Jesus experienced suffering as He said farewell to His disciples in Jerusalem (vv. 12-26), but His suffering increased as He anticipated the Cross on the Mount of Olives (vv. 27-52).
Evidently Jesus made this prediction in the upper room before the institution of the Lord's Supper. Mark probably inserted it here in his narrative because of its logical connection with Jesus' arrest in Gethsemane.
14:27-28 We should understand the meaning of "fall away"(Gr. skandalisthesesthe, cf. 4:17; 6:3; 9:42-47) in the light of the prophecy that Jesus said predicted it (Zech. 13:7). Zechariah did not mean that the sheep would abandon the shepherd permanently much less that they would cease to be what they were. He pictured the flock fleeing from the shepherd because someone attacked him. That is precisely what the disciples did when the authorities arrested and executed Jesus. Later those sheep rallied around the Shepherd. Jesus announced His leading them as a shepherd to Galilee later (v. 28). Again He spoke of His resurrection immediately after announcing His death (vv. 24-25).
Jesus attributed the Shepherd's striking to God. He changed the Zechariah passage slightly. Clearly Jesus viewed Himself as God's Suffering Servant (Isa. 53:4-6). This point would have helped the disciples accept Jesus' fate.
14:29-30 Peter refused to allow the possibility that he would forsake Jesus even though the other disciples might (cf. John 21:15). Jesus informed Peter that his defection would really be worse than that of the other disciples. He introduced His warning with the customary solemn affirmation and explained that the denial was not only certain but imminent. Furthermore Peter would repeat it three times in spite of the rooster's double warning. Mark alone referred to the second crowing probably because of Peter's recollection of the event. The word Jesus used for "deny"or "disown"(Gr. aparnese) is a strong one meaning "deny utterly."
14:31 Jesus' reply should have caused Peter to realize his weakness and seek help. Instead he dug in his heels and virtually told Jesus that he would die to prove Him wrong. He kept affirming excessively (Gr. ekperissos, used only here in the New Testament) that he would definitely not deny Jesus. Peter did not know how weak he was, a problem most disciples of Jesus share with him. He would have to learn the hard way, through failure. Peter led the other disciples in denying that they would deny Jesus.345
This pericope is a strong warning for all disciples. When facing persecution for one's allegiance to Jesus, one should not trust in the strength of his or her own commitment. He or she should trust in God who can supply the grace needed to remain faithful (cf. 9:14-29).
This incident contrasts Jesus' humility and dependence on the Father with Peter's self-confidence (vv. 27-31). It is a remarkable revelation of the humanity of Jesus.
"So far from sailing serenely through his trials like some superior being unconcerned with this world, he is almost dead with distress."346
This is Mark's third mention of Jesus' praying (cf. 1:35; 6:46). In each instance Jesus affirmed His commitment to the Father's will that Satan was constantly testing.
14:32-34 Jesus apparently took His inner circle of disciples with Him to teach them about suffering and to receive help from their intercession for Him (cf. Matt. 26:38). The other disciples were to pray as well (Luke 22:40). This was apparently a favorite place that Jesus and the disciples had visited previously (cf. Luke 22:39; John 18:2).
The words "distressed"(Gr. ekthambeisthai) and "troubled"(Gr. ademonein) together "describe an extremely acute emotion, a compound of bewilderment, fear, uncertainty and anxiety, nowhere else portrayed in such vivid terms as here."347The prospect of bearing God's wrath for the world's sins and experiencing separation from His Father grieved Jesus deeply (Gr. perilypos, cf. 6:26). This was much more than any mere martyr has ever had to endure.
14:35-36 The Jews did not address God with "Abba"(lit. Daddy) because they considered such intimacy disrespectful. Jesus used the word because He as the Son of God was on intimate terms with the Father (cf. Rom. 8:15; Gal. 4:6). Jesus evidently prayed for the better part of an hour (v. 37) though Mark only recorded the essence of His request (cf. Heb. 5:7). Jesus' submission to His Father here recalls Genesis 22:7 where Isaac addressed his father Abraham in a very similar situation quite near this place.348
Jesus expressed faith in God with whom all things consistent with His nature are possible (cf. 9:23). The unclear issue to the God-man, who voluntarily limited His knowledge in the Incarnation, was not God's ability but God's will.
"It is this complete dependence on God for his own salvation which is the source of Jesus' courage to renounce himself, be least, and lose his life."349
Jesus referred to the Cross as the "hour"and the "cup."The first expression includes everything involved in the Cross (cf. John 7:30; 8:20; et al.). The "cup"figuratively particularized God's judgment in the Cross (cf. 10:38-39). Jesus' human will was distinct from the Father's will but never opposed to it.
14:37 Perhaps Jesus spoke specifically to Peter in verse 37 because Peter had boasted that he would never deny Jesus (vv. 29, 31). Jesus' use of the name "Simon,"Peter's original name, may imply his natural weakness. Peter was not living up to the meaning of his new name; he was not behaving as a rock.
14:38 Jesus then addressed all three disciples. He commanded them to be watchful (Gr. gregoreite, cf. 13:34, 35, 37) and to pray (Gr. proseuchesthe, the general word for prayer). These activities are necessary to overcome temptation. This use of "flesh"is probably literal (i.e., the body) rather than metaphorical (i.e., the sinful human nature) since it contrasts with the human spirit (i.e., man's volitional powers).
"In the passion account, the disciples are ironic figures: Because of their incomprehension, they badly misconstrue the true nature of things. Thinking themselves to be astute, courageous, and loyal, they are in reality imperceptive, cowardly, and faithless. Entering upon the passion, the disciples yet follow Jesus in commitment to him. As events unfold, however, they will renounce their commitment through word or deed and apostatize."350
14:39-40 Jesus returned from the disciples who gave Him no support to the Father who sustained Him. The disciples probably did not have anything to say to Jesus because they felt ashamed. They had boasted great spiritual strength, but they were demonstrating great spiritual weakness. There seems to be an inverse relationship between how self-confident we feel and how much we pray.
14:41-42 Mark alone recorded that Jesus made three separate forays into the depths of the garden to pray.
"The Temptation of the Garden divides itself, like that of the Wilderness, into three acts, following close one on another."351
Jesus' perseverance in prayer demonstrated the extent of His dependence on the Father. Jesus' question convicted the disciples again. He probably intended His words as an ironic command rather than as a question or simply to express surprise (cf. Matt. 26:45).
Less clear is the meaning of, "It is enough."352He could have meant that Judas had received the betrayal money from the chief priests since the Greek word apecheican mean "he has received it."Another possibility is that He meant that He now understood that the Cross was inevitable. Perhaps Jesus meant the disciples had had enough sleep and it was time to wake up. Fourth, He may have meant that He had finished His praying. I prefer the third and fourth views because they are the simplest explanations and because they make good sense.
The hour that had come was the time of Jesus' arrest and death (cf. v. 35). The sinners in view were Satan's agents who would slay Jesus. Jesus' short sentences reflect the tension and urgency of the moment.353
Mark described Jesus' movements in a somewhat chiastic form. Jesus came to the garden with His disciples, left most of them evidently at the entrance, took three of them farther, and proceeded even farther into its depths alone. Then He withdrew. At the center Jesus communed with His Father. The center of the garden and the center of the pericope correspond to the center of His spiritual conflict. This description helps the reader identify Jesus' praying as at the very heart of His preparation for the Cross. It accounts for the remarkable poise with which Jesus handled Himself throughout the turmoil that followed.
"Perhaps the most commonly recognized pattern of narration in Mark is the threefold repetition of similar actions and events. . . . Some series are obvious because they occur in direct sequence: at Gethsemane, Jesus returns from prayer three times to find the disciples sleeping; Peter denies Jesus three times; Pilate asks the crowd three leading questions, each of which is rejected; and the narrator recounts events of the crucifixion at three, three-hour intervals (nine o'clock, noon, and three o'clock."354
Here, "This threefold pattern of narration underscores the definitive failure of the disciples."355
14:43 All the synoptic writers apparently repeated that Judas was one of the Twelve, even though the reader already knows this, to stress the tragedy of Jesus' betrayal.356Judas guided the mob (Acts 1:16) that had come with authority from the Sanhedrin. Part of the crowd consisted of Jewish temple police (Luke 22:52) and Roman soldiers (John 18:12). The police carried clubs and the soldiers short swords.
14:44-46 The disciples of rabbis customarily greeted their teachers with a kiss on the hand.357This prearranged signal allowed Judas to identify Jesus to the soldiers without arousing the suspicion and opposition of the other disciples.
14:47 Perhaps shame led Mark to conceal the fact that it was Peter who cut Malchus' ear evidently in a misguided attempt to cut off his head (cf. John 18:10). Peter's lack of prayer resulted in a lack of poise that contrasts sharply with Jesus' behavior. He had not only boasted too much (vv. 29, 31) and prayed too little (vv. 37, 40, 41), but he also acted too violently.
14:48-50 Jesus' reply pointed out that He was not a dangerous criminal. The Sanhedrin's action was totally unjustified and indefensible. Nevertheless it fulfilled prophecy. The Scriptures Jesus referred to included Isaiah 53:3, 7-9, 12 and Zechariah 13:7 (cf. v. 27). Verse 50 documents the failure of the disciples, including Peter, and their abandonment of Jesus to preserve their own safety. The writer's interest was the disciples' action more than that of the mob.
14:51-52 Only Mark recorded this strange event. He described the young man (Gr. neaniskos, between 24 and 40 years old) as one who was following Jesus. This description could mean he was one of the Twelve or simply someone who was sympathetic with Jesus. He was wearing a rather costly linen outer garment (Gr. sindon) without an undergarment (Gr. chiton). It may have been his sleeping garment. Perhaps he had been in bed in Jerusalem when he heard the mob leaving the city talking about arresting Jesus and decided to go along. When one of the soldiers seized him, he was so intent on abandoning Jesus that he was willing to run through the crowd naked rather than staying with Jesus. This man's action further illustrates how eager Jesus' followers were to save their own skins at the cost of Jesus' safety and companionship. His naked condition highlights his fear and embarrassment.
Since this incident makes no unique contribution to the story of Jesus' arrest, most of the commentators have concluded that the young man was Mark. However there is no solid evidence for this.
