Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Mark 14:42

"Arise, let us be going: behold, he that betrayeth me is at hand." — Mark 14:42 (ASV)

The disciples apparently were still lying on the ground; so when Jesus heard the approach of the arresting party, he told the disciples to get on their feet. Jesus did not flee from Judas but went to meet him.

This story of the disciples in Gethsemane must have had a powerful meaning for the persecuted Christians at Rome. It helped establish the spirit that should shape their own martyrdom—to depend on God, to watch, and to pray.