Mark 14:41 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And he came the third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? It is enough; the hour has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.

NIV: Returning the third time, he said to them, 'Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners.

NASB: And He *came the third time, and *said to them, 'Are you still sleeping and resting? That is enough. The hour has come; behold, the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.

CSB: Then he came a third time and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The time has come. See, the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.

NLT: When he returned to them the third time, he said, 'Go ahead and sleep. Have your rest. But no — the time has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.

KJV: And he cometh the third time, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: it is enough, the hour is come; behold, the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.

NKJV: Then He came the third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? It is enough! The hour has come; behold, the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.

Jesus has been praying that God would choose not to abandon Him to the sins of the world, that the "hour" of His torment would pass (Mark 14:35). Jesus has known He must face the cross since before the creation of the world. God prophesied this moment when He confronted Adam and Eve about their sin (Genesis 3:15). Jesus fought for the right to be crucified during His temptation in the desert (Matthew 4:1–11). Without the crucifixion, there is no salvation. It is why He came to earth, and it is how He obeys His Father (Philippians 2:8). So it is no surprise that the hour has now come.

The hour has also come for Peter, James, and John. Jesus told them to use the time of rest to prepare for the spiritual warfare that is coming (Mark 14:37–38). It is already established that the disciples will scatter when Jesus is arrested (Mark 14:27) and Peter will deny knowing or following Jesus (Mark 14:30). But had they watched and prayed, the damage may have been mitigated, as it was for Hezekiah when told of his impending death (2 Kings 20). Instead, the disciples slept, and the time they had for preparation is over.

The hour has also come for Judas. The theology of Judas is difficult. He was chosen by God as the "son of perdition," that is, the person set aside for destruction. That doesn't mean God made him evil or forced him to betray Jesus to the Jewish leaders. It was Judas who had more loyalty to money and himself than this Jesus he had followed around for three years. Satan may have directed (Luke 22:3) and encouraged (John 13:27) Judas' decisions, but Judas is still responsible for his own beliefs and actions. Satan used Peter, as well (Mark 8:33), and Peter does deny following Jesus, but he never chooses to betray Jesus.

We will face our own "hours" as well. God gives us times of peace to rest and prepare, but there will come times when we must act. It may be confronting sin in a friend, sharing the good news of Jesus, or even accepting Jesus as our Savior. We have a choice whether to sleep like the disciples, prepare to meet our own selfish needs like Judas, or pray to God for what we will face next.

Mark 14:32–42 contains Jesus' wait in the garden of Gethsemane. This describes Jesus' example and the disciples' catastrophic failure to follow the general theme of Jesus' admonition in Mark 13:32–37. Jesus watches how God moves and prays for His part in it. The disciples sleep. Three times, their Master finds them unconscious, both physically and spiritually (Mark 13:35–36). They do not take the time, as Jesus does, to prepare for the hardships in front of them. They so expect Jesus' victory over the Roman occupiers they don't prepare for His spiritual war on the cross. This story is also in Matthew 26:36–46 and Luke 22:39–46.

Jesus is anointed in a symbolic anticipation of His death. Judas decides to secretly cooperate with local religious leaders to arrest Jesus in secret. During the Passover meal, Jesus predicts His betrayal by Judas, and Peter's denial. He also institutes the Lord's Supper, also known as communion. After praying on the Mount of Olives, Jesus is captured when Judas identifies Him to a hostile mob sent by Jewish authorities. He endures a corrupt, prejudiced trial, ending in a conviction for blasphemy. Peter, fearing for his life, lies about knowing Jesus, before remembering Jesus' prediction and breaking down in sobs.

Jesus has finished His public teaching ministry and now prepares for the crucifixion. His sacrificial loyalty will provide the means by which the disciples' abandonment will be forgiven. Next, the Romans, as representatives of Gentiles throughout history, will join the Jews and kill Jesus. Jesus will be buried, but He will rise again with the promise that His sacrifice will redeem the world. Matthew 26 and Luke 22 follow Mark 14 more closely while John 13:1—18:27 records more of Jesus' teaching in the upper room.

The Gospel of Mark emphasizes both Jesus' servanthood and His role as the promised Messiah: the Son of God. This is done through a concise, action-packed style. Mark provides relatively few details, instead focusing on actions and simple statements. This relates to the Gospel's authorship, which is believed to be based on the memories of the apostle Peter. These include many of Jesus' miracles, in contrast to other Gospels which include many more of Jesus' teachings and parables. Mark also makes frequent mention of Jesus' ministry being misunderstood by others.