MATTHEW 26 Each of the four Gospels have some written differences in the accounts of events that took place during the time of the crucifixion and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. These differences are not contradictory but are in keeping with what the individual writers were conveying as to what they saw and heard. They were each guided by the Holy Spirit to present, and sometimes emphasize, the whole tenor of the book. Matthew being the book that presents our Lord as the King of the Jews, presents things differently than Luke who emphasizes Jesus as the perfect Son of Man, or John who presents Jesus as the Son of God.
All believers are deeply moved when we read of the passion and resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. With dignity and clear facts, those whom the Spirit of God used to write of this time of supreme importance in all of history, put into words without undue emotion, the rejection and sufferings of Christ. Our Lord Jesus was faced in those two days before the Passover, with the rejection of the leaders of Israel. The religious leaders – the priests; those who interpreted the law – the scribes, and the Sanhedrin – a council of 70 men who applied and enforced the law and religion; were determined to have Jesus Christ killed. He was a threat to their positions of authority and if the people really believed He was the Messiah, their role as leaders was finished.
By contrast, during that time He was again anointed with costly fragrant oil by a woman who loved Him as her Savior. This woman poured the spikenard on His head as a “good work” for her Lord, and He in turn would make that act of appreciation and love, to be a memorial of His Gospel. The reality of true love for Christ by a redeemed person wherever the Gospel is preached, can be easily understood by any person who has been saved by grace.
Perhaps the most deceptive and satanically inspired act we know of, was when self-serving Judas, betrayed the Lord for thirty pieces of silver. Through it all, Jesus was always in charge of events and the outcome of them. He knew where He and the disciples would eat the Passover and who would betray Him. He explained the reason for and the meaning of His death, and He predicted the denial of Peter before it happened. When events began to unfold: prayer in the garden of Gethsemane, affirmation of Jesus’ commitment to the Father’s will, and His composure when Judas and the multitude came; He was displayed openly as the One who was in the place of authority in every place. The fleeing disciples and the fact that He would be taken alone, He had plainly stated.
The illegal gathering and trial by Jewish authorities, and Pilate’s lack of courage, were contrasted by the dignity and courageous conduct and confession of the Lord Jesus Christ in the face of death. Even the meekness and lowliness of Christ in the face of all the opposition against Him stands in contrast to Peter’s denial before three simple accusations.
The Plot, v.1-5 After the Olivet Discourse in which the Lord Jesus gave an account of future events, He then told them of immediate events that would take place in two days. The Passover supper and the feast of unleavened bread the week following it are still referred to by the Jews as “The Passover.” Previous predictions of His death and resurrection were given in chapters sixteen, seventeen, and twenty. In this passage, He states that the crucifixion and resurrection will take place at this Passover.
Those who plotted to kill Him, recognized the impact the Lord Jesus’ coming into Jerusalem had on all the people who had gathered in the city for the annual Passover and feast of Unleavened Bread. They were afraid of what would happen if they took Him during the feast time. However, right at the beginning of this chapter, it is made plain that the Lord was in control of events; not the leaders of the people. He had fixed the time of His death to be the time of the “True Passover.” “Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us. Therefore, let us keep the feast… of sincerity and truth.”
Caiaphas was a Sadducee who had been appointed by the Roman government. The Roman authorities had taken over the process of appointing political and religious leaders because those two areas of society were closely tied then, as in present-day leadership in places like Iran. The Levitical priesthood was not in the place of religious authority in Israel at that time. Caiaphas had cooperated with the Romans and was not concerned with what was of God, or what was scriptural. He recommended that Jesus die in order to save the nation from Roman reprisal that would come from the people following Jesus as the Messiah.
Believers in the Lord Jesus Christ owe our allegiance to a much higher authority than local, state, and national governments. We are to be subject to them as those who have been appointed by God to be ministers of righteousness. Their role is to maintain social order among the people and to keep people from the chaos caused by everyone doing what is right in their own eyes. We are not obligated to obey those who are in authority and who openly and defiantly oppose God and His word. There have been millions of Christians who have had to pay the high cost of faith in Christ in nations in which anti-Christ people are in authority.
The Anointing, v.6-13 Not all accounts in the various Gospels follow the same chronological order of events. The purpose of the scripture is to give the message of our Lord, rather than a history of events in the order in which they happened. The contrast between the plot of the religious leaders who wanted to wait until after the feast, and the plans of God, are given at the beginning of this chapter. Then comes the contrast between the woman who anointed the head of Jesus with costly ointment, and the covetous spirit of Judas Iscariot who betrayed the Lord.
Simon was likely one who Jesus had healed of leprosy, but he had been, and was still known as “Simon the leper.” The event recorded here and in Mark’s Gospel has enough differences, both in time and actions; that it appears to have been a different event, then the one recorded in John twelve which took place several days earlier. In John’s account, the meal was apparently at the home of Martha, Mary and Lazarus. Mary anointed the feet of the Lord in view of His burial, and many observers were there to see both Jesus and Lazarus who Jesus raised from the dead. The triumphal entry into Jerusalem took place the day after that event.
In this account, all of the disciples; not just Judas Iscariot, grumbled with indignation. Perhaps they were thinking that Mary had done this before and that was enough. They said the same words Judas had said previously. Worship of the Lord is never out of date and it is never too often. Mary’s spiritual comprehension of the truth of the Lord’s death, burial and resurrection, brought tremendous praise from the Lord Jesus Christ. True worshippers can understand the value of what our Lord has done, is doing and will yet do for His people. Other women who had not understood what Mary did; came later with what they had prepared to anoint His body with after His death, and found they were too late. He had already risen from among the dead by the time they got there.
This woman’s understanding and perception of spiritual things didn’t come by accident. She had listened when He spoke. She had been at Jesus’s feet before and knew what was going to come to pass. The message of the Gospel is the truth of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. This woman of understanding and faith, recognized her actions had to be taken ahead of time. This was her opportunity to testify to her faith by actions, not mere words. It seemed like she alone was the one who listened without questioning what Jesus said. She had listened, learned, believed and accepted without complicating things, what the Lord had said, and she took His words at face value. True belief in our Lord Jesus Christ, goes beyond what is ordinary and what we know and have experienced ourselves in our lives. Faith goes beyond normality to spirituality where the vistas of things eternal are able to become real to us before they even happen.
Judas’ Betrayal, v.14-19 The enormity of Judas’ sin is testified to in the words, “one of the twelve.” Jesus was betrayed by one who had been close to Him for over three years. It was probably in Judas’ mind that Jesus would overthrow Roman rule, and the disciples would be given important positions in the government of the Messiah who would rule as King. Because the Lord had let him carry the bag with the money they used, he may have considered he would be the treasurer in the kingdom. He was a man who loved money and was wanting both money and status.
A desire for money and status can bring down any of us if we allow it to continue and control our thinking. It won’t be long until what is in comes out, and we will realize; “As a man thinketh, so is he.” To look at the things of the kingdom of God through eyes that look at life in a world- view; will lead a person away from God if they are a Christian. Evil is the result of the love of money. For unbelievers, many millions will be lost eternally because they wanted money more than God’s salvation.
When the Lord honored and praised the woman who had anointed His head with costly oil, and the Lord again said she did it for His burial; Judas must have finally understood the kingdom of heaven is not a political kingdom but a spiritual one and he was spiritually dead. Just because a person is involved in religious activity, seems to be spiritually motivated, and is engaged in spiritual work, doesn’t mean it is true. Many Christians’ children assure their parents they know they are saved, even when there is no evidence of salvation in their lives. “By their fruits, ye shall know them.” Those are serious words to consider lest we give lost souls false hope.
Here in Matthew’s account, is the only place in the four Gospels the exact amount of money; thirty pieces of silver, the price of a slave, is recorded. Again, we can see the Lord Jesus Christ was in control of events as Judas opened the way for the Jewish leaders to go forward with their evil intent on God’s timetable, rather than at a later time as they had intended. It was with the help of the betrayer that Jesus was taken at night in the garden of Gethsemane without there being a riot of the people.
Both bad and good events in personal life, in the world and in the governments, are under God’s sovereign authority. We may never understand why wicked leaders are allowed to control nations, or why deceptive leaders can control religions – or even assemblies. We may never know why evil people are allowed to do what they do without being stopped by divine intervention, but as people of faith in Christ, we accept what God allows in others, as well as in our lives. Our responsibility is to get on with what we are called to do, and to act in faith on those things that He has given us in order to do His will. The will of God for us individually is what should motivate us and control our thoughts and our actions.
The Last Passover Supper, v.20-25 In this account of the last Passover supper, the Lord had arranged that this supper which the apostle John called a meal; was initiated by the disciples coming to Him regarding making the preparations. They likely didn’t know the Lord had already arranged for things to happen in the way He intended, but He allowed them to go and do it. God has His own timetable of events, and that meant that at the exact time on Friday afternoon when the Passover meal was normally eaten, Jesus died on the cross by dismissing His own spirit.
Judas was at this meal which was the Passover, not the Lord’s Supper. Only true believers are to eat of the Lord’s Supper after examining themselves before the Lord. This particular meal was for the disciples. The Lord Jesus for His own reasons, did not want the disciples to know at that time the exact moment of His death. This last supper was a common meal eaten from a common bowl into which each person was able to dip bread. The announcement that one of them would betray Him, would have been a shock to them. They must have realized their own weakness as one after another around that table asked, “Is it I?” or “It is not I, is it?” Even Judas said the same thing and the Lord told him personally He knew what Judas had done. It is not likely the others heard that exchange, but the Spirit of God made it known later so that we have it in words. It was from that meal that Judas arose and went out to do his dastardly deed.
Wise people have learned their own limitations and will not say they are immune to, or impervious of what they may do in unguarded moments or times of weakness. We can be encouraged when we learn from the Lord’s answer to Paul; “My strength is made perfect in weakness.” How grateful we should be for the grace of God that is available to us when we ask for it at the throne of grace. God gives grace to the humble, and He directs believers to “minister grace” to one another when there are needs that are known.
The Lord’s Supper, v.26-35
After the “Passover meal” was ended, the Lord Jesus instituted the ordinance of the Lord’s Supper for the church in this age of grace. Judas was not there because Satan had energized him to leave in pursuit of his betrayal. Those left at the table with the Lord were all true believers in Christ with “Jesus in the midst of them.” The bread and the cup had previously been to commemorate the deliverance of the children of Israel from Egypt. From this time on there is a new feast of remembrance. The Lord Jesus Christ instituted for us the Lord’s Supper, to remember Him and to make a public proclamation of His death until He returns. In this testimony of the new covenant, it identifies the true Passover which is our Lord Jesus Christ, and the sacrifice He made to deliver us from our sins.
By choosing bread and the fruit of the vine in the cup; our Lord Jesus gave to us the real meaning and value of the sacrifice He made on our behalf. He was the “corn of wheat” that fell into the ground and died, from which death has come forth “much fruit.” From one seed has come all that now composes the body of Christ. It has all been ground, baked and formed into bread that reminds us, “Jesus died for me.” When He died as our substitute, we died in Him. We are now made alive in Him and are one body in the Lord. The unity in the bread of many “corns of wheat,” indicate the unity in the body of Christ of which we are each one a part. We are members of that one body of which He is the Head. We are “body of Christ,” and members of that body as individuals. The unity in that loaf of which we partake at the Lord’s Supper, is a symbol of His body.
The cup testifies to a whole different truth. All our blessings come from our Lord Jesus Christ alone. When each believer takes from that cup, that is the symbol of the eternal life of Christ that has been given to us as the gift of God. The “new covenant” of His blood, assures us that death for our sin has taken place, and divine justice is satisfied with the price paid. “The wages of sin is death,” and that has been paid. “The gift of God is eternal life,” and that has been offered to whosoever will take the gift. All of our blessings come from Him alone. We earn none ourselves nor can anyone else give us what we need. He has given us new life, provided for at the cost of giving His own life for us at the cross. His blood cleanses us from all sin. Without that death for sin on our behalf, we would never have eternal life. The price of His “precious blood” that has redeemed us, goes far beyond what we can ever comprehend.
All over the world, the Lord’s people remember Him weekly by partaking of those two emblems that testify publicly to the sacrifice Christ made when He “bore our sins in His own body on the tree.” He gave His own life to redeem us and fully pay, to God’s righteous and eternal satisfaction; the cost of our sins with His own life. There is nothing we can do that can add to that, and nothing can be taken away from it. The full effect of that will be seen when our Lord comes again and His kingdom is established. Then, again He will host His disciples at His own table.
The quiet reflection of the sufferings and death of Christ at the Lord’s Supper, gives evidence of the unspeakable worth of what He has done for us. We seek to put into words, hymns and thoughts what we have in our hearts when we meet at the Lord’s Supper, but our worship cannot put the true value on what He has done for us. Faith in Him and His death for us, has made those who trust in Him acceptable in the sight of the Holy God. The shadow of the old Passover is gone because the “Lamb of God” bore away the sin of the world. Forgiven people love to remember Him at the Lord’s Supper. The closing hymn they sang as they left that room was likely from the Psalms. Four Psalms: 115-118, were sung traditionally at the Passover as the Jews would come to Jerusalem at the time of the Passover feast. Probably the “Upper Room” ministry took place between the Lord’s Supper and the final hymn. We try to follow this pattern in scripturally gathered assemblies of God’s people today.
The conclusion to that supper indicates the disciples didn’t really know what it all meant. On the way to Gethsemane, the Lord Jesus warned them of what was coming that night, but even that didn’t sink in until it happened a short time later. Peter seemed to think he was stronger in faith and loyalty than the other disciples, but the Lord warned him about his own frail humanity. The other disciples also affirmed their loyalty and commitment, but a few hours later they were all scattered.
We need to be careful as to what we say, because “There is many a slip, between the cup and the lip.” It is quite easy to say we are strong in faith, but when testing times come is when what we really are, is made known. We are not deliberately deceptive when we testify to our allegiance to the Lord, but we don’t really know our weaknesses until the “crunch comes.”
Gethsemane, v.36-46 Gethsemane means “olive press,” and that was the name of the olive orchard where Jesus and the eleven disciples went to pray. Eight disciples were directed by the Lord to sit in one place to pray together. Then the Lord took Peter, James and John to a different location to pray together, and He went farther away to pray alone. There are times in our lives when fellowship in prayer with as many of the Lord’s people as possible is both a comfort to each one, and is a unifying action centered around one purpose. By joining together in a prayer meeting, our personal faith is strengthened by hearing the prayers of others, and we become stronger as a group of believers as we get a larger view of a matter when we hear different audible prayers from the perspective of different people.
Praying about more personal matters that are known to be of great importance to a person, is why only those who are personally involved, or we know in a more intimate way, pray in a small group. There may be some issues that need to be kept in a close group of people that still need the power of fellowship in prayer. There are also some things that are only known between me and my heavenly Father in heaven. He knows about every matter, so I do not pray to inform Him, but to unburden my own soul to One who I know can do something about the matter. God is sovereign, and our prayer/fellowship with Him unites us to His purposes with faith and assurance, in a way that is appropriate. It is then we can sense that we have done what we could do, and can rest confidently in His will bringing the right result. I am then more contented when my anxieties about a matter have been expressed to Him and left in the place with the only Person who can do something about it.
Likely after the three or four disciples had prayed in the first group, and the others waited for their turn to pray; that the events of the day, the lateness of the hour and the intensity of what the Lord taught them in the upper room and His own prayer for them caused them to be overcome with tiredness. The three who prayed together in a different place may have contrasted the darkness of the night in the garden, with the brightness they had seen on the mountain, and by the time they prayed, they were emotionally drained, and went quiet for a short time. Sleep then caught up with them.
With total omniscience still intact even though the Lord was found in fashion as a man, the Lord Jesus began to experience the suffering of holy perfection being made “sin for us.” He was not dispassionate, and His soul was already suffering the excruciating sorrow of the sin-bearer. He did not sin in His soul, but the “pains of hell” got hold of Him. Sorrow for sin and the awareness of its consequences brought Him right to the edge of death.
The connection of divine Persons in holy fellowship is beyond our ability to comprehend, because the Three are as one. Yet in the roles they designated; each Holy Person experienced uniqueness. A Father who had to see His Son suffer, would be moved in His unique and infinite personhood. A Son calling out to His Father in pain and anguish of a holy soul, would experience grief beyond the reach of any human experience. Some things we are not permitted to know.
There is holy ground over which we should never try to walk. That distance between the eight disciples and the shorter distance between Peter, James and John, and the Lord; is an area we cannot cross. The same is true in those dark hours when Jesus “suffered to bring us to God.” From human limitations, divine infinity cannot really be conceived. We can look from the distance that is allowed us in God’s word, and see with amazement the Creator on His face on the ground He made, and praying with strong crying and tears. We see with fearfulness, blood- like sweat falling onto the ground from the body that was “prepared” for Him in order to take our place as the innocent Sacrifice for us. We can hear a little bit in our mind’s eye; words from the heart of the Lord Jesus Christ in some of the Psalms. We can sense the loneliness and sense of abandonment, as He was distanced from those men, He had been with for over three years.
The Kiss of Betrayal and Arrest, v.47-56 Then we have to step away from the place of a distant on-looker, and come to the reality of a betrayer’s kiss; the bold actions of an angry friend swinging a sword. A healing miracle; a step forward with open hands to be bound; words that were spoken to men from the same Person who could call more than 72,000 mighty angels to deliver Him. All of this was subservient to the “determinant counsel and foreknowledge of God.” The scriptures of truth had to be fulfilled! In that fulfillment; there has been light, life, salvation and eternal blessing that has come to us and will remain ours forever.
And then, the disciples fled! He was left alone on His own to do for us what no one else could ever do! Save us!
Jesus before Caiaphas, v.57-68 The first place they took Jesus was to the ex-high priest, Annas who had been replaced by the Romans, with his son-in-law, Caiaphas. John was known to Annas so he went in to where Jesus was brought before Annas, but Peter was left outside the door. It was there that he first denied knowing the Lord Jesus when a servant girl identified him as a disciple of Jesus.
Annas sent Jesus bound to Caiaphas where by this time the Sanhedrin had been hastily gathered for an illegal council meeting. The whole plan of the council had been taken over by a sovereign act of God. Scripture had to be fulfilled, not the will of men. The true Passover was being prepared after being observed for three and a half years, not just three and a half days like the Passover lamb. The Lamb of God was found to be perfect in body, soul and spirit. In their haste, the Sanhedrin met at the house of Caiaphas rather than waiting to meet in the temple in the morning. The special Sabbath was coming shortly and they wanted their nefarious deed done before that day.
They knew the charges against the Lord were all trumped up, but in order to have the semblance of legality, they called two so-called witnesses to misquote and misapply the words of Jesus who had referred to His body as a temple. Caiaphas tried to force Jesus into some unguarded statement, but Jesus never answered deceptive statements. Those questions and comments that had no bearing on the truth or were insincere, He did not answer; even to the high priest. Dignified silence is hard to deal with by those who rely on deception.
Caiaphas put Jesus under oath and identified openly and verbally the real charges they had against Him, and Jesus answered that real question plainly. He declared publicly and without any equivocation who He was; the Son of Man, the Messiah, divine royalty. He openly said His authority was far greater than that of Caiaphas because He had, and would exercise divine authority from God’s right hand. He would be coming again on the clouds to judge the world. Then the position of the judges would be reversed.
The Lord Jesus knew this declaration, though true, would be the point of them condemning His to die. With calmness, courage, quiet dignity and determination; those few words brought everything to a standstill and a conclusion. The high priest made his judgment with great protestations to even tearing his clothes to demonstrate the seriousness of what he considered was blasphemy. That, to a Jewish tribunal, was a death sentence. Then they went beyond that to the physical abuse of spitting on the Lord; hitting Him and beating Him to vent their animosity to His righteousness that exposed their own deception. They resorted to mockery to try to make Him suffer emotionally.
Peter’s Denials, v.69-72 When a person is alone in adverse circumstances, they are very vulnerable to pressures from those who oppose them. It doesn’t take long to remember the value of the proverb that says. “Two are better than one.” The checks and balances of accountability are a powerful reminder as to how important fellowship is in the lives of God’s people. Peter was not able to go into the court of Annas with the other disciple, and so found a place to sit where others who were not followers of the Lord were sitting. “Blessed is the man…” who doesn’t sit in the seat of the scornful.
The first challenge of the servant girl, led Peter to act like he was confused and didn’t know what she was talking about. He tried to divert attention from himself by denying he understood the accusation made against him. He left that place to go farther away where there was a fire to warm himself, but even there he was recognized as having been with Jesus. It was then the rooster crowed for the first time and Peter used an oath to deny He knew Jesus. The third accusation came from more than two servant girls, and apparently Peter sensed some danger in being associated with Jesus. Even his Galilean accent seemed to cause him fear. The curses on himself and the oaths he made were like one would swear in a courtroom, as he again denied knowing Jesus.
People do that today quite often when called into question about a matter. “On my mother’s grave,” or “God strike me dead if I am lying,” or “By my sainted aunt’s memory,” are common curses people use on themselves to try to convince others they are telling the truth. When challenged, oaths are also used such as “God is my witness,” or “I swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.” We are told by our Lord Jesus Christ to let our “Yes, be yes,” and our “No, be no.”
It was just then the rooster crowed the second time and Peter remembered the words the Lord had said to him. Pressures of the moment can easily turn us aside from faithfulness to the Lord if we are not convinced of the authority and power of the word of God in everyday living. Unease comes first. Then comes fear following soon after. Then when pressure to conform becomes more intense, angry and verbal denial follows. Then comes bitterness, anguish and guilt for sin committed. Bitter tears do not make amends for sin. Confession to God and any other person sinned against is the only way to find the relief of forgiveness. Communion and fellowship can be restored when sin is confessed and forsaken.