And He said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved, even to death. Stay here and keep watch.”
Christ reveals the deep pain of His soul; being “sorrowful even to death” shows an unspeakable inner heaviness. Although He alone was to bear the saving struggle, He allows the disciples to be near Him in the hour of His suffering. This reveals His true human feeling and the natural need for fellowship. Yet the command “Stay awake” was not only a request to remain with Him, but also a warning for the disciples themselves, because the hour of temptation was drawing near for them as well. The lack of prayer and watchfulness would soon be seen in their weakness and in their scattering.