Mattitiyahu (Matthew) 26:36-56

The text says plainly that Yeshua began to become “dejected and sorrowful”—a description of depression. Why then do so many criticize those who suffer from mental illness, depression, anxiety and so on? Surely these experiences in and of themselves cannot be sin, after all Messiah experienced many of these same feelings and emotive responses and yet remained sinless (Heb. 4:14-16).

There was once a well-meaning oblivious man who lived in a country which was on the brink of destruction. Being aware of the political turmoil that had manifest in recent days, he nonetheless chose to ignore the sense of approaching doom that sometimes wrestled with his spirit.
 
He lived out his days without fear, harvesting, eating, going for pleasant strolls in the cool evening air. On the occasion of one such stroll he came across his neighbour, who seemed to be in anguish, shaking and sweating profusely.
 
“What’s wrong” he asked, to which his neighbour replied;
 
“Haven’t you heard, our country is on the brink of destruction and I’ve been called to war to defend our people”
 
“Surely you’re mistaken, things aren’t that bad, the conflict is a long way off. It won’t affect us. Stop fretting, return home and take your rest?”
 
“I’m not mistaken” said the neighbour, “I got the call last night. I’m required to report tomorrow morning. I’m terrified because I’ve learned from a vision that I’ll perish in battle tomorrow while saving a friend.”
 
“Nonsense” said the well-meaning oblivious man, “You probably imagined the call. Don’t fret, your so called ‘vision’ was just a figment of your imagination. Fear not, all will be well.”
 
The neighbour returned to his fearful shaking, stammering in fervent prayer. The well-meaning oblivious man repeated, “Fear not, all will be well”, then turned away and continued his walk. Returning home he took a shower and climbed into his comfortable bed. That night while the invading armies made ground toward his home he slept like a baby.
 
The following day in battle the fearful neighbour fell while saving a friend. That friend escaped the battle and the doomed country and upon crossing the border into a nearby and secure land, he discovered the family of his valiant friend waiting to receive him into their new home, safe from the invading armies from which he had fled.
 
The battle had raged on behind him and the enemy had taken control of the land of his birth and had subjugated the people by killing all the prominent men, one of whom was the well-meaning oblivious man. It was later reported that the well-meaning oblivious man’s dying words were, “Why is this happening to me, why wasn’t I warned of the coming danger?”
 
Fear Not:
 
The phrase “Fear not” appears explicitly in Scripture 143 times, and in the majority of those instances it’s accompanied by the words “For I am with you”.
 
Some in the Body of believers misuse the phrase “Fear not” alongside decontextualised passages like 1 John 4:18 (where a specific form of fear, the fear of punishment is being spoken of). They condemn fellow believers who are suffering from fear with the words “God says ‘Fear not’, therefore, if you are fearful you are sinning”.
 
I give you fair warning, those who without discernment accuse the fearful of sin will themselves be made subject to a judgement of fear.
 
God does not say “Fear not” because fear in and of itself is sin, if that were true Yeshua’s fearful responses in Gethsemane would be sin. No, rather, God says “Fear not” because He knows that in a sin affected world all will face fear.
 
He therefore pre-empts the fruit of fear by way of His very existence, and says “For I am with You”. This is said in the eternal present tense. It’s never the case that God is not with us. We may not feel His presence, but He is ever present.
 
God exists before fear, fear being a fruit of the fallen created order. Therefore, as is the case with the Lamb Who was slain before the foundation of the world, God Himself is the solution that precedes the problem of fear.
 
Fear will not exist in the world to come, and in the present world the fear of God puts an end to fear. Not an end to the mental and physiological responses to fear, but an end to the decision of fear.
 
It's not sin to experience fear, but it is sin to trust in fear. Therefore when we’re afraid we chose to trust in God and the Spirit of Messiah in us strengthens us to “Fear not”.
 
I’m not speaking of mental and physiological fear responses ceasing, rather I’m speaking of trusting God even when the mental and physiological fear responses of our earthly bodies don’t align with our decision to trust. Faith is not an emotion, or a sensation, to the contrary, like love, trust and faith are a decision.
 
The Father says:
 
“Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will also help you, I will also uphold you with My righteous right hand.”
 
-Yishayahu/Isaiah 41:10
 
Often when we’re fearful we ask, “What can I do to overcome my fear?” But Scripture does not task us with working to overcome our fears, rather it tells us that God will overcome fear in us through the King Messiah Yeshua.
 
He says, “I will strengthen you, I will also help you, I will also uphold you with My righteous right hand.”
 
Our freedom from fear is the receipt of God’s work through Messiah.
 
Let’s take a contextual look at Matthew 26:36-56
 
Matthew 26:36-56 Author’s translation

26:36 Then Yeshua came with them to a place called Gan (Garden) Gat-shemeniym (Olive Press), a.ka. Gethsemane: and He said to his Talmidiym (disciples), “Sit here, while I go and pray—a stone’s throw away—over there.” 37 And He took Kefa (Peter), Yaakov and Yochanan (James and John) the two sons of Zavday (Zebedee)—and began to be dejected and weighted down with sorrow. 38 And He said to them: “There is excessive anguish in my soul, I feel like I’m dying. Wait for Me here; and be alert, keep watch with Me.” 39 Moving away a short distance, He fell on His face, and prayed, and said: “My Father, if it can be so, let this cup pass from me. Yet not as I choose, but as You choose.” 40 And He came to His Talmidiym, and found them asleep: and He said to Kefa: “So! Couldn’t you watch with Me one hour? 41 Wake up, and pray, lest you succumb to trial. The spirit is prepared, but the flesh is infirm.” 42 Again He went away the second time, and prayed, and said: “My Father, if it cannot be that this cup pass, except I drink it, Your will be done.” 43 And He came again and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. 44 And He left them, and went again and prayed the third time, and used the same language (said something similar or the same). 45 Then He came to His Talmidiym, and said to them: “You've slept enough now, taking your rest. Behold, now, pay attention, the hour is come: and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.” 46 “Arise, let us go. Behold, now, pay attention, he that betrays me has come.” 47 And while He was still speaking, Yehudah (Judas) the betrayer, one of the twelve, arrived; and a great multitude with him, with swords and clubs, having come from the presence of the chief priests and elders of the people. 48 And Yehudah the betrayer had given them a sign, saying: “the one I kiss is the man: seize Him.” 49 And forthwith he approached Yeshua, and said: “Shalom, Rabbi;” and kissed him. 50 And Yeshua said to him: “Chaver sheliy (My friend), is it for this you have come?” Then they came up, and laid their hands on Yeshua, and took Him. 51 And one of them (Kefa) who was with Yeshua stretched out his hand, and drew a sword, and struck a servant of the Cohen ha-gadol (high priest), and cut off his ear. 52 Then Yeshua said to him: “Return the sword to its place; for all they that live by swords, shall die by swords.” 53 “Do you suppose that I cannot ask of my Father, and He would now assign me more than sixty thousand messengers?” 54 “But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled, that say it must be this way?” 55 At that time Yeshua said to the multitude: “Have you come out, as if against a cut-throat, with swords and clubs, to take me? I daily sat with you, and taught in the temple, and you did not apprehend me.” 56 And this occurred, that the writings of the prophets might be fully filled. Then the Talmidiym (disciples) all forsook Him and fled.

Line Upon Line:
 
26:36 Then Yeshua came with them to a place called Gan (Garden) Gat-shemeniym (Olive Press), a.ka. Gethsemane: and He said to his Talmidiym (disciples), “Sit here, while I go and pray—a stone’s throw away—over there.”

Gan Gat-shemeniym, the Garden of Olive Pressing, is at the base of the Mount of Olives across the Kidron valley, or Valley of Darkness/Mourning.
 
The other Gospels tell us that Yeshua went there regularly—probably with His Talmidiym. The point being that He was not seeking to hide from what was to come, in fact He was making it easy for Yehudah—Judah—and the religious leaders’ and their Temple guard to find Him.

Yeshua asked His disciples to stay close to Him, He was only going a stone’s throw away, He was unsettled and knew He would need comfort. Those who pronounce Bible verses as if they were magic incantations in order to ward of fear, depression and anxiety, have foolishly neglected the very real struggle of Yeshua’s humanity as He pleaded with God the Father in the Garden of Olive Pressing: what we read next is like a blow by blow of the build-up to what is now known as an anxiety or panic attack, born on a platform of deep mental and  physiological fear, and depression, and for good reason.

The meaning of Gat-shemeniym, Olive Press, has obvious connotations regarding the ministry of Yeshua. He will soon rise from the dead, having been pressed in the greatest sense, and will promise the Ruach ha-Kodesh (Holy Spirit) to His followers. Oil being a symbol for the Holy Spirit throughout Scripture. The Spirit could only be imparted after His death, resurrection and ascension because the Spirit is the Spirit of the Father and the Son. Shema Yisrael, Adonay Eloheiynu Adonay Echad. God is One.
 
Yeshua of course, is crushed and poured out for us. So that we might partake of the oil of His Spirit.

37 And He took Kefa (Peter, Rock), Yaakov (Follower) and Yochanan (YHVH is A Gracious Giver) (James and John) the two sons of Zavday (My inherited gift/endowment) (Zebedee)—and began to be dejected and weighted down with sorrow.

Kefa, Yaakov and Yochanan were with Yeshua on several pivotal occasions during His ministry (Luke 8:51, Matthew 17:1-9): there’s clearly a unique and important close nit relationship at play here. There’s a beautiful allegorical meaning in the names alone: Kefa—the rock, Yaakov, who would be Israel—he who overcomes in God, and Yochanan—the LORD is gracious. Therefore, God our Rock and Salvation makes a way for us to overcome through Yeshua and in so doing reveal’s His graciousness to humanity. 
 
The text says plainly that Yeshua began to become “dejected and sorrowful”—a description of depression. Why then do so many criticize those who suffer from mental illness, depression, anxiety and so on? Surely these experiences in and of themselves cannot be sin, after all Messiah experienced many of these same feelings and emotive responses and yet remained sinless (Heb. 4:14-16). He is, as the prophet says, “a man of sorrow, familiar with grief.” (Isa. 53:3) He does not accuse us in our weakness (that’s ha-shatan’s (Satan's) job), on the contrary, He suffers with us, having known even greater suffering than we could ever imagine—not just mental anguish and physical death but in addition and beyond all other suffering, He took upon Himself the sin of humanity, a darkness unparalleled.

38 And He said to them: “There is excessive anguish in my soul, I feel like I’m dying. Wait for Me here; and be alert, keep watch with Me.”

I know these lines, I've used them myself, He’s having an overwhelming physiologically debilitating panic attack and is essentially saying:
 
“I am overwhelmed with deep anxiety, I’m feeling like I’m slipping into a black abyss engulfed by darkness, the weight is almost too much to bear and I really need you to be there for me in case I lose it completely. I physically feel my body failing—sweaty, pallid, weak, nauseous, heart racing, blood pressure rising, on the verge of passing out—Please stay alert so I know I can call on you if it all becomes too much for me.” 
 
Don’t miss understand, He is fully human, this does not make Him any less God, in fact it affirms His qualification as the King Messiah.
 
The Psalmist prophecies this suffering of the Messiah:

“My heart is sore pained within me: and the terrors of death are fallen upon me. Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me, and horror has overwhelmed me.”
Tehiliym (Psalm) 55:4-5

39 Moving away a short distance, He fell on His face, and prayed, and said: “My Father, if it can be so, let this cup pass from me. Yet not as I choose, but as You choose.”

Luke adds the following at this point in his account:
 
“43 And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. 44 And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.”
 
-Luke 22:43-44
 
We should note that even after Yeshua is comforted and strengthened by the divine messenger He is still in agony and prayed more earnestly. This is irrefutable evidence of the anxiety and pressure Yeshua was under. The decision of His will to trust the Father did not relieve His physiological symptoms of panic, anxiety, fear, terror. Thus, He began to sweat so profusely that His sweat dropped heavily to the ground as if from a gushing head wound. Anyone who has experienced a severe panic attack will tell you that this is one of the physiological responses of the body.
 
“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.”
 
-Hebrews 4:15
 
Yeshua’s prostrate position is one of utter humility and submission, many prophets of Israel had fallen face down in grief and supplication as forerunners of Messiah. Yeshua is here proving the truth of the writer of the Book to The Hebrews:

“Who in the days of His flesh, having offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto Him that was able to save Him from death, and having been heard for His godly fear, though He was a Son, yet learned obedience by the things which He suffered; and having been made perfect, He became unto all them that obey Him the Author of eternal salvation.”

-Hebrews 5:7-9

Yeshua is speaking of the third cup of the Pesach (Passover) Seder (order) that He has only recently presented to His Talmidiym (v.27) in its fullest sense, this is the cup of redemption related to the death of the firstborn at the time of Israel’s exodus. This cup is a metaphor for Messiah’s death and the shedding of His blood as an atoning covering for the sins of humanity: sin being our captivity and Messiah, our Redeemer and the One Who leads us into true and everlasting freedom.

40 And He came to His Talmidiym, and found them asleep: and He said to Kefa: “So! Couldn’t you watch with Me one hour?

Yeshua’s Talmidiym had just eaten a large Passover meal with a number of glasses of wine, they were under a great deal of stress due to the violent opposition of some of the religious leaders and it was now late in the evening, sleep is the natural next step? 
 
Why does Yeshua single out Kefa? Perhaps it’s because Yeshua knows what the future holds for Kefa, after all, he’s going to be a leader of the early Church, one who will first deny Yeshua three times and then repent three times with the words I love you. This, the man who had vowed he would die for Yeshua’s sake, Kefa, who was chief among the three specially selected Talmidiym who Yeshua had taken with Him in to the deeper part of the garden. “Kefa, you’re one of my closest friends and a leader of the Talmidiym, couldn't you at least have kept awake and watched with me in my grief?”

41 Wake up, and pray, lest you succumb to trial. The spirit is prepared, but the flesh is infirm.”

It seems likely that these words are said specifically to Kefa, although it’s also possible that the other Talmidiym awoke with the conversation and heard these words. Yeshua is clearly describing the struggle between the spiritual will and human weakness, but even more deeply than this He is perhaps referring to the Spirit of G-d at work in humanity verses the fallen nature—flesh or yetzer hara (evil inclination).

42 Again He went away the second time, and prayed, and said: “My Father, if it cannot be that this cup pass, except I drink it, Your will be done.”

Again, the ultimate act of submission and humility. Yeshua, knowing that His relenting to His Father’s will is about to bring the greatest suffering of all time upon Him, none the less chooses God’s will over His own good. How could we refuse such a Messiah, how could we ever doubt His love for us?

43 And He came again and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. 44 And He left them, and went again and prayed the third time, and used the same language (said something similar or the same).

This time, Yeshua leaves the Talmidiym sleeping, an act of loving care, even amidst great suffering Yeshua shows His deep love for others. He then prays similar words to His former prayer. This is the third time He has prayed, three being a Hebrew numeral symbolic of God having firmly established a thing.
 
Notice that Yeshua is wrestling greatly with His calling, this shows His genuine humanity and the truly great sacrifice He is being asked to make. This doesn’t come easily, it’s purchased—like the blessing of Yaakov as he wrestled the Angel of the LORD—with great struggle and anguish of soul and in the end it is the Angel Himself who will die in order to pass on the blessing that both Yaakov (Israel) and the nations are crying for.

45 Then He came to His Talmidiym, and said to them: “You've slept enough now, taking your rest. Behold, the hour is come: and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.” 46 “Arise, let us go. Behold, he that betrays me has come.”

I see this simply as a statement of fact, “You’re rested now, let’s go, I have an enemy I must face.” Notice that throughout this passage Yeshua has refused to hide Himself from those who sought Him. Firstly He went to a garden that He frequented, a garden used by many a Jewish pilgrim during Pesach (Passover) as a camping ground: secondly He goes out to meet His accusers, not waiting for them to find Him. He chooses to lay down His life, it will not be taken from Him.

47 And while He was still speaking, Yehudah (Judas) the betrayer, one of the twelve, arrived; and a great multitude with him, with swords and clubs, from the presence of the chief priests and elders of the people.

While they were still speaking infers that they had not yet left the garden. Those who came to arrest Yeshua were not Romans, they were religious leaders accompanied by the Temple guard, sent by the Sanhedrin with Yehudah as their guide, in order to arrest Yeshua.

48 And Yehudah the betrayer had given them a sign, saying: “the one I kiss is the man: seize Him.”

Notice the term sign, Yeshua had given many signs of God’s genuine love for Israel and all humanity throughout His ministry. Here He’s betrayed by a sign that is a fictitious show of love, a public forgery. There is a precedent for betrayal by kiss in the books of the prophets:

“And Joab said to Amasa, ‘Is it well with thee, my brother?’ And Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him. But Amasa took no heed to the sword that was in Joab's hand: so he smote him there with the sword in the belly, and shed out his bowels to the ground, and struck him not again; and he died.”

-2 Sh’muel (Samuel) 20:9-10

Amasa (burden), an innocent general of David’s armies is betrayed by the kiss of Joab—whose character proves to be corrupt many times over as the narrative proceeds. There are many correlations here: David is a type for Messiah, Amasa is also an innocent Messianic type and of course Joab (YHVH is Father) is a type for Yehudah—Judas (Praise), both perform unjust and unconscionable acts of betrayal. Both have beautiful names which they wilfully chose to desecrate.

49 And forthwith he approached Yeshua, and said: “Shalom, Rabbi;” and kissed him. 50 And Yeshua said to him: “Chaver sheliy (My friend), is it for this you have come?” Then they came up, and laid their hands on Yeshua, and took Him.

In Yochanan’s account Yeshua’s deity is reflected here with the words, “I AM He,” but Mattitiyahu decides to focus on this intimate betrayal. The Scripture is the best commentary here:

“Yes, my own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, has lifted up his heel against me.”


-Tehilim (Psalm) 41:9

51 And one of them (Kefa) with Yeshua stretched out his hand, and drew a sword, and struck a servant of the Cohen ha-gadol (high priest), and cut off his ear.

We know from Yochanan’s gospel that the offender was Peter and the servant in question was named Malchut (royalty or Kingly from the Hebrew root Melekh). This is both ironic and poignant, he is a servant—in fact the Scripture later identifies him as a brother in law of the High Priest—of the present religious leaders, and yet his name reflects royalty, his ear is cut off and then restored: Yeshua is now present as a humble servant (the ultimate High Priest) being lead to His death (cut off—but  He will raise from the dead) restored—and return as King over all creation, thus restoring creation to its original glory in God. Kefa is the hero we would all be cheering for if this were a movie, I for one would have been screaming for him to cut the other ear off and then attack Yehudah, but Yeshua sees beyond the short plot of this life and ahead into the meta narrative of eternity. By healing the wound to the High Priests servant Yeshua shows Kefa that His work on the cross will establish an atonement that will free Kefa from just punishment. How? Kefa had harmed an innocent man who was present at the arrest of Yeshua only due to the command of the apostate priesthood of the first century C.E. Yeshua healed that innocent man, covering over the sin of Kefa and leaving Kefa unindictable by law. There was no longer evidence of a crime.
 
As Rav Shaul HaShaliach (Paul the Apostle) says:
 
“For the Torah of the Spirit of life in Messiah Yeshua has set you free from the Torah of sin and of death.”
 
-Romans 8:2
 
In Messiah we are no longer under the indictment of the Torah of Moses.

52 Then Yeshua said to him: “Return the sword to its place; for all they that live by swords, shall die by swords.”

Some quote this verse as a foundation for pacifism, this is not Yeshua’s intention: there is a difference between living an intentional life of violence and the act of defending ones country or loved ones. Yeshua allows for self-defense and just warfare in His response to the Talmidiym in Luke 22:36. Add to this the fact that He is God with us and that God has not changed and we see in the Tanakh, great precedent for just violence and killing verses unjust violence and murder.

53 “Do you suppose that I cannot ask of my Father, and He would now assign me more than sixty thousand messengers?”

Yeshua emphasis the fact that He is in complete control of the situation. This is a wilful act of love on His part. His Talmidiym will eventually understand this but at the moment in question they are afraid and want nothing more than to see their Messiah and Rabbi delivered from His enemies.

54 “But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled, that say it must be this way?”

This does not mean that there are specific Scriptures describing every detail of these events—although the kiss of Yehudah’s betrayal is clearly prophesied in Psalm 41:9. It simply means that in order for the prophecies of Yeshua’s unjust trial, death and resurrection to be fulfilled, the current events must take place, Yeshua must be betrayed and sentenced to death in order for Him to be able to raise from the dead and redeem humanity.

55 At that time Yeshua said to the multitude: “Have you come out, as if against a cut-throat, with swords and clubs, to take me? I daily sat with you, and taught in the temple, and you did not apprehend me.” 56 And this occurred, that the writings of the prophets might be fully filled. Then the disciples all forsook Him and fled.

This section of Scripture transitions with the fears of isolation Yeshua had felt in the garden now coming to fruition. His closest friends forsake Him, running from danger in order to save themselves, all their protests of loyalty and death-defying devotion swept away in the dust of Israel’s ravines. Yeshua is left alone with His captors, an innocent lamb brought to slaughter. His words ringing in the ears of His fleeing Talmidiym, “Couldn't you watch with me one hour?”
 
We note that the slumber (not rest, but post meal, complacent slumber) of the Talmidiym leaves them unprepared for the arrest of Yeshua. They had been warned that this day was coming but had convinced themselves that the King Messiah must be speaking in metaphor and was in actuality going to rise up, physically redeem Israel and in the strength of His Davidic kingship, reign over the nations.
 
We’re in no position today as believers to pass judgement on these sleepy disciples. Yes, they slept and were wilfully oblivious to what was about to happen, unprepared for coming of their enemies and the Messiah’s death.
 
We too are slumbering, wilfully oblivious to what is about to happen, unprepared for coming of the Warrior King Messiah. Ironically, we are slumbering for the opposite reason to that of the disciples. Where the disciples believed that Yeshua would rise up and physically conquer the enemies of Israel, Yeshua instead died physically and made way for the metaphysical deliverance of Israel and those among the nations who would receive Him.
 
On the other hand, we look for the return of some pseudo pacifist King and Peace Maker (A false Messiah). Bible illiterate as we are, we are blissfully unaware that the Scripture teaches that Messiah will return in war, to decimate the enemies of God and of Israel, the Jewish people.
 
We love to quote Yeshua, saying “Love your enemies”, but, in the West at least, we seem unable to discern that we have enemies. Very few of us can point to specific people in our secular western society who we consider enemies. We’ve fallen for the benign Christian truism, “Oh, I love everyone”. Unbeknownst to us due to our wilful delusion, there are many enemies among us, wolves that we have willingly invited in to the sheep pen.
 
Reality check, we cannot “love our enemies” as Messiah requires if we don’t believe we have enemies.
 
When Yeshua was asked for signs as to when the end would come, He ultimately responded in this way, “When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?” That is, will He find Christians slumbering? Deluded? Unaware of the Warrior King and His purposes? Christians who will awake to turmoil, just as the disciples did, unprepared and terrified. Or will He find us awake, keeping watch, trusting in Him even in the midst of anxiety and fear?
 
Here's the thing, it was the panicked, anxious, fearful, and alert Messiah, Who in trusting God was ready to receive those who had come to arrest and murder Him, while it was the slumbering peaceful, somewhat disassociated disciples who were left unprepared.
 
Messiah is our example.
 
Our response when we see others suffering from fear should not be to condemn them for being fearful, or to leave them alone in their hour of need. Rather our response should be to watch with them through the dark night of the soul. Reminding them that Yeshua has experienced what they’re going through and suffers with them toward victory over fear.
 
Yeshua the victorious King is also the Suffering Messiah. We need not make a false choice between the two. He is the same yesterday, today and forever.
 
“He comforts us in all our suffering so that we will be able to comfort those who suffer in many ways, with the comfort with which we ourselves have received from God.”
 
-2 Corinthians 1:4
 
© 2024 Yaakov Ben Yehoshua Brown