Luke 22:45 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And when he rose from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping for sorrow,

NIV: When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow.

NASB: When He rose from prayer, He came to the disciples and found them sleeping from sorrow,

CSB: When he got up from prayer and came to the disciples, he found them sleeping, exhausted from their grief.

NLT: At last he stood up again and returned to the disciples, only to find them asleep, exhausted from grief.

KJV: And when he rose up from prayer, and was come to his disciples, he found them sleeping for sorrow,

NKJV: When He rose up from prayer, and had come to His disciples, He found them sleeping from sorrow.

In tremendous distress, Jesus has been praying on the Mount of Olives for God the Father to remove "the cup": to change His plans so that Jesus won't have to go to the cross. Yet He ends, "not my will, but yours, be done" (Luke 22:41–44).

Jesus now rises, setting aside His fear and taking on a strong resolve to do what He must. The author of Hebrews puts these moments into perspective, summarizing Jesus' decision to obey God: "Behold, I have come to do your will" (Hebrews 10:9). The author also puts that decision in context, saying, "And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all" (Hebrews 10:10). It is God the Father's will, so it is God the Son's will. Because the Son obeys the Father, we can be saved.

While He prayed, Jesus wanted the disciples to stay awake and pray also. They were to ask that the coming events wouldn't cause them to sin—to abandon Him in fear (Luke 22:40). People usually stayed up on Passover night, anyway. This time, the disciples can't. Sleep is their only defense against the sorrow enveloping them.

Luke doesn't define this sorrow, but John does. Earlier in the evening, Jesus had told them, "Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek me, and just as I said to the Jews, so now I also say to you, 'Where I am going you cannot come'" (John 13:33). After promising the Holy Spirit, Jesus continues, "But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart" (John 16:6).

But then He promises:

"Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy. When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you." (John 16:20–22).

The disciples mourn that, somehow, Jesus is leaving them. But Jesus promises that joy will come and never leave.

Luke 22:39–46 is a summarized account of Jesus' prayers at the Mount of Olives. He and the disciples have finished the Passover meal. There, Jesus warned them of coming trials. The disciples argued over who was best (Luke 22:14–30). Now, Jesus expresses sincere apprehension about the crucifixion. Yet He humbly submits to His Father's plan. He knows who He is and why He was sent: only He can save the world. Meanwhile, the disciples sleep instead of praying that their faith will keep them from temptation. Matthew 26:36–46, Mark 14:32–42, and John 18:1 also record Jesus' time in the garden.

Luke 22 is a long chapter which records events leading to Jesus' political trials and crucifixion. He has successfully taught crowds at the temple and proved His authority over the religious leaders (Luke 19:47—20). Meanwhile the leaders have spent the week planning to arrest Jesus and have Him killed (Luke 19:47–48). This chapter records the Last Supper, the arrest on the Mount of Olives, and the trials before the Jewish religious leaders. Matthew 26, Mark 14, and John 18 cover much of the same information.

Luke 23 continues Jesus' trials before Pilate and Herod Antipas. He is then led to the cross where He forgives His murderers and saves a thief before He dies. In Luke 24, Jesus rises from the dead, meets two disciples while they travel, and explains to them how the Old Testament prophesied the death of the Messiah. In the final scene of the gospel, Jesus is reunited with His disciples, blesses them, and ascends into heaven.

Luke was a traveling companion of Paul (Acts 16:10) and a physician (Colossians 4:14). Unlike Matthew, Mark, and John, Luke writes his gospel as an historian, rather than as a first-hand eyewitness. His extensive writings also include the book of Acts (Acts 1:1–3). These are deliberately organized, carefully researched accounts of those events. The gospel of Luke focuses on the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. Luke's Gentile perspective presents Christ as a Savior for all people, offering both forgiveness and direction to those who follow Him.