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Author: Stephen Weller
435 words, 2 minutes read time

The Betrayer Is At Hand

Scripture: Matthew 26:42, 44-46; Mark 14:40

In the previous lesson we saw Jesus being strengthened by an angel as he earnestly prayed about the horrible suffering he was about to experience when being nailed to the cross and bearing our sin and the resulting wrath of God. In this lesson we find the betrayer is at hand and Jesus is about to be arrested.

^{Mt 26:42} Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.” ^{Mk 14:40} And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy, and they did not know what to answer him.

After a short word of rebuke to his three disciples for falling asleep and not praying about their coming temptation, Jesus went away to pray for the second time. His prayer is that of surrender to his Father’s will, for he prays, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.”

Finishing his second time of prayer, Jesus returns to the three disciples, Peter, James and John, and again finds them sleeping. When they realize for the second time that they were not doing their job of watching and praying, they didn’t know how to answer him.

^{Mt 26:44} So, leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words again. ⁴⁵ Then he came to the disciples and said to them, “Sleep and take your rest later on. See, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. ⁴⁶ Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.”

For the third time, Jesus went away and prayed the same prayer and then returns to find his three disciples asleep again. He awakes them and tells them to sleep and take their rest at a later time because the time has come for Jesus, the Son of Man, to be arrested by sinners. He tells his disciples to rise and see that the betrayer is at hand.

Probably at this time, Jesus has gathered the eleven about him as Judas and others approach the garden.

Conclusion

Jesus finishes his time of prayer in the garden of Gethsemane as Judas and others come to arrest him. Judas will identify who is to be arrested with a kiss and those who desire to arrest him will do so and take him away for an illegal trial.