Rise: let us go. Behold he is at hand that will betray me.
εγειρεσθε αγωμεν ιδου ηγγικεν ο παραδιδους με
14 Church Fathers comment on this verse · 20 commentaries
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.
Indeed it behoved them then 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.
He awakened His disciples from where He had been in prayer and approached those who sought to apprehend Him. And lo, He stood before them as if they were offering Him something commendable. Likewise, His prayer was directed toward that intention, ensuring that divine providence would be evident to us; and if He was reluctant to endure suffering, it was to safeguard the Jewish people from the calamity that would result from their transgressions against Him.
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.
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.
Through this, He demonstrated His willingness to die. Aware beforehand of their approach alongside the betrayer, He not only chose not to escape but eagerly went out to confront them, saying, “Let us go to them.” Luke records Jesus telling His disciples, “that ye sleep; arise, pray, lest ye come into an attack.” It is likely that He first addressed them this way before adding, “Arise, let us go.”
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.
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.
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, (Ps. 132:3.) we may go up into our bed, and give sleep to our eyes.
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.
He says not, Draws near to thee, for indeed the traitor was not near Him, but had removed himself far off through his sins.
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.
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.
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.
The moment has arrived. The Son of Man is handed over to sinful individuals. Rise, let us depart; he who will betray Me is approaching. Listening to these words, which convey such determination, majesty, and tranquility, one might not recognize Him as the One who just moments ago was overwhelmed with sorrow. What a transformation from a state of weakness to one of steadfast resolve and indomitable dignity! He steps forward to confront His adversaries and calls His followers to join Him. With a clear awareness of His impending fate, He perceives in the spirit Judas, whom the disciples have yet to discern. He recognizes and names those who will shape the course of His destiny. We bow before You, O mighty Stronghold, and we beseech You, O Infinite Love.
Protect us from our frailties with Your mercy. In our vulnerabilities and within Your goodness, we implore You not to disregard the transgressions stemming from our weakness. We may be unworthy followers, yet we are Your disciples, Your fragile children. Empower us with Your grace, that we may remain vigilant and pray, as You commanded, so that we do not succumb to grievous sins. Amen.
Arise, let us go to confront the betrayer—he is nearby. Arise, let us advance: behold, the one who betrays me has come. Through these words, St. Chrysostom asserts, our Lord aims to reveal to His disciples that the events unfolding are the result of human wickedness, not due to any sin on His part. What is occurring is neither a matter of necessity nor weakness, but a manifestation of divine sovereignty. He anticipated the arrival of His adversaries but chose not to evade them; instead, He approached them deliberately. The strength, dignity, and serenity conveyed in our Lord's words are striking. As noted by Philaret, Archbishop of Chernigov, it might seem astonishing that the One who speaks with such resolution is the same individual we witnessed mere moments ago, burdened by sorrow.
This marks a profound shift from a moment of despair to one of determined strength and unwavering majesty. He advances to confront His foes and invites His disciples to join Him. Moving forward with awareness of His impending fate, He perceives Judas with spiritual insight, even as the disciples remain unaware. He identifies and names those who will influence His path.
At the final moment, He told them, 'Rest for now: I will no longer come to rouse you, to summon you to prayer and watchfulness. Instead, you will be stirred from your slumber against your will. The hour of My passion is near. Those who are destined to take Me are already here.'
For a final time, He roused them with a poignant warning about the imminent peril: “Are you still slumbering and lounging? It is accomplished; the time has arrived; look, the Son of Man is being handed over to those who commit sin. Get up, let us depart; see, the one who betrays me is near.”
The betrayer was aware of the Lord’s beloved spot where He frequently gathered with His disciples and led the crowd to the Garden of Gethsemane with confidence (John 18:2). At that moment, the Saviour had completed His prayer and was prepared to confront what lay ahead. “You are still asleep and resting,” He remarked to the peacefully slumbering disciples, “look, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us go; see, the one who betrays me is near” (Matt. 26:45-46). Judas, in his eagerness to carry out his treachery, had already rushed ahead and was close to the Lord.
Let us proceed: towards the one who will betray and those accompanying him; let us approach them so that the act of betrayal may be accomplished.
The God-Man, eager to demonstrate that the unfolding events stem not from necessity or frailty but from divine providence, approached His disciples with the assurance characteristic of omniscience, proclaiming, "Sleep and rest, the end has come, the hour has come, and the Son of Man will be delivered into the hands of sinners: arise, come, behold, He who delivered Me is at hand." While God does not endure suffering, humanity is the one that suffers. The lives of the saints reveal how God fortifies martyrs, enabling them to face death with joy. An angel from heaven provided strength to the Lord during His forty days in the wilderness, and here in Gethsemane, the angel similarly supported Him.
The adversary, tempting the Lord in the wilderness, failed to comprehend the truth; he saw only a Man, unaware that this Man was indeed God. The ruler of this world was oblivious to the mystery of Christ's divinity during His profound humiliation in Gethsemane. Satan did not recognize that it was the God-Man Himself who willingly submitted to suffering. The Pharisees were likewise confounded, questioning, "Is not this the son of the carpenter?" This mystery is profound. The desires and ambitions of humanity were stilled, the hour arrived, and the Son of Man was betrayed into the hands of sinners. The same people who had recently sought to crown Him king would now demand His crucifixion, declaring that His blood would be upon them and their children. The Savior's sorrow over human wickedness is the most bitter cup. He beheld the sins of all humanity and the appalling sin of deicide. Earlier, He had wept for His cherished Jerusalem and grieved for Lazarus, who had been dead for four days; He mourned for the cross, yearning to endure its pain to bring salvation to all. Yet, He foresaw that many would reject salvation. There exists both human will and divine will. The Lord called, "Lazarus, come forth!" and demonstrated the tremendous power of divinity as the dead man obeyed and arose. However, the command, "Be holy, as I, the Lord your God, am holy," did not sanctify humanity, for it requires the activation of human will; a turn toward goodness, truth, and love for God. The sin of unfaithfulness in Christ is a grave offense, which led to the punishment of the chosen people and the destruction of the beloved city of the great King. The devastation wrought by the first Jewish War in 70 A.D. and the second in 132 A.D. was catastrophic for the Jewish people. The Lord foresaw these dire calamities and wept. His soul was troubled even unto death. He prayed, "Abba, Father, let this cup pass from Me." How then does the cup of iniquity—death—pass? It embodies all the sufferings and deaths of humanity. The Father, through the power of divinity, cannot compel people toward holiness without their willing participation. In the words of Venerable Nil Myrotochivy, when the Lord cried out on the cross, "I thirst," He witnessed Judas cast down the thirty pieces of silver, confessing, "I have sinned by betraying innocent blood." And Judas ultimately took his own life. Nevertheless, the Lord bent low three times in the valley of Gehenna, longing for Judas to approach the cross in repentance; the Lord was willing and eager to forgive him. In the Life of Saint Anthony the Great, it is recounted that the Lord is prepared to even restore a fallen angel to his rightful place among the heavenly hosts, should he repent. The Lord yearned for the salvation of all. Yet both humanity and fallen angels, through their malevolent actions, have inflicted and continue to inflict great suffering upon themselves, as seen in the cases of Sodom and Gomorrah, Noah’s flood, the fall of Jerusalem, numerous wars, and many other tragedies.
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 7 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS