And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to grow sorrowful and to be sad.
και παραλαβων τον πετρον και τους δυο υιους ζεβεδαιου ηρξατο λυπεισθαι και αδημονειν
13 Church Fathers comment on this verse
He brought only three with Him and expressed to them, ‘My soul is deeply grieved to the point of death.' Why did He not bring everyone along? To prevent them from succumbing to temptation; He chose only those who would witness His magnificence. Yet even these He abandoned. After departing, He prays briefly.
He chooses not to take all of His followers with Him but selects only the three to whom He had previously revealed His glory on the Mount of Transfiguration. This way, when they witness Him in prayer and deep sorrow, they might not succumb to temptation. Nevertheless, He eventually leaves them behind to pray in solitude. In His profound grief and contemplation, He aims to demonstrate His genuine humanity, as it is natural for humans to fear death. Death was not originally part of human existence; thus, humanity instinctively fears and seeks to evade it.
If you learn about His tears, His sorrow, and His weakness, He speaks of humanity, who is divine, in order to reflect His divinity. He entrusts to humankind that which is uniquely His. Taking on a mortal and corruptible form, He embraced a physical body and, by extension, the emotions that come with it. As He endures these experiences, He is identified as the one who shares in them.
The Lord, in His desire to demonstrate the authenticity of the humanity He embraced, experienced sorrow; however, to prevent suffering from overwhelming His spirit, He initiated His sorrow with preliminary anguish. It is one matter to feel sorrow and another to commence that sorrow. His grief was not prompted by fear of the impending sufferings destined for Him, who had come to endure them, nor was it directed at Peter for his cowardice. Rather, His sadness stemmed from the betrayal of the unfortunate Judas, the potential temptation faced by the apostles, the denial by the Jewish people, and the impending ruin of Jerusalem. This parallels Jonah's lament over the withered plant, which had once provided him shade and comfort (Jon. 4:6-9).
If those who hold heretical views perceive this profound sorrow not as the Savior's compassion for those facing destruction but merely as anticipation of suffering, then let them clarify their understanding of the statement made through the prophet Ezekiel: ‘And in all these things thou hast grieved me’ (Ezekiel 16:43-70).
He did not lead them to pray, but rather, prior to prayer, He withdrew them from the other disciples to unveil His deep sorrow. Mark indicates that the Savior began to feel a profound fear. He permitted His human nature to undergo the experiences intrinsic to humanity. To lament here signifies to feel despondent. He discloses His anguish and despair to demonstrate that He embodies both complete divinity and perfect humanity; it is characteristic of human nature to feel sorrow in the face of death, particularly a violent one, and even to experience fear. He reveals this only to them, as they alone had witnessed His divine splendor at the Transfiguration, making them less likely than others to be disturbed or falter in their faith.
When we observe the Lord's yearning, it is essential to delve into what has been expressed to comprehend the reason behind His longing. Previously, He had cautioned that each of them would face temptation concerning Him. Peter, in his boldness, asserted that even if the others fell into temptation, he would stand firm Matthew 26:33. Yet, he was the one whom the Lord predicted would deny Him three times Matthew 26:34. Nonetheless, Peter and the rest of the disciples vowed not to forsake Him, declaring that they would even face death alongside Him Matthew 26:35. Then He went to a different location, instructing His disciples to remain seated while He went to pray Matthew 26:36. He took Peter, James, and John with Him, feeling deep sorrow.
Prior to their company, He experienced no grief; it was only with them that He felt sadness. This sorrow was not rooted in Himself but emerged from those He had chosen to accompany Him. It is important to recognize that the Son of Man did not summon anyone else but the same disciples to whom He had revealed His kingdom during the moment of His transfiguration when He was enveloped in the splendor of His eternal glory alongside Moses and Elijah. The purpose for bringing them then and now remained the same.
He then proclaimed, "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death." He did not imply, "My soul grieves for death," for if death were the source of His fear, He would have articulated it differently. The origin of His apprehension resides elsewhere. There is no explicit indication of this, but human understanding may evolve from the beginning to the end. Earlier, He declared, "All of you will fall away on account of me this night" Matthew 26:31. He was aware that they would be frightened, that they would flee, and that they would deny Him. Given that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit remains unforgiven in this life and the next, He feared that they would renounce His divinity when faced with His humiliation—being beaten, mocked, and crucified. This is why Peter, in his denial, claimed, "I do not know the man" Matthew 26:72, for what is spoken against the Son of Man is forgivable. Nevertheless, Christ grieves in the face of death. It is not death itself that instills dread, but the timing of it, for beyond death, the faith of humankind will be fortified through the power of the Resurrection.
The fear of death is inherent to human nature, arising from acts of disobedience, and a sense of dread at the thought of death indicates unresolved transgressions. Christ experiences a fear of death, yet He does not tremble, illustrating distinctly the dual characteristics of His essence.
This reflects the profound interpretation given by the Blessed Augustine. He explains that as the Lord Jesus Christ faced His impending death, He experienced sorrow and mourning—not due to frailty, but out of strength—so that we might not lose hope in our salvation during our own struggles, which stem from our own weaknesses.
In this way, He intended to offer solace to the faint-hearted, embracing the likeness of our frailty, so that we may grasp the hope and goodness we should anticipate from our union with His Divinity, where even His own suffering brings us peace, and His perceived weakness serves to empower us.
The Creator experienced profound sorrow due to humanity's iniquity, beloved listeners. ‘And God saw how the wickedness of men multiplied on the earth, and the thoughts of every man's heart were evil at all times: and the Lord repented that He had made man on the earth’ (Gen. 6:5-6). God's heart was heavy with grief over our sins. If His heart felt pain at the sight of our wrongdoings, what anguish must He endure now, having not only observed our transgressions but having also taken them upon Himself? He carried all the sins, all the iniquities, all the offenses of the entire world: He ‘takes away the sin of the world’ (John 1:29). The affliction He bears is both inwardly overwhelming and outwardly intolerable. He confides in the Psalmist, ‘My life is consumed in sickness’ (Ps. 30:11).
He is afflicted in every part of His being because we have turned our members to sin. He suffers with His head, as ‘our iniquities have exceeded our head’ (Psalm 37:5). He is troubled in His eyes because we have ‘set our eyes to dwell upon the earth’ (Psalm 16:11). He is distressed in our speech, for ‘our mouth multiplies evil speaking, and our tongue weaves flatteries’ (Ps. 49:19). Our hands are guilty, having plucked the forbidden fruit. His heart aches because ‘evil thoughts proceed’ from it (Matthew 15:19). He is troubled in the womb since ‘the curse has entered like water into the womb’ (Psalm 108:18). Our feet have wandered from the path of righteousness, contributing to our collective malaise. We are all afflicted, each burdened by countless passions, laying upon the bed of wickedness. This very bed of our transgressions lay Him upon the cross (Damascene). We have transformed His bed into one of grief; we have ‘conceived sickness, borne iniquity’ (Psalm 7:15). The festering wounds of our sin have made Christ, our Redeemer, a source of pain. You suffer, O Lord,’ says St. Ambrosius, ’not from Your injuries but from mine, not from Your passing but from my frailty. In the person of every sinner, David lamented, ‘Sicknesses of death have encompassed me, the nets of death have met me’ (Psalm 114:3; Psalm 17:6). In order to free us from this dreadful affliction and the snares of death, Christ the Saviour embraced our sicknesses and burdens. Observe how the assembly of the Jews attacked Him with ferocity: ‘They opened their jaws against Me,’ says the Lord, ‘as a lion that snatches the prey, and roars’ (Psalm 21:14). Consider Judas, who, still at the meal, set a trap of death for Him, conspiring to betray Him. ‘The meal was a net to him, and in his net, Judas the sinner was ensnared’ (Ps. 68:23; Ps. 9:16). ‘Woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed’ (Matt. 26:24)! From that night, the Lord began to experience His suffering, echoing Job's lament, ‘The nights for sickness were given unto Me’ (Job 7:3). Even during the Supper, Jesus was troubled in spirit, saying, ‘One of you will betray Me,’ and after the meal He proclaimed, ‘Arise, let us go: behold, he that betrays Me is at hand’ (Matt. 26:21, 46).
It was customary for the Savior to converse with the Father in heaven through prayer. However, on this occasion, He was preparing for an extraordinary event. He left eight of His disciples in Gethsemane, taking only three—Peter, James, and John—into the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. These were the same disciples who had witnessed His divine glory on the mount (Matt. 17:2.) and to whom He had entrusted His deeper revelations (Matt. 26:37, Matt. 10:3.). By choosing only these three from His disciples to accompany Him, we understand that the endeavor He was about to undertake holds a profound mystery, one that we can only grasp imperfectly. We must approach the few words shared by the Evangelists with reverence, seeking deeper insights for our hearts and minds.
The Evangelists describe the anguish experienced by the Savior in Gethsemane with powerful imagery. St. Matthew recounts how He began to be sorrowful and troubled; St. Mark shares that He became deeply distressed and troubled; while St. Luke depicts Him in earnest struggle, with His sweat falling like great drops of blood onto the ground (Luke 22:44.).
After instructing the disciples to remain in waiting while He prayed, Jesus took with Him Peter along with the two sons of Zebedee, James and John, as He ventured deeper into the garden. He didn’t bring all of them, fearing they might fall, but chose only those who had witnessed His divine splendor. They had seen His glory on Mount Tabor and had been present for the resurrection of Jairus' daughter, equipping them uniquely to comprehend His suffering in Gethsemane. This marked a moment of profound anguish and intense temptation. Jesus Christ began to experience deep sorrow and distress, feeling an overwhelming sense of dread. As Blessed Theophylact states, He mourns and reflects deeply so that they may recognize Him as a true human being, for it is inherent to human nature to fear death.
Death did not enter humanity through nature, thus people instinctively fear and avoid it. Furthermore, He mourns to conceal Himself from the devil, ensuring that the devil might approach Him as an ordinary man and strike Him down, ultimately leading to His own abasement.
He did not leave all His disciples behind: He took the three apostles, Peter, James, and John, who had witnessed the splendor of His transfiguration, and entered the garden with them. The Gospel writer Luke notes that Jesus moved away from the Apostles to a distance comparable to that of a thrown stone (Luke 22:41), which indicates a distance typically achieved by a stone cast. Briefly recounting what transpired in the Garden of Gethsemane, Luke does not clarify whether Jesus distanced Himself from the Apostles at the entrance to the Garden or from the three chosen disciples; he omits mention of Jesus taking the three with Him.
However, according to the accounts of Matthew and Mark (Matthew 26:39; Mark 14:35), it is evident that Jesus withdrew slightly from Peter, James, and John, suggesting that He did indeed separate from the other disciples along this stone-throwing distance. This interpretation is reinforced by the fact that Peter, James, and John needed to hear the initial words of Jesus' prayer in Gethsemane; without their hearing of it, we would know nothing. They could only have heard His prayer when Jesus was close by, but at the stone-throwing distance, it would have been impossible to hear Him as He prayed.
Departing from the majority of His disciples at the garden's entrance, He took with Him the three selected ones—Peter, James, and John—into the deeper parts of Gethsemane. These individuals, having witnessed the splendor of His transfiguration, were to stand as the most intimate witnesses of His profound anguish of spirit.
Peter along with the two sons of Zebedee constitute the three most dependable disciples. They were present during the magnificent transfiguration of the Lord (Matt. 17:1ff.), and prior to that, had the privilege of being alone with Him at the resurrection of Jairus’ daughter (Luke 8:51). They were also honored to witness His profound experience in Gethsemane. As those who beheld His glory firsthand, they were less susceptible than others to the temptation presented by His humiliation. "He began to grieve and to long"—His sorrow and yearning were entirely justified, as He desired them to truly understand His humanity; for it is part of human nature to fear death. Death did not originate from human nature and, as a result, humanity both fears and seeks to evade it (Theophilus).
Death is a result of sin (Rom. 5:12, 15), which means that a nature without sin, like that of the God-man, ought not to experience death; it is, in a sense, against its very essence. Hence, the immaculate nature of Christ instinctively recoils from death, grieving and longing at its presence.
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 13 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS