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John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 26:39

Verse 39 39.And he went forward a little. We have seen in other passages, that in order to excite himself to greater earnestness of prayer, the Lord prayed in the absence of witnesses; for when we are withdrawn from the gaze of men, we succeed better in collecting our senses, so as to attend more closely to what we are doing. It is not, indeed, necessary — nay more, it is not always proper — that we should retire to distant corners whenever we pray; but when some great necessity urges us,... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Matthew 26:14-50

Judas. By piecing together what the various Gospels tell us about Judas, we can see the process by which our Lord separated him from the rest. 1 . Our Lord indicated that among the disciples there was a traitor. Unable to detect the conscious look of guilt in the face of any of his companions, each, conscious of the deep, unfathomed capacity for evil in his own heart, can but frankly ask the Master, "Lord, is it I?" But there was one of them who did not join in the question. 2 .... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Matthew 26:31-46

The Mount of Olives. I. THE CONVERSATION BY THE WAY . 1 . The Lord ' s prediction that all should forsake him. Partly in the upper room, partly on the way, the Lord had uttered those most sacred and precious words which St. John was led by the Holy Spirit to preserve in those chapters which have well been called the holiest of the holy. St. Matthew relates only one thing which passed as they went in the late evening, in the solemn light of the Paschal moon, their hearts,... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Matthew 26:36-46

The agedly of Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane. ( Mark 14:32-42 ; Luke 22:39-46 ; John 18:1 .) read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Matthew 26:36-46

The agony in the garden. Jesus, with his apostles, after the eventful moonlight walk from Jerusalem, came to a place at the foot of the Mount of Olives, called "Gethsemane," or the oil presses. Here he entered upon a scene the moral grandeur of which is only exceeded by that of Calvary. The olive in the oil press, like the grape in the wine press, was trodden (see Micah 6:15 ). The sufferings of the Lord in the garden were purely mental; those on the cross were physical also. Meditate... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Matthew 26:37

Peter and the two sons of Zebedee. These three had been privileged to behold his transfiguration, and that glimpse of his glory strengthened them to bear the partial sight of their dear Lord's sufferings. Did his human heart crave for sympathy, and did he desire not to be utterly alone at this awful crisis? We may well suppose so, as he was true Man, with all man's feelings and sensibilities. Began to be sorrowful and very heavy ( ἀδημονεῖν , to be sore dismayed ) . This word seems... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Matthew 26:38

My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death ( Jonah 4:9 ). Christ speaks here of the mental agony which he is enduring; he bides not from the faithful three that which weighs upon his heart, so excessive a strain that human nature must fail to endure it. We cannot gauge the anguish; we may suggest some of the causes of this sorrow. It was not merely the thought of bodily pain, though that would be long and excessive; there were other elements which made his sorrow like to no other... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Matthew 26:38

The Man of sorrows. Although this name is found in Messianic prophecy ( Isaiah 53:3 ), it would be wrong to suppose that there was no gladness in the life of Christ. He spoke of his joy ( John 15:11 ), and he delighted to do the will of God ( Psalms 40:8 ). So pure a life spent in doing good to men must have had a gladness which no earthly pleasure could bestow. Yet Jesus had sorrows which no man can measure. It is easier to understand the glory of the Transfiguration than the agony of... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Matthew 26:39

He went a little further. Deeper into the wood, beneath the gloomy shadow of the olive trees, yet so as not to feel absolutely alone. St. Luke names the distance, "He was withdrawn from them about a stone's cast." By some clerical error the genuine reading, προελθω Ì ν , "having gone forward," has been altered in most of the best manuscripts into προσελθω Ì ν , "having approached." There can be no doubt that this latter reading is erroneous; and it is well, as occasion bids, to... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Matthew 26:39

Gethsemane a representative conflict. Wherein does the scene of Calvary differ from the scene of Gethsemane? It would be easy to point out the sameness, the essential oneness, of the two scenes. But there is a difference. It lies in this: At Calvary the physical suffering is prominent. Our thought is sympathizingly occupied with our Lord's bodily agonies, and bleeding, breaking heart. At Gethsemane the physical is subordinate, the mental and spiritual are prominent; we are in the presence of... read more

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