Again, having come away, he prayed, saying the same statement. And again, coming, he found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy, and they had not seen how they might have responded to him.
Another self-orientated decision by them all. Sleep was more important than any thought of “how they might have responded to him” in his dreadful agony.
And he comes the third time and states to them, “You are sleeping the remaining time and you are resting. It is too late; the hour did come. See! The Son of Man is given away into the hands of sinners.”
Third time. Now it’s too late. He is “given away into the hands of sinners”. But are the hands of the disciples not also “the hands of sinners” – by default?
“Rise! We may go. See! The one giving me away has drawn near.” And immediately, he himself still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, becomes near and with him a crowd with knives and stakes - from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders.
Jesus calls them all into the present awful realities. One man intends to do his own right thing by “giving away” Jesus; the crowd has all the tools to do their right thing by physical force; the authorities are (as ever) doing their right thing via Judas and the crowd. The disciples have done their right thing – nothing.
Now he giving him over had given them a sign, stating, “The one to whom I may show brotherly love is him. Hold him and lead him away securely.” And he, having come, straightaway having come near him, states, “Rabbi”. He kissed him. So, they laid hands on him and held him.
A few hours earlier Jesus had told all his disciples, including Judas, that he was to be “given away” by one of them. Despite that, the right thing of the giver-away of Jesus includes these attempts to deceive Jesus. “I do love you.”
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