27 And Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away, for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’ 28 But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.” 29 Peter said to him, “Even though they all fall away, I will not.” 30 And Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” 31 But he said emphatically, “If I must die with you, I will not deny you.” And they all said the same.
32 And they went to a place called Gethsemane. And he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” 33 And he took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be greatly distressed and troubled. 34 And he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Remain here and watch.” 35 And going a little farther, he fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. 36 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.”
37 And he came and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not watch one hour? 38 Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 39 And again he went away and prayed, saying the same words. 40 And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy, and they did not know what to answer him. 41 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. 42 Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.”
43 And immediately, while he was still speaking, Judas came, one of the twelve, and with him a crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders. 44 Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I will kiss is the man. Seize him and lead him away under guard.” 45 And when he came, he went up to him at once and said, “Rabbi!” And he kissed him. 46 And they laid hands on him and seized him. 47 But one of those who stood by drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear. 48 And Jesus said to them, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me? 49 Day after day I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me. But let the Scriptures be fulfilled.” 50 And they all left him and fled. 51 And a young man followed him, with nothing but a linen cloth about his body. And they seized him, 52 but he left the linen cloth and ran away naked.
The passage before us is raw. It feels too intimate for our eyes to behold. We shouldn't get such an honest glimpse into Jesus, into God, or into the disciples, we think.
But the cross looms for Jesus, and the convergence of thousands of unseen elements is about to manifest in real-time. Judas's betrayal will become known. The disciples' fears will be acted upon. The Father's cup will be poured out. And the Son's mission will be accomplished. Everything will culminate in the cross. All will be exposed.
And this passage begins to expose it more clearly. As we read, it starts with Jesus announcing that the disciples will soon scatter from him, just as Zechariah had foretold (Zechariah 13:7).
Still, Jesus had hope. He said, "After I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee" (28). Though he knew he had to be struck, he also knew he would rise from the grave. But even though Jesus talked about the sorrow of his death and the hope of his resurrection, Peter made the conversation about Peter. He assured Jesus he'd never abandon him. Not even death could stop him. But Jesus assured Peter and the rest that they'd all deny him that very night.
With that, they entered Gethsemane (32). Gardens didn't exist within Jerusalem's walls, but some wealthy folks constructed small gardens, sanctuaries from the hustle of the city, outside the city gates, on the Mount of Olives. One of these good people seems to have donated their garden to Jesus and his men when they were in town.
When Jesus entered, he told his disciples to wait while he went further for prayer. He took Peter, James, and John with him. Mark tells us it was then that Jesus began to be greatly distressed and troubled (33). The gravity of the cross rushed upon him while in the garden. He confessed his distress to his inner circle when he said, "My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Remain here and watch" (34).
Once alone, Jesus fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him (35). From his human vantage point, the coming hour seemed impossible. It was a prayer of total honesty, transparency, and vulnerability from Jesus to the Father. All through Mark's gospel, Jesus is presented as the powerful Son of God, in control of every situation. Now, he falls on the throne of his Father, pleading for a reprieve.
But emboldened by the friendship a man can have with Father God, Jesus concluded, "Yet not what I will, but what you will" (36). Determination filled Jesus' soul. He would do the Father's will. He would execute the plan written down from eternity past. He would be slain for the sin of the world.
After praying this way, Jesus came and found his disciples sleeping (37). He confronted Peter about their slumber (37). He was, after all, called to be the leader. But Jesus didn't call him "Peter" and instead used his old name, "Simon," because Peter was acting like his old self (37).
"Could you not watch one hour?" Jesus asked (37). He went on to tell them to pray so that they may not enter into temptation (38). The inner man might have the best intentions, such as standing with Jesus during his arrests and crucifixion, but the flesh is weak (38). Because of this, Jesus said, they should not sleep but pray. By building up their spiritual strength, they could withstand future temptations.
This repeated itself two more times, and each time, Jesus prayed in agony while the disciples blissfully slept. Finally, he told them the hour had come (41). It was time for sinners to have their way with the Son of Man (42).
With that, Judas appeared with the conglomerate of the Sanhedrin's religious leaders. The chief priests and the scribes and the elders had hired out a mob with swords and clubs to arrest the Holy Son of God (43). Judas, worried that they might not recognize Jesus in the darkness, gave a sign. "The one I will kiss is the man," Judas said (44). And he approached Jesus, called him "Rabbi," and passionately kissed our Lord (45). While the thuggish mob seized Jesus, Peter could stand it no longer (46-47). Mark does not mention him by name, perhaps to protect his identity from the authorities at the time he wrote his gospel. John, however, writing years later, after Peter's death, identified Peter as the man who cut off the servant of the high priest's ear (47, John 18:10). What chaos.
Luke tells us that Jesus took a moment to heal the ear before asking, "Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me?" (48, Luke 22:51). They'd never arrested him when he was in public places like the temple (49). But Jesus knew the Scripture had to be fulfilled.
And it was: They all left him and fled (49). The episode ends with an odd description of a young man who followed Jesus to the garden (51). He was clothed with only a linen cloth about his body, and in the skirmish, the mob seized him, but he wriggled free and left the garment in their hands, running away naked (52).
Many theorize that this is an autobiographical note from Mark. The last supper could have happened in his parents' home, and he might have followed Jesus to the garden after the meal was over. Or, if Judas had first looked for Jesus at the house, Mark might have headed straight for the garden once he saw the danger Jesus was in. Either way, he seems genuinely embarrassed that he abandoned Jesus just as much as the other disciples.
The emphasis of the story seems obvious. The major point is Jesus' faithfulness throughout. He is alone, betrayed, abandoned, distressed, and troubled, but he does not waver. The secondary point is meant to serve the first. Jesus is presented as even greater because of the behavior of his disciples. Their failures only highlight his successes. Where their sin abounded, his grace abounded all the more. When they saw themselves as strong, when they did not pray, and when they lashed out with swords in the garden, Jesus endured.