The Bold Attitude of One Who Absolutely Submits to God’s Will

“Then Jesus came the third time and said to them, ‘Are you still sleeping and resting? It is enough; the hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Get up, let us go. See, my betrayer is near’” (Mark 14:41-42). Reflecting on this passage, I want to receive the lesson it offers:

(1)

In Matthew 26:44, it says that Jesus “left them again and prayed the third time, saying the same words” before He came back the third time.

(2)

Jesus’ threefold prayer emphasizes (a) the earnestness of His prayer, (b) the urgency of the crisis situation that compelled Him to pray, and (c) the absolute and active obedience to His Father. Above all, it implicitly highlights the importance of prayer itself (Hoekema).

(3)

The phrase “Are you still sleeping and resting? It is enough” seems to mean that the time of suffering was near, and it was now too late to gain strength by praying or preparing for the coming trial, so it was all right to sleep (Hoekema).

(4)

“The hour has come” means that Jesus had already entered the time of His suffering—the worst moment when He would be seized by His enemies (Hoekema).

(5)

In the statement, “Look, the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners,” the word “sinners” does not refer only to Judas Iscariot, the first to betray and hand Him over, but also includes the Sanhedrin council members, the leaders of the people, the general populace, and the Roman authorities (Hoekema).

(6)

“Get up, let us go” shows that Jesus did not avoid the approaching shadow of death but faced it resolutely (John 18:4). He also called His three disciples to show such resolve. This bold attitude of Jesus was one aspect of His absolute submission to the will of God the Father (Hoekema).