Let’s read verses 32-33: “Then they came to a place which was named Gethsemane; and He said to His disciples, ‘Sit here while I pray.’ And He took Peter, James, and John with Him, and He began to be troubled and deeply distressed.” If we were to read verses 1-9 along with John 13:1 we would see that Jesus was with all TWELVE disciples for the Passover Supper. But in Mark 14:10 and John 13:26-30 we learn that Judas Iscariot left and went out to betray Christ, leaving Jesus and the other ELEVEN disciples. In Mark 14:32 Jesus told the ELEVEN disciples to “sit here while I pray.” Then in verse 33 we see that “He took Peter, James, and John with Him, and He began to be troubled and deeply distressed.”  They obviously walked a distance from the others and at some point, Jesus said to them, ‘My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch” (verse 34). We learn in verses 35-36 that Jesus “went a little farther, and fell on the ground, and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him. And He said, ‘Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will.’” Sadly, when Jesus came back to Peter, James, and John, He “found them sleeping” (verse 37). He reproves Peter (verse 38), “Simon, are you sleeping? Could you not watch one hour?” In verses 39-42 we see Jesus stepping away again and praying the same words to His Father and each time He returned to them they were sleeping. He then rebukes all three, “Are you still sleeping and resting? It is enough! The hour has come; behold, the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going. See, My betrayer is at hand.” And then we read those solemn words, “And immediately, while He was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders” (verse 43).

If the narrative ended there, we would have to conclude that there may have only been Peter, James, John, and Judas there when Jesus was arrested. Yet AFTER Jesus was confronted by the mob and arrested, we read “Then THEY ALL forsook Him and fled.” Who are the “all” who forsook Jesus and fled? The answer is found earlier in verse 27 (when Jesus was with ALL of His disciples) where we read, “Then Jesus said to THEM, ‘ALL OF YOU will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written: ‘I will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.” ALL TWELVE disciples were there at the arrest. JUDAS was there as THE BETRAYER (He did NOT flee) and the ELEVEN disciples (His SHEEP) were there and they eventually “forsook Jesus and fled.” Jesus had foretold them this would happen and He said this had been prophesied hundreds of years before that in Zechariah 13:7.

Now that we have figured out the answer to your question, let’s muse for a couple of minutes on the love and grace of Jesus in this moment. Jesus knew that His hour had come to go to the cross and die in the place of sinners (see John 12:23-24, 27-28; 13:1). He knew He would have to “drink the CUP of God’s wrath” to provide salvation for lost and guilty sinners. He also knew that one of His 12 disciples would betray Him (for Judas was never saved…see John 6:70; 12:3-6; 17:12; Acts 1:21-25). And to add “insult to injury” He knew that even those who believed in Him and loved Him would “forsake Him.” But none of these things could cause Him to turn away from the “mission of love” that He was on. We read in John 18:4, “Jesus therefore, KNOWING ALL THINGS THAT SHOULD COME UPON HIM, WENT FORWARD.” What love! What amazing grace!! Nothing could deter Him, as see in John 13;1, “Having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.” Does my reader know His love? Are you one of His own?  (DO)  (700.1)