Matthew 26 Bible Study with Notes
MATTHEW 26
Mat 26:1 - When Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said to his disciples,
Mat 26:2 - “You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified.”
In chapter 22, Jesus was confounding all of His enemies with questions and answers.
In chapter 23, Jesus was openly rebuking His religious rivals.
In chapter 24, Jesus was discussing His future judgement on Jerusalem and the end of the world.
In chapter 25, Jesus was describing Himself as coming in glory with angels and sitting on a glorious throne.
In chapter 26, Jesus tells His disciples He is about to be crucified.
The build up to chapter 26 wouldn’t lead most people to conclude crucifixion was the next step.
Even though Jesus couldn’t have made this statement clearer to the Apostles, they were still shocked and confused when it happened.
Later on in chapter 26, we will see Jesus predict the “falling away” of all of the Apostles when He is taken to be crucified.
Mat 26:3 - Then the chief priests and the elders of the people gathered in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas,
Mat 26:4 - and plotted together in order to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him.
Mat 26:5 - But they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar among the people.”
After chapters 22 and 23, the Jewish religious elite couldn’t take it anymore.
They had been publicly humiliated in front of their own people.
They couldn’t outsmart, outdebate, or outclever Jesus so they determined to kill Him.
Who was Caiaphas?
Joseph Caiaphas was appointed high priest by the Roman governor Valarius Gratus (governor before Pontus Pilate).
Annas (Luke 3:1-2) had been high priest before Caiaphas but was removed by the Romans in 15 A.D.
Although Annas had been removed, it is thought he still pulled many of the strings in the background.
Caiaphas was Annas’ son-in-law.
5 of Annas’ sons would later succeed as high priests.
Caiaphas was removed by the Romans in 37 A.D.
They wanted to arrest Jesus but without inciting a riot.
It would have made them unpopular with many Jews
It definitely would have made them unpopular with the Romans.
Mat 26:6 Now when Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper,
Mat 26:7 a woman came up to him with an alabaster flask of very expensive ointment, and she poured it on his head as he reclined at table.
Matthew’s account of this anointing is not in chronological order.
We find this out from reading John 12:1-8
This occurred 6 days before the Passover.
But it makes sense for him to insert it here because it is relevant to the greed of Judas Iscariot which we will read about in verses 14-16.
We don’t have a lot of information about “Simon the leper” but it is almost certain he was a man healed by Jesus (otherwise no one would have eaten in his house).
A woman appears in the scene with a very expensive alabaster box of ointment.
What is alabaster?
Alabaster is a light colored semi-translucent stone which as been used in carvings and pottery for 1,000s of years.
Alabaster is semi-soluble in water and is almost exclusively used for indoor vessels and art.
(Alabaster perfume bottle from the tomb of King Tut)
What was in the box?
Another gospel says the box was filled with pure nard.
This is likely a reference to spikenard.
Spikenard grows in the Himalayas.
It is found at altitudes between 9,800–16,400 ft
The difficulty of harvesting it and the cost of importing it all would have contributed to its value.
In Song of Solomon, nard was worn as a perfume. (SS 1:12)
The combination of the fancy vessel and the imported perfume made this a very expensive package.
The woman took the ointment and poured it on Jesus head while He was at the table.
If someone poured smelly liquid on my head at a dinner party, I would probably be offended.
But in the ancient Jewish culture this wasn’t disrespectful or out of place.
Remember Psalm 23?
David says God anointed his head with oil at the table.
Psa 23:5 - You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
You may remember Jesus’ words in Matthew 6 about fasting.
Mat 6:16-18 - “And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
Putting oil on your head was to make a person “look presentable,” like they had gotten out of bed and actually cared about the way they looked.
If I understand correctly, this oil was worn in the hair to give the wearer a pleasant aroma (not much different than today’s scented shampoo).
The anointing of Christ by this woman was definitely a step above normal.
Mat 26:8 And when the disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste?
Mat 26:9 For this could have been sold for a large sum and given to the poor.”
When the disciples (another gospel reveals it was Judas Iscariot) saw the expensive ointment being used this way, they grumbled.
The other gospel reveals Judas was angry, not because he cared about poor people but because he was a thief and probably thought he could skim a little off the top.
Mat 26:10 - But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a beautiful thing to me.
Mat 26:11 - For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me.
Mat 26:12 - In pouring this ointment on my body, she has done it to prepare me for burial.
Mat 26:13 - Truly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.”
Rather than rebuking the women for her neglect of the poor, Jesus rebukes the disciples.
This woman had taken a unique opportunity to honor God.
A miniscule percentage of human beings had the privilege of seeing the Son of Man face-to-face and the woman has responded in a way fitting to her privilege.
The poor have been present from the beginning of time and will be present to the end of time but this was a unique moment worthy of being marked at any expense.
Jesus makes two statements which reiterated to the disciples Jesus near future.
(1) “…but you will not always have me.”
Jesus would be leaving them soon.
First, to go to the cross.
Second, to return to His Father in Heaven.
(2) “…she has done it to prepare me for my burial”
It is not clear if the women knew how much the woman knew.
She may have listened to Jesus’ teachings and concluded His death was near.
Or it may be that Jesus took her actions and applied this construction to them to use it as an opportunity to teach His disciples about His passion.
No matter her comprehension, her actions were a beautiful display of her faith and the value she ascribed to her relationship with Jesus.
Jesus tells His disciples her actions will be remembered by generations to come (which is why we are talking about them now).
Mat 26:14 - Then one of the twelve, whose name was Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests
Mat 26:15 - and said, “What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?” And they paid him thirty pieces of silver.
Mat 26:16 - And from that moment he sought an opportunity to betray him.
We’ve just seen the character of Judas and this helps explain his actions in verses 14-16.
His love of money consumed him to the point He was willing to betray the most loving man he knew for a low price.
Reminds me of those who struggle with substance abuse and are willing to steal from the only people who still love them just to get another high.
APPLICATION:
It is possible to be surrounded by the best examples in the world and for them not to rub off on you.
Satan’s is cunning and wants us to fall in love with the idols around us (in this case money) rather than fall in love with the One True God (Jesus).
APPLICATION:
It is possible to spend years listening to the words of Jesus and for them to never change our hearts.
Judas listened to Jesus speak for three years but the truths he heard did not penetrate his greed hardened heart.
Christians can be “good students” of God’s word but are we allowing it to change us from the inside out.
Simply hearing and “studying” is not enough.
Like the way side soil, the seed can bounce right off of us and get snatched up by the birds.
Mat 26:17 Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Where will you have us prepare for you to eat the Passover?”
What was the Passover?
The Passover was a Jewish memorial instituted when the Jews were still in slavery in Egypt.
God sent 10 plagues on Egypt and before the 10th plague, the people were supposed to kill a lamb at paint its blood on their doorpost to protect them.
If God found the blood on their doorposts, the firstborn of their households would be spared the punishment on Egypt.
This is why it is called the “pass-over,” because if the blood was on the door, God passed over them.
Every year the Jews remembered the event by killing a lamb and eating it with unleavened bread.
What was Unleavened Bread (capitalized)?
Following the Passover evening, 7 days were dedicated to the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
This was to remind the people of their departure from Egypt and how God delivered them from Pharaoh.
Deu 16:3 - You shall eat no leavened bread with it. Seven days you shall eat it with unleavened bread, the bread of affliction—for you came out of the land of Egypt in haste—that all the days of your life you may remember the day when you came out of the land of Egypt.
Lev 23:5-6 - In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight, is the LORD's Passover. And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the LORD; for seven days you shall eat unleavened bread.
Mat 26:18 - 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.’”
Mat 26:19 - And the disciples did as Jesus had directed them, and they prepared the Passover.
It was now the day of the Passover and preparations had to be made.
Jesus sends His Apostles into the city to locate a man who has a suitable room (remember they couldn’t eat it at their houses because they lived in Galilee).
Mat 26:20 - When it was evening, he reclined at table with the twelve.
Mat 26:21 - And as they were eating, he said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.”
Mat 26:22 - And they were very sorrowful and began to say to him one after another, “Is it I, Lord?”
Mat 26:23 - He answered, “He who has dipped his hand in the dish with me will betray me.
Mat 26:24 - The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.”
Mat 26:25 - Judas, who would betray him, answered, “Is it I, Rabbi?” He said to him, “You have said so.”
The scene then skips to Jesus eating the Passover with His Apostles.
Jesus foretells of the betrayal of one of His Apostles but doesn’t call the man by name.
Obviously, we know it is going to be Judas.
All of the Apostles inquire whether they are the man and Jesus tells them it is the one “who has dipped his hand in the dish with Me.”
Jesus’ words in verse 24 are scary.
It would have been better if Judas had never lived.
Jesus, as the Creator had made Judas but then tells Him it would have been better if He hadn’t been born.
Judas’ betrayal was a serious rejection of God and the judgement it merited would be serious.
APPLICATION:
I’m not sure how universally Jesus wanted that statement applied but I think it is biblically accurate to say a person whose life is lived apart from or in rebellion to God is a person who will wish they had never been born.
Because if Hell is the end result…
We will see that although the end of Judas was tragic, his betrayal and rebellion in no way hindered God’s plan.
God accounted for Judas’ actions and He accounts for the actions of all those who seek to undermine His goals and they will not be the slightest roadblock to His accomplishing every detail of His desire.
After Jesus gives this dire statement, Judas asks the Lord if he is the man.
Jesus responds in the affirmative.
SIDE NOTE: We will see in the other gospels that Judas’ question to Christ and Christ’s response must have been somewhat private because most of the Apostles still appear to know the identity of the betrayer when Judas later gets up and departs the room into the night.
Mat 26:26 - Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.”
Mat 26:27 - And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you,
Mat 26:28 - for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.
Mat 26:29 - I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.”
Have you ever wondered why Christians eat little pieces of unleavened bread and drink grape juice when worshipping?
From an outsider perspective, I can understand how weird that sounds.
What can sound even stranger is when we describe it as Jesus’ body and blood.
But when you understand this passage and its background, you will have a much better understanding of the Church’s practice.
Jesus takes the Passover symbolism all the Jews were familiar with and gives it a new meaning.
They had all gathered around a lamb who had given its blood to reminded them of their salvation from God’s wrath on the Egyptians.
While they were eating the lamb, Jesus takes bread, gives it to the Apostles, and says, “This is my body.”
They put down the lamb’s body.
They ate the bread representing Jesus’ body.
Ultimately, the lamb killed in Egypt to save the people from God’s wrath was a shadow of a greater Lamb.
If you’ve ever heard Jesus called the “Lamb of God” this is why!
Jesus allowed Himself to be killed to offer salvation from God’s wrath on sin.
He then takes a cup of grape juice or wine (depending on translation) and gives it to the Apostles.
He tells them to drink from it because it represents His blood.
This was the second Passover picture.
The blood of the lamb in Egypt covered the Jew’s doorposts and kept them safe.
Jesus’ blood is what covers Jesus’ followers and keeps them safe by forgiving their sins.
They had gathered to eat the Passover and everything had been prepared.
But their lamb was going to be substituted out mid-meal and replaced.
Jesus was the Lamb of God and He institutes this new memorial so all of His followers remember what He did for the world.
So that is why Christians eat little pieces of bread and drink little cups of juice.
It is not the physical body and blood of Jesus (although some argue that interpretation).
It is a picture to help us in the memorial of our Lamb and God’s deliverance.
Did the Apostle’s understand exactly what Jesus was doing?
Probably not!
But after seeing Jesus sacrifice Himself on the cross, the pieces would fall into place.
Jesus certainly never felt the need to spell out every details of everything He tried to communicate.
I wonder if that is because when you put all the pieces in place on your own and finally see the big picture it is always more impactful than someone just telling you all the details up front.
Jesus’ last statement in verse 29 indicates the nearness of His death, resurrection, and departure.
I find the exact meaning of this statement hard to lock down.
To what is Jesus referring?
I will propose two possibilities:
(1) Jesus is making a general statement about communing with the Apostles over an ordinary cup of wine (at a meal).
He will not sit down to eat or drink with them until the Old Law is nailed to the cross and He has resurrected.
We know Jesus ate and drank with His Apostles following His death and resurrection.
(2) Jesus is making a reference to communing with them again in this special memorial feast.
He would not participate in this memorial meal with them again until the realities it was meant to memorialize had come to pass.
They were not able memorialize Jesus’ death because He hadn’t died yet.
Following His death and resurrection He would have fellowship with them again as the slain Lamb of God in their feasts.
Mat 26:30 - And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
I usually associate singing with the NT Church life.
But the Jews had many songs associated with their religious celebrations.
It seems God has a love of singing.
Jesus and the Apostles then departed the upper room and went to the Mount of Olives.
Mat 26:31 - Then Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away because of me this night. For it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’
Mat 26:32 - But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.”
The night ahead of Christ and His Apostles was not going to be an easy one.
The events of the coming hours would result in ALL of the Apostles scattering and abandoning Christ’s side.
The verse about the shepherd and the sheep is found in Zechariah 13:7
Zec 13:7 - “Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, against the man who stands next to me,” declares the LORD of hosts. “Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered; I will turn my hand against the little ones.
Jesus’ prediction was grim but it was not to be the end of the story.
Christ would be abandoned and killed but would meet the disciples again around their home in Galilee (see Matthew 28:7).
Mat 26:33 - Peter answered him, “Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away.”
Mat 26:34 - Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.”
Mat 26:35 - Peter said to him, “Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you!” And all the disciples said the same.
Peter must not have learned the lesson from chapter 16 that contradicting Christ wasn’t a wise move.
He speaks up and proclaims his dying allegiance to Christ.
We find out later Peter wasn’t bluffing. He drew His sword against those who came to arrest Jesus.
But Christ told Him to put his sword away.
Peter didn’t lack courage, he lacked understanding of Jesus’ actions, which is what eventually led to His “falling away.”
APPLICATION:
We should pray God would give us courage AND understanding.
Courage cannot replace understanding and visa-versa.
Some of the boldest people I know lack understanding of Christ’s words (just look at the Mormons)!
They boldly believe they are defending Him but they are actually really disillusioned to His true intentions.
Lets constantly ask God for an increase of boldness and an increase of understanding.
The rest of the Apostles rose to match Peter’s courage.
APPLICATION:
Boldness is contagious even boldness that contradicts Christ.
Boldness is attractive.
Mat 26:36 - Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.”
Mat 26:37 - And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled.
Mat 26:38 - Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.”
The exact location of Gethsemane is known with some certainty (but still debated).
If you go to Jerusalem today, you can visit the garden of ancient olive trees.
Jesus took the 11 Apostles with Him (all except Judas) but chose Peter, James, and John to accompany Him further into the garden.
He told them to watch and pray.
Jesus began to be very distressed and troubled over the events He was about to endure.
His beatings and crucifixion were only a sleepless night away.
Mat 26:39 - And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”
Here we see Jesus praying to God the Father.
Although Jesus, in His divine nature, had foretold His death and knew it to be the eternal plan of God, here we see His human nature dreading the physical pain.
He asks God for another way but submits Himself to God’s will.
APPLICATION:
God encourages us to make our requests known to Him.
But those requests should always be made with a humility and submission to the will of God.
If God chooses not to give us what we request, it is because, in His infinite wisdom, His mind is directing us down another (better) path.
We needed a Savior who could sympathize with our distresses and pain.
Can you image if God decided to judge humans but never experienced how hard it was to be a human?
That describes the God’s of most religions.
Mat 26:40 - And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour?
Mat 26:41 - Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
Jesus then returned to Peter, James, and John, but instead of finding them in devotional prayer, He finds them sleeping.
It was at least a mile walk from Bethany to the Mount of Olives and we know the Passover meal wasn’t eaten until twilight.
It was probably getting late but Jesus encouraged His Apostles to prioritize prayer over sleep.
This was a common practice for Jesus.
He wanted them to pray so they would not be tempted.
Jesus’ trials were going to be a temptation for them too.
Temptation to desert Christ and renounce knowing Him.
Would Peter have denied Christ if he had stayed up and prayed?
It is hard to say!
But apparently some of the temptations the Apostle’s faced could have been avoided.
Would we accomplish great things through the power of God or avoid detrimental pitfalls if we prioritized prayer over sleep?
It is hard to say!
I think it is worth noting, even though the plans of Judas, the chief priests, and elders are already in motion, Jesus suggests their prayers could change certain variables in the way those events played out.
I’ve heard people suggest prayer is worthless once the wheels of circumstance are in motion.
I think there is also a lesson here about God’s foreknowledge.
Jesus told them in verse 31 they would all fall away.
Jesus tells them in verse 41 to pray to avoid temptation to fall away.
Jesus knows the ultimate end of a given situation and can announce the ultimate end of any given situation.
He knows the choices everyone will make in any and every given situation from now till eternity.
But He still leaves that choice up to us and there is no indication the choice is only an illusion.
When Jesus finds the Apostle’s sleeping, He doesn’t say, “I know I told you to stay awake but I was just kidding, you didn’t really have any choice in the matter, you were sovereignly made to fall asleep.”
God knows all the choices human beings will make and He weaves His will through those choices (the orchestration of the crucifixion is case-and-point).
In verse 41, Jesus tells the Apostles their spirit was willing but their flesh was weak.
Mentally, they had the zeal and conviction to follow Christ.
But were hindered by weak flesh. Their internal convictions were too easily mastered by their bodily cravings (in this case a desire for sleep).
They should have deprived the flesh to care for the physical.
This may illustrate one of the reasons the New Testament talks about fasting.
It is a chance for us to practice denying the body to elevate the spiritual.
Many of us, including myself, struggle with the same thing the Apostles struggled with here.
Mat 26:42 - Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.”
Mat 26:43 - And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy.
Mat 26:44 - So, leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words again.
Mat 26:45 - Then he came to the disciples and said to them, “Sleep and take your rest later on. See, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.
Mat 26:46 - Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.”
Jesus returns to His place of prayer and prays a similar prayer of submission to the will of the Father.
He returned again to find Peter, James, and John asleep again.
This time He didn’t wake them up but returned a third time to pray.
When Jesus returned for the final time He woke the Apostles to a scary reality.
The time had come!
Judas, the betrayer, approached accompanied by an angry mob of Jews bent on murder.
APPLICATION:
Have you ever slept on a friend who needed you?
Perhaps they needed your help but you were too tired or wanted to relax or just weren’t feeling social.
I know I’ve done that before and then learned later they really needed someone there for them.
I felt bad.
I bet the Apostles felt bad they slept on Jesus in His time of need.
Let’s try our best to push through the selfishness of our fleshly weakness to be there for people.
Mat 26:47 - While he was still speaking, Judas came, one of the twelve, and with him a great crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the elders of the people.
Mat 26:48 - Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I will kiss is the man; seize him.”
Mat 26:49 - And he came up to Jesus at once and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” And he kissed him.
Mat 26:50 - Jesus said to him, “Friend, do what you came to do.” Then they came up and laid hands on Jesus and seized him.
The angry mob was led by Judas and his angry, shamed, and coward allies, the chief priests and elders.
APPLICATION:
We should not underestimate the power of addiction, lust, and greed.
Judas had watched Jesus humiliate the chief priests and elders earlier this week and now he sides with them because they waived a little bag of money in front of his face.
If these things master us they have the power to make us act in the most irrational ways.
Are we so easily bought?
Why did the chief priests and elders need Judas to betray Jesus?
It isn’t as if they needed Judas to point Jesus out, they were well acquainted with his appearance.
I can think of at least three reasons:
(1) They my have needed Judas to show them where Jesus was that night.
He hadn’t eaten the Passover in Jerusalem.
They may have had difficulty finding Him fast enough to avoid a riot if they didn’t have an inside man.
Act 1:16 - “Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus.
(2) They used Judas as an insult to Jesus.
The Jews offered to pay Judas, not because it was necessary for their plan, but because betrayal stings.
It is a slap in the face to be betrayed by your friend and the Jews wanted use Judas to disrespect Jesus.
(3) They may have found Judas a convenient scapegoat.
If asked they could denied they were the ones who initiated the arrest.
“Oh no, He was turned over by one of His own followers for claims against the Judaism and the state!”
In a scene familiar to Christians and non-Christians alike, Judas kissed Jesus.
This may sound really odd to modern audiences, specifically those of us in the states, but kissing someone on the cheek as a greeting was common in the ancient world and is still practiced in many places in modern times.
Jesus responds to him and calls him “friend.”
Mat 26:51 - And behold, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear.
Mat 26:52 - Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword.
Mat 26:53 - Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels?
Mat 26:54 - But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?”
Mat 26:55 - At that hour Jesus said to the crowds, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me? Day after day I sat in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me.
Mat 26:56 - But all this has taken place that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples left him and fled.
One of Jesus Apostles (another gospel reveals it was Peter) took out his sword and started swinging.
Jesus had told them the hour was upon them and he probably thought the day of battle had finally come.
In his zeal, his sword lopped off the ear of the servant of the high priest (probably would have been his head if Peter had been a soldier instead of a fisherman.
But in a move that probably surprised Peter and likely Jesus’ captors, Jesus told him to put his sword away.
We aren’t told in Matthew’s text but Jesus actually healed the man’s ear.
He then makes it abundantly clear that the last thing He needs is Peter’s little sword.
If He wanted, He could have replaced His 12 followers with 12 legions of angels and wiped Palestine clean.
He tells them His refusal to go to war is according to the will of God and the statements of their prophets.
In order for prophecy to be fulfilled, He must permit the injustice He is about to endure.
Jesus permitted His arrest.
Joh 10:17-18 - For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”
This was hugely important for Apostles to recognize but also modern readers.
Human beings can only accomplish what God permits.
Although Jesus permitted it, He rebuked those who came to arrest Him.
He had been sitting in the Temple and in Jerusalem without any protection for days.
He is calling out their cowardice.
How ridiculous it was for these men who pretended to be so strong to bring an army under the cover of night to arrest an unarmed man.
In most epic adventure films this is where Jesus (the hero) would whip out His superpowers and takes these fools to school.
That is the hero the world expected.
Those are the heroes we idolize.
But Jesus’ wasn’t that hero.
Jesus is our hero because He didn’t call the 12 legions.
He didn’t call the punishing power of God’s wrath down from Heaven.
He didn’t execute judgement on those who disrespected and undervalued Him.
Jesus is our hero because we are the mob.
And He sacrificed Himself to the mob so their doorposts could be covered with His blood when the angels finally come.
2Th 1:7b-8 - when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
This verse appears in one of Paul’s letters in a discussion of the end of time.
See also Matthew 25:31-32.
Killing Jesus was an essential part of fulfilling the Law the Jews claimed to be defending, Jesus tells them as much.
They were playing directly into the hands of God, completing His mission for Him, although they were clueless to their role.
They were filling up the cup of their sinful fathers and reiterating their desperate need for a savior who could save them from themselves.
At the end of verse 56, we see Jesus’ previous statement become reality when “all the disciples left him and fled.”
Mat 26:57 - Then those who had seized Jesus led him to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders had gathered.
Mat 26:58 - And Peter was following him at a distance, as far as the courtyard of the high priest, and going inside he sat with the guards to see the end.
Jesus was led to Caiaphas, the high priest, who we were introduced to at the beginning of the chapter.
Although Peter fled, he didn’t go very far.
He stayed within eye sight of Jesus.
You can imagine how confused he must have been.
He had been preparing to defend the Kingdom of God for years, but when the hour of his expectation came, Jesus told him he was wasting time.
Mat 26:59 - Now the chief priests and the whole council were seeking false testimony against Jesus that they might put him to death,
Mat 26:60 - but they found none, though many false witnesses came forward. At last two came forward
Mat 26:61 - and said, “This man said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to rebuild it in three days.’”
The Jewish elite didn’t clearly didn’t spend a whole lot of time trying to make this trial appear legitimate.
The whole scene was fueled by their personal envy and their injured pride.
Rather than make the reforms necessary to be in a right relationship with God, they would kill their conscience (Jesus) and continue living the way they always had.
APPLICATION:
We should be extremely careful when suppressing our conscience.
God has given us our consciences as a guide.
Although it is often easier to suppress convictions that step on our toes, doing so may be one of the worst decision of our lives.
False witnesses were called to try to drum some sham charges against Jesus but not even the false witnesses could agree with each other.
Finally, two false witnesses came forward charging Jesus with blasphemy and threatening the Temple.
They used Jesus statement recorded in John 2:19 as evidence.
Joh 2:19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”
John tells us Jesus was speaking about the “temple of His body,” but this was proof enough for Jewish officials.
Mat 26:62 - And the high priest stood up and said, “Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you?”
Mat 26:63 - But Jesus remained silent. And the high priest said to him, “I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.”
Mat 26:64 - Jesus said to him, “You have said so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
Mat 26:65 - Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “He has uttered blasphemy. What further witnesses do we need? You have now heard his blasphemy.
Mat 26:66 - What is your judgment?” They answered, “He deserves death.”
Mat 26:67 - Then they spit in his face and struck him. And some slapped him,
Mat 26:68 - saying, “Prophesy to us, you Christ! Who is it that struck you?”
Jesus didn’t bother responding to the accusation.
He knew they weren’t interested in the deeper meaning of statement and its future fulfillment in His resurrection.
Rather than casting pearls to the pigs, He remained silent.
SIDE NOTE:
In the Old Testament, the high priests job was to offer sacrifices on behalf of the people before God.
Isn’t it interesting and ironic that God uses the corrupt high priest of Jesus’ day to offer the Lamb as a sacrifice for the sins of all people.
The more you study the crucifixion and the events surrounding it the more your realize it is its own apologetic.
Caiaphas wasn’t content with Jesus’ silence and demands He answer his questions
“I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the son of God.”
Adjure - urge or request (someone) solemnly or earnestly to do something.
If there is any blasphemy in this text it is found in the godless high priest evoking the name of God to undermine God.
Jesus response is fitting to Caiaphas’ question.
Caiaphas wanted an answer and called God as his witness.
So Jesus quoted God’s words back to Him.
Although not a direct quote (at least in our English Bibles), Jesus words parallel the words of Daniel 7:13 when the Son of Man came to the Ancient of Days.
Jesus was using the Old Testament scriptures to affirm Caiaphas’ question.
He was the Christ, the Son of God!
The answer Jesus gave was the truth but Jesus also knew it was the answer Caiaphas wanted.
Caiaphas put on a big show of religious offense and tore his garments as if he was distraught over the disrespect God had received from these words.
“What further witness do we need?” he exclaimed.
And then asking his fellow Jewish religious leaders for their opinion on the sentence, they determined He had to die.
I hope you can see the ridiculousness of this scene.
The high priest just condemned Jesus for quoting scripture.
APPLICATION:
I think there is an important lesson here.
Notice, there wasn’t any evaluation of Jesus’ use of scripture.
They didn’t take the time to evaluate if His life fit the claim.
They were just outraged by it because it didn’t fit their view.
They were offended because they didn’t like it.
LESSON TO BE LEARNED: Outrage and offense are not truth.
Just because something offends you doesn’t make it right/wrong.
Just because something outrages you doesn’t make it right/wrong.
Following Caiaphas’ outburst, physical abuse is added to the legal abuse Jesus is already enduring.
They hit him and taunted Him by asking Him to guess which one of them had done it.
One day, on Judgement Day, Jesus will look a man in the eye and say, “It was you!”
The beautiful thing about Jesus was He practiced what He preached.
Mat 5:39 - But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.
That man was given a chance to be forgiven and live with Jesus forever.
Because the 12 legions never came.
Jesus is pretty great, yeah?
Mat 26:69 - Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came up to him and said, “You also were with Jesus the Galilean.”
Mat 26:70 - But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you mean.”
Peter’s denial of Christ is one of the saddest stories in the Bible but it is a story that eventually has a happy ending.
As mentioned earlier, the confused Peter has been hovering around the area of Jesus’ trial.
He is recognized by a servant girl who asks if he had been with Jesus in Galilee.
Peter, probably afraid he will be turned over to the Jews if he answers in the affirmative, denies his relationship with Jesus.
Mat 26:71 - And when he went out to the entrance, another servant girl saw him, and she said to the bystanders, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.”
Mat 26:72 - And again he denied it with an oath: “I do not know the man.”
When leaving the courtyard, another servant girl recognized him and was telling some of the bystanders who he was.
But again, Peter denied that he knew Jesus, this time with an oath.
Mat 26:73 - After a little while the bystanders came up and said to Peter, “Certainly you too are one of them, for your accent betrays you.”
Mat 26:74 - Then he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, “I do not know the man.” And immediately the rooster crowed.
Mat 26:75 - And Peter remembered the saying of Jesus, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.
A little while later, the bystanders approached Peter with the same question.
They had recognized his accent which must have been a give-away he was a Galilean.
Now more scared than ever, Peter denied a third time with swearing and curses.
The rooster crowd as soon as the words escaped his lips and Peter realized what he had done.
He told the Lord he would never deny Him and he had just done it three times.
Mat 26:33-34 - Peter answered him, “Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away.” Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.”
Mat 10:28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
Mat 10:32-33 - So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.
