Here in Matthew 26 we find the stage being set for the final
days of our Lord and Savior. In the first two verses we find Jesus with His
disciples and He is reminding them of what He has said to them before about the
suffering He will go through and His crucifixion.
1-2) I imagine it was
very difficult for the disciples to perceive of Christ's coming torture and
crucifixion because of the many wonderful things He had done and because their
idea of a Messiah, a King did not allow room for suffering and death by
crucifixion. It seemed the disciples did not want to think about these things
that Jesus was reminding them about but Jesus assures them it is going to
happen.
3-5) Jesus is being plotted against by religious leaders no less
and these leaders wanted to be sure that Jesus was not killed during Passover
but we know from Scripture He was killed on the very day they did not want to
kill Him. This was because Jesus was in control not them. Passover was a feast
where all males were to attend and so Jerusalem would be busier than it ever was
during this time. And in the midst of this celebration great religious leaders
gathered behind closed doors to plot the capture and murder of Jesus. They knew
it had to be done in secret because the city would be filled with followers of
Christ and a riot would probably take place if the truth of what they were doing
got out.
6-13) Matthew in this next passage takes us back to an event
occurring a week prior at Bethany in the house of the leper Simon who was healed
by Christ. While at the house Mary, the sister of Lazarus and Martha, realizes
the truth of what Jesus has been saying and understands His soon coming fate.
She begins to prepare Jesus for what is to come by anointing His head and feet
with oil. The disciples find it wrong of her to do this because the oil she
uses is very expensive and could have been used for other purposes or even sold
to feed the hungry but Jesus defends her actions saying she is preparing Him for
burial. Jesus says they will always have opportunity to take care of the poor
but not always to take care of Him.
14-16) These next verses talk of how
Judas went to betray his Master. What was his motive in doing this, we really
do not know for sure. Some think it was because Judas had his heart set on
becoming the chief treasurer of Christ's kingdom on earth and now realizing that
if Christ died what kingdom would there be while others think he simply wanted
Jesus to come forth and tell all that He was the Messiah thus beginning His
reign on earth as King. The only real sign of motive was the money and even the
money was not that great of an amount of money which leaves one to believe their
must have been another motive. Judas goes to the leaders to let them know he
will hand Jesus over if they pay him. And so Judas watches and waits for the
right time to turn Him over to the Romans.
17-20) The disciples ask Jesus
where He wishes to eat the Passover and Jesus instructs them to go into the city
to a certain man's house and inform him that Jesus wishes to eat the Passover
meal there. The disciples do as Jesus asks and they come to the city and begin
the Passover feast. Jesus will eat the Passover and be killed on the same day.
Passover as we know celebrates the passing over of the angel of death during
plague in Egypt. Jesus was crucified on the 14th of Nisan, resurrected 3 days later on the
17th of Nisan.
21-25) Many look at this passage
thinking that Judas was the only one that dipped his hand with Jesus but all the
disciples dipped their hand with Jesus so what Jesus was saying here is the one
that will betray Him is a friend! And what do all the disciples do they ask if
they are the one and even Judas says, “Rabbi, is it I?” Even while fully
knowing in his heart that he is the one. And when Jesus replies to Judas it is
not to condemn him but I believe it is to give Judas opportunity to repent for
what he has done. Even though it cannot be reversed Jesus wanted to give Judas
the change to repent and to let Judas know that after what he had done He still
loved him! Even though it was prophesied that Jesus would go to death in this
way Judas still sinned and needed to repent. And with this Jesus begins the
meal. Judas at some point leaves, but we are not sure as to when.
26-30)
Here we find that Jesus brings about a new meaning to the bread and wine
commonly used during Passover. Jesus brings to them redemption and fellowship.
Many interpretations exist as to the wine and bread actually becoming the body
and blood of Christ or as mere symbols to represent Christ's blood and body.
During Passover it represented the Passover lamb, but in this instance Jesus is
saying this is “My” body and “My” blood. To a believer it is not possible to
view this as simply mere symbols it is more personal than that. It is a
representation, a memorial, which is full of power!
31-35) Much is
happening on this night, just as much had already happened on the few short days
leading up to this night. I think for many of the disciples it was quitting
time. What could we believe? How could this Jesus be the Messiah, the King, if
He were going to die and leave us without a kingdom? What had we been traveling
with this man for for so long? To think about giving up on Jesus at this point
was probably pretty easy to think about but each one of them says they will not
deny Him no matter what happens. Peter says even to the death he will stay with
Him. But Jesus tells them differently. He even says to Peter that before the
cock crows he will deny Him three times. How confusing all of this must be to
them having Him say He was going to die and then be raised up to
life.
36-39) As the minutes and hours go on Jesus is becoming more aware
of what is to happen. He lives in a human body capable of feeling pain and
emotion so one can only imagine the thoughts going through His mind as the hour
of this great physical torture draws near. Think on how this must be to Jesus
one who knew no sin now facing separation from His Father and becoming sin for
us so we can have fellowship with the Father. I think every one of us would
have prayed that prayer Jesus prayed and probably with great fervor also. Jesus
knew even while praying that He was going to suffer and die and He knew it was
the only way for man to receive salvation. So off He went with three of the
disciples to pray and He brought them along to keep watch.
40-46) And now
we see another example of the great love of Christ. Imagine that you took three
of your trusted followers with you expecting them to keep watch for you while
you went off to pray alone and you came back three times to find them sleeping
each time how would that make you feel? I think for most of us it would
irritate us extremely. What did Jesus do though He let them sleep and then
when He was done praying and saw the betrayers coming for Him He woke them and
said let us go meet my captors. Can we speculate for a moment here that if
Peter and the other two would have been praying and watching maybe their spirits
would have been stronger later that night when they denied Christ and went from
Him the other way so as to not be captured as one of His
followers?
47-56) What happens next is so saddening yet shows again the
great love of Christ. Judas approaches and tells the soldiers the one I kiss is
Him and comes up to Jesus as a friend and kisses Him. Jesus says to them come
and do what you planned. Judas is a portrayal of evil and Jesus the everlasting
portrayal of love. As the soldiers come forth Peter (John 18:10) draws his
sword to defend his Master but Jesus stops him and says if I wanted to resist I
would call on my Father and He would send down twelve legions of angels. To
anyone else it would seem that Jesus had lost but He was still in control.
Jesus was still calling the shots. A prophecy had been made and it was going to
be fulfilled just as God had planned.
57-61) How evil this all was and
how wrong the leaders must have known they were to take Jesus in the middle of
the night. According to Jewish law, all criminal trials must begin and end in
the daylight yet they were trying Jesus at night plus criminal cases were not
even to be tried during Passover. Also according to Jewish law guilty verdicts
had to wait 24 hours to give people time to reconsider and decisions could only
be made in the official meeting place this meeting was taking place at Caiaphas’
home. Jewish law also provided for witnesses to be available that had not had
previous contact so to have collaborating stories, and evidence of innocence was
to be given before evidence of guilt. None of this happened with the capture of
Christ and the trial that followed. This shows how wrong they were in what they
were doing and also probably how scared they were. Peter followed Him and
stayed outside watching and listening. Finally one came forward saying how
Jesus said He would destroy the temple and reconstruct it in three days. They
were looking for something to convict Him on.
62-64) After the one came
forth the high priest came forth and said Jesus, ‘what do you have to say, are
you not going to answer’ and Jesus remained silent. The high priest continues
to ask Him questions as to whether it is true that He is the Messiah, the Son of
God and Jesus simply says that He is and then tells them that even though they
now judge Him one day He will sit in judgment of them. This statement greatly
offends the Sanhedrin.
65-68) After hearing this statement they became
very angry and brutally began attacking Christ. The high priest shouted out
that it was blasphemy and another said He was worthy of death and what did
Christ do? He endured what was before Him. No greater love has ever been shown
then the love God showed in giving His Son and then in what Jesus showed in
giving Himself.
69-75) Outside in the crowd Peter is still waiting to see
the fate of his Master when a girl comes to him saying, “you were here with
Jesus you are one of them that follow him.” Peter fearing for his life denies
it and two more times denies it and then the rooster crows and Peter remembers
the words of Jesus and he goes out from the crowd and weeps bitterly.
