Then comes he to his disciples, and said to them, 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.
Sleep on.
1 Kings 18:27 And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud: for he is a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked.
Ecclesiastes 11:9 Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment.
the hour.
Matthew 26:2,14,15 Ye know that after two days is the feast of the passover, and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified…
Mark 14:41,42 And he cometh the third time, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: it is enough, the hour is come; behold, the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners…
Luke 22:53 When I was daily with you in the temple, ye stretched forth no hands against me: but this is your hour, and the power of darkness.
“Are you still sleeping and resting?
Jesus' question underscores the disciples' lack of awareness and preparedness for the impending crisis. It reflects their spiritual weakness and inability to grasp the gravity of the situation. This moment is a fulfillment of Jesus' earlier prediction that the disciples would fall away (Matthew 26:31).
Look, the hour is near,
"The hour" refers to the appointed time for Jesus' suffering and crucifixion. This concept of a divinely appointed time is seen throughout Scripture, emphasizing God's sovereign plan (John 12:23, John 17:1). It marks the culmination of Jesus' earthly ministry and the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies concerning the Messiah's suffering (Isaiah 53).
and the Son of Man is betrayed
The title "Son of Man" is a messianic term Jesus frequently used for Himself, drawing from Daniel 7:13-14. It emphasizes both His humanity and His divine authority. The betrayal by Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples, fulfills the prophecy of Psalm 41:9, highlighting the theme of betrayal by a close companion.
into the hands of sinners.
This phrase indicates that Jesus will be handed over to those who oppose God's will, including the religious leaders and Roman authorities. It reflects the sinful nature of humanity and the rejection of Jesus as the Messiah. The "sinners" here are representative of all humanity, for whom Jesus' sacrificial death provides atonement (Romans 5:8).
Jesus physically leaves His place of prayer in Gethsemane and walks back to the three closest disciples (Matthew 26:36-44). This third return (Mark 14:41) highlights:
• His unwavering commitment to the Father’s plan, even while experiencing deep agony (Luke 22:44).
• The reality that He is fully aware of every moment unfolding; nothing is accidental (John 18:4).
• A vivid contrast—Christ watchful, the disciples weary—underscoring dependence on divine strength rather than human resolve (Psalm 121:4).
The gentle rebuke exposes spiritual drowsiness.
• Earlier He urged, “Stay awake and pray so that you will not enter into temptation” (Matthew 26:41). Their continued slumber shows how quickly good intentions fade without prayerful vigilance (Romans 13:11).
• For believers today, the scene is a call to alertness: “So then, let us not sleep as the others do, but let us remain awake and sober” (1 Thessalonians 5:6).
• Jesus’ question also radiates mercy: He does not discard them but draws them back into fellowship, reminding us that failures need not define us (John 21:15-17).
“Hour” points to the divinely fixed moment of redemptive history.
• Earlier Jesus said, “My hour has not yet come” (John 2:4), but now the appointed time has arrived (John 12:23).
• God’s timeline is precise: “In the fullness of time, God sent His Son” (Galatians 4:4). Nothing can delay or hasten His sovereign plan (Acts 2:23).
• Because God rules the clock, believers can rest in His timing for every promise and trial (Psalm 31:15).
The title “Son of Man” recalls Daniel 7:13-14—Divine yet destined to suffer.
• Jesus had foretold this moment: “The Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes” (Matthew 20:18-19).
• Judas’s betrayal, though wicked, serves God’s saving purpose, fulfilling Scripture (Psalm 41:9; Isaiah 53:12).
• “Sinners” includes Jew and Gentile alike (Acts 4:27). By yielding to them, Jesus takes our place: “God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf” (2 Corinthians 5:21).
• Salvation flows from this surrender; what looks like defeat becomes the victory foretold (Colossians 2:15).
Matthew 26:45 records a real, historical moment: Jesus, watchful and obedient, rouses sleeping disciples and announces that the long-appointed hour of His betrayal has arrived. The verse exposes human frailty, affirms God’s precise timing, and spotlights Christ’s willing surrender for sinners. Staying spiritually awake, trusting God’s timetable, and resting in the finished work of the betrayed yet victorious Son of Man remain the enduring lessons.
(45) Sleep on now, and take your rest.--There is an obvious difficulty in these words, followed as they are so immediately by the "Rise, let us be going," of the next verse. We might, at first, be inclined to see in them a shade of implied reproach. "Sleep on now, if sleep under such conditions is possible; make the most of the short interval that remains before the hour of the betrayal comes." Something of this kind seems obviously implied, but the sudden change is, perhaps, best explained by the supposition that it was not till after these words had been spoken that the Traitor and his companions were seen actually approaching, and that it was this that led to the words seemingly so different in their purport, bidding the slumberers to rouse themselves from sleep. The past, which, as far as their trial went, might have been given to sleep, was over. A new crisis had come calling for action.Verse 45. - Cometh he. St. Hilary comments on these three visits: "On his first return he reproves, on the second he holds his peace, on the third he bids to rest." The contest was over; the human will was now entirely one with the Divine will. Sleep on now (τὸ λοιπόν, henceforward), and take your rest. This is probably to be understood literally. There was a short interval still before the apprehension and the subsequent events; as they could not watch, they might use this in finishing their sleep, and recruiting their wearied bodies in preparation for the coming trial. Many expositors find an irony in Christ's words, taken in connection with those that follow, as if he meant, "In a few minutes I shall be seized; sleep on if you can; you will soon be miserably awakened, make the most of the present." But at this moment the tender Jesus would surely never have condescended to address his friends in such a style. All his words and actions were animated with the deepest love for them and anxiety on their account. A change to irony is really inconceivable under the circumstances. Nor is there any reason to take the sentence interrogatively, "Sleep ye at such a moment?" It is more simple to regard the words as said bona fide, with no mental reservation and no implied censure. We may suppose that a pause ensued before the utterance of the next clause, and that the Lord allowed his fatigued followers to sleep on till the last moment. Behold, the hour is at hand, and (καὶ, equivalent to when) the Son of man is betrayed (παραδίδοται, is being betrayed) into the hands of sinners. He calls all simmers who take part in his apprehension, trial, and death - not the Romans only (as Acts 2:23), but priests, eiders, multitude, who joined in the crowd and incurred the guilt. There is now no sign of wavering; he is ready, yea, eager to meet the sufferings which he foresees.