Bible Study series: Luke 22:39-46. It is time to die a cruel and painful death. He struggles at the prospect. But he surrendered to the will of his Father.
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I also translate to learn. The translations are mine, unless otherwise noted. If you would like to see many others, please click here:
In the next link to the original chapter, I comment more and offer the Greek text. At the bottom you will find a “Summary and Conclusion” section geared toward discipleship. Check it out!
In this post, links are provided for further study.
Let’s begin.
Scripture: Luke 22:39-46
39 Further, he left and by his custom went to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. 40 When he got to the place, he said to them, “Pray that you don’t enter into temptation.” 41 Then he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw and knelt and began to pray, 42 saying, “Father, if you will, take this cup from me; nevertheless, not my will, but let yours happen.” 43 An angel from heaven appeared and strengthened him. 44 Then in a struggle, he prayed more intensely. And his sweat was like drops of blood falling on the ground. 45 He got up from prayer and went to the disciples and found them sleeping from grief. 46 And so he said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray, so you don’t enter into temptation.” (Luke 22:39-46)
Comments:
We are on holy ground. This passage is both sad and inspirational at once. I hope I do justice to it in my comments.
Luke does not mention Gethsemane in this section of Scripture, but the other Gospels do. Gethsemane is at the base of the Mount of Olives. The term means “oil press.” He told the twelve to sit down, but they will soon lie down and fall asleep. John 18:2 says it was a regular rendezvous place for Jesus and the twelve and was a “garden.” So it was probably a cultivated estate and enclosed with a wall. The three were invited in, while the remaining nine waited (i.e. slept) outside.
I like this chiastic structure by Bock, slightly edited (p. 1755). (The capital letter chi [pronounced khee] in Greek is written like a big X, and note how the shape goes in and out, like the left side of the X).
A commands to pray (40b)
B withdraws to pray (41a)
C kneels to pray (41b)
D prays (41b)
E is empowered by an angel (43)
D’ prays more earnestly (44)
C’ rises from prayer (45a)
B’ returns from prayer (45b)
A’ Commands to pray (46)
Luke has a plan to this section of Scripture.
39:
“by his custom”: Luke wrote: “He was teaching in the temple during the day, and at night going out and finding lodging at the mountain called Olives” (Luke 21:37).
It is amazing that Luke researched this information. Whom did he ask? Which apostle? The apostles apparently had left Jerusalem before Paul and Luke arrived in Judea and Jerusalem (Acts 21:15). Some leaders like James the (half-) brother were there. James was not on the Mount of Olives during the prayer of his (half-)brother Jesus, but James surely heard the story from the apostles. Or, Luke may have gotten his information from an apostle on his travels, including the regions away from Jerusalem, but still in Israel.
40:
“the place”: apparently, he liked to go there while he was in Jerusalem, to pray. We don’t know where the place is. Matthew 26:36 and Mark 14:32 call it Gethsemane, but we still don’t know the specific area, other than it is at the base of the Mount of Olives. John 18:2 says it was a regular rendezvous place for Jesus and the twelve and was a “garden.” So it was probably a cultivated estate.
It is possible to pray that you don’t enter into temptation. Jesus knew it was coming, but the disciples did not have to listen to fear and then run and hide. On the other hand, some modern translations have “don’t be overcome by temptation” because Jesus knew the disciples were about to enter it. However, I still like the traditional translation. You may enter temptation, but you don’t have to. No fear!
41:
“stone’s throw”: I love the detail. Luke must have heard it from an apostle or someone who hung out with one and transmitted it. Now we know “the place” is a stone’s throw away. I love it!
“knelt”: he was serious and was about to get into a wrestling match or a struggle.
42:
“If you will” could be translated as “if you’re willing.”
“cup”: it is the same Greek term used at the Last Supper. Here is a metaphor for the cup of suffering. John 18:11 confirms it: “Jesus commanded Peter, ‘Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?’” (NIV). He was talking about his suffering before and during the crucifixion. In Matt. 20:22-23 and Mark 10:38-39, Jesus asked the two disciples who wanted to be first whether they could drink from the cup (same Greek word) which he was about to drink from, referring to this moment of suffering. James and John said, “We can.” It looks like they were about to be proven wrong, though one of them (Peter) cut off an ear in v. 50. The Old Testament’s imagery of the cup speaks of divine wrath (Ps. 75:8, Is. 51:17, 22; Jer. 25:15; Hab. 2:16; Rev. 14:9-10). God was about to pour out his wrath on his Son. And His was about to absorb it. But God’s wrath is not about losing his temper; it is judicious and evaluative.
God’s wrath is judicial.
It is like this:
(Source)
That is a picture of God in judgment.
The Wrath of God in the New Testament
Do I Really Know God? He Shows Wrath
The Wrath of God in the Old Testament
Everyone Shall Be Judged by Their Works and Words
Bible Basics about the Final Judgment
Luke 21:5-33 Predicts Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
Christ’s Death of the Cross = Cosmic Child Abuse?
“happen”: traditional translations have “be done.” You can certainly switch back to “let yours be done.”
Have your surrendered your will to God? Jesus said: “If anyone wants to come after me, let him deny himself and pick up his cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save his life shall lose it. Whoever loses his life for my sake shall save it” (Luke 9:23-24). It’s a daily process of your picking up his cross; then when you lose your life, you find it. You live for God. Each day. Nonstop.
43:
“an angel”: Here is a multi-part study of angels in the area of systematic theology, but first, here is a summary list of the basics:
Angels:
(a) Are messengers (in Hebrew mal’ak and in Greek angelos);
(b) Are created spirit beings;
(c) Have a beginning at their creation (not eternal);
(d) Have a beginning, but they are immortal (deathless).
(e) Have moral judgment;
(f) Have a certain measure of free will;
(g) Have high intelligence;
(h) Do not have physical bodies;
(i) But can manifest with immortal bodies before humans;
(j) They can show the emotion of joy.
Angels: Their Duties and Missions
Angels: Their Names and Ranks and Heavenly Existence
Angels: Their Origins, Abilities, and Nature
“strengthened”: it literally means “put strength in” or “strengthen in,” so the angel put power and strength in him, similar to our word encourage, “put courage in” or “courage in.”
Then he could pray a third time. It seems that Luke is implying that without an angel from God, Jesus may have given up. This indicates how much he was suffering. The next verse says he sweat drops of blood.
44:
“agony”: it is used only once in the NT, and the standard lexicons says “agony” or “anxiety.” However, the lexicon of the larger Greek world defines it more fully: “a contest, struggle for victory”; and in the gym it means “gymnastic exercise, wrestling” (Liddell and Scott). The first definition is best, but I also like a spiritual wrestling match. He overcame the wrestling match in his own mind between his own two wills (human and divine) and that of his Father. Jesus surrendered. In his human nature, he did not want to go to the cross; that’s why he asked whether there was another way to bring about redemption. In his divine will, he knew this was the only way.
Then his sweat became like drops of blood. You can google the medical explanation, but it is clear that he was in deep distress.
When I first saw the Greek word which I translated “more intensely,” I thought it was saying he “stretched out” or prostrated himself. He went from kneeling to stretching out on the ground. However, the adverb is best translated it as I did or as follows: “eagerly, fervently, constantly” and “very fervently” (Acts 12:5; 1 Peter 1:22; Luke 22:44, and only in those three verses). But the verb form sure means to “stretch out” (or extend).
Here’s Matthew’s version, however: “Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will’” (Matt. 26:37, NIV). It looks like his divine will won.
The moment that we are born again in Christ, we partake of the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4). The Spirit regenerates us and lives inside of us. God helps our sinful human nature and our sinful will. Jesus did not have a sin nature and sinful will, but he still had to wrestle with the idea of the pain of the crucifixion. He surrendered to God’s will because of his love for you and me.
45:
Therefore, he got up from his kneeling and checked on his disciples. They were sleeping, worn out from grief. Grief can tire a person out.
The fact that he got up to see his disciples indicates that he won the struggle in his soul. Victory through prayer and surrender! Pray in order to surrender! In the next pericope he will take charge by healing a servant’s ear. His authority was going strong after the struggle. He surrendered to the Father’s will and decided to go through the crucifixion.
What love! What fortitude!
46:
Jesus issues one last word of exhortation or warning or command. They must not enter into temptation, like living in fear after the crucifixion or abandoning the cause of Christ completely. The same Greek phrase is used: “enter into temptation” as it was in v. 40. See that verse for a discussion.
They were asleep. Do we become sleepy Christians right at the time when we need to pray the most?
GrowApp for Luke 22:39-46
1. Have you ever had a difficult time surrendering it all to the Father? What is happening now on that issue?
2. How did you respond when your prayer was not answered? Do you trust him as Jesus did in this extremely difficult circumstance?
RELATED
11. Eyewitness Testimony in Luke’s Gospel
3. Church Fathers and Luke’s Gospel
14. Similarities among John’s Gospel and the Synoptic Gospels
1. The Historical Reliability of the Gospels: Introduction to Series
BIBLIOGRAPHY AND MORE
To see the bibliography, please click on this link and scroll down to the bottom. You will also find a “Summary and Conclusion” for discipleship.
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