Expository Thoughts (continued)
of the unspeakable love of Christ? Would we comprehend Christ's ability to sympathize with those that are in trouble? Then let the agony in the garden come often into our minds. The depth of that agony may give us some idea of our debt to Christ.
We see, lastly, in these verses, an example of the feebleness of the best of saints. We are told that while our Lord was in agony, His disciples fell asleep. In spite of a plain injunction to pray, and a plain warning against temptation the flesh overcame the spirit.
While Christ was sweating great drops of blood, His apostles slept!
Passages like these are very instructive. We ought to thank God that they have been written for our learning. They are meant to teach us humility. When apostles can behave in this way, the Christian who thinks he stands should take heed lest he fall. They are meant to reconcile believers to death, and make them long for that glorious body which they will have when Christ returns. Then, and not until then, shall we be able to wait upon God without bodily weariness, and to serve Him day and night in His temple.
Notes on 22:39-46
39. Went out as usual. There was one particular place on the Mount of Olives to which our Lord was in the habit of going, which was wellknown to his disciples, including Judas Iscariot. So Judas, although it was night, could lead our Lord's enemies to the exact place where his Master was.
40. "Pray that you will not fall into temptation." To be assaulted by temptation is one thing, but to enter into it is quite another. We