Matthew 26:46

After His persevering prayer, after His departures and several returns, He takes away their fear, restores their confidence, and exhorts them to "sleep on, and take their rest."

Indeed it behoved them to watch, but He said this to shew that the prospect of coming evils was more than they would bear, that He had no need of their aid, and that it must needs be that He should be delivered up.

Or, He bids them "sleep on, and take their rest," because He now confidently awaited His Father's will concerning the disciples, concerning which He had said, "Thy will be done," and in obedience to which He drunk the cup that was to pass from Him to us, diverting upon Himself the weakness of our body, the terrors of dismay, and even the pains of death itself.

Or, the sleep He now bids His disciples take is of a different sort from that which is related above to have befallen them. Then He found them sleeping, not taking repose, but because their eyes were heavy, but now they are not merely to sleep, but to "take their rest," that this order may be rightly observed, namely, that we first watch with prayer that we enter not into temptation, and afterwards sleep and take our rest, when having "found a place for the Lord, a tabernacle for the God of Jacob," we may "go up into our bed, and give sleep to our eyes." [Ps 132:3] It may be also that the soul, unable to sustain a continual energy by reason of its union with the flesh, may blamelessly admit some relaxations, which may be the moral interpretation of slumbers, and then again after due time be quickened to new energy.

And whereas, when He returned and found them sleeping, He rebukes them the first time, the second time says nothing, the third time bids them take their rest; the interpretation of this is, that at the first after His resurrection, when He finds them dispersed, distrustful, and timorous, He rebukes them; the second time, when their eyes were heavy to look upon the liberty of the Gospel, He visited them, sending them the Spirit, the Paraclete; for, held back by attachment to the Law, they slumbered in respect of faith; but the third time, when He shall come in His glory, He shall restore them to quietness and confidence.

When He had roused them from sleep, seeing in the Spirit Judas drawing near to betray Him, though the disciples could not yet see him, He says, "Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners."

The words, "the hour is at hand," point out that all that has been done was by Divine interference; and that, "into the hands of sinners," shew that this was the work of their wickedness, not that He was guilty of any crime.

And even now Jesus "is betrayed into the hands of sinners," when those who seem to believe in Jesus, continue to sin while they have Him in their hands. Also whenever a righteous man, who has Jesus in Him, is put into the power of sinners, Jesus is delivered into the hands of sinners.

Having concluded His third prayer, and having obtained that the Apostles" terror should be corrected by subsequent penitence, He goes forth undaunted by the prospect of His own Passion to meet His pursuers, and offers Himself voluntarily to be sacrificed. "Arise, let us be going;" as much as to say, Let them not find you trembling, let us go forth willingly to death, that they may see us confident and rejoicing in suffering; "Lo, he that shall betray me draweth near."

He says not, Draws near to thee, for indeed the traitor was not near Him, but had removed himself far off through his sins.

This speech as Matthew has it seems self-contradictory. For how could He say, "Sleep on, and take your rest," and immediately continue, "Rise, let us be going." This contradiction some have endeavoured to reconcile by supposing the words, "Sleep on, and take your rest," to be an ironical rebuke, and not a permission; it might be rightly so taken if need were. But as Mark records it, when He had said, "Sleep on, and take your rest," He added, "it is enough," and then continued, "The hour is come, behold, the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners;" [Mark 14:41] we clearly understand the Lord to have been silent some time after He had said, "Sleep on," to allow of their doing so, and then after some interval to have roused them with, "Behold, the hour is at hand." And as Mark fills up the sense with, "it is enough," that is, ye have had rest enough.

10. Matthew then proceeds with his narrative in the same connection as follows: “Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane.” This is mentioned also by Mark. Luke, too, refers to it, although he does not notice the piece of ground by name. For he says: “And He came out, and went, as was His wont, to the Mount of Olives; and His disciples also followed Him. And when He was at the place, He said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation.” That is the place which the other two have instanced under the name of Gethsemane. …

8. “Without iniquity I did run, and was guided; rise up to meet me, and see.” To God is said this. But why? If He meet not, is He unable to see? It is just as if thou wast walking in a road, and from afar by some one thou couldest not be recognised, thou wouldest call to him and wouldest say, Meet me, and see how I am walking; for when from afar thou espiest me, my steps thou art not able to see. So also unless God were to meet, would He not see how without iniquity he was guided, and how without sin he was running? This interpretation indeed we can also accept, namely, “Rise up to meet me,” as if “help me.” But that which he hath added, “and see,” must be understood as, make it to be seen that I run, make it to be seen that I am guided: according to that figure wherein this also hath been said to Abraham, “Now I know that thou fearest God.” God saith, “Now I know:” whence, but because I …

“Rise, let us be going; behold, he is at hand that doth betray me.” For by all means He taught them, that the matter was not of necessity, nor of weakness, but of some secret dispensation. For, as we see, He foreknew that Judas would come, and so far from flying, He even went to meet him. At any rate, “While He yet spake, lo, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and elders of the people.” Seemly surely are the instruments of the priests! “with swords and staves” do they come against Him! And Judas, it is said, with them, one of the twelve. Again he calleth him “of the twelve,” and is not ashamed. Now he that betrayed Him gave them a sign, saying, “Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is He, hold Him fast.” Oh! what depravity had the traitor’s soul received. …