Matthew the apostle wrote how Jesus came, “unto a place called Gethsemane, and said unto the disciples, Sit you here, while I go and pray yonder. And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. Then said he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry you here, and watch with me. And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as you will. And he came unto the disciples, and finds them asleep, and said unto Peter, What, could you not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray, that you enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done. And he came and found them asleep again: for their eyes were heavy. And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words”, and in chapter twenty-six and verse forty-five of his book, Matthew writes how Jesus told His disciples, “sleep on now, and take your rest” where we read:
Then came he to his disciples, and said unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.
The verse reads, “Then came he to his disciples, and said unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest:” Matthew began words, “then came he” which means “Jesus approached and came forth” “to his disciples” or “to Jesus' student, pupils and attendants” “and said” or “and uttered, declared and proclaimed” “unto them” which means “to Jesus' disciples”, “sleep on now” or “continue sleeping at this time”, “and take your rest” which means “and cause or permit to cease from any movement or labor in order to recover and collect his strength”. Matthew shared how Jesus approached His disciples for the third time and told them to “continue sleeping” so they might “recover and collect their strength”.
The verse goes on to say “behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.” Matthew continued with the word, “behold” which means “look and see”, “the hour” or “the specific hour” “is at hand” which means “has come and arrived”, “and the Son of man” or “and God's Son Jesus” “is betrayed” or “is delivered up one to custody to be judged, condemned, punished, scourged, tormented and put to death” “into the hands” which means “into the power, might and activity” “of sinners” or “belonging to wicked, heathen and people devoted to sin”. Matthew shared how Jesus told His disciples that the time had come when He would be “delivered over” to those who would “judge, condemn, punish, scourge and torment Him as well as put Him to death”.
When we think through Matthew's words in this verse, we see how Jesus knew “the hour” when He would be “betrayed”. The time was upon Him, and after waking His disciples, He made them aware of the timing of this event. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him, should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16), and this sacred time when Jesus was approaching His torture and death is meant to persuade and convince people to submit their lives to Jesus who alone endured these things so they might be saved.
Next time Matthew shares how Jesus tells His disciples, “rise, let us be going: behold, he is at hand that does betray me”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book
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Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms
Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County"
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