And he takes with him Peter and James and John, and began to be sore amazed, and to be very heavy;
Peter.
Mark 1:16-19 Now as he walked by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers…
Mark 5:37 And he suffered no man to follow him, save Peter, and James, and John the brother of James.
Mark 9:2 And after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves: and he was transfigured before them.
and began.
Psalm 38:11 My lovers and my friends stand aloof from my sore; and my kinsmen stand afar off.
Psalm 69:1-3 To the chief Musician upon Shoshannim, A Psalm of David. Save me, O God; for the waters are come in unto my soul…
Psalm 88:14-16 LORD, why castest thou off my soul? why hidest thou thy face from me? …
and began to be deeply troubled and distressed
This phrase captures the intense emotional and spiritual turmoil Jesus faced as He approached His crucifixion. The Greek words used here convey a sense of horror and anguish, indicating the depth of His suffering. This moment in the Garden of Gethsemane reveals Jesus' humanity, as He experiences dread and sorrow, yet it also foreshadows His obedience to the Father's will. The distress He feels is not just physical anticipation of the crucifixion but also the spiritual burden of bearing the sins of the world. This aligns with Isaiah 53:3, which describes the Messiah as "a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief." Jesus' distress also fulfills the typology of the suffering servant, highlighting His role as the sacrificial Lamb who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29).
• Jesus does not go alone into Gethsemane. Just as in Mark 5:37 He allowed only a few to witness Jairus’s daughter raised, and in Matthew 17:1 He led the same three up the Mount of Transfiguration, here He again draws a small group close.
• The Lord deliberately models intimate discipleship—inviting trusted followers to observe His most profound moments. Exodus 24:13 pictures Moses ascending the mountain with Joshua; likewise, Jesus signals that the coming struggle requires reliable witnesses.
• By taking companions, He demonstrates both genuine humanity—desiring fellowship—and purposeful preparation, ensuring that the future leaders of the church would testify accurately to what they saw.
• These three form the inner circle (Mark 3:16-17). Their experiences with Christ become foundational for the early church:
– Peter later recounts their eyewitness account of Christ’s majesty (2 Peter 1:16-18).
– James, the first apostolic martyr (Acts 12:2), is strengthened beforehand by observing Jesus’ resolve.
– John, the “beloved disciple,” bears lifelong witness (John 19:26-27; Revelation 1:9).
• Galatians 2:9 calls them “pillars,” showing God’s intentional training of leaders through firsthand exposure to both glory and suffering.
• The word “began” marks a turning point. Up to this night Jesus had spoken of His hour; now the hour starts (John 18:1).
• Luke 22:41-44 parallels the scene, emphasizing the moment when anticipation becomes anguish. Hebrews 5:7 looks back on these prayers “with loud cries and tears,” highlighting the conscious entry of the Savior into the climactic ordeal.
• “My soul is troubled,” Jesus had said earlier (John 12:27). In Gethsemane the trouble overwhelms. Isaiah 53:3-4 foretold the Man of Sorrows bearing grief; Psalm 42:6 echoes the inner disquiet of a righteous sufferer.
• This distress is not weakness but willingness: He perceives the full cup of divine wrath (Mark 14:36). Because He feels it, Hebrews 4:15 assures us He can sympathize with every anxiety we face.
• Matthew 26:38 records His own words: “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death.” The weight is mortal, yet He presses on.
• 2 Corinthians 5:21 explains why: “God made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us.” The anguish flows from the impending imputation of our guilt.
• Even righteous Lot was “distressed” by lawless deeds around him (2 Peter 2:7); how much more the sinless Christ when about to bear the world’s iniquity.
Mark 14:33 shows Jesus purposefully drawing close companions into the garden, then entering visible, intense anguish. By selecting Peter, James, and John, He provides reliable witnesses and models intimate fellowship. By beginning to be troubled and distressed, He reveals both authentic humanity and redemptive determination, embracing the full sorrow of the cross for our salvation.
(33) Began to be sore amazed.--Note St. Mark's use of the stronger word as compared with St. Matthew's "to be sorrowful."Verse 33. - It appears that our Lord separated himself from all the disciples except Peter and James and John, and then the bitter agony began. He began to be greatly amazed, and sore troubled (e)kqambei = sqai kai\ a)dhmonei = n). These two Greek verbs are as adequately expressed above as seems possible. The first implies "utter, extreme amazement;" if the second has for its root ἄδημος, "not at home," it implies the anguish of the soul struggling to free itself from the body under the pressure of intense mental distress. The three chosen disciples were allowed to be witnesses of this awful anguish. They had been fortified to endure the sight by the glories of the transfiguration. It would have been too much for the faith of the rest. But these three witnessed it, that they might learn themselves, and be able to teach others, that the way to glory is by suffering.