It is difficult to think of God as being overwhelmed. Surely He is always above everything and in command of everything. Yes, He is. But God the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, chose to make Himself nothing and submit to being overwhelmed by death (Philippians 2:6-8). It was His choice.
 
Death, for us, is most commonly thought of as being the end of bodily functions. When the heart and brain stop working we say a person is dead. But death has a far deeper significance in the Bible. It is separation from God because of our sinful rebellion. No wonder that Jesus was troubled. He knew that He would take upon Himself the responsibility for all the sin, of all the people, in all of the world, for all time. All that sin was a massive offence to Father God and so for the first time in eternity, Jesus knew that it would separate Him from His Father. Even though His physical death would happen the following day, Jesus was pre-grieving the break in His divine relationship.
 
It seems strange that Jesus wanted His disciples to be with Him; that He was not totally self-sufficient. But God has never been alone; He has always lived in community - the Father, the Son and the Spirit together (John 17:5). He was born into an earthly family and had brothers and sisters (Mark 6:3). He chose twelve men to be with Him as apprentices and also as friends (John 15:15). Even in His times of solitude, Jesus was not alone because He was speaking with His Father (John 16:32). But that fellowship in the Godhead was soon to be broken because of our sins. He wanted the disciples to be with Him as long as possible even though He knew that they would also desert Him (Matthew 26:31).
 
Fellowship is a part of God's nature. Weak though they were, Jesus valued the disciples and desired that they should watch and pray with Him, supporting Him in His personal struggle. They were not just to be observers, learning God's soul-wrenching struggle as Jesus accepted responsibility for every human sin; Jesus wanted them to be participants in the spiritual battle as they stayed near Him and to pray with Him. Believers who are near death need fellowship to help them in their spiritual struggle, for Satan is always active and achieves his worst when we are weakest. If Jesus desired that spiritual company of praying friends, we must not do less for our friends who are in any kind of spiritual battle.