What does Luke 22:39-46 mean?

³⁹ And he came out, and went, as he was wont, to the mount of Olives; and his disciples also followed him. ⁴⁰ And when he was at the place, he said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation. ⁴¹ And he was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down, and prayed, ⁴² Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. ⁴³ And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. ⁴⁴ And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground. ⁴⁵ And when he rose up from prayer, and was come to his disciples, he found them sleeping for sorrow, ⁴⁶ And said unto them, Why sleep ye? rise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. (Luke 22:39-46 KJV)

Jesus Prays on the Mount of Olives

Here is the revised passage with redundant sentences removed, old-fashioned words updated to modern American English, and the rest of the text kept as it is:

We have here the awful story of Christ’s agony in the garden, just before he was betrayed, which was largely related by the other evangelists. In it Christ accommodated himself to that part of his undertaking which he was now entering upon—the making of his soul an offering for sin. He afflicted his own soul with grief for the sin he was to satisfy for, and an apprehension of the wrath of God to which man had by sin made himself liable, which he willingly submitted to, like the fire from heaven that consumed acceptable sacrifices. In it Christ confronted the powers of darkness, gave them all the advantages they could want, and yet conquered them.

What we have in this passage which we had before is:

1. That when Christ went out, though it was night and a long walk, his disciples (eleven of them, for Judas had already left) followed him. Having stayed with him through his earlier trials, they would not leave him now.
2. That he went to the place where he was accustomed to be alone, which shows that Christ regularly sought solitude for prayer, and teaches us to do the same. Though Christ had only a garden for seclusion, yet he withdrew there. This should especially be our practice after we’ve been at the Lord’s table, when we need to reflect in private.
3. That he urged his disciples to pray so that, though the coming trial could not be avoided, they might not fall into temptation to sin—that when they were most afraid and in danger, they would not have any desire to desert Christ: “Pray that you may be kept from sin.”
4. That he withdrew from them and prayed himself; they had their requests at the throne of grace, and he had his. He went about a stone’s throw farther into the garden—about fifty or sixty paces—and kneeled down. The other evangelists say he later fell on his face and prayed that, if it were God’s will, this cup of suffering might pass from him. This was the natural reaction of true human fear of suffering.
5. That knowing it was his Father’s will for him to suffer and die, and that it was necessary for our redemption, he quickly withdrew the request, not insisting on it, but submitting to God’s will: “Nevertheless not my will, but yours be done” (Psalm 40:7-8).
6. That his disciples were asleep when they should have been praying (Luke 22:45). When he rose from prayer, he found them asleep, unmoved by his sorrow. But Luke adds a merciful explanation: they were sleeping from sorrow. The grief they felt from their Master’s farewells had drained their energy, making them very drowsy. This teaches us to judge our brethren’s weaknesses charitably and give them the benefit of the doubt.
7. That when he woke them, he urged them again to pray (Luke 22:46): “Why are you sleeping? Rise and pray.” Shake off your sleepiness so you can pray, and ask for grace to resist temptation. Like the shipmaster’s words to Jonah in the storm (Jonah 1:6): “Arise, call upon your God.” When facing temptation, we must rise and pray, “Lord, help me.”

There are three things in this passage which we don’t find in the other gospels:

1. That when Christ was in agony, an angel from heaven appeared to him, strengthening him (Luke 22:43).

(1) This showed the deep humiliation of Christ that he needed and accepted the help of an angel. The divine nature stepped back temporarily, and in his human nature, he was briefly lower than the angels and could be helped by them.

(2) Though he wasn’t delivered from suffering, he was strengthened in it, and that was enough. If God strengthens us to bear what he gives us, we have no cause to complain. David acknowledged this kind of answer in trouble—God strengthened him with strength in his soul (Psalm 138:3).

(3) The angel ministered to Jesus in his suffering. He could have had legions of angels rescue him; even this one could have overcome the band that came to arrest him. But he used the angel only to strengthen him. The angel’s visit alone, when his enemies were awake and his friends asleep, was a comforting sign of divine favor. Perhaps the angel reminded him that his sufferings would glorify God, secure his own glory, and bring salvation to his people. He may have encouraged him with the joy set before him—the seed he would see—and similar truths. The angel may have wiped his sweat and tears, offered a physical comfort, or helped him off the ground. In all these, the Holy Spirit was at work, “putting strength into him,” as the word signifies. Though it pleased the Lord to bruise him, he did not oppose him with great power but strengthened him gently (Job 23:6; Psalm 89:21; Isaiah 49:8; 50:7).

2. That being in agony, he prayed more earnestly (Luke 22:44). As his sorrow increased, so did the intensity of his prayer. There was no coldness before, but now there was more urgency, evident in his voice and posture. Prayer is always good, but especially when we are in anguish. The greater our distress, the more fervent and frequent our prayers should be. Now Christ offered up prayers with strong cries and tears and was heard because of his reverent submission (Hebrews 5:7). Like Jacob, he wrestled in prayer.
3. That in this agony, his sweat was like great drops of blood falling to the ground. Sweat came with the curse after sin (Genesis 3:19). When Christ was made sin and a curse for us, he endured a severe sweat, that in the sweat of his face we might eat bread, and he might sanctify and sweeten all our trials. Some debate whether this was literal blood or sweat as thick as blood. Either way, it testifies to the intensity of his suffering. Some count this among the times he shed blood for us—for without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. His pores became like bleeding wounds, and his blood stained his clothes. This revealed the agony of his soul. He was outside in the cold, on the ground, late at night—conditions that wouldn’t normally cause sweating—but still he sweated like this, showing the depth of his suffering.