Matthew 26:45Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

He then asked, "Are you still resting and asleep? Look, the time has come, and the Son of Man is being handed over to sinners." This statement emphasizes once more that all that befell Him was orchestrated by the divine plan. The initial words, along with His reference to being given into the hands of sinners, serve to strengthen their hearts, illustrating that His suffering stemmed from the malevolence of humanity rather than any fault of His own. "Get up, let us go; see, the one who betrays Me is approaching." Through these words, He conveys that the unfolding events were not driven by compulsion or frailty, but rather indicated a greater divine purpose. He predicted the arrival of His betrayer and did not retreat but chose to confront him.

Demonstrating that He required no assistance as He approached His own betrayal, He told them, "Rest, then." Alternatively, He may be addressing them to bring them to shame, implying, "Look, the one who betrays is near: if you wish, and if there is time, rest."

"I have summoned you," he asserts, "to remain vigilant with me, so that I might not be turned over to betrayal; for now I face betrayal, ‘sleep the rest and take your ease afterward.’"

After praying for the third time, with the intention that every matter be confirmed by the testimony of two or three witnesses, and having been assured that the apostles' fear would be alleviated through their continued repentance, He, prepared to endure suffering, moves towards those who persecute Him and voluntarily surrenders Himself to death.

He addressed them, admonishing them for their slumber during such a perilous time and reminding them of His repeated calls to remain vigilant and pray. It was as if He were conveying, "You have been unalert until now; rest if you must. Behold, the hour approaches," referring to the moment of betrayal. Mark notes that prior to these words, Jesus declared, "The hour is at hand," indicating that the enemy has gained power against Him or that His mission is coming to completion. Likewise, Luke stated that all that pertains to Him is fulfilled.

The third one approached and said to them, “Rest now and take your respite. The end has come” (Mark 14:41). Whose voice is this? Is it a voice of compassion, which seeks to lift up in times of weakness? Or is it a voice of love that rebukes frailty? “Rest, you others and take your ease”—this is expressed not as an allowance but as a reprimand. Look, he says, the traitor is near and you are slumbering; how could you profess willingness to sacrifice for Me? The tone of divine love here carries a note of sternness and reproach. The time for you to share in the burdens of prayer with Me is past: now you may sleep and rest, but this slumber shall not endure for long, for you will soon be roused. Is this not true for every soul that turns a deaf ear to the calls of love? Following gentle encouragement, it faces deep sorrows, painful tribulations, and manifold losses. Behold, the hour has arrived, and the Son of Man is being handed over to sinners. See also the interpretation of Mt. 26:46.

The profound prayer of Christ our Savior had reached its completion. This act of supplication had fortified His spirit; His human will had completely submitted to the desires of His heavenly Father. With His human will, He had already taken up the cross and offered Himself: what remained was to lift His flesh onto the cross and willingly enter into suffering and death in that very moment. Aware of all that awaited Him, after concluding His prayer, He approached His disciples for the third and final time, awakening not just the three but all the others from their slumber. He then addressed them with a tone of sorrowful love, saying, "Are you still sleeping and resting? It is finished; the opportunity to share in My sorrows through prayer has come to an end. Behold, the critical hour, ordained by God's purpose, is at hand, and the Son of Man is being handed over to the hands of those who will act against Him."

After completing His prayer, He awakened the Apostles and declared, "It is accomplished, my time has arrived! Arise, let us depart." Having prayed with unwavering conviction that His suffering and death were essential and timely, Jesus approached Peter, James, and John for the third time, discovering them once more in slumber. He stirred them and inquired, "Are you still resting? This is not a time for slumber. It is accomplished, my time has arrived. Look, you will soon witness the Son of Man being handed over to sinners. Arise, let us go; behold, the one who betrays Me is approaching."

On the third occasion, He stirred them awake with a definitive warning about the imminent peril: “Are you still asleep and resting? It is finished; the hour has come; behold, the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. Get up, let us go; look, the one who betrays me is near.”

The betrayer was fully aware of the favored spot where the Lord frequently gathered with His disciples and boldly guided the crowd to the Garden of Gethsemane (John 18:2). At that moment, the Savior had completed His prayer and was prepared to confront the trials ahead. "Sleep on now, and take your rest," He said to the peacefully slumbering apostles, "the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is delivered into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going: behold, he who betrays me is at hand," (Matt. 26:45-46). Indeed, in his eagerness to fulfill his treacherous task, Judas had outpaced everyone and was already close to the Lord.

‘You continue to sleep and take your rest.’ This remark either conveys a mild rebuke to the disciples or simply indicates, ‘sleep and rest.’ In this latter interpretation, it suggests that He had no need for their assistance as He prepared to surrender Himself, saying, “Sleep now;” or perhaps He spoke this to bring them shame, implying, “The betrayer is near; if you wish to rest, go ahead and sleep.” A comparison with the account found in the Gospel of Luke (Luke 22:46) supports this understanding. - ‘Into the hands of sinners’: The phrase ‘into the hands of sinners’ is meant to uplift their spirits, indicating that what is happening to Him stems from the malice of sinners, not from any wrongdoing on His part.