32 And they went to a place called Gethsemane. And he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” 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.” And going a little farther, he fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. And he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” 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. Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.”
Comment: This is a scene in which we have Mark presenting Jesus in His Manhood. Yesterday and the day before we read the sentence, ‘But he (Peter) said emphatically, “If I must die with you, I will not deny you.” And they all said the same.’ When saying that Mark is emphasizing the Manhood of Jesus, I make the following observations in support of that. 1. Jesus wanted companionship. He took the eleven remaining disciples with Him into where He knew that He would be arrested. Why did Jesus take them with Him, and why did He take three even further into the garden before He stopped to pray? Why did He ask them to pray? I think it was because He, who knew that He facing death, wanted company. His prayer as here recorded was short but it was obviously much longer because He came to them twice and without being nasty to them seems upset, even betrayed, because they kept going to sleep when He had requested awareness and prayerfulness. 2. Jesus as a Man said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” At least the three disciples were awake long enough and close enough to hear Jesus pour out His Heart to His Father, or how would they have known this to record it! All gospel writers record it even if stated in their own words but the prayer is the same! The man Jesus, although God, prayed as the true ‘Man’ that He was – the future wasn’t going to be easy! 3. When saying ‘The Son of Man is betrayed’, Jesus used His own Biblically official title for the Messiah – God who became Man! He used it often and the Jews of the day knew that was what it meant! So that as He goes to meet His betrayer He uses the Title which makes Him both truly God and truly Man!
Psalm 41: 9 – Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me.
Prayer: Thank You, Jesus, that You know what it is like to be a man!
As I read it! 