One of the astonishing circumstances recorded in connection with the Lord's suffering in Gethsemane is the sleeping of the three disciples whom the Lord had taken there to watch with Him. We might have thought their forebodings of His coming departure, of which He had spoken so plainly some hours earlier in the upper room, would have kept them awake, determined not to let Him out of their sight. But their eyes were heavy with sleep, and they proved unworthy of the simple task they were given.

Nor was it only once that this happened. The Lord had removed Himself "about a stone's cast" in order to pray, and when He returned to the disciples the first time, He had chided them gently, "What, could ye not watch with Me one hour?" Again, we would have expected this mild rebuke to revive their sense of duty and keep them alert thereafter. But, alas! He came back a second time to find them "asleep again." And when He returned the third time He bade them "Sleep on now," the unrivaled opportunity to watch with Him having gone for ever.

Was this the best that human sympathy could provide? Peter, James and John were not hostile to the Lord, nor were they worldlings. They had left all to follow Him, and loved Him dearly. The plain fact was they were not equal to the occasion. The Lord Himself lovingly provided the excuse for their failure, "The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."

Asleep again! How tragic! On this outstanding night of the world's history, when the Saviour was preparing to accomplish the greatest transaction of all time, the three men chosen to watch were asleep, insensible to what was going on. It is a staggering reflection!

We may observe too that it was the salvation of these very men that was in course of being procured. Could they not remember the Saviour's own words, "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so MUST the Son of Man be lifted up"? And had He not made it very clear that the hour for this had come? Furthermore, what about Simon Peter's protestation of love and loyalty! The ugly fact stands out that in the moment of the Saviour's great sorrow unto death, those who were to benefit personally by His suffering were too tired to give Him the support of their understanding and sympathy.

But while men slept, there was One above who never ceased to be aware of the need of His dependent Servant on earth. The God of Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps. Moreover there is an angelic host, always at the ready to obey a command from the throne to minister to those on earth who fear God. The Lord Himself had attracted angelic interest previously. Angels praised God at His birth. Angels ministered to His need while He was in the wilderness under temptation by Satan himself. Shortly, after leaving Gethsemane, the Lord would restrain those who were about to use the sword to defend Him, with the assertion: "Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?" (Matt. 26:53). With what awe must they have beheld the spectacle of their Master's humility on earth!

Without question, angels were on the alert, for Luke tells us "there appeared an angel unto Him from heaven, strengthening Him" (22:43). Yet these beings are unable to benefit from the work of Calvary as the human race may do. Hebrews 2:16 explains, "For He (Jesus) does not indeed take hold of angels . . . but He takes hold of the seed of Abraham" (N.T.). As we sometimes sing:

"Though angels may with rapture see
How mercy flows in Jesu's blood,
It is not theirs to prove, as we,
The cleansing virtue of this flood."

In view of this what a striking and humbling thought it is, that in the hour of the Lord's agony in Gethsemane, while an angel was alert to help, the three representatives of the human race slept!

Were we face to face with the three beloved and honored apostles of the Lord, whose names have been mentioned, we should most certainly refrain from reproaching them over an episode for which we may be sure they never forgave themselves. But the facts have been recorded by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and are given surely in order that we may challenge ourselves as to our own response to the Lord's love to us.

—E.A. Pettman