Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Mark 6:46

"And after he had taken leave of them, he departed into the mountain to pray." — Mark 6:46 (ASV)

Mark’s mention of Jesus’ praying is further evidence of the crisis nature of the situation. On three occasions in this gospel Jesus withdrew to pray, and each time some sort of crisis was involved (1:35; 6:46; 14:32–36). In each incident Jesus was tempted not to carry out God’s mission for him—a mission that would ultimately bring suffering, rejection, and death. These crises increased in intensity, reaching their climax in the agony of Gethsemane.