Just before He bent His footsteps to the garden, Jesus had said to the disciples, "All ye shall be offended because of Me this night." They had given Him the strongest assurance that they would go with Him to prison and to death. And poor, self-sufficient Peter had added, "Although all shall be offended, yet will not I." Mark 14:27, 29. But the 689 disciples trusted to themselves. They did not look to the mighty Helper as Christ had counseled them to do. Thus when the Saviour was most in need of their sympathy and prayers, they were found asleep. Even Peter was sleeping.

Lige før Jesus begav sig hen til haven, havde han sagt til disciplene: "I denne nat skal I alle forarges på mig!" De havde givet ham de kraftigste forsikringer om, at de ville følge ham både til fængsel og død, og den stakkels, selvsikre Peter havde tilføjet: "Om så alle forarges på dig, vil jeg dog ikke gøre det." Matt. 26,31. 33. Men disciplene stolede på sig selv. De så ikke hen til den mægtige hjælper, som Jesus havde rådet dem til at gøre. Derfor fandt man dem sovende, da Frelseren trængte mest til deres medfølelse og bøn. Selv Peter sov.