Matthew 26
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Chapter 26
Chapter 26
Read and summarize
The following material is adopted from John MacArthur’s commentary on Matthew and his Study guide. Additional material taken from sources listed at the end
Look for
— Prayers ( Blue )
— Promises ( Green )
— Warnings ( Red )
— Commands ( Purple )
Preparing for Christ’s Death ( 26:1-16 )
— This is the longest Chapter in Matthew. It documents the final events in the life of Jesus immediately before the Cross; the plot to arrest Him; the anointing by Mary of Bethany; the selling by Judas Iscariot; the celebration of the first Lord's Supper; the predicted denial by Peter; the agony in the Garden of Gethsemane; the betrayal by Judas; the arrest by the chief priests; the trial before Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin; the denial by Peter.
— All things recorded in this chapter and chapter 27 should be studied in the light of His determination at Caesarea Philippi -- six months previously -- to go to Jerusalem to die:
"From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day" (Matt. 16:21)
( 26:1-16 ) Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings, that He said to His disciples, 2 “You know that after two days is the Passover, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified.” 3 Then the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders of the people assembled at the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, 4 and plotted to take Jesus by trickery and kill Him. 5 But they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar among the people.” 6 And when Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, 7 a woman came to Him having an alabaster flask of very costly fragrant oil, and she poured it on His head as He sat at the table. 8 But when His disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste? 9 For this fragrant oil might have been sold for much and given to the poor.” 10 But when Jesus was aware of it, He said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a good work for Me. 11 For you have the poor with you always, but Me you do not have always. 12 For in pouring this fragrant oil on My body, she did it for My burial. 13 Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.” 14 Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests 15 and said, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver Him to you?” And they counted out to him thirty pieces of silver. 16 So from that time he sought opportunity to betray Him.
— In Matthew’s Gospel, the teaching of Jesus is finished here. In these last days leading up to His betrayal and crucifixion, He warned the multitudes about the corrupt religious leadership and He spoke to His disciples about things to come. Now, it was time for Jesus to fulfill His work on the cross.
— The disciples knew, at least should have known, that Jesus was going to be crucified, for this He had predicted again and again
— And now for the fourth time He tells of His upcoming death and resurrection ( 16:21; 17:22-23; 20:18-19 )
— Something new is added when Jesus now designates the very day when this being handed over for crucifixion would take place, namely, during the night from Thursday to Friday, with the the crucifixion itself to occur on Friday
— It is through the cross of Christ along that the Lord has provided a way for sinners to be saved
— There is no salvation and no gospel without the cross, so that Paul could say, “For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.” ( 2 Cor 2:2 )
— Chapter 26 picks up on Wednesday just two days before Christ’s crucifixion
— Already an eventful week
— Teaching the multitudes in the temple
— Excoriating the Jewish leaders for their hypocritical ungodliness
— He taught His disciples about His second coming ( Matt 24:3-25:46 )
Going Deeper
— The Cross is central to the Christian faith and the story of Christ’s work is found everywhere in the OT — the so called “scarlet thread” of redemption
— Possibly some of these examples were shared with the two disciples on the Road to Emmaus ( Luke 24:1-13 )
— The Cross is foreshadowed in
— The acceptable sacrifice of Abel ( Gen 4:4 )
— In the ark that saved Noah and his family ( Gen 7 )
— In the substitute ram provided to Abraham on Mount Moriah as the substitute for his son Isaac ( Gen 22:13 )
— In the deliverance of Israel from Egypt ( Ex
— In the struck rock that brought forth water in the wilderness ( Ex 17:6 )
— In the Levitical sacrifices
— In the serpent lifted up in the wilderness for healing( Num 21:9; Jn 3:14-15 )
— In Boaz as Ruth’s kinsman redeemer ( Ruth 4:1-10 )
The Preparation of Hateful Rejection ( 26:2-5 )
( 26:2-5 ) “You know that after two days is the Passover, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified.” 3 Then the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders of the people assembled at the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, 4 and plotted to take Jesus by trickery and kill Him. 5 But they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar among the people
— Caiaphas was the ruling high priest during Jesus’ ministry; scripture depicts him as conniving, treacherous and deceitful
— The Roman government had taken over the process of appointing all political and religious leaders
— Caiaphas served for 18 years, longer than most high priests, suggesting that he was gifted in cooperating with the Romans
— He was the first to recommend Jesus to death in order to “save” the nation ( John 11:49,50 )
( 26:3 ) the people assembled at the palace of the high priest
— Caiaphas has a palace? What is priest doing with a palace? Indicative of the spiritual corruption in Israel
— the use of both assembled and plotted is deliberately suggestive of Psalm 31:13:
For I am the slander of many; fear is on every side; while they take counsel together against me, they scheme to take away my life
( 26:5 ) Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar among the people
— From the standpoint of the Jewish leaders, the Passover was the worse time to take action against Jesus, especially to put Him to death
— They feared it would cause a riot among the people
— But the Passover was the time God had chosen, and those hateful rejecters would crucify Jesus according to God’s plan rather than their own
— During the many times when they wanted to kill Jesus they could not
— Now, when they wanted to postpone putting Him to death, they could not
— When, by God’s sovereign allowance, Jesus’ enemies finally succeeded in putting Him to death, it was at the very time that they wanted to avoid
Going Deeper
— The high priest was traditionally passed through the Levitical line
— During the Roman occupation the position was generally sold or bestowed as a political favor
— Because the Jewish people could not have tolerated a high priest without some Levitical heritage, Caiaphas married the daughter of Annas, his predecessor
— Caiaphas served as high priest from A.D. 15 to 37, an unparalleled time
— To hold the office for that long a time required a close relationship with Rome, and over the period of some hundred years, 28 different men served as high priest
— Caiaphas’s successor lasted only 50 days in office
The Preparation of Loving Worship ( 26:6-13 )
( 26:6-13 ) And when Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, 7 a woman came to Him having an alabaster flask of very costly fragrant oil, and she poured it on His head as He sat at the table. 8 But when His disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste? 9 For this fragrant oil might have been sold for much and given to the poor.” 10 But when Jesus was aware of it, He said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a good work for Me. 11 For you have the poor with you always, but Me you do not have always. 12 For in pouring this fragrant oil on My body, she did it for My burial. 13 Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.”
— Matthew and Mark put this event just before the Last Supper, while John has it before the Triumphal Entry
— Both Mark and John give us interesting details about this event — Mark 14:3-9; John 12:1-8
— Of the three, John places this event in the most likely chronological order
— We must remember that the main purpose of the Gospel writers was to give an accurate record of Jesus’ message, not to present an exact chronological account of His life
— Matthew and Mark may have chosen to place this event here to contrast the complete devotion of Mary with the betrayal of Judas, the next event they record in the Gospels
— “Simon the leper”… No longer a leper… Jesus probably healed him
— Matthew completely omits the raising of Lazarus which took place a few days prior
( 26:7-9 ) a woman came to Him having an alabaster flask of very costly fragrant oil, and she poured it on His head as He sat at the table. 8 But when His disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste?
— John tells us this woman was Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus, who lived in Bethany ( John 12:1-3 ); Martha and Lazarus were also present
— This was a jar of white ( or perhaps delicately tinted ) fine-grained gypsum
— The perfume was “very precious” ( Matt 26:7 ), “very costly” and nearly a year’s wages ( Mark 14:3 ) and had been extracted from pure nard ( Jn 12:3 )
— Nard was an oil extracted from the root of a plant ( Nardostachys jatamansi ) grown in India. The term appears twice in the Song of Songs (1:12 ESV; 4:13–14) and in two of the Gospel accounts of the woman anointing Jesus at Simon’s house in Bethany (Mark 14:3; John 12:3; “spikenard,” KJV).
— Even the expensive alabaster jar was broken ( Mk 14:3 ) making this act even more expensive. Alabaster was a fine variety of marble from Egypt
— John tells us that this was a large quantity of this precious extract extract, not less than a Roman pound ( twelve ounces )
— She breaks this jar and pours its contents on Jesus and Mark indicates the perfume was poured over Christ’s body ( Mark 26:12; Mark 14:8 )
— John adds that she anointed His feet and wiped them with her hair. A similar act of worship is recorded in Lk 7:36-38 but the differences in timing, location and other details make it clear that the two occasions were different
— The true meaning of what happened here will never be grasped until it is realized that when Mary was pouring out her perfume, she was also pouring out her heart, filled with genuine religious love, gratitude, and devotion
— With one exception, wherever Mary looked she met angry glances, shocked disapproval
Mary is to us a wonderful example and here a few applications for us based on her actions.
1. Remember who Mary was: She sat at the feet of Jesus and "chose the good part" for herself. Let us do the same.
2. Mary worshiped Jesus as she poured the perfume on Him. She was also pouring out her heart, filled with genuine religious love, gratitude, and devotion. Let us seek to do the same.
3. Mary's act showed she listened to and believed what Jesus had said to all of them about His coming death. She acted on what Jesus said by anointing Him for His coming burial. Let us discern what the Holy Spirit teaches us about Jesus and act accordingly.
— All the disciples were indignant, but John’s gospel singles out Judas Iscariot as especially so ( John 12:4 )
— Judas happened to be the treasurer for the disciples
( 26:11 ) For you have the poor with you always, but Me you do not have always
— Here Jesus brought back to mind Deut 15:11 ; this statement does not justify ignoring the needs of the poor
— Scripture continually calls us to care for the needs of the poor
— “For the poor will never cease from the land; therefore I command you, saying, ‘You shall open your hand wide to your brother, to your poor and your needy, in your land.’” ( Deut 15:11 )
— By only quoting the first half of the verse, Jesus was calling attention to the special sacrifice Mary made for Him
— Mary offered her most expensive earthly possession to the Lord as an act of worship
— Jesus was about to die and this was a time for adoration not philanthropy
( 26:12 ) 12 For in pouring this fragrant oil on My body, she did it for My burial.
— If even the enemies of Jesus knew about the predictions Jesus had made concerning himself ( 27:63 ; cf. John 11:8 ), can we not assume that Mary knew fully as much?
— If so, she may have thought “This may well be the last opportunity I shall ever get to bestow a kindness upon Jesus”
Max Lucado: On Calvary’s Hill
In the book On Calvary’s Hill, Max Lucado opens his second meditation with these words, “She was the only one who believed him.”
I want to stop there before I explain who he is talking about and why those words have significance. “She was the only one who believed him.” Any survivor of abuse, any sufferer of agony, anyone with a story to tell that makes others uncomfortable can readily understand why those words carry enormous weight. To be believed is to be considered worthy of someone’s trust. To be believed is to be received as honest. To be believed is to be taken seriously. To be believed is to be seen and heard. To be believed is to be told, “Your story matters.”
Lucado is referring to Mary of Bethany2 in his opening statement. Mary was the only one who believed Jesus about what was central to his purpose. What was it he said that was so vital to acknowledge with her belief? “Whenever [Jesus] spoke of His death, the others shrugged or doubted, but Mary believed” (italics mine).
No other friend of Jesus took him seriously enough to enter into the reality of impending death with him. Isn’t that what we most need when we are in agony—someone to enter into it with us, to hold it for us, to give space for our pain? The closest followers of Jesus utterly failed at this. Oh, they had grown serious when he brought up his fate. They had been solemn and surprised as he set his face to go toward Jerusalem. They had questioned his chosen path. But their greatest concern was who would be greatest in the kingdom of God. Talk about missing the point by a mile!
Those who knew Jesus best utterly failed at understanding that Jesus was talking about the real, physical outworking of his very purpose in coming to earth: death. He came to die. They hushed him and rebuked him and assured him when the topic came up. Yet, they did not do the one thing he needed—they did not really believe him.
But Mary! Here was a very different friend and follower! Mary believed Jesus enough to prepare him for his impending death. She didn’t just sympathize. She didn’t simply listen. She followed the fierce conviction of her belief right into the most powerfully prophetic act ever given to Jesus. Mary proclaimed the death of Christ in her powerful and prayerful pouring. She covered Jesus’s body, bestowing upon him an anointing which readied him for the redemptive act he had come to give.
Anointing oil is used throughout Scripture to set someone apart for a work or a task. It was given in the Old Testament to coincide with the Spirit’s presence falling upon someone, often a king or prophet. In the New Testament, it is used to symbolize the healing power of the Holy Spirit and the empowerment bestowed to operate in his gifts and calling. The Spirit had fallen on Jesus like a dove at his baptism, anointing him for ministry. Could we see Mary’s anointing of Jesus as a ministry of the Spirit, readying him for all that was ahead? His path would cost him everything. Mary believed him and she gave him all she had in order to prepare him, in body and spirit.
Lucado ends his meditation by describing the aroma of the anointing oil that filled the room when Mary anointed Jesus. “Wherever you go, the gesture spoke, breathe the aroma and remember one who cares.” There is a tradition that says that when Jesus hung on the cross and looked down at Mary, he could smell the anointing oil. This oil was a balm to his soul as his bloody, torn body heaved in torment.
Most of those Jesus entrusted his ministry to and shared life, love, and laughter with utterly misunderstood both him and his true purpose. How lonely to only be known for who your friends want you to be! Perhaps this is why we see so many women “getting” Jesus throughout his ministry. The women who financed his work, the women who learned from him—rabbi to student—the women who sought him in order to anoint him, the women who searched him out for healing for themselves and their loved ones. They knew something of what it was like to be seen for only what someone wanted from them, to be seen as less than they were as people.
Perhaps this is why it was mainly women (plus beloved, faithful John) who followed Jesus to the cross and stayed there. They refused to indulge their need to run from such horror because it would have meant abandoning him. They simply would not betray their friend, their Lord, their Savior. They knew what it was like to live under injustice and oppression. They did not leave him, even when it meant entering into his trauma with him. Perhaps believing him when he told them he would die readied them to remain when his word came true.
Mary believed him. And she prepared God for his greatest and most costly act of love.
Q: Why would Judas want to betray Jesus ( 25:14-16 )?
The Preparation of Betraying Hypocrisy ( 26:14-16 )
( 26:14-16 ) Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests 15 and said, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver Him to you?” And they counted out to him thirty pieces of silver. 16 So from that time he sought opportunity to betray Him.
— Judas: “Iscariot” means from Carioth which was a village in Israel.
— He was the only non-Galilean
— Carioth was in the South, Galilee was in the North
— He was a stranger and no one knew his family, his history or background
— Judas, like the other disciples, expected Jesus to start a political rebellion and overthrow Rome
— As treasurer, Judas certainly assumed ( as did the other disciples — see Mark 10:35-37 ) that he would be given an important position in Jesus’ new government
— But when Jesus praised Mary for pouring out perfume worth a year’s salary, Judas may have realized that Jesus’ kingdom was not physical or political but spiritual
— Judas’ greedy desire for money or status could not be realized if he followed Jesus, so he betrayed Jesus in exchange for money and favor from the religious leaders
— Matthew alone records the exact amount of money Judas accepted to betray Jesus - 30 silver coins, the price of a slave ( Ex 21:32 ), the lowest of humanity
— The religious leaders had planned to wait until after the Passover to take Jesus, but with Judas’ unexpected offer they would not have to arrest Him in a public setting during the day, so they accelerated their plans
Everything Leads up to this Moment
The Preparation by God
The Preparation by the leaders
The Preparation that Mary offered
The Preparation of Judas
Setting the Time ( 26:17-19 )
( 26:17-19 ) Now on the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying to Him, “Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?” 18 And He said, “Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, “My time is at hand; I will keep the Passover at your house with My disciples.” ’ ” 19 So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them; and they prepared the Passover
— All four gospels record the passover from a different viewpoint
— Matthew 26:17-30 Highlights the fulfillment of the suffering servant
— Mark 14:26-26 Describes Jesus and his disciples preparing for the meal and Jesus predicting His betrayal
— Luke 22: 7-38 Jesus gathering for the meal and Jesus washing the disciples feet, predicting his betrayal and resurrection
— John 12:1-17:26 Jesus washing of the disciples feet, predicting his betrayal and death and his final discourse
The Passover
— The Jews followed the lunar calendar (as well as the Roman calendar) which had twelve 30 day months (360 days)
— The month of Nisan starts on the first new moon of spring and the Passover falls on the first full moon Nissan 14
— No doubt the Jews had the benefit of a full moon when they escaped at night from Egypt!
— Exodus 12 1-13 describes the Lord’s instruction for the Passover
— Unblemished lamb ( 12:5 ) — Christ became our pascal lamb ( 1 Co 5:7 )
— The Mosaic law required that sacrificial lambs for Passover be selected on the tenth day of the first month and kept in the household until it was sacrificed on the fourteenth ( Ex 12:2-6 )
— The lamb was to be killed at twilight. Later Moses would prescribe the time for the sacrifice as “in the evening at sunset” ( Dt 16:6 ). According to Josephus, it was customary in his day to kill the lamb at 3:00 p.m. This was the time of day that Christ, the Christian’s passover lamb (1 Co 5:7), died ( Luke 23:44-46 )
— Take the blood and put it on the door posts ( Ex 12:7 ). The Lord distinguished his people from the Egyptians. The blood of Christ distinguishes us from the unsaved
— The angel of the Lord struck down all of the first born ( Ex 12:12 ). We are safe because the Lord is our salvation. Salvation from what? Salvation in the bible means safe from calamity, harm, enemies and plagues. Salvation in the ultimate sense is to be spared the ultimate calamity — the wrath of God
— We are saved by God; we are saved from God
— They ate the bread without leaven ( yeast )
Devotional
— This unleavened bread is like a flat cracker with holes and stripes
— Christ was both stripped and pierced for our sins
Q: What does leaven or yeast represent?
Leaven
— A quick google search will tell us that leaven represents sin
— “Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? 7 Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. 8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” ( 1 Cor 5:6 )
— Jesus also said
— “Then He charged them, saying, “Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.” ( Mk 8:15 )
— In the comparative verses Jesus says the leaven of the Pharisees was both their hypocrisy ( Luke 12:1 ) and false teachings ( Mt 16:12 )
— The “leaven of Herod” was his immoral, corrupt life ( Mark 6:17-29 )
Q: Is leaven sin? Since leaven appears through out the bible, and there is only one author of the bible, shouldn’t it have the same meaning everywhere? What about Matthew 13:33?
— Another parable He spoke to them: “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened.” ( Matt 13:33 )
— Leaven cannot be sin
— Better to understand leaven as influence, often evil
Throughout Scripture leaven is used to represent influence, usually evil influence. Therefore, as a symbol of leaving behind all evil influence of their cruel and pagan captors, the Israelites were told not to take with them any remnants of leavened bread they had prepared in Egypt. As part of the memorial they were to henceforth to celebrate each year, they were to remove all leaven from their houses and eat only unleavened bread for seven days ( Ex 12:14-15 )
R.C. Sproul
— The women in Jesus’s parable is said to have hidden the leaven in the dough
— Jesus is saying that the kingdom of heaven was hidden from the sight of most people for the moment, but it was working nonetheless
The Feast of Unleavened Bread
— Immediately after Passover began the Feast of Unleavened Bread ( Nisan 15-21 ) (7 days)
— The day before was the Passover - a total of 8 days
— The two feasts were connected — so closely that — the feast of unleavened bread and the passover could be used interchangeably to describe all 8 days
— Passover on Nissan 14th and the Feast of Unleavened Bread for 7 more days (15-21)
— Christ was born in Bethlehem — the house of bread
Going Deeper
— In ancient times the Feast of Unleavened Bread was celebrated in the first month of the year called Abid
— After the exile it was celebrated in the month of Nisan (15th) and Passover on the 14th
— Exodus 12 tells us that the lamb was selected on the 10th of Nisan
— Jesus most likely entered Jerusalem on Monday the 10th of Nisan and not Sunday
— In 33 AD the 10th of Nisan fell on Monday
— The lamb stayed with the family and almost became a pet — when it died it underscored the severity of our sin
The Last Passover
— In the year Jesus was crucified this would have been the Monday of Passover week
— Although not mentioned in the gospels, the disciples would have selected a lamb on the day of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem and perhaps kept it in the home of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus where they were staying
— Over 250,000 sacrificial lambs were slain and tradition required that no fewer than 10 people and more than 20 were to eat one lamb
— And 250,000 lambs in the homes of all these people!
— Yet, all the blood of all those lambs together could not cleanse a single sin ( Heb 10:4 )
The Feast of First Fruits
— This is called the feast of the harvest ( Lev 23:9-14 )
— The Israelites were instructed to bring the first fruits to the priest and the priest would wave the sheaf before the Lord for us to be accepted
— This took place on Nisan 16 — 3 days after Passover
— Christ rose 3 days later and was accepted by God as first fruits ( cf. Rom 8:23; 11:16; 1 Co 15:20; Jas 1:18 )
“But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.” ( 1 Cor 15:20 )
Going Deeper
— The two disciples are told are told that upon entering the city ( Jerusalem ) they will be met by a man carrying a pitcher of water
— Ordinarily not a man but a women or a girl would be doing this; hence, this man with a jar of water, probably carrying it on his head, will be rather conspicuous
— Jesus instructs them to follow this man into whatever house he enters and bring Christ’s message to the master of the house: that Christ will use his house for the Passover
— It was the rule in Israel that if anyone at this time had space available it must be given free of charge to whatever family or group wished to make sacred use of it
— This particular person, the owner of the house, may well have been one of Christ’s followers, who accordingly would be glad to accommodate the Master and his disciples
The Secret location
( 26:18 ) “Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?” 18 And He said, “Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, “My time is at hand; I will keep the Passover at your house with My disciples.” ’ ”
— Mark adds some more context to the question “Where...”
12 Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they killed the Passover lamb, His disciples said to Him, “Where do You want us to go and prepare, that You may eat the Passover?”
— This is the first day of Unleavened Bread Festival— the first of 8 days
— On this day (The Passover) Exodus 12:18-20 tells us that the father of the house would remove all of the leavened bread
— He would start that before anything else could happen and it would be out for 8 days
Q: Why the secrecy in selecting a place for the Passover ( 26:18 )?
— The “where” they would have Passover with the Lord was not known to any of the disciples
— The clandestine approach to securing a meeting place was necessary to prevent Judas from betraying the Lord before the Passover
— He was already plotting to betray Jesus before the passover meal ( 26:16 )
— The Greek word is “to deliver Him over”
— Judas was looking for a quiet, secluded place and Jesus knew that if Judas knew than they would not finish the passover
— It was essential for Jesus to celebrate the Passover with His disciples
— He wanted to transform that into the Last Supper and table of Communion and set that as an example of His own death
— Jesus’ answer was puzzling to Peter and John ( Luke 22:8; Mark 14:13 )
— Go find a man who you don’t know
— He will be carrying a water pitcher ( unusual for a man at that time )
— Follow him
— Tell him that your teacher wants to keep the Passover at his house
Going Deeper
The Jewish Feasts
— The feast of Pentecost, or of Weeks, commemorated God’s provision at harvest time ( Dt. 16:9-12, Ac 2:1 )
— The feast of Tabernacles, or Booths, commemorated Israel’s wandering in the wilderness for 40 years and were dependent on God’s direction provision of food and water ( Lev 23:33-43 )
— The Day of Atonement was the highest holy day of the year and required a sacrifice by the high priest in the holy of holies ( Lev 23:27-32 )
— The feast of Purim celebrated protection from slaughter of the Jewish people ( Esther 9:16-19 )
— The feast of Dedication, or Hanukkah, commemorated the victory of Judas Maccabeus over the Syrian despot Antiochus Epiphanes in 164 B.C. ( Macc 4:36-61 )
— The feast of trumpets - the new year
The feast of unleavened Bread and Passover
— The feast of unleavened bread was combined with Passover to make for an eight day celebration but took place one day after Passover
— Both feasts commemorated the deliverance of Israel from Egypt
— Throughout Scripture leaven is used to represent influence, usually evil influence ( although, not always)
— Therefore, as a symbol of leaving behind all evil influence of Egypt, the Israelites were not to take with them any remnants of leavened bread
— The bowl into which the unleavened bread, the bitter herbs and sometimes the bare hands were dipped ( Matt 26:23 ) contained a paste composed of finely ground apples, dates, pomegranates and nuts
— Into this mixture the bitter herbs would be dipped and eaten as a reminder of the bitterness of bondage coupled with the sweetness of deliverance
Thursday or Friday Passover?
— The year our Lord died passover fell on Friday ; Mark 15:42 tells us that “It was the day of preparation” ( the day before the Sabbath )
— From Matthew’s account Jesus celebrated Passover on Thursday evening
— John’s gospel suggests that the Passover was celebrated on Friday ( AD 30 & 33 )
— After the Passover meal, Jesus took His disciples to the Garden of Gethsemane, was arrested and taken to the high priest ( John 18:13) and then Caiaphas ( John 18:24 ) and then early Friday morning to Pilate
— But the Jewish leaders would “not enter the Praetorium in order that they might not be defiled, but might eat the Passover” ( John 18:28 )
— Jesus did not celebrate the Passover early and even if He wanted to the temple priest would not slaughter the lamb a day early
— John recognized Friday as the legitimate Passover day and reported that when Pilate agreed to Jesus’ crucifixion “it was the day of preparation for the Passover” and it was noon on Friday ( John 19:14 )
— Some three hours later, “about the ninth hour” Jesus cried out “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?” ( 27:45) and shortly after that He gave up His spirit
— John specifically recounts that our Lord died within the prescribed time of sacrifice for the Passover lambs from three to five o’clock in the afternoon of Passover day
— At the very hour those lambs were sacrificed in the Temple, “Christ our Passover also [was] sacrificed” on Calvary ( 1 Cor 5:7 )
Reckoning Time
— Jews in the northern Palestine calculated days from sunrise to sunrise
— That area included Galilee, where Jesus and all the disciples except Judas had grown up
— Most if not all of the Pharisees used that system of reckoning
— In this case, Thursday sunrise to Friday sunrise
— Jews in the southern part, which included Jerusalem, calculated days from sunset to sunset
— Because all the priests lived near Jerusalem, as did most of the Sadducees, those groups followed the southern time table (sunset to sunset)
— In this case, Thursday sunset to Friday sunset
—This caused confusion at times but it allowed the feast to be celebrated legitimately on two adjoining days and permitted the hundreds of thousands of animals to be sacrificed over a total period of four hours rather than two
— The Jewish leaders who arrested and tried Jesus, being mostly Sadducees and priests, considered Passover to begin at sunset on Thursday and end at sunset on Friday
— By that variation, predetermined by God’s sovereign provision, Jesus could legitimately celebrate the last Passover meal with His disciples and yet still be sacrificed on Passover day
Preparation
( 26:19 ) So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them; and they prepared the Passover
— There were numerous preparations that had to be done for the Passover
— The lamb had to be slaughtered by the priest in the temple ( nowhere else )
— This could only be done between the hours of three and five in the afternoon, at twilight ( Ex 12:6 )
— They had to buy unleavened bread, wine, bitter herbs and the dip for the Passover meal
— The lamb was fully cooked and eaten in one night as in Egypt
— Get a bowl of saltwater and set the bowl on the table to remind them of their tears shed in slavery & the red sear
— Bitter herbs like horseradish, chicory, horehound, endive and mix with hyssop to remind them of the bitterness of Egypt
— And the hyssop with which they spread the blood on their door posts
— They made a paste of apples, dates, nuts and pomegranates crushed together to make charoset into which the bread was dipped
— This reminded them of the clay and mud that they used to make bricks, and they sticks of cinnamon ( like the straw to make bricks )
— The blood of the lamb was placed on the altar just as on the doorpost in Egypt
— Four cups of wine were served during the meal to symbolize God’s four promises just before their deliverance from Egypt ( Ex 6:6-7 )
One, I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians
Two, I will rid you of their bondage
Three, I will redeem you with an outstretched arm
Four, I will be your God
Sharing the Table ( 26:20-21a )
( 26:20-21a ) When evening had come, He sat down with the twelve. 21 Now as they were eating,
— Jesus reclined
— Historically when God setup the Passover in Exodus He said
— Eat the Passover standing up
— Loins girded in haste
— Eat the meal with your staff in in your hand, and your shoes on
— In the following years the Passover became an elongated feast and since there was no hurry the custom was adopted to recline
A strict sequence
— First, an initial cup of red wine mixed with water was served
— After the first cup thanks was given to the Lord ( Lk 22:14-17 )
— Second, the ceremonial washing of the hands
— Washing of hands was emblematic of what has happening on the inside
— But! Luke 22:24 tells us that an argument broke out among them of who was the greatest
— They were ceremonially washing their hands as a sign of cleansing the inward soul but they were filled with pride, self glory and ambition
— NOT UNLIKE what many people do when they come to the Lord’s table and go through the motions while entertaining sin
— John 13 said that “after super had begun” the Lord washed their feet
— During the washing of the disciples feet, Jesus rebuked them for their pride ( Luke 22:25-27 )
— Third, the eating of bitter herbs, symbolic of the bitter bondage their forefathers had endured in Egypt
— Fourth, taking the second cup of wine
— When the head of the household took the second cup, he explained the meaning of the Passover
— Next, singing from the Hallel, this consisted of Psalms 113-18
— After this the roasted lamb was brought out
— The head of the household would again wash his hands and then break pieces of the unleavened bread and hand them out to be eaten with the lamb
Shocking of the Twelve ( 26:21b-24 )
( 26:21b-24 ) He said, “Assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me.” 22 And they were exceedingly sorrowful, and each of them began to say to Him, “Lord, is it I?” 23 He answered and said, “He who dipped his hand with Me in the dish will betray Me. 24 The Son of Man indeed goes just as it is written of Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born.”
— Translators use the word betray because Judas was a betrayer but the word means “one of you will deliver Me up” ( cf. Mark 14:18 )
— Judas was perhaps among the least suspected, because his being the group’s treasurer indicates his integrity was thought to be beyond reproach
— The disciples were anxious and they began to say to Jesus, Lord, is it I?
— Jesus did not alleviate their anxiety because He said, “He who dipped his hand with Me in the dish will betray Me”
— They had all dipped their hand in the bowl for the Passover meal
— But Jesus then put the betrayal in its divine perspective by assuring the disciples that this heinous act would work to the fulfillment of God’s sovereign plan
— This is not a plan gone wrong but what God has pre-written in prophetic history
— Revelation 13:8 He was a lamb slain before the foundation of the world
— Peter preaches at Pentecost “Jesus of Nazareth, who was slain is slain not only by your wicked hands, but by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God” ( Acts 2:23 ) In other words, it is the divine plan
— The betrayal had been written ages beforehand in divine prophecy
Psalm 41:9 (NIV) 9 Even my close friend, whom I trusted, he who shared my bread, has lifted up his heel against me
—( 26:24 ) It would have been good for that man if he had not been born.”
— Jesus says it would be better to never have existed than to spend eternity in Hell
— The degrees of punishment in hell are related to the rejection
— The more truth you understand and reject, the greater the punishment
— Therefore, the severest damnation in hell comes to Judas who in the words of Heb 10:29
29 Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?
Going Deeper
— Contrary to the perverted reasoning of some interpreters, the fact that this sinful act was used by God to provided salvation from sin did not justify Judas by making evil good
— God’s sovereignly turning evil to His own righteous purposes does not make a sin any less sinful or the sinner any less guilty
— God turned Judas’s betrayal to His own divine purposes, but He did not thereby transform the son of perdition ( Jn 17:12 ) into a son of righteousness
— Judas not an unwitting saint but a willing devil ( Jn 6:70 )
— Judas had no interest in the salvation of the world or the coming of the kingdom; he was a thief, disillusioned and a selfish mercenary
Q: To review again, what did Jesus mean when He called himself the Son of Man ( 8:20; 26:24 )?
Hendriksen
— Elsewhere in the bible Son of Man simply means man ( Ps 8:4 ); it is a reference to man in all his weakness and dependence on God ( Ezek 2:1, 3, 6, 8; 3:1, 3, 4, 10, 17 )
— From the more than eighty instances in which the NT uses the term Son of Man it is clear that the reference is never to man in general but always to one particular, unique person, namely, Jesus Christ
— He is the Son of man; He is the man of sorrows, but this very path of suffering leads to the crown, to glory
— OT designation for the Messiah ( Dan 7:13, 14 ); it speaks of His humiliation
Signifying the Traitor ( 26:25 )
( 26:25 ) Then Judas, who was betraying Him, answered and said, “Rabbi, is it I?” He said to him, “You have said it.”
— Judas said the same thing as the others had said, “Is it I?” but used the word Rabbi rather than Lord
— Judas feigned his loyalty in front of the others
— It is obvious that the other disciples did not overhear this brief exchange because Peter privately asked John to question Jesus about the betrayer’s identity, which he did
— “Simon Peter therefore motioned to him to ask who it was of whom He spoke. 25 Then, leaning back on Jesus’ breast, he said to Him, “Lord, who is it?” 26 Jesus answered, “It is he to whom I shall give a piece of bread when I have dipped it.” And having dipped the bread, He gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon.” ( Jn 13:24-26 )
— John learned the appalling truth about Judas, but he apparently did not tell Peter at that time
— And then, it says in John 13:27, a most frightening thing happened to Judas. “And when He had dipped the sop, Satan entered into Judas”
— Except for John, the others did not know why Jesus gave the instruction to Judas, “What you do, do quickly” ( Jn 13:27 )
— Jesus knew who the betrayer was; John knew and Judas himself knew, but the rest did not know
— Judas is now gone. John tells us two things: ( 1 ) Jesus dismissed him and ( 2 ) Satan entered Judas at moment Jesus gave him the bread ( John 13:26-27 )
— Jesus got rid of him before they actually ate the meal because he should have no part in it
— 26:26 says that they went back to the meal, back to the Passover
Establishing the Future Provision ( 26:26-29 )
( 26:26-29 ) And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” 27 Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. 28 For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. 29 But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.” 30 And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
— The Passover was to remember their deliverance from Egypt
— Jesus adds a whole new meaning to the Passover
— The bread is now my body
— The wine is now my blood
— I am the passover, the pascal lamb, by my blood you will be marked and escape the wrath of God
— Each name we use for this sacrament brings out a different dimension to it
— It is the Lord’s Supper because it commemorates the Passover meal Jesus ate with his disciples
— it is the Eucharist ( thanksgiving ) because in it we thank God for Christ’s work for us
— It is Communion because through it we commune with God and with other believers
— As we eat the bread and drink the wine, we should be quietly reflective and recall Jesus’ death and His promise to come again
— We should be grateful for God’s wonderful gift to us, and joyful as we meet with Christ and the body of believer
— Just as we are to leave our gift at the altar if you are not reconciled with your brother ( Matt 5:24 ), so we are not to participate in communion in an unworthy manner ( 1 Cor 11:26-29 )
Going Deeper
— The Passover is older than any other Jewish institution except the Sabbath
— It predates the Aaronic priesthood, the Levitical ritual and the giving of the Law
— The Passover that Jesus celebrated with His disciples was the last divinely sanctioned Passover ever to be recognized
— No Passover celebrated after that has been authorized or recognized by God
— Significant as it was under the OT, it became a shadow of the reality which has already come
— Celebrating deliverance from Egypt is a weak substitute for celebrating deliverance from sin
— Christ ended the Passover and instituted a new memorial to Himself
— It would no longer look back to a lamb of Egypt as the symbol of God’s redeeming love and power
— But to the very Lamb of God, who, by the sacrificial shedding of His own book, took away the sin of the whole world
The Directive ( 26:26a, 27 )
( 26:26a, 27 ) And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; ... 27 Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you.
— Jesus broke the bread and gave it to His disciples
— This does not symbolize a broken body
— John makes it clear that Jesus fulfilled the OT prophecy that “Not a bone of Him shall be broken ( Jn 19:36; Ps 24:20 )
— The original Passover lamb’s bones were also not broken ( Ex 12:46 )
— Then He took the cup and all the disciples drank from it
Going Deeper
—The Roman Catholic church does not allow the entire congregation to partake of the cup
— This is in direct contradiction to Jesus’ explicit directive ( 1 Cor 10:16, 21: 11:28 )
— This cup of wine was probably the third cup, called the cup of blessing
— Paul refers to it by that name ( 1 Cor 10:16 ) and a few verses later as the cup of the Lord ( 1 Cor 10:21 )
— It is from the KJV translation of that verse that Communion is derived
Q: What did Jesus mean this is my body when He broke the bread ( 26:26b )?
The Doctrine ( 26:26b, 28 )
( 26:26b,28 ) this is My body.” ... 28 For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
— The original unleavened bread symbolized severance from the old life in Egypt
— It represented separation from worldliness and sin and the beginning of a new life of holiness and godliness
— By His divine authority, Jesus transformed that symbolism into another
— Henceforth the bread would symbolize His own body sacrificed for the salvation of men
— Covenants were ratified with the blood of a sacrifice ( Gen 8:20; 15:9,10 )
— Jesus words here echo Moses’ pronouncement ( Ex 24:8 )
— And Moses took the blood, sprinkled it on the people, and said, “This is the blood of the covenant which the Lord has made with you according to all these words.” ( Ex 24:8 )
— When God brought reconciliation with Himself, the price was always blood, because “without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness” ( Heb 9:22; 1 Pet 1:2 )
— Jesus did not simply have to die but had to shed His own precious blood ( 1 Pet 1:19 )
Going Deeper
— Jesus was not speaking of His literal body
— A similarly foolish misunderstanding already caused the Pharisees to ridicule Him and many superficial disciples to desert Him ( John 6:48-66 )
— It is the same misunderstanding reflected in the Roman Catholic doctrine of transubstantiation
— Jesus’ statement about eating His body was no more literal than His saying He is the vine and His followers are the branches ( Jn 15:5 )
— Or, of John the Baptist calling Jesus the Lamb of God ( Jn 1:29 )
The Duration ( 26:29 - 30)
( 26:29-30 ) But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.” 30 And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
— Again Jesus assured His disciples of victory over death and of their future with Him
— The Lord’s promise to drink with the disciples in that future kingdom was another assurance to them of His return
— The Lord’s Supper not only is a reminder of our Lord’s sacrifice for our sin, but also a reminder of His promise to return and share His kingdom blessings with
— Jesus looked forward to a future celebration of the Passover in heaven, one that He has not yet celebrated with His people. He is waiting for all His people to be gathered to Him, and then there will be a great supper – the marriage supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:9). This is the fulfillment in My Father’s kingdom that Jesus longed for.
— It is wonderful that Jesus sang, but what did He sing? A Passover meal always ended with singing three Psalms known as the Hallel, Psalms 116-118. For extra credit, read these Psalms and think of how the words of these Psalms would have ministered to Jesus as He sang them on the night before His crucifixion
— Now they leave the upper room and go to the Mount of Olives.
Helping the Impotent Disciples ( 26:31-35 )
( 26:31-35 ) 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 of the flock will be scattered.’ 32 But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee.” 33 Peter answered and said to Him, “Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble.” 34 Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you that this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” 35 Peter said to Him, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!” And so said all the disciples.
— Peter, and the rest, thought that they would not fail the Lord; they thought that their spiritual strength was greater than it was
— They were leaning on their own understanding, in terms of Proverbs 3
— We would like to think that we are spiritually strong but we know from experience and the scriptures that we are weak
— We would hope that we would never deny the Lord, be ashamed of the Lord or contradict His word
— But we all know that sometimes we have an opportunity to speak for Christ but say nothing
— As Jesus now comes to the Mount of Olives He tells his disciples for the first time that they will desert Him and flee for their lives, as predicted in the OT ( Zech 13:7 )
— Of all the things that Jesus could have said to them, He chose to tell them of their imminent and certain desertion of their Master
— They are about to learn a very important lesson about their own human weakness
— Their failure to live up to their high estimation of themselves would prove to be a profound and unforgettable lesson
— As He prepared to die for the sins of the world, Jesus needed to teach the disciples the need of continually dying to themselves ( 1 Cor 15:3, 31; 2 Cor 5:15) and never trusting themselves ( 2 Cor 1:9 )
— This is a lesson that every believer needs to learn and relearn
— When we are together in our life group, it is easy to be strong but very difficult when we are out in the world
— Paul reminded Timothy, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” ( 2 Tim 1:7 )
— There is no place in the life of a believer for shame ( Rom 116; Rom 9:33; Mark 8:38)
— Yet sometimes under pressure we desert, defect, we’re unfaithful
— Christ will teach us a lesson about restoring the deserting disciples
For it is Written
( 26:31 ) ‘I will strike the Shepherd, And the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’
— Jesus quotes Zech 13:7
— A difficult passage to understand
— Zechariah is talking about some false prophets who God is going to judge
— You might think that God is going to smite the false prophet and all of the followers except for the clear interpretation of Christ who says that “The smiting is Me and the flock is you”
— The whole verse reads:
7 “Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd,
Against the Man who is My Companion,”
Says the Lord of hosts.
“Strike the Shepherd,
And the sheep will be scattered;
Then I will turn My hand against the little ones.
— God is not slaying a false prophet whom He calls “My Shepherd”
— And the Hebrew word for man is not the generic word but means “mighty man” or “man of great strength”
— And God says “Who is my Companion” or “the mighty man who is equal to Me”
— Who is equal to God? Christ!
— Zechariah is turning from the false, saying “Yes, God will wound the false shepherd in the house of his idols, but God will also wound the true shepherd, and His sheep will be scattered as well”
Jesus’ Omniscience
— Jesus knew Judas would betray Him
— He knew the disciples would flee and desert Him
— Jesus knew He would be raised from the dead, just as He had predicted to the Twelve many times before ( Matt 6:21; 17:9, 23; 20:18-19; Rom 6:4 )
Going Deeper
A Monumental Moment
The discussion around the Lord’s table is only hours away from the crucifixion. This is the greatest moment. Only four chapters in all four gospels, a total of four chapters are devoted to the first 30 years of Christ’s life. Thirteen are devoted to the last day of His life.
Jesus’ Final Discourse
— Matthew and the other synoptic gospels go directly from the Last Supper to the Mount of Olives where Jesus instructs the disciples that they will desert Him
— Only John records what happened next
— After the meal was concluded, Jesus gave the eleven an extensive message that is called the Upper Room discourse ( John 14-17 )
— John records Jesus’ teaching about
— Believer’s being with Him in heaven
— Serving Him on earth
— The coming of the Holy Spirit
— The meaning of true peace
— Faithfulness, joy, love and fruitfulness
— The opposition believers can expect in the world
— His second coming
— He concluded by offering a beautiful and profound intercessory prayer on their behalf and in their presence
The Disciples’ Ignorance ( 26:33-35 )
( 26:33-35 ) Peter answered and said to Him, “Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble.” 34 Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you that this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” 35 Peter said to Him, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!” And so said all the disciples.
— Peter earlier in the upper room which John records says the same thing ( John 13:36 )
— At this point Peter is certainly the Rock
— He says, “Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away” ( 26:33-34)
— He defends Jesus with a sword, “Simon Peter then, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s slave, and cut off his right ear; and the slave’s name was Malchus” ( John 18:10 )
— All the disciples fled except John and Peter, “Then those who had seized Jesus led him to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders had gathered. And Peter was following him.” ( 23:57-58 )
— Peter was proud and self-confident. He was also a coward, weak, and ignorant, but he didn’t know it
— He was so concerned about defending his loyal character that, he blurted out, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!”
— Like a self-willed child, Peter seemed to hear only what he wanted to hear, and believe only what he wanted to believe
— A few hours earlier Jesus said to Peter, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat.” ( Luke 22:31 )
— Satan is going to shake you (plural) like you’ve never been shaken before, but I prayed that your faith will not fail
— Peter was oblivious to the Lord’s words
— Instead of acknowledging his need for the Lord’s protection, he boasted that he was ready to go to prison and die for Him ( Luke 22:33 )
— Later when they are on the Mount of Olives ( 26:34 ) the Lord now repeats again the prediction that Peter will deny Him and Peter did not believe the Lord this time either
—Peter was a rock but he also crumbled; Peter is like every man
— It is easy to say we are devoted to Christ, but are claims are meaningful only when they are tested in the crucible of persecution
— How strong is your faith?
— Is it strong enough to stand up under intense trial?
— Peter learned a lesson not to trust in himself and when we go through times like this we can encourage others
— We may forsake the Lord but He will never forsake us; Jesus said this, “Without Me you can do nothing”
— Our resources are in the Lord not in our own strength
Going Deeper
— After the Pentecost these eleven men who deserted the Lord in fear and shame were hardly recognizable
— When they were imprisoned by the high priest for preaching and healing (and then miraculously freed) they went back to preaching
— When they were arrested again, flogged and ordered to speak no more, they rejoiced that they were worthy to suffer for the Lord ( Acts 5:12-42 )
— They now had the Holy Spirit indwelling in them
— But even the power of the indwelling Spirit of Christ is no guarantee of faithfulness
— We must put aside our pride and self-sufficiency and rest in Christ’s sufficiency, total obedience to Him and dependence on Him
Sorrow ( 26:36-38 )
( 26:36-38 ) Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, “Sit here while I go and pray over there.” 37 And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed. 38 Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me.
( 26:36 ) Then Jesus came with them to...Gethsemane
— Matthew omits what happened before Jesus left to pray
— Jesus delivered his upper room discourse ( John 14-17 )
( 26:37 ) He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed
— Jesus was in great sorrow and distress
— Isaiah said, “He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him” ( Is 53:3 )
— There is no record in Scripture of Jesus’ laughing but there are numerous accounts of His grieving
— He wept at the grave of Lazarus ( Jn 11:35 )
—He wept over Jerusalem ( Lk 19:41 )
—He knew sorrow upon sorrow but what he experienced in the Garden of Gethsemane seemed to be the accumulation of all the sorrow he had ever known
— Jesus was in great anguish over His approaching physical pain, separation from the Father, and death for sins of the world
— The diving course was set, be He, in His human nature, still struggled ( Heb 5:7-9 )
( 26:37 ) And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee,
—Jesus takes Peter, James and John into the grove
— Being human himself, he stood in need not only of food, drink, clothing, shelter and sleep, but also human fellowship ( cf. Heb 4:15 )
— Ever and always the teacher, Jesus used even this struggle to teach His disciples, and us, a lesson about facing temptation and a severe trial
— All of us at times face temptations, trials, and heartaches that threaten to overwhelm us
— In these times only direct, intimate communion with the Lord in intense prayer can provide the strength to meet our desperate need
— We must stay awake spiritually, that is, with heart and mind, if we are to overcome temptation
Going Deeper
— Jesus took with Him Peter, James and John while He left the others to stand guard at the gate
— These were the leaders of the twelve and part of Jesus’ inner circle
— Jesus had told the disciples two days earlier that
— That after two days He would be delivered up and crucified ( 26:2 )
— And a few moment earlier He said that they would desert Him ( 26:31 )
— Luke records that Jesus told them to pray that they not enter into temptation ( Lk 22:40, cf Matt 6:13 )
— But there is no indication that they uttered a single breadth of prayer, no hint that they called on the Father to strengthen them
— In smug, self-confidence these three still thought of themselves as loyal, dependable, and invincible
— Jesus took them so that they would be convinced and convicted of their foolish smugness and feelings of invincibility; and, He wanted them in turn to teach their fellow disciples that lesson
— He wanted to show them vividly that, in His humanness, even the divine Son of God needed the sustenance of His heavenly Father
— In acknowledging His need for His heavenly Father’s presence and strength, Jesus did what the disciples saw no need for doing
Q: Did Jesus pay for all the sin of the whole world when He died on the cross? If that is so, how can He send anyone to hell if their sins are paid for?
Supplication ( 26:39-45a )
( 26:39-45 ) He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.” 40 Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “What! Could you not watch with Me one hour? 41 Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 42 Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done.” 43 And He came and found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy. 44 So He left them, went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words. 45 Then He came to His disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting?
— Jesus was not rebelling against, his Father’s will when he asked that the cup of suffering and separation, be taken away
— In fact, He reaffirmed His desire to do God’s will by saying, “Yet not as I will, but as you will” (NIV)
— In times of suffering people sometimes wish they knew the future, or they wish they could understand the reason for their anguish
— Jesus knew what lay ahead of Him, and He knew the reason
— Even so, His struggle was intense — more wrenching than any struggle we will ever face
— What does it take to say “as you will”?
— It takes firm trust in God’s plans; it takes prayer and obedience each step of the way
( 26:41 ) Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation
— Jesus used Peter’s drowsiness to warn him about the kinds of temptations he would soon face
— The way to overcome temptation is to keep watch and prayer
— Watching means being aware of the possibilities of temptation, sensitive to the subtleties, and spiritually equipped to fight it
— Because temptation strikes where we are most vulnerable, we can’t resist it alone
— Prayer is essential because God’s strength can shore up our defenses and defeat Satan’s power
( 26:42 ) Again, a second time, He went away and prayed
— Not only do we learn to confront temptation with prayer but we learn that prayer is not bending God’s will to our own but of submitting our wills to His
— If Jesus submitted His perfect will to the Father’s, how much more should we submit our imperfect wills to His?
— True prayer is yielding to what God wants for and of us, regardless of the cost
— If the Son of God needed to cry out to His heavenly Father in time of temptation and grief, how much more do we?
— That was the lesson He wanted the eleven, and all of us, to learn
Going Deeper
Hendriksen
There is great diversity of opinion among commentators regarding the last two verses of this section
— The rendering of verse 45a that is found in the A.V and A.R.V is: Then he comes to the disciples and says to them, Sleep on now and take your rest
— The problem is that the very next verse begins with the words “Get up! Let us be going”
— The two statements seem to contradict each other
— The Shepherd, who has been asking the disciples to watch with him is now keeping vigil over them
— His own victory having been won, perfect peace has been restored to his own heart; he has been strengthened through prayer
— To be sure, the three men had failed him
— But never, no never will his love fail them!
Strength ( 26:45b-46 )
( 25:45b-46 ) ”Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners
— The hour is at hand, He was about to become sin and there was sadness because He knew His disciples would not stand with Him as he gave His all for them
— Thee was nothing more Jesus needed to do and nothing more His disciples were willing to do
— The next verse says that “while He was speaking” men were coming to arrest Jesus
— Roman soldiers from Fort Antonia
— The chief priests and elders
— Judas leading the crowd
Going Deeper
The Pattern for spiritual tragedy
Matthew 26:36-46 gives the pattern and sequence of spiritual tragedy ( confidence, sleep, temptation, sin, and disaster )
Confidence
— Self-confidence always opens the door to temptation
— Like the disciples on the Mount of Olives, he is certain that he will never forsake Christ or compromise His word
Sleep
— Following comes sleep, representing indifference to evil and lack of moral and spiritual vigilance
— The sleeping Christian has little concern for what he reads, watches or listens to
Temptation
— As with Jesus, the temptation appeals to one’s personal rights and calls for rebellion against God
Sin
— The Christian who does not turn to the Lord for help will fall into sin
— No person, not even a Christian, has the capacity within himself to withstand Satan and avoid sin
Disaster
— Sin that is not confessed and cleansed leads to spiritual tragedy
The Kiss of the Traitor ( 26:47-50a )
( 26:47-50a ) And while He was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and elders of the people. 48 Now His betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him.” 49 Immediately he went up to Jesus and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed Him. 50 But Jesus said to him, “Friend, why have you come?”
— While Jesus is speaking to the disciples arousing them from their sleep, Judas arrives with a mob armed with clubs and swords
— John adds “with torches and lanterns and weapons” and they had Roman help, a cohort of 600 men, one-tenth of a legion
— Judas was already possessed by Satan ( Lk 22:3 ), and therefore what he did was no longer under his control
— Yet, it was under the compulsion of his own unbelief, greed, and ambition that he had opened himself to Satan’s presence
( 26:48 ) Whomever I kiss, He is the One
— In the Near East a kiss was a sign of homage
— A slave would kiss the feet of his master
— Ordinary servants would kiss the back of the hand
— To kiss the hem of a garment was a sign of reverence and devotion
— But an embrace and a kiss on the cheek was the sign of love, reserved only for intimate relationships
— Of all the signs Judas could have selected, he chose the one that would turn out to be the most despicable because he perverted it so hypocritically and treacherously
— For whatever debauched reason he may have had, he chose to feign his innocence and affection before Jesus and the disciples to the very end
— It is hard to imagine that even so wicked a person as Judas could have flagrantly displayed his treachery to the very face of the one who graciously taught and befriended him for three years
— But Satan, who filled him, knows no embarrassment and has no restraint on his wretchedness
— Jesus spoke when Judas came to him and said to him, “”Are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?” ( Lk 22:48 )
— Mark ads that Judas didn’t respond but simply said, “Master, Master,” and kept kissing Him ( Mk 14:45 )
— So Jesus has to endure this despicable kiss from a satan-filled traitor and rather than blast him out of existence, He submits to the indignity and shame
( 26:50 ) Jesus replied, “Do what you came for, friend.” ( NIV)
— Jesus did not use the usual word for friend (philos ); he used hetairos, which is better translated “fellow,” “comrade,” or “companion”
— Jesus had offered himself to be his friend, but more than that, to be his Savior
— But the opportunity for salvation had passed, and in light of Judas’s unspeakable treachery, even fellow was a gracious form of address
Q: Why did Jesus tell Peter to put away his sword ( 26:50-53 )?
The Presumption of Peter ( 26:50b-53 )
( 26:50b-53 ) Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and took Him. 51 And suddenly, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword, struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear. 52 But Jesus said to him, “Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword. 53 Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels?
— They the temple guards, the Roman cohort, the religious leaders grabbed Jesus
— At this point the disciples ask if they should fight with the sword ( Lk 22:49 )
— But there is no indication that Jesus had a chance to answer the question
— Who do you think asked the question — the same guy that used the sword
Matthew doesn’t tell us who it was. Mark doesn’t tell us who it was. And Luke doesn’t tell us who it was. John tells us who it was. You say, “Why did John tell us?” Because John was written long, long after this, many many years after this. The gospel of John was the last one penned, and it was safe to say who it was then. It’s as if the earlier writers, Matthew, Mark, and Luke, don’t want to identify Peter, lest Peter come under some kind of difficulty for his act against the Jews and against the Romans in drawing a sword. So there’s a certain amount of protection even accommodated by the Spirit of God in this text, and we are not told who it is until later, when John writes and everything is by the board by then. And so he tell us it was Peter, but we could have guessed, couldn’t we?
— The man who cut off the high priest’s servant’s ear was Peter ( Jn 18:10 ) and John informs us that the servant’s name was Malchus
— Peter doubtlessly had aimed at his head but missed
— Luke tells us that Jesus then touched the servant’s ear and healed him ( Lk 22:51 )
—The church has never made advances by physical warfare, and every time it has tried, the cause of Christ has been severely harmed
The Sword
— Jesus told Peter to put away his sword
— His point was that those who commit acts of violence to achieve personal ends will face punishment by civil authorities ( Gen 9:6 )
— You take a life and you forfeit your life ( not talking about self-defense )
— Jesus is advocating capital punishment
— God has given has given the human government the sword ( Rom 13:4 )
— Jesus was not speaking about self-defense or the defense of loved ones or friends from an attacker
— He was talking about violently taking justice into one’s own hands
— Our weapons are not fleshly; they are spiritual and mighty to the pulling down of fortresses ( 2 Cor 10:4 )
Going Deeper
Angels
— A full Roman legion was composed of 6,000 soldiers
— 600 men came to arrest Jesus ( Jn 18:3 )
— One angel killed 185,000 men in one night ( 2 Ki 19:35 )
— Twelve legions of angles would be in excess of 72,000, more than enough to destroy the entire Roman army
What emboldened Peter with the sword?
— When the crowd came to Jesus and He said “I am He” they all fell backwards on the ground ( John 18:6 )
— Peter probably thought that with Jesus he would prevail even if he didn’t get far
The Fulfillment of Prophecy ( 26:54 )
( 26:54 ) How then could the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen thus?”
— For Peter to violently oppose Jesus’ arrest was also to oppose the fulfillment of God’s prophesied plan of redemption
— Jesus said to Peter, “Put the sword into the sheath, the cup which the Father has given Me, shall I not drink it?” ( John 18:11 )
— On numerous occasions Jesus said that He must suffer, die, and be raised from the dead ( 16:21; 17:22-23; 20:18-19; cf. 12:40; 17:9, 12 )
— Because Peter:
— boasted too loudly,
— prayed too little
— slept too much
— and acted too fast, he missed the point of what Jesus was saying and doing
The Defection of the Disciples ( 26:55-56 )
( 26:55-56 ) In that hour Jesus said to the multitudes, “Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to take Me? I sat daily with you, teaching in the temple, and you did not seize Me. 56 But all this was done that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples forsook Him and fled.
— Jesus then told the crowds what He had just reminded Peter of:
— “Whatever your personal reasons and motivations may be, you are unwittingly accomplishing what your own Scriptures have said through the prophets that you would do to your Messiah”
— “Completely apart from your own evil intentions, God is sovereignly using you to accomplish His righteous and gracious purposes”
— “And in doing so, He will demonstrate that His infallible Word through the prophets will be fulfilled”
— The disciples were fearful that they too would be arrested and fled
— Just as Jesus had predicted earlier, when the Shepherd was struck, sheep scattered ( 26:31 )
Easy to Criticize
— It is all too easy to criticize the disciples for their faithlessness and cowardice
— But every honest believer knows that at times he has run from possible embarrassment, ridicule, or mockery because of his association with Christ
— We have to confess that we, too, have left our Lord and fled when the cost of discipleship has seemed too high
— It is an absolute spiritual law that a believer who neglects the study of God’s Word and neglects fellowship with Him in prayer will be unprepared ( cf Matt 26:41 )
Going Deeper
— Right after Judas’s kiss Jesus asked “Whom do you seek?”
— When they replied, “Jesus the Nazarene,” He said, “I am He” and at that those words “they drew back, and fell to the ground” ( Jn 18:4-6 )
— The exact reason for the crowd’s immobility is not reveled, but doubtless it was caused by the overwhelming power of Christ
— The multitude was able to rise only when God’s restraining hand was lifted
The Illegal, Unjust Trial of Christ ( 26:57-68 )
( 26:57-68 ) And those who had laid hold of Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled. 58 But Peter followed Him at a distance to the high priest’s courtyard. And he went in and sat with the servants to see the end. 59 Now the chief priests, the elders, and all the council sought false testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, 60 but found none. Even though many false witnesses came forward, they found none. But at last two false witnesses came forward 61 and said, “This fellow said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and to build it in three days.’ ” 62 And the high priest arose and said to Him, “Do You answer nothing? What is it these men testify against You?” 63 But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest answered and said to Him, “I put You under oath by the living God: Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God!” 64 Jesus said to him, “It is as you said. Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.” 65 Then the high priest tore his clothes, saying, “He has spoken blasphemy! What further need do we have of witnesses? Look, now you have heard His blasphemy! 66 What do you think?” They answered and said, “He is deserving of death.” 67 Then they spat in His face and beat Him; and others struck Him with the palms of their hands, 68 saying, “Prophesy to us, Christ! Who is the one who struck You?”
Hebrew Jurisprudence
— To guard against false witnessing, the Mosaic law prescribed that a person who knowingly gave false testimony would suffer the same punishment that the accused would suffer if found guilty ( Deut 19:16-19 )
— Rabbinical law required that a sentence of death could not be carried out until the third day after it was rendered and that during the intervening day the members of the course were to fast
— That provision had the effect of preventing a trial during a feast, when fasting was prohibited
— The delay of execution also provided additional time for evidence or testimony to be discovered in the defendant’s behalf
— On the day of the trial, the court officers would require all evidence against the accused person to be read in the full hearing of open court
— Witnesses had to identify the precise month, day, hour and location of the event about which they testified
— A council itself could not initiate charges against a person but could only consider charges brought before it by an outside party
— The governing principle in capital cases was: “The Sanhedrin is to save, not destroy life”
— No criminal trial could be begun during or continued into the night
— If the council voted unanimously for conviction, the accused was set free, because the necessary element of mercy was presumed to be lacking
Jesus’ Trial
— It is obvious that the Sanhedrin violated virtually every principle of its own system of jurisprudence
— Jesus was illegally tried without first having been charged with a crime
— He was tried at night and in private
— No defense was permitted Him
— The witnesses against Him had been bribed to falsify their testimony
— He was executed on the same day He was sentenced and the judges could not have fasted on the intervening day that should have transpired
The Illegal and Unjust Convening of the Sanhedrin ( 26:57-58 )
( 26:57-58 ) And those who had laid hold of Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled. 58 But Peter followed Him at a distance to the high priest’s courtyard. And he went in and sat with the servants to see the end.
— From John we learn that before they took him to Caiaphas, they took him to Annas the former high priest and father-in-law of Caiaphas ( Jn 18:13 )
— Annas violated two major procedural requirements
— First, he had Jesus arraigned before an indictment was brought against Him
— Second, he tried to induce Jesus to incriminate Himself ( Jn 18:19-22 )
— In complete exasperation and having no other recourse, Annas sent Jesus to Caiaphas the high priest ( Jn 18:23 )
— It was the middle of the night because cock crowing, which normally began about 3:00 A.M, had not yet started ( 26:74 )
— The Sanhedrin was permitted to hold a trial involving capital punishment only in the Temple and only in public
— The private meeting at Caiaphas’s house clearly violated both stipulations
The Illegal and Unjust Conspiracy to Convict Jesus ( 26:59-61 )
( 26:59-61 ) Now the chief priests, the elders, and all the council sought false testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, 60 but found none. Even though many false witnesses came forward, they found none. But at last two false witnesses came forward 61 and said, “This fellow said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and to build it in three days.’
— Because Jesus was innocent of any wrongdoing, the only way to convict Him would be on the basis of false testimony
— Even though many false witnesses came forward they did not find any legitimate charges
— Finally, they found two witnesses who distorted Jesus’ words about the temple ( John 2:19 )
— They claimed that Jesus said He would destroy the temple — a blasphemous boast
— Actually, Jesus had said, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days” ( John 2:19 )
— Jesus, of course, had been talking about His body, not the building
— Ironically, the religious leaders were about to destroy Jesus’ body just as He said, and three days later He would rise from the dead
Going Deeper
— The Sanhedrin was the most powerful religious and political body of the Jewish people
— Although the Romans controlled Israel’s government, they gave the people power to handle religious disputes and some civil disputes, so the Sanhedrin made many of the local decisions affecting daily life
— But a death sentence had to be approved by the Romans ( John 18:31 )
— The fact that not a single witness could be found to convict Jesus of wrongdoing is one of the strongest apologetics in all of Scripture for His moral and spiritual perfection
— Even if demons had to provide the information, it would certainly have been presented
— Demons are not omniscient, but they would have known of any sin Jesus committed had he been guilty of it, and they would have rushed to produce such evidence against Him
The Illegal and Unjust Confrontation to Induce Self-Incrimination ( 26:62-64 )
( 26:62-64 ) And the high priest arose and said to Him, “Do You answer nothing? What is it these men testify against You?” 63 But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest answered and said to Him, “I put You under oath by the living God: Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God!” 64 Jesus said to him, “It is as you said. Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
— Appealing to the most sacred oath a Jew could utter, Caiaphas demanded that Jesus either affirm or deny His messiahship and deity
— He was saying in effect, “Answer my question truthfully, on the basis that you are standing before the Living God, who knows all things”
— In calling Himself the Son of Man, Jesus was claiming to be the Messiah, as His listeners well knew
— Jesu said, “It is as you said”; Mark quotes Jesus’ saying directly, “I am” ( Mark 14:62 )
— Then, He referred to Psalm 110:1 and Daniel 7:13
— Not only am I the Messiah but one day I will return in judgment
— The accused would then become the accuser, the judges would become the judged
Going Deeper
— A claim to deity would be blasphemous only if it were false, which would be true for anyone but Jesus
— On numerous compassions Jesus refereed to His deity and being the Messiah
— In the synagogue at His hometown of Nazareth he read from a well-known passage about the Messiah and applied it to Himself ( Lk 4:18-21 )
— He told the women at the well that He was the Messiah ( Jn 4:25-26 )
— When people called Him the Messiah he did not deny it ( Matt 21:9 )
— He continually referred to God as His Father, which the Jewish leaders rightly interpreted as a claim of deity ( Jn 5:17-18 )
— He told the Jewish leaders that, “Before Abraham was born, I am” ( Jn 8:58 ), taking the ancient name of God for Himself ( Ex 3:14 )
The Illegal and Unjust Condemnation of Jesus ( 26:65-66 )
( 26:65-66 ) Then the high priest tore his clothes, saying, “He has spoken blasphemy! What further need do we have of witnesses? Look, now you have heard His blasphemy! 66 What do you think?” They answered and said, “He is deserving of death.”
— The high priest accused Jesus of blasphemy — calling Himself God
(26:65 ) Look, now you have heard His blasphemy
— The action of Judas led to this true blasphemy as the Jewish leaders blasphemed the Son of God
— Like many people who have rejected Christ, it was not that they had carefully studied the evidence and found it to be untrue
— They had refused to consider the evidence at all
— Even God’s Holy Spirit cannot penetrate such a willful barrier to His truth and grace
— To the Jews, this was a great crime, punishable by death ( Lev 24:16 )
— The religious leaders refused to even consider that Jesus’ words might be true
— They had decided against Jesus, and in so doing, they sealed their own fate as well as His
— Like the members of the Sanhedrin, you must decide whether Jesus’ words are blasphemy or truth
— Your decision has eternal implications
The Illegal and Unjust Conduct of the Court ( 26:67-68 )
( 26:67-68 ) Then they spat in His face and beat Him; and others struck Him with the palms of their hands, 68 saying, “Prophesy to us, Christ! Who is the one who struck You?”
— The Jewish leaders revealed their true decadence and spat in His face and beat Him with their hands
— To Jews, the supreme insult was to spit in another’s face ( Num 12:14; Deut 25:9 )
— Luke tells us that others were saying many other things, blaspheming Him ( Lk 22:65 )
— Every person who rejects Christ spits in His face, as it were, and is guilty of blasphemy against God
— All who misjudge Jesus will themselves be rightly judged by Him one day
— Even in the midst of cruel injustice, He uttered no threats
— “ who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously” ( 1 Pet 2:23 )
The Restoration of the Sinning Saint ( 26:69-75 )
( 26:69-75 ) Now Peter sat outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came to him, saying, “You also were with Jesus of Galilee.” 70 But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you are saying.” 71 And when he had gone out to the gateway, another girl saw him and said to those who were there, “This fellow also was with Jesus of Nazareth.” 72 But again he denied with an oath, “I do not know the Man!” 73 And a little later those who stood by came up and said to Peter, “Surely you also are one of them, for your speech betrays you.” 74 Then he began to curse and swear, saying, “I do not know the Man!” Immediately a rooster crowed. 75 And Peter remembered the word of Jesus who had said to him, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” So he went out and wept bitterly.
— Peter’s denial of the Lord was a great tragedy
— But in view of his repentance and the Lord’s forgiveness, the story is source of great encouragement
— Every Christian at times comes before the Lord overwhelmed and broken by the awareness of his sinfulness
— A person who never has such an experience either is very cold spiritually or is not a Christian at all
— Nothing is more shattering than to realize you have denied the Lord either by your words or actions
— And nothing is more exhilarating than to know God’s forgiveness after our sin is confessed
— Believers who deny Christ often begin by doing so subtly by pretending not to know him
— When opportunities to discuss religious issues come up, they walk away or pretend they don’t know the answers
— With only a little more pressure, they can be induced to deny flatly their relationship with Christ
— If you find yourself subtly diverting conversation so you don’t have to talk about Christ, watch out; you maybe on the road to disowning Him
( 29:60-70 ) Now Peter sat outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came to him, saying, “You also were with Jesus of Galilee.” 70 But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you are saying.
— This doesn’t start out as much of a threat
— Servant girl might be translated “a little bitty servant girl”
— On the scale of social status in the ancient world she would be at the bottom of the pecking order
— She is young and in the ancient world age was not valued; low social status and female, and she was a servant. There could not be anyone less threatening
— But the problem was some bystanders heard and Peter responds not just to her but the crowd and denies the Lord.
( 29:71-72 ) 71 And when he had gone out to the gateway, another girl saw him and said to those who were there, “This fellow also was with Jesus of Nazareth.” 72 But again he denied with an oath, “I do not know the Man!”
— Then Peter moves out to the entrance of the courtyard where there are less people; less likely to be recognized
— Another servant girl recognizes him and doesn’t speak to him but to the bystanders
— As the pressure is being ramped up Peter responds with increasing insistence
— That Peter denied that he knew Jesus, using an oath “I do not know the Man!”
— The man that had poured three 1/2 years into his life
— Jesus has lost His uniqueness and His purpose, He is just the man now
( 29:73-74 ) 73 And a little later those who stood by came up and said to Peter, “Surely you also are one of them, for your speech betrays you.” 74 Then he began to curse and swear, saying, “I do not know the Man!”
— This cursing is not cussing but when we says that he swore another oath that is taking it to another level
— The literal word is that he anathematized himself
— In effect he was saying, “May God strike me dead if I am lying”
— Peter was searing that he did not know Jesus and was invoking a curse on himself if his words were untrue
— Option #1 is that Peter is invoking a curse on himself
— The word “himself” is not in the bible
— The editors of the bible have to make sense of who Peter is cursing because the verb is reflexive
— Whenever this verb is used in Greek it has to have an object
— When used in a reflexive way it has to have an object. Exact word: “When it was day, the Jews made a plot and bound themselves by an oath neither to ear nor drink til they had killed Paul.” ( Acts 23:12 )
— Option #2 Peter is cursing someone other than himself
Here where the object is not expressed, it means that Peter is cursing someone other than himself, and the most natural sense in this context would be that he now began to curse Jesus, as a way of dissociating himself. Robert France
— Church history provides some context
— 50 years after 1st Peter there is a large church in Bithynia and they are causing a problem for the local Roman businessman who cannot sell meat offered to idols
— Pliny the Younger, the governor of Bithynia writes to Emperor Trajan about what to do with these Christians
— Pliny the Younger interrogated the Christians and executed those who said they were Christians
Pliny to Trajan [ 112 AD] - “Those who denied they were Christians, who repeated after me an invocation to the Gods, and offered adoration, with wine and frankincense, to your proper image, and who finally cursed Christ, I thought it proper to discharge. They all worshipped your statue and the images of the Gods, and cursed Christ.”
— Cursing Christ became a litmus test for faithfulness to Jesus (cf. Matthew 10:33 )
— This is a possible explanation of what happens here in Matthew based on the grammar and later church history
The Cock Crows
( 26:74b ) Immediately a rooster crowed.
The Jews divided the night into 4 parts:
— Evening ( 6 - 9 pm )
— Midnight ( 9 pm - 12 )
— Cock Crow ( 12 - 3 am )
— Morning ( 3 - 6 am)
Going Deeper
Peter’s steps toward denial
— Peter had already taken many steps toward denying Christ even before he entered the courtyard of Caiaphas
— First, he boasted that “even though all may fall away because of You, I will never all away ( 26:33 )
— He had unfounded self-confidence in himself
— He directly contradicted the Lord
— Second, he was insubordinate and defiantly persisted in rejecting Jesus’ assessment of him
— He contradicted the Lord
— He defended his own faithfulness
— Mark reports that Peter repeatedly insisted on his loyalty ( Mark 4:31 )
— Third, he did not seek strength in prayer
—When Jesus took Peter, James and John with him into the garden they all fell asleep
— The Lord went away to pray privately two more times and each time Peter and the others were asleep (43,45 )
— Because they did not take seriously the Lord’s warnings about their deficiencies they did not take seriously his admonition to be prepared and strengthened through prayer
— Fourth, he didn’t ask the Lord for advice or help
— He took matters into his own hands; he reached for his sword
— Even though Christ had repeatedly told him that he must suffer, die and be raised ( 16:21; 17:22-23; 20:18-19 )
— Fifth, he allowed himself to be in a place of spiritual danger — such as the courtyard of the high priest — where his faith might be tested above his ability to resist
— The Lord’s promises not to allow His children “to be tempted beyond what [they] are able “ ( 1 Cor 10:13 )
— And, “to rescue the godly from temptation” ( 2 Pet 2:9 ) do not apply to willful disobedience
— It was inevitable that Peter would collapse when his bravado proved hollow and his self-sufficiency came up deficient
Q: How was Peter’s remorse different from Judas (26:75)?
Peter’s Repentance
( 26:75b ) So he went out and wept bitterly.
— The true Peter is not seen in his denial but in his repentance
— His faith slipped but it was genuine faith, and Jesus Himself had prayed that it would not fail ( Lk 22:32 )
— Judas experienced great regret and a kind of remorse
— But he never had a change of heart
— He never repented of his sins and received Jesus as Lord and Savior, and contrary to Peter, Judas had no faith to weaken
— Jesus could not hold Judas because Judas never belonged to Him
Going Deeper
— Peter’s sin did not make him repent
— It was not until Peter saw the Lord’s face and remembered the Lord’s words that he came to his senses
— Many people are aware of their sins
— But until it is surrendered to Christ for forgiveness and cleansing, the mere acknowledgement of it will only drive a person deeper into despair and hopelessness and even deeper into sin
— Forgiveness and restoration come only from turning from sin to God
— That is why true preaching of the gospel is not just telling people to turn from sin, it is lifting up the Lord Jesus Christ so that, in His righteousness and grace, men discover the only hope for sin’s removal
Final thoughts about Peter
— Jesus’ first words to Simon Peter were “Come, follow me” ( Mark 1:17)
— His last words to him were “You must follow me” ( John 21:22)
— Every step of the way between those two challenges, Peter never failed to follow - even though he often stumbled
— When Jesus entered Peter’s life, this plain fisherman became a new person with new goals and new priorities
— We may wonder what Jesus saw in Simon that made Him greet this potential disciple with a new name: Peter — the “rock”
— Impulsive Peter certainly didn’t act like a rock much of the time
— Jesus choose imperfect people and then changed them with His love and then sent them out to communicate that his acceptance was available to anyone — even to those who often fail
— Are you willing to keep following Jesus, even when you fail?
As the foremost of the disciples, Peter serves as an ‘everyman’ figure, both for the original disciples, the first generation of Christians, and all subsequent believers. — Eric D. Huntsman
Additional Resources
MacArthur, John. Matthew 24-28. Moody Press, 1989.
MacArthur, John. New Testament Commentary. Moody, 1985.
MacArthur, John. Two Men, Two Sorrows (gty.org) https://www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/GTY141/two-men-two-sorrows
MacArthur, John. The Last Passover, Part 1. https://www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/2382/the-last-passover-part-1
MacArthur, John. The Last Passover, Part 2. https://www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/2382/the-last-passover-part-2
MacArthur, John. Restoring Deserting Disciples. https://www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/2384/restoring-deserting-disciples
MacArthur, John. The Traitor’s Kiss, Part 2. https://www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/2388/the-traitors-kiss-part-2
MacArthur, John. Betraying Christ: A tale of two disciples. https://www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/81-92/betraying-christ-a-tale-of-two-disciples
Life Application Study Bible. Zondervan, 2011.
Lucado, Max. Mary’s Extravagant Gift” in On Calvary’s Hill
Hendriksen, William. Exposition of the Gospel According to Matthew. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1973.
What does leaven symbolize in the Bible? https://www.gotquestions.org/leaven-in-the-Bible.html?msclkid=f264248abbfc11ecb5dd8e98fc94819c
The Significance of Passover: Kingdom Feast with R.C. Sproul - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmoii0hpfWw&t=1162s
Chad Brand et al., eds., “Nard,” Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2003), 1175.
Hellerman. Joe. OCF Church: August 6, 2023: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEJptoWLZgA&t=1524s
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