Luke 22:39 - Meaning and Application

Here we have the sad story of Christ’s agony in the garden, just before he was betrayed. The other Gospel writers tell this story at greater length. In it, Christ was fitting himself for the part of his work he was now entering, the offering of his soul for sin.

He burdened his own soul with grief for the sin he would pay for, and with the thought of God’s wrath that sin had brought on people. As a sacrifice is accepted when fire from heaven consumes it, so Christ willingly took those feelings upon himself as the sacrifice for sin. In this struggle, he met the powers of darkness face to face, gave them every advantage they could want, and still defeated them.

What we see here, which we have seen before, is this: when Christ went out, though it was night and the walk was long, his disciples, eleven of them since Judas had slipped away, followed him. They had stayed with him through earlier trials, and they would not leave him now. He went to the place where he usually spent time in private, showing that Christ often withdrew by himself, teaching us to do the same so we can be free to talk with God and examine our own hearts. Though all he had for solitude was a garden, he still retired there. This should especially be our practice after we have been at the Lord’s table, since then we have work to do that calls for quiet time alone.

He urged his disciples to pray that, even if the coming trial could not be avoided, they would not fall into temptation to sin. He meant that, when they were most afraid and in the greatest danger, they should not grow willing to abandon Christ or take even one step toward it. In other words, “Pray that you may be kept from sin.”

Then he moved away from them and prayed by himself. They had their own needs to bring to God, and he had his own, so it was fitting that they should pray apart for a time, just as they sometimes prayed together when they had a shared concern. He went about a stone’s throw farther into the garden, about fifty or sixty paces, and there he knelt on the bare ground. The other Gospel writers say that afterward he fell on his face and prayed that, if it were God’s will, this cup of suffering, this bitter cup, might be removed from him. This was the honest fear of suffering that belonged to his true human nature.

Yet he knew it was his Father’s will that he should suffer and die, and that this had now been settled as necessary for our rescue and salvation. So he quickly withdrew that request and did not press it. He gave himself to his heavenly Father’s will: “Nevertheless, not my will, but yours be done.” That is, not the will of my human nature, but the will of God, as written about me in the book, which I delight to do (Psalm 40:7-8).

His disciples, meanwhile, were asleep when he was praying, and they should have been praying too (Luke 22:45). When he rose from prayer, he found them sleeping and unmindful of his sorrow. Yet notice the kind way this is explained here, which the other Gospel writers do not add: they were sleeping because of sorrow. The deep grief they felt from the sad farewells their Master had been giving them that evening had worn them out and made them dull and heavy. Since it was also late, they were ready for sleep. This teaches us to think the best of our fellow believers’ weaknesses and, when possible, to give them the kindest explanation.

When he woke them, he urged them again to pray (Luke 22:46): “Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray.” Shake off your drowsiness so you can pray, and pray for grace so you can shake off your drowsiness. This is like the ship captain’s call to Jonah in the storm: “Get up, call on your God” (Jonah 1:6). When we see ourselves, through our outward troubles or inner weakness, moving toward temptation, we should rise and pray, “Lord, help me in this time of need.”

There are also three things here that the other Gospel writers do not mention. First, when Christ was in agony, an angel from heaven appeared to strengthen him (Luke 22:43). This shows the deep humility of our Lord Jesus, that he accepted help from an angel. For a little while, the divine nature was not making its full comfort felt, and then, so far as his human nature was concerned, he was for a time lower than the angels and able to receive their help.

Even though he was not taken out of suffering, he was strengthened under it, and that was enough. If God gives us shoulders equal to the burden, we have no reason to complain about what he lays on us. David counted it a full answer when God strengthened him in his soul in the day of trouble, and the Son of David did the same (Psalm 138:3). The angels served the Lord Jesus in his suffering. He could have called legions of them to rescue him. This one angel could have driven away and defeated the whole band that came to arrest him. But he used the angel only to strengthen him.

That visit itself, coming while his enemies were awake and his friends asleep, was a powerful sign of God’s favor and would greatly strengthen him. It was likely more than a silent visit. The angel may have spoken to him, reminding him that his sufferings would bring glory to his Father, glory to himself, and salvation to the people given to him. He may have set before him the joy that lay ahead and the children or offspring he would see. With such thoughts, and others like them, he encouraged him to go on gladly. What comforts a person also strengthens him. Perhaps the angel did something as well, wiping away sweat and tears, giving him some refreshment as after his temptation, or even helping him physically when he was near fainting. In all this, the Holy Spirit was putting strength into him, which is what the word means. The Lord was pleased to crush him, yes, but he did not deal with him in harsh power. Instead, he put strength in him (Job 23:6), as he had promised (Psalm 89:21; Isaiah 49:8; Isaiah 50:7).

Second, as his agony grew worse, he prayed more earnestly (Luke 22:44). His sorrow and pressure increased, and so did his urgency in prayer. This does not mean there was any lack of sincerity in his earlier prayers. Rather, now there was greater intensity, shown in his voice and his posture. Prayer is always fitting, but it is especially fitting in times of agony. The stronger our distress, the more alive and frequent our prayers should be.

At this moment, Christ offered up prayers and requests with loud crying and tears, and he was heard because of his reverent fear (Hebrews 5:7). In that fear, he wrestled, as Jacob wrestled with the angel. His holy sorrow and struggle show how deep his suffering was.

In this agony, his sweat became like great drops of blood falling to the ground. Sweat came in with sin and became part of the curse (Genesis 3:19). So when Christ was made sin and a curse for us, he endured a dreadful sweat. In this way, he took on the curse so that our labor could be eased and made good through him.

Some writers debate whether the sweat was only compared to blood because it was so thick, or whether actual blood from the tiny veins mixed with it. The question is not very important. Some count this as one of the times Christ shed his blood for us, because without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. Every pore was, as it were, a bleeding wound, and his blood stained all his clothing.

This also showed the pain of his soul. He was outdoors, in the open air, in a cool season, on the cold ground, and far into the night. One might think all of that would have kept away a sweat. Yet he broke out into one, which shows the extreme agony he was under.