry, what do you do? Do you pace back and forth? Do you lie in bed awake at night, tossing and turning? Do you turn to chocolate or other comfort foods?

Next time you are worried, go to a quiet place. Put aside distractions. Quiet your heart. And spend time in prayer. Keep praying until your worry is replaced with peace.

Jesus’ prayer was relational. He said, “Abba, Father!” His relationship with the Father was close and intimate. He had access to the throne room at any time. We, too, can call God our Father and have the same access.

Jesus’ prayer was intentional. We don’t know all of the words Jesus said. He may have said more than what is recorded here. However, we do see that Jesus was focused and clear in His request. He makes a very clear request seen in verse 36, “All things are possible for you; remove this cup from Me; yet not what I will, but what you will.”

Jesus told His disciples that their prayers should not be overly wordy. Here, He gives us an example of that. He makes a clear, simple request of the Father. He does not try to hide the fact that He is distressed and would prefer another way if any other way is possible. He simply tells God what is in His heart.

Application – God is not more likely to hear just because you talk for a long time. He knows your heart already. When you pray, be clear. If you don’t know what to pray, simply tell God what is in your heart. He knows it already.

Jesus’ prayer was persistent. In verse 39, we see that He prays the same prayer again. He didn’t give up after the first time. He kept praying until He received a clear answer. Jesus practiced what He preached. He told His disciples the parable of the persistent widow and now it is His turn to be persistent. Jesus needed an answer. He needed that peace that passes understanding.

How could He go through the next day facing all that He would if there was any doubt? And how could He get through all of the suffering without that calm inner peace? And that brings us to our next and very important point.

Application – Prayer prepares us for the battles we have to face. Prayer is often misunderstood to be simply a tool to get what we want.

People who understand prayer as a means to getting what they want may become bitter and angry when they don’t get it.

Did Jesus get what He wanted? Did His prayer change God’s plans? The answer is “No.” It did not.

Jesus, the Son of God, 100% God, did not get what He asked for in prayer. God said, “No” to Him. And if God said “No” to Jesus, He may very well say, “No” to you sometimes. This does not mean He loves you less. This does not mean He cares for you less. It also does not mean that your prayer is worthless.

So Jesus made a request and God said, “No.” You ask, “How is that prayer not worthless?” “How is that prayer of any use at all?”

I am glad you asked.

This prayer did not change the plan, but it did change the person.

If you are on a boat and toss an anchor to shore and start pulling, you get closer to shore. Is the shore moving or are you moving? You move closer to the shore. Prayer often works like that, moving us in line with God’s will.

Jesus walked away from His prayer changed. He was no longer distressed and troubled. He walked away as a man on a mission. He was resolved. He was assured. He was confident. He knew His Father had a plan and He knew it was a perfect plan. He was ready to face the torture in front of Him without opening His mouth (Isaiah 53:7).

God gave Him peace. This peace is not a mystical or magical formula. This peace is based on truth. It is based on the truth that God’s sovereign plan is perfect, that He is in control.

God may not give you what you ask for, but He will give you what you need to win the battle. In this case, God sent an angel to strengthen Him.

Luke 22:43 – And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him.

4. Jesus submitted His will to the Father’s.

Jesus asked that “this cup” be removed. This cup is the cup of God’s wrath and judgment (Revelation 14:9-10).

Jeremiah 25:15 – Thus the Lord, the God of Israel, said to me: “Take from my hand this cup of the wine of wrath, and make all the nations to whom I send you drink it.

Isaiah 51:17 – Wake yourself, wake yourself, stand up, O Jerusalem, you who have drunk from the hand of the Lord the cup of his wrath, who have drunk to the dregs the bowl, the cup of staggering.

Jesus is going to drink a cup of suffering. It includes the suffering he faces at the hands of men. But it goes far beyond that. He would face the wrath of God. All of God’s anger at sin would be poured out on Him.

Jesus personally wished for a scenario where sin could be dealt with, but He did not need to face the suffering and pain of dying on the cross. At the same time, He does not demand this or refuse to carry out His role. Instead, He says, “if you are willing.” Jesus only wants His prayer answered if it can be answered within God’s perfect, sovereign plan. He only wants His prayer answered if there is another way to accomplish the same objective. This verse alone is enough to show us that the cross is the only way possible to accomplish God’s desire to save us.

Reflect -Why is Jesus on the cross?

He is on the cross because it is the only way of salvation. If there were another way, Jesus would have done that. It was the most horrific and painful experience, physically and spiritually, anyone has suffered. There was no other way (Acts 4:12). He took that cup for you, so that He could offer you fellowship and salvation. What a wonderful Savior we have.

Application – Do you appreciate what Jesus went through for you? If you do appreciate it, how do you show it?

5. The disciples in the garden –

Mark 14:37-41 – And he came and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not watch one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 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. And he came the third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? It is enough; the hour has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.

Reflect – Why did the disciples not obey Jesus in this critical hour of need?

Jesus had always been there for His disciples. Now, He wanted them to be there for Him during this critical hour and they failed. It was not an intentional sin. They were not purposefully rebelling against Jesus. They were likely sincere and wanted to pray. Jesus Himself said that their “spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” They failed because they were weak. Their sleepiness simply overcame them.

Reflect – Could the disciples have prevented this? How could they have stayed awake?

There is always a way out of temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13).

Perhaps if they lay down or reclined to pray, it would be impossible for them to stay awake. But they could have stood up, walked around, pinched themselves, and done jumping jacks. Romans 13:14 tells us to “make no provision for the flesh.”

They should have recognized their weak flesh and not put themselves into a position where failure would almost surely happen.

Why did this happen several times?

Someone once said that the definition of insanity is repeating the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

When Jesus woke them, they probably were a bit embarrassed. They would have made up their minds not to let it happen this time. There is no record that they tried anything different.

How did Jesus react?

While Jesus was disappointed, He didn’t snap at them. Most people in Jesus’ situation would have been very angry, “Here I am about to sacrifice my very life for you wretches and you can’t even stay awake ten minutes! Fine, the whole thing is off. I’m outta here!” But Jesus’ patience is divine. He rebukes them, but it is a gentle rebuke compared to what they deserve. God also treats us more mercifully than we deserve.

Application – We are often like them. How often have we fallen asleep during prayer time? How often do we become distracted while reading the Bible or listening to a sermon?

Make no provision for the flesh. Do whatever is necessary to obey God and avoid temptation, even if it is uncomfortable and inconvenient.

It would not have been comfortable for the disciples to walk around when they were so tired, but if that was what was necessary to obey, they should have done it.

Imagine you have a long day at the office. You come home. It’s late at night. You know you should spend some time praying. So you take a shower. You get dressed for bed. You turn on the air con. You lie in your bed on your comfy pillow and then begin to pray? You are going to go to sleep.

Prepare for battle and make no provision for the flesh.

Here are a few practical suggestions on how to make no provision for the flesh.

• If you are tired and want to pray, pray in the shower instead of in bed!
• Make your quiet time at a time of day when you are fresh and awake.
• If you are tempted to spend too much, don’t carry around credit cards. Just take a bit of cash.
• If you are tempted to sleep in, put the alarm clock across the room.

Reflect – How can you have a higher quality quiet time with the Lord each day?

II. Jesus is arrested (43-52)

Discussion Questions

• What role did Judas play in the arrest?
• Why did the Jewish religious leaders need his help?
• What does this passage show you about Judas?
• What do you learn about Jesus?
• Who cut off the man’s ear? What do we learn of Peter’s character from this?
• Why did they come with swords and clubs to arrest Jesus?
• What Scripture was fulfilled (49)?

Cross-References

John 18:1-14 – More information on Jesus’ arrest, including how his attackers were knocked to the ground by an invisible force.

Verse by Verse Commentary

1. A crowd with swords and clubs – Jesus was not treated with even the slightest respect or dignity, but rather as a common criminal.

2. Whomever I kiss, He is the one –

Proverbs 27:6 – Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy.

Judas kept up appearances until the very end, using a polite and friendly smile to condemn Jesus.

Why was it necessary to show them who Jesus was, since Jesus was famous?

Evidently, there were some in the crowd who couldn’t recognize Jesus. This crowd was likely rabble bought and paid for by the priests and scribes. They would not have been the kind of person who likely would have paid attention to Jesus’ teaching. In that time, there were no photographs, Instagram, or TVs. Many people only knew of Jesus by word of mouth.

3. Peter struck the slave of the high priest and cut off His ear –

John 18:10-11 – Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant and cut off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.) So Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword into its sheath; shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?”

Peter was very protective of Jesus. He often acted quickly, which can be good, but quick action without thinking isn’t always the best idea.

Jesus calmed the situation down by healing the man, showing compassion and mercy even to the end.

4. They all left Him and fled – Even the most devout disciples ran in fear for their lives. Many believe that the young man mentioned in verses 51-52 (he is only mentioned in Mark) is actually Mark.

5. Jesus’ character shines through –

Two things stand out to me about Jesus’ arrest: His determination and His compassion.

He knew what was going to happen in the garden, yet He still went there. He knew what the crowd was coming to do, but He approached them and didn’t hide. He wouldn’t allow His disciples to fight for Him because it was His “cup” to “drink.” He also could have called hundreds of thousands of angels to slaughter His opponents (Matthew 26:53), but He didn’t.

Jesus didn’t accidentally get caught. Yes, the government was against Him and many came to arrest Him, but He wasn’t under their authority. Jesus could have used His power to escape, but He willingly chose to go through with it for our sake. This determination is seen throughout the gospels.

Second, Jesus’ compassion stands out. If anyone had cause to be bitter, it was Jesus. His friend betrayed Him. The people He had given His life to help and serve came against him with clubs and swords. The disciples couldn’t even stay awake and would soon run away. Yet Jesus doesn’t grow bitter or hateful. First, He showed compassion to Judas.

He allowed Judas to kiss Him and He was friendly, even calling Judas a friend (Matthew 26:50). He didn’t rebuke Judas, but was polite.

Jesus also showed compassion for His disciples. Though they were imperfect and had just failed Him by sleeping on watch repeatedly, Jesus was looking out for them until the end. He stands up to the crowd and repeatedly asks whom they seek in order to show them they have no authority to take the disciples (8-9). He protected them from arrest because He had further plans for them and perhaps also because He knew the temptation would be too great for. Until the very end, He protected them.

He was also compassionate toward the slave who came against Him and had his ear chopped off. Jesus healed him. Compassion is shown towards those who don’t deserve it. Judas didn’t deserve compassion. The disciples didn’t deserve compassion. The slave didn’t deserve compassion.

Jesus was outward-focused, not inward-focused. Instead of seeking compassion for his predicament, He gave it to others.

Let us remember to be determined to fulfill our duty to God, no matter what the cost and to be compassionate to others even if they don’t deserve it.

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