Matthew 26:36 Kommentar

And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings,.... Meaning either all that are recorded by this evangelist, all the sermons and discourses of Christ, delivered both to the people of the Jews, and to his disciples; his conversation with the former, and his divine instructions and prudent advice to the latter, together with all his excellent parables, which are largely related in this book; or else what is said in the two preceding chapters, concerning the destruction of Jerusalem, and the end of the world, the state of the church, and conduct of his servants to the end of time, expressed in the parables of the virgins and talents, and concerning the last judgment and final state of all men: he said unto his disciples; who now were alone with him: having finished his prophetic, and being about to enter on his priestly office, he gives his disciples some intimations of its near approach.

And he took with him Peter, and the two sons of Zebedee,.... James and John, who perhaps were the strongest, and best able to bear the shocking sight, and were his favourite disciples; who were admitted to be with him at other times, when the rest were not; as at the raising of Jairus's daughter, Mar 5:37, and moreover, these were at his transfiguration on the mount, Mat 17:1, which was a representation and presage of his glory; and so were very proper persons to be witnesses of his sorrows and agonies, which were the way to it; and three of them were taken by him for this purpose, being a sufficient number to bear testimony, since by the mouth of two or three witnesses everything is established: and began to be sorrowful; his soul was troubled on the same account six days before, Joh 12:27, but was now sorrowful. He was a man of sorrows all his days, and acquainted with griefs, being reproached and persecuted by men: but now a new scene of sorrows opened; before he was afflicted by men, but now he is bruised, and put to grief by his Father: his sorrows now began, for they did not end here, but on the cross; not that this was but a bare beginning of his sorrows, or that these were but light in comparison of future ones; for they were very heavy, and indeed seem to be the heaviest of all, as appears from his own account of them; his vehement cry to his Father; his bloody sweat and agony; and the assistance he stood in need of from an angel; and the comfort and strength he received from him in his human nature: all which, put together, the like is not to be observed in any part of his sufferings: and to be very heavy; with the weight of the sins of his people, and the sense of divine wrath, with which he was so pressed and overwhelmed, that his spirits were almost quite gone; he was just ready to swoon away, sink and die; his heart failed him, and became like wax melted in the midst of his bowels, before the wrath of God, which was as a consuming fire: all which shows the truth, though weakness of his human nature, and the greatness of his sufferings in it. The human nature was still in union with the divine person of the Son of God, and was sustained by him, but left to its natural weakness, without sin, that it might suffer to the utmost, and as much as possible for the sins of God's elect.

Jesus brought his disciples from the upper room to a garden which was called Gethsemane because, after he was betrayed, he did not want to be arrested in the same place where he and his disciples had eaten the Passover. Even before he was betrayed, however, he thought it fitting to choose to pray in places devoted purely to prayer, for he knew that some locations are holier than others, as it is written: “The place where you are standing is holy ground.”

For it was not fitting that He should be seized in the place where He had sate and eaten the Passover with His disciples. Also He must first pray, and choose a place pure for prayer.

Because they clung to Him inseparably, therefore He saith, "Tarry ye here, while I go away and pray." For it was usual with Him to pray apart from them. And this He did teaching us in our prayers, to prepare silence for ourselves and great retirement.

Gethsemane is interpreted as the “very fertile valley” where the Lord ordered his disciples to sit down and wait for him to return while he prayed alone for everyone.

(Verse 36.) Then Jesus came with them to a village called Gethsemane and said to his disciples, 'Sit here while I go over there and pray.' Gethsemane means 'very fertile valley,' in which he ordered the disciples to sit for a little while and wait for the Lord to return, while he prayed for everyone alone.

Gethsemane is interpreted, 'The rich valley;' and there He bade His disciples sit a little while, and wait His return whilst He prayed alone for all.

The Evangelist had said a little above, that when they had sung an hymn they went out to the mount of Olives; to point out the part of the mount to which they took their way, he now adds, Then came Jesus with them to a garden called Gethsemane. He had accepted the disciples' faith and the devotedness of their will, but He foresaw that they would be troubled and scattered abroad, and therefore bade them sit still in their places; for to sit belongs to one at ease, but they would be grievously troubled that they should have denied Him.

(de. Fid. Orth. iii. 24.) But seeing that prayer is the sending up the understanding to God, or the asking of God things fitting, how did the Lord pray? For His understanding needed not to be lifted up to God, having been once united hypostatically to God the Word. Neither could He need to ask of God things fitting, for the One Christ is both God and Man. But giving in Himself a pattern to us, He taught us to ask of God, and to lift up our minds to Him. As He took on Him our passions, that by triumphing over them Himself, He might give us also the victory over them, so now He prays to open to us the way to that lifting up to God, to fulfil for us all righteousness, to reconcile His Father to us, to pay honour to Him as the First Cause, and to show that He is not against God.

Luke says, To the mount of Olives, (Luke 22:39.) and John, Went forth over the brook Cedron, where was a garden, (John 18:1.) which is the same as this Gethsemane, and is a place where He prayed at the foot of mount Olivet, where is a garden, and a Church now builtr When the Lord prayed in the mountain, He taught us to make supplication for heavenly things; when He prays in the garden, He teaches us to study humility in our prayer. And beautifully, as He draws near His Passion, does He pray in the 'valley of fatness,' showing that through the valley of humility, and the richness of charity, He took upon Him death for our sakes. The practical instruction which we may also learn from this is, that we should not suffer our heart to dry up from the richness of charity.

Peter said unto Him, Even if I must die with Thee, yet will I not deny Thee. Likewise also said all the disciples. Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go away and pray yonder. Wanting to show that he had genuine love, Peter contradicted the Saviour. He had earlier been freed of the fear that he himself might be the betrayer, and now Peter, with great love but also out of a desire for honor, began to rise up against the others and even to oppose Christ. But equally the other disciples, before they had experienced the trials, in ignorance made promises that they would not be able to keep. Jesus went away to pray in private, for prayer requires quiet and solitude.

Then Jesus came with them into a country place which is called Gethsemani. In this part, the preparation by prayer is set forth; and he does three things. First, the intention to pray is set forth; second, the necessity of praying; third, the manner. The second is at and taking with him Peter etc.; the third at and going a little further, he fell upon his face. Concerning the first he does two things. First, the place is set forth; second, he announces his intention: and he said to his disciples. He says therefore then Jesus came with them into a country place which is called Gethsemani. What is said in John 18:1 seems contrary, that Jesus went out and came across the brook Cedron. Hence it should be noted that this country place was at the foot of Mount Olivet, and so it was the same place; and he used to come there after supper as if for a walk. Then he announces his intention to pray: and he said to his disciples: sit you here, till I go yonder and pray. Something similar is found in Gen. 22:5: Abraham said to his servants: stay you here with the ass; I and the boy will go with speed as far as yonder, and after we have worshipped, will return to you. But here Damascene raises a question. Prayer is the ascent of the mind to God, but the intellect of Christ was united to God; how then did God need what he was doing? Hence it should be said that he prayed not for himself, but for our benefit. And this benefit is twofold, because he prayed to give us an example, that in tribulation we should have recourse to the Lord; Ps. 119:1: in my trouble I cried to the Lord. Likewise, to show that he was from another, and that he had from another; hence he says: the Son cannot do anything of himself. And John 8:28: I do nothing of myself. Likewise, to exclude an error, because some said that the power of the Father and the Son was not the same; John 8:49: I honour my Father. He gives therefore an example of praying, and of how one should pray. For the first condition of prayer is that it ought to be humble: which is signified because he went into the valley; Judith 9:16: the prayer of the humble and the meek hath always pleased thee. Likewise, it ought to be devout; hence in Gethsemani, namely in the place of richness; Ps. 62:6: let my soul be filled as with marrow and fatness. Likewise, that it be solitary, as above at 6:6: enter into thy chamber, and having shut the door, pray to thy Father.

GLORIOUS ANGELIC ANNOUNCEMENT ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK, THAT CHRIST IS RISEN--HIS APPEARANCE TO THE WOMEN--THE GUARDS BRIBED TO GIVE A FALSE ACCOUNT OF THE RESURRECTION. ( = Mar 16:1-8; Luk 24:1-8; Joh 20:1). (Mat 28:1-15) In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn--after the Sabbath, as it grew toward daylight. toward the first day of the week--Luke (Luk 24:1) has it, "very early in the morning"--properly, "at the first appearance of daybreak"; and corresponding with this, John (Joh 20:1) says, "when it was yet dark." See on Mar 16:2. Not an hour, it would seem, was lost by those dear lovers of the Lord Jesus. came Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary--"the mother of James and Joses" (see on Mat 27:56; Mat 27:61). to see the sepulchre--with a view to the anointing of the body, for which they had made all their preparations. (See on Mar 16:1-2). And, behold, there was--that is, there had been, before the arrival of the women. a great earthquake; for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, &c.--And this was the state of things when the women drew near. Some judicious critics think all this was transacted while the women were approaching; but the view we have given, which is the prevalent one, seems the more natural. All this august preparation--recorded by Matthew alone--bespoke the grandeur of the exit which was to follow. The angel sat upon the huge stone, to overawe, with the lightning--luster that darted from him, the Roman guard, and do honor to his rising Lord.