Again the Saviour turned sadly from His sleeping disciples, and prayed the third time, saying the same words. Then He came to them and said: “Sleep on now, and take your rest: behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.” How cruel for the disciples to permit sleep to close their eyes, and slumber to chain their senses, while their divine Lord was enduring such inexpressible mental anguish! If they had remained watching they would not have lost their faith as they beheld the Son of God dying upon the cross. This important night watch should have been signalized by noble mental struggles and prayers, which would have brought them strength to witness the unspeakable agony of the Son of God. It would have prepared them, as they should behold His sufferings upon the cross, to understand something of the nature of the overpowering anguish which He endured in the Garden of Gethsemane. And they would have been better able to recall the words He had spoken to them in reference to His sufferings, death, and resurrection; and, amid the gloom of that terrible, trying hour, some rays of hope would have lighted up the darkness and sustained their faith. {2T 205.3}

Atter gik Frelseren bedrøvet bort fra de sovende disciple og bad tredje gang de samme ord. Derpå kom han til dem og sagde: »Sover I stadig og hviler jer? Se, timen er nær, da Menneskesønnen skal forrådes i synderes hænder.« Hvor grusomt handlede disciplene ikke, idet de tillod søvnen at lukke deres øjne og slummer at lænkebinde deres (206) sanser, medens deres guddommelige herre gennemgik en så usigelig ængstelse! Havde de holdt sig vågne, ville de ikke have mistet troen, da de så Guds søn døende på korset. Denne vigtige vågenat burde have udmærket sig ved ædel åndelig kamp og bøn, hvilket ville have givet dem styrke til at bevidne Guds søns usigelige angst og kval. Den ville have forberedt dem til at overvære hans lidelser på korset og de ville da i nogen grad kunne forstå den overvældende ængstelse, som han udholdt i Getsemane have. Og de ville have været bedre i stand til at erindre de ord, han havde talt til dem angående sine lidelser, sin død og opstandelse; og midt i den forfærdelige, prøvende times mørke ville en og anden håbets stråle have oplyst mørket og holdt troen oppe.