Matthew 26:46

(de Cons. Ev. iii. 4.) 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.

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. He says not, Draws near to thee, for indeed the traitor was not near Him, but had removed himself far off through his sins.

"Look! The hour is approaching, and the Son of man will be delivered up into the hands of sinners." It is also in view of this hour, I believe, that he said to his mother, "My hour has not yet come." And now he declares that with the hour approaching, "the Son of man will be delivered up into the hands of sinners." Would that only into the hands of those sinners had Jesus been delivered up! But now I believe that he is delivered up always "into the hands of sinners" when they who seem to believe in Jesus have him in their hands since they are sinners. Indeed, as often as a righteous person indwelt by Jesus has fallen under the sway of sinners, Jesus is delivered up "into the hands of sinners.""Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is approaching." After he has awakened them from that sleep we spoke about, he says to his disciples, "Rise, let us be going." And seeing Judas in his mind, who was approaching him to deliver him up and who was not yet seen by his disciples, he says, "See, the one who will deliver me up is approaching." I believe, however, that "see, he is approaching" and "see, the one who will deliver me up is approaching" are not equivalent. Furthermore, the traitor, who had separated himself from Jesus by his sins and his betrayal was not simply "approaching" Jesus, but "he is approaching" to deliver up the Son of God, whom he already betrayed. Plainly, all wrongdoers first betray Jesus; then they deliver him up.

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.

(Verse 46, 47) Get up, let's go, behold the one who will betray me is approaching. While He was still speaking, behold Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a great crowd with swords and clubs, sent by the chief priests and elders of the people. Let us not be found as if fearing and retreating, let us willingly go towards death, so that they may see the confidence and joy we will endure.