Matthew 26:39

Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder. For the exposition, see the notes at Luke 22:39....

39._And he went forward a little. _We have seen in other passages, that in order to excite himself to greater earnestness of prayer, the Lord prayed in the absence of witnesses; for when we are withdrawn from the gaze of men, we succeed better in collecting our senses, so as to attend more closely to what we are doing. It is not, indeed, necessary — nay more, it is not always proper — that we should retire to distant corners whenever we pray; but when some great necessity urges us, because the fervor of prayer is more freely indulged when we are alone, it is useful to us to pray apart. And if the Son of God did not disregard this aid, it would be the greatest madness of pride in us not to apply it for our own advantage. Add to this, that when God alone is witness, as there is nothing then to be feared from ambition, the believing soul unfolds itself with greater familiarity, and with gre...

36-46 He who made atonement for the sins of mankind, submitted himself in a garden of suffering, to the will of God, from which man had revolted in a garden of pleasure. Christ took with him into that part of the garden where he suffered his agony, only those who had witnessed his glory in his transfiguration. Those are best prepared to suffer with Christ, who have by faith beheld his glory. The words used denote the most entire dejection, amazement, anguish, and horror of mind; the state of one surrounded with sorrows, overwhelmed with miseries, and almost swallowed up with terror and dismay. He now began to be sorrowful, and never ceased to be so till he said, It is finished. He prayed that, if possible, the cup might pass from him. But he also showed his perfect readiness to bear the load of his sufferings; he was willing to submit to all for our redemption and salvation. According t...

Verse 39. _FELL ON HIS FACE_] Luke 22:44. This was the ordinary posture of the supplicant when the favour was great which was asked, and deep humiliation required. The head was put between the knees, and the forehead brought to touch the earth-this was not only a humiliating, but a very _painful_ posture also. _THIS CUP_] The word _cup_ is frequently used in the Sacred Writings to point out _sorrow, anguish, terror, death_. It seems to be an allusion to a very ancient method of punishing criminals. A cup of poison was put into their hands, and they were obliged to drink it. Socrates was killed thus, being obliged by the magistrates of Athens to drink a cup of the juice of hemlock. To death, by the _poisoned cup_, there seems an allusion in Hebrews 2:9,...

JESUS’ AGONY IN GETHSEMANE - This account is also recorded in Mark 14:32; Luke 22:39; John 18:1. Matthew 26:36 THEN COMETH ... - After the institution of the Lord’s Supper, in the early part of the night, he went out to the Mount of Olives. In his journey he passed over the brook Cedron John 18:1, which bounded Jerusalem on the east. UNTO A PLACE - John calls this “a garden.” This garden was on the western si

EXPOSITION Ch. 26-28:20 THUS JESUS ENTERS UPON HIS KINGDOM. Before attempting to expound this most momentous section of the gospel history, we must make up our minds concerning the solution of the difficulties which are involved in some details in the account of the Supper. The supposed discrepancy between the narrative of the synoptists and that of St. John has exercised the minds of commentators from the earliest times unto the present, and enormous ingenuity has been expended in endeavouring to harmonize what are regarded as conflicting statements. The two chief difficulties are these: According to the synoptists, as generally understood, our Lord and his apostles ate the Passover, _i.e. _the Paschal lamb, when he instituted the Holy Communion; according to St. John, the death of Christ took place before the Passover was celebrated. Hence

AND HE WENT A LITTLE FURTHER,.... Luke says, Luke 22:41, "about a stone's cast", about fifty or sixty feet from the place where they were, AND FELL ON HIS FACE, AND PRAYED; partly to show his great reverence of God, the sword of whose justice was awaked against him, the terrors of whose law were set in array before him, and whose wrath was pouring down upon him; and partly to signify how much his soul was depressed, how low he was brought, and in what distress and anguish of spirit he was, that he was not able to lift up his head, and look up. This was a prayer gesture used when a person was in the utmost perplexity. The account the Jews give of it, is this g, "Mhynp le Nylpwnvk, "when they fall upon their faces", they do not stretch out their hands and their feet, but incline on their sides.'' This was not to be done by any person, or at any time; t

Matthew 26:14. _Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, and said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver._ At what a price did the traitor sell our blessed Master! O ye who have been redeemed with his precious blood, set a high value upon him, think much of him, say much in praise of him! Remember these thirty pieces of silver, and never be guilty of despising the Lord of glory, as these chief priests did when they paid for him the price of a slave. Matthew 26:16. And from that time he sought opportunity to betray him. Now the first day of the feast of unleavened bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee

CUP The "cup" must be interpreted by our Lord's own use of that symbol in speaking of His approaching sacrificial death (Matthew 20:22); (John 18:11). In view of (John 10:17); (John 10:18); He could have been in no fear of an unwilling death. The value of the account of the agony in the Garden is in the evidence it affords that He knew fully what the agony of the cross would mean when His soul was made an offering for sin, (Isaiah 53:10); in the hiding of the Father's face. Knowing the cost to the utmost, he voluntarily paid it....

MATTHEW 26:39 At the close of ver. Matthew 26:39 several secondary witnesses (C3mg ¦13 124 230 348 543 713 788 826 828 983) add from Luke 22:43-44 the words w;fqh de. auvtw|/ a;ggeloj avpV (avpo. tou/ 543 826 983) ouvranou/ evniscu,wn auvto.n kai. geno,menoj evn avgwni,a| evktene,steron proshu,ceto\ evge,neto de. (om. 124) o` i`drw.j auvtou/ w`sei. qro,mboi ai[matoj katabai,nontej evpi. th.n gh/n....