Matthew 26 Commentary

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Charts from Jensen's Survey of the NT - used by permission
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THE LIFE OF JESUS AS COVERED
BY MATTHEW (shaded area)

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Source: Borrow Ryrie Study Bible

Matthew 26:1 When Jesus had finished all these words, He said to His disciples,

• when: Mt 19:1 

Here is a simple outline of Matthew 26 (William Hendricksen)

• Mt  26:1–5        God’s Counsel versus Man’s Collusion
• Mt  26:6–13      The Anointing at Bethany
• Mt  26:14–16      The Agreement between Judas and the Chief Priests
• Mt  26:17–25      The Passover
• Mt  26:26–30      The Institution of the Lord’s Supper
• Mt  26:31–35      Peter’s Denial Foretold
• Mt  26:36–46      Gethsemane
• Mt  26:47–56      The Betrayal and the Seizure of Jesus
• Mt  26:57–68      The Trial before the Sanhedrin
• Mt  26:69–75      Peter’s Threefold Denial

THE BEGINNING OF THE END
CROSSING THE FINISH LINE OF THE CROSS

J C Ryle introduces this last act of the drama of redemption - WE now approach the closing scene of our Lord Jesus Christ’s earthly ministry. Hitherto we have read of His sayings and doings: we are now about to read of His sufferings and death. Hitherto we nave seen him as the great Prophet: we are now about to see Him as the great High Priest. It is a portion of Scripture which ought to be read with peculiar reverence and attention. The place whereon we stand is holy ground. Here we see how the Seed of the woman bruised the Serpent’s head. Here we see the great sacrifice to which all the sacrifices of the Old Testament had long pointed. Here we see how the blood was shed which “cleanseth from all sin” and the Lamb slain who “taketh away the sin of the world.” We see in the death of Christ, the great mystery revealed, how God can be just, and yet justify the ungodly. 

When (lit - And it happened when) Jesus (Iesous) had finished (teleo) all these words (logos) - What words in context? This refers to the Olivet Discourse which He had given to His disciples in Matthew 24-25. Finished speaks of bringing something to an end so as to accomplish the goal. In the Gospel of Matthew, this brings to an end Jesus' teachings. In the Olivet Discourse Jesus accomplished His goal of giving the world a view of what was coming in the future and the promise that He would return to rule and reign on a renewed globe. What day was it? Probably this was still Wednesday, Nisan 12 (by Jewish reckoning).

The phrase When Jesus had finished marks the termination of the five of discourses in Matthew - Mt 7:28; Mt 11:1; Mt 13:53; Mt 19:1; Mt 23:39.

He said to His disciples (mathetes) - Now it is only the true disciples that have the privilege of hearing the Lord's words. 

Adam Clarke remarks that "Having instructed his disciples and the Jews by his discourses, edified them by his example, convinced them by his miracles, he now prepares to redeem them by his blood!”"

D A Carson - In the narrative line of Matthew, this pericope is a masterpiece of irony. The Judge of the universe, King Messiah, the glorious Son of Man, is about to be judged. After Jesus’ warnings against hypocrisy (23:12–31) and his demand for righteousness that involves the whole person (25:31–46), the plot moves on by stealth and by a morally bankrupt expediency (26:4–5). The Passion begins. (See Matthew) 

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Disciples (3101) mathetes from manthano = to learn which Vine says is "from a root math, indicating thought accompanied by endeavor". Gives us our English = "mathematics" - see matheteuo) describes a person who learns from another by instruction, whether formal or informal. Another sources says mathetes is from from math- which speaks of "mental effort that thinks something through" and thus describes is a learner; a follower who learns the doctrines and the lifestyle of the one they follow. Discipleship includes the idea of one who intentionally learns by inquiry and observation (cf inductive Bible study) and thus mathetes is more than a mere pupil. A mathetes describes an adherent of a teacher. As discussed below mathetes itself has no spiritual connotation, and it is used of superficial followers of Jesus as well as of genuine believers. The Lord calls everyone to grow as a disciple (a learner of Christ; cf. also Mt 11;29,30), one who lives in faith, who lives in and by His Word in the power of the Holy Spirit. Note in the Great Commission that the implication is that the disciple is not just a hearer and a learner from another, but is a doer of what he learns for Mt 28:20 says "teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Swindoll - A mathētēs is one who subjects himself or herself to a process of becoming familiarized with something by experiencing, learning, or receiving direction. This process usually implies the aid of another person, and as the term fully developed, it was inconceivable for one to be a learner without a guide or a master. The term is used to refer to the disciples of rabbis, and those of John the Baptizer, the Pharisees, and Moses (e.g., Mark 2:18; John 9:28). Although we often refer to the twelve apostles as the “twelve disciples,” it is important to recognize that this term often refers to all (ED: HOW MANY?) of Jesus’ followers (Luke 6:13, 17). (Insights on Luke )

There is a teaching (which I consider borders on a false teaching) that not all genuine believers are disciples of Christ. This is taught by a number of evangelicals, some of whom are very prominent. They teach that there are believers and then there is an "elite" group of believers who warrant the designation of "disciples." This is not correct! Every genuine believer is a disciple of Jesus Christ. 

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QUESTION - What happened in the upper room?

ANSWER - The events that occurred in the “upper room,” also known as the “Cenacle,” are described in Matthew 26:1–29, Mark 14:12–25, Luke 22:7–20, and John 13:1–38. During these last hours that Jesus spent with His beloved friends, He ate with them, instituted the New Covenant in His blood, gave them last-minute instructions and encouragement, and prayed His “high priestly prayer” over them. Then He went out to face the sorrow, betrayal, rejection, and death for which He had come into the world.

This poignant last meeting with His disciples, whom He loved, begins with an object lesson from Jesus. The disciples had been arguing about who among them was the greatest (Luke 22:24), displaying a distinctly ungodly perspective. Jesus quietly rose and began to wash their feet, a task normally performed by the lowest, most menial slave. By this simple act, Jesus reminded them that His followers are those who serve one another, not those who expect to be served. He went on to explain that, unless the Lamb of God cleanses a person’s sin, that person will never be clean: “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me” (John 13:8).

During the Last Supper, Jesus also identifies the traitor, Judas, who would betray Him to the authorities and bring about His arrest. It is indicative of the disciples’ weak faith that each of them considered the possibility that he might be the traitor. But Jesus confirmed that it was none other than Judas, whom He instructed to leave and do quickly what he had to do.

After Judas’s departure, Jesus instituted the New Covenant in His blood, a new command that those who follow Him are to love one another and live by the power of the Holy Spirit. We remember this act each time we observe the Christian ordinance of communion, celebrating Christ’s body broken for us and His blood shed for us. After this, Jesus made His first prediction of Peter’s coming denial (Luke 22:31-38).

The apostle John gives us very little information about the events of the evening in the upper room. He does tell us that Jesus prayed over the disciples in what is called His “high priestly prayer” in John 17 because the following chapter begins by saying that after He had spoken those words, He and the disciples went to the Garden of Gethsemane, where He was betrayed. The prayer of Jesus for the disciples is the culmination of His dealings with them and is a poignant reminder of His deep love and concern for them. Knowing that He would soon be leaving them, He committed them to the care of His Father, asking that they may be one and asking that the Father keep them in Jesus’ name (verse 11). He asks His Father to keep them from the evil one (verse 15) and to sanctify them by the truth, which is His Word (verse 17). He applies this same prayer to believers in all ages, saying, “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word” (verse 20).

Many of the events of the upper room echo down to us today. We live under the New Covenant instituted at that time, we observe the ordinance of the Lord’s Supper in remembrance of that night (1 Corinthians 11:23–26), and we live under the blessing of His prayer for all those who love and follow Him.

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Related Resources:

• What is the Upper Room Discourse?
• What happened during Jesus’ last hours on earth?

SCRIPTURES UNIQUE TO MATTHEW
IN THE PASSION NARRATIVE 

See also Trial & Crucifixion of Jesus-Parallel Passages

1. Jesus reminds the disciples of his impending death (Mt 26:1–2)
2.  The amount of money paid Judas is specified as thirty pieces of silver (Mt 26:15; cf. Exod 21:32; Zech 11:12)
3.  Judas asks Jesus if he is the betrayer (Mt 26:25)
4.  Jesus’ blood is presented as being poured out for the forgiveness of sins (Mt 26:28)
5. The second prayer in Gethsemane is presented as a direct quotation (Mt 26:42)
6. Jesus’ words to Judas after the kiss (Mt 26:50)
7.  Jesus’ comments after the high priest’s servant’s ear is cut off about violence, the availability of angelic help, and scriptural fulfillment (Mt 26:52–54)
8. The high priest’s demand before God that Jesus speak (Mt 26:63)
9. Sarcastic reference to Jesus as Messiah (Mt 26:68)
10. Jesus is described as a Galilean (Mt 26:69)
11. Peter’s second denial includes an oath (Mt 26:72)
12. The purpose of the morning consultation is already decided: execute Jesus (Mt 27:1)
13. Pilate describes Jesus as the one who is called the Messiah (Mt 27:17, 22)
14. Pilate’s wife recounts a dream and calls Jesus innocent (Mt 27:19)
15. Pilate washes his hands and the crowd took responsibility for Jesus’ death (Mt 27:24–25)
16.  The sign at the cross specifies the name of Jesus (Mt 27:37)
17.  Emphasis on Jesus as the Son of God (Mt 27:40, 43)
18. Allusion to Psalm 22:8 (Mt 27:43)
19. Account of the earthquake and opening of the tombs (Mt 27:51–53)
20. Joseph of Arimathea is called a disciple (Mt 27:57)
21. The Jewish religious leaders get Pilate to guard Jesus’ tomb (Mt 27:62–66)
22. Jesus meets the women after the resurrection (Mt 28:9–10)
23. The conspiracy to deny the resurrection (Mt 28:11–15).
24. Jesus has all authority, all nations are to be discipled, trinitarian baptismal formula, disciples are to be taught to obey all that Jesus commanded, promise to be with the disciples until the end of the age (Mt 28:18–20)
    (SOURCE: David Turner  Matthew, Mark - Page 332)

Matthew 26:2 “You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man is to be handed over for crucifixion.”  

• know: Mk 14:1-2 Lu 22:1,2,15 Joh 13:1 
• the Passover: Ex 12:11-14 34:25 Joh 2:13 11:55 12:1 
• is to be handed over for crucifixion: Mt 26:24,25 17:22 20:18,19 27:4 Lu 24:6,7 Joh 13:2 18:2 

Related Passages:

Mark 14:1- 2  Now the Passover and Unleavened Bread were two days away; and the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to seize Him by stealth and kill Him; 2 for they were saying, “Not during the festival, otherwise there might be a riot of the people.” 

Luke 22:1-2  Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which is called the Passover, was approaching. 2 The chief priests and the scribes were seeking how they might put Him to death; for they were afraid of the people. 

John 13:1   Now before the Feast of the Passover, Jesus knowing that His hour had come that He would depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.

John 11:55-57 Now the Passover of the Jews was near, and many went up to Jerusalem out of the country before the Passover to purify themselves. 56 So they were seeking for Jesus, and were saying to one another as they stood in the temple, “What do you think; that He will not come to the feast at all?” 57 Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where He was, he was to report it, so that they might seize Him.

JESUS' FINAL PREDICTION
THAT HIS HOUR HAD COME

You know  (eido - beyond a shadow of a doubt) that after two days the Passover  (pascha) is coming, and the Son of Man is to be handed over (paradidomi - delivered up, turned over) for crucifixion (stauroo) - Jesus made this statement to the 12 (Judas would not depart until the night of Passover) on Wednesday of Passion week. Imagine his thoughts as Jesus gives the prophecy of Judas' betrayal on Friday. It is interesting that here Jesus wants to focus their attention on His death for He does not mention the resurrection. 

The Passover feast was always to be like a giant finger pointing to the Lamb of God and here Jesus is telling His disciples that the time had arrived for the true Passover Lamb to be slain.

Son of Man is a Messianic Title and as such is "Jesus’ favorite self-designation, indicating the true meaning of his identity and ministry: (1) the humble servant who has come to forgive common sinners (cf. Mt. 9:6); (2) the suffering servant whose atoning death and resurrection will redeem his people (Mt 16:13, 27–28); and (3) the glorious King and Judge Who will return to establish God’s kingdom on earth ("Son of Man comes" = Mt 25:31; "Son of Man sitting" = Mt 26:64)." (ESV Study Bible) It is notable that Son of Man was a Hebraism meaning having the characteristics of and thus referring to a human being (Ps. 8:4 = "son of man"). We see this Name in the Messianic prophecy in Daniel 7:13+ “I kept looking in the night visions, And behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, And He came up to the Ancient of Days And was presented before Him."

Handed over (paradidomi - delivered up, turned over) is the futuristic present passive indicative denoting greater certainty or the full relative present “is now being betrayed." "The present tense expresses here something which, though future, is as good as present, because already determined, or because it must ensue in virtue of an unalterable law." (Vincent) In this prophecy Jesus is giving a definite date for the crucifixion which He has been predicting for months according to the divine decree. It is notable that this is the fourth and final time that Jesus predicts His arrest and crucifixion (See the first 3 predictions = Mt 16:21; Mt 17:22–23; Mt 20:17–19 in addition to another allusion  in Mt 17:12). When these predictions were fulfilled clearly His disciples would be sad and even fearful but eventually this truth would embolden, sustain and empower them to preach the Gospel.

Passover was on Friday evening and Sunday was the Feast of First fruits followed immediately by the Feast of Unleavened Bread. The terms can be confusing if you do not realize that Passover and Unleavened Bread were sometimes used interchangeably. And so in Lk 22:1+ we read "Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which is called the Passover, was approaching."

The Feast of Unleavened Bread is seven days long, beginning on the fifteenth of Nisan and continuing through the twenty-first. Unleavened bread is eaten for seven days (Lev. 23:6; Nu 28:17). The Passover is really a separate festival, observed on the fourteenth of Nisan, though the meal was eaten after sundown on the fifteenth of Nisan. "Passover," however, is applied to the entire eight days (cf. Lev. 23:6; Num. 28:17).

Arthur Carr on the Passover (1) The word is interesting in its (a) Hebrew, (b) Greek, and (c) English form. (a) The Hebrew pesach is from a root meaning “to leap over,” and, figuratively, to “save,” “shew mercy.” (b) The Greek pascha represents the Aramaic or later Hebrew form of the same word, but the affinity in sound and letters to the Greek word paschein, “to suffer,” led to a connection in thought between the Passover and the Passion of our Lord: indeed, some of the early Christian writers state the connection as if it were the true etymology. (c) Tyndale has the merit of introducing into English the word “passover,” which keeps up the play on the words in the original Hebrew (Exod. 12:11 and 13). Before Tyndale the word “phase” (for pascha) was transferred from the Vulgate, with an explanation: “For it is phase, that is, the passyng of the Lord” (Wyclif). the feast of the passover commemorated the deliverance of Israel from the Egyptian bondage. The ordinances of the first Passover are narrated Exod. 12:1–14, but some of those were modified in later times. It was no longer necessary to choose the lamb on the 10th of Nisan. The blood was sprinkled on the altar, not on the door-post, those who partook of the paschal meal no longer “stood with loins girded, with shoes on their feet, with staff in hand,” but reclined on couches, as at an ordinary meal; it was no longer unlawful to leave the house before morning (Exod. 12:22). The regular celebration of the Passover was part of the religious revival after the return from Captivity. During the kingly period only three celebrations of the Passover are recorded; in the reigns of Solomon, of Hezekiah and of Josiah. For the relation of the Last Supper to the Passover and for further notes on the paschal observance, see below.

Barton - That Jesus would be betrayed and crucified during Passover was deeply significant with respect to Jewish history. The “Passover” commemorated the night the Israelites were freed from Egypt (Exodus 12)—when God “passed over” homes marked by the blood of a lamb. This was the last great plague on Egypt when, in unmarked homes, the firstborn sons died. After this horrible disaster, Pharaoh allowed the Israelites to leave. Annually, Hebrew families would celebrate the Passover meal, a feast with the main course of lamb. The sacrifice of a lamb and the spilling of its blood commemorated Israel’s escape from Egypt, when the blood of a lamb painted on their doorposts had saved their firstborn sons from death. This event foreshadowed Jesus’ work on the cross. As the spotless Lamb of God, his blood would be spilled in order to save his people from the penalty of death brought by sin. (See Life Application New Testament Commentary - Page 111)

Stuart Weber - Jesus’ mention of the Passover in connection with his death also served as a statement concerning the significance of his death. As was made clear later (the Lord’s Supper, Matt. 26:26–29; cf. 1 Cor. 5:7; Heb. 7–10), Jesus the Messiah is the ultimate Passover sacrifice for the forgiveness of his people’s sins (Matt. 1:21; 20:28). (See Holman New Testament Commentary - Matthew)

Paradidomi is a key verb in Mt 26 (occurs 10x) and is most often translated betray and relates to Jesus' betrayal by Judas. 

This, after all, is the master-truth of Scripture,
that “Christ died for our sins.” To this let us daily return.

J C Ryle The connexion of these words with the preceding chapter is exceedingly striking. Our Lord had just been dwelling on His own second coming in power and glory at the end of the world. He had been describing the last judgment, and all its awful accompaniments. He had been speaking of Himself as the Judge, before whose throne all nations would be gathered. And then at once, without pause or interval, He goes on to speak of His crucifixion. While the marvellous predictions of His final glory were yet ringing in the ears of His disciples, He tells them once and again of His coming sufferings. He reminds them that He must die as a sin-offering before He reigned as a king,—that He must make atonement on the cross, before he took the crown. We can never attach too much importance to the atoning death of Christ. It is the leading fact in the word of God, on which the eyes of our soul ought to be ever fixed. Without the shedding of his blood, there is no remission of sin. It is the cardinal truth on which the whole system of Christianity hinges. Without it the Gospel is an arch without a key-stone, a fair building without a foundation, a solar system without a sun. Let us make much of our Lord’s incarnation and example, His miracles and his parables, His works and His words, but above all let us make much of His death. Let us delight in the hope of his second personal coming and millennial reign, but let us not think more even of these blessed truths, than of the atonement on the cross. This, after all, is the master-truth of Scripture, that “Christ died for our sins.” To this let us daily return. On this let us daily feed our souls. Some, like the Greeks of old, may sneer at the doctrine, and call it “foolishness” But let us never be ashamed to say with Paul, “God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Gal. 6:14.)

NET NOTE - Crucifixion was the cruelest form of punishment practiced by the Romans. Roman citizens could not normally undergo it. It was reserved for the worst crimes, like treason and evasion of due process in a capital case. The Roman historian Cicero called it “a cruel and disgusting penalty” (Against Verres 2.5.63–66 §§163–70); Josephus (J. W. 7.6.4 [7.203]) called it the worst of deaths.

Son of Man - 88x/84v - Matt. 8:20; Matt. 9:6; Matt. 10:23; Matt. 11:19; Matt. 12:8; Matt. 12:32; Matt. 12:40; Matt. 13:37; Matt. 13:41; Matt. 16:13; Matt. 16:27; Matt. 16:28; Matt. 17:9; Matt. 17:12; Matt. 17:22; Matt. 18:11; Matt. 19:28; Matt. 20:18; Matt. 20:28; Matt. 24:27; Matt. 24:30; Matt. 24:37; Matt. 24:39; Matt. 24:44; Matt. 25:13; Matt. 25:31; Matt. 26:2; Matt. 26:24; Matt. 26:45; Matt. 26:64; Mk. 2:10; Mk. 2:28; Mk. 8:31; Mk. 8:38; Mk. 9:9; Mk. 9:12; Mk. 9:31; Mk. 10:33; Mk. 10:45; Mk. 13:26; Mk. 13:34; Mk. 14:21; Mk. 14:41; Mk. 14:62; Lk. 5:24; Lk. 6:5; Lk. 7:34; Lk. 9:22; Lk. 9:26; Lk. 9:44; Lk. 9:56; Lk. 9:58; Lk. 11:30; Lk. 12:8; Lk. 12:10; Lk. 12:40; Lk. 17:22; Lk. 17:24; Lk. 17:26; Lk. 17:30; Lk. 18:8; Lk. 18:31; Lk. 19:10; Lk. 21:27; Lk. 21:36; Lk. 22:22; Lk. 22:48; Lk. 22:69; Lk. 24:7; Jn. 1:51; Jn. 3:13; Jn. 3:14; Jn. 5:27; Jn. 6:27; Jn. 6:53; Jn. 6:62; Jn. 8:28; Jn. 12:23; Jn. 12:34; Jn. 13:31; Acts 7:56; Heb. 2:6; Rev. 1:13; Rev. 14:14

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Handed over (delivered up) (3860) paradidomi from para = alongside, beside, to the side of, over to + didomi = to give) conveys the basic meaning of to give over from one's hand to someone or something, especially to give over to the power of another. Paradidomi can describe the "illegal", treacherous or unjustified handing of someone over to someone as in a betrayal. It is used as a technical term of police and courts: “hand over into the custody of”. It is used of handing over a teaching and in 1 Corinthians 15:3 refers to the transmitting of or passing on of traditional instruction from Paul to the saints at Corinth. Paul is saying that he brought authoritative teaching, not something of his own origination. He did not design it, he only delivered what God had authored.

Summary - 1. hand over, give (over), deliver, give up Mt 10:19; 25:20, 22 ; 26:2, 15, Mk 13:11f; 15:15; Lk 4:6; 21:12; 22:22; Jn 19:11, 30; Acts 3:13; 12:4; 28:17; Ro 1:24, 26, 28; 1 Cor 5:5; 13:3; Eph 4:19. Risk Acts 15:26. the betrayer Mt 26:25, 46, 48; Lk 22:21; Jn 18:2, 5.—2. give over, commend, commit Acts 14:26; 15:40; 1 Pt 2:23.—3. hand down, pass on, transmit, relate, teach oral or written tradition Mk 7:13; Lk 1:2; Ac 6:14; 16:4; 2 Pt 2:21; Jude 3.—4. allow, permit Mk 4:29.

Friberg -  from a basic meaning give over from one's hand to someone or something; (1) of authoritative commitment of something to someone entrust, commit, give or hand over, deliver (Mt 11.27 ; 25.20); (2) of a self-sacrificial love give up, yield up, risk (one's life) (Acts 15.26); (3) as a legal technical term for passing someone along in the judicial process hand over, turn over, deliver up (Mk 15.1); of an unjustified act of handing someone over to judicial authorities betray (Mt 10.4); of God's judicial act of handing someone over to suffer the consequences of his wrongdoing deliver up, hand over, give up (to) (Ro 1.24); of the church's authoritative disciplining deliver over, hand over to the control of (1Co 5.5); (4) as a religious technical term for passing along traditions, decisions, teachings hand down, transmit, pass on (Acts 16.4); (5) permit, allow; of a crop whose ripeness "hands it over" to harvesting (Mk 4.29)  (Borrow Analytical Lexicon page 294)

Paradidomi in Matthew - Matt. 4:12; Matt. 5:25; Matt. 10:4; Matt. 10:17; Matt. 10:19; Matt. 10:21; Matt. 11:27; Matt. 17:22; Matt. 18:34; Matt. 20:18; Matt. 20:19; Matt. 24:9; Matt. 24:10; Matt. 25:14; Matt. 25:20; Matt. 25:22; Matt. 26:2; Matt. 26:15; Matt. 26:16; Matt. 26:21; Matt. 26:23; Matt. 26:24; Matt. 26:25; Matt. 26:45; Matt. 26:46; Matt. 26:48; Matt. 27:2; Matt. 27:3; Matt. 27:4; Matt. 27:18; Matt. 27:26

Crucifixion (4717) stauroo from stauros = cross, in turn from histemi = to stand) means literally to nail or fasten to a cross and so to crucify -- literal death by nailing to and hanging from a cross (a stake). Used in a metaphorical sense to refer to crucifixion of the flesh (Gal 5:24).

Stauroo - 42v - Matt. 20:19; Matt. 23:34; Matt. 26:2; Matt. 27:22; Matt. 27:23; Matt. 27:26; Matt. 27:31; Matt. 27:35; Matt. 27:38; Matt. 28:5; Mk. 15:13; Mk. 15:14; Mk. 15:15; Mk. 15:20; Mk. 15:24; Mk. 15:25; Mk. 15:27; Mk. 16:6; Lk. 23:21; Lk. 23:23; Lk. 23:33; Lk. 24:7; Lk. 24:20; Jn. 19:6; Jn. 19:10; Jn. 19:15; Jn. 19:16; Jn. 19:18; Jn. 19:20; Jn. 19:23; Jn. 19:41; Acts 2:36; Acts 4:10; 1 Co. 1:13; 1 Co. 1:23; 1 Co. 2:2; 1 Co. 2:8; 2 Co. 13:4; Gal. 3:1; Gal. 5:24; Gal. 6:14; Rev. 11:8

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QUESTION - What is the Feast of Unleavened Bread? | GotQuestions.org

ANSWER - The Feast of Unleavened Bread is one of the seven feasts of the Lord and has a significant place within Judaism. This observance, also called Chag HaMatzot, lasts seven days and follows the celebration of Passover, commemorating the swift departure of the Israelites from Egypt. A key element of this feast is the consumption of unleavened bread, symbolizing the haste with which the Israelites left Egypt. Moreover, the required removal of all leaven (or yeast) from the household represents the removal of sin and impurity from one’s life (see 1 Corinthians 5:7).

The biblical origin of the Feast of Unleavened Bread can be found in Exodus 12:15–20. In this passage, Moses explains how God delivered the Israelites from bondage in Egypt. As they hurriedly left Egypt, they did not have enough time to let their bread rise, leading to the tradition of consuming unleavened bread during the week of the festival.

The Feast of Unleavened Bread
spans the seven days immediately following Passover.

The Feast of Unleavened Bread spans the seven days immediately following Passover. During this period, Jewish people adhere to specific dietary restrictions: “Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there be a feast to the Lord. Unleavened bread shall be eaten for seven days; no leavened bread shall be seen with you, and no leaven shall be seen with you in all your territory” (Exodus 13:6–7, ESV)

During this feast, the consumption of unleavened bread is more than a historical reenactment. Unleavened bread (bread free of yeast) represents the haste with which the Israelites left Egypt. The absence of yeast is also symbolic of spiritual purity. And the simplicity of unleavened bread is a tangible reminder of the humility and dependence that God desires from His children (see 2 Chronicles 7:14).

Specific guidelines for the Feast of Unleavened Bread are outlined in Exodus 12:15–20. In this passage, instructions are given for the removal of leaven from households and the consumption of unleavened bread during the seven-day period. The Feast of Unleavened Bread provided a designated time to reflect and engage in self-examination. During this time, people were prompted toward introspection, repentance, and a renewed commitment to live free from the contamination of sin.

The Feast of Unleavened Bread
is closely linked to Passover,

The Feast of Unleavened Bread is closely linked to Passover, which is why the two are often mentioned together in Scripture (e.g., Exodus 12:1–20). Passover commemorated the liberation of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt and being spared from the final plague (Exodus 12:13). The Feast of Unleavened Bread extended the commemoration, highlighting the unleavened bread that sustained the people of God during their journey.

While the core elements of the Feast of Unleavened Bread remain consistent, there are variations within Judaism today. Additionally, some Christian denominations incorporate elements of this feast into their own observances, particularly those that celebrate Passover as part of their religious calendar.

In our modern context, the Feast of Unleavened Bread continues to hold immense significance for many individuals and communities. The timeless themes of freedom, spiritual purification, and humility reflect a commitment to doing what is right in the sight of the Lord (Deuteronomy 6:18). New Testament believers are not obligated to observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread or any of the other festivals of the Old Covenant (Colossians 2:16). But, even if we do not celebrate this feast, may we never forget that it is our Father in heaven who provides our daily bread (Matthew 6:11).

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QUESTION - What does it mean that Jesus is the Son of Man? | GotQuestions.org (VIEW VIDEO)

ANSWER - Jesus is referred to as the “Son of Man” 82 times in the New Testament (NIV and ESV). In fact, Son of Man is the primary title Jesus used when referring to Himself (e.g., Matthew 12:32; 13:37; Luke 12:8; John 1:51). The only use of Son of Man in a clear reference to Jesus, spoken by someone other than Jesus, came from the lips of Stephen as he was being martyred (Acts 7:56).

Son of Man is a title of humanity. 

Other titles for Christ, such as Son of God, are overt in their focus on His deity. Son of Man, in contrast, focuses on the humanity of Christ. God called the prophet Ezekiel “son of man” 93 times. In this way, God was simply calling Ezekiel a human being. Son of man is simply a periphrastic term for “human.” Jesus Christ was truly a human being. He came “in the flesh” (1 John 4:2).

Son of Man is a title of humility. 

The Second Person of the Trinity, eternal in nature, left heaven’s glory and took on human flesh, becoming the Son of Man, born in a manger and “despised and rejected by mankind” (Isaiah 53:3). The Son of Man had “no place to lay his head” (Luke 9:58). The Son of Man ate and drank with sinners (Matthew 11:19). The Son of Man suffered at the hands of men (Matthew 17:12). This intentional lowering of His status from King of Heaven to Son of Man is the epitome of humility (see Philippians 2:6–8).

Son of Man is a title of deity. 

Ezekiel may have been a son of man, but Jesus is the Son of Man. As such, Jesus is the supreme example of all that God intended mankind to be, the embodiment of truth and grace (John 1:14). In Him “all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form” (Colossians 2:9). For this reason, the Son of Man was able to forgive sins (Matthew 9:6). The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath (Mark 2:28). The Son of Man came to save lives (Luke 9:56; 19:10), rise from the dead (Mark 9:9), and execute judgment (John 5:27). At His trial before the high priest, Jesus said, “I say to all of you: From now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven” (Matthew 26:64). This statement immediately ended the trial, as the court accused the Lord of blasphemy and condemned Him to death (verses 65–66).

Son of Man is a fulfillment of prophecy. 

Jesus’ claim before the high priest to be the Son of Man was a reference to the prophecy of Daniel 7:13–14, “I was watching in the night visions, And behold, One like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, And they brought Him near before Him. Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, Which shall not pass away, And His kingdom the one Which shall not be destroyed” (NKJV). Daniel saw glory, worship, and an everlasting kingdom given to the Messiah—here called the “Son of Man”—and Jesus applied this prophecy to Himself. Jesus also spoke of His coming kingdom on other occasions (Matthew 13:41; 16:28). The author of Hebrews used a reference to the “son of man” in the Psalms to teach that Jesus, the true Son of Man, will be the ruler of all things (Hebrews 2:5–9; cf. Psalm 8:4–6). The Son of Man, in fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy, will be the King.

Jesus was fully God (John 1:1), but He was also fully human (John 1:14). As the Son of God and the Son of Man, He is deserving of both titles.

Related Resources:

• What does it mean that Jesus is the Son of God?
• What does it mean that Jesus is the son of David?
• Was Jesus the biological son of Mary? If so, how did He not inherit a sin nature?
• What does it mean that Jesus is God’s only begotten son?
• Why is Ezekiel called son of man if it is a title for Jesus?

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QUESTION - What is the history of crucifixion? What was crucifixion like?

See also: Wikipedia; ISBE; Other Dictionaries; On the Physical Death of Jesus - medical perspective

ANSWER - Crucifixion was invented and used by other people groups, but it was “perfected” by the Romans as the ultimate execution by torture. The earliest historical record of crucifixion dates to c. 519 BC, when King Darius I of Persia crucified 3,000 of his political enemies in Babylon. Before the Persians, the Assyrians were known to impale people. The Greeks and Carthaginians later used crucifixion, as well. After the break-up of Alexander the Great’s empire, the Seleucid Antiochus IV Epiphanes crucified Jews who refused to accept Hellenization.

Crucifixion was meant to inflict the maximum amount of shame and torture upon the victim. Roman crucifixions were carried out in public so that all who saw the horror would be deterred from crossing the Roman government. Crucifixion was so horrible that it was reserved for only the worst offenders.

The victim of crucifixion was first severely scourged or beaten, an ordeal that was life-threatening by itself. Then he was forced to carry the large wooden crossbeam to the site of the crucifixion. Bearing this load was not only extremely painful after the beating, but it added a measure of shame as the victim was carrying the instrument of his own torture and death. It was like digging one’s own grave.

When the victim arrived at the place of crucifixion, he would be stripped naked to further shame him. Then he would be forced to stretch out his arms on the crossbeam, where they were nailed in place. The nails were hammered through the wrists, not the palms, which kept the nails from pulling through the hand. (In ancient times, the wrist was considered part of the hand.) The placement of the nails in the wrists also caused excruciating pain as the nails pressed on large nerves running to the hands. The crossbeam would then be hoisted up and fastened to an upright piece that would normally remain standing between crucifixions.

After fastening the crossbeam, the executioners would nail the victim’s feet to the cross as well—normally, one foot on top of the other, nailed through the middle and arch of each foot, with the knees slightly bent. The primary purpose of the nails was to inflict pain.

Once the victim was fastened to the cross, all his weight was supported by three nails, which would cause pain to shoot throughout the body. The victim’s arms were stretched out in such a way as to cause cramping and paralysis in the chest muscles, making it impossible to breathe unless some of the weight was borne by the feet. In order to take a breath, the victim had to push up with his feet. In addition to enduring excruciating pain caused by the nail in his feet, the victim’s raw back would rub against the rough upright beam of the cross.

After taking a breath and in order to relieve some of the pain in his feet, the victim would begin to slump down again. This action put more weight on his wrists and again rubbed his raw back against the cross. However, the victim could not breathe in this lowered position, so before long the torturous process would begin again. In order to breathe and to relieve some of the pain caused by the wrist nails, the victim would have to put more weight on the nail in his feet and push up. Then, in order to relieve some of the pain caused by the foot nail, he would have to put more weight on the nails in his wrists and slump down. In either position, the torture was intense.

Crucifixion usually led to a slow, tortuous death. Some victims lasted as long as four days on a cross. Death was ultimately by asphyxiation as the victim lost the strength to continue pushing up on his feet in order to take a breath. In order to hasten death, the victim’s legs might be broken, which would prevent him from pushing up in order to breathe; thus, asphyxiation would follow shortly after (see John 19:32).

Crucifixion was finally outlawed by the Roman Emperor Constantine in the fourth century.

Matthew 26:3 Then the chief priests and the elders of the people were gathered together in the court of the high priest, named Caiaphas;

• were gathered together : Mt 21:45-46 Ps 2:1,2 Ps 56:6 Ps 64:4-6 Ps 94:20,21 Jer 11:19 18:18-20 Joh 11:47-53,57 Ac 4:25-28 
• the palace: Mt 26:58 Jer 17:27 Mk 14:54 
• Caiaphas: Joh 11:49 18:13,14,24 Ac 4:5,6 

Related Passages: 

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.

Matthew 21:45-46 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard His parables, they understood that He was speaking about them. 46 When they sought to seize Him, they feared the people, because they considered Him to be a prophet.

THE PLOT THICKENS
AS LEADERS GATHER

Then (tote) marks progression in the narrative, but we cannot be sure how closely this follows the preceding narrative. Jesus had just given a prediction implying He would be the Passover Lamb, which meant He had to die on Passover. The religious leaders seem to favor a time after the Passover. But God is always behind the scenes of history ("His story") and particularly as the director in this final act of the drama of redemption. He would overrule the thought of Jesus being murdered after the feast and He would use a human being, Judas Iscariot to entice the religious leaders to move to murder Jesus on Passover.

THOUGHT- Beloved, God is always in control, whether in big events such as the Cross or the little events ("smaller crosses") in the lives of His children. Be encouraged that you have a Heavenly Father Who loves you, ever watching over you and ever able to cause all the circumstances in your life "to work together for good" (Ro 8:28+). Amazing grace indeed! Indeed, our amazing God! 

The chief priests (archiereus) and the elders (presbuteros) of the people were gathered together (sunago) in the court of the high priest (archiereus), named Caiaphas - The groups listed by Matthew indicate that this was a meeting of the Sanhedrin. It is also notable that from 37 B.C. through 67 A.D there were at least 28 High Priests. Caiaphas will appear again presiding over the illegal trial of Jesus in Mt 26:57–66.

Bob Utley on Caiaphas - Caiaphas was the High Priest, appointed by Rome, in exchange for a price, from AD 18–36. He was the son-in-law of Annas, High Priest from AD 6–15 (ED: STILL REFERRED TO AS "HIGH PRIEST" EVEN THOUGH CAIAPHAS WAS THE OFFICIAL HIGH PRIEST - cf Acts 4:6). This powerful family was motivated more by politics and wealth than by spirituality.

Spurgeon - "The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together against the LORD, and against His Anointed (MESSIAH)." (Ps 2:2+) Oh, that the friends of Jesus were half as earnest to concert measures for glorifying him, as these men were when they resolved upon his death.

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Arthur Carr  on the Sanhedrin

A. The history of the Sanhedrin.

Many learned Rabbis endeavoured to trace the origin of the Sanhedrin to the council of 70 elders whom Moses, by the advice of Jethro, appointed to assist him. But it is improbable that this council existed before the Macedonian conquest. (1) The name is Greek, not Hebrew. (2) It finds its equivalent among the political institutions of Macedonia. Finally, (3) no allusion to the Sanhedrin is to be found in the Historical Books or in the Prophets.

B. Constitution.

The President or Nasi (prince) was generally, but not always, the high priest; next in authority was the vice-president or Ab Beth Dîn (father of the house of judgment); the third in rank was the Chacham (sage or interpreter). The members were 71 in number, and consisted (1) of the chief priests or heads of the priestly “courses” (see Luke 1:5); (2) the scribes or lawyers; (3) the elders of the people or heads of families, who were the representatives of the laity.

C. Authority and functions.

The Sanhedrin formed the highest court of the Jewish commonwealth. It originally possessed the power of life and death, but this power no longer belonged to it; John 18:31, “It is not lawful for us to put any man to death,” a statement which agrees with a tradition in the Talmud, “forty years before the temple was destroyed judgment in capital causes was taken away from Israel.”
All questions of the Jewish law, and such as concerned the ecclesiastical polity, religious life of the nation and discipline of the priests fell under the jurisdiction of the Sanhedrin.

D. Place of meeting.

In the present instance the Sanhedrin met at the high priest’s house; from ch. 27:6 we may conjecture that the Temple was sometimes the place of meeting, but their usual house of assembly at this particular epoch was called the “Halls of Purchase,” on the east of the Temple Mount (Dr Ginsburg in Kitto’s Encyc. Bib. Lit. and Lightfoot’s Hor. Hebr.).

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QUESTION - What was the Sanhedrin? | GotQuestions.org

ANSWER - The term Sanhedrin is from a Greek word that means “assembly” or “council” and dates from the Hellenistic period, but the concept is one that goes back to the Bible. In the Torah, God commands Moses: “bring me seventy of Israel’s elders who are known to you as leaders and officials among the people. Have them come to the Tent of Meeting, that they may stand there with you" (Numbers 11:16). Also, in the sixteenth chapter of Deuteronomy, we read in verse 18, “You shall appoint for yourselves judges and officers in all your towns which the Lord your God is giving you, according to your tribes and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment.” The land was divided up among the tribes, and in those areas where tribes had their presence, there were towns and villages, and in every town and every village there was to be a court. If there were 120 men as heads of families, they had a local court there called a Sanhedrin. In smaller towns where there were not 120 men as heads of families, there were either three judges, if the town was very small, or seven judges who sat as a court, both judge and jury, in all legal matters.

The Great Sanhedrin was the supreme court of ancient Israel, made up of 70 men and the high priest. In the Second Temple period, the Great Sanhedrin met in the Temple in Jerusalem. The court convened every day except festivals and on the Sabbath. The Sanhedrin as a body claimed powers that lesser Jewish courts did not have. As such, they were the only ones who could try the king or extend the boundaries of the Temple and Jerusalem, and were the ones to whom all questions of law were finally put. The last binding decision of the Sanhedrin was in 358, when the Hebrew calendar was adopted. The Sanhedrin was dissolved after continued persecution by the Roman Empire. Over the centuries, there have been attempts to revive the institution, such as the Grand Sanhedrin convened by Napoleon Bonaparte.

In the New Testament, the Sanhedrin is best known for their part in the series of mock trials that resulted in the crucifixion of Jesus. The Sanhedrin began with an informal examination of Jesus before Annas, the acting high priest (John 18:12-14, 19-23), followed by a formal session before the entire Sanhedrin (Matthew 26:57-68). There the decision was made to turn Jesus over to the Roman authorities to be tried and crucified.

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QUESTION - Who was Caiaphas in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

ANSWER - Joseph Caiaphas was the Jewish high priest during the time of Jesus’ ministry and a few years afterwards. He was a strong opponent of Jesus and His message.

Caiaphas was the son-in-law of Annas, the former high priest, which may have accounted for his own rise to power. Caiaphas was also a member of one of the ruling Jewish sects, the Sadducees. Sadducees were often wealthy men of high position and, as they sought to appease their Roman rulers, were heavily involved in politics. They held the majority seat in the Sanhedrin, the Jewish high court, over which Caiaphas ruled for the 18 years he served as high priest. In terms of theology, Sadducees denied the afterlife and any existence of the spiritual world (angels, demons, etc.). Because of these things, they were often at odds with Jesus due to His teachings about humility, heaven, and His own deity.

After Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, both the Pharisees and the Sadducees met at Caiaphas’s palace to express their concern that Jesus’ growing number of followers would incite the anger of the Roman Empire (Matthew 26:2; John 11:47). They were unsure how to proceed until Caiaphas spoke: “You know nothing at all! You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish” (John 11:50). This statement calling for Jesus’ death was a cold, calculating move of political expediency; at the same time, Caiaphas was unknowingly prophesying about God’s plan for Jesus’ death. Through the Sanhedrin’s wicked actions, God would save both the Jewish nation and anyone else who would believe in Christ (verses 51–52).

When the Jewish leaders had Jesus arrested at Passover, they first brought Him before Annas (John 18:13). After he had questioned Jesus, Annas sent Jesus to his son-in-law Caiaphas, who as the high priest would be the one to rule on Jesus’ fate. When Jesus stood before Caiaphas and the entire Sanhedrin, many false witnesses were brought forward, but nothing was found to warrant a death sentence (Matthew 26:59–60). Finally, Caiaphas stood up and addressed Jesus directly,

“I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God” (Mt 26:63). Jesus replied just as directly, “You have said so. . . . But I say to all of you: From now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven” (Mt 26:64).

Caiaphas had what he was looking for; he tore his robe and cried, “Blasphemy!” (Mt 26:65). The result of the sham trial was that Jesus was pronounced “worthy of death” and beaten and mocked (Mt 26:66–67). However, since the Jews could not legally execute prisoners, Caiaphas sent Jesus to the Roman governor Pontius Pilate.

Jesus endured another series of trials that night under Roman jurisdiction. Caiaphas and the other religious leaders stirred up the crowd against Jesus. When Pilate attempted to release Jesus by giving them a choice between Him and the convicted felon Barabbas, “the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed” (Matthew 27:20). Pilate acquiesced, and Jesus was sentenced to die, beaten, led outside the city, and crucified (Mt 27:26–35). It’s what Caiaphas wanted all along. It’s important to note that these things did not happen at the whim of Caiaphas, the priests, or Pilate, for it was all part of God’s plan to save the world through the death of His Son. As Jesus had said, “No one takes [my life] from me, but I lay it down of my own accord” (John 10:18).

Three days later, Jesus rose again from the grave, fulfilling prophecy, defeating death, and emboldening His followers to share the good news of salvation with thousands throughout the known world. Caiaphas continued to persecute the followers of Christ, being present at the trial of Peter and John (Acts 4:1–22), but his opposition did nothing to stop the spread of the gospel.

Caiaphas’s story is a tragic one. Caiaphas was faced with the reality of who Jesus is and yet denied the Truth that literally stood before him. As high priest Caiaphas had wealth, an honorable position, and the respect of the people, but he was deficient in the one area that truly matters: saving faith in Jesus Christ.

ADDENDUM - Caiaphas, unable to bear this disgrace, and the stings of his conscience for the murder of Christ, killed himself about A.D. 35. See Joseph. Antiquities b. xviii. c. 2–4. Archaeologists discovered in 1991 an elaborate ossuary (a box for reburying the bones of the dead) in a burial cave in Jerusalem with slightly varied inscriptions that read, “Joseph son of Caiaphas.”

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QUESTION - Who was responsible for Christ's death? WATCH VIDEO

ANSWER - he answer to this question has many facets. First, there is no doubt the religious leaders of Israel were responsible for Jesus’ death. Matthew 26:3–4 tells us that “the chief priests and the elders of the people assembled in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, and they schemed to arrest Jesus secretly and kill him.” The Jewish leaders demanded of the Romans that Jesus be put to death (Matthew 27:22–25). They couldn’t continue to allow Him to work signs and wonders because it threatened their position and place in the religious society they dominated (John 11:47–50), so “they plotted to take his life” (John 11:53).

The Romans were the ones who actually crucified Him (Matthew 27:27–37). Crucifixion was a Roman method of execution, authorized and carried out by the Romans under the authority of Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor who sentenced Jesus. Roman soldiers drove the nails into His hands and feet, Roman troops erected the cross, and a Roman solider pierced His side (Matthew 27:27–35).

The people of Israel were also complicit in the death of Jesus. They were the ones who shouted, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” as He stood on trial before Pilate (Luke 23:21). They also cried for the thief Barabbas to be released instead of Jesus (Matthew 27:21). Peter confirmed this in Acts 2:22–23 when he told the men of Israel, “You, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross.” In fact, the murder of Jesus was a conspiracy involving Rome, Herod, the Jewish leaders, and the people of Israel, a diverse group of people who never worked together on anything before or since, but who came together this one time to plot and carry out the unthinkable: the murder of the Son of God.

While God did not literally kill Jesus, God allowed Him to be put to death by the hands of the Jews and Romans. Acts 2:23 emphasizes God’s sovereign knowledge as He allowed people to brutally and unlawfully murder His Son: “This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross” (emphasis added). While God did not stop people from physically killing Jesus, He also did not allow death to have the final say: “But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him” (Acts 2:24). Christ’s death and resurrection was part of God’s perfect plan to eternally redeem all who would believe in Him. "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God" (2 Corinthians 5:21). Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross provides salvation for all who trust in Him.

All who have come to Christ in faith are guilty of His blood, shed on the cross for us. He died to pay the penalty for our sins (Romans 5:8; 6:23). In the movie The Passion of the Christ, the director, Mel Gibson, was the one whose hands you see actually driving the nails through Christ’s hands. He did it that way to remind himself, and everyone else, that it was our sins that nailed Jesus to the cross.

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Related Resources: 

• Who killed Jesus?
• Why was Jesus crucified?
• Why did Jesus have to experience so much suffering?
• What were the seven last words of Jesus Christ on the cross and what do they mean?
• What trials did Jesus face before His crucifixion?

Matthew 26:4 and they plotted together to seize Jesus by stealth and kill Him.

• plotted together: Ps 2:2 
• by: Mt 23:33 Ge 3:1 Ac 7:19 13:10 2Co 11:3 

Related Passages:

Psalm 2:2  The kings of the earth take their stand And the rulers take counsel together Against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying, 

Matthew 12:14  But the Pharisees went out and conspired against Him, as to how they might destroy Him. 

Mark 14:1 Now the Passover and Unleavened Bread were two days away; and the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to seize Him by stealth and kill Him;

Luke 22:2  The chief priests and the scribes were seeking how they might put Him to death; for they were afraid of the people. 

John 5:18  For this reason therefore the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him, because He not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God. 

John 7:1, 19, 25 After these things Jesus was walking in Galilee, for He was unwilling to walk in Judea because the Jews were seeking to kill Him.....19 “Did not Moses give you the Law, and yet none of you carries out the Law? Why do you seek to kill Me?”....25 So some of the people of Jerusalem were saying, “Is this not the man whom they are seeking to kill?

John 8:37, 40 “I know that you are Abraham’s descendants; yet you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you....40 “But as it is, you are seeking to kill Me, a man who has told you the truth, which I heard from God; this Abraham did not do.

John 11:53 So from that day on they planned together to kill Him. 

BROOD OF VIPERS
CONSPIRE TO ARREST JESUS

And they plotted together (sumbouleuo) to seize (krateo) Jesus (Iesous) by stealth (dolos - cunning, guile) and kill (apokteino) Him - Note the related passages above that indicate this plot had been hatching in their evil hearts for many months. Now they seek to bring map out their final strategy to terminate the Messiah. By stealth (dolos) pictures them plotting to seize Jesus as they would trap a wild beast and by doing so by stealth they would be less likely to arouse the crowds. There is an old saying that birds of a feather flock together. These birds were vile vultures! Does it not amaze us that the very ones who should have recognized Jesus as their Messiah are the ones who instead sought to eliminate Him! 

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Plotted together (4823) sumbouleuo from sun = together + bouleuo = to take counsel) in the active sense means to advise or give advice on a course of action, tell them what they should plan to do ("advised" in Jn 18:14, "advise" in Rev 3:18; Lxx - 1 Ki 1:12). In the middle voice it means to consult usually in a negative sense to consult with intent to harm thus translated to plot (against Jesus - Mt 26:4, Jn 18:14, against Saul - Acts 9:23). 

Sumbouleuo - 4v - Matt. 26:4; Jn. 18:14; Acts 9:23; Rev. 3:18

Stealth (deceit) (1388) dolos which is derived from dello meaning to bait) literally refers to a fishhook, trap, or trick all of which are various forms of deception. Dolos is a deliberate attempt to mislead, trick, snare or "bait" (baiting the trap in attempt to "catch" the unwary victim) other people by telling lies. It is a desire to gain advantage or preserve position by deceiving others. A modern term in advertising is called "bait and switch" where the unwary consumer is lured in by what looks like an price too good to be true!

Larry Richards explains that dolos...picks up the metaphor from hunting and fishing. Deceit is an attempt to trap or to trick and thus involves treachery...Deception sometimes comes from within, as our desires impel us to deceive. But more often in the NT, deceit is error urged by external evil powers or by those locked into the world's way of thinking. (BORROW Expository Dictionary of Bible Words - PAGE 212)

Barclay writes that...We best get the meaning of this from the corresponding verb (doloun). Doloun has two characteristic usages. It is used of debasing precious metals and of adulterating wines. Dolos is deceit; it describes the quality of the man who has a tortuous and a twisted mind, who cannot act in a straightforward way, who stoops to devious and underhand methods to get his own way, who never does anything except with some kind of ulterior motive. It describes the crafty cunning of the plotting intriguer who is found in every community and every society." (Daily Study Bible - Romans) 

In another writing Barclay explains that dolos can be translated "guile" and that "It comes from a word which means bait; it is used for trickery and deceit. It is used for instance of a mousetrap. When the Greeks were besieging Troy and could not gain entry, they sent the Trojans the present of a great wooden horse, as if it was a token of good will. The Trojans opened their gates and took it in. But the horse was filled with Greeks who in the night broke out and dealt death and devastation to Troy. That exactly is dolos. It is crafty, cunning, deceitful, clever treachery. Dolos is the trickery of the man who is out to deceive others to attain his own ends, the vice of the man whose motives are never pure. (Daily Study Bible - Mark)

Matthew 26:5 But they were saying, “Not during the festival, otherwise a riot might occur among the people.”

• Not during the festival,: Ps 76:10 Pr 19:21 21:30 Isa 46:10 La 3:37 Mk 14:2,12,27 Lu 22:7 Joh 18:28 Ac 4:28 
• otherwise a riot : Mt 14:5 21:26 Lu 20:6 

WISE AS SERPENTS
NO ARREST DURING FEAST

But they were saying, “Not during the festival (heorte), otherwise a riot (thorubos) might occur among the people - These snakes are ever watching out for their own interests. They knew the city was filled with pilgrims and had swelled from 3 to 5 times the normal population, from 50,000 to up to 250,000 (Passover was required attendance for all males above 20 - Lev. 23:2, 4, 17, 44; Nu. 29:39). So even with their depraved minds, they reason that to attempt arrest of Jesus with the large crowds might result in a riot. They knew that at the Triumphal Entry Jesus had received a "standing ovation" from the crowds. Their fear was that these crowds might revolt and incur the wrath of Rome on Israel. And of course this would disrupt their lucrative sale of acceptable sacrificial lambs and their advantageous changing of foreign coins for coins acceptable to purchase the lambs. They certainly did not want to rock their financial bonanza associated with the Passover feast. They could wait until the feast had passed.

William Hendriksen has an interesting comment - “Not at the Festival,” said the plotters. “At the Festival,” said the Almighty; “after two days,” echoed Jesus. His words and those of the conspirators seem to have been spoken at the same time, for the context seems to imply that here, for once, the full temporal sense must be given to the opening word of verse 3, “Then.” The divine decree always wins; in the interest of the kingdom, and to God’s glory (Ps. 2:4; 33:10, 11). (BORROW Exposition of the gospel according to Matthew PAGE 896)

Note the time phrase Not during the festival which supports the premise that they planned to carry out their nefarious plot after the festival. But Jesus was the Passover Lamb and He was divinely destined to die on Passover in fulfillment of God's timetable. As always God's sovereignty overrules men's plans.

The mind of man plans his way,
But the LORD directs his steps.
--- Proverbs 16:9

Many plans are in a man’s heart,
But the counsel of the LORD will stand. 
Proverbs 19:21

Arthur Carr - At a Passover, less than 30 years before, the people, partly to avenge the death of two Rabbis, rose against Archelaus, and were cruelly repressed with a slaughter of 3000 men (Joseph. Ant. XVII. 9. 3); see also XVII. 10. 2, where a similar rising against Sabinus, during the feast of Pentecost, is described.

NET NOTE - The suggestion here is that Jesus was too popular to openly arrest him.

Spurgeon - The enemies of Christ's cause have never ceased to oppose him by baseness and treachery; the truth fears not the day, but evil is underhanded and works by secret plots. Still do the opponents of the gospel conspire to take Jesus by subtlety. Let us, like our Lord, oppose to their cunning nothing but holy courage and truthful simplicity.

Matthew 26:6 Now when Jesus was in Bethany, at the home of Simon the leper,

• in Bethany: Mt 21:17 Mk 11:12  Joh 11:1,2 Jn 12:1 
• Simon: Mk 14:3 

Related Passages: PARALLEL ACCOUNTS OF ANOINTING OF JESUS IN THE GOSPEL OF JOHN AND GOSPEL OF MARK (SEE ALSO TABULAR COMPARISON)

Mark 14:1-9+  Now the Passover and Unleavened Bread were two days away; and the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to seize Him by stealth and kill Him; 2 for they were saying, “Not during the festival, otherwise there might be a riot of the people.”  3  While He was in Bethany at the home of Simon the leper, and reclining at the table, there came a woman with an alabaster vial of very costly perfume of pure nard (nardo); and she broke the vial and poured it over His head. 4 But some were indignantly remarking to one another, “Why has this perfume been wasted? 5 “For this perfume might have been sold for over three hundred denarii, and the money given to the poor.” And they were scolding her. 6 But Jesus said, “Let her alone; why do you bother her? She has done a good deed to Me. 7 “For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you wish you can do good to them; but you do not always have Me. 8 “She has done what she could; she has anointed My body beforehand for the burial. 9 “Truly I say to you, wherever the gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of in memory of her.” 

John 12:1-8+ Jesus, therefore, six days before the Passover, came to Bethany where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2So they made Him a supper there, and Martha was serving; but Lazarus was one of those reclining at the table with Him. 3 Mary then took a pound of very costly perfume of pure nard (nardo), and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped His feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4But Judas Iscariot, one of His disciples, who was intending to betray Him, *said, 5 “Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and given to poor people?” 6 Now he said this, not because he was concerned about the poor, but because he was a thief, and as he had the money box, he used to pilfer what was put into it. 7 Therefore Jesus said, “Let her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of My burial. 8 “For you always have the poor with you, but you do not always have Me.” 

Bethany, Bethphage, Mount of Olives

Now when Jesus (Iesous) was in Bethany, at the home of Simon the leper (lepros) - Note that John's version does not say Jesus came to Lazarus' home, but says that "six days before the Passover, came to Bethany where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead." So there is no disagreement between the account in Matthew and John. Simon is a common name and he must have been a leper healed by Jesus (because one with active infection would hardly throw a dinner party!) who was now responding in thanksgiving by hosting this significant fellowship dinner with some of Jesus’ closest friends, the disciples, Mary, Martha and Lazarus. 

Hiebert on the timing - John’s arrangement (Jn 12:1-8) suggests that it occurred on Friday or Saturday evening before “Palm Sunday,” while the synoptic order suggests that it occurred on Tuesday, or possibly Wednesday, evening of Passion Week. Most modern scholars prefer John’s chronology as being more precise and hold that the synoptic arrangement is due to a desire to show the close connection between the anointing and the treachery of Judas. (The Gospel of Mark: An Expositional Commentary)

The timing of the anointing of Jesus by Mary could be confusing because John's Gospel says "Jesus, therefore, six days before the Passover, came to Bethany where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead." (Jn 12:1) John clearly gives the actual day of Jesus' anointing. On the other hand, Mark and  Matthew (Mt 26:6-13) describe the anointing of Jesus in after the statement that the Jewish leaders were plotting to seize Jesus (Mark 14:1-2, Mt 26:1-5) which would have been either Tuesday (most commentators) or Wednesday (MacArthur - see sermon explanation of timing) prior to the Passover. Clearly, both Mark and Matthew insert this description as a "flashback" while John gives the correct chronology of this event which would have been the preceding Saturday. In this particular and unique act of worship, when Mary poured this perfume upon Jesus' body, without her even realizing it she did it to prepare Him for burial. It became a symbolic deed that anticipated His death and burial (Mt 26:12). And so Matthew and Mark place this event in the context of the events leading up to His betrayal, trial and crucifixion.

Alan Trites - "Matthew’s account follows Mark quite closely but adds a few details of its own. It links the setting with the previous teaching of Jesus on the last judgment (Matt 25:31–46) and records Jesus uttering another Passion prediction on the very threshold of the Passover celebration. It thus heightens the tension as the decisive hour draws near, and solemnly declares the betrayal and the ensuing crucifixion (Matt 26:1–2). In addition, Matthew notes that the plot to kill Jesus was hatched “at the residence of Caiaphas, the high priest” (Matt 26:3), thus highlighting the fact that Jesus came to his own people, and yet they tragically rejected him (cf. John 1:11+), even planning his execution in the house of the high priest (ED: NOTE THE TRAGIC IRONY - THE HIGH PRIEST WHO SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE LEADER OF WORSHIP INSTEAD IS THE LEADER IN PLOTTING THE DEATH OF THE MOST HIGH GOD! "RELIGION" CAN BE A TREACHEROUS THING IN THE WRONG HANDS!)." (BORROW Luke, Acts - Page 285)

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QUESTION - Who was Simon the Leper?

ANSWER - Simon was a very common name in New Testament times, and at least eight men bearing that name appear in the Bible. Simon Peter was one of our Lord’s closest companions (Matthew 10:2), Simon the Zealot was another of Jesus’ disciples (Luke 6:15), and Simon of Cyrene (Matthew 27:32) carried Christ’s cross. Thus, “Simon the Leper” was a label given to distinguish this Simon from many others in the Bible.

Simon the Leper emerges in a brief but dramatic scene recorded in Matthew 26:6–13 and Mark 14:3–9. While Jesus was staying in Bethany, one night He and the disciples were invited for a meal at the home of Simon the Leper. As Jesus reclined at the dinner table, an unnamed woman came in, broke an expensive flask of perfume and poured the oil over the Lord’s head, anointing Him in an extravagant act of worship. The disciples reacted with indignation at the woman’s waste of valuable resources. But Jesus told them to leave the woman alone, “for she has done a beautiful thing to me” (Matthew 26:10, ESV). Her anointing was a fitting way to honor the Messiah-King and prepare Him for burial. This dinner at Simon the Leper’s home took place about one week before Jesus was crucified.

Similar but distinct episodes are featured in Luke 7:36–50 and John 12:1–8. The event in Luke transpired at the home of a different Simon, “Simon the Pharisee,” with a woman referred to as only “a sinner.” The event in John happened on a different day and involved Mary of Bethany.

Exactly who was Simon the Leper? This is a question that has long intrigued Bible students and scholars. In an attempt to connect Simon the Leper with the anointing recorded in John 12, some suggest that Simon was the father of Martha, Mary, and Lazarus or the husband of Martha. All we know for sure is that this Simon lived in Bethany and that he was (or had been) a leper. Almost assuredly, Simon the Leper was one of the hundreds of people whom Jesus had healed during His ministry.

In any case, Simon the Leper could not have been leprous at the time Jesus visited his home. According to Leviticus 13:46, lepers were considered unclean and “must live outside the camp.” They were to live alone and could not dwell inside the house. Anyone who attended a meal with a leper would have been considered unclean also. Thus, many scholars believe the Lord had healed this Simon of leprosy, and, in an act of gratitude, the cured man welcomed Jesus and the disciples into his home for a meal.

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COMPARISON OF JESUS' ANOINTING IN THREE GOSPELS
	John 12:1-8+	Matthew 26:6-13	Mark 14:1-9+
Time Before Passover	6 days Jn 12:1+	None	2 days Mk 14:1+
Town	Bethany Jn 12:1+	Bethany Mt 26:6	Bethany Mk 14:3+
Home	no home mentioned Jn 12:1+	home of Simon the leper Mt 26:6	home of Simon the leper Mk 14:3+
Name of one anointing	Mary Jn 12:3+	A woman Mt 26:7	A woman Mk 14:3+
Perfume	Very Costly Pure Nard Jn 12:3+	Very Costly Mt 26:7	Very Costly Pure Nard Jn 14:3+
Container	--	Alabaster Vial Mt 26:7	Alabaster Vial Broke Mk 14:3+
Amount	Pound Jn 12:2+	--	--
Value	300 Denarii Jn 12:5+	High Price Mt 26:9	300 Denarii Mk 14:5+
Proposed Purpose	Sold...given to poor Jn 12:5+	Sold...given to poor Mt 26:8	Sold...given to poor Mk 14:5+
Conclusion	--	Why this waste? Mt 26:8	Wasted Mk 14:4+
Persons Reacting	Judas Iscariot Jn 12:4-6+	Disciples  indignant: waste Mt 26:8	Some  indignant: waste Mk 14:4+
Where  Anointed	Anointed feet Jn 12:3+	Poured on His Head Mt 26:7	Poured over His head Mk 14:3+
Jesus' Words	Let her alone Jn 12:7+	Why bother the woman Mt 26:10	Let her alone. Why bother her Mk 14:6+
Rationale	Poor you have with you always Jn 12:8+	Poor you have with you always have Mt 26:11	Poor you always  have & can do them good Mk 14:6+
Woman's  Purpose	Preparation for burial Jn 12:7+	Prepared Me for burial Mt 26:12	Done a good  deed to Jesus Mk 14:6+
Woman's Renown/ Reward	--	Woman's act  remembered wherever Gospel  preached Mt 26:13	Woman's deed be memory wherever Gospel preached Mk 14:9+
Note that the similarities of the three accounts are highlighted in red. Even many of the differences can be explained. E.g., name of the one anointing named Mary and then referred to as woman is easily resolved. The location of the anointing in Simon the Leper would still fit John's description because he says Jesus went to Bethany but does not specifically say he went to a home.  Grant Osborne adds "There are two issues related to this account that need to be addressed: (1) harmonizing the Gospel accounts and (2) the chronology of the event....The story in Mt 26:6-13 and Mk 14:3-9 has some interesting differences (the home of Simon the leper, an unnamed woman who breaks the jar and anoints Jesus’ head), but the similarities are far greater, and as the discussion below will show, the differences can be reasonably harmonized. These are the same account, so historically Jesus was anointed twice—first, the one in Luke and second the one reported in the other three Gospels....As to the second issue (CHRONOLOGY), the story in Matthew and Mark occurs after the Triumphal Entry, while the one here in John occurs before that event. However, this is only a problem if we demand that the Gospels follow a strictly chronological pattern. Actually, this is a modern development, and ancient historians did not do so. It has long been realized that the Gospel writers often arranged their material topically, especially the Synoptics (cf. Blomberg 1987). It is generally agreed that John probably has the correct order (he tends to have a more chronological arrangement, so Coakley 1988) and that Matthew and Mark place it where they do in order to contrast the woman’s worshipful act with Judas’s betrayal (cf. Carson, Blomberg 2001, Keener). (See The Gospel of John)
THOSE IN FAVOR OF ONE ANOINTING DESCRIBED IN ALL THREE ACCOUNTS - John MacArthur, Grant Osborne, Edwin Blum (Bible Knowledge Commentary, Tom Constable, J C Ryle, A B Bruce, Rodney A Whitacre (IVP Commentary), Warren Wiersbe, William Cook (Focus on the Bible), NIV Study Bible, Reformation Study Bible, ESV Study Bible, J Vernon McGee, C L Blomberg, H. Ridderbos, William MacDonald (BORROW Believer's Bible Commentary),
THOSE OPPOSED - Gotquestions.org, John Phillips NOTE: I AM SURE THERE ARE OTHERS, BUT IN MY CURSORY SURVEY OF THIS ISSUE, IT SEEMS THAT BY FAR MOST WRITERS FAVOR THE FACT THAT THE ANOINTINGS ARE PARALLEL IN JOHN, MATTHEW AND MARK. I will admit I was extremely surprised to find Charles Swindoll also included Luke's account as parallel with John, Matthew and Mark. He is in the minority on that unusual interpretation! See discussion of this interpretation.

Matthew 26:7 a woman came to Him with an alabaster vial of very costly perfume, and she poured it on His head as He reclined at the table.

• a woman came: Joh 12:2,3 
• vial of very costly perfume: Ex 30:23-33 Ps 133:2 Ec 9:8 10:1 Song 1:3 Isa 57:9 Lu 7:37,38,46 

Click picture to enlarge

Ancient Way of Reclining at the Table

Matthew's account skips over Martha serving supper described in John 12:2+. 

A woman came to Him with an alabaster vial (alabastron) of very costly perfume (muron) -  John says the woman was Mary (Jn 12:3+), who is referred to as a woman in Matthew and Mark (Mk 14:3+). Mark 14:5+ says the cost of the perfume was 300 denarii, which is roughly the equivalent of a year's salary for a worker. Mark (Mk 14:3+) and John (Jn 12:3+) both identify the perfume as pure nard (nardo) which was used especially for anointing the dead. Paul Apple asks "How many of you have spent a year’s salary on expensive perfume for your wife? She would think you were nuts." It is interesting to note that in Jesus' day Jewish women often wore a perfume flask suspended from a cord round the neck, and it was so much a part of them that they were even allowed to wear it on the Sabbath (without being accused of carrying a burden)! 

And she poured (katacheo) it on His head as He reclined (anakeimai) at the table - Mk 14:3+ adds it was "perfume of pure nard (nardos) and she broke the vial (only Mark mentions breaking the vial) and poured it over His head." The act of breaking the vial pictures Mary as hold nothing back and displaying wholehearted devotion to her Lord. She is pouring out of her heart filled with love, gratitude and devotion to Jesus. Reclined describes the position in which meals were eaten (see illustration above) with one’s side on the floor with the head closest to the low table and the feet farthest away.

Hiebert - Mk 14:3+ “An alabaster cruse (vial) of ointment of pure nard very costly” (ASV)—the cruse was a long-necked flask with no handles used for preserving precious perfumes or fragrant oils. Although such flasks might be made of other materials, perfumes were found to be best preserved in vessels made of alabaster, a finely textured, translucent stone. The flask contained “a pound of ointment,” twelve ounces of highly aromatic perfume which evaporated rapidly and left a very pleasant odor (John 12:3+). The ointment is described as “of pure nard very costly.” Nard identifies the ointment as derived from nard plants, native to India, and the source of the finest ointments. The meaning of the adjective rendered pure is uncertain, but the most probable meaning is “unadulterated.” The nard was “trustworthy,” or “pure,” as opposed to nard adulterated with inferior substances. Such ointment naturally was very costly. Mary’s possession of such costly perfume indicates that the Bethany household must have been comparatively wealthy. (The Gospel of Mark: An Expositional Commentary)

Warren Wiersbe - Only John identifies this woman as Mary, sister of Martha and Lazarus. She is found only three times in the Gospels, and in each instance she is at the feet of Jesus. She sat at His feet and listened to the Word (Luke 10:38–42+); she came to His feet in sorrow after the death of Lazarus (John 11:28–32+); and she worshiped at His feet when she anointed Him with the ointment (John 12:1ff+). Mary was a deeply spiritual woman. She found at His feet her blessing, she brought to His feet her burdens, and she gave at His feet her best. When we combine the Gospel records, we learn that she anointed both His head and His feet, and wiped His feet with her hair. A woman’s hair is her glory (1 Cor. 11:15+). She surrendered her glory to the Lord and worshiped Him with the precious gift that she brought. It was an act of love and devotion that brought fragrance to the whole house. (Bible Exposition Commentary)

Daniel Akin - This was done in full display of a room full of people. It was done against cultural convention as a woman normally would not approach a man in this setting except to serve him food. Mary cared not one wit for any of this. Jesus was her Lord and Master. She deeply loved Him and would have done anything for Him. And, she did not care who heard or saw. Her devotion to Him trumped all others. She wanted everyone to know the inestimable value she placed on Jesus. So she went public! No one could deny or doubt where her loyalty lay. Can the same be said for you and me?!

A T Robertson - An alabaster cruse of exceeding precious ointment (alabastron murou barutimou). The flask was of alabaster, a carbonate of lime or sulphate of lime, white or yellow stone, named alabaster from the town in Egypt where it was chiefly found. It was used for a phial employed for precious ointments in ancient writers, inscriptions and papyri just as we speak of a glass for the vessel made of glass. It had a cylindrical form at the top, as a rule, like a closed rosebud (Pliny). Matthew does not say what the ointment (murou) was, only saying that it was "exceeding precious" (barutimou), of weighty value, selling at a great price. Here only in the N.T. "An alabaster of nard (murou) was a present for a king" (Bruce). It was one of five presents sent by Cambyses to the King of Ethiopia (Herodotus, iii. 20).

NET NOTE - VIAL - A jar made of alabaster stone was normally used for very precious substances like perfumes. It normally had a long neck which was sealed and had to be broken off so the contents could be used. Perfume - Μύρον (muron) was usually made of myrrh (from which the English word is derived) but here it is used in the sense of ointment or perfumed oil (L&N 6.205). Nard or spikenard is a fragrant oil from the root and spike of the nard plant of northern India (SEE ALSO What is spikenard in the Bible?) . This perfumed oil, if made of something like nard, would have been extremely expensive, costing up to a year’s pay for an average laborer. 1st century middle eastern meals were not eaten while sitting at a table, but while reclining on one’s side on the floor with the head closest to the low table and the feet farthest away.

The aroma of this loving deed
is to abide as long as the world itself endures.
-- C H Spurgeon

THOUGHT - Imagine the aroma of Mary for the next few days, an aroma that reflected her worship of Jesus. When believers worship Jesus like Mary, we too exude a fragrant aroma. In fact Paul writes "thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place. For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life. And who is adequate for these things?" '(2Co 2:14-16+) Does your life give off this fragrant aroma of Jesus to the lost and found? It should, especially as we spend time with Him.

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Alabaster (211) alabastron  means alabaster and by metonymy referred to a container for perfumed ointment - alabaster jar, flask, (small) bottle. It was a round vase without handles for holding perfumes (see picture above).  Gilbrant - This is a soft, white, and translucent gypsum (sometimes gray or colorless like crystal) which was used for carving into vases, ornaments, or flasks for containing various perfumes and ointments. This stone was usually brought to Palestine from Egypt and was made of calcium carbonate. However, in Palestine in the Jordan Valley, a small amount of alabaster was made of calcium sulphate. See discussion below on what is an alabaster box?

Alabastros - Matt. 26:7; Mk. 14:3; Lk. 7:37. Once in 2Ki 21:13

Perfume (3464)(muron) is ointment, perfume, sweet-smelling substance made not from animal fats. Apart from a single reference in Revelation 18:13, muron occurs only in the four Gospels (13 times). The Synoptic Gospels record anointings of Jesus’ head by Mary of Bethany. Matthew and Mark clearly link this anointing to Jesus’ upcoming burial (Matthew 26:12; Mark 14:8). Gilbrant - Muron is the juice-like aromatic extract from plants, or perfumed oil. As a cosmetic muron could be translated “perfume.” “Ointment” is perhaps a useful English translation, since muron was often medicinal and at times cultic in significance, being used for anointing (e.g., for burial). Another common use was in the embalming process (cf. Bauer). Muron occurs 18 times in the Septuagint. The Hebrew counterpart to muron is most regularly a form of shemen, usually denoting “oil” or “perfumed oil.” A cultic use of muron in Israel’s religion is attested on several occasions (e.g., Exodus 30:25, rōqach, “sacred anointing oil,” NIV; 1 Chronicles 9:30, “spices,” NIV; cf. Psalm 133:2). The cosmetic understanding occurs throughout the Song of Solomon (e.g., Song 1:3; 4:10,14; cf. Wisdom of Solomon 2:7; Amos 6:6). Oils were a priceless commodity in the ancient world (Isaiah 39:2; cf. Revelation 18:13 and the context of the Gospel accounts).(Complete Biblical Library) 

Liddell-Scott  on muron - sweet juice extracted form plants, sweet-oil, unguent, balsam, Hdt., etc. 2. a place where unguents were sold, the perfume-market, NET Note - Nard or spikenard is a fragrant oil from the root and spike of the nard plant of northern India. This perfumed oil, if made of something like nard, would have been extremely expensive, costing up to a year’s pay for an average laborer.

Muron - 14x in 13v - Usage: ointment(1), perfume(12), perfumes(1). Matt. 26:7; Matt. 26:12; Mk. 14:3; Mk. 14:4; Mk. 14:5; Lk. 7:37; Lk. 7:38; Lk. 7:46; Lk. 23:56; Jn. 11:2; Jn. 12:3; Jn. 12:5; Rev. 18:13

Poured on (2776)(katacheo from  katá = down + chéō = to pour down or out. To pour out or pour down upon (Mt. 26:7; Mk 14:3 and 3x in Lxx - Gen. 39:21; Job 41:23; Ps. 89:45). Liddell-Scott -  a bit of sleep is poured over the eyes. Pass. to be poured over the ground, lie in heaps,

Gilbrant - Katacheō is a verb used in the Greek papyri to refer to liquid being “poured down, on, or over” people or objects. The recipient of the liquid normally is found in the genitive case (cf. Moulton-Milligan). Katacheō appears only 3 times in the Septuagint. In Genesis 39:21, after Joseph was wrongly imprisoned, the Lord “showed him mercy” in the sense of “holding out, extending.” A second type of use is found in Psalm 89:45 where God “covered” David with shame as a reproach.

We find the word used in the New Testament with respect to the woman who entered the house of Simon the leper and poured an expensive jar of alabaster ointment on the head of Jesus while He was reclining at Simon’s table (Matthew 26:7; Mark 14:3). While the disciples were indignant over her alleged waste, the Lord commended the woman for anointing His body for its forthcoming burial. As in the papyri, the object of katacheō is in the genitive case in the New Testament (cf. Blass and DeBrunner, p.90). (Complete Biblical Library)

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Is Matthew describing the same event in Luke Luke 7:36-50+?

J C Ryle - It is claimed by many interpreters that, in describing the beautiful deed of Mary, the evangelist borrowed from Luke 7:36–50, and that the Mary mentioned in John 12:3 is the same as the sinful woman of Luke 7; or, that, while the two events are distinct, the author of the Fourth Gospel got his sources mixed and simply added to the story which he had found in Matthew 26:6–13 and Mark 14:3–9 the detail concerning the wiping of Jesus’ feet, which feature he had found in Luke 7. We completely reject this theory. 

Some (one notable proponent is the excellent expositor Dr Charles Swindoll) think this anointing of Jesus is the same as described by Luke 7:36-50+ but comparison of the details seems to leave little doubt that Luke is describing a different anointing. Here are five points comparing the accounts (see another similar discussion below):

(1) Luke's description is in the home of a Pharisee in Lk 7:36, 39+. Mt 26:6 says this event occurred in the house of Simon the leper. 

(2) Luke's version involves an immoral woman but there is no other evidence Mary of Bethany was an immoral woman. Mary and Martha are not introduced until Lk 10:38, 39+. Mary is always characterized as a devout disciple of Jesus. 

(3) In Luke's version the woman wet His feet with tears, wiped the tears from His feet with her hair, and kissed and anointed His feet (Lk 7:38, 39, 45-46+).  There is nothing like this described in the three accounts in John, Matthew or Mark. John says Mary "wiped His feet with her hair." (Jn 12:3)

(4) Luke's anointing appears to take place in Galilee not in Bethany.

(5) Note the different results - In Luke's version He sharply rebuked the Pharisee, praised the woman and dismissed her with an encouraging word. In the three accounts in John, Matthew or Mark He rebuked Judas Iscariot for criticizing Mary and thus defended her deed in light of the purpose (preparation for His burial). 

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Jon Courson - Worship is often misunderstood. There will always be those in Judas’ corner who say, “Quit trying to be so holy. Do something more practical.” But although worship comes through brokenness and although worship is sometimes costly, worship is always beneficial. After Mary wiped the feet of Jesus with her hair, her hair took on the same fragrance as Jesus’ feet. That’s what worship does. When you’re worshiping the Lord, you take on the fragrance of the Lord. John goes on to tell us that after Mary broke the alabaster box, the entire house was filled with the aroma of the ointment (John 12:3). Mom and Dad, does your house stink? Do you find there’s tension in the air? Do you feel your marriage is on the rocks? Do you worry your kids are falling apart? Let me tell you the secret of Mary: The whole house took on the fragrance of Jesus because she was at His feet. Take Mary’s mindset. Dad, when your house “stinks,” gather your wife and your kids around you and say, “Let’s stop and seek the Lord’s blessing for a few minutes.” You will be amazed how this will affect the aroma of your house. I suggest that perhaps the key isn’t always counseling or child-rearing classes. As helpful as those things might be, the real power lies at Jesus’ feet. Mary discovered this and the whole world knows her story. (See Jon Courson's Application Commentary: Volume 3 - Page 191)

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Guzik on Mary's gift- 

1. Mary’s gift was remarkably humble. When a guest entered the home, usually the guest’s feet were washed with water and the guest’s head was anointed with a dab of oil or perfume. Here, Mary used this precious ointment and anointed the feet of Jesus. She considered her precious ointment only good enough for His feet.
2. Mary’s gift was remarkably extravagant. She used a lot (a pound) of a very costly oil of spikenard. Spices and ointments were often used as an investment because they occupied a small space, were portable, and were easily negotiable in the open market. Judas believed this oil was worth 300 denarii (John 12:5), which was worth a year’s wages for a working man.
3. Mary’s gift was remarkably unselfconscious. Not only did she give the gift of the expensive oil, she also wiped His feet with her hair. This means that she let down her hair in public, something a Jewish woman would rarely (if ever) do.
4. In all of this, Mary is a study of devotion to Jesus. “The life of Mary is painted for us, in three memorable pictures, in each of which she is at the feet of Jesus.” (Eerdman)

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QUESTION - What is an alabaster box?

ANSWER - The Bible speaks of an alabaster box in two separate incidents involving women who brought ointment in the box to anoint Jesus. The Greek word translated “alabaster box” in the KJV, as well as “flask,” “jar” and “vial” in other translations, is alabastron, which can also mean “perfume vase.”

The fact that all four gospels include a similar but not identical account (with three of the passages mentioning an alabaster box of ointment) has given rise to a certain amount of confusion about these incidents. Matthew 26:6–13 and Mark 14:3–9 describe the same event, which occurred two days before Passover (Matthew 26:2 and Mark 14:1) and involved an unnamed woman who entered the home of Simon the leper. Both passages mention an alabaster box, and both say that the unnamed woman anointed Jesus’ head.

John 12:1–8 seems to speak of a different, yet similar event, which took place six days before Passover (John 12:1) in the home of Martha. Here, an alabaster box is not mentioned, but the name of the woman who anointed Jesus is: Mary, Martha’s sister. The incident in Matthew and Mark and the incident in John all took place in Bethany, but on different days. Also, Mary is said to have anointed Jesus’ feet, but no anointing of His head is mentioned. Jesus defends Mary’s action against the criticism of Judas, saying, “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial” (John 12:7).

A third anointing of Jesus (the first, chronologically), described in Luke 7:36–50, took place in the house of Simon the Pharisee rather than the house of Simon the leper. This event occurred in Galilee, not Bethany, about a year before the crucifixion (Luke 7:1, 11). Luke mentions an alabaster box (verse 37). The woman on this occasion was forgiven of many sins, but her name is not given. Like Mary, the sinful woman anointed Jesus’ feet with the perfume. She comes to Jesus weeping and showing loving worship to the One who forgave her of her sins.

The similarities these three incidents share have caused some confusion, but the differences are significant enough to warrant viewing them as separate events. In two of the incidents, the gospel writers mention the presence of an alabaster box.

Alabaster was a stone commonly found in Israel. It was a hard stone resembling white marble and is referred to as one of the precious stones used in the decoration of Solomon’s temple (1 Chronicles 29:2). In the Song of Songs, the beloved man is described as having legs like “alabaster columns” (ESV) or “pillars of marble” (NIV, KJV). So the container the women used to carry their perfumed oil was made of a white, marble-like substance. Ointment, oils, and perfumes used to be put in vessels made of alabaster to keep them pure and unspoiled. The boxes were often sealed or made fast with wax to prevent the perfume from escaping. Alabaster was a beautiful substance and strong enough to keep the oil or perfume completely contained until the time of its use.

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When Mary of Bethany broke the box of precious ointment and poured it on Jesus’ head, it was an act for which no one else saw any occasion; the disciples said it was a waste. But Jesus commended Mary for her extravagant act of devotion, and said that wherever His gospel was preached “this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her.” Our Lord is carried beyond Himself with joy when He sees any of us doing what Mary did, not being set on this or that economy, but being abandoned to Him. God spilt the life of His Son that the world might be saved; are we prepared to spill out our lives for Him? “He that believeth in Me out of him shall flow rivers of living water” — hundreds of other lives will be continually refreshed. It is time now to break the life, to cease craving for satisfaction, and to spill the thing out. Our Lord is asking who of us will do it for Him? (Oswald Chambers)

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Stephen Olford -  According to Your Word 

“Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard,[and] anointed the feet of Jesus.” – John 12:3

This act of Mary expresses three things:

Her Faith. Faith had revealed to her that Jesus was none other than the Lamb of God who would take away the sin of the world. Thus, she took the pound of oil, breaking it upon Him in anticipation of His atoning death.

Her Hope. Hope had carried her beyond death and the grave. Had she thought that Christ would not rise, she would have kept the oil until the burying for embalming.

Her Love. Above her faith and hope shines forth her love in this act. For in that expensive gift was expressed her unstinted, unreserved love. Love is only measured by the sacrificial gift; and the breaking of the vessel of spikenard upon Him meant the sacrifice of her all. No wonder the room was filled!

O, that my life would be as Mary's oil –
a sacrificial, unreserved gift to my Lord.

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While Matthew does not record Mary's breaking of the alabaster vial, the parallel account in Mark 14:3+ does and this breaking allowed her to pour some of the perfume on His feet. Be blessed as you listen to Broken and Spilled out a beautiful song by Steve Green

One day a plain village woman
Driven by love for her Lord
Recklessly poured out a valuable essence
Disregarding the scorn
And once it was broken and spilled out
A fragrance filled all the room
Like a pris'ner released from his shackles
Like a spirit set free from the tomb

Broken and spilled out
Just for love of you Jesus
My most precious treasure
Lavished on Thee
Broken and spilled out
And poured at Your feet
In sweet abandon
Let me be spilled out
And used up for Thee

Lord You were God's precious treasure
His loved and His own perfect Son
Sent here to show me
The love of the Father
Just for love it was done
And though You were perfect and holy
You gave up Yourself willingly
You spared no expense for my pardon
You were used up and wasted for me

Broken and spilled out
Just for love of me Jesus
God's most precious treasure
Lavished on me
You were broken and spilled out
And poured at my feet
In sweet abandon Lord
You were spilled out and used up for Me

In sweet abandon, let me be spilled out
And used up for Thee

THOUGHT - HOW EXTRAVAGANT IS YOUR DEVOTION TO JESUS CHRIST?
BROKEN AND SPILLED OUT? 

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What Are You Looking For?

A woman came having an alabaster flask of very costly oil. —Mark 14:3

Today's Scripture: Mark 14:1-9

“Stop! There’s a good pair of shoes! Slow down, you just passed a hammer! Look at that jacket in the ditch!” As the car was speeding down the highway at 70 miles an hour, these were the exclamations of a hitchhiker to the driver who had just picked him up. After several hours of similar comments, the driver reached two conclusions:

1. The hitchhiker’s life consisted mainly of things he found by the side of the road.

2. All of us see what we’re looking for. As we go through life, the focus of our eyes reveals the desire of our hearts.

During the week before Jesus was crucified, the chief priests and scribes were looking for any excuse to arrest and kill Him (Mark 14:1). Judas was looking for a convenient way to betray Jesus (v.11). A woman whom we know to be Mary of Bethany was looking for a way to show her love to the Lord (John 12:1-3). And they all found the opportunities they were seeking.

Our Bible reading today calls us to focus on Christ and His great passion that caused Him to die for our sins. Like Mary, may we have hearts that are always looking for opportunities to say to our Savior, “I love You.”  —David McCasland (Reprinted by permission from Our Daily Bread Ministries. Please do not repost the full devotional without their permission.)

If you'd like to know the love of God the Father,
Come to Him through Jesus Christ, His only Son;
He'll forgive your sins and save your soul forever,
And you'll love forevermore this faithful One. 
—Felten

We can love Jesus too little, but we can never love Him too much.

Matthew 26:8 But the disciples were indignant when they saw this, and said, “Why this waste?

• the disciples were indignant : 1Sa 17:28,29 Ec 4:4 Mk 14:4 Joh 12:4-6 
• Why this waste: Ex 5:17 Am 8:5 Hag 1:2-4 Mal 1:7-10,13 

Related Passages:

John 12:4-6+  But Judas Iscariot, one of His disciples, who was intending to betray Him, *said, 5 “Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and given to poor people?” 6 Now he said this, not because he was concerned about the poor, but because he was a thief, and as he had the money box, he used to pilfer what was put into it.

Mark 14:4 But some were indignantly remarking to one another, “Why has this perfume been wasted?

DISCIPLES ARE
INDIGNANT

But the disciples (mathetes) were indignant (aganakteo) when they saw this, and said, “Why this waste (apoleia) - Indignation can be righteous but clearly the indignation of the disciples reflects (as usual) their failure to perceive the deeper meaning of Mary's anointing of Jesus! In John's version only Judas Iscariot's indignation is recorded (Jn 12:4-6+) and his indignation was definitely unrighteous and apparently "contagious." Wiersbe agrees that "His criticism of Mary sounded so “spiritual” that they joined him in attacking her. " (Ibid)

It is interesting that Mary's interactions with Jesus brought criticism from others (Martha when she was at His feet listening and here Judas and the disciples). Wiersbe offers an insightful thought on Mary...

When we give Jesus Christ first place in our lives,
we can expect to be misunderstood
and criticized by those who claim to follow Him.
-- Warren Wiersbe

Spurgeon rightly asks "Is anything wasted which is all for Jesus? It might rather seem as if all would be wasted which was not given to him."

A T Robertson on waste - Dead loss (apoleia) they considered it, nothing but sentimental aroma. It was a cruel shock to Mary of Bethany to hear this comment. Matthew does not tell as John does (Jn 12:4+) that it was Judas who made the point which the rest endorsed.

What they call waste,
Jesus calls ‘a beautiful thing.’ 
-- D A Carson

Spurgeon - When you do the best you can do, from the purest motives, and your Lord accepts your service, do not expect that your brethren will approve all your actions. If you do, you will be greatly disappointed. There was never a more beautiful proof of love to Christ than this anointing at Bethany, yet the disciples found fault with it. As they could not object to the thing itself, they objected that there might have been another thing done that would have been better. There is a great deal of that kind of wisdom in the world which can always teach you how you might have done a thing better, but if you wait until you learn that wisdom, you will never do anything for your Lord. If this devoted and enthusiastic woman had waited for the advice of these prudent people, she would neither have sold the ointment, nor poured it out. She did well to take council with her own loving heart, and then to pour the precious oil upon that dear head which was so soon to be crowned with thorns. She thus showed that there was at least one heart in the world that thought nothing was too good for her Lord, and that the best of the best ought to be given to him. May she have many imitators in every age until Jesus comes again!

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Indignant (23) aganakteo from ágan = very much + áchthos = pain, grief) is a verb which means to be oppressed in mind, to be grieved, to be resentful, to be aroused. Aganakteo reflects intense displeasure. To be indignant against what is judged to be wrong. It describes Jesus' righteous indignation when His disciples rebuked those bringing children to Him (Mk 10:13-14). More often aganakteo is used to describe an unrighteous indignation including that manifested by Jesus' own disciples (Mt 20:24 and Mk 10:41 = of the 10 indignant toward James and John, Mt 26:8 and Mk 14:4 = indignation as the "wasting" of expensive perfume anointing Jesus!) and finally the ugly indignation of the hypocritical religious leaders (Mt 21:15, Lk 13:14). 

AGANAKTEO - 7V - feel indignant(1), indignant(5), indignantly(1). Matt. 20:24; Matt. 21:15; Matt. 26:8; Mk. 10:14; Mk. 10:41; Mk. 14:4; Lk. 13:14

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Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth - The Fragrance of Devotion (BORROW The quiet place : daily devotional readings Page 347)

And when the disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste?”—Matthew 26:8

 A NUMBER OF PEOPLE were present the day Mary of Bethany, oblivious to the curious stares and mumblings of those around her, poured out her love to the Lord in a memorable, costly act of worship. And none of those people walked away unaffected.

To the men who wondered, “Why this waste?” her display seemed foolishly extravagant. They did not have eyes or hearts to recognize the infinite worth of worship. They considered all this effort and expense better directed somewhere else, preferably toward a more practical demonstration of devotion.

Jesus, on the other hand, was greatly pleased by the “beautiful thing” she had done for Him (verse 10), while Mary herself experienced the unintentional effect of becoming fragrant with the precious ointment used to anoint His feet, and even more so, as she wiped those feet clean with her hair.

The impact of our worship is much the same. Those who do not understand the nature of an intimate relationship with God may think we’re being “wasteful” by spending so much extended time alone in His presence, pouring out our love and gratitude before Him in such unrestrained ways. Think of all the more useful, sensible activities we could invest our time and resources in!

Yet regardless of the reactions of those who misjudge and disapprove of our actions, true worship cannot help but make our own lives more fragrant, perfuming the environment around us, just as it did Mary’s. Our homes, our churches, even our places of work and business will bear the sweet scent of our devotion. Most important, of course, the Lord Jesus will be pleased, which ultimately is all that really matters. Worship, offered in its purest form, is guaranteed to make a difference in all directions.
What are some of the most noticeable marks of those who are intentional worshipers of Jesus? What kind of fragrance exudes from their lives? (The Quiet Place)

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It's Beautiful!

Jesus said, "Let her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a good work for Me." — Mark 14:6

Today's Scripture : Mark 14:3-9

After being away on business, Terry wanted to pick up some small gifts for his children. The clerk at the airport gift shop recommended a number of costly items. “I don’t have that much money with me,” he said. “I need something less expensive.” The clerk tried to make him feel that he was being cheap. But Terry knew his children would be happy with whatever he gave them, because it came from a heart of love. And he was right—they loved the gifts he bought.

During Jesus’ last visit to the town of Bethany, Mary wanted to show her love for Him (Mark 14:3-9). So she brought “an alabaster flask of very costly oil of spikenard” and anointed Him (v.3). The disciples asked angrily, “Why this waste?” (Matthew 26:8). Jesus told them to stop troubling her, for “she has done a good work for Me” (Mark 14:6). Another translation reads, “She has done a beautiful thing to Me.” Jesus delighted in her gift, for it came from a heart of love. Even anointing Him for burial was beautiful!

What would you like to give to Jesus to show your love? Your time, talent, treasure? It doesn’t matter if it’s costly or inexpensive, whether others understand or criticize. Whatever is given from a heart of love is beautiful to Him By:  Anne Cetas (Reprinted by permission from Our Daily Bread Ministries. Please do not repost the full devotional without their permission.)

With thankful hearts give praise to Jesus
For His blessings without end;
Let's give to Him our full devotion—
He's our Savior and our Friend.
—D. De Haan

A healthy heart beats with love for Jesus.

Matthew 26:9 “For this perfume might have been sold for a high price and the money given to the poor.”

• Jos 7:20,21 1Sa 15:9,21 2Ki 5:20 Mk 14:5 Joh 12:5-6 2Pe 2:15 

Related Passages:

Mark 14:5+   “For this perfume might have been sold for over three hundred denarii, and the money given to the poor.” And they were scolding her.

John 12:5-6+  “Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and given to poor people?” 6 Now he said this, not because he was concerned about the poor, but because he was a thief, and as he had the money box, he used to pilfer what was put into it.

DISCIPLES' EXPLANATION OF 
WHY IT WAS A WASTE TO ANOINT JESUS

For (gar) Term of explanation. Disciples' explain why pouring perfume on Jesus was a "bad temporal investment" See Jesus' antithetical explanation of why it was a "beautiful eternal investment!" 

this perfume might have been sold (piprasko) for a high price and the money given to the poor (ptochos - "dirt poor")- Perhaps the disciples pick up on Judas Iscariot's complaint as they use the same logic he voiced, that it could be sold for the poor (Jn 12:5-6+). But of course Judas Iscariot was a liar and a thief and had no interest in giving money to the poor. In fact we will soon see him take 30 pieces of silver to betray Jesus. 

High price - John values the perfume at three hundred denarii, which is almost a day laborer's yearly salary, so it clearly is a costly offering by this woman. 

Matthew 26:10 But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you bother the woman? For she has done a good deed to Me. 

CSB  Matthew 26:10 But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, "Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a noble thing for Me.

ESV  Matthew 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.

NIV  Matthew 26:10 Aware of this, Jesus said to them, "Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me.

MIT  Matthew 26:10 But Jesus, knowing what was going on, said to them, "Why are you causing the lady consternation? She performed a magnificent service for me.

GWN  Matthew 26:10 Since Jesus knew what was going on, he said to them, "Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing for me.

RSV  Matthew 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.

• Why do you bother the woman: Job 13:7 Mk 14:6 Lu 7:44-50 Ga 1:7 5:12 6:17 
• a good: Ne 2:18 2Co 9:8 Eph 2:10 Col 1:10 2Th 2:17 1Ti 3:1 5:10 2Ti 2:21 Titus 1:16 Titus 2:14 3:1,8,14 Heb 13:20-21 1Pe 2:12 

Related Passages:

2 Corinthians 9:8+  And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed;

Ephesians 2:10+ For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. (MARY WAS GOD'S MASTERPIECE - HIS POIEMA)

Titus 2:14+  who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds. 

Hebrews 13:20-21+ Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, 21 equip you (GOD'S PART) in every good thing to do His will (OUR RESPONSIBILITY), working in us (CF SPIRIT IN Php 2:13+) that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen. 

JESUS TO THE RESCUE:
IN DEFENSE OF MARY

But Jesus (Iesous), aware of this, said to them, “Why do you bother (kopos) the woman? For (gar - Term of explanation) she has done (ergazomai - accomplished) a good (kalos - beautiful) deed (ergon - work) to Me - See Good Deeds. What the disciples (led by Judas) call a waste, Jesus calls beautiful! The Lord passes a higher commendation on this than on any other act recorded in the NT.

The disciples judge by appearance;
Jesus judges by motive.
-- James Edwards

A T Robertson on bother - A phrase not common in Greek writers, though two examples occur in the papyri for giving trouble. Kopos is from kopto, to beat, smite, cut. It is a beating, trouble, and often work, toil. Jesus champions Mary’s act with this striking phrase. It is so hard for some people to allow others liberty for their own personalities to express themselves. It is easy to raise small objections to what we do not like and do not understand. 

Spurgeon - She had been very happy in the act, probably it was the happiest hour in all her life when she gave this costly gift to the Lord she loved so well. But a cloud passed over her bright face as the whispered complaints reached her ear. She was evidently a tender-hearted soul, so the Savior said to the disciples, "Why trouble you the woman?" We cannot do what this woman did; but we can perform Good Works upon others for Christ’s sake; and he will accept them as though they were done unto himself.

Nothing given to Jesus in love is ever wasted. 
--Warren Wiersbe

William Barclay: In Greek there are two words for good. There is agathos which describes a thing which is morally good; and there is kalos which describes a thing which is not only good but lovely. A thing might be agathos, and yet be hard, stern, austere, unattractive. But a thing which is kalos is winsome and lovely, with a certain bloom of charm upon it.

Hendriksen: Jesus calls what she did “a beautiful thing,” And such it was indeed: unique in its thoughtfulness, regal in its lavishness, and marvelous in its timeliness.

Spurgeon - “The beauty of this woman’s act consisted in this, that it was all for Christ. All who were in the house could perceive and enjoy the perfume of the precious ointment; but the anointing was for Jesus only.”

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Bother (2873) kopos rom kopto = chop, hew, cut down, strike; figuratively to lament or mourn which apparently came from the idea of striking one's breast) (See also study of related verb kopiao) is strictly a smiting as a sign of sorrow, then sorrow itself. Kopos thus describes a state of discomfort or distress, trouble, difficulty, transferring the sense of the primary meaning which is beating. Kopos referring to labor conveys the sense that the labor involves toil, fatigue, suffering, weariness and sorrow. It thus speaks of an intense effort which can be united with trouble. In short kopos conveys the idea of arduous toil involving sweat and fatigue and emphasizes the weariness which follows as a result of the straining of all of one's powers to the utmost.

Kopos 18x -- Matt 26:10; Mark 14:6; Luke 11:7; 18:5; John 4:38; 1 Cor 3:8; 15:58; 2 Cor 6:5; 10:15; 11:23, 27; Gal 6:17; 1 Thess 1:3; 2:9; 3:5; 2 Thess 3:8; Rev 2:2; 14:13

Good (2570)(kalos) describes that which is inherently excellent or intrinsically good, providing some special or superior benefit. Kalos is good with emphasis (as discussed below) on that which is beautiful, handsome, excellent, surpassing, precious, commendable, admirable. In classical Greek kalos was originally used to describe that which outwardly beautiful. Other secular uses of kalos referred to the usefulness of something such as a fair haven, a fair wind or that which was auspicious such as sacrifices. Kalos referred to that which was "morally beautiful" or noble and hence virtue was called "the good" (to kalon).

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Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth with notes by Joni Eareckson Tada - BORROW A place of quiet rest : finding intimacy with God through a daily devotional life

Like a watered garden,
Full of fragrance rare,
Ling’ring in Thy presence,
Let my life appear.
        E. MAY GRIMES

The product of a daily devotional life will bear fruit in our own lives,
as we experience an ever-deepening intimacy with the Father.

The following is an excerpt from her chapter entitled "Cultivating the Garden of the Heart" - Of all the human relationships Jesus had while on this earth, the one He shared with Mary of Bethany stands out as being one of the most intimate. When we first meet Mary, she is in her home, sitting at Jesus’ feet, waiting quietly in His presence (Luke 10:38–42). Sometime later, when Jesus arrives in Bethany just after her brother’s death, we find Mary clinging to His feet, weeping over the enormous loss she has just experienced (John 11:32–33). When we encounter Mary again, she is once more at the feet of Jesus, this time worshiping the One she has come to know, trust, and adore (John 12:1–8).

Oblivious to the curious stares and irate mumbling of the onlookers, Mary pours out her love and devotion in a costly act of worship. No one who was present that day could escape the impact of this woman’s deed.

Matthew’s account tells us that the disciples “were indignant. ‘Why this waste?’ they asked” (Matthew 26:8). To those men, Mary’s act seemed extravagant, for they did not understand the infinite worth of worship. On the other hand, Jesus, who was the object of Mary’s devotion, was pleased. “She has done a beautiful thing to me,” he responded to the bothered disciples (v. 10). Mary’s worship also had an unintended effect on herself. As she anointed Jesus’ feet with the precious ointment and then wiped His feet with her hair, she became fragrant with the very perfume she had lavished on Him. Further, John tells us that “the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume” (John 12:3).

When you and I sit at Jesus’ feet and listen to His Word and then sit at His feet and lavish our worship and love upon Him, there will be an impact. Some who do not understand the nature of an intimate relationship with the Lord Jesus may object that we are being “wasteful” or fanatical by spending extended time alone in His presence, pouring out our love and devotion to Him.

Regardless of the reaction of others, one thing is certain: True worship and devotion will make our lives fragrant and will perfume the environment around us. Our homes, our churches, even our places of work will bear the sweet scent of our devotion. Most importantly, the Lord Jesus will be pleased. And ultimately that is all that really matters.

The product of a daily devotional life will bear fruit in our own lives, as we experience an ever-deepening intimacy with the Father. Sadly, many believers never enter into the joys and fulness of this life of oneness with the Father.

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C H Spurgeon - Something done for Jesus (See full sermon Something Done For Jesus)

‘She hath wrought a good work upon me.’ Matthew 26:10

The entire life of the Christian ought to be, in many respects, ‘a good work’ done unto Christ. Albeit that there must be in our life an eye to the good of our fellow-men, yet may we do it all unto the Lord. The same law which says, ‘Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind,’ adds, ‘Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself’, which proves that it does not necessarily take away any part of our love from God when we act in love to our fellow-men. The duties of life, though they are to be done with a view to our neighbour as God’s will requires, still ought, in the highest sense, to be performed mainly with an eye to the glory of Christ, and out of love to him. The servant is bidden to work, ‘as to the Lord, and not unto men’. The master, also, ought to discharge his duties knowing that he has ‘a Master in heaven’, and the thought of that Master above should guide him in all he does. O Christian men and women, whatever your calling, discharge the duties of it with a view to glorifying him, whose name, as Christians, you bear! So let it be in every relation of life. Should not the child seek to honour Christ by being like the holy child Jesus? Should not the parent devote his child to Christ, earnestly praying that he may grow up in the fear of the Lord, and may serve the Lord? Every lawful relationship can be consecrated. In every condition of life we can glorify Jesus. In all the moral obligations of life, Jesus should be before us. We should be honest, not only for our reputation’s sake, for that would be an unworthy motive, but for Christ’s sake. Would we have Christ’s disciples called ‘thieves’? We should be sternly upright, never by any means under suspicion of untruth or double-dealing, because we serve the Lord Christ, who is faithful and true. Of us more is expected than of others, since we serve a better Master than all others.

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John Calvin - Finding Divine Vindication (See Calvin's commentary on Matthew 26 )

When Jesus understood it, he said unto them, Why trouble ye the woman? for she hath wrought a good work upon me. Matthew 26:10

In his reply Christ does not merely defend the cause of one woman but likewise maintains the holy boasting of all who rest satisfied with having themselves and their works approved by God. It often happens that not only censure, but open condemnation, is pronounced on godly men who are convinced in their own consciences that what they do is agreeable to the command of God. Furthermore, they are accused of pride if they ignore the false judgments of the world and rest satisfied with being approved by God alone. Since this is a difficult temptation and it is scarcely possible not to be shaken by the agreement of many people against us, even when they are wrong, we ought to maintain this truth that none will ever be courageous and steady in acting properly unless they depend solely on the will of God.

Christ settles here the distinction between what is good and evil by his own solitary decision. By affirming what the woman has done as “a good work,” when that action has already been condemned by the disciples, he represses the rashness of men who freely allow themselves to pronounce judgment.

Relying on this testimony, let us learn to set little value on any reports concerning us that are spread abroad in the world, provided we know that what men condemn, God approves. Let us learn to pay no deference to the opinions of men farther than that they may be edified by our example in obedience to God. When the world rises against us with a loud noise, let us satisfy ourselves with the consolation that what is reckoned bad on earth is pronounced good in heaven.

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Jon Courson -   Matthew 26:10–12  (A Day's Journey)

In Jesus’ time, bodies were anointed after burial in order to reduce the stench of putrefaction. However, Mary anointed His body before He died because, just as David prophesied, she knew He would not see corruption or putrefaction (Psalm 49:9). She knew He would rise again.

How did Mary know this? Peter didn’t understand it. John didn’t get it. Thomas, Andrew, and Nathanael—they all missed it. Why did Mary understand what Jesus was saying? She didn’t spend nearly as much time in His physical presence as the disciples. She didn’t hear all of His teaching as they had. She hadn’t climbed the Mount of Transfiguration with them. Yet she had an understanding of what was really going on.

How? Revelation and adoration are intricately linked together. When you’re at the feet of Jesus Christ in worship, you see things that others don’t. You understand things others miss.

The most beautiful statue I’ve ever seen is a life-size granite carving of Jesus by Danish sculptor Thors Walden. Walden sculpted the body of Christ in such a way that yo can’t see His face from a standing position. A sign next to the statue reads: 

  If you want to see the face of Jesus,
  You must sit at His feet.

And sure enough, when you sit at the foot of the statue and look up, you can see His face perfectly.

To you who feel like you don’t see the Lord in your home, at your school, in your situation, my question is: how long has it been since you’ve sat at His feet?

When you’re at the feet of Jesus in worship, you see things others don’t.
It’s amazing what you’ll see when, like Mary, you take the time to sit at His feet

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Mary saw the incomparable worth and beauty of Jesus and responded appropriately by anointing His body from head to toe with precious oil. This reminds me of Twila Paris' song. Play it as you ponder with wonder, awe and gratitude the beauty of the body of Christ, given for you and for me for the remission of our sins forever and ever. Amen.... 

How Beautiful

How beautiful the hands that served
the wine and the bread
and the sons of the earth.
How beautiful the feet that walked
the long dusty roads
and the hills to the cross.
How beautiful
how beautiful
how beautiful is the body of Christ.
How beautiful the heart that bled
that took all my sin
and bore it instead.
How beautiful the tender eyes
that chose to forgive
and never despise.
How beautiful
how beautiful
how beautiful is the body of Christ.
And as He laid down His life
we offer this sacrifice
that we will live just as he died:
willing to pay the price
willing to pay the price.
How beautiful the radient Bride
who waits for her Groom
with His light in her eyes.
How beautiful when humble hearts give
the fruit of pure lives
so that others may live.
How beautiful
how beautiful
how beautiful is the body of Christ.
How beautiful the feet that bring
the sound of good news
and the love of the King.
How beautiful the hands that serve
the wine and the bread
and the sons of the earth.
How beautiful
how beautiful
how beautiful is the body of Christ.

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Oswald Chambers - Have you ever been carried away for Him?

She hath wrought a good work on Me. Mark 14:6.

If human love does not carry a man beyond himself, it is not love. If love is always discreet, always wise, always sensible and calculating, never carried beyond itself, it is not love at all. It may be affection, it may be warmth of feeling, but it has not the true nature of love in it.

Have I ever been carried away to do something for God not because it was my duty, nor because it was useful, nor because there was anything in it at all beyond the fact that I love Him? Have I ever realized that I can bring to God things which are of value to Him, or am I mooning round the magnitude of His Redemption whilst there are any number of things I might be doing? Not Divine, colossal things which could be recorded as marvellous, but ordinary, simple human things which will give evidence to God that I am abandoned to Him? Have I ever produced in the heart of the Lord Jesus what Mary of Bethany produced?

There are times when it seems as if God watches to see if we will give Him the abandoned tokens of how genuinely we do love Him. Abandon to God is of more value than personal holiness. Personal holiness focuses the eye on our own whiteness; we are greatly concerned about the way we walk and talk and look, fearful lest we offend Him. Perfect love casts out all that when once we are abandoned to God. We have to get rid of this notion—‘Am I of any use?’ and make up our minds that we are not, and we may be near the truth. It is never a question of being of use, but of being of value to God Himself. When we are abandoned to God, He works through us all the time.

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QUESTION - What is the significance of Jesus being anointed by a woman with expensive perfume?

ANSWER - All four gospels present an account of Jesus being anointed by a woman with a costly jar of perfume (Matthew 26:6–13; Mark 14:3–9; Luke 7:36–50; John 12:1–8). Matthew and Mark relate the same event but do not give the woman’s name; Luke tells of a different woman, also anonymous, on an earlier occasion; and, in yet another event, the woman in John is identified as Mary of Bethany (John 11:2), sister to Martha and Lazarus. To understand the significance of Jesus being anointed on these three occasions, we’ll look at each account separately and then compare and contrast them in conclusion.

The anointing of Jesus in Matthew takes place two days before Passover in the town of Bethany at Simon the leper’s home: “Now when Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, 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 26:6–7, ESV).

Matthew focuses on the anointing of Jesus as a teaching episode for the disciples, who react with anger because of the woman’s wasteful extravagance. But Jesus defends her, saying, “She has done a beautiful thing to me” (Matthew 26:10). Christ explains that the anointing is to prepare His body for burial and that the woman’s act of love will forever be remembered wherever the good news is preached.

Mark tells the same story in similar terms, with an anonymous woman with an alabaster box interrupting a meal in Simon the leper’s home to anoint the head of Jesus with expensive perfume. Again, the woman’s critics describe her gift as excessive, complaining that it could have been sold for more than a year’s wages (Mark 14:5). But Jesus receives the woman’s gift as a selfless act of love and devotion—an appropriate way to honor the Messiah. Jesus reveals that He will not be with them much longer, which references His impending death and burial.

Both Matthew and Mark’s accounts emphasize the prophetic significance of the anointing of Jesus, alluding to His death and burial. There may also be an implication of Jesus’ kingship, since, in the Old Testament, the anointing of the head was often associated with the dedication of kings (1 Samuel 9:15—10:1; 16:12–13; 1 Kings 1:38–40).

In Luke’s account of a similar, yet different, instance, Jesus uses the occasion of being anointed to tell a parable about forgiveness (Luke 7:39–50). About a year before His death, Jesus was dining in the home of Simon the Pharisee, who had arrogantly neglected to extend the customary respect and hospitality to his guest, while a sinful woman anoints Jesus’ feet, lavishing her love and gratefulness upon Jesus.

In John’s gospel, Lazarus’ sister Mary is the woman who anoints Jesus with a high-priced perfume at a dinner in Bethany. The story is similar to those in the other gospels, although this anointing takes place six days before Passover, and Judas is named as the disciple who objects to the “waste.” On this occasion, “Mary took a twelve-ounce jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard, and she anointed Jesus’ feet with it, wiping his feet with her hair”(John 12:3, NLT). Jesus defends Mary from Judas’s criticism by pointing out the unique opportunity Mary had: “You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me” (John 12:8).

Mary’s anointing again points to Christ’s identity as Messiah-King, but it also points to His humble position as Servant-King. When Mary anoints Jesus’ feet and then wipes them with her hair, she foreshadows Jesus’ actions at the upcoming Last Supper when the Lord washes the disciples’ feet and teaches them how to love one another through sacrificial, humble service (John 13:1–20).

In each account, a woman pours out a precious and costly perfume in an extravagant act of worship. The three women who anointed Jesus recognized Christ’s unequaled value and expressed their gratitude with unreserved love and devotion. Two anointings of Jesus happen during the week of Passover and are linked with His imminent death and burial. The earlier anointing, in Luke’s account, is in the middle of Jesus’ ministry in Galilee and draws a different lesson on forgiveness and love.

In each case, the woman’s actions signal more than she knows. But, although she may not fully comprehend the messianic significance of her anointing, each woman had come to appreciate Christ’s worth more than anyone else at the table.

Jesus Christ is God’s anointed Messiah. The word Messiah means “anointed one” and derives directly from the Hebrew word for “anointed.” Christ comes from the Greek word Christos, also meaning “anointed one.” Thus, Christ is the Greek equivalent to Messiah. When Jesus receives the Holy Spirit at His baptism, He is “anointed” by God in preparation for His life’s work (Luke 3:22; cf. Acts 10:38; Luke 4:18). On three separate occasions, Jesus is anointed with fragrant ointment in His work as the Savior, the King of heaven who was in preparation to die to save His people.

Matthew 26:11 “For you always have the poor with you; but you do not always have Me.

• you always have the poor: Mt 25:34-40,42-45 De 15:11 Mk 14:7 Joh 12:8 Ga 2:10 1Jn 3:17 
• but: Mt 18:20 28:20 Joh 13:33 14:19 16:5,28 17:11 Ac 3:21 

A DRAMATIC
CONTRAST!

For (gar) Term of explanation. Jesus is explaining why Mary's deed is a "beautiful eternal investment!" Jesus gives two reasons for His commendation (1) Understand the Limited Window of Opportunity and (2) Understand the Significance of the Anointing (next verse). 

You always have the poor (ptochos - "dirt poor") with you; but (term of contrast) you do not always have Me - The contrast is dramatic. "Always" and "poor" contrast with "not always" and "Me." Weigh those on a pair of scales if you dare! Some might argue that in Mt 28:20 Jesus declared in “Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” And yet here He says you do not always have Me. So which is true? Both! Mt 28:20 refers to His spiritual presence (cf Col 1:27b) and here in Mt 26:11 He is referring to His physical presence so there is no contradiction! 

Henry Morris on poor always with you.  In every generation there will be people in a state of poverty. No socialist society or governmental program will ever be able to win the war on poverty until Christ returns and sets up His own kingdom on earth. Then, with war and crime banned, and with a productive environment restored, universal prosperity will finally be achieved.

The consequences of the simplest action done for Christ
may be much greater than we suppose.

Spurgeon - She probably did not know all that her action meant when she anointed her Lord for his burial. We often do much more than we think we do. The consequences of the simplest action done for Christ may be much greater than we suppose (ED: SEE Mt 25:37-39+). This woman is preparing Christ’s body for his approaching burial. Little dreams she that it is so, but so it is. Go you my sister, and do what God bids you; and it shall be seen that you have done far more than you know. Obey the holy impulse within your spirit, my brother; and you may do ten thousand times more than you have ever imagined to be possible. This woman’s outburst of affection, this simple-hearted act of love to Christ himself, is one of those things which are to live as long as the gospel lives. The aroma of this loving deed is to abide as long as the world itself endures.

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Poor (4434) ptochos from ptosso = crouch, cringe, cower down or hide oneself for fear, a picture of one crouching and cowering like a beggar with a tin cup to receive the pennies dropped in!) is an adjective which describes one who crouches and cowers and is used as a noun to mean beggar. These poor were unable to meet their basic needs and so were forced to depend on others or on society. Classical Greek used the ptochos to refer to a person reduced to total destitution, who crouched in a corner begging. As he held out one hand for alms he often hid his face with the other hand, because he was ashamed of being recognized. Ptochos describes not simply honest poverty, and the struggle of the laboring man to make ends meet but also describes abject poverty, which has literally nothing and which is in imminent danger of real starvation. Ptochos focuses on a state of dependence, so that in Mt 5:3 "the poor in spirit" are those who have learned to be completely dependent on God for everything and these are the ones who possess the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 26:12 “For when she poured this perfume on My body, she did it to prepare Me for burial.

• 2Ch 16:14 Mk 14:8 Mk 16:1 Lu 23:56 Lk 24:1  Joh 12:7 Jn 19:39,40 

Related Passages: 

2 Chronicles 16:14 They buried him (KING ASA) in his own tomb which he had cut out for himself in the city of David, and they laid him in the resting place which he had filled with spices of various kinds blended by the perfumers’ art; and they made a very great fire for him.

Mark 14:8+  “She has done what she could; she has anointed My body beforehand for the burial.

Mark 16:1+ When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices, so that they might come and anoint Him.

Luke 23:56+ Then they returned and prepared spices and perfumes. And on the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.

Luke 24:1+ But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared.

John 19:39-40+   Nicodemus, who had first come to Him by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds weight. 40 So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen wrappings with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews.

MARY ANOINTS JESUS'
BODY FOR BURIAL! 

For (gar) Term of explanation. Jesus elaborates on why Mary's pouring of perfume was so profound, vindicating her action.

When she poured (ballo) this perfume (muron) on My body, she did it to prepare Me for burial (entaphiazo) - Did Mary grasp the profundity of pouring perfume on Jesus? We can ask her in heaven. Jesus' explanation suggests that indeed she had grasped what He had been predicting about the coming cross, while the "boys" seemed to have missed it for the most part. Perhaps her understanding comes from her attitude of humility and willingness to sit at His feet and listen, pursuing the "one thing (that) is necessary." (Lk 10:39,42+)

A T Robertson adds "The disciples were so wrapped up in their own notions of a political kingdom that they failed utterly to sympathize with Jesus as he faced the cross. But Mary with the woman’s fine intuitions did begin to understand and this was her way of expressing her high emotions and loyalty. The word (entaphiazo) here is the same used in John 19:40+ about what Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus did for the body of Jesus before burial with the addition of pros to showing the purpose of Mary (the infinitive of purpose). 

David Guzik - Even if she did not understand the full significance of what she did, Mary’s act said something that the disciples didn’t say or do. She gave Jesus the love and attention He deserved before His great suffering. She understood more because she was in the place of greatest understanding – being at the feet of Jesus. (cf Lk 10:39+) Kings were anointed. Priests were anointed. (ED: AND SO WERE PROPHETS) Each of these would have been true in the case of Jesus, yet He claimed that she anointed Him for His burial.

Spurgeon - “She probably did not know all that her action meant when she anointed her Lord for his burial. The consequences of the simplest action done for Christ may be much greater than we think…She thus showed that there was, at least, one heart in the world that thought nothing was too good for her Lord, and that the best of the very best ought to be given to him.”

Henry Morris - Mary of Bethany, in accordance with custom, had first anointed Jesus' feet (John 12:3), but then decided also to pour all the expensive ointment on His head--in effect covering His whole body. She had learned deeply from His teachings (Luke 10:38-42+). She alone seems to have fully understood His words concerning His coming burial (Matthew 26:12).

Hiebert - Mary's act of extravagant love had prophetic and symbolic significance. "That she anointed Him beforehand indicates that she anticipated His speedy death and anointed Him in preparation for it. The burying referred to is not only the entombment but also includes the preparations for burial. She perceived that when the tragedy struck she would be utterly unable to reach Jesus to anoint His body, and so she acted to show her love and sympathy while she could. Her love discerned what the disciples could not see. She had a deeper understanding of His references to His coming death and resurrection than did any of His other followers. This does not mean that she plumbed the significance of His death, but she “had begun to understand something of the mystery of a Messiah who must die.” Mary of Bethany was not among the women who went to the tomb on Sunday morning to anoint the body. Swete points out that “it seems the only anointing which the Lord received was this anticipatory one at Bethany.’"

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Prepare for burial (1779) entaphiazo from entáphios = a shroud from en = in + táphos = sepulcher, tomb. Entaphiazo refers to interring or embalming a body. Prepare A BODY for burial by the use of every requisite provision and funereal adornment, to wit, baths, vestments, flowers, wreaths, perfumes, libations, etc.. Only 2x - Mt 26:12, Jn 19:40. Used twice in the Septuagint - Ge 50:2 "Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father. So the physicians embalmed Israel."

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D L Moody - I IMAGINE when Mary died, if God had sent an angel to write her epitaph, he couldn’t have done better than to put over her grave what Christ said: “She hath done what she could.”

I would rather have that said over my grave, if it could honestly be said, than to have all the wealth of the Rothschilds. Christ raised a monument to Mary that is more lasting than the monuments raised to Cæsar or Napoleon. Their monuments crumble away, but hers endures. Her name never appeared in print while she was on earth, but to-day it is famous in three hundred and fifty languages.

We may never be great; we may never be known outside our circle of friends; but we may, like Mary, do what we can. May God help each one of us to do what we can! Life will soon be over; it is short at the longest. Let us rise and follow in the footsteps of Mary of Bethany.

Matthew 26:13 “Truly I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of in memory of her.”

• wherever this gospel is preached: Mt 24:14 Mt 28:19 Ps 98:2,3 Isa 52:9 Mk 13:10 16:15 Lu 24:47 Ro 10:18 15:19 Col 1:6,23 1Ti 2:6 Rev 14:6 
• What this woman has done: 1Sa 2:30 Ps 112:6 Mk 14:9 2Co 10:18 Heb 6:10 

Related Passages:

Mark 14:9 “Truly I say to you, wherever the gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of in memory of her.” 

Truly (amen) I say to you, wherever this gospel (euaggelion) is preached (kerusso) in the whole (holos) world (kosmos) -  Here Jesus extends His Commendation throughout the world and down the corridors of time! Notice also that Jesus expected the gospel to permeate the entire globe (cf. Mark 13:27 and Mt. 28:19–20; Acts 1:8). 

What this woman has done (poieo) will also be spoken of in memory (mnemosunon) of her - Notice He does not mention her name, but God knows who she is and one day we will meet her in Heaven. O glorious day!

Spurgeon on Mary's unusual, extraordinary deed - All those who have done wonders for Christ have always been called eccentric and fanatical. Why, when Whitfield first went on Bennington Common to preach, because he could not find a building large enough, it was quite an unheard of thing, to preach in the open air. How could you expect God to hear prayer, if there was not a roof over the top of the people’s heads? How could souls be blessed, if the people had not seats, and regular high-backed pews to sit in! Whitfield was thought to be doing something outrageous, but he went and did it; he went and broke the alabaster box on the head of his Master, and in the midst of scoffs and jeers, he preached in the open air. And what came of it? A revival of godliness, and a mighty spread of religion. I wish we were all of us ready to do some extraordinary thing for Christ—willing to be laughed at, to be called fanatics, to be hooted and scandallized because we went out of the common way, and were not content with doing what everybody else could do or approve to be done.”

Alexander Maclaren comments that “The Evangelist (Both Mt 26:13, Mk 14:9) who records that promise does not mention Mary’s name; John, who does mention the name, does not record the promise. It matters little whether our names are remembered, so long as Jesus bears them graven on His heart.”

THOUGHT - Deeds of kings and important rulers and all of the rich and famous are long gone and forgotten; but the simple act of extravagant love and devotion of Mary lives on in testimony to the worthiness of Jesus Christ What will be your (my) legacy? What will you (I) be remembered for? (Paul Apple)

That which we do for ourselves is forgotten;
that which we do for Christ is immortal.
-- Talmage

John MacArthur - "Though two millennia have passed, the testimony of Mary’s sacrificial worship still stands as a perpetual memorial of her love for Christ. Her heartfelt gesture—looking to the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ—provides a compelling example of the kind of selfless, extravagant praise that honors the Savior."

J C Ryle The deeds and titles of many a king, and emperor, and general, are as completely forgotten, as if written in the sand. But the grateful act of one humble Christian woman is recorded in one hundred and fifty different languages, and is known all over the globe. The praise of man is but for a few days. The praise of Christ endureth for ever. The pathway to lasting honor, is to honor Christ.

Leon Morris comments that "“There is a rabbinic saying” ‘(The scent of) good oil is diffused from the bed-chamber to the dining-hall while a good name is diffused from one end of the world to the other.'” 

Utley -  Jesus does not forget acts of kindness and devotion. This one is recorded in Scripture, but many others are kept in the heart of God and will be revealed on that great day (cf. Gal. 6:7–9; 1 Tim. 5:25; Rev. 14:13; also Rev 2:1, 19; 3:8).

This section has one of the most dramatic contrast regarding persons - Here an unnamed woman who gave her very best in anointing Jesus in contrast to a man named Judas who did his very worst to betray the Son of God. Of the woman Jesus her memory would echo wonderfully down the halls of time. Of the man Jesus said, “It would have been better for that man if he had not been born” (Mk 14:21).

THOUGHT - Let me ask you a question that I hope you will be brutally honest in answering: “have you in your life as a follower of King Jesus ever made a sacrifice of extravagant love?” Can you recall a time when you did something that really cost you? You actually went without something you really wanted because of a sacrifice of extravagant love for Jesus? The sad fact is we are good at giving Jesus our leftovers and hand-me-downs. I served a church once that’s student building was filled with old, worn, ratty couches. Sweet folks in our church had bought new couches for their homes and so they donated their old, worn couches to the church and in the process got a tax break and felt good that they had done something noble. But, had they really? In the spirit of full discourse, I must confess one of the couches in the youth center had been given by me. It was no longer worthy of being in my house but it was good enough for Jesus.(Daniel Akin)

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Broken Vases

The aroma of extravagant love.
So pure. So lovely.
Flowing from the veined alabaster vase
Of Mary’s broken heart
A heart broken against the hard reality
Of her Savior’s imminent death.
Mingled with tears, the perfume became
By some mysterious chemistry of Heaven-

Not diluted, but more concentrated,
Potent enough behind the ears of each century
For the scent to linger to this day.

Doubtless, the fragrance, absorbed by His garment,
As it flowed from His head
Accompanied Christ through the humiliation of His trials,
the indignity of His mocking,
the pain of His beatings,
the inhumanity of His cross.
Through the heavy smell of sweat and blood,
A hint of that fragrance must have arisen
From His garment
Until, at shameful last, the garment was stripped
And gambled away.
And maybe, just maybe, it was that scent
Amid the stench of humanity rabbled around the cross,
That gave the Savior the strength to say:
“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

And as Mary walked away from the cross,
The same scent probably still lingered in the now-limp hair
She used to dry her Savior’s feet
A reminder of the love that spilled
From His broken alabaster body.
So pure. So lovely.
So truly extravagant.

It was a vase He never regretted breaking.
Nor did she.
-Ken Gire, Jr.

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Gospel (2098) euaggelion from eú = good + aggéllo = proclaim, tell) is literally good news or glad tidings. In the NT euaggelion is used only of God's message of salvation in three senses (1) act of proclamation (preaching the gospel) (1Cor 4:15), (2) the work of evangelization (spread of the gospel) (Phil 4:3), (3) the content of the message as an offer of salvation (good news) (Ro 1:16) (Adapted from Friberg - Analytical Lexicon). BDAG (summarized) - (1) God’s good news to humans, good news as proclamation (2) details relating to the life and ministry of Jesus = good news of Jesus (Mk 1:1) (3) details relating to the life and ministry of Jesus = good news of Jesus (Mt 1:1)

Memory (3422) mnemosunon from  mnaomai = remember) is something that causes or preserves the remembrance of a person or thing. A memorial is “a memorial that which keeps alive the memory of someone or something. In the Septuagint mnemosunon is used to describe a variety of memorials - God's "Memorial Name" (Ex 3:15), Passover (Ex 12:14 = "this day will be a memorial to you"), to mark Israel's crossing the Jordan River (Josh 4:7 = "So these stones shall become a memorial [Lxx = mnemosunon] to the sons of Israel forever”). In Malachi 3:16+ we see "a book of remembrance (Lxx = mnemosunon) was written before Him for those who fear the LORD and who esteem His name." In Ps 112:6 we read "The righteous will be remembered (Lxx = mnemosunon) forever."

MNEMOSUNON - 3V - Matt. 26:13; Mk. 14:9; Acts 10:4

MNEMOSUNON in the Septuagint - Exod. 3:15; Exod. 12:14; Exod. 13:9; Exod. 17:14; Exod. 28:12; Exod. 28:23; Exod. 30:16; Exod. 39:7; Lev. 2:2; Lev. 2:9; Lev. 2:16; Lev. 5:12; Lev. 6:15; Lev. 23:24; Num. 5:15; Num. 5:18; Num. 5:26; Num. 16:40; Num. 31:54; Deut. 32:26; Jos. 4:7; Neh. 2:20; Est. 1:1; Est. 2:23; Est. 8:12; Est. 9:27; Est. 9:28; Est. 9:32; Est. 10:2; Job 2:9; Job 18:17; Ps. 9:6; Ps. 34:16; Ps. 102:12; Ps. 109:15; Ps. 112:6; Ps. 135:13; Isa. 23:18; Isa. 57:8; Isa. 66:3; Hos. 12:5; Hos. 14:7; Mal. 3:16; 

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Dwight Edwards -  The characteristics of Mary's ministry are worth noting:

1. SACRIFICIAL: ". . . having on alabaster flask of very costly oil of spikenard. And she broke the flask . . ." The perfume in this flask was very expensive (5) and may easily have been the equivalent of a life's savings. Mary didn't give the Lord her "left overs") she gave Him her best. He deserves and demands nothing less from us! (Mal 1:6-14).
2. SELFLESS: ". . . She has done a good work for Me" (6). Her ministry was utterly Christ-oriented and all her efforts were done to draw attention to Him. She didn't serve to bring men's applause to herself, for the only accolades she was really concerned for come from Christ alone. Like John the Baptist, the focus of her life was "Behold the Lamb of God" (John 1:36).
3. SENSITIVE: "For you have the poor with you always, and whenever you wish you may do them good; but Me you do not have always. . . . she has come beforehand to anoint My body for burial" (7-8). Mary understood at this point what the disciples did not; that Christ was soon to depart (7) and that He would die physically (9). Her spiritual sensitivity came through the primary passion of her life. ". . . sat at Jesus' feet and heard His word" (Luke 10:39). If she had waited even a few more days, she would have missed her opportunity of service. Yet because of her spiritual sensitivity, she discerned the right work and the right time. As a result, Christ promised that this seemingly small service would be multiplied to global proportions (9).

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C H Spurgeon - A woman’s memorial Matthew 26:13. (See full sermon A Woman's Memorial)

The evangelists are of course the historians of the time of Christ; but what strange historians they are! They leave out just that which worldly ones would write, and they record just that which the worldly would have passed over. What historian would have thought of recording the story of the widow and her two mites? Would a Hume or a Smollet have spared half a page for such an incident? Or think you that even a Macaulay could have found it in his pen to write down a story of an eccentric woman, who broke an alabaster box of precious ointment upon the head of Jesus? But so it is. Jesus values things, not by their glare and glitter, but by their intrinsic value. He bids his historians store up, not the things which shall dazzle men, but those which shall instruct and teach them in their spirits. Christ values a matter, not by its exterior, but by the motive which dictated it, by the love which shines from it. O singular historian! You have passed by much that Herod did; you tell us little of the glories of his temple; you tell us little of Pilate, and that little not to his credit; you treat with neglect the battles that are passing over the face of the earth; the grandeur of Caesar does not entice you from your simple story. But you continue to tell these little things, and wise are you in so doing, for truly these little things, when put into the scales of wisdom, weigh more than those monstrous bubbles of which the world delights to read.

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A Blessed Memorial

What this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her. — Matthew 26:13

Today's Scripture : Matthew 26:6-13

Certain names from the past can elicit a variety of responses. The mention of Hitler, for example, brings feelings of contempt. On the other hand, a great historical figure like Churchill brings a positive response. Even within the circle of our own acquaintances, we remember some individuals with thankfulness, while we think negatively of others whose lives were spent in selfish pursuits.

On this Memorial Day we pause to honor those of past generations. While many stirring recollections flood our minds, we realize that the time will come when each of us will also be a memory. What will others recall of our words and deeds when they think of us?

Recently I read about James Lewis Pettigru. His life was so exemplary that after his death the community erected a tombstone in his honor inscribed with these words:

UNAWED BY OPINION, UNSEDUCED BY FLATTERY,

UNDISMAYED BY DISASTER, HE CONFRONTED LIFE WITH

COURAGE, AND DEATH WITH CHRISTIAN HOPE.

What a blessed memorial! Determine by the grace of God to live for the Lord and give yourself to the needs of others. Your testimony will then become a source of blessing and inspiration to all who follow in your steps. —Richard DeHaan (Reprinted by permission from Our Daily Bread Ministries. Please do not repost the full devotional without their permission.)

What have you written on memory's page?
Deeds that were done in the Master's name?
Words that were spoken to spread His fame?
What have you written today?
—Anon.

Will your memorial be a blessing or a blot?

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Appreciated

What this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her. — Matthew 26:13

Today's Scripture : Matthew 26:6-13

The heroes and heroines of the Bible often take us by surprise. The woman in today’s Scripture reading is a prime example. She was singled out by Jesus to be mentioned wherever the gospel is preached. She had scandalized some of those dining with Jesus by her breathtaking generosity. In anticipating Jesus’ death, she had anointed Him with costly perfume that was worth more than a year’s wages.

“Why this waste?” asked those at the table who expressed a concern for the poor. Had these same people been attending Jesus’ funeral rather than a dinner with Him, I believe they would have reacted differently. Yet, when this woman showed Him her lavish love while He was alive, she was severely criticized for such waste.

We can learn a valuable lesson from the devotion of this woman. We need to break out our best perfumes for the living. Yet all too often we wait until someone dies to show the appreciation that we are reluctant to show in life.

Is there someone who comes to your mind, a friend or family member, who would be honored and encouraged by an expression of your love and appreciation? Then do something to show it—while the person is still alive!  By:  Haddon W. Robinson (Reprinted by permission from Our Daily Bread Ministries. Please do not repost the full devotional without their permission.)

Give praise to people young and old,
Encourage them while they are near;
For when they've gone to their reward,
Your loudest praise they will not hear. 
—D. De Haan

Don't put off until tomorrow the loving words you can say today.

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The Arlington Ladies

What this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her. — Matthew 26:13

Today's Scripture : Matthew 26:6-13

In 1948, the US Air Force Chief of Staff noticed that no one attended the funeral of an airman at Arlington National Cemetery, and that deeply disturbed him. He talked with his wife about his concern that each soldier be honored at burial, and she began a group called the Arlington Ladies.

Someone from the group honors each deceased soldier by attending his or her funeral. The ladies also write personal notes of sympathy and speak words of gratitude to family members when they are present. If possible, a representative keeps in contact with the family for months afterward.

Margaret Mensch, an Arlington Lady, says, “The important thing is to be there for the families. . . . It’s an honor to . . . pay tribute to the everyday heroes that make up the armed forces.”

Jesus showed the importance of paying tribute. After a woman poured a costly, fragrant oil on His head, He said that she would be honored for years to come (Matt. 26:13). The disciples were indignant and thought her act was wasteful, but Jesus called it “a good work” (v.10) for which she would be remembered.

We know heroes who have given their lives in service to God and their country. Let’s honor them today.By:  Anne Cetas (Reprinted by permission from Our Daily Bread Ministries. Please do not repost the full devotional without their permission.)

Lord, help us to appreciate
The work that others do,
The service given from their hearts,
Their sacrifice for You.
—Sper

We honor God when we honor one another

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Henry Blackaby - Memorials of Faithfulness

We may assume that our expressions of devotion to God are small and insignificant, but in God's eyes they may hold much meaning. Our love and dedication to Christ may even create memorials to God for future generations.

This woman performed a profound act of love for Jesus. She did not do it to impress His disciples or to gain public attention or to gain praise from Jesus. She simply sought to express her love for Jesus. She did nothing spectacular; she performed no miracles; she preached no sermons. Yet Jesus was so moved by her selfless loyalty that He deemed it worthy of remembrance throughout the remainder of history.

We do not know all that God finds most pleasing, nor do we know what acts of our love He may choose to honor through our children and future generations. Abraham could not have known that the day he demonstrated his willingness to sacrifice his only son would be memorialized and would bless many generations who heard of his obedience. David could not have known that his walk with God would please Him so much that David's example would bless generations who followed him.

God can take your faithfulness and begin a spiritual legacy, making it a blessing to others for generations to come. You will never know until eternity all who received a blessing because of your righteous life. That is why it is so important that you daily express your love and devotion to Jesus.

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ETERNITY

In Yorkshire, England, during the early 1800's, two sons were born to a family named Taylor. The older one set out to make a name for himself by entering Parliament and gaining public prestige. But the younger son chose to give his life to Christ. He later recalled, "Well do I remember, as in unreserved consecration I put myself, my life, my friends, my all, upon the altar. I felt I. was in the presence of God, entering into covenant with the Almighty" With that commitment, Hudson Taylor turned his face toward China and obscurity. As a result, he is known and honored on every continent as a faithful missionary and the founder of the China Inland Mission (now known as Overseas Missionary Fellowship). For the other son, however, there is no lasting monument. He became known simply as "the brother of Hudson Taylor."

You may ask, "Is everyone who yields his life in devotion to the Lord revered like Hudson Taylor?" I'm afraid not. But regardless of any recognition here on earth, every dedicated believer will one day be rewarded by God Himself. That will he a remembrance without equal. —P R. V

GOD'S HALL OF FAME
IS FOR ETERNITY!

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Vance Havner - Do What You Can

She hath done what she could. Mark 14:8.

He had found a little box in the attic. With his crayons he had tried to make it more presentable. Inside he had placed a cut-out Santa Claus and a larger Santa of his own drawing. He had scrawled "Season's Greetings" for a touch of dignity. Then he had wrapped it in a manner all his own, with plenty of seals all over and a big yellow ribbon tied all around.

It wouldn't bring much on sale, but no one could buy it from me, because it was the expression of a little boy's love and, oh, so welcome!

He had done what he could. Which sets me thinking of the woman who anointed Jesus. "She hath done what she could." Do not let not being able to do it better keep you from doing what you can. Bring to the Saviour such as you have, the best you have, all you have. He will receive it. It may seem a poor little thing to others, but if it is the love gift of your heart, it will be precious in His sight.
Do what you can.

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Warren Wiersbe summarizes this story of Mary's anointing Jesus...

There were three consequences to her act of worship.

First, the house was filled with the beautiful fragrance of the ointment (John 12:3; also note 2 Cor. 2:15–16). There is always a “spiritual fragrance” in that home where Jesus Christ is loved and worshiped.

Second, the disciples, led by Judas, criticized Mary for wasting her money! It sounded so pious for Judas to talk about the poor, when in reality he wanted the money for himself! (John 12:4–6) Even in the Upper Room, six days later, the disciples still thought Judas was concerned about helping the poor (John 13:21–30). It is interesting that the word translated “waste” in Mark 14:4 is translated “perdition” in John 17:12 and applied to Judas! Judas criticized Mary for “wasting money,” but he wasted his entire life!

Third, Jesus commended Mary and accepted her gracious gift. He knew the heart of Judas and understood why the other disciples followed his bad example. He also knew Mary’s heart and quickly defended her (Rom. 8:33–39). No matter what others may say about our worship and service, the most important thing is that we please the Lord. The fact that others misunderstand and criticize us should not keep us from showing our love to Christ. Our concern should be His approval alone.

When Mary gave her best at the feet of Jesus, she started a “wave of blessing” that has been going on ever since. She was a blessing to Jesus as she shared her love, and she was a blessing to her home as the fragrance spread. Were it not for Mary, her village, Bethany, would probably have been forgotten. The account of her deed was a blessing to the early church that heard about it and, because of the records in three of the Gospels, Mary has been a blessing to the whole world—and still is! The Lord’s prediction has certainly been fulfilled.

Mary gave her best in faith and love; Judas gave his worst in unbelief and hatred. He solved the problem of how the Jewish leaders could arrest Jesus without causing a riot during the feast. He sold his Master for the price of a slave (see Ex. 21:32), the basest act of treachery in history. (Bible Exposition Commentary)

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Immortal Deeds

What this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her. — Mark 14:9

Today's Scripture: Mark 14:1-9

Which of your accomplishments do you think will be most remembered and valued by others?

Sculptor Frank Eliscu might have guessed that his signature work would be the Cascade of Books outside the Library of Congress, or the Presidential Eagle in the White House. But the most coveted piece of his art is a small statue that can be held in one hand—the Heisman Trophy—awarded annually to the most outstanding college football player in the United States.

The trophy was Eliscu’s first commission, completed when he was only 22. “It was not one of my best works of art,” he said, “but it turned out to be like the Statue of Liberty: not beautiful, but it’s dear to people’s hearts.”

Mary of Bethany probably never guessed that she would be remembered for an act initially criticized as wasteful and inappropriate. After she poured a jar of very expensive perfume on Jesus, the Lord silenced the outcry against her by saying, “Wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her” (Mk. 14:9).

Our truly immortal deeds will be like hers—simple acts of love for the Lord Jesus, accepted and commended by Him. By:  David C. McCasland (Reprinted by permission from Our Daily Bread Ministries. Please do not repost the full devotional without their permission.)

No service in itself is small,
None great, though earth it fill;
But that is small that seeks its own,
And great that does God's will.
—Anon.

A life lived for God leaves a lasting legacy.

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Daniel Akin has chart depicting the striking contrast between Mary and Judas...

MARY	JUDAS
A woman of no real standing	A man and one of the apostles
Gave what she could to Jesus	Took what he could get for Jesus
Blessed her Lord	Betrayed his Lord
Loved her Lord	Used his Lord
Did a beautiful thing	Did a terrible thing
Served Him as her Savior	Sold Him like He was his slave
Memorialized forever for her devotion	Memorialized forever for his betrayal

Akin concludes - Oh, how I want to be like Mary. But oh, how often it is that it is Judas who so readily appears when I look in the mirror. Only the gospel of my Savior is sufficient for my sin, sick soul I strongly suspect that were Mary, the unnamed woman of Mark 14, alive today, and we were to interview her and ask her the question, “What is your favorite Christian hymn?”, I strongly suspect she would say, “that’s easy. It was written in 1707 by Issac Watts. Why Charles Wesley reportedly said he would give up all his other hymns to have written this one. Mr. Wesley wrote over 6,000 hymns you know! Some say he wrote over 9,000! Now the hymn written by Mr. Watts: “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross.” I love all 4 stanzas, but 1 and 4 are especially meaningful to me!” (Worship as you listen to Kathryn Scott's beautiful version of this timeless hymn)...

When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of Glory died
My richest gain I count but loss
And pour contempt on all my pride

Forbid it Lord that I should boast
Save in the death of Christ my God
All the vain things that charm me most
I sacrifice them to His blood

See from His head His hands His feet
Sorrow and love flow mingled down
Did ere such love and sorrow meet
Or thorns compose so rich a crown

Were the whole realm of nature mine
That were an offering far too small
Love so amazing so divine
Demands my soul, my life, my all

Matthew 26:14 Then one of the twelve, named Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests

• one: Mk 14:10 Lu 22:3-6 Joh 13:2,30 
• Judas: Mt 10:4 Joh 6:70,71 18:2 

Related Passages:  

Mark 14:10+  Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went off to the chief priests in order to betray Him to them.

Luke 22:3-6+ And Satan entered into Judas who was called Iscariot, belonging to the number of the twelve. 4 And he went away and discussed with the chief priests and officers how he might betray Him to them. 5 They were glad and agreed to give him money. 6 So he consented, and began seeking a good opportunity to betray Him to them apart from the crowd. 

John 6:70-71+  Jesus answered them, “Did I Myself not choose you, the twelve, and yet one of you is a devil?” 71 Now He meant Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the twelve, was going to betray Him.

ONE OF THE TWELVE
......NOT! 

Note that this verse fits nicely with Mt 26:5 where the chief priests were hesitating to arrest Jesus in the crowds of the Passover. And here their golden opportunity drops into their lap in the form of a disgruntled, disloyal disciple of Jesus! Little did they know that this was simply another manifestation of God's perfect providence assuring the Lamb of God would die as the true Passover Lamb! 

Then one of the twelve (See twelve disciples - Judas always last in the list of 12!), named Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests (archiereus - see chief priests) - Note the verb went

How tragic that Judas' means praise and yet it came to stand for a life wasted and ruined. No one names their child "Judas!"  How might the mention of Judas link to the preceding context of one of the greatest acts of human devotion ever done for Christ? Of course the question in part contains the answer, for now we embark on the darkest of dark tales of the most un-devotional act ever done against Jesus! There is another link perhaps in that Mary's costly (literally and figuratively) act was this last straw with Judas who was likely the first disciple to question "Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii, and given to poor people?" (Jn 12:5) Judas was in it for the money and if this loss of 100 denarii of perfume was not enough to tip him over the edge, it surely was a contributing factor motivating him to seek to make up for this loss by receiving thirty pieces of silver! Judas knew were the money was, the corrupt chief priests (archiereus) who ran the lucrative (bizarre) bazaar, selling animals and changing money in the Temple! (See more discussion on why Judas betrayed Jesus) 

Edwards agrees explaining that "Judas was now totally disenchanted with the Lord's methods and decides to salvage what profit he can from his poor investment of the past three years. Judas makes the supremely tragic choice of silver over the Savior, as multitudes have offer him." (The Gospel according to Mark)

Daniel Akin - Extravagant acts of love will stand in stark contrast to those of betrayal. Some people find Jesus useful because of what they think they can get from Him. Others find Jesus beautiful because they get Him. This woman found Jesus beautiful and gave all she had to Him. In contrast Judas found Jesus useful and sought to get all he could for Him.

Arthur Carr - St Mark, like St Matthew, connects the treachery of Judas with the scene in Simon’s house. His worldly hopes fell altogether at the thought of “burial.” It is a striking juxtaposition: as Mary’s is the highest deed of loving and clear-sighted faith, Judas’ is the darkest act of treacherous and misguided hate. The motive that impelled Judas was probably not so much avarice as disappointed worldly ambition. Jesus said of him that he was a “devil” (diabolus or Satan), the term that was on a special occasion applied to St Peter, and for the same reason (cf Mt 16:23+, Mk 8:33+). Peter for a moment allowed the thought of the earthly kingdom to prevail; with Judas it was the predominant idea which gained a stronger and stronger hold on his mind until it forced out whatever element of good he once possessed. “When the manifestation of Christ ceased to be attractive it became repulsive; and more so every day” (Neander, Life of Christ, Bohn’s trans., p. 424).

Of the twelve (all 4 Gospels = Lk 22:47, Mt 26:14, 47, Mk 14:10, 43, Jn 6:71) - The related phrase ("one of the twelve") is used of only one other disciple, Thomas, called Didymus (Jn 20:24). There were apparently more disciples of Jesus than the inner circle of 12 (cf "seventy other" in Lk 10:1+), so the fact that Judas was in this inner circle giving him close continual contact with Christ makes his treacherous betrayal all the more despicable, unimaginable and inconceivable!  Since Judas was one "of the twelve," he clearly had exposure to light that only a few humans have had (really just the other 11 disciples). To sin against such light is all the more heinous. But even worse is that sin against such light results in a far greater degree of eternal punishment for Judas! (cf Chorazin, et al Lk 10:13-15+, Mt 11:21-24+). Indeed, Jesus declared "The Son of Man is to go, 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." (Mt 26:24) Double woe! 

THOUGHT - The spiritual lesson for us from these verses is: Since it is possible to be religious and yet to be in league with Satan, we must guard against evil religion. Satan uses religion more than any other tool to keep men in his domain of darkness.

Spurgeon - Out of twelve apostles, one was a Judas Iscariot. Marvel not, therefore, if, among your friends and kinsfolk, you have one who turns against you, and betrays you to your enemies......It was one of the twelve, who went unto the chief priests, to bargain for the price of his Lord’s betrayal. He did not even mention Christ’s name in his infamous question, "What will you give me, and I will deliver him unto you?" The amount agreed upon, thirty pieces of silver, was the price of a slave; and showed how little value the chief priests set upon Jesus, and also revealed the greed of Judas in selling his Master for so small a sum. Yet many have sold Jesus for a less price than Judas received; a smile or a sneer has been sufficient to induce them to betray their Lord. Let us, who have been redeemed with Christ’s precious blood, set high store by him, think much of him, and praise him much. As we remember with shame and sorrow, these thirty pieces of silver, let us never undervalue him, or forget the priceless preciousness of him who was reckoned as worth no more than a slave.

Spurgeon - Was it not a sad thing that the betrayer of Christ should be one of the twelve? Yet deeply trying as it must have been to the heart of Christ, there is something useful about even that horrible transaction. It says to all the professing Church of Christ, and it says to us who claim to be Christ’s followers, “Do not think yourselves safe because you are in the visible church; do not imagine that even holding the highest office in the church can prevent you from committing the basest crime. Nay, for here is one of the twelve apostles, yet he betrays his Master. Sometimes, we have found this betrayal to be a source of comfort. I have myself desired, in receiving members into the church, to be very careful if possible only to receive good men and true; yet, though pastors and elders of the church may exercise the strictest watch, some of the worst of men will manage to get in. When that is the case, we say to ourselves, “No new thing has happened to us, for such a sinner as this marred the Church from the very beginning.” Here is Judas, when Christ himself is the Pastor, when the twelve apostles make up the main body of the Church, here is Judas, one of the twelve, ready to betray his Master for the paltry bribe of thirty pieces of silver, just the price of a slave. Yes, we might have been put out of heart in building up the Church of God if it had not been for this sad but truthful narrative concerning Judas and his betrayal of our Lord.

J C Ryle has a pithy application - We ought to observe these things. They are deeply humbling and instructive. Like Lot’s wife, Judas is intended to be a beacon to the whole church. Let us often think about him, and say, as we think, “Search me, O Lord, and try my heart, and see if there be any wicked way in me.” Let us resolve, by God’s grace, that we will never be content with anything short of sound, thorough, heart conversion.

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Judas (2455)(Ioudas) is translated as the tribe Judah (11), the betrayer Judas and other men with this name (32), and the half brother of Jesus, Jude(1). Note that Ioudas is also translated as "good guys" also Judah(11) and Jude(1). The first is the tribe Jesus was from and the second is Jesus' half brother! 

Judas 42v - Judah(11), Judas(32), Jude(1). Matt. 1:2; Matt. 1:3; Matt. 2:6; Matt. 10:4; Matt. 13:55; Matt. 26:14; Matt. 26:25; Matt. 26:47; Matt. 27:3; Mk. 3:19; Mk. 6:3; Mk. 14:10; Mk. 14:43; Lk. 1:39; Lk. 3:30; Lk. 3:33; Lk. 6:16; Lk. 22:3; Lk. 22:47; Lk. 22:48; Jn. 6:71; Jn. 12:4; Jn. 13:2; Jn. 13:26; Jn. 13:29; Jn. 14:22; Jn. 18:2; Jn. 18:3; Jn. 18:5; Acts 1:13; Acts 1:16; Acts 1:25; Acts 5:37; Acts 9:11; Acts 15:22; Acts 15:27; Acts 15:32; Heb. 7:14; Heb. 8:8; Jude 1:1; Rev. 5:5; Rev. 7:5

Iscariot (2469)(iskariotes)   The meaning of this word is uncertain but usually taken to refer to a place, the village of Kerioth (Josh 15:25) in southern Judea. There are 11 uses of Iscariot in the NT and most uses are associated with a description of the fact that he was a betrayer of Jesus. Even in this verse, Satan entering him indicates he will soon carry out his devilish deed.  Stein on Iscariot - The latter designation probably means man (Is[h]) from [the town of] Karioth (cariot). This would make Judas a Judean and the only non-Galilean of the group.(NAC) Guzik writes "Others think the name Iscariot is linked to the word sicarius, meaning “assassin” – a connection to the Jewish zealots who carried out underground warfare against the Roman occupiers." (I think this supposition while intriguing is unlikely).

Iscariot - 11x in 11v -  Matt. 10:4; Matt. 26:14; Mk. 3:19; Mk. 14:10; Lk. 6:16; Lk. 22:3; Jn. 6:71; Jn. 12:4; Jn. 13:2; Jn. 13:26; Jn. 14:22

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QUESTION - Who was Judas Iscariot?

ANSWER - Judas Iscariot is typically remembered for one thing: his betrayal of Jesus. He was one of the twelve disciples who lived with and followed Jesus for three years. He witnessed Jesus’ ministry, His teaching, and His many miracles. He was the treasurer for the group and used this trusted position to steal from their resources (John 12:6).

Judas was a common name in that era, and there are several other Judases mentioned in the New Testament. One of the other disciples was named Judas (John 14:22), and so was one of Jesus’ own half-brothers (Mark 6:3). To differentiate, John 6:71 and John 13:26 refer to Christ’s betrayer as “Judas, son of Simon Iscariot.”

Scholars have several ideas about the derivation of the surname. One is that Iscariot refers to Kerioth, a region or town in Judea. Another idea is that it refers to the Sicarii, a cadre of assassins among the Jewish rebels.

The possible association with the Sicarii allows for interesting speculation about Judas’ motives for his betrayal, but the fact that he made a conscious choice to betray Jesus (Luke 22:48) remains the same. The surname Iscariot is useful, if for no other reason, in that it leaves no doubt about which Judas is being referred to.

Here are some of the facts we glean from key verses about Judas and his betrayal:

Money was important to Judas. As already mentioned, he was a thief, and, according to Matthew 26:13–15, the chief priests paid him “thirty silver coins” to betray the Lord.

Jesus knew from the very beginning what Judas Iscariot would do. Jesus told His disciples, “Have I not chosen you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil!” (John 6:70). And at the Last Supper, Jesus predicted His betrayal and identified the betrayer: “Jesus answered, ‘It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.’ Then, dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, son of Simon” (John 13:26).

Jesus said that Judas Iscariot was not “clean”; i.e., he had not been born again and was not forgiven of his sins (John 13:10–11). In fact, Judas was empowered to do what he did by the devil himself: “As soon as Judas took the bread [that Jesus had given him], Satan entered into him” (John 13:27).

The other disciples had no clue that Judas Iscariot harbored treacherous thoughts. When Jesus mentioned a betrayer in their midst, the other disciples worried that it was they who would prove disloyal (John 13:22). No one suspected Judas. He was a trusted member of the Twelve. Even when Jesus told Judas, “What you are about to do, do quickly,” (John 13:27), and Judas left the Last Supper, the others at the table simply thought Judas had been sent to buy more food or to give something to charity (verses 28–29).

Judas Iscariot betrayed the Lord with a kiss, perfectly in keeping with his brazen duplicity (Luke 22:47–48). After committing his atrocious act, Judas “was seized with remorse and returned the thirty silver coins to the chief priests and the elders” (Matthew 27:3). But we learn that remorse does not equal repentance—rather than make amends or seek forgiveness, “he went away and hanged himself” (Matthew 27:5).

Judas Iscariot fulfilled the prophecy of Psalm 41:9, “Even my close friend, someone I trusted, one who shared my bread, has turned against me” (cf. John 13:18). Yet Judas was fully responsible for his actions. Jesus said, “The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born” (Matthew 26:24).

Matthew 27:6–8 reports that the chief priests took the “blood money” from Judas and bought a potter’s field as a place for burying foreigners (thus fulfilling the prophecy of Zechariah 11:12–13). Acts 1:18–19 continues the story of what happened after Judas’ death and gives some additional information. Luke reports, “With the reward he got for his wickedness, Judas bought a field; there he fell headlong, his body burst open and all his intestines spilled out. Everyone in Jerusalem heard about this, so they called that field in their language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.” The additional detail we learn from Luke is that, after Judas hanged himself, his dead body fell into the very field purchased with his ill-gotten gains.

Given the fact of Judas’ close proximity to Jesus during three years of ministry, it is hard to imagine how he could follow through on such a dastardly betrayal. Judas’ story teaches us to guard against small, gradual failings that gain strength and power in our lives and that could open the door to more deadly influences. His story is also a great reminder that appearances can be deceiving. Jesus taught, “Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” (Matthew 7:22–23).

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QUESTION - Why did Judas betray Jesus? | GotQuestions.org (View Video)

ANSWER - While we cannot be absolutely certain why Judas betrayed Jesus, some things are certain. First, although Judas was chosen to be one of the Twelve (John 6:64), all scriptural evidence points to the fact that he never believed Jesus to be God. He even may not have been convinced that Jesus was the Messiah (as Judas understood it). Unlike the other disciples that called Jesus “Lord,” Judas never used this title for Jesus and instead called him “Rabbi,” which acknowledged Jesus as nothing more than a teacher. While other disciples at times made great professions of faith and loyalty (John 6:68; 11:16), Judas never did so and appears to have remained silent. This lack of faith in Jesus is the foundation for all other considerations listed below. The same holds true for us. If we fail to recognize Jesus as God incarnate, and therefore the only One who can provide forgiveness for our sins—and the eternal salvation that comes with it—we will be subject to numerous other problems that stem from a wrong view of God.

Second, Judas not only lacked faith in Christ, but he also had little or no personal relationship with Jesus. When the synoptic gospels list the Twelve, they are always listed in the same general order with slight variations (Matthew 10:2-4; Mark 3:16-19; Luke 6:14-16). The general order is believed to indicate the relative closeness of their personal relationship with Jesus. Despite the variations, Peter and the brothers James and John are always listed first, which is consistent with their relationships with Jesus. Judas is always listed last, which may indicate his relative lack of a personal relationship with Christ. Additionally, the only documented dialogue between Jesus and Judas involves Judas being rebuked by Jesus after his greed-motivated remark to Mary (John 12:1-8), Judas’ denial of his betrayal (Matthew 26:25), and the betrayal itself (Luke 22:48).

Third, Judas was consumed with greed to the point of betraying the trust of not only Jesus, but also his fellow disciples, as we see in John 12:5-6. Judas may have desired to follow Jesus simply because he saw the great following and believed he could profit from collections taken for the group. The fact that Judas was in charge of the moneybag for the group would indicate his interest in money (John 13:29).

Additionally, Judas, like most people at the time, believed the Messiah was going to overthrow Roman occupation and take a position of power ruling over the nation of Israel. Judas may have followed Jesus hoping to benefit from association with Him as the new reigning political power. No doubt he expected to be among the ruling elite after the revolution. By the time of Judas’ betrayal, Jesus had made it clear that He planned to die, not start a rebellion against Rome. So Judas may have assumed—just as the Pharisees did—that since He would not overthrow the Romans, He must not be the Messiah they were expecting.

There are a few Old Testament verses that point to the betrayal, some more specifically than others. Here are two:

“Even my close friend, whom I trusted, he who shared my bread, has lifted up his heel against me” (Psalm 41:9, see fulfillment in Matthew 26:14, 48-49).

Also, “I told them, ‘If you think it best, give me my pay; but if not, keep it.’ So they paid me thirty pieces of silver. And the LORD said to me, ‘Throw it to the potter’—the handsome price at which they priced me!' So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the LORD to the potter” (Zechariah 11:12-13; see Matthew 27:3-5 for the fulfillment of the Zechariah prophecy).

These Old Testament prophecies indicate that Judas’ betrayal was known to God and that it was sovereignly planned beforehand as the means by which Jesus would be killed.

But if Judas’ betrayal was known to God, did Judas have a choice, and is he held responsible for his part in the betrayal? It is difficult for many to reconcile the concept of “free will” (as most people understand it) with God’s foreknowledge of future events, and this is largely due to our limited experience of going through time in a linear fashion. If we see God as existing outside of time, since He created everything before “time” began, then we can understand that God sees every moment in time as the present. We experience time in a linear way—we see time as a straight line, and we pass from one point gradually to another, remembering the past we have already traveled through, but unable to see the future we are approaching. However, God, being the eternal Creator of the construct of time, is not “in time” or on the timeline, but outside of it. It might help to think of time (in relation to God) as a circle with God being the center and therefore equally close to all points.

In any case, Judas had the full capacity of making his choice—at least up to the point where “Satan entered into him” (John 13:27)—and God’s foreknowledge (John 13:10, 18, 21) in no way supersedes Judas’ ability to make any given choice. Rather, what Judas would choose eventually, God saw as if it was a present observation, and Jesus made it clear that Judas was responsible for his choice and would be held accountable for it. “I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me—one who is eating with me” (Mark 14:18). Notice that Jesus characterizes Judas’ participation as a betrayal. And regarding accountability for this betrayal Jesus said, “Woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born” (Mark 14:21). Satan, too, had a part in this, as we see in John 13:26-27, and he, too, will be held accountable for his deeds. God in His wisdom was able, as always, to manipulate even Satan’s rebellion for the benefit of mankind. Satan helped send Jesus to the cross, and on the cross sin and death were defeated, and now God’s provision of salvation is freely available to all who receive Jesus Christ as Savior.

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QUESTION - Why did Jesus choose Judas? | GotQuestions.org

ANSWER - Jesus chose Judas Iscariot as one of the twelve disciples. Judas was “a devil” (John 6:70–71), “a thief” (John 12:6), an unbeliever (John 6:64), and spiritually unclean (John 13:10), yet he held a respected position within the group (John 13:29). Since Jesus “knew what was in each person” (John 2:25), it may seem puzzling that He would select Judas, the one who would later betray Him.

Jesus chose Judas as a disciple because, ultimately, Judas fit into the plan of God. Jesus had come to earth to die for the redemption of sinners. That death, “the just for the unjust” (1 Peter 3:18, NKJV), was not an accident but was God’s intended purpose. When John the Baptist saw Jesus coming for baptism, he spoke of Jesus as a sacrifice: “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29, ESV).

Jesus was not fooled by Judas. He knew exactly what Judas was like and what he was going to do: “Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him” (John 6:64). In Judas, we have a clear example of how a person can be religious, hear the Word of God taught, witness genuine miracles, and for all appearances seem to be saved, and yet not be born again.

One of the reasons Jesus chose Judas was that prophecy had to be fulfilled. Speaking of His imminent betrayal, Jesus says, “The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him” (Matthew 26:24; cf. John 13:18).

After Christ’s resurrection, Peter also points to fulfilled prophecy in relation to Judas: “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” (Acts 1:16, ESV). He also links Judas’s actions to Psalms 69:25 and 109:8 (Acts 1:20).

Another reason that Jesus chose Judas was that God’s sovereign plan had to be accomplished. In Acts 2:23 Peter states in his sermon to the people of Jerusalem that “this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men” (Acts 2:23, ESV). Not only was the betrayal of Jesus foreknown by God, but it was part of His “definite plan.”

So, Jesus chose Judas to fulfill prophecy and because the plan of God required someone to betray the innocent Son of Man. However, none of this means that Judas and others who condemned and crucified Jesus were without fault. Judas Iscariot bore the responsibility for what he chose to do. Jesus said, “The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born” (Mark 14:21).

Peter also speaks about the sovereign plan of God and the guilt of those who act in sinful ways. In Acts 3:17 Peter says, “And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. But what God foretold by the mouth of the prophets, that his Christ would suffer, he thus fulfilled. Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out” (Acts 3:17–19). Even though the people had “acted in ignorance” in the fulfilling of prophecy, and even though Christ had to suffer according to the plan of God, the people who brought about Jesus’ death were guilty and had to “repent.”

Throughout the Bible, we see that God can use even the most wicked of mankind’s actions for good (see Genesis 50:20). Nothing could be more wicked than betraying and murdering the Son of God, yet in spite of that evil—even through that evil—God provided salvation and “disarmed the powers and authorities [and] . . . made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them” (Colossians 2:15).

God does not create evil, but He does control it. God does not participate in sin, but, in His power and wisdom, God can and sometimes does use the sin already existing in our world to fulfill His purpose. Judas was chosen with the foreknowledge of God that he would betray Jesus, but his betrayal, rather than stop God’s plan for salvation, actually advanced it.

Matthew 26:15 and said, “What are you willing to give me to betray Him to you?” And they weighed out thirty pieces of silver to him.

• What: Ge 38:16 Jdg 16:5 17:10 18:19,20 Isa 56:11 1Ti 3:3 6:9,10 2Pe 2:3,14,15 
• thirty: Ex 21:32 Mt 27:3-5 Ge 37:26-28 Zec 11:12-13 Ac 1:18 

Related Passages: 

Exodus 21:32+  (THE PRICE OF A SLAVE) “If the ox gores a male or female slave, the owner shall give his or her master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned. 

Matthew 27:3-5+ Then when Judas, who had betrayed Him, saw that He had been condemned, he felt remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, 4 saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” But they said, “What is that to us? See to that yourself!” 5 And he threw the pieces of silver into the temple sanctuary and departed; and he went away and hanged himself.

Zechariah 11:12-13 I said to them, “If it is good in your sight, give me my wages; but if not, never mind!” So they weighed out thirty shekels of silver as my wages. 13 Then the LORD said to me, “Throw it to the potter, that magnificent price at which I was valued by them.” So I took the thirty shekels of silver and threw them to the potter in the house of the LORD.

JUDAS SELLS JESUS
"DOWN THE RIVER"

and said, “What are you willing to give me to betray (paradidomi - deliver) Him to you?” - Judas bargains for the life of Christ! His action was motivated by his avarice and desire for money. Betray is our idiom “sell him down the river," clearly something that Judas accomplished!  This is just as Jesus had predicted (Mk 9:31+ = "“The Son of Man is to be delivered [paradidomi] into the hands of men...", Mk 10:33+ "the Son of Man will be delivered [paradidomi] to the chief priests and the scribes...")

Notice that Judas takes the initiative to betray Jesus. Yes it was Judas choice (MAN'S RESPONSIBILITY), but the mastermind behind this evil deed was the Evil One himself (DEMONIC ACTIVITY). John 13:2+ says "During supper, the devil having already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, to betray Him." Not only did the Evil One send a "flaming arrow" (Eph 6:16+), John 13:27+ records that later "After the morsel, Satan then entered into him." So Judas was actually "possessed" by Satan and that is when he apparently went off to the religious leaders.Satan operated through Judas, the unregenerate, unbelieving, greedy man. Satan fully possessed Judas. But don't miss this crucial point -- to be sure Judas was influenced by and possessed by the Devil and yet Judas clearly made a choice of his free will to betray Jesus, and for that reason he would be held fully and forever responsible for his personal choice.  

Mary and Judas extreme opposites:
she freely spending in love,
he willing to sell his Master for money
-- Bruce

As Edwards says "Judas is thus not a victim of circumstances or a pawn dominated by greater forces. He is a sovereign moral agent who freely chooses evil in “handing Jesus over” (Edwards adds that here we see) "the two essential truths of Jesus’ passion: the freely chosen evil of humanity, and the overarching providence of God. Divine grace uses even human evil for its saving purposes."

THOUGHT- One other point to make is that while Satan had not yet entered into Judas (until in the upper room in Jn 13:27+) to "inspire" him to betray Jesus for money, it is almost certain that Judas' greed here in John 12 opened a crack in the door of his heart for Satan to enter in! Sin is deceitful and none of us can be sure exactly how far or where an initial unconfessed sin will take us (cf Pr 28:13+, Nu 32:23b+). The following little ditty is all too true, so if you are reading this note and think "NEVER ME," then you need to read and heed Paul's command in 1Co 10:12+ "Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed (present imperative see our need to depend on the Holy Spirit to obey - blepo - continually keep your eyes wide open!!!) that he does not fall." (See also Deceitfulness of Sin, Are You Entangled? and Backsliding) 

Sin will take you further than you ever wanted to stray!
Cost you more than you ever dreamed you would pay!
Keep you longer than you ever thought you would stay!

And they weighed out thirty pieces (see note) of silver to him - They placed the silver in the scales, scales not of justice but of injustice! They gave Judas 30 pieces of silver, "Blood money" in exchange for the incalculably priceless blood of the Lamb of God, the Redeemer of the world! They did not even bargain over the price of the most perfect life ever lived! The chief priests had apparently read the Old Testament but they did not have eyes to see the truth that it repeatedly pointed to Jesus. So they did not give Judas 30 pieces of silver because they had read the messianic prophecy in Zechariah 11:12 which says "So they weighed out thirty shekels of silver as my wages." They fulfilled this prophecy because God was in complete control of every detail of the drama of redemption! 

Marvin Vincent has an interesting note - Reckoning the Jerusalem shekel at seventy-two cents, the sum would be twenty-one dollars and sixty cents. This was the price which, by the Mosaic law, a man was condemned to pay if his ox should gore a servant (Exod. 21:32). Our Lord, the sacrifice for men, was paid for out of the temple-money, destined for the purchase of sacrifices. He who “took on him the form of a servant” was sold at the legal price of a slave.

Bruce comments that "Coined money was in use, but the shekels may have been weighed out in antique fashion by men careful to do an iniquitous thing in the most orthodox way." 

Spurgeon says thirty pieces of silver was "The price of a slave. This showed the contempt of the rulers for Jesus and the avarice of Judas, which permitted him to sell his Master for so small a sum. How strikingly does all this correspond with the voice of prophecy in Zechariah 11. "So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver; a goodly price." It is to be feared that thousands are selling Jesus for a less price than Judas received. A smile from the world has been a bribe sufficient to seduce many"

Thirty pieces of silver was the price of a slave (Ex. 21:32) and this gives force to our Lord’s words in Mt 20:28+ when He declared that "the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve (TO BE A SLAVE!), and to give His life a ransom for many.”

Henry Morris -  A number of modern writers have tried to find some justifiable motive in Judas' action, but the fact is that he was greedy and a thief (John 12:4-6) and made this bargain on his own volition. In fact, Jesus had recognized him much earlier as a "devil," or adversary (John 6:70-71). Later, He even called Judas "the son of perdition" (John 17:12). He was chosen as a disciple, in spite of all this, because prophecy must be fulfilled (Psalm 41:9; John 13:18). (See Why Jesus choose Judas)

Yet many have sold Jesus for a less price than Judas received;
a smile or a sneer has been sufficient to induce them to betray their Lord
-- C H Spurgeon

Spurgeon - The price of a slave, thus they were fulfilling the ancient prophecy: "So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver."......At what a price did the traitor sell our blessed Master! O you who have been redeemed with his precious blood, set a high value upon him, think much of him, say much in praise of him! Remember these thirty pieces of silver, and never be guilty of despising the Lord of glory, as these chief priests did when they paid for him the price of a slave.

R C H Lenski comments that "Judas would do nothing until he had the money paid down. He intended to run no risks in regard to getting his money later on. The priests were shrewd enough to bind the man by paying him at once; he might otherwise fail them. They ran no risk whatsoever, for they had the power to arrest this man at any time. Judas returned to Jesus with the blood money in his bag." (BORROW The interpretation of St. Luke's Gospel)

Jon Courson - I see a tendency in people today to sell out when they get disappointed in Jesus. “I thought Jesus would bless my business if I became a Christian,” they say. “But what happened? I went bankrupt.” If we’re not careful, a Judas mentality will creep in and we’ll sell out.

J C Ryle - Let us learn, from these verses, that the love of money is one of the greatest snares to a man’s soul. We cannot conceive a clearer proof of this, than the case of Judas. That wretched question, “What will ye give me?” reveals the secret sin which was his ruin. He had given up much for Christ’s sake, but he had not given up his covetousness. The words of the apostle Paul should often ring in our ears, “the love of money is the root of all evil.” (1 Tim. 6:10.) The history of the Church abounds in illustrations of this truth. For money Joseph was sold by his brethren. For money Samson was betrayed to the Philistines. For money Gehazi deceived Naaman, and lied to Elisha. For money Ananias and Sapphira tried to deceive Peter...We ought frequently to call to mind the solemn words, “What shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” “We brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.” Our daily prayer should be, “Give me neither poverty nor riches: feed me with food convenient for me.” (Prov. 30:8.) Our constant aim should be to be rich in grace. They that “will be rich” in worldly possessions often find at last that they have made the worst of bargains. Like Esau, they have bartered an eternal portion for a little temporary gratification. Like Judas Iscariot, they have sold themselves to everlasting perdition.

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QUESTION - What is the significance of thirty pieces of silver? | GotQuestions.org

ANSWER - In Hebrew culture, thirty pieces of silver was not a lot of money. In fact, it was the exact price paid to the master of a slave if and when his slave was gored by an ox (Exodus 21:32). The slave’s death was compensated by the thirty pieces of silver. There are two other places in the Bible that specifically mention the amount of thirty pieces of silver, and they are directly linked. The first passage is in Zechariah, which contains a prophecy that is later fulfilled in the book of Matthew.

Leading up to the prophecy of the thirty pieces of silver is a description of a strange episode in Zechariah’s life. God had the prophet Zechariah play the part of a shepherd and care for a flock “doomed to slaughter” (Zechariah 11:4–14). God used this to illustrate a prophetic judgment against Israel for crucifying Christ, predicting the fall of Israel in AD 70 and the subsequent scattering of the nation. There are several elements in this passage that point to it as a prophecy about Jesus. First, Zechariah says he “got rid of the three shepherds” of the doomed flock (Zech 11:8). The “three shepherds” are probably a reference to the three religious offices during Jesus’ day that worked to condemn Jesus: the elders, the scribes, and the chief priests (Matthew 16:21). Second, Zechariah breaks his two shepherding staffs. One is named Favor and is broken to symbolize the breaking of the Mosaic Covenant by the disobedient people and God’s setting aside His favor or providential care to allow judgment to come upon them (Zechariah 11:10). The second staff, named Union, is broken to represent the breaking up of the nation by the Romans.

Another prophetic reference is found in the thirty pieces of silver given to Zechariah after his work as a shepherd. He went to those he worked for and asked them to pay him what they thought he was worth. They gave him thirty pieces of silver, which he sarcastically calls a “handsome price” because it was such a small amount (Zechariah 11:13)—the price paid for a slave’s accidental death. The employers meant to insult Zechariah with this amount of money. Returning the insult, God tells Zechariah to “throw it to the potter,” and Zechariah tossed the money into the house of the Lord to be given to the potter.

These actions are a shockingly accurate and detailed prophecy, for when Judas Iscariot bargained with the leaders of Israel to betray the Lord Jesus, he asked, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver him over to you?” The murderous cabal then counted out for Judas “thirty pieces of silver” (Matthew 26:15). That’s all they considered Jesus to be worth.

Later, Judas was overcome with guilt for betraying Jesus, and, fulfilling Zechariah’s vivid prophecy, he threw the thirty silver coins into the temple (Matthew 27:3–5). The Jewish leaders used the thirty pieces of silver to buy a field from a potter, again as Zechariah had predicted (Matthew 27:6–10). It was in that field that Judas hanged himself.

Matthew 26:16 From then on he began looking for a good opportunity to betray Jesus.  

• he began looking for a good opportunity: Mk 14:11 Lu 22:6 

Related Passages:

Mark 14:11+ They were glad when they heard this, and promised to give him money. And he began seeking how to betray Him at an opportune time.

Luke 22:6+  So he consented, and began seeking a good opportunity to betray Him to them apart from the crowd. 

THE "HUNT"
IS ON

From then on he began looking (zeteo - imperfect = looking again and again - "Judas went at his business and stuck to it." [ATR]) for a good opportunity (eukairia) to betray (paradidomi - deliver over) Jesus - Began looking (zeteo) is the same verb used of religious leaders in Mk 14:1+ where "the chief priests and the scribes were seeking (zeteo) how to seize Him by stealth and kill Him." In short, "the hunt was on!" 

Good opportunity in this context is one of the more striking oxymorons recorded in all of human history! A good opportunity for a bad deed! On face value, there is nothing good about Judas' treachery and betrayal of Jesus. Of course the omnipotent, sovereign God will cause it to work together for good (Ro 8:28+, Acts 2:23+), by bringing about the crucifixion of the Lamb of God in perfect fulfillment of the Feast of Passover. And I would add "like father, like son," for in Luke 4:13+ "when the devil (Judas' spiritual father) had finished every temptation, he left Him until an opportune time" Judas is looking for "an opportune time" to facilitate the arrest of Jesus, but unlike his father the devil, his goal was not temptation but ultimately torture. 

A T Robertson - This was the whole point of the offer of Judas. He claimed that he knew enough of the habits of Jesus to enable them to catch him "in the absence of the multitude" (Luke 22:6) without waiting for the Passover to be over, when the crowds would leave.

Spurgeon - The traitor sold his Master for thirty pieces of dirty silver; yet many have sold Jesus for a less price than Judas received: a smile or a sneer has been sufficient to induce them to betray their Lord.

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Began seeking (2212)(zeteo) making efforts to discover an opening to betray Jesus. The imperfect tense means over and over Judas was watching for a convenient time to betray Jesus. A T Robertson says "Judas went at his business and stuck to it." Vincent has "He kept seeking: busied himself continuously from that time." 

Good opportunity (2120) eukairia from eukairos (see that study) from eu = good + kairos = season, opportune time, "window of opportunity") is a noun that means the right, suitable time, the convenient opportunity. It conveys a particular time of some importance, a moment that alone is suitable for a specific action. 

Eukairia Matt. 26:16; Lk. 22:6

Eukairia in Septuagint - Ps. 9:9 - A stronghold in times of trouble; Ps. 10:1 - Why do You hide Yourself in times of trouble?; Ps. 145:15 - And You give them their food in due time.

Shakespeare although not using the specific Greek word, alludes to the idea inherent in the root word kairos - There is a tide in the affairs of men, which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune. Omitted, all the voyage of their life Is bound in shallows and in miseries. (Julius Caesar, 4.3.217)

Napoleon said, "There is in the midst of every great battle a ten to fifteen minute period that is the crucial point. (cf "Kairos") Take that period and you win the battle; lose it and you will be defeated."

Matthew 26:17 Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?”

• the first day of Unleavened Bread: Ex 12:6,18-20 13:6-8 Lev 23:5,6 Nu 28:16,17 De 16:1-4 Mk 14:12 Lu 22:7 
• Where: Mt 3:15 17:24,25 Lu 22:8,9 

Related Passages:

Exodus 12:3-10 “Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying, ‘On the tenth of this month they are each one to take a lamb for themselves, according to their fathers’ households, a lamb for each household. 4‘Now if the household is too small for a lamb, then he and his neighbor nearest to his house are to take one according to the number of persons in them; according to what each man should eat, you are to divide the lamb. 5‘Your lamb shall be an unblemished male a year old; you may take it from the sheep or from the goats. 6‘You shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month, then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel is to kill it at twilight. 7‘Moreover, they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses in which they eat it. 8‘They shall eat the flesh that same night, roasted with fire, and they shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. 9‘Do not eat any of it raw or boiled at all with water, but rather roasted with fire, both its head and its legs along with its entrails. 10‘And you shall not leave any of it over until morning, but whatever is left of it until morning, you shall burn with fire.

THE PASSOVER LAMB 

Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread - The 14th of Nisan was the day leaven was removed from the houses in preparation for the feasts of Passover and Unleavened Bread. The term day of Unleavened Bread is synonymous with the Passover. So this day is the Passover, Nisan 14 (Ex 12:6; Lev 23:5, 6) the day when the lambs had to be sacrificed. The actual Feast of Unleavened Bread followed for the next 7 days (Nisan 15-21). 

Mark 14:12  On the first day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover lamb was being sacrificed, His disciples *said to Him, “Where do You want us to go and prepare for You to eat the Passover?”

Luke 22:7 Then came the first day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed.

Rooker adds that "These two ceremonies (Passover and Unleavened Bread) were apparently combined at the beginning, for the Passover lamb was to be eaten with unleavened bread (Ex 12:8)." (New American Commentary).

John MacArthur on the sometimes confusing relationship between the terms Unleavened Bread and Passover - In many ways the feast of Passover, closely associated with the feast of Unleavened Bread, was the central feast of the Jewish year. These two feasts combined to make an eight-day celebration that began with the Passover. As reflected in Matthew 26:17, the two were so closely connected in the minds of Jews that the feast of Unleavened Bread was used as a comprehensive designation that included the Passover. The two names were, in fact, used interchangeably to designate the entire eight day celebration. Technically, however, the Passover was celebrated only on the first day, the fourteenth of Nisan, and the feast of the Unleavened Bread followed from the fifteenth through the twenty-first of Nisan. (See Matthew Commentary)

The disciples (mathetes) came to Jesus (Iesous) and asked, “Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover (pascha) On Thursday afternoon the disciples take the initiative to broach this subject. They asked "where" not "if" indicating they knew Jesus had celebrated previous Passovers and would desire to celebrate this one. In short, they leave the "where" to Jesus and they would do the preparation. It is interesting that although Judas was the treasurer (John 12:6), Jesus did  not give him the task of purchasing the needed provisions.

NET NOTE -This required getting a suitable lamb and finding lodging in Jerusalem where the meal could be eaten. The population of the city swelled during the feast, so lodging could be difficult to find. The Passover was celebrated each year in commemoration of the Israelites’ deliverance from Egypt; thus it was a feast celebrating redemption (see Exod 12). The Passover lamb was roasted and eaten after sunset in a family group of at least ten people (m. Pesahim 7.13). People ate the meal while reclining (see the note on table in Mt 26:20). It included, besides the lamb, unleavened bread and bitter herbs as a reminder of Israel’s bitter affliction at the hands of the Egyptians. Four cups of wine mixed with water were also used for the meal. For a further description of the meal and the significance of the wine cups, see E. Ferguson, Backgrounds of Early Christianity, 523–24.

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Passover (3957) pascha is the transliteration of the Hebrew word pesach/pesah (06453) which is a masculine noun thought by some writers (Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon) to have its origin from pacach/pasah which apparently means to pass over; to spare (Ex 12:13, 23, 27 - "Jehovah will pass"). Depending on the context, pascha refers to the Passover lamb (Lk 22:7), the Passover meal (Lk 22:8), or the festival of Passover (Lk 22:1).

The Passover as used in Lk 22:1 is combined with the Feast of Unleavened Bread by Luke in a metonymy (one word or phrase is substituted for another with which it's closely associated)  writing "the Feast of Unleavened Bread…called the Passover, was approaching." (Lk 22:1) 

The whole feast, including the paschal eve, is called the festival of Unleavened Bread (Ex 23:15; Lv 23:6; Ezra 6:22; Lu 22:1, 7; Acts 12:3; 20:6); but the simple name “Passover” (when they celebrate the "Passover Seder") is the one commonly used by the Jews to the present day for the festival of Unleavened Bread (2Chr 30:15; 35:1, 11; Mk 14:1)

Related Resources:

• Summary Chart of the Lamb of God
• The Lamb of God in Old and New Testaments

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The Question in the Old Testament was...Where is the Lamb?

The Answer in the New Testament is...Behold the Lamb!

The Cry throughout eternity will be...Worthy is the Lamb!
(Source)

Matthew 26:18 And He said, “Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, “My time is near; I am to keep the Passover at your house with My disciples.”

• Go: Mk 14:13-16 Lu 22:10-13 
• The Teacher: Mt 26:49 21:3 23:8,10 Mk 5:35 Joh 11:28 20:16 
• My time: Mt 26:2 Lu 22:53  Joh 7:6,30 12:23 13:1 17:1 

Related Passages:

Mark 14:13-16+  And He *sent two of His disciples and *said to them, “Go into the city, and a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him; 14 and wherever he enters, say to the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher says, “Where is My guest room in which I may eat the Passover with My disciples?”’ 15 “And he himself will show you a large upper room furnished and ready; prepare for us there.” 16 The disciples went out and came to the city, and found it just as He had told them; and they prepared the Passover. 

Luke 22:8-13+  And Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare the Passover for us, so that we may eat it.” 9 They said to Him, “Where do You want us to prepare it?” 10 And He said to them, “When you have entered the city, a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him into the house that he enters. 11 “And you shall say to the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher says to you, “Where is the guest room in which I may eat the Passover with My disciples?”’ 12 “And he will show you a large, furnished upper room; prepare it there.” 13 And they left and found everything just as He had told them; and they prepared the Passover.

 
A "CLOAK AND DAGGER"
ENCOUNTER

PASSOVER LAMB
PREPARES FOR PASSOVER

Why the "cloak and dagger" approach to finding a place to meet? Judas would not know the room and could not alert the authorities, because Jesus did not even tell the two disciples the man's name or the location of the Passover celebration. In addition, Jesus wanted this special meal of meals, His last Passover meal, to be in a location in which they would not be disturbed.

And He said, “Go into the city to a certain man - The Lord's instructions are reminiscent of our Lord’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem (Mark 11:1-6+). From other accounts we learn that (1) there were two disciples, Peter and John, who were also present at His transfiguration and in Gethsemane (2) the certain man would be identified by carrying a pitcher of water,  (3) they are to meet the owner of the house (with the words "the Teacher says") who will provide the guest room (Mk 14:14), (4) the room would be large and furnished (Mk 14:15). Note that the text in Mk 14:13 says the man will meet them, as if it were prearranged. Normally, only women carried water pots (see Ge 24:11, Jn 4:7), while men carried wineskins, so a man approaching Peter and John with a pitcher of water would leave no doubt this was the man Jesus had described. Think about this for a moment. This certain man would have to find the two disciples out of the literally thousands that were walking through the city streets! Sounds a bit like traffic in Austin, Texas! And so it is easy to overlook the miraculous aspect of this rendevous, but it was indeed a miracle that the man found Peter and John as they entered a city packed with pilgrims for the Passover. Not only did he find them, but he recognized them. Just a few more small details indicating God was in complete control. 

THOUGHT- Is Jesus calling you to "GO?"...to share the Gospel with my neighbor?...to go and work in the inner city sharing the Gospel? The question we all should ask ourselves is "Jesus where do you want me to go in life and what do you want me to do?" Jesus knows the beginning from the end, the alpha and the omega and as the Good Shepherd is able and willing to lead His sheep. He has a plan for each of our lives (see Eph 2:10+, Eccl 9:10), but the question is do I want to do my less than perfect will for my life or His perfect will? (Pr 19:21)

ANOTHER THOUGHT - Pause for a moment and ponder your service for the Lord Jesus. You may be an "eye" or a "hand" (1 Cor 12:15-16), or you may be a "foot," and as such you wonder "Is there really any value in what I am doing for the Lord? Am I really making a contribution? No one even knows my name or what I do." WRONG! The Teacher knows your name and He esteems your value no less then the one who preaches or teaches. No one knew this man's name except God, but that is really all that matters in eternity. Be faithful in whatever He has given you to do. One day He will introduce you to the man who did the woman's job of carrying a pitcher of water and you will both bask in the rewards for being faithful servants of the Lord Jesus Christ. Hallelujah! Amen! 

McKenna notes, “Treachery shadows the final hours. Jesus must protect Himself by limiting His confidence to two disciples who will know the time and place for the Passover feast.” (BORROW Communicator’s Commentary - Mark PAGE 284)

James R Edwards: comments that His clear instructions "show Jesus’ knowledge and complete governance of events as his “hour” (Mk 14:35) of death approaches. Jesus is not a tragic hero caught in events beyond his control. There is no hint of desperation, fear, anger, or futility on his part. Jesus does not cower or retreat as plots are hatched against him. He displays, as he has throughout the Gospel, a sovereign freedom and authority to follow a course he has freely chosen in accordance with God’s plan. Judas and others may act against him, but they do not act upon him. (See The Gospel According to Mark - Page 419)

And say to him, ‘The Teacher  (didaskalos) says, “My time (kairos - a specific epoch, not just any time in general) is near (eggus) (Cf "My time" "My hour" - Jn. 2:4; 7:6, 8, 30; Jn 8:20; Jn 12:23; Jn 13:1; Jn 17:1)- Jesus declaring "My time is near" is a reference to His arrest, trials and crucifixion. This raises the question of whether this "certain man" knew or understood this time phrase as a reference to His crucifixion. 

The Teacher says  - There were many teachers in Jerusalem at the time of the Passover, but somehow the owner would know this "Teacher" was a reference to Jesus. Jesus may have pre-arranged this encounter or it may simply be supernatural. Matthew 26:18 adds the detail (not in Luke or Mark) that "The Teacher says, “My time is near; I am to keep the Passover at your house with My disciples.”  What time? The time to eat the Passover and to inaugurate the New Covenant in His blood and/or the time of His sacrificial death as the Lamb of God. 

MacArthur on My time - "Jesus' statement, "My time is at hand," was perhaps more for the sake of the disciples than the two men whom Peter and John would encounter. Time does not translate chronos, which refers to a general space or succession of time, but rather to kairos, a specific and often predetermined period or moment of time. Jesus' time was also, of course, the Father's time, the divinely appointed time when the Son would offer Himself as the sacrifice for the sins of the world (cf. 1 John 2:2+). Until now that monumental time had not come and could not have come (see John 7:6), but at this particular Passover it could not fail to come, because it was divinely ordained and fixed. That last Passover supper would set in motion the final, irreversible countdown, as it were, for the crucifixion. (See Matthew 24-28 MacArthur New Testament Commentary - Page 143) 

I am to keep (observe, celebrate) the Passover (pascha) at your house with My disciples (mathetes) - This is a divine appointment, somehow prearranged with the owner of the house. Think about the scene in Jerusalem, the population having swollen by up to 5 times normal, which would place a premium on rental property. This home could have been rented for a considerable sum, but God had somehow made the "reservation." Won't it be interesting in heaven to speak with this owner and ask him how he was made aware of Jesus' need? 

This was the last meal Jesus would eat before His crucifixion and was more than the usual Passover meal, for during the meal Jesus would reveal that He was the Passover Lamb. Note that although this is a Thursday night it is very clear that Jesus ate a meal that Luke refers to as the Passover (Mk 14:12, 14, 16, cf Lk 22:7, 8, 11, 12,). This is important to keep in mind because of the fact that Jesus died the next day as the Passover Lamb.

IVP Background Commentary - Anyone with a two-story home, the second of which contained a “large” upper room, would be considered well-to-do. This family presumably resided in the Upper City of Jerusalem, near the temple, rather than the poorer Lower City, downwind of Jerusalem’s sewage.

In comparing the parallel descriptions in the Synoptic Gospels it is notable that Jesus rightly emphasizes His possession of all that is involved in this unique time in all of eternity - "My time," "My guest room," (Mk 14:14) "My disciples," " My body," (Lk 22:19), "My blood" (Lk 22:20), "My trials," (Lk 22:28), "My Father," (Lk 22:29), "My table in My Kingdom," (Lk 22:30), "Not My will." (Lk 22:42).

THOUGHT - How do we respond in our role as steward when Christ claims to have need of certain of our resources? Our house, car, health, finances, children … Seek first the kingdom of God … (Mt 6:33) Note also the Synergy of God sovereignly preparing the room and yet charging the disciples with human responsibility of preparing the Passover meal (Paul Apple)

Spurgeon - How truly royal was Jesus of Nazareth even in his humility! He had only to send two of his disciples "into the city to such a man," and the guest chamber, furnished and prepared, was at once placed at his disposal. He did not take the room by arbitrary force, as an earthly monarch might have done; but he obtained it by the diviner compulsion of almighty love. Jesus knew something about this man that you and I do not know, so he said to his disciples: Just go and say to him, ‘The Master says, My time is at hand; I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.’" Was he not himself a disciple? I cannot say but this I do know, that the Lord Jesus has a certain number who are willing to help his cause, even though as yet they hardly call themselves his disciples. I should think, however, that after this man had once had the Master and his disciples in his house, there must have been a blessing left behind, and he would want to become one of that goodly company. It is well, dear friend, that you are willing to have the prayer-meeting in your house, it is well that you will stand up on the side of truth, even if you have no share in it as yet, for maybe, — and I hope the "maybe" will become a certainty, — you will yet be one of Christ’s disciples.

Spurgeon - See the absolute control which Jesus has over the minds of men. He can have any man’s house that we wants, and he knows who will be glad to welcome him. Yet this same Jesus was about to die, and this shows how perfectly voluntary was his sacrifice. He was not forced to stand in our stead, nor was he compelled to suffer except by the constraint of his own great love. All was free, as became the freedom of his grace. Then, shall not our heart’s love flow out freely to him? Shall we need to be scourged to obedience? Oh, no, beloved! So let us think what we can voluntarily do in honor of our Divine Lord, who gave his all for us.

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Teacher (1320) (didaskalos from didasko = teach to shape will of one being taught by content of what is taught <> cp didaskalía) is one who provides instruction or systematically imparts truth. The Greek has the definite article (to = the) in front of didaskalos, signifying not just any teacher in general, but THE Teacher, in fact the Teacher of teachers! The disciples and even the Scribes and Pharisees called Jesus "Teacher." (Mt 8:19, 9:11, 12:38, 17:24, 19:16, 22:16, 22:24, 22:36, 23:8, 26:18, etc).

Time, Times (season, opportunity, epoch, proper time) (2540) kairos means a point of time or period of time, time, period, frequently with the implication of being especially fit for something and without emphasis on precise chronology.  It describes the period as especially appropriate and favorable (the right time). Stated another way kairos is distinguished from chronos (time) because kairos views TIME from the aspect of the strategic opportunity it provides, and not simply a change from the past into the present into the future, not mere duration. (Trench)Something that lasts for a season and so is transient, temporary or enduring only for a specific period of time. Kairos is a period which is especially appropriate - a favorable time (at the right time).

Kairos can refer to a fixed and definite time, the time when things are brought to crisis, the decisive epoch waited for or a strategic point in time.

Kairos speaks of a limited period of time, with the added notion of suitableness ("the suitable time", "the right moment", "the convenient time"). Kairos refers to a distinct, fixed time period, rather than occasional moments.

Kairos is not so much a succession of minutes (Greek chronos 5550), but a period of opportunity. Chronos refers to chronological time, to clock time or calendar time, to a general space or succession of time. Kairos, on the other hand, refers to a specific and often predetermined period or moment of time and so views time in terms of events, eras, or seasons, such as the times of the Gentiles (see note) In other words, kairos defines the best time to do something, the moment when circumstances are most suitable, the psychologically "ripe" moment.

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Henry Blackaby - When Christ Gives a Command -  “Go into the city to a certain man"

The two disciples were given very detailed instructions to go to a certain town and look for a particular man performing a specific task. He would have a large room, furnished and ready to observe the Passover. These instructions might have seemed unusual had it not been their Lord speaking, but the two disciples obeyed and found everything just as Jesus had said. Jesus knew exactly what they would find, and so He guided them specifically. One of the most memorable and precious times the disciples would spend with their Teacher hinged on the obedience of these two.

Obedience to Christ's commands always brings fulfillment.
When the Lord gives you instructions, obey immediately.

Obedience to Christ's commands always brings fulfillment. When the Lord gives you instructions, obey immediately. Don't wait until you have figured it all out and everything makes perfect sense to you. Sometimes God will lead you to do things that you will not fully understand until after you have done them. He does not usually reveal all the details of His will when He first speaks to you. Instead, He tells you enough so you can implement what He has said, but He withholds enough information so that you must continue to rely upon His guidance. Your response will affect what God does next in your life. Your obedience may affect how others around you experience Christ as well. If there is any directive God has given you that you have not obeyed, obey that word immediately and watch God's perfect plan unfold in your life. (Ed: I would add that delayed obedience is tantamount to disobedience.)

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C H Spurgeon - Morning and Evening - Jerusalem at the time of the passover was one great inn; each householder had invited his own friends, but no one had invited the Saviour, and he had no dwelling of his own. It was by his own supernatural power that he found himself an upper room in which to keep the feast. It is so even to this day—Jesus is not received among the sons of men save only where by his supernatural power and grace he makes the heart anew. All doors are open enough to the prince of darkness, but Jesus must clear a way for himself or lodge in the streets. It was through the mysterious power exerted by our Lord that the householder raised no question, but at once cheerfully and joyfully opened his guestchamber. Who he was, and what he was, we do not know, but he readily accepted the honour which the Redeemer proposed to confer upon him. In like manner it is still discovered who are the Lord’s chosen, and who are not; for when the gospel comes to some, they fight against it, and will not have it, but where men receive it, welcoming it, this is a sure indication that there is a secret work going on in the soul, and that God has chosen them unto eternal life. Are you willing, dear reader, to receive Christ? then there is no difficulty in the way; Christ will be your guest; his own power is working with you, making you willing. What an honour to entertain the Son of God! The heaven of heavens cannot contain him, and yet he condescends to find a house within our hearts! We are not worthy that he should come under our roof, but what an unutterable privilege when he condescends to enter! for then he makes a feast, and causes us to feast with him upon royal dainties, we sit at a banquet where the viands are immortal, and give immortality to those who feed thereon. Blessed among the sons of Adam is he who entertains the angels’ Lord.

Matthew 26:19 The disciples did as Jesus had directed them; and they prepared the Passover.

• the disciples: Mt 21:6 Joh 2:5 15:14 
• and they: Ex 12:4-8 2Ch 35:10,11 

UNQUESTIONING
OBEDIENCE

The disciples (mathetes) did as Jesus (Iesous) had directed them; and they prepared (hetoimazo) the Passover (pascha) - Peter and John obeyed, not questioning Jesus and not hesitating to go into the city. Directed is the rare verb suntasso that means to arrange or set in order together. The idea is to direct that something be done in an explicit fashion, hence order, command, instruct (Only in Mt 21:6; Mt 26:19; Mt 27:10). Prepared (hetoimazo) means they put things in readiness for the Passover celebration. 

The prepared everything necessary to celebrate the Passover Seder. They obeyed without hesitation. While there is no specific record that Peter and John returned to the place where Jesus was staying Mk 14:17 says "When it was evening He *came with the twelve." This would imply that Peter and John had returned. If that is in fact the case it is surprising that Judas would not be able to discover the "secret location" from Peter and John because they had no reason to suspect him as a traitor. Had this occurred Judas could have informed the authorities and jeopardized the Passover meal with Jesus. Once again we see God was in control of the details.

They prepared the Passover What is fascinating is the fact that while the disciples are preparing for the Passover feast, God Himself is orchestrating events to prepare His Passover Lamb of God. How? Through the murderous thoughts of the Jewish religious leaders, the interaction of Satan and the betrayal of Judas by word and deed. In short, while they prepare the Passover for Jesus, God is preparing Jesus for them and for all who trust in Him (cf Acts 2:23+). As John wrote "“Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29+) Paul looking backwards concurs writing "Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed." (1 Cor 5:7+).

Spurgeon - They went to this man, delivered Christ’s message, and he showed them a large upper room, furnished and prepared. If Christ’s disciples always loyally did as Jesus appointed them, they would always speed well on his errands. There are many more people in the world ready to yield to Christ than some of us think. The person sitting or standing by your side is quite unknown to you, but, if you will speak to him about the Savior, he will probably respond to your word. At any rate, try him, and see if it be not so. Whether standing or sitting, there must be someone here not yet a disciple, who only needs for you to speak a kind word, and the deciding work will be done.

Spurgeon - If Christ’s disciples always loyally did a Jesus appointed them, they would always speed well on his errands. There are many more people in the world ready to yield to Christ than some of us think. If we would only go to them as Peter and John went to this man in Jerusalem, and say to them what "the Master says", we should find that their hearts would be opened to receive Christ even as this man’s house was willingly yielded up at our Lord’s request. 

PREPARATION FOR
THE PASSOVER

A major part of the preparation was to procure a blemish free lamb which most likely would have been done on Monday, the 10th of Nisan (cf Ex 12:2, 5, 6+), for that was the day on which the lamb was to be inspected for blemishes. Then on the day they were to celebrate the Passover meal, they would have to take the lamb to the Temple to be inspected and sacrificed by the priests. Only two men were allowed to bring the lamb (thus Peter and John) because otherwise the courtyard would have become much too crowded given the thousands of lambs that needed to be sacrificed in the small window of time which had been prescribed. According to Josephus the lambs had to be sacrificed between the 9th and the 11th hour which would be from 3 PM to 5 PM (As an aside, just imagine this bloody scene in the Temple with the blood of 1000's of lambs being spilled, and yet even then not being able "to take away sins"-cf Heb 10:4+). The 12th hour would have been sunset after which the Passover would commence. So Peter and John would have to return to the upper room and roast the lamb. In addition they would have to procure the other elements for the feast (click for elements necessary for the Passover Seder). Thus, presumably they would have gone out to purchase the wine, etc, but none of the Gospel accounts give details. In any event, this was clearly no small task given the crowds in the city and the small window of time. Recall that the city was so crowded because the Passover could only be celebrated within the city limits.  While the text does not say, another possibility is that when Peter and John arrived at the furnished room, it was not only furnished with pillows, carpets and table for the meal, but even the necessary ingredients for the meal. Clearly, it was all accomplished in time for God was in total control of this monumental last Passover. All of this preparation and procurement of multiple necessities makes me think of Php 4:19+ "And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus." Do you really believe that declaration?

Jewish commentator Arnold Fruchtenbaum gives a few other details involved in the preparation of the Passover lamb:

1. The disciples had to go with a lamb to the Temple compound where the lamb would be checked to make sure that it was without spot or blemish. 

2. The lamb would be killed at the Temple compound.

3. The blood would be poured into a bowl.

4. At the Temple there would be three long lines of Levites who would pass the bowls from one to another down the lines until it got to the altar, and the blood would be poured out at the base of the altar. This took place from 3 pm to 5 pm.

5. The lamb would be skinned and have it’s entrails removed.

6. Parts of the lamb would be left for the priests, who would bring it upon the altar.

7. The rest of the lamb would be taken home to be roasted for the Passover meal.
(Yeshua: The Life of the Messiah from a Messianic Jewish) 

Kent Hughes adds some additional details on what was involved in the preparation:

The day of sacrifice was given entirely to festive preparations. A massive assembly of priests (twenty-four divisions instead of the customary single division) arrived at the temple early. Their first duty was to burn all the leaven that had been ceremonially collected by candlelight and spoon the preceding night (M. Pesahim 1–3). By noon all work ceased.  At mid afternoon, 3:00 P.M., the ritual slaughtering began (M. Pesahim 5.1). This was completed in three huge shifts. When the first group entered in and the temple court was filled, the gates of the court were closed. A priest’s shofar played a sustained blast, and the sacrifices began (M. Pesahim 5.5). The pilgrims approached two long rows of priests holding basins of silver and gold. Each Israelite slaughtered his own offering, and the priest caught the blood, which was then tossed at the base of the altar (M. Pesahim 5.5, 6). As the offerer left the temple, the slain lamb and its skin was draped over his shoulder (T.B. Pesahim 6.5b).

That evening the Passover was observed in a home or room reserved for the occasion. The lamb was roasted on a pomegranate spit (M. Pesahim 7.1). Inside, the company dressed in festive white and reclined at tables with the leader at the head. In Jesus’ time the celebration had added elements beyond the Old Testament’s prescriptions. There was a seder (See Seder), a set order of service (M. Pesahim 10.1-9). The celebrants reclined while they ate because they were no longer slaves (cf. Ex 12:11). It was the host’s duty to interpret each of the foods on the table as it related to their deliverance from Egypt. The bitter herbs recalled their bitter slavery. The stewed fruit, by its color and consistency, recalled the misery of making bricks for Pharaoh. The roasted lamb brought to their remembrance the lamb’s blood applied to the doorposts, their eating of the lamb within their house, and the death angel’s passing over them as it destroyed the firstborn of Egypt. The celebration concluded late, but many people returned to the streets to continue celebrating. Others returned to the temple mount to await the reopening of the temple gates at midnight, so they could spend the rest of the evening in worship and prayer (cf. Josephus, Antiquities 18.2.2). (See Luke: That You May Know the Truth)

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It is interesting to note that the events preceding the Triumphal Entry parallel the events surrounding the preparation for the Last Supper.

(1) In both Jesus commissioned two disciples (Mark 11:1, Lk 19:29),

(2) In both Jesus had foreknowledge of what they would encounter (Mk 11:2-3, Lk 19:30-31).

(3) In both the response of those encountered by the two disciples is similar (Mk 11:4-6,  See Lk 19:32-34 cf Lk 22:11-12).

THOUGHT - In summary, in both situations, all was exactly as Jesus had said it would be. Beloved, that is always the case. Every promise Jesus makes to us is true and trustworthy (Read 2 Peter 1:4+). And "all of God's promises have been fulfilled in Him. That is why we say "Amen" when we give glory to God through Christ." (2 Cor 1:20)

CHRONOLOGICAL ISSUES WITH
TIMING OF PASSOVER MEAL

Now we come to the difficult part -- Warning - the following comments may or may not help you resolve the chronological questions.

There is no question (in my mind) that the Last Supper of Jesus with His disciples on Thursday evening was also a Passover meal (Mt. 26:17-19; Mk 14:12-16; Lk 22:7-15). The problem is that John 18:28+ records "Then (THIS IS AFTER THE THURSDAY PASSOVER AND AFTER JESUS' ARREST) they led Jesus from Caiaphas into the Praetorium, and it was early; and they themselves did not enter into the Praetorium so that they would not be defiled, but might eat the Passover." So you can see the potential conflict - Jesus celebrated Passover on the preceding Thursday evening and these Jews would celebrate Passover on Friday evening. The related question arises that if Jesus celebrated Passover on Thursday evening, He would have eaten a roasted lamb that had been sacrificed as a "Passover lamb" on Thursday afternoon (cf Ex 12:9). So again you can readily see the potential problem for how could Jesus eat the Passover lamb on Thursday and also be the Passover Lamb on Friday when the lambs were slaughtered for the evening Passover meal? There is also a statement in John which is difficult to resolve.

John MacArthur give some more background on this apparent conflict...

The apostle John notes that after the Passover meal (ED: ON THURSDAY EVENING) Jesus took His disciples out of the city to the Garden of Gethsemane, which was on the western slope of the Mount of Olives. He was arrested there and taken first to the high priest Annas (John 18:13+) and then to the house of his father-in-law, Caiaphas, who also still held the title of high priest (John 18:24+). A few hours later, while it was still early on Friday morning, Jesus was taken to Pilate. But the Jewish leaders would "not enter into the Praetorium in order that they might not be defiled, but might eat the Passover" (John 18:28+). Unlike Jesus and the disciples, those Jews obviously had not yet eaten the Passover. Some interpreters suggest that because those religious leaders would surely have celebrated the Passover at the proper time, Jesus must have moved His observance up a day. But Jesus was meticulous in His observance of the Mosaic law and would not have desecrated such an important feast by observing it at the wrong time. Even had He wanted to do such a thing, however, He could not have, because the lamb eaten at the Passover meal first had to be slaughtered by a priest in the Temple and have its blood sprinkled on the altar. No priest would have performed that ritual a day earlier; or even an hour earlier, than the law prescribed. Other scholars suggest that the chief priests and elders involved in Jesus' arrest were a day late in their observance. But in spite of their control of the Temple, even those ungodly men would not have dared make an exception for themselves for this most celebrated of all feasts. Not only that, but John recognized Friday as the legitimate Passover day reporting that when Pilate finally agreed to Jesus' crucifixion "it was the day of preparation for the Passover" (John 19:14+). In the same verse he states that "it was about the sixth hour," that is, noon on Friday. Some three hours later, "about the ninth hour;" (ED: NINTH HOUR = 3 PM BY HEBREW TIME, THE HOUR WHEN THE PRIESTS BEGAN TO SACRIFICE THE PASSOVER LAMBS IN THE TEMPLE - "DARKNESS FELL OVER THE WHOLE LAND" FROM NOON UNTIL 3PM, AT WHICH TIME TWO EVENTS OCCURRED - THE VEIL OF THE TEMPLE WAS TORN IN TWO AND JESUS' CRIED OUT AND BREATHED HIS LAST JUST AS THE PASSOVER LAMBS WERE BEGINNING TO BE SACRIFICED - Lk 23:44-46). Jesus cried out from the cross, "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?" (Matt. 27:46). Shortly after that, "Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit" (Mt 27:50). John therefore 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 time those lambs were being sacrificed in the Temple, "Christ our Passover also [was] sacrificed" on Calvary (1 Cor. 5:7). (See Matthew Commentary)

So the question is if Jesus was crucified as the Lamb of God on the Passover on Friday (and He was), why did Jesus observe the Passover meal on the previous Thursday evening? How is it possible to reconcile the Scriptural record?

The table below lays out the chronology of the last two days of Jesus' life. A number of sources tell us that there were two ways of reckoning the beginning of the Passover. One is based on the northern Galilean mode of reckoning the Passover from Sunrise to Sunrise. This would explain how Jesus would be able to celebrate the Passover/Last Supper on Thursday evening and still be the fulfillment of the Passover Lamb on Friday afternoon on the day of Passover. The second mode of reckoning the Passover was from Sunset to Sunset. Using this chronology the Jews who held to this timing would be able to kill the Passover Lambs beginning at 3 PM that would then be eaten at their Passover Meal on Friday evening. The killing of the Passover Lambs corresponds to the exact time when Jesus the Lamb of God gave up His life on the Cross. See John MacArthur's explanation below. 

NISAN 14		NISAN 15
THURSDAY		FRIDAY
SUNRISE		SUNRISE
Lambs Sacrificed 3 PM		Jesus sacrificed  Dies at 3 PM When Lambs were being Sacrificed
SUNSET		SUNSET
Jesus Celebrates  Passover/Lord's Supper		Jews Celebrate  the Passover Meal

In the Gospel of John Leon Morris has a lengthy discourse on this "thorny topic" and below is his conclusion...

The evidence is thus confusing, and it is not in the least surprising that scholars have come to very different conclusions. I do not see how we can be dogmatic in our present state of knowledge. The most natural reading of the Synoptists shows the Last Supper there to be the Passover. The most natural reading of John shows that Jesus was crucified at the very time the Passover victims were slain in the Temple. While it is undoubtedly possible to interpret the accounts in such a way that we make them tell the same story, it seems better to see them as the result of following different calendars. According to the calendar Jesus was following the meal was the Passover. But the Temple authorities followed another, according to which the sacrificial victims were slain the next day. John appears to make use of this to bring out the truth that Christ was slain as our Passover. (BORROW The Gospel according to John PAGE 784 - HINT: This book seems to always be checked out - here is a trick you can try -- search page numbers starting by entering 777. The is cumbersome but might allow you to read some of Morris' lengthy discourse. You may have to play around with numbers to make this work.)

F F Bruce, “while John times his passion narrative with reference to the official temple date of the Passover, our Lord and his disciples, following (it may be) another calendar, observed the festival earlier” (p. 279).

I. H. Marshall, “Our conclusion, then, is that Jesus held a Passover meal earlier than the official Jewish date, and that he was able to do so as the result of calendar differences among the Jews” (Last Supper and Lord’s Supper [Exeter, 1980], p. 75). (NTCNT-John)

John MacArthur helps understand the difference between John and the Synoptic Gospels

The chronological reckoning between John's gospel and the synoptics presents a challenge, especially in relation to the time of the Last Supper (John 13:2). While the synoptics portray the disciples and the Lord at the Last Supper as eating the Passover meal on Thursday evening (Nisan 14) and Jesus being crucified on Friday, John's gospel states that the Jews did not enter into the Praetorium "so that they would not be defiled, but might eat the Passover" (John 18:28). So, the disciples had eaten the Passover on Thursday evening, but the Jews had not. In fact, John (John 19:14) states that Jesus' trial and crucifixion were on the day of Preparation for the Passover and not after the eating of the Passover, so that with the trial and crucifixion on Friday Christ was actually sacrificed at the same time the Passover lambs were being slain (John 19:14). The question is, "Why did the disciples eat the Passover meal on Thursday?"

The answer lies in a difference among the Jews in the way they reckoned the beginning and ending of days. From Josephus, the Mishna, and other ancient Jewish sources we learn that the Jews in northern Palestine calculated days from sunrise to sunrise. That area included the region of Galilee, where Jesus and all the disciples, except Judas, had grown up. Apparently most, if not all, of the Pharisees used that system of reckoning. But Jews in the southern part, which centered in Jerusalem, calculated days from sunset to sunset. Because all the priests necessarily lived in or near Jerusalem, as did most of the Sadducees, those groups followed the southern scheme.

That variation doubtlessly caused confusion at times, but it also had some practical benefits. During Passover time, for instance, it allowed for the feast to be celebrated legitimately on two adjoining days, thereby permitting the temple sacrifices to be made over a total period of four hours rather than two. That separation of days may also have had the effect of reducing both regional and religious clashes between the two groups.

On that basis the seeming contradictions in the gospel accounts are easily explained. Being Galileans, Jesus and the disciples considered Passover day to have started at sunrise on Thursday and to end at sunrise on Friday. The Jewish leaders who arrested and tried Jesus, being mostly priests and Sadducees, considered Passover day to begin at sunset on Thursday and end at sunset on Friday. By that variation, predetermined by God's sovereign provision, Jesus could thereby legitimately celebrate the last Passover meal with His disciples and yet still be sacrificed on Passover day.

Once again one can see how God sovereignly and marvelously provides for the precise fulfillment of His redemptive plan. Jesus was anything but a victim of men's wicked schemes, much less of blind circumstance. Every word He spoke and every action He took were divinely directed and secured. Even the words and actions by others against Him were divinely controlled. See, e.g., John 11:49-52; 19:11. (Interpretative Difficulties) (See another discussion by MacArthur in his sermon on Mt 26:17-19 The Last Passover Part 1)

See also Dr MacArthur's Study Guide on The Lord's Supper - Select passages from the "The Last Passover - Part 1" from the drop down menu - 

Jim Bomkamp -  “In their excellent Harmony of the Gospels, Robert Thomas and Stanley Gundry (BORROW - SEE PAGE 320) suggest a possible solution to the dilemma (pp. 320-23).  The Jews at that time reckoned days in one of two ways:  from sunset to sunset or from sunrise to sunrise.  The first approach was traditionally Jewish (Ge 1:5) while the second was Roman, although it had biblical precedent (see Ge 8:22). If Matthew, Mark, and Luke used the Jewish reckoning, and John the Roman, then there is no contradiction.  There was an “overlapping” of days that permitted both groups to celebrate on the same date but a different day.  The temple priests permitted the Jews to bring their lambs for sacrifice either the earlier or the later time.  Apparently the Jewish leaders followed the Roman form of reckoning (John 18:28) while Jesus and the disciples followed the Jewish form.” (Sermon)

Bible Knowledge Commentary - The Synoptic Gospels speak of the meal Jesus ate with His disciples as the Passover meal. But the Gospel of John indicates Jesus died on the cross at the exact time that lambs were slain in preparation for the nation's Passover meals (John 19:14). But this can be explained by the fact that the Feast of Unleavened Bread was a seven-day feast following the one-day Feast of the Passover, but sometimes all eight days were called "the Passover" (Luke 2:41; 22:1; Acts 12:3-4) or the seven days were the "Passover Week" (John 19:14) A different explanation is that Jews in the first century followed two calendars in observing the Passover. According to this view Jesus and His disciples observed one date, eating the Passover meal before His crucifixion, whereas most of the nation, including the Pharisees, followed the other calendar in which the Passover lambs were slain on the very day of Jesus' death. (See Bible Knowledge Commentary - Page 258) 

Norman Geisler -  Did Jesus institute the Lord’s Supper on the day of the Passover or the day before? 

PROBLEM: If the first three Gospels (synoptics) are correct, then Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper “on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they killed the Passover lamb” (cf. Matt. 26:17; Luke 22:1). But John places it “before the feast of the Passover” (13:1), the day before the crucifixion on which “they might eat the Passover” (18:28).

SOLUTION: There are two basic positions embraced by evangelical scholars on this point. Those who hold that Jesus ate the Passover lamb (and instituted the Lord’s Supper at the end of it) on the same day it was observed by the Jews, support their view as follows: (1) It was the day required by OT Law, and Jesus said He did not come to destroy the Law, but to fulfill it (Matt. 5:17–18). (2) It seems to be the meaning of Mark 14:12 which says it was “on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they killed the Passover lamb.” (3) When John 19:14 speaks of it being “the Preparation Day of the Passover” they take this to mean simply the preparation for the Sabbath which occurred in that paschal week.  

Other scholars contend that Jesus ate the Passover lamb on the day before the Jews did because:

(1) He had to eat it a day early (Thursday) in order that He might offer Himself the next day (Good Friday) as the Passover Lamb (cf. John 1:29) to the Jews, in fulfillment of OT type on the very day they were eating the Passover lamb (1 Cor. 5:7).

(2) The plain reading of John 19:14 is that it was “the Preparation Day of the Passover” [not the Sabbath], or in other words, the day before the Passover was eaten by the Jews.

(3) Likewise, John 18:28 affirms that the Jews did not want to be defiled on the day Jesus was crucified “that they might eat the Passover.”   Either view is possible without contradiction. However, the latter view seems to explain the texts more forthrightly.  (When Critics Ask see page 319 - see also page 292 for related comments on the question "If Jesus was crucified on Friday, how could He have been in the grave three days and nights?")

William Lane commenting on the parallel passages in Mark gives us an overview of the difficulty in resolving differences between the accounts in the Synoptic Gospels and the account in the Gospel of John: 

The chronological note in Mk 14:12 (Lk 22:7) clearly implies that the meal which Jesus celebrated with his disciples was the Passover and that the day of his arrest, condemnation and crucifixion was the 15th of Nisan. The Fourth Gospel, however, appears to situate Jesus’ death in the framework of the preparation for the Passover on the 14th of Nisan (John 18:28; 19:14, 31, 42), which would mean that the meal could not have been the Passover. The resolution of this difficulty is one of the most difficult issues in passion chronology.

There are a number of positive elements in the Marcan narrative which substantiate that the Last Supper was a Passover meal. The return to Jerusalem in the evening for the meal (Mk 14:17) is significant, for the paschal meal had to be eaten within the city walls (M. Pesachim VII. 9). An ordinary meal was taken in the late afternoon, but a meal which begins in the evening and continues into the night reflects Passover practice (Ex 12:8; Jubilees 49:12). The reference to reclining (Mk 14:18) satisfies a requirement of the Passover feast in the first century when custom demanded that even the poorest man recline for the festive meal (M. Pesachim X. 1). While a normal meal began with the breaking of bread, on this occasion Jesus broke the bread during the meal and following the serving of a dish (Mk 14:18–20, 22). The Passover meal was the one occasion when the serving of a dish preceded the breaking of bread. The use of wine was generally reserved for festive occasions and was characteristic of the Passover (M. Pesachim X. 1). Finally, the interpretation of the elements of the meal conforms to Passover custom where the haggadah (or interpretation) is an integral part of the meal. The cumulative evidence supports the claim made in Mk 14:12, 14, 16 that the disciples prepared a Passover meal and that the external forms of the Passover were observed at the meal itself.

There are indications that the Fourth Evangelist also regarded the meal which Jesus shared with his disciples as a Passover. The feast takes place within Jerusalem even though the city was thronged with pilgrims (John 12:12, 18, 20; 13:2; 18:1; cf. Mark 14:17). The supper is held in the evening and lasts into the night (John 13:30; cf. Mark 14:17). The meal was ceremonial in character and the participants reclined at table (John 13:12, 23, 25, 28; cf. Mark 14:18). Finally, the walk to Gethsemane followed by the betrayal conforms to the Marcan sequence of events (John 18:1ff.; Mark 14:26ff.). In this light it seems that the concern of the priests expressed in John 18:28, that they should not become defiled and so be prohibited from eating “the pesach,” has reference not to the paschal lamb (which would have been eaten the evening before) but to the chagigah, the paschal sacrifices (lambs, kids, bulls) which were offered throughout the festival week. These paschal sacrifices are designated by the term pesach in Deut. 16:2 and 2 Chron. 35:7. If this understanding informed the tradition John has transmitted, the apparent contradiction with the evidence of Mark is removed. (NICNT-Mark or see The Gospel of Mark - Page 497)

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QUESTION -  If Jesus was crucified on the Day of Preparation, why had He already eaten the Passover meal?

Answer: All four Gospels state that Jesus was crucified on the Day of Preparation (Matthew 27:62; Mark 15:42; Luke 23:54; John 19:14, 31, 42). Mark, Luke, and John all state that the following day was the Sabbath. John’s account uses this wording: “It was the day of Preparation of the Passover” (John 19:14). The question becomes, since Jesus was killed on the Day of Preparation, why had He already observed the Passover with His disciples (Matthew 26:17–29; Mark 14:12–25; Luke 22:7–22; John 13:1–30)?

First, we should discard the theory that the writers of the New Testament made a mistake. Theorizing that all four of the Gospel writers got the chronology wrong stretches credulity to the breaking point. Are we really to believe that Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John all forgot what they had written from one chapter to the next? No, there must be a better explanation for why Jesus ate the Passover before the Day of Preparation.

Next, we need to identify what the Day of Preparation was preparing for. Every week, preparations had to be made for the Sabbath—food had to be prepared ahead of time. This led to the “Day of Preparation” becoming the common term for “Friday.” Although many preparations also had to be made for the Passover, there is no record of “Passover Eve” being called the Day of Preparation. The Day of Preparation was always Friday, the day before the Sabbath. Mark 15:42 makes this clear.

How then do we explain John’s statement that Jesus died on “the day of Preparation of the Passover” (John 19:14)? It’s quite possible that John simply meant that this particular Friday fell during Passover week; we could understand his words this way: “It was the day of Preparation, the one that happened to come during the season of Passover.” So, the Day of Preparation was to prepare for the Sabbath, not the Passover.

The Mosaic Law stipulated what day the Passover lamb was to be eaten: Nissan 14 (Numbers 9:2–3). We must assume that Jesus kept the Law and observed Passover at the appointed time (see Galatians 4:4). After the Passover (Thursday) came the Day of Preparation (Friday) on which Jesus was killed. The Sabbath (Saturday) followed, of course, and then the first day of the week (Sunday)—the third day after the crucifixion and the day on which Jesus rose from the dead.

One objection to the above chronology is based on John 18:28, which says,

“The Jewish leaders took Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor. By now it was early morning, and to avoid ceremonial uncleanness they did not enter the palace, because they wanted to be able to eat the Passover.”

At first glance, it seems that, whereas Jesus had eaten the Passover the night before, the Jewish leaders had not yet eaten the Passover—they still “wanted to be able to eat” it after Jesus was arrested. To reconcile this verse with the Synoptic narratives, we must remember this: Passover was the first day of the week-long Feast of Unleavened Bread.

The Feast (or Festival) of Unleavened Bread (Chag HaMatzot) lasted for a full week, from Nissan 15 to Nissan 22. The first day of Unleavened Bread coincided with the day of Passover. Because of the close relation between Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the whole week was sometimes referred to as “Passover.” The two holidays were (and still are) considered a single celebration. This explains John 18:28. The Jewish leaders had already eaten the Passover proper, but there still remained other sacrifices to be made and meals to be eaten (ED: NOT EVERYONE AGREES THAT THE JEWISH LEADERS HAD ALREADY ACTUALLY EATEN THE PASSOVER MEAL - SEE THE PRECEDING DISCUSSION). They were unwilling to defile themselves (Pilate’s palace contained leaven) because it would disqualify them from participating in the remainder of the week’s ceremonies (see Leviticus 23:8).

There are other difficulties in pinpointing the exact chronology of Jesus’ arrest, trial, crucifixion, and resurrection. But this seems to be a workable solution:

Thursday – Passover proper. The lamb is killed, and Jesus and His disciples eat the Passover meal in the upper room.

Friday – the Day of Preparation. Jesus is tried and executed (although never convicted). The Jews continue their “Passover” celebrations with the chagigah, offerings made during the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

Saturday – the weekly Sabbath.

Sunday – Resurrection Day. (Source: GotQuestions.org

Matthew 26:20 Now when evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the twelve disciples.

• when: Mk 14:17-21 Lu 22:14-16 Joh 13:21 
• he: Ex 12:11 Song 1:12 

Related Passages:

Mark 14:17-21+  When it was evening He *came with the twelve. 18 As they were reclining at the table and eating, Jesus said, “Truly I say to you that one of you will betray Me–one who is eating with Me.” 19 They began to be grieved and to say to Him one by one, “Surely not I?” 20 And He said to them, “It is one of the twelve, one who dips with Me in the bowl. 21 “For the Son of Man is to go 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.”

Luke 22:14-16+  When the hour had come, He reclined at the table, and the apostles with Him. 15 And He said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; 16 for I say to you, I shall never again eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.”

Reclining At the Table

THE SCENE SHIFTS TO
THE "UPPER ROOM" MEAL

None of the Gospels describes Jesus and the twelve entering the city to arrive at the what has come to be known as the "Upper Room." But think about that for a moment. In the providence of God, Jesus somehow was able to get to this location without attracting attention of a crowd. Keep in mind His  triumphal entry was in front of thousands and He had been teaching daily in the Temple (Lk 19:47-48+). How could Jesus possibly walk through the city without being recognized and causing considerable commotion? This is another implicit miracle! God was in complete control of every detail of this epoch meal, probably the most important meal in all eternity, other than the marriage supper of the Lamb (Rev 19:9+)!

None of the Gospel writers describe Jesus' trek into the city to celebrate the Passover. What is notable is that Jesus and the disciples were able to enter the city and travel to the upper room without being noticed (at least nothing recorded in Scripture)! Was this made possible supernaturally? Keep in mind His  triumphal entry was in front of thousands and He had been teaching daily in the Temple (Lk 19:47-48+). How could Jesus possibly walk through the city without being recognized and causing considerable commotion? This is one of the many questions that will not be answered until we are with Him! In the first Passover meal God gave Israel instructions ‘Now you shall eat it in this manner: with your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it in haste–it is the LORD’S Passover." (Ex 12:11+) So even though this was Jesus' last Passover meal, it would be a time to be savored with His twelve disciples. 

Now when evening (opsios) came - The location is within the city limits of Jerusalem which is where the Passover meal had to be eaten. Evening refers to the period between late afternoon and darkness, and in context specifically to the setting of the sun which marked the beginning of the Passover celebration on the 14th of Nisan. The time phrase when evening came is important because the Passover meal could not be eaten until after sundown. 

A T Robertson - It is assumed here that Jesus is observing the passover meal at the regular time and hour, at 6 P.M. at the beginning of the fifteenth (evening of our Thursday, beginning of Jewish Friday). Mark and Matthew note the time as evening and state it as the regular passover meal.

Jesus (Iesous) was reclining (anakeimai - imperfect) at the table with the twelve disciples (mathetes) - Oriental meals were not taken seated at a dining room table with chairs. Reclining refers to being in a supine (lying) position, leaning on the left elbow, with feet behind them (made it easy for Mary to anoint His feet Jn 12:3+) and arranged around a table (see depiction above), where, in the Roman style, reclining couches were used. The typical furnishing would have included a low table (or a couch called a triclinium) and pillows (and possibly carpets) on which to recline. Tables and chairs were only used in Egypt in this period of time.

Spurgeon - Our Lord remained in seclusion until the evening, and then went to the appointed place, and sat down, or rather, reclined at the paschal table, with the twelve. And as they did eat, he said, "Truly I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me." This was a most unpleasant thought to bring to a feast, yet it vas most appropriate to the Passover, for God’s commandment to Moses concerning the first paschal lamb was, " With bitter herbs they shall eat it." This was a painful reflection for our Lord, and also for his twelve chosen companions: "One of you", and his eyes would glance round the table so he said it, " One of you shall betray me."

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Evening (3798)(opsios from opsed = long after, late, after the close of day) is a noun meaning late. Louw-Nida - pertaining to a point near the end of a day (normally after sunset but before night). It is also possible to understand ὀψέ in Mk 11:19 as indicating a period of time, namely ‘evening’."  Friberg says opsios was used  (1) adjectivally, as a time of day, either before or just after sundown and thus late (Mk 11.11) (2) substantivally he opsia (hora) evening; predominately in the phrase opsias genomenes when evening came, when it was late. BDAG - (1). as adjective pertaining. to a point in time that is relatively later than another point of time =  late,- since it was already late.= Mk 11:11 (2). In our literature mostly substantivally = the period between late afternoon and darkness or evening.

Gilbrant on opsios - The term denotes both the time of “lengthening shadows” before sunset (Proverbs 7:9; Jeremiah 6:4) and the time between sunset and total darkness. The New Testament writers also used the term for both periods, with the context often giving some indication of the time intended. Note, for example, Mark 1:32: “And at even, when the sun did set” and John 6:16,17: “When even was now come, his disciples went down unto the sea....And it was now dark.” (Complete Biblical Library Greek-English Dictionary)

Opsios uses 14x in NT - Mt 8:16; Mt 14:15; Mt 14:23; Mt 16:2; Mt 20:8; Mt 26:20; Mt. 27:57; Mk. 1:32; Mk. 4:35; Mk. 6:47; Mk. 14:17; Mk. 15:42; Jn. 6:16; Jn. 20:19

The Order of Events on Jesus' Last Passover Night
Charles Ryrie

1. Eating the Passover; washing the disciples' feet (John 13:1-20);
2. Identifying Judas as the betrayer (John 13:21-25),
3. After which he left (John 13:30); the institution of the Lord's Supper (Mt 26:26-29);
4. Messages in the Upper Room (John 14) and on the way to Gethsemane (John 15-16) (ED: Some feel 15-16 were still in Upper Room)
5. Christ's great prayer for His people (John 17)
6. His anguish in Gethsemane (Mt 26:36-46)
7. The betrayal and arrest (Mt 26:47-56). 
   "(BORROW Ryrie Study Bible PAGE 1468) 

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Painting Based on DaVinci's "Last Supper"

Notice that the painting based on Da Vinci's original "Last Supper" is not Biblically accurate - Jesus and the disciples were not seated at a table but reclining on their left side with right hand free to take the items off of the low table. Note also the light in the windows behind Jesus which is also incorrect for the Passover was to be eaten after sunset. The point of course is to not get your theology from even the most beautiful paintings in the world but from the Word of God.

Edersheim explains his reason for seating Judas to the left of Christ

So far for the arrangement of the table. Jewish documents are equally explicit as to that of the guests. It seems to have been quite an established rule that, in a company of more than two, say of three, the chief personage or Head - in this instance, of course, Christ - reclined on the middle divan. We know from the Gospel-narrative that John occupied the place on His right, at that end of the divans - as we may call it - at the head of the table. But the chief place next to the Master would be that to His left, or above Him. In the strife of the disciples, which should be accounted the greatest, this had been claimed, and we believe it to have been actually occupied, by Judas. This explains how, Christ whispered to John by what sign to recognise the traitor, (Jn 13:26)none of the other disciples heard it. It also explains, how Christ would first hand to Judas the sop, which formed part of the Paschal ritual, beginning with him as the chief guest at the table, without thereby exciting special notice. Lastly, it accounts for the circumstance that, when Judas, desirous of ascertaining whether his treachery was known, dared to ask whether it was he, and received the affirmative answer, (Mt 26:25) no one at table knew what had passed. But this could not have been the case, unless Judas had occupied the place next to Christ; in this case, necessarily that at His left, or the post of chief honour. (Edersheim)

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QUESTION - Why did the disciples ask Jesus, “Is it I, Lord?”

ANSWER - At what we often refer to as the Last Supper, Jesus was reclining at the table with His twelve disciples (Matthew 26:20). While they were eating, He announces to them that one of them would betray Him (Matthew 26:21). They were deeply sorrowful when they heard this, and each of them began to question, “Is it I, Lord?” (Matthew 26:22). The Greek meti can be translated as a denial in question form: “Surely not I, Lord?” While the twelve all seemed to be denying that it was they, one of them (at least) knew that Jesus was referring to him. Judas had already made an agreement with the chief priests to betray Jesus to them (Matthew 26:14–15), and from the time he made that agreement he was plotting and seeking an opportune time to commit the deed (Matthew 26:16).

Jesus knew, of course, that Judas was the one betraying Him and signified it by saying that the one who dipped his hand in the bowl would betray Jesus (Matthew 26:23). John elaborates that Jesus even dipped some food and gave it directly to Judas, saying that the one to whom He gave the food would betray Him (John 13:26). Judas denied he was the one, just as had the other disciples—even calling Jesus “Rabbi”—the term for “teacher” and a sign of respect (Matthew 26:25). Jesus answered Judas’s question, “Is it I?” straightforwardly: “You have said it yourself” (Matthew 26:25, BSB). Right after that, Jesus ominously told Judas, “What you are about to do, do quickly” (John 13:27), and Judas went out into the night to betray Jesus (John 13:30). The final one who asked the question “Is it I, Lord?” was the betrayer, and Jesus knew it from the beginning.

While all of the disciples denied that they were betraying Jesus, they all made their denial in the form of a question—“Surely it is not I” or “Is it I, Lord?” indicating that perhaps they weren’t entirely certain. Perhaps this was why they were deeply sorrowful (Matthew 26:22). While only one of the twelve betrayed Jesus directly, the gospel accounts record that all the disciples abandoned Him, fleeing as they feared for their lives (Matthew 26:56). But Jesus knew that would happen, too, and He even told them so that, when it happened, they could remember that He had prophesied that very thing (Matthew 26:31). Earlier, they had asked, “Is it I, Lord?” Just a short time after, all abandoned Him.

Even in this we see the grace of God. Jesus warned them that they would all fall away (Matthew 26:31), but rather than condemn them He prepared them for their task ahead. He told them that, after He rose from the dead, they should meet Him in Galilee (Matthew 26:32). Often, we think that we are too strong or too mature to fail, but we are frail, and none of us are without sin (1 John 1:8). Rather than stand on our own strength, we can rely on His grace that, even when we fail, He is gracious to forgive (1 John 1:9). Paul reminds us that we must not think we are too strong to fall (1 Corinthians 10:12), as none of us are. Yet even with the testing and temptation, God provides the way of escape (1 Corinthians 10:13), and even when we falter, He is gracious to forgive and restore according to the riches of His grace (Ephesians 1:7). At times, like the disciples, perhaps we are saying to Him, “Is it I, Lord?—surely not.” But He knows us, and He knows our weaknesses. Thanks be to God that He has loved us even still.

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Eat This Bread

Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel. —Micah 5:2

Today's Scripture: Matthew 26:20-30

Christmas isn’t the time of year when our thoughts naturally turn to the Last Supper—or what the Jews called Passover. But that particular Passover is critical to Christmas. After breaking bread and giving it to His disciples, Jesus said, “Take, eat; this is My body” (Matt. 26:26). Breaking bread was a traditional part of Passover, but adding “this is my body” was a striking departure from the familiar liturgy. The disciples must have been bewildered.

Later the meaning became clear. Jesus was born in Bethlehem, which means “house of Bread.” He was laid in a manger—a feeding trough. He once said, “I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh” (John 6:51).

The prophet Micah indicated that One born in Bethlehem would rule over Israel (5:2). But not until Jesus came did anyone realize the uniqueness of this Kingdom. Christ’s rule would not be imposed upon anyone; it would be imparted to those who accepted this new citizenship.

As we sing of Bethlehem’s manger, let’s remember that the heaven-sent infant King came so that we might “eat this bread” and partake of His divine nature. By:  Julie Ackerman Link (Reprinted by permission from Our Daily Bread Ministries. Please do not repost the full devotional without their permission.)

Thou art the bread of life, O Lord, to me,
Thy holy Word the truth that saveth me;
Give me to eat and live with Thee above,
Teach me to love Thy truth, for Thou art love.
—Lathbury

Only Christ the Living Bread can satisfy our spiritual hunger.

Matthew 26:21 As they were eating, He said, “Truly I say to you that one of you will betray Me.”

• Truly : Mt 26:2,14-16 Ps 55:12-14 Joh 6:64, 70-71 Jn 13:21 Heb 4:13 Rev 2:23 

Related Passages: 

Psalm 41:9+ Even my close friend in whom I trusted, Who ate my bread, Has lifted up his heel against me. 

Psalm 55:13-14+ (SEE SPURGEON'S COMMENTS BELOW) But it is you, a man my equal, My companion and my familiar friend;  14 We who had sweet fellowship together Walked in the house of God in the throng. 

Mark 14:18+ As they were reclining at the table and eating, Jesus said, "Truly I say to you that one of you will betray Me--one who is eating with Me."

John 6:64; 70-71+ “But there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who it was that would betray Him. (6:70-71) Jesus answered them, “Did I Myself not choose you, the twelve, and yet one of you is a devil?” 71 Now He meant Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the twelve, was going to betray Him.

John 13:21+ When Jesus had said this, He became troubled in spirit, and testified and said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, that one of you will betray Me.”

JESUS PREDICTS 
HIS BETRAYAL

As they were eating - The question is to what does eating refer? Most writers agree that they are beginning to eat the Passover meal. The mention of eating is significant because in this oriental culture eating together was regarded as a sign of friendship (see discussion of "Oneness of Covenant" and sharing a meal and additional note), a truth which served only to compound Judas' treachery, making it that much more contemptible. 

He said, “Truly I say to you -  Truly is amen which signifies strong affirmation of what would follow, which in this case was necessary as the news would be so shocking to eleven of the twelve as to seem unbelievable!

Truly I say to you - These "amen" sayings are found only in the Gospels - Matt. 5:18; Matt. 5:26; Matt. 6:2; Matt. 6:5; Matt. 6:16; Matt. 8:10; Matt. 10:15; Matt. 10:23; Matt. 10:42; Matt. 11:11; Matt. 13:17; Matt. 16:28; Matt. 17:20; Matt. 18:3; Matt. 18:13; Matt. 18:18; Matt. 19:23; Matt. 19:28; Matt. 21:21; Matt. 21:31; Matt. 23:36; Matt. 24:2; Matt. 24:34; Matt. 24:47; Matt. 25:12; Matt. 25:40; Matt. 25:45; Matt. 26:13; Matt. 26:21; Matt. 26:34; Mk. 3:28; Mk. 8:12; Mk. 9:1; Mk. 9:41; Mk. 10:15; Mk. 10:29; Mk. 11:23; Mk. 12:43; Mk. 13:30; Mk. 14:9; Mk. 14:18; Mk. 14:25; Mk. 14:30; Lk. 4:24; Lk. 12:37; Lk. 12:44; Lk. 18:17; Lk. 18:29; Lk. 21:3; Lk. 21:32; Lk. 23:43; Jn. 1:51; Jn. 3:3; Jn. 3:5; Jn. 3:11; Jn. 5:19; Jn. 5:24; Jn. 5:25; Jn. 6:26; Jn. 6:32; Jn. 6:47; Jn. 6:53; Jn. 8:34; Jn. 8:51; Jn. 8:58; Jn. 10:1; Jn. 10:7; Jn. 12:24; Jn. 13:16; Jn. 13:20; Jn. 13:21; Jn. 13:38; Jn. 14:12; Jn. 16:20; Jn. 16:23; Jn. 21:18

That one of you will betray (paradidomi - deliver over to punishment) Me - This is a prophecy that would be fulfilled this very night! All God's prophecies will be fulfilled perfectly sooner or later! As they were eating Jesus startled the twelve with the announcement that one of them would be His betrayer. This was like a bolt of lightning at the otherwise memorial meal, for while Jesus had mentioned His impending death, this was the first time He declared He would be betrayed! Even Judas was startled, knowing now that Jesus knew of his treachery! While this would seem unthinkable that one of His own could actually hand Him over to His enemies, this was the tragic truth. They knew He had never spoken anything but truth to them. Note in Mk 14:18+ Jesus is very specific adding "one who is eating with Me." The betrayer is in the room as He speaks! As He predicted His betrayal, His eyes would have glanced around the table creating angst in all twelve. But imagine the true traitor's justified angst as Jesus' eyes met Judas' eyes! 

While Jesus was not surprised by the betrayal for He "knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe and who it was that would betray Him," (Jn 6:64+), undoubtedly He was heartbroken and disappointed (see Jn 13:21+), for Judas was a trusted friend! And so this prophecy would be a fulfillment of Ps 41:9+ (quoted in John 13:18+) which stated that "Even my close friend in whom I trusted, Who ate my bread, Has lifted up his heel against me."  

Why does Jesus tell the disciples in advance? One reason is so they would understand that when this did occur, the betrayal did not catch Jesus by surprise and would show that Jesus was omniscient. In that way, paradoxically their faith would be strengthened in Him, for faith comes from hearing and hearing by the Word of Christ (Ro 10:17+).

THOUGHT - Don’t be surprised if as disciples you experience some level of betrayal in your Christian experience from even some you consider as close associates! I did not understand this principle in my early years as a believer and as a result I was absolutely blindsided by a personal attack (blatantly false allegations) from a man I had repeatedly prayed with and blessed in a number of ways. It was a crisis moment in my faith and caused me to seriously consider backing away from leadership and utilizing the gift of teaching God had given me. So to reiterate, do not be surprised if this happens to you, especially if you are serious about your faith and seeking to fight the good fight of faith and press on toward the goal. You will likely encounters enemies who will try to get you to take a "detour." 

Spurgeon - “This was a most unpleasant thought to bring to a feast, yet it was most appropriate to the Passover, for God’s commandment to Moses concerning the first paschal lamb was, ‘With bitter herbs they shall eat it.’ ”

James M Boice - Not long ago a friend sent me a card with a picture of a small boy wearing a straw hat and floating on an inner tube on a tranquil country pond. His head was thrown back. He was in perfect peace. The caption read: "Each life needs its own quiet place." The verses we come to next in Matthew 26 (AND HERE IN MARK) are like that. They are a quiet place at the center of the storm that is about to break. The rulers of the people are plotting how they might take Jesus' life. Judas has offered to betray Jesus to them at the earliest possible opportunity

ILLUSTRATION - The Portia (Por-sha) Spider: a jumping spider that uses deception and mimicry to catch and eat other spiders. It uses camouflage or it shows a kind of behavioral mimicry: It imitates something its intended victim finds harmless or even attractive. (i.e. it crawls on a spider's web, then plucks the web to imitate a captured insect) It varies its web signals to suit its specific victim. If it encounters a new spider species, it tries different signals rather randomly. (It was once observed to perform vibratory behavior for 3 days until the victim decided to investigate) That seems to be similar to our enemy the devil who seeks to rob, destroy, or sift us like wheat! Talk about ruining a good meal! (Lk 22:21) THE BITE OF BETRAYAL! (Lk 22:21-23) (21) In the East the worst breach of Friendship is for one to eat another’s bread & secretly betray him. (Gospel Light ; George M. Lamsa; pg.300.) To eat bread is a token of loyalty, love, & devotion. His hand is on the table - is an Aramaic colloquialism, which means, “he is eating my bread & yet he is plotting against me.” (Brian Bell)

CHRONOLOGY OF THE GOSPEL ACCOUNTS OF
THE EVENTS RELATED TO THE LAST PASSOVER & LAST SUPPER

From the chart below we can make several observations regarding the timing of the events at the Last Passover and Last Supper as described in the Synoptic Gospels and John's Gospel.

1. The betrayal is announced in all 4 Gospel accounts.
2. Both Matthew and Mark place Jesus' announcement of a betrayer in their midst before His institution of the Lord's Supper. Luke places the disclosure of the betrayer after the institution of the Lord's Supper (see explanation).
3. Luke's account has three discussions not in Matthew or Mark.
4. John's Gospel makes no specific mention of the institution of the Lord's Supper, but includes the Upper Room Discourse not present in the synoptic Gospels.

Most commentaries feel that Judas left the Passover meal before the Lord instituted the Lord's supper and before Jesus gave them the Upper Room Discourse in John 13-16. Stated another way, according to Matthew and Mark, the betrayal announcement came between the two suppers and is considered to be chronologically out of place in Luke. Thus the chronology of these events can be somewhat confusing if one relies solely on Luke's account which discusses the betrayal after the institution of the Lord's Supper. Clearly, it is almost unthinkable that Judas would have shared in the precious truth of the Lord's Supper and the institution of the New Covenant as is only for those who are genuine believers in Jesus. On the other hand, to be given the morsel by the host during the Passover meal was to be singled out for special honor and so Jesus was giving Judas an opportunity to repent when He bestowed  this honor (John 13:26+)

CHRONOLOGY OF GOSPEL ACCOUNTS OF EVENTS RELATED TO LAST PASSOVER & LORD'S SUPPER
MATTHEW'S GOSPEL
Matthew 26:21-25+	Betrayal Announced
Matthew 26:26-29+	Lord's Supper Instituted
MARK'S GOSPEL
Mark 14:18-21+	Betrayal Announced
Mark 14:22-25+	Lord's Supper Instituted
LUKE'S GOSPEL
Luke 22:19-20+	Lord's Supper Instituted
Luke 22:21-23+	Betrayal Announced
Luke 22:24-30+	Disciples Argue over Who is Greatest NOT IN Matthew or Mark
Luke 22:31-35+	Jesus' Prophecy of Peter's Denial NOT IN Matthew or Mark
Luke 22:36-38+	Jesus Talks of Swords NOT IN Matthew or Mark
JOHN'S GOSPEL
John 13:1-16+	Jesus' Example Washing Feet  NOT IN SYNOPTIC GOSPELS
John 13:17-30+	Betrayal Announced More Detail than Synoptic Gospels
John 13-16	Jesus' Upper Room Discourse NOT IN SYNOPTIC GOSPELS NO MENTION of Lord's Supper

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Spurgeon's Commentary on Psalm 55:13-14

Whole Psalm. A prayer of the Man Christ in his humiliation, despised and rejected of men, when he was made sin for his people, that they might be made the righteousness of God in him, when he was about to suffer their punishment, pay their debt, and discharge their ransom. Utter depravity of the inhabitants of Jerusalem; betrayal of Messiah by one of the twelve whom he had ordained to the apostolical office, and who was Messiah's constant attendant in all his ministerial circuits. Premature and punitive death of the traitor Judas, and of others banded together to crucify the Lord of glory. John Noble Coleman, M.A., in "A Revision of the authorised English Version of the Book of Psalms, "1863.

But it is you,. He sees him. The poetic fury is upon him, he sees the traitor as though he stood before him in flesh and blood. He singles him out, he points his finger at him, he challenges him to his face. But thou. Et tu, Brute. And thou, Ahithophel, art thou here? Judas, betrayest thou the Son of Man? A man mine equal. Treated by me as one of my own rank, never looked upon as an inferior, but as a trusted friend. My guide, a counsellor so sage that I trusted thine advice and found it prudent to do so. And mine acquaintance, with whom I was on most intimate terms, who knew me even as I knew him by mutual disclosures of heart. No stranger occasionally conversed with, but a near and dear friend admitted to my secret fellowship. It was fiendish treason for such a one to prove false hearted. There was no excuse for such villainy. Judas stood very much in this relation to our Lord, he was treated as an equal, trusted as treasurer, and in that capacity often consulted with. He knew the place where the Master was wont to spend his solitude; in fact, he knew all the Master's movements, and yet he betrayed him to his remorseless adversaries. How justly might the Lord have pointed at him and said, But thou; but his gentler spirit warned the son of perdition in the mildest manner, and had not Iscariot been tenfold a child of hell he would have relinquished his detestable purpose.

We who had sweet fellowship together  It was not merely the counsel which men take together in public or upon common themes, their fellowship had been tender and confidential. The traitor had been treated lovingly, and trusted much. Solace, mutual and cheering, had grown out of their intimate communings. There were secrets between them of no common kind. Soul had been in converse with soul, at least on David's part. However feigned might have been the affection of the treacherous one, the betrayed friend had not dealt with him coldly, or guarded his utterance before him. Shame on the wretch who could belie such fellowship, and betray such confidence! And walked unto the house of God in company. Religion had rendered their intercourse sacred, they had mingled their worship, and communed on heavenly themes. If ever any bonds ought to be held inviolable, religious connections should be. There is a measure of impiety, of a detestable sort, in the deceit which debases the union of men who make profession of godliness. Shall the very altar of God be defiled with hypocrisy? Shall the gatherings of the temple be polluted by the presence of treachery? All this was true of Ahithophel, and in a measure of Judas. His union with the Lord was on the score of faith, they were joined in the holiest of enterprises, he had been sent on the most gracious of errands. His cooperation with Jesus to serve his own abominable ends stamped him as the firstborn of hell. Better had it been for him had he never been born. Let all deceitful professors be warned by his doom, for like Ahithophel he went to his own place by his own hand, and retains a horrible preeminence in the calendar of notorious crime. Here was one source of heart break for the Redeemer, and it is shared in by his followers. Of the serpent's brood some vipers still remain, who will sting the hand that cherished them, and sell for silver those who raised them to the position which rendered it possible for them to be so abominably treacherous.

The Paschal ceremonial,

Arthur Carr

(a) The meal began with a cup of red wine mixed with water: this is the first cup mentioned, Luke 22:17. After this the guests washed their hands. Here probably must be placed the washing of the disciples’ feet, John 13.

(b) The bitter herbs, symbolic of the bitter bondage in Egypt, were then brought in together with unleavened cakes, and a sauce called charoseth, made of fruits and vinegar, into which the unleavened bread and bitter herbs were dipped. This explains “He it is, to whom I shall give a sop,” John 13:26.

(c) The second cup was then mixed and blessed like the first. The father then explained the meaning of the rite (Exod. 13:8). This was the haggadah or “shewing forth,” a term transferred by St Paul to the Christian meaning of the rite (1 Cor. 11:26). The first part of the “hallel” (Psalms 113 and 114) was then chanted by the company.

(d) After this the paschal lamb was placed before the guests. This is called in a special sense “the supper.” But at the Last Supper there was no paschal lamb. There was no need now of the typical lamb without blemish, for the antitype was there. Christ Himself was our Passover “sacrificed for us” (1 Cor. 5:7). He was there being slain for us—His body was being given, His blood being shed. At this point, when according to the ordinary ritual the company partook of the paschal lamb, Jesus “took bread and blessed it, and gave it to his disciples” (v. 26).

(e) The third cup, or “cup of blessing,” so called because a special blessing was pronounced upon it, followed: “after supper he took the cup” (Luke). “He took the cup when he had supped” (Paul). This is the “cup” named in v. 27.

(f) After a fourth cup the company chanted (see v. 30) the second part of the “hallel” (Psalms 115–118). (Lightfoot Hor. Hebr. Dr Ginsburg in Kitto’s Encycl., Dr Edersheim Temple Services.)

MacArthur 

The eating of the Passover meal involved a strictly defined sequence. First, the initial cup of red wine mixed with water was served. Wine was always mixed with water before drinking, but during Passover it was diluted with a double amount of water, lest anyone should desecrate the most sacred occasion by becoming drunk. Partaking of the first cup was preceded by the giving of thanks to God (see Luke 22:17).
Second, the ceremonial washing of hands preceded the main part of the meal, signifying the need for moral and spiritual cleansing and holiness of heart. Because they were celebrating God’s deliverance from spiritual bondage to sin as they remembered His deliverance from physical bondage to Egypt, it was important that celebrants come to the table cleansed.
It is significant that shortly after that the disciples started another “dispute among them as to which one of them was regarded to be greatest” (Luke 22:24). After having cleansed their hands, it was obvious that their hearts were still as proud, self-serving, and ambitious as ever (cf. Mark 9:34). It may have been at this time that Jesus “rose from supper, and laid aside His garments; and taking a towel, … began to wash the disciples’ feet” (John 13:4–5). The Lord specifically explained to the disciples that He had washed their feet “as an example that you also should do as I did to you” (v. 15). Washing another person’s feet was normally done by a servant and was considered by most Jews to be the most demeaning of tasks. Jesus’ example of humble, selfless service was a stinging rebuke of the disciples’ pride and a profound lesson in condescending love.
To that visualized rebuke the Lord added a verbal one, saying, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who have authority over them are called ‘Benefactors.’ But not so with you, but let him who is the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as the servant” (Luke 22:25–26).
The third part of the Passover meal was the eating of bitter herbs, symbolic of the bitter bondage their forefathers had endured in Egypt. As mentioned above, these herbs and pieces of unleavened bread were dipped in the charoseth, the thick mixture of ground fruit and nuts.
The fourth part was the taking of the second cup of wine. When the head of the household, the Lord in the present case, took that second cup, he would explain the meaning of the Passover.
Following that would be singing from the Hallel, which means “praise” and is the term from which hallelujah is derived. The Hallel consisted of Psalms 113–18, and at this point the first two were normally sung.
After the singing, the roasted lamb would be 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.

Matthew 26:22 Being deeply grieved, they each one began to say to Him, “Surely not I, Lord?”

• Mk 14:19,20, Lu 22:23,  John 13:22-25 21:17 

Related Passages: 

Mark 14:19-20+  They began to be grieved and to say to Him one by one, “Surely not I?” 20 And He said to them, “It is one of the twelve, one who dips with Me in the bowl.

Luke 22:23+   (ONLY LUKE GIVES THIS INTERESTING DETAIL) And they began to discuss among themselves which one of them it might be who was going to do this thing. (IMAGINE THOSE WHO SPOKE WITH JUDAS!) 

John 13:22-23+ The disciples began looking at one another, at a loss to know of which one He was speaking. 23 There was reclining on Jesus’ bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved. 

DISCIPLES' DEEP GRIEF
AND PERSONAL DOUBT

Being deeply (sphodra) grieved (lupeo) - There were eleven truly grieved, and one greatly relieved! (that Jesus did not disclose his identity) Grieved (lupeo) is in the present tense describing their grief continuing as the meal went on. One wonders what this shocking news would have done to their appetites! In a sense this was a merciful call to Judas Iscariot to come to his senses and repent of his evil plans. 

John 13:22+ gives us a sense of the shock of the disciples who "began looking at one another, at a loss to know of which one He was speaking." Luke 22:23+ adds "they began to discuss among themselves which one of them it might be who was going to do this thing."

They each one (hekastos - each and every one) began (archo started) to say to Him, “Surely not (meti) I, Lord?" (kurios) - Note each one is the Greek word hekastos which means every single one, including the lying one, Judas. Judas was forced to lie to Jesus, for he had already made up his mind (Jn 12:4-6+). Notice how one sin invariably gives birth to other sins! (O that I might remember what I just wrote!) Their question “Surely not I, Lord?" supports the premise that when Jesus made His prophecy, He glanced around the table and peered into the eyes of all twelve men. The Greek grammatical construction expects a negative response, which would apropos for eleven, but not for Judas. 

We are all a Judas because each and every sin against Jesus
is an act of betrayal, and a personal one at that.

THOUGHT on "Surely not I, Lord." - In a painful sense the answer to the question...“Is it I?” requires an answer of “yes” from each and every one of us. Yes, Judas betrayed Jesus, but by morning all the disciples would betray Him. Judas betrayed Him for greed (Mk 14:10-11), but the rest would betray Him from weakness (Mk 14:37-42), fear (Mk 14:50-52) and cowardice (Mk 14:66-72). But what about you? What about me? James Edwards hits us right between the eyes when he writes, “Surely not I?” How that protest echoes down the centuries” (See The Gospel according to Mark p. 424). We are all a Judas because each and every sin against Jesus is an act of betrayal, and a personal one at that. And yet this is where the grace of the gospel shines so bright, clean and pure. Even those who betray this great King and glorious Savior can experience immediate and complete forgiveness through simple repentance and confession of sin (1 John 1:9+). Godly repentance will grieve, even weep, over the terrible thing it has done (2Co 7:9-10+). But then it flees to Jesus who took that very sin on Himself at the cross. In grace God forgives. And, He provides the strength to move forward in the “family of the forgiven.” What a great family that is! If only Judas had turned from his sin! (Daniel Akin)

Hiebert - Aware of their own weakness, they expressed a feeling of uncertainty about themselves; yet none of the eleven knew of anything in himself that could lead him to such a deed of treachery. (The Gospel of Mark: An Expositional Commentary)

In Mt 26:25 Judas offers a second, hypocritical query, "Surely it is not I, Rabbi?” (he did not use Lord the second time) to which Jesus replied “You have said it yourself.”

Spurgeon - .That short sentence fell like a bombshell among the Savior’s bodyguard. It startled them; they had all made great professions of affection for him, and, for the most part, those professions were true. And they were exceeding sorrowful: and well they might be. Such a revelation was enough to produce the deepest emotions of sorrow and sadness. (It is certainly a mark of grace that "every one" of the apostles put to their Lord the question, "Is it I?") It is a beautiful trait in the character of the disciples that they did not suspect one another, but every one of them inquired, almost incredulously, as the form of the question implies " Lord, is it I? " No one said, " Lord, is it Judas? " Perhaps no one of the eleven thought that Judas was base enough to betray the Lord who had given him an honorable place among his apostles. We cannot do any good by suspecting our brethren; but we may do great services by suspecting ourselves. Self-suspicion is near akin to humility.

Spurgeon - It shows a beautiful trait in their character that they did not suspect one another, and least of all, I suppose, did they suspect Judas; but each one asked, "Lord, is it I?" It is an admirable way of hearing a sermon to take it home to yourself, especially if there be a rebuke or a caution in it.

African Study Bible - Judas Iscariot was one of Jesus’ disciples. He is described specifically as the one who betrayed Jesus. Without question, Jesus knew in advance Judas would betray him, even though Judas kept his intentions secret. This fact is well illustrated by the Swahili proverb that says, Machoni, rafiki; moyoni, mnafiki, meaning, "Friendly in the eyes but a hypocrite at heart." This proverb observes how hypocrites are typically quite skilled at concealing their true character. This fact might explain how Judas’s true nature remained hidden from the eyes of his companions. However, Jesus knew the contents of Judas’s heart. Similarly, Jesus knows the contents of our hearts. They are laid bare before him, the One to whom we are ultimately accountable (Hebrews 4:13). Therefore, we must always seek purity of heart (ED: WE CANNOT DO THIS IN RELIANCE ON OUR NATURAL STRENGTH BUT IN ORDER TO CULTIVATE HOLY HEARTS WE NEED TO CONTINUALLY TAKE IN THE HOLY WORD -- THAT IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY -- AND CONTINUALLY RELY ON THE SPIRIT TO TRANSFORM US INTO THE IMAGE OF CHRIST -- GOD'S PART - 2Cor 3:18+). (Oasis International = Consider support of this ministry to get more of this great culturally sensitive study Bible into the hands of the growing church in Africa)

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Deeply (4970)(sphodra from adjective sphodros = eager, excessive, violent, vehement) means very much, extremely, greatly, exceedingly. BDAB says the idea is "a very high point on a scale of extent." Although the adjective sphodros (“vehement, violent, excessive”) does not appear in the New Testament, Liddell-Scott shows widespread use of the word since Homer (Eighth Century B.C.). As an adverb meaning “greatly” or “exceedingly,” sphodra is used 11 times (mostly in the Gospels) to describe joy (Matthew 2:10), fear (Matthew 17:6; 27:54), sorrow (Matthew 17:23), amazement (Matthew 19:25), and riches (Luke 18:23).

SPHODRA - 10X/10V - deeply(3), exceedingly(1), extremely(3), greatly(1), very(2). Matt. 2:10; Matt. 17:23; Matt. 18:31; Matt. 19:25; Matt. 26:22; Matt. 27:54; Mk. 16:4; Lk. 18:23; Acts 6:7; Rev. 16:21

SPHODRA - SEPTUAGINT - Gen. 7:18-19; 12:14; 13:2,13; 15:1; 17:2,6,20; 18:20; 19:9; 20:8; 21:11; 24:16,35; 26:13,16; 27:33-34; 30:43; 32:7; 34:7,12; 39:6; 41:31,49; 47:13,27; 50:9-10; Exod. 1:7,12,20; 9:3,18,24; 10:14; 11:3; 12:38; 14:10; 19:18-19; Num. 11:10,33; 12:3; 13:28; 14:7,39; 16:15; 22:3; 32:1; Deut. 2:4; 3:5; 4:9,15; 6:3; 9:20-21; 13:14; 17:4,10,17; 20:15; 24:8; 27:8; 28:54,56; 29:28; 30:14; Jos. 3:16; 6:18; 9:9,13,22,24; 10:2,20; 11:4; 22:5,8; 23:6,11; Jdg. 2:15; 3:17; 6:6; 10:9; 11:33; 12:2; 13:6; 15:18; 18:9; 19:11; Ruth 1:20; 1 Sam. 2:17,22; 3:21; 4:10; 5:9,11; 6:19; 11:6; 12:18; 14:20,31; 16:21; 17:11; 18:15; 19:1,4,8; 20:30; 21:12; 25:2-3,15,36; 26:21; 27:12; 28:5,15,20-21; 30:6; 31:4; 2 Sam. 1:26; 3:8; 8:8; 10:5; 11:2; 12:2,5,30; 13:1,3,15,21,36; 14:25,27; 17:8; 18:17; 19:32; 24:10,14; 1 Ki. 1:4,6,15; 2:12,35; 4:20,29-30; 5:7; 7:47; 10:2,10-11; 11:19; 12:24; 17:17; 18:3; 21:26; 2 Ki. 10:4; 14:26; 17:18; 21:16; 1 Chr. 10:4; 16:25; 18:8; 19:5; 20:2; 21:8,13; 2 Chr. 4:18; 7:8; 9:1; 11:12; 16:8,12,14; 24:24; 25:10; 30:13; 32:27,29; 33:12,14; 35:23; Ezr. 10:1; Neh. 2:2; 4:7; 5:6; 6:16; 13:8; Est. 3:5; 4:17; 5:1,9; Job 1:3; 2:13; 32:2-3; 35:15; Ps. 6:3,10; 21:1; 31:11; 38:8; 46:1; 47:9; 48:1; 50:3; 78:29,59; 79:8; 92:5; 93:5; 96:4; 97:9; 104:1; 105:24; 107:38; 109:30; 112:1; 116:10; 119:4,8,43,47,51,96,107,138,140,167; 139:14; 142:6; 145:3; Isa. 16:6; 31:1; 47:6,9; 52:13; 64:9,12; Jer. 2:10,12,36; 9:19; 14:17; 18:13; 20:11; 24:2; 40:12; 48:16; 50:12; Lam. 5:22; Ezek. 9:9; 16:13; 20:13; 26:7; 27:25; 37:2,10; 40:2; 47:7,9-10; Dan. 2:31; 4:17; 6:14; 7:28; 8:8; 11:25; Joel 2:11; Obad. 1:2; Jon. 4:4,9; Nah. 2:1; Zeph. 1:14; 3:14; Zech. 9:2,5,9; 14:4,14

Grieved (be distressed) (3076) lupeo from lupe = sorrow) signifies pain, of body or mind and means to cause one to experience severe mental or emotional distress or physical pain which may be accompanied by sadness, sorrow or grief.

LUPEO - 26X/21V - cause...sorrow(1), caused...sorrow(2), caused sorrow(2), distressed(1), grieve(3), grieved(7), grieving(2), hurt(1), made sorrowful(5), sorrow(1), sorrowful(1). Matt. 14:9; 17:23; 18:31; 19:22; 26:22,37; Mk. 10:22; 14:19; Jn. 16:20; 21:17; Rom. 14:15; 2 Co. 2:2,4-5; 6:10; 7:8-9,11; Eph. 4:30; 1 Thess. 4:13; 1 Pet. 1:6

Surely not (3385)(meti from me = not + ti/tis = anything) means can this be? This is an interrogative particle in questions expecting a negative answer often left untranslated or translated in such a way as to indicate a negative answer is expected surely not, probably not. Sometimes meti is used to indicate that the questioner is in doubt regarding the answer (. Meti can be used to express doubt about an answer perhaps (Mt 12.23). 

Gilbrant - This interrogative particle occurs in questions (typically direct, though an indirect question does occur in Luke 9:13) when the speaker anticipates a negative answer (Bauer). Bauer also notes that it is usually left untranslated and offers no clear-cut translation.

The word is a combination of mē (3231), “not,” and ti (see 4948), “what?” It is best represented by casting the question at hand in such a way as to invite the reader to render a negative response. For example, “A blind man is not able to lead a blind man, is he?” (free translation, Luke 6:39, literally, “[Not] can a blind man guide?”); “Pilate responded, ’I am not a Jew, am I?’ ” (free translation, John 18:35, literally, “[Not] am I a Jew?”; cf. Acts 10:47; 2 Corinthians 1:17; James 3:11).

The expected negative response may not be valid. Judas, who betrayed Jesus, asked, “I am not he, am I, Rabbi?” (free translation, Matthew 26:25, literally, “[Not] am I, rabbi?”). History knows the answer. (Cf. Matthew 12:23; John 4:29; 8:22.) (Complete Biblical Library)

METI - 10X/9V - cannot(1), cannot*(1), perhaps(1), surely(4), surely no(1), unless*(2). Matt. 12:23; Matt. 26:22; Matt. 26:25; Mk. 14:19; Lk. 6:39; Lk. 9:13; Jn. 8:22; Acts 10:47; 2 Co. 13:5. Uses once in the Septuagint in Da 2:11.

Matthew 26:23 And He answered, “He who dipped his hand with Me in the bowl is the one who will betray Me.

• He who dipped his hand: Ps 41:9 Lu 22:21  Joh 13:18,26-28 

Related Passages:

Psalm 41:9+  Even my close friend, in whom I trusted, Who ate my bread, Has lifted up his heel against me. 

John 13:18+ “I do not speak of all of you. I know the ones I have chosen; but it is that the Scripture may be fulfilled, ‘HE WHO EATS MY BREAD HAS LIFTED UP HIS HEEL AGAINST ME.’

John 13:24-26+  So Simon Peter *gestured to him (TO JOHN), and *said to him, “Tell us who it is of whom He is speaking.” 25 He, leaning back thus on Jesus’ bosom, *said to Him, “Lord, who is it?” 26 Jesus then *answered, “That is the one for whom I shall dip the morsel and give it to him.” So when He had dipped the morsel, He *took and *gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. 27 After the morsel, Satan then entered into him. Therefore Jesus *said to him, “What you do, do quickly.” 28 Now no one of those reclining at the table knew for what purpose He had said this to him.

Luke 22:21+ “But behold, the hand of the one betraying Me is with Mine on the table. 

THE BETRAYER
IDENTIFIED

And He answered - Jesus answer was prompted by Peter's urging John to question Jesus in John 13:24+.

“He who dipped his hand with Me in the bowl is the one who will betray (paradidomi - deliver) Me - This probably refers to dipping food into haroseth (m. Pesaḥ. 10.3). Ponder that a moment. Who had dipped his hand into the bowl? All twelve! So this cryptic clue did not help them determine which one was guilty! 

D A Carson - If the main course, the roast lamb, was being eaten, the “bowl” would contain herbs and a fruit puree, which would be scooped out with bread. (See Matthew)

Spurgeon - A man may get very near to Christ, ay, may dips his hand in the same dish with the Savior, and yet betray him. We may be high in office, and may apparently be very useful, as Judas was; yet we may betray Christ. We learn from our Lord’s words that divine decrees do not deprive a sinful action of its guilt: "The Son of man goes as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed." His criminality is just as great as though there had been no " determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God." "It had been good for that man if he had not been born." The doom of Judas is worse than non-existence. To have consorted with Christ as he had done, and then to deliver him into the hands of his enemies, sealed the traitor’s eternal destiny.....He who had been entrusted with the charge of the finances of the little band of Christ’s immediate disciples, he who carried the bag, was the one who was about to betray his Lord. Since then, Christ has often been betrayed by those who have been in positions of trust, those who have led the way among the disciples of Christ, those who have, as it were, been so familiar with Christ as to dip their hand with him in the dish.

Spurgeon - "It is even so," With a sorrowful gesture, he made it plain to his sad little circle of friends and followers that he knew all that was going to happen, and that Judas was the man who was going to turn traitor.

NET NOTE - The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me. The point of Jesus’ comment here is not to identify the specific individual per se, but to indicate that it is one who was close to him—somebody whom no one would suspect. His comment serves to heighten the treachery of Judas’ betrayal.

Matthew 26:24 “The Son of Man is to go, 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.”

• Son of Man: Mt 26:54,56 Ge 3:15 Ps 22:1-31 69:1-21 Isa 50:5,6 Isa 53:1-12 Da 9:26 Zec 12:10 13:7 Mk 9:12 Lu 24:25,26,46 Joh 19:24,28,36,37 Ac 13:27-29 17:2-3 26:22,23 28:23 1Co 15:3 1Pe 1:11 
• written: Lu 22:22 Ac 2:23 4:28 
• but: Mt 18:7 Mt 27:3-5 Ps 55:15,23 Ps 109:6-19 Mk 14:21  Joh 17:12 Ac 1:16-20 

Related Passages: 

Matthew 18:7+ “Woe to the world because of its stumbling blocks! For it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come; but woe to that man through whom the stumbling block comes!

Mark 14:21+ “For the Son of Man is to go, 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.”

GOD'S SOVEREIGNTY
MAN'S RESPONSIBILITY

The Son of Man (cf Da 7:13-14+) is to go, just as it is written (grapho) of Him  - Son of Man was Jesus favorite term describing the discharge of His divine mission. The phrase is to go is added, but is a fitting description of His death as He would go to Calvary, go into the grave and finally rise and go to His Father (cf Jn 13:1+ = "He would depart out of this world to the Father"). Written is in the perfect tense means it was written in the past and stands written. Where was it written? In the Old Testament of course, as for example (and this is just a sampling) in Ge 3:15, Ps 22:1-31 Ps 69:1-21 Isa 50:5,6 Isa 53:1-12, Da 9:26. Jesus explains that His betrayal would fulfill prophecy and ultimately God's plan of redemption. In other words, the betrayal did not catch Jesus (or God) off guard but was part of the sovereign plan. Peter alludes to the fulfillment of Jesus' betrayal in his first sermon declaring "this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death." (Acts 2:23+)

An unholy man in the hands of a holy God
was used to accomplish a holy purpose.
-- John MacArthur

But - Term of contrast. This is an important contrast, for even though Judas' betrayal had been foreordained by God, Judas would still be held responsible for his evil deed. Yes Jesus would be betrayed and would go to the Cross this but presents the contrasting future fate of the betrayer. 

Woe (ouai - how terrible, how horrible) - It is notable that every use in the Gospels comes from the lips of Jesus! To that I say "Woe!"  To eat with the Son of Man and then betray Him was the height of treachery (willful betrayal of fidelity, confidence, trust). Jesus use of a woe is not to utter a curse on Judas but a word of impending disaster to the betrayer.  Woe is an emotional cry like exclaiming, "Alas, how horrible it will be!"  Swete adds woe “reveals a misery which Love itself could not prevent.”

To that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed (paradidomi)! Betrayed is in the present tense picturing the betrayal as having begun and in progress. This is like an arrow directed straight at the black, hard heart of Judas in a loving attempt to break through before it was too late. While this betrayal was part of God's prophetic plan (Ps 41:9 where David laments that his trusted friend Ahithophel 2 Sa 16:15–17:23; 1 Chr. 27:33), the betrayer would still be held humanly responsible for his betrayal. God had sovereignly orchestrated this event, and yet Judas made a choice of his will to carry out the betrayal and thus was fully accountable for his actions. Once again we see the mysterious juxtaposition of God's sovereignty and man's responsibility/accountability. Cranfield adds “The fact that God turns the wrath of man to his praise does not excuse the wrath of man." 

R C Sproul: It is not as though God in His sovereignty coerced Judas to carry out the evil act of betraying Jesus. Rather, the sovereign God worked His will in and through the choices of His creatures. Judas did exactly what Judas wanted to do, but God brought good out of evil, redemption out of treachery.

Judas Iscariot was the classic apostate, who had grace and truth, who seemed to partake of truth for 3 years and yet intentionally, willfully withdrew from and rejected the truth from the One Who is Truth personified. He reminds one of those in Hebrews 6:4 "For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit (JUDAS SURELY WAS), and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come (JUDAS DID - SEE Lk 9:1-2+), and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame." (Heb 6:4-6+) .

THOUGHT- Beloved, for those folks you share the Gospel with and they draw back making the statement "I might believe if I had more evidence that Jesus was real," you need to remind them of Judas Iscariot. No man had more exposure to the "real Jesus" and yet still steadfastly and resolutely rejected "the Way, the Truth and the Life" (John 14:6+)! The problem is never about enough evidence. The heart of the problem is the heart! 

Judas is an example of those individuals described in the most serious and fearful warning passage in the book of Hebrews...

For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth (JUDAS WOULD BE THE PROTOTYPICAL EXAMPLE AFTER THREE YEARS IN THE VERY PRESENCE OF THE ONE WHO IS "FAITHFUL AND TRUE" Rev 19:11+), there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a terrifying expectation of judgment and THE FURY OF A FIRE WHICH WILL CONSUME THE ADVERSARIES....29 How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified (JUDAS LITERALLY HEARD JESUS WORDS INAUGURATING THE NEW COVENANT IN HIS BLOOD!), and has insulted the Spirit of grace?  30 For we know Him who said, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY.” And again, “THE LORD WILL JUDGE HIS PEOPLE.” 31 It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.  (Hebrews 10:26-27+, Hebrews 10:29-31+)

It would have been good (kalos) for that man if he had (ouk - absolutely) not been born (gennao) - This is one of the more frightening declarations from the lips of Jesus! Apparently there was a similar phrase in the Rabbinical Schools, but never was it sounding with such an awful depth of certainty. It certainly got Judas' attention, but failed to bring about repentance.  If Judas had an ounce of conscience left (see illustration), surely this would have shocked him into reality, but this stern warning had no impact on his hardened heart. Jesus point is clear that because Judas had received so much spiritual truth (probably the most any human has ever received), to reject the truth and reject Jesus would result in a commensurate condemnation far greater than most other people who refuse Christ's offer of forgiveness Jesus' statement emphasizes the depth and severity of Judas' punishment because of his greater spiritual light. (See Are there different levels of punishment in hell?).

THOUGHT - Perhaps you are a skeptic who does not believe that Jesus died for your sins and you are reading this out of curiosity. If that is the case obviously my prayer would  be that God's Spirit uses these words, specifically His Words of Truth, to open your heart to receive the Word implanted which is able to save your soul and that you would repent and believe the Gospel. But if you are reading and continually rejecting words of truth, you need to understand that the more light your receive and reject, the greater will be your punishment in Hell. This is one reason I stop sharing the truth of Christ with individuals who scoff and ridicule Jesus and His sacrifice for sins on the Cross. I do not want that person to suffer even greater degrees of punishment! 

Daniel Akin - Observe: (1) Jesus, as Daniel’s “Son of Man” (Dan 7:13-14), was predestined to be betrayed and crucified. Once again Jesus weds Daniel’s apocalyptic figure to Isaiah’s “Suffering Servant” (Isa 52:13-53:12; also Ps 22). (2) The one betraying the Lord Jesus was pitied in spite of his unconscionable deed (“woe to that man”). Jesus loved and cared even for Judas. (3) The future judgment for Judas will be so terrible it would have been better “if he had not been born.” Again, we see the truth that “revelation brings responsibility.” (4) Even though Judas’ betrayal was ordained according to God’s plan, he is morally responsible for his freewill action. Jesus will be betrayed and crucified according to God’s predetermined will, but this in no way relieved Judas of his responsibility and guilt. In a divine mystery we will never completely comprehend in this life, we embrace the truth and tension that divine sovereignty never cancels out human freedom and moral responsibility. Both are true. We affirm them both. 

Spurgeon - We learn from our Lord’s words that divine decrees do not deprive a sinful action of its guilt: "The Son of man goes as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! "The criminality of Judas was just as great as though there had been no "determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God" even as it was with those to whom Peter spoke so boldly on the day of Pentecost, when he charged them with the murder of Jesus.

Spurgeon - The doom of the wicked is something far worse than non-existence, or Christ would not have said, concerning Judas Iscariot, "It had been good for that man if he had never been born." This is especially true of all those who, having for a while consorted with Christ, afterwards deny it and betray him. O brothers and sisters, may all of us be kept from this terrible sin! May none of us ever betray our Master after all the fellowship we have had with him! It would be better to die for him than to deny him; and it would be better never to have been born than to have been in intimate association with him, and then to have betrayed him.

ILLUSTRATION - Harry Ironside during his ministry to the Indians of Northern Arizona once asked a man if he knew what the conscience was:  The man replied that he did, it was like a three cornered stone in his heart.  When he was doing what he knew was right the stone was still.  But when he did what he knew was wrong the stone turned and the corners hurt very much.  But if I keep doing wrong the corners wear smooth and it doesn’t hurt anymore. The corners of their conscience worn smooth - it no longer hurt him to hurt Jesus! That's a dangerous place to be! 

THOUGHT- "Remember this if you are playing fast and loose with your attachment to Jesus Christ. You can come to church, hear sound preaching, volunteer for Christian work, support Christian causes, even partake of the Lord's Supper, and still perish, if you are not truly born again. And perish Judas did! Judas is in hell today. Jesus' words about Judas's end teach plainly "that it is better never to live at all, than to live without faith and to die without grace," as Ryle states it. It is possible to be as close to Jesus as Judas was and be lost." (James Montgomery Boice - The Gospel of Matthew: The Triumph of the King, Matthew 18-28).

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Woe (alas, how dreadful) (3759 - click and select "Phonetics" to hear "ouai" pronounced) (ouai pronounced "oo-ah'ee," an eerie, ominous foreboding sound some say is like the cry of an eagle) is an onomatopoeic word (an imitation of the sound) which serves as an interjection or lamentation (e.g., at funerals 1Ki 13:30) expressing an outburst of emotion, a cry of intense distress, displeasure, pain, sorrow or horror. An exclamation denoting pain or displeasure. Sometime woe was used to attract attention (Isa. 55:1). Less frequently, it occurs as a noun denoting a disaster or calamity. The OT prophets would often open their prophetic utterances of coming divine judgment with the word "Woe!" (Isa. 5:8-10; Mic 2:1-5) An interjection expressing great distress or sorrow; or a noun signifying a condition of deep suffering due to a calamity that has befallen or will befall a person or community. It may convey a warning of impending disaster to the hearers. BDAG - ① interjection denoting pain or displeasure, woe, alas ② a state of intense hardship or distress, woe

OUAI - 47X/36V - woe(46), woes(1). (NOTE - MOST OFTEN FROM THE LIPS OF JESUS!) Matt. 11:21; Matt. 18:7; Matt. 23:13; Matt. 23:14; Matt. 23:15; Matt. 23:16; Matt. 23:23; Matt. 23:25; Matt. 23:27; Matt. 23:29; Matt. 24:19; Matt. 26:24; Mk. 13:17; Mk. 14:21; Lk. 6:24; Lk. 6:25; Lk. 6:26; Lk. 10:13; Lk. 11:42; Lk. 11:43; Lk. 11:44; Lk. 11:46; Lk. 11:47; Lk. 11:52; Lk. 17:1; Lk. 21:23; Lk. 22:22; 1 Co. 9:16; Jude 1:11; Rev. 8:13; Rev. 9:12; Rev. 11:14; Rev. 12:12; Rev. 18:10; Rev. 18:16; Rev. 18:19

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Norman Geisler -  

Does Jesus’ statement about how it would have been better if Judas had never been born support the annihilationist’s view?

MISINTERPRETATION: Jesus said of Judas, who was sent to perdition, that “it would be better for him if he had not been born” (Mark 14:21NIV) (ED: Mt 26:24). But before one is conceived one does not exist. Thus, annihilationists argue that if hell will be like the prebirth condition, it must be a state of nonexistence. Annihilationism must therefore be true. Is this a proper conclusion?

CORRECTING THE MISINTERPRETATION: Jesus is not comparing Judas’s perdition to his non-existence before birth. This hyperbolic figure of speech indicates the severity of his punishment, not the superiority of nonbeing over being. Further, nothing cannot be better than something, since they have nothing in common to compare them. So nonbeing cannot be actually better than being. It is a category mistake to assume they can.

In a parallel condemnation on the Pharisees, Jesus said Sodom and Gomorrah would have repented had they seen his miracles (Matt. 11:20–24). This does not mean that they actually would have repented (or God would surely have shown them these miracles—2 Peter 3:9). It is simply a powerful figure of speech indicating that their sin was so great that “it would be more tolerable” (Matt. 11:24) in the day of judgment for Sodom than for them. So even in this phrase about Judas there is no proof of annihilation of the wicked.

The Bible makes clear references to the lost being in conscious torment and punishment after their death. Jesus said it is a place “where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matt. 8:12; cf. 22:13; 24:51; 25:30). But those who are not conscious do not weep. See Matthew 25:46.

QUESTION - What does it mean that Jesus is the Son of Man? | GotQuestions.org (View Video)

ANSWER - Jesus is referred to as the “Son of Man” 82 times in the New Testament (NIV and ESV). In fact, Son of Man is the primary title Jesus used when referring to Himself (e.g., Matthew 12:32; 13:37; Luke 12:8; John 1:51). The only use of Son of Man in a clear reference to Jesus, spoken by someone other than Jesus, came from the lips of Stephen as he was being martyred (Acts 7:56).

Son of Man is a title of humanity. Other titles for Christ, such as Son of God, are overt in their focus on His deity. Son of Man, in contrast, focuses on the humanity of Christ. God called the prophet Ezekiel “son of man” 93 times. In this way, God was simply calling Ezekiel a human being. Son of man is simply a periphrastic term for “human.” Jesus Christ was truly a human being. He came “in the flesh” (1 John 4:2).

Son of Man is a title of humility. The Second Person of the Trinity, eternal in nature, left heaven’s glory and took on human flesh, becoming the Son of Man, born in a manger and “despised and rejected by mankind” (Isaiah 53:3). The Son of Man had “no place to lay his head” (Luke 9:58). The Son of Man ate and drank with sinners (Matthew 11:19). The Son of Man suffered at the hands of men (Matthew 17:12). This intentional lowering of His status from King of Heaven to Son of Man is the epitome of humility (see Philippians 2:6–8).

Son of Man is a title of deity. Ezekiel may have been a son of man, but Jesus is the Son of Man. As such, Jesus is the supreme example of all that God intended mankind to be, the embodiment of truth and grace (John 1:14). In Him “all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form” (Colossians 2:9). For this reason, the Son of Man was able to forgive sins (Matthew 9:6). The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath (Mark 2:28). The Son of Man came to save lives (Luke 9:56; 19:10), rise from the dead (Mark 9:9), and execute judgment (John 5:27). At His trial before the high priest, Jesus said, “I say to all of you: From now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven” (Matthew 26:64). This statement immediately ended the trial, as the court accused the Lord of blasphemy and condemned Him to death (verses 65–66).

Son of Man is a fulfillment of prophecy. Jesus’ claim before the high priest to be the Son of Man was a reference to the prophecy of Daniel 7:13–14, “I was watching in the night visions, And behold, One like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, And they brought Him near before Him. Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, Which shall not pass away, And His kingdom the one Which shall not be destroyed” (NKJV). Daniel saw glory, worship, and an everlasting kingdom given to the Messiah—here called the “Son of Man”—and Jesus applied this prophecy to Himself. Jesus also spoke of His coming kingdom on other occasions (Matthew 13:41; 16:28). The author of Hebrews used a reference to the “son of man” in the Psalms to teach that Jesus, the true Son of Man, will be the ruler of all things (Hebrews 2:5–9; cf. Psalm 8:4–6). The Son of Man, in fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy, will be the King.

Jesus was fully God (John 1:1), but He was also fully human (John 1:14). As the Son of God and the Son of Man, He is deserving of both titles.

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QUESTION - Was Judas Iscariot forgiven / saved?

ANSWER - The Bible clearly indicates that Judas was not saved. Jesus Himself said of Judas, “The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born” (Matthew 26:24). Here is a clear picture of the sovereignty of God and the will of man working together. God had, from ages past, determined that Christ would be betrayed by Judas, die on the cross for our sins, and be resurrected. This is what Jesus meant when He said He would “go just as it is written about him.” Nothing would stop the plan of God to provide salvation for mankind.

However, the fact that it was all foreordained does not excuse Judas or absolve him from the punishment he would suffer for his part in the drama. Judas made his own choices, and they were the source of his own damnation. Yet the choices fit perfectly into the sovereign plan of God. God controls not only the good, but also the evil of man to accomplish His own ends. Here we see Jesus condemning Judas, but considering that Judas travelled with Jesus for nearly three years, we know He also gave Judas ample opportunity for salvation and repentance. Even after his dreadful deed, Judas could have fallen on his knees to beg God’s forgiveness. But he did not. He may have felt some remorse born of fear, which caused him to return the money to the Pharisees, but he never repented, preferring instead to commit suicide (Matthew 27:5-8).

In John 17:12, Jesus prays concerning His disciples, “While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled.” At one time, though, Judas believed that Jesus was a prophet, or possibly even believed He was the Messiah. Jesus sent the disciples out to proclaim the gospel and perform miracles (Luke 9:1-6). Judas was included in this group. Judas had faith, but it was not a true saving faith. Judas was never “saved,” but for a time he was a follower of Christ.

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Related Resources:

• Who was Judas Iscariot?
• How did Judas die? Do the accounts of Judas' death contradict?
• What is the gospel of Judas?
• Why did Jesus choose Judas?

Matthew 26:25 And Judas, who was betraying Him, said, “Surely it is not I, Rabbi?” Jesus *said to him, “You have said it yourself.”

• Judas: 2Ki 5:25 Pr 30:20 
• You have said: Mt 26:64 Mt 27:11 Joh 18:37 

JUDAS' HYPOCRITICAL
SELF INCRIMINATION

This exchange between Jesus and Judas is only found in Matthew's Gospel. Jesus "woe" in verse 24 elicits a reaction from Judas, but unfortunately it was the wrong response. Jesus was offering Judas an opportunity to respond with repentance. 

And Judas, who was betraying (paradidomi - present tense) Him, said, “Surely it is not (meti) I, Rabbi?” - Rabbi (rhabbi) means my teacher, but sadly Judas was a poor student! Other than the time Judas probably chimed in with the other eleven calling Jesus Lord in Mt 26:22 (Judas had no choice), there is no record that he ever referred to Jesus as "Lord." He will learn one day that Jesus is Lord and will be forced to call Him Lord one last time (Php 2:9-11+) before he is condemned forever to the lowest depths of eternal Hell! As the saying goes, but then it is too little, too late!

Stuart Weber - Judas’ use of the respectful Rabbi was a smokescreen that hid his disrespect for Jesus. Judas was just like the hypocrites who built Jesus up with false compliments even as they were trying to take him down. (Holman New Testament Commentary - Matthew)

The phrase Surely it is not (meti) I, Rabbi? expects a negative answer! This shows the self-deception of a depraved mind. Judas knew he was the one but he still phrases his question in a way that expects a negative reply! He may have been hoping for a negative reply from Jesus which would indicate that Jesus did not know who the betrayer was. Jesus immediately quashes that possibility! Jesus knew Judas was insincere in the question he was asking.

Jesus *said to him, “You have said it yourself - Apparently Judas had the seat of honor reclining next to Jesus and this would have allowed Jesus to make this statement quiet enough so that the other eleven did not hear it. Had Peter heard it, we can imagine he would have done more than cut off an ear as he would soon do to the slave of the high priest. “You have said it yourself is "A Greek expression that deflects responsibility back upon the one asking a question (cf Mt 26:64)" (BORROW ESVSB PAGE 1880) In other words it is an indirect way of saying ‘yes’. In effect  Jesus is telling Judas that he has indicted himself with his own words! The other disciples were not aware that Jesus had identified Judas as the betrayer. 

The question arises  at what point did Judas leave the meal (cf John 13:30)? Many think it was at this point that Judas departed because Matthew does not refer to Judas again until Mt 26:46-47. There are some who think Judas did not leave until after the institution of the Lord's Supper (Mt 26:26ff) but I find that inconceivable in view of the fact that the Lord's Supper is for believers. 

John MacArthur comments "Lest that devil incarnate participate further in the Passover meal with them or in any way interfere with Jesus' last precious moments with the true disciples, and to set him loose for the final scenes of his treachery, the Lord said to the betrayer, "What you do, do quickly" (Mt 26:27b+). Except for John, the others did not know why Jesus gave that instruction to Judas but supposed "because Judas had the money box, that Jesus was saying to him, 'Buy things we have need of for the feast'; or else, that he should give something to the poor" (Mt 26:28-29+). Jesus knew who the betrayer was; John knew; and Judas himself knew. But the rest did not know. After Judas left and Jesus was alone with the eleven faithful disciples, He transformed the Passover of the Old Covenant into the Lord's Supper of the New Covenant." (See Matthew Commentary - Page 150) 

Spurgeon - What a chill that answer must have cast over the little band around the table, especially when Judas rose, and started off, to carry out his dreadful purpose of staining his soul with the blood of his Lord!.....Judas appears to have been the last of the twelve to ask the question, "Is it I?" Those who are the last to suspect themselves are usually those who ought to be the first to exercise self-suspicion. Judas did not address Christ as "Lord," as the other disciples had done; but called him Rabbi, "Master." Otherwise his question was like that of his eleven companions; but he received from Christ an answer that was given to no one else: He said unto him, "You have said." Probably the reply reached his ear alone, and if he had not been a hopeless reprobate, this unmasking of his traitorous design might have driven him to repentance, but there was nothing in his heart to respond to Christ’s voice. He had sold himself to Satan before be sold his Lord.

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QUESTION - Why did Judas betray Jesus? WATCH VIDEO

ANSWER - While we cannot be absolutely certain why Judas betrayed Jesus, some things are certain. First, although Judas was chosen to be one of the Twelve (John 6:64), all scriptural evidence points to the fact that he never believed Jesus to be God. He even may not have been convinced that Jesus was the Messiah (as Judas understood it). Unlike the other disciples that called Jesus “Lord,” Judas never used this title for Jesus and instead called him “Rabbi,” which acknowledged Jesus as nothing more than a teacher. While other disciples at times made great professions of faith and loyalty (John 6:68; 11:16), Judas never did so and appears to have remained silent. This lack of faith in Jesus is the foundation for all other considerations listed below. The same holds true for us. If we fail to recognize Jesus as God incarnate, and therefore the only One who can provide forgiveness for our sins—and the eternal salvation that comes with it—we will be subject to numerous other problems that stem from a wrong view of God.

Second, Judas not only lacked faith in Christ, but he also had little or no personal relationship with Jesus. When the synoptic gospels list the Twelve, they are always listed in the same general order with slight variations (Matthew 10:2-4; Mark 3:16-19; Luke 6:14-16). The general order is believed to indicate the relative closeness of their personal relationship with Jesus. Despite the variations, Peter and the brothers James and John are always listed first, which is consistent with their relationships with Jesus. Judas is always listed last, which may indicate his relative lack of a personal relationship with Christ. Additionally, the only documented dialogue between Jesus and Judas involves Judas being rebuked by Jesus after his greed-motivated remark to Mary (John 12:1-8), Judas’ denial of his betrayal (Matthew 26:25), and the betrayal itself (Luke 22:48).

Third, Judas was consumed with greed to the point of betraying the trust of not only Jesus, but also his fellow disciples, as we see in John 12:5-6. Judas may have desired to follow Jesus simply because he saw the great following and believed he could profit from collections taken for the group. The fact that Judas was in charge of the moneybag for the group would indicate his interest in money (John 13:29).

Additionally, Judas, like most people at the time, believed the Messiah was going to overthrow Roman occupation and take a position of power ruling over the nation of Israel. Judas may have followed Jesus hoping to benefit from association with Him as the new reigning political power. No doubt he expected to be among the ruling elite after the revolution. By the time of Judas’ betrayal, Jesus had made it clear that He planned to die, not start a rebellion against Rome. So Judas may have assumed—just as the Pharisees did—that since He would not overthrow the Romans, He must not be the Messiah they were expecting.

There are a few Old Testament verses that point to the betrayal, some more specifically than others. Here are two:

“Even my close friend, whom I trusted, he who shared my bread, has lifted up his heel against me” (Psalm 41:9, see fulfillment in Matthew 26:14, 48-49). Also, “I told them, ‘If you think it best, give me my pay; but if not, keep it.’ So they paid me thirty pieces of silver. And the LORD said to me, ‘Throw it to the potter’—the handsome price at which they priced me!' So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the LORD to the potter” (Zechariah 11:12-13; see Matthew 27:3-5 for the fulfillment of the Zechariah prophecy). These Old Testament prophecies indicate that Judas’ betrayal was known to God and that it was sovereignly planned beforehand as the means by which Jesus would be killed.

But if Judas’ betrayal was known to God, did Judas have a choice, and is he held responsible for his part in the betrayal? It is difficult for many to reconcile the concept of “free will” (as most people understand it) with God’s foreknowledge of future events, and this is largely due to our limited experience of going through time in a linear fashion. If we see God as existing outside of time, since He created everything before “time” began, then we can understand that God sees every moment in time as the present. We experience time in a linear way—we see time as a straight line, and we pass from one point gradually to another, remembering the past we have already traveled through, but unable to see the future we are approaching. However, God, being the eternal Creator of the construct of time, is not “in time” or on the timeline, but outside of it. It might help to think of time (in relation to God) as a circle with God being the center and therefore equally close to all points.

In any case, Judas had the full capacity of making his choice—at least up to the point where “Satan entered into him” (John 13:27)—and God’s foreknowledge (John 13:10, 18, 21) in no way supersedes Judas’ ability to make any given choice. Rather, what Judas would choose eventually, God saw as if it was a present observation, and Jesus made it clear that Judas was responsible for his choice and would be held accountable for it. “I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me—one who is eating with me” (Mark 14:18). Notice that Jesus characterizes Judas’ participation as a betrayal. And regarding accountability for this betrayal Jesus said, “Woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born” (Mark 14:21). Satan, too, had a part in this, as we see in John 13:26-27, and he, too, will be held accountable for his deeds. God in His wisdom was able, as always, to manipulate even Satan’s rebellion for the benefit of mankind. Satan helped send Jesus to the cross, and on the cross sin and death were defeated, and now God’s provision of salvation is freely available to all who receive Jesus Christ as Savior.

Matthew 26:26 While they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and after a blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.”

• While they were eating: Mk 14:22 Lu 22:19 
• Jesus: Lu 24:30 1Co 11:23-25 
• After a blessing: Mk 6:41 
• He broke it: Ac 2:46 20:7 1Co 10:16,17 
• Take, eat: John 6:33-35,47-58 1Co 11:26-29 
• This is My body: Eze 5:4,5 Lu 22:20 1Co 10:4,16 Ga 4:24,25 
• Alfred Edersheim - Make Ready the Passover
• Alfred Edersheim - The Paschal Supper
• See Summary of Jewish Passover (Seder)

Related Passages: 

Isaiah 53:6+  But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed.

Mark 14:22+  While they were eating, He took some bread, and after a blessing He broke it, and gave it to them, and said, “Take it; this is My body.”

Luke 22:19+   And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do (present imperative) this in remembrance of Me.”

1 Corinthians 11:23-25+  For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread; 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is My body, which is for you; do (aorist imperative) this in remembrance of Me.” 25 In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do (present imperative) this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”

John 6:33-35+  “For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world.” 34 Then they said to Him, “Lord, always give us this bread.” 35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.

John 19:33+ but coming to Jesus, when they saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs.

John 19:36+  For these things came to pass to fulfill the Scripture, “NOT A BONE OF HIM SHALL BE BROKEN.”

Psalm 34:20+  He keeps all his bones, Not one of them is broken. 

Exodus 12:46+  “It is to be eaten in a single house; you are not to bring forth any of the flesh outside of the house, nor are you to break any bone of it.

Seder Plate

JESUS TRANSFORMS PASSOVER
INTO THE LORD'S SUPPER

Luke 22:24+ describes a discussion that may have taken place at this time when "there arose also a dispute among them (THE DISCIPLES) as to which one of them was regarded to be greatest.." (Read Lk 22:24-30). This jousting among the disciples for power and position could well have been the prelude for the foot washing described in the next paragraph. 

Although not recorded in the Synoptic Gospels, sometime apparently related to the Passover dinner, Jesus washed the disciples’ feet (Jn 13:1–11+) and after this Judas departed. John 13:30+ goes on to record Judas' departure from the meal writing "So after receiving the morsel he went out immediately; and it was night." The morsel is the one Jesus dipped (Jn 13:26, 27+) and is not the bread Jesus broke and dispensed as He instituted the Lord's Supper, for the latter was surely reserved for the disciples who had entered into the New Covenant by grace through faith! In fairness, as mentioned above, there are some who debate this chronology and propose that Judas was present at the institution of the Lord's Supper, but given the nature of the significance of the Lord's Supper to believers, I find that very difficult to believe. You draw your own conclusion. 

While they were eating - Eating is in the present tense, so the meal was still in progress. While the Lord and His disciples were still partaking of the Passover feast, He instituted what we know as the Lord’s Supper. In instituting the Lord’s Supper, Jesus utilized the things on the table from the Passover meal. The table was not cleared to indicate a new start. The Lord's Supper (aka, Communion, Lord’s Table, Breaking of Bread, Eucharist) was an "extension" of the meal they were eating to celebrate the Passover, the last Passover ordained in Scripture. On this night, the Old, the Passover, passed away (no pun intended) and was replaced by the New, the Lord's Supper, which will be in effect until the Lord returns. We cannot be certain which part of the Passover meal Jesus took the bread. The main point is that in the midst of the old celebration, Jesus instituted a new celebration, a new memorial.  

Passover pointed forward to the Cross.
The Lord’s Supper points back to the Cross.

John MacArthur comments on this transformation from Passover to Lord's Supper - The Passover Jesus was now concluding with the disciples was the last divinely sanctioned Passover ever to be observed. No Passover celebrated after that has been authorized or recognized by God. Significant as it was under the Old Covenant, it became a remnant of a bygone economy, an extinct dispensation, an expired covenant. Its observance since that time has been no more than a religious relic that serves no divinely acknowledged purpose and has no divinely blessed significance. To celebrate the Passover is to celebrate the shadow, after the reality has already come. (ED: HIS COMMENTS BEG THE QUESTION Should Christians celebrate Passover?) Celebrating deliverance from Egypt is a weak substitute for celebrating deliverance from sin. In fact, Christ ended the Passover and instituted a new memorial to Himself. It would not look back to a lamb in 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 blood, took away the sins of the whole world. In that one meal Jesus both terminated the old and inaugurated the new." (See Matthew Commentary - Page 150) 

Dave Guzik makes an interesting statement that "The Passover created a nation; a mob of slaves were freed from Egypt and became a nation. This "new Passover" (ED: MY QUOTES ADDED) also creates a (ED: NEW) people; those united in Jesus Christ, remembering and trusting His sacrifice."

Grassmick - Before this meal was eaten in Jewish homes the head of the house explained its meaning regarding Israel’s deliverance from slavery in Egypt. As host, Jesus probably did so to prepare His disciples for a new understanding of the bread and wine. (See Bible Knowledge Commentary)

Jesus (Iesous) took some bread (artos), and after a blessing (eulogeo), He broke (klao - aorist) it and gave (imperfect) it to the disciples (mathetes) - Jesus had done the same thing when He fed the multitude in Mt 14:19+ and Mt 15:36+ -- He first blessed, then He broke. Jews explicitly blessed God for the food, rather than blessing the food. The Passover bread was unleavened bread (see also azumos). Gave is in the imperfect tense which pictures Jesus distributing the bread to one after another of the 11 remaining disciples (As alluded to above Judas is almost certainly not present having departed prior to the institution of the Lord's Supper). 

There does not appear to be any symbolism intended by Jesus breaking the unleavened bread (cf. Ex 12:15; 13:3, 7; Dt 16:3). Yes, to be sure, in a sense His body was "broken" for us, but the Scripture is clear that not a bone of Jesus' body was broken (Jn 19:36+). Taken literally, the breaking of bread was simply a way it could then be easily distributed to all who were present. Some might ask but what about 1Co 11:24+ which says "this is My body which is broken for you." The problem is that the phrase "broken for you" is only found in the King James Version (based on Textus Receptus), and is a phrase not found in the best Greek manuscripts (Nestle–Aland). And so most modern Bible versions say something like "This is My body" without any mention of "broken for you." 

A T Robertson  agrees writing that "Jesus broke one of the passover wafers or cakes that each might have a piece, not as a symbol of the breaking of his body as the Textus Receptus has it in 1 Cor. 11:24+. The correct text there has only to ὑπερ ὑμων [huper humōn] without κλωμενον [klōmenon - break]. As a matter of fact the body of Jesus was not “broken” (John 19:33+) as John expressly states. 

And said, “Take, eat; this is My body -  Take and eat are both aorist imperatives which means in effect "Do this now." In other words, Jesus seems to be making the Lord's Supper a command. That Jesus intends for the Lord's Supper to be something disciples are commanded to partake of is substantiated by the command "do (present imperative - command to continually do) this in remembrance of Me" in Lk 22:19+ and Paul's 2 commands in 1Co 11:24-25 do (aorist imperative) this in remembrance of Me”.....do (present imperative) this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”)

IN REMEMBRANCE - In a memorial service, words are spoken or actions taken to pay tribute to the deceased. People may say, "I'm doing this because I know that's the way John would have wanted it." Think how inappropriate it would be for someone to clearly go against the deceased's wishes or principles. When Christians celebrate Communion, they do more than hold a memorial service. The Savior who died is alive and well, and he is present and involved in Communion. How much more, then, should believers want to conduct themselves—actions, attitudes, thoughts, and words—in a manner consistent with the love and compassion of Jesus. The next time you participate in the Lord's Supper, give serious consideration to how you will live "in remembrance of him." - Life application New Testament commentary 

This is My body (soma)- To what does this refer? In context, this clearly refers to the literal bread. How is body used, literally or metaphorically? Given the fact that Jesus is reclining there in His literal body, the bread which He dispenses has to be interpreted metaphorically as symbolizing His body. Any other interpretation would be absurd and is clearly a perversion of Jesus' words (see Transubstantiation)! To say it another way, Jesus' body and the piece of bread are separate and distinct! How could it be stated any more directly? There is absolutely no evidence to suggest that the piece of literal bread had now changed into Jesus' body. As a physician, that is absolutely ridiculous! It is very sad when people believe what men say something means rather than trusting only in what the Bible teaches!  And keep in mind that Jesus often used symbolic language so His use in this case is not unusual or surprising (cf Mt 16:6; Jn 2:19; Jn 3:3; Jn 4:14, 32; Jn 6:51, 53–56; Jn 11:11).

THOUGHT - Let me ask you again, is Jesus a piece of bread? Of course not! This is a powerful metaphor, a figure of speech which Jesus never meant it to be interpreted literally. To do so is to discard all rules of Biblical hermeneutics. Jesus is no more a piece of bread than He is a literal door (Jn 10:9+) or a literal vine (Jn 15:5+). If you have been taught to interpret the bread literally as Jesus' body, you do well to study the concept of a metaphor and ask the Spirit of truth to guide you into all truth (Jn 16:13+), truth that He teaches, not "truth" that I or any other human teaches!

It is fascinating (? coincidence) that by rabbinic decree, matzah bread must be striped, pierced, and burned in such a way as to appear bruised. Woe! Is this likeness just a random coincidence? Dear believer in Messiah, what do you think?

Luke's version adds the phrase "Which is given for you." (Lk 22:19+) This declaration looks forward to Calvary. The bread represents Jesus' body which would be His vicarious gift. It is His body which is given for us, where the Greek for for is huper, which means "in behalf of", "in the place of" or "for the sake of." For example, Paul uses huper in Gal 1:4+ writing about Jesus Christ "Who gave Himself for (huper) our sins so that (purpose clause) He might rescue (deliver) us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father." Can you see what Jesus is saying with the phrase "for (huper) you?" He is clearly alluding to substitutionary atonement, in essence saying that His sinless body is sacrificed in place of (huper) our sinful body on the Cross. Jesus died once for all time in our place, on our behalf, for our sake, so that we might live forever in Him and for Him! In his famous declaration, Paul says “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and GAVE HIMSELF UP FOR (huper) ME." (Gal 2:20+; cf Jn 10:15+ = "My life for [huper] the sheep"). In short, Lk 22:19+ uses huper to depict substitutionary atonement which could be paraphrased as below...

• Christ “for the sake of" ______ (fill in your name).
• Christ "in behalf of"_________ (fill in your name).
• Christ "instead of”_________ (fill in your name).

R T France adds that Jesus' words introduce "the concept of a personal participation in the effects of that death (ED: HIS DEATH ON THE CROSS), a concept more powerfully spelt out in John 6:48–58+. If the eating of the Passover meal served to identify the Israelite with the redemption from Egypt (ED: CELEBRATING DELIVERANCE FROM PHYSICAL SLAVERY), so does this ‘eating’ and ‘drinking’ convey the benefits of Jesus’ paschal sacrifice to those who share his table." (ED: CELEBRATING DELIVERANCE FROM SPIRITUAL SLAVERY TO SIN!)

COMMENT - France says "convey the benefits," but I think it is better to say the ‘eating’ and ‘drinking’ symbolically depict the benefits of the Cross (e.g., our co-crucifixion with Christ - Gal 2:20+) while also causing us to call to remembrance (see above for 1Co 11:24-25) Christ once for all time victory on the Cross over sin, death and the devil and the fact that His victory is now our's to live in daily and ultimately forever! (cf Gal 6:14+, 1Co 1:18+)

Paul goes on to explain the DUAL PURPOSE of the Lord's Supper writing "FOR (gar - term of explanation) as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death (LOOK BACK - YOU REMEMBER CHRIST'S CROSS - OUR SURETY) until He comes (LOOK FORWARD - YOU RECOUNT CHRIST'S COMING - OUR SURE HOPE!). (1Co 11:26+) And what does sure hope that Christ will return do to our faith and obedience? Future hope energizes and invigorates present living. What/Who you are looking for will (should) impact Who you are living for! 

A T Robertson -  This is my body (τουτο ἐστιν το σωμα μου [touto estin to sōma mou]). The bread as a symbol represents the body of Jesus offered for us, “a beautifully simple, pathetic, and poetic symbol of his death” (Bruce). But some have made it “run into fetish worship” (Bruce). Jesus, of course, does not mean that the bread actually becomes his body and is to be worshipped. The purpose of the memorial is to remind us of his death for our sins.

Spurgeon - And as they were eating that is to say, while yet the Paschal feast was proceeding; so that the one feast might melt into the other.....The same night in which he was betrayed our divine Lord instituted the sacred Supper, which is to his people the perpetual memorial of his death, and is to be celebrated until he shall come again......He could not have meant that the bread was actually his body, for in his body he was sitting at the table, and he could not have two bodies. Nobody could misunderstand these words of Jesus unless they wished to do so, or were too devoid of reason to comprehend anything. Jesus meant evidently the bread represented his body, and should be to them in future the sign that he was really incarnate......"This represents my body." He could not possibly have meant that the bread was his body; for there was his body sitting at the table, whole and entire. They would have been astonished beyond measure if they had understood him literally; but they did not do so, any more than when Christ said, "I am the door," or "I am the Good Shepherd."

Spurgeon - The Jewish Passover was made to melt into the Lord’s supper, as the stars of the morning dissolve into the light of the sun. As they were eating, while the paschal supper was proceeding, Jesus instituted the new memorial which is to be observed until he comes again. How simple was the whole ceremony! Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to his disciples, and said, "Take, eat; this is my body." Christ could not have meant that the bread was his body, for his body was reclining by the table; but he intended that broken bread to represent his body which was about to be broken on the cross. Then followed the second memorial, the cup, filled with "the fruit of the vine", of which Christ said, "Drink you all of it." There is no trace here of any altar or priest; there is nothing about the elevation or adoration of the host; there is no resemblance between the Lord’s supper and the Romish mass. Let us keep strictly to the letter and spirit of God’s Word in everything; for, if one adds a little, another will add more, and if one alters one point, and another alters another point, there is no telling how far we shall get from the truth. The disciples had been reminded of their own liability to sin; now their Savior gives them a personal pledge of the pardon of sin, according to Luke’s record of his words, "This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you."

Spurgeon - So the Jewish Passover melted away into the Lord’s Supper. Indeed, so gently did the one dissolve into the other that we scarcely know whether this incident, relating to Judas Iscariot, occurred during the Passover or the Supper. According to one account, it would seem to be one; and according to another account, the other, but, indeed, the one ordinance was almost imperceptibly merged into the other. I want you carefully to notice, as we read this narrative through, whether you can see here any trace of an altar. Look with both your eyes, and see whether you can find any trace of a priest offering a sacrifice. Watch diligently to see whether you can perceive anything about kneeling down, or about the elevation or the adoration of "the host." Why, even the Romish church knows better than to believe in what it practices. Most of you have seen copies of the famous painting by Leonardo da Vinci, himself a Catholic of the old school. How does he picture those who were at the institution of the Lord’s Supper? Why, they are all sitting around a table, with the Lord Jesus in their midst. I wonder that they exhibit, and still allow to be in their churches, a picture like that, which, painted by one of their own artists, most effectually condemns their base idolatry, in which a wafer-God is lifted up, to be adored by men, who must be besotted indeed before they can prostitute their intellects so grossly as to commit such an act of sin. What a rebuke to that idolatry is conveyed by this simple statement: "As they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it," —

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Blessed Bread

Jesus took some bread and blessed it. Matthew 26:26 nlt

Today's Scripture & Insight : Matthew 26:26–29

When our oldest child became a teenager, my wife and I gave her a journal that we’d been writing in since her birth. We’d recorded her likes and dislikes, quirks and memorable one-liners. At some point the entries became more like letters, describing what we see in her and how we see God at work in her. When we gave it to her on her thirteenth birthday, she was mesmerized. She’d been given the gift of knowing a crucial part of the origins of her identity.

In blessing something as common as bread, Jesus was revealing its identity. What it—along with all creation—was made to reflect: God’s glory. I believe Jesus was also pointing to the future of the material world. All creation will one day be filled with the glory of God. So in blessing bread (Matthew 26:26), Jesus was pointing to the origin and the destiny of creation (Romans 8:21–22).

Maybe the “beginning” of your story feels messed up. Maybe you don’t think there’s much of a future. But there’s a bigger story. It’s a story of a God who made you on purpose and for a purpose, who took pleasure in you. It’s a story of God who came to rescue you (Matthew 26:28); a God who put His Spirit in you to renew you and recover your identity. It’s a story of a God who wants to bless you. By:  Glenn Packiam

How does seeing your true origin story as being made on purpose and for a purpose change the way you see yourself? What’s the bigger story than simply your situation right now?

Dear Jesus, I place my life like bread in Your hands. Only You can return me to my origin. Only You can carry me to my destiny. Jesus, You are the author and the finisher of my faith.

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Brian Bell - Let's look at 6 things about communion:

(1) It’s Historical: Mt, Mark, Lk, John. From the earliest church records the church started observing this. Jesus Himself is the origin of the Lord Supper. He commanded that it be continued. And He is the focus and content of it.

(2) It’s Familial: The Lord’s Supper is an act of the gathered family of those who believe in Jesus, the church. Though it’s not an act for unbelievers, they should be present and welcomed. As I said earlier it is not to be secretive. It’s about proclamation not privacy.

(3) It’s Physical: it is not the consumption of a 7 course meal. It is very simple. We should not use playful substitutes (i.e. Oreo cookie & Coca-Cola) we should celebrate it with a sense of weightiness.

Bread: Note, He didn’t take the Passover Lamb, but bread & wine. Thus He was instituting a feast, not a sacrifice.

1 Cor.5:7,8 For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. 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.

Broke it, gave it to them – Bread broken/Christ for us. Bread eaten/ Christ in us. Bread partaken together/Christ among us.

Cup: The Passover requires 4 cups of wine (2 before the meal, 2 after) [Ex.6:6,7]

The cup of Sanctification (kiddush) [separation from all other common meals]

The cup of Deliverance/salvation (makkot) [Deliverance from Egypt. Explaining/ Proclaiming]

The cup of Redemption (ha-geulah) [symbolized blood of passover lamb/now Jesus’]

This cup is the cup of wine lifted at communion, commemorating God’s redemption of His people. This was Jesus establishing His New Cov [a sacred binding contract] in His own blood.

The cup of Praise/hope/expectation (hallel) [took place during the hallel, hymn]

This cup is the cup of wine that Jesus refused to drink from until the coming of His Father’s Kingdom.

Going back to the The 3rd cup...Redemption…

Old covenant (Sinai) ratified w/the blood of animals sacrifices. New covenant was ratified by His blood.

Rattlesnake Communion: Old Cov covered our sin. New Cov puts it away

     Heb.9:26 now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.

   The Old Law was like covering a rattlesnake w/a trash can lid. The New Cov is like taking his venom out…he can still bite, but it’s no longer deadly.

A venomoid is a venomous snake that has undergone a surgical procedure to remove or inhibit the production of snake venom.

It’s a Venomoid Communion :)

Gave thanks (Mt 26:27) - Thanksgiving is the expression of Joy God-ward.

This is My blood (Mt 26:28) - Biblical covenants were always ratified by shed blood.

(4) It’s Mental: Do this in remembrance of me...Remember what?

Normally we celebrate someone’s Birthday not their Death-day.

Death-days are often difficult days to remember.

As we do the physical act of eating and drinking, we are to do the mental active remembering.

How does the Lord’s Supper help us to remember Him?

It makes us come to a restful halt in our pilgrimage. It gives us a graphic picture of salvation. It reminds us of the reassuring promise of His Grace. It remains clear prophecy of the future.

Remember what? that He truly was a Good Man, a Great Savior, a Loving Friend, a Living Hope, & a Coming Lord.

Remember Him in sickness that you might have patience.

Remember Him in persecution that you might have gentleness.

Remember Him in your service that you remember His burning zeal in His.

Remember Him in times of solitude as you remember His midnight prayers.

Remember Him so He becomes our pattern that we might be the reproduction of Himself, & thus become the best memorial of Him.

So it’s about Remembering. Not imagining. Not dreaming. Not channeling. Not listening. Not going into neutral. It’s a conscious directing of the mind back in history to Jesus and what He did, in the bible, in history. Bread and cup. Body and blood. Execution and death. (Piper)

(5) It’s Spiritual: unbelievers can do everything we’ve named so far. Eat, drink, remember. There must be something more. There is. 1 Cor.10:16-18 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? 17 For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread. 18 Observe Israel after the flesh: Are not those who eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar? [communion = sharing/fellowship/participation/koinonia]

These believers trust & treasure Jesus Christ. Paul says they’re participating in the body and blood of Christ. They are experiencing a sharing/koinonia in His body & blood. They are experiencing a partnership in His death, by faith.

As the Jews (Mt 26:18) shared in or benefited from what happened on the altar. So we, enjoy forgiveness and restored fellowship with God in communion.

When we celebrate the Lord supper, we feast spiritually by faith on all the promises of God bought by the blood of Jesus. No unbeliever can do that.

(6) It’s Sacred: believers are warned not to take communion in a cavalier, callous, or careless way.

1. Not our goal to exclude anyone. Each person decides for himself.
2. This is not the Episcopal Table, nor the Baptist Table, nor the Calvary Table, but the Lord’s Table.
3. Examine yourself. Q:Can you be more-bad than God is good? don’t think so
4. You can only sin as a man, but God can forgive as God.
5. You sin as a finite creature but the Lord forgives as the infinite Creator.
6. Confess your sin to Him - For I will forgive their iniquity, & their sin I will remember no more. Jer.31:34

The supper ends on a note of Hope...until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s Kingdom. (Mt 26:29)

Jesus was sure of 2 things: He was to die & His kingdom was to come.

He was certain of His cross & certain of His glory.

He was certain of the Love of His Father & certain of man’s sin.

He was certain that in the end that love would conquer sin.

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Bread (740) artos literally means bread or a loaf of bread and figuratively describes nourishment for the body (Mt. 6:11; Mk 6:8, 36; Lk 11:3; 2 Cor. 9:10; Lxx = Ex 16:4, 15, 29; Isa 58:7). Another figurative meaning is "bread from heaven" providing spiritual nourishment (Jn 6:51-56) Liddell-Scott notes that the word artos is a term for a “cake or loaf of wheat-bread.” Artos is differed from maza, “porridge,” the common food of the poor. 

According to W E Vine artos "signifies (a) "a small loaf or cake," composed of flour and water, and baked, in shape either oblong or round, and about as thick as the thumb; these were not cut, but broken and were consecrated to the Lord every Sabbath and called the "shewbread" (loaves of presentation), Mt. 12:4; when the "shewbread" was reinstituted by Nehemiah (Neh. 10:32) a poll-tax of 1/3 shekel was laid on the Jews, Mt. 17:24; (b) "the loaf at the Lord's Supper," e.g., Mt. 26:26 ("Jesus took a loaf," RV, marg.); the breaking of "bread" became the name for this institution, Acts 2:42; Acts 20:7; 1Co 10:16; 1 Cor. 11:23; (c) "bread of any kind," Mt 16:11; (d) metaphorically, "of Christ as the Bread of God, and of Life," Jn 6:33, 35; (e) "food in general," the necessities for the sustenance of life, Mt. 6:11; 2Co 9:10, etc." (Vine's Expository Dictionary of Old Testament and New Testament Words)

See excellent summary of metaphorical uses of Bread in the Dictionary of Biblical Imagery (online) 

ARTOS - USES IN MATTHEW - Matt. 4:3; Matt. 4:4; Matt. 6:11; Matt. 7:9; Matt. 12:4; Matt. 14:17; Matt. 14:19; Matt. 15:2; Matt. 15:26; Matt. 15:33; Matt. 15:34; Matt. 15:36; Matt. 16:5; Matt. 16:7; Matt. 16:8; Matt. 16:9; Matt. 16:10; Matt. 16:11; Matt. 16:12; Matt. 26:26

Blessing (2127) eulogeo from eu = good + lógos = word; see cognates eulogetos and eulogia) means say something commendatory, to speak good or well, to praise, to extol in recognition of divine benefits (Lk 1:64, Lk 24:53, Jas 3:9). Give thanks (1Co 14:16). To ask for bestowal of special favor, especially calling down God's power, invoking a blessing on (Lk 24:50). To consecrate or pronounce blessing on (Mt 26:26).  When eulogeo is used by men toward men it means to speak well of with praise and thanksgiving (English "Eulogy" = an address in praise for one deceased ). To say good or positive things. Eulogeo can be from men to God, from men to men, and from God to men. When God blesses men He grants them favor and confers happiness upon them.

EULOGEO - 41X/38V - bless(9), blessed(25), blessing(3), giving a blessing(1), praise(1), praising(1), surely*(1). Matt. 14:19; Matt. 21:9; Matt. 23:39; Matt. 25:34; Matt. 26:26; Mk. 6:41; Mk. 8:7; Mk. 11:9; Mk. 11:10; Mk. 14:22; Lk. 1:42; Lk. 1:64; Lk. 2:28; Lk. 2:34; Lk. 6:28; Lk. 9:16; Lk. 13:35; Lk. 19:38; Lk. 24:30; Lk. 24:50; Lk. 24:51; Lk. 24:53; Jn. 12:13; Acts 3:26; Rom. 12:14; 1 Co. 4:12; 1 Co. 10:16; 1 Co. 14:16; Gal. 3:9; Eph. 1:3; Heb. 6:14; Heb. 7:1; Heb. 7:6; Heb. 7:7; Heb. 11:20; Heb. 11:21; Jas. 3:9; 1 Pet. 3:9

Broke (2806) klao break, break off, break in pieces; in the NT used only of the breaking of bread, referring to eating a meal = Paul on the ship to Rome (Acts 27:35). Similarly in Acts 2:46 klao is used as a  metonymy meaning to share a meal, since by Jewish custom the head of household at ordinary family meals would give thanks, broke the bread, and distributed it to those at the table with him. Some interpret Acts 2:46 as a celebration the Lord's Supper with their meals. The first use of klao by Jesus was in feeding the multitudes (Mt 14:19, 15:36, Mk 8:6, 19). Matthew and Mark use klao in context of Jesus' institution of the Lord's Supper (Mt 26:26, Mk 14:22) and Paul's celebration of the Lord's Supper (1 Cor 11:24). Luke uses klao of the Lord's Supper writing "On the first day of the week (Sunday), when we were gathered together to break bread.... (Acts 20:7,11+). There is one use in the Septuagint in Jer 16:7 of breaking bread, because the custom in Old Testament times was to break bread with the hands rather than cut it with a knife. 

KLAO - 14V - break(2), breaking(3), broke(8), broken(1). Matt. 14:19; Matt. 15:36; Matt. 26:26; Mk. 8:6; Mk. 8:19; Mk. 14:22; Lk. 22:19; Lk. 24:30; Acts 2:46; Acts 20:7; Acts 20:11; Acts 27:35; 1 Co. 10:16; 1 Co. 11:24

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QUESTION - What is transubstantiation?

ANSWER - Transubstantiation is a doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church. The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines this doctrine in section 1376:

"The Council of Trent summarizes the Catholic faith by declaring: ‘Because Christ our Redeemer said that it was truly his body that he was offering under the species of bread, it has always been the conviction of the Church of God, and this holy Council now declares again, that by the consecration of the bread and wine there takes place a change of the whole substance of the bread into the substance of the body of Christ our Lord and of the whole substance of the wine into the substance of his blood. This change the holy Catholic Church has fittingly and properly called transubstantiation.’"

In other words, the Roman Catholic Church teaches that once an ordained priest blesses the bread of the Lord’s Supper, it is transformed into the actual flesh of Christ (though it retains the appearance, odor, and taste of bread); and when he blesses the wine, it is transformed into the actual blood of Christ (though it retains the appearance, odor, and taste of wine). Is such a concept biblical? There are some Scriptures that, if interpreted strictly literally, would lead to the “real presence” of Christ in the bread and wine. Examples are John 6:32-58; Matthew 26:26; Luke 22:17-23; and 1 Corinthians 11:24-25. The passage pointed to most frequently is John 6:32-58 and especially verses 53-57, “Jesus said to them, ‘I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life … For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him … so the one who feeds on me will live because of me.’”

Roman Catholics interpret this passage literally and apply its message to the Lord’s Supper, which they title the “Eucharist” or “Mass.” Those who reject the idea of transubstantiation interpret Jesus’ words in John 6:53-57 figuratively or symbolically. How can we know which interpretation is correct? Thankfully, Jesus made it exceedingly obvious what He meant. John 6:63 declares, “The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.” Jesus specifically stated that His words are “spirit.” Jesus was using physical concepts, eating and drinking, to teach spiritual truth. Just as consuming physical food and drink sustains our physical bodies, so are our spiritual lives saved and built up by spiritually receiving Him, by grace through faith. Eating Jesus’ flesh and drinking His blood are symbols of fully and completely receiving Him in our lives.

The Scriptures declare that the Lord’s Supper is a memorial to the body and blood of Christ (Luke 22:19; 1 Corinthians 11:24-25), not the actual consumption of His physical body and blood. When Jesus was speaking in John chapter 6, Jesus had not yet had the Last Supper with His disciples, in which He instituted the Lord’s Supper. To read the Lord’s Supper / Christian Communion back into John chapter 6 is unwarranted. For a more complete discussion of these issues, please read our article on the Holy Eucharist.

The most serious reason transubstantiation should be rejected is that it is viewed by the Roman Catholic Church as a "re-sacrifice" of Jesus Christ for our sins, or as a “re-offering / re-presentation” of His sacrifice. This is directly in contradiction to what Scripture says, that Jesus died "once for all" and does not need to be sacrificed again (Hebrews 10:10; 1 Peter 3:18). Hebrews 7:27 declares, "Unlike the other high priests, He (Jesus) does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins ONCE for all when He offered Himself."

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A Common Language

This is My body. . . . This is My blood of the new covenant. —Matthew 26:26,28

Today's Scripture : Matthew 26:17-29

A young Russian woman had been sent to a hospital in Japan for a rare, life-saving procedure. After she arrived she couldn’t stop crying. The doctors and nurses, who didn’t speak Russian, were unable to console her. Finally they decided to call an American missionary in their town to see if he could help her.

The missionary came to the hospital and tried to comfort her, but he didn’t know Russian either. When the patient saw his Bible and the communion wafers and juice he had brought with him, however, she smiled and nodded to indicate her approval. Then, with no verbal communication at all, this American man and Russian woman shared a common bond in Christ. He later learned that this fellow believer was encouraged and strengthened as they shared in remembering the Lord’s death.

I’m not surprised. This experience illustrates the unity we have as believers in Christ. We celebrate that oneness as together we remember His death and the forgiveness and new life He has given to us.

Sometimes, as in the case of the American man and the Russian woman, Christian unity transcends language barriers. Followers of Christ will always experience a common bond in Him. By:  David C. Egner (Reprinted by permission from Our Daily Bread Ministries. Please do not repost the full devotional without their permission.)

When Christians join in blessed fellowship
Commemorating Jesus' sacrifice,
They sense a common bond of unity
Because for every race He paid the price.
—Hess

Christian unity begins at the cross.

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Norman Geisler -  What did Jesus mean when He said “This is My body”? Should it be taken literally?

PROBLEM: Orthodox Protestants believe in interpreting the Bible literally. But if Jesus’ statement here is taken literally, it seems to support the Roman Catholic view of transubstantiation, namely, that, when consecrated, the communion bread becomes the actual body of Christ.

SOLUTION: Jesus no more meant that the statement “This is My body” should be taken literally than the statement “I am the true vine” (John 15:1). The Roman Catholic doctrine of transubstantiation (that the bread becomes the actual body of Christ) is without biblical or rational support for many reasons.

First, the context is opposed to taking this literally. All agree that when Jesus made this statement, He was referring to the bread. Luke says “He took the bread, gave thanks, and broke it … saying, `This is My body’ ” (Luke 22:19). But it was obvious to all that Jesus’ actual body was holding the bread in His hands. So none of His disciples present could possibly have understood Him to mean the bread was His actual body.

Second, common sense is opposed to taking this literally. God created the senses, and all of life depends on our trusting the information they give us about our world. But those who believe in transubstantiation admit that the consecrated bread (host) looks, smells, and tastes like real bread. Why then would God call on us to distrust the very senses that He created and asks us to trust continually for our very life.

Third, parallel statements by Jesus are opposed to taking this literally. Jesus often spoke in figurative language. He said, “I am the Door” (John 10:9) and we should “eat the flesh of the Son of Man.” But neither Catholics nor Protestants take these literally (see comments on John 6:53–54). Why then should we take His statement (“This is My body”) about the communion bread literally

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QUESTION - Should Christians celebrate Passover? | GotQuestions.org

ANSWER - The celebration of Passover is in remembrance of the time in Israel’s history when the Lord moved through Egypt destroying the firstborn of all people and animals (see Exodus 11 and Exodus 12.) This was the final of the ten plagues God visited upon Egypt designed to force Pharaoh to let the Israelites leave the country and their captivity. The Israelites were commanded by God to take the blood of a male lamb—one without blemish—and smear it on the doorposts of their houses. When the Lord saw the blood, He would “pass over” that house. This is a foreshadowing of the spotless Lamb of God, Jesus, whose blood would cover the sins of those who believe in Him, causing God’s judgment to pass over them. Ever since that night, Jews have celebrated the Passover in remembrance of God’s grace to them.

There has been an explosion of interest in adapting the Passover festival to Christianity. Various organizations, such as Jews for Jesus, have long promoted Christian Passover services as a means for Messianic Jews to retain their cultural heritage while professing their Christian faith. They have also used the Christian Passover as a means to communicate to Christians the Jewish religious heritage that they value. Many of the rituals associated with the Passover Seder have application to the Christian faith, and a Christian celebration of the Passover provides a unique way to bring the story of salvation to the ceremony.

Whether or not a Christian celebrates Passover would be a matter of conscience for the individual Christian. Like all the Old Testament Jewish Feasts, the Passover Feast was a foreshadowing of Christ’s atoning work on the cross. Colossians 2:16-17 tells us that we should “let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or Sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ” (NKJV). Christians are no longer bound to observe the Passover feast the way the Old Testament Jews were, but they should not look down upon another believer who does or does not observe the Passover or other special Jewish days and feasts (Romans 14:5).

While it is not required for Christians to celebrate the Passover, it is beneficial to study it and could be beneficial to celebrate it if it leads to a greater understanding and appreciation for Christ’s death and resurrection. The Passover is a wonderful picture of Christ’s atonement for His people and His deliverance of us from the bondage of sin. That is something we should celebrate every day of our lives.

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QUESTION - What is the significance of unleavened bread? | GotQuestions.org

(See also word study on azumos = unleavened)

ANSWER - The Bible tells us that the Israelites were to eat only unleavened bread every year during Passover as a commemoration of the Exodus from Egyptian bondage. Since the children of Israel left Egypt hastily, they did not have time for the bread to rise, so it was made on that very first Passover without leaven, also known as yeast. In describing this bread and why it was eaten, the Bible informs us of the following: "Do not eat it with bread made with yeast, but for seven days eat unleavened bread, the bread of affliction, because you left Egypt in haste—so that all the days of your life you may remember the time of your departure from Egypt" (Deuteronomy 16:3). Further commands regarding the eating of unleavened bread are found in Exodus 12:8; 29:2; and Numbers 9:11. To this day, in Jewish homes, the Passover celebration includes unleavened bread.

According to the Hebrew lexicon, the term unleavened bread is derived from the word matzoh, which means "bread or cake without leaven." The lexicon also states that matzoh is in turn derived from a word which means "to drain out or suck." In referring to this second Hebrew word, the lexicon states, "In the sense of greedily devouring for sweetness." So it is quite possible that unleavened bread, while it may have been heavy and flat, may also have been sweet to the taste.

In the Bible, leaven is almost always symbolic of sin. Like leaven that permeates the whole lump of dough, sin will spread in a person, a church, or a nation, eventually overwhelming and bringing its participants into its bondage and eventually to death (Galatians 5:9). Romans 6:23 tell us that “the wages of sin is death,” which is God’s judgment for sin, and this is the reason that Christ died—to provide a way out of this judgment for sin if man will repent of his sins, accept Christ as his Passover sacrifice, and have his heart changed so that he can conform his life to what God commands.

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QUESTION - How do the elements of the Passover Seder point to Christ ...

ANSWER - The Seder is the traditional dinner that Jews partake of as part of Passover. The annual Passover commemoration is celebrated by nearly the entire Jewish community, bonding families and communities to their Jewish roots. Each year Jewish people, religious and nonreligious, celebrate the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob by gathering and experiencing the Passover Seder.

The Hebrew word Seder means “order.” The Passover meal has a specific order in which food is eaten, prayers are recited, and songs are sung. Each item on the Passover plate has a specific historical meaning related to the exodus of the Jews from Egypt and their freedom from slavery. But 1 Corinthians 5:7 identifies Jesus Christ as our Passover; thus, the Seder carries a New Testament meaning related to Jesus the Messiah.

In the Seder, there are several strong symbols of Christ. One is the shank bone of a lamb, which reminds the participants of the feast of God’s salvation. During the tenth plague, God instructed the Israelites to daub their doorposts and lintels with the blood of a spotless lamb so that the Lord would “pass over” their homes and preserve the lives within (Exodus 12:1–13). This is a symbol of salvation in Egypt, but it is also a picture of Jesus who was and is the “Lamb of God” (John 1:29). His sacrifice preserves the lives of all who believe. The instructions for the original Passover specified that the lamb’s bones could not be broken (Exodus 12:46), another foreshadowing of Christ’s death (John 19:33).

Another symbol of Christ on the Seder plate is the matzoh, or unleavened bread. As the Jewish people left Egypt, they were in great haste and therefore had no time to allow their bread to rise. From then on, Passover was followed by the week-long Feast of Unleavened Bread (Deuteronomy 16:3). There are some fascinating things about the matzoh that provide a remarkable picture of the Messiah:

For example, the matzoh is placed in a bag called an echad, which means “one” in Hebrew. But this one bag has three chambers. One piece of matzoh is placed into each chamber of the bag. The matzoh placed in the first chamber is never touched, never used, never seen. The second matzoh in the bag is broken in half at the beginning of the Seder; half of the broken matzoh is placed back in the echad, and the other half, called the Afikomen, is placed in a linen cloth. The third matzoh in the bag is used to eat the elements on the Seder plate.

The word echad is used in Genesis 2:24 (the man and his wife will become “echad,” or “one” flesh). The word also appears in Numbers 13:23 when the spies returned from Canaan with an echad cluster of grapes. In both cases, the word echad refers to a complex unity of one. Many Jews consider the three matzohs to represent Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But they cannot explain why they break “Isaac” in half or why they place half of the middle matzoh back in the echad and keep the other half out, wrapped in a cloth.

The meaning of the Seder’s ritual of the matzohs is understood with clues from the New Testament. The Trinity is pictured in the matzohs. The first matzoh that remains in the bag throughout the Seder represents Ha Av, the Father whom no man sees. The third matzoh represents the Ruach Ha Kodesh, the Holy Spirit who dwells within us. And the second matzoh, the broken one, represents Ha Ben, the Son. The reason the middle matzoh is broken is to picture the broken body of Christ (1 Corinthians 11:24). The half put back in the echad represents Jesus’ divine nature; the other half, wrapped in a linen cloth and separated from the echad represents Jesus’ humanity as He remained on earth.

The linen cloth that wraps half of the second piece of matzoh suggests Jesus’ burial cloth. During the Seder, this linen cloth with the Afikomen inside is hidden, and after the dinner the children present look for it. Once the Afikomen is found, it is held as a ransom. Again, we see that these rituals point to Christ: He was fully God yet fully human; He was broken for us; He was buried, sought for, and resurrected; and His life was given a ransom for many (Mark 10:45). Jesus is the completion of the New Covenant of Jeremiah 31:31, and the Passover Seder rituals bear that out.

Also, the matzoh used for the Passover Seder must be prepared a certain way. Of course, it must be unleavened—leaven is often equated with sin in the Scriptures, and Jesus is sinless. Second, the matzoh must be striped—Jesus’ “stripes” (His wounds) are what heal us spiritually (Isaiah 53:5). And, third, the matzoh must be pierced—Jesus was nailed to the cross (Psalm 22:16).

The other elements of the Seder plate are traditional reminders of the Israelite enslavement to the Egyptians. They are as follows:

Vegetable (Karpas) –

This element, usually parsley, is dipped in salt water and eaten. The karpas pictures the hyssop that was used to apply the blood of the Passover lamb to homes of the Israelites in Egypt. In the New Testament, hyssop was used to give the Lamb of God vinegar when Jesus said He thirsted (John 19:29). The salt water represents the tears shed during the bitter years of slavery and the Red Sea that God split during the exodus.

Bitter Herbs (Maror) –

The eating of “bitter herbs” is commanded in Exodus 12:8. In modern times, this is usually horseradish, one of the bitterest herbs. The maror reminds the Jews that they were unable to offer sacrifice and worship to God, and that was bitterer than the slavery of Egypt.

Charoset (haroseth) –

Charoset is a mixture of apples, nuts, wine, and spices. It represents the mortar the Israelites used in the constructing buildings during their slavery to the Egyptians. Of all the elements of the Seder, charoset alone is sweet, and this is a reminder of the hope of redemption.

Hard-boiled or Roasted Egg (Baytzah) –

Traditionally, hard-boiled eggs were eaten by mourners, and the egg is eaten during the Seder to remind participants that they are always in mourning for the loss of their temple. The fact that the egg is roasted evokes the roasting of the sacrifice on the altar of the temple.

There are also four cups of wine used at various points during the Seder.

Each of these glasses of wine has a name:

1. the first glass is the “cup of sanctification.”
2. The second is the “cup of judgment.”
3. The third is the “cup of redemption.”
4. And the fourth is the “cup of praise.”

At the Last Supper, Jesus took the first cup and promised His disciples that the next time He drank the fruit of the vine with them would be in the kingdom (Luke 22:17). Later in the Seder, Jesus took the third cup—the cup of redemption—and used that cup as a symbol of the New Covenant in His blood (Luke 22:20). Thus Jesus fulfilled the Passover symbolism and infused the whole feast with a new meaning.

In Exodus 6:6, the Lord God promised His people that He would save them from slavery:

“I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment.”

The phrase “with an outstretched arm” is repeated throughout the Old Testament in connection with Passover remembrances: Deuteronomy 4:34; 7:19; 9:29; 26:8; 2 Kings 17:36; Psalm 136:12; Jeremiah 32:21.

Can it be coincidence that, in the New Testament, the Messiah had both of His arms outstretched as He freed us from sin and brought us salvation?

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QUESTION - What is the meaning and importance of the Last Supper?

ANSWER - The Last Supper is what we call the last meal Jesus ate with His disciples before His betrayal and arrest. The Last Supper is recorded in the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew 26:17–30; Mark 14:12–26; Luke 22:7–30). It was more than Jesus’ last meal; it was a Passover meal, as well. One of the important moments of the Last Supper is Jesus’ command to remember what He was about to do on behalf of all mankind: shed His blood on the cross thereby paying the debt of our sins (Luke 22:19).

In addition to predicting His suffering and death for our salvation (Luke 22:15–16), Jesus also used the Last Supper to imbue the Passover with new meaning, institute the New Covenant, establish an ordinance for the church, and foretell Peter’s denial of Him (Luke 22:34) and Judas Iscariot’s betrayal (Matthew 26:21–24).

The Last Supper brought the Old Testament observance of the Passover feast to its fulfillment. Passover was an especially holy event for the Jewish people in that it commemorated the time when God spared them from the plague of physical death and brought them out of slavery in Egypt (Exodus 11:1—13:16). During the Last Supper with His apostles, Jesus took two symbols associated with Passover and imbued them with fresh meaning as a way to remember His sacrifice, which saves us from spiritual death and delivers us from spiritual bondage: “After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, ‘Take this and divide it among you. For I tell you I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.’ And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you’” (Luke 22:17–20).

Jesus’ words during the Last Supper about the unleavened bread and the cup echo what He had said after He fed the 5,000: “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. . . . I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. . . . Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink” (John 6:35, 51, 54–55). Salvation comes through Christ and the sacrifice of His physical body on the cross.

Also during the Last Supper, Jesus taught the principles of servanthood and forgiveness as He washed His disciples’ feet: “The greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves” (Luke 22:26–27; John 13:1–20).

The Last Supper today is remembered during the Lord’s Supper, or communion (1 Corinthians 11:23–33). The Bible teaches that Jesus’ death was typified in the offering of the Passover sacrifice (John 1:29). John notes that Jesus’ death resembles the Passover sacrifice in that His bones were not broken (John 19:36; cf. Exodus 12:46). And Paul said, “Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed” (1 Corinthians 5:7). Jesus is the fulfillment of the Law, including the feasts of the Lord (Matthew 5:17).

Typically, the Passover meal was a family celebration. However, at the Last Supper, the apostles were alone with Jesus (Luke 22:14), which suggests that this particular meal has specific meaning for the church, of which the apostles became the foundation (Ephesians 2:20). While the Last Supper had implications for the Jews, it was designed for the church as well. Today the Lord’s Table is one of two ordinances observed by the church.

The Last Supper was rooted in the Old Covenant even as it heralded the New. Jeremiah 31:31 promised a New Covenant between God and Israel, in which God said, “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people” (Jeremiah 31:33). Jesus made a direct reference to this New Covenant during the Last Supper: “This cup is the new covenant in my blood” (Luke 22:20). A new dispensation was on the horizon. In God’s grace, the New Covenant applies to more than Israel; everyone who has faith in Christ will be saved (see Ephesians 2:12–14).

The Last Supper was a significant event and proclaimed a turning point in God’s plan for the world. In comparing the crucifixion of Jesus to the feast of Passover, we can readily see the redemptive nature of Christ’s death. As symbolized by the original Passover sacrifice in the Old Testament, Christ’s death atones for the sins of His people; His blood rescues us from death and saves us from slavery. Today, the Lord’s Supper is when believers reflect upon Christ’s perfect sacrifice and know that, through our faith in receiving Him, we will be with Him forever (Luke 22:18; Revelation 3:20).

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Hymns Related to Mt 26:26

• Death of Je­sus Christ, Our Lord, The
• Thou Whom My Soul Ad­mires Above
• Voice, a Heav’n­ly Voice I Hear!, A

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QUESTION - What did Jesus mean when He said, “This is my body, broken for you”?

ANSWER - During the Last Supper when Jesus and His disciples were eating a Passover meal together the night of His betrayal, Jesus took bread and said, “This is my body, broken for you.” The statement is recorded four times in the New Testament:

“While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, ‘Take and eat; this is my body.’ Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins’” (Matthew 26:26–28).

“While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, ‘Take it; this is my body.’ Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and they all drank from it. ‘This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many,’ he said to them” (Mark 14:22–24).

“And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you’” (Luke 22:19–20).

“The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, ‘This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me’” (1 Corinthians 11:24–26).

Jesus’ statement This is my body is the primary basis for the Roman Catholic doctrine of transubstantiation, which teaches that the body of Christ is actually present in the element of the bread. However, interpreting Jesus’ words in this passage literally is an error. When He called the bread His body, Jesus was physically present with His disciples, His body unbroken. How could He have been offering His broken body to His disciples the night before He died? Jesus often spoke in metaphors, calling Himself the door, the shepherd, the vine, etc. He was speaking metaphorically on this occasion, as well.

Additionally, the context of the Passover meal is thoroughly symbolic. Almost every element of the meal stood for (or “was”) something else. Jesus took two of those elements and infused them with a new symbolic meaning as He was the fulfillment of everything that Passover stood for. From then on, whenever Jewish believers observed a Passover meal, they would think of the new meaning that Jesus had given to the bread and the final cup. And Gentile believers, who had never been partakers of a Passover meal, would observe the “Lord’s Supper” as part of a “love feast” that the whole church ate together (1 Corinthians 11). Later, the Lord’s Supper (also called communion or the Eucharist) became a separate ceremony all by itself.

Further evidence that Jesus was speaking symbolically is found in John, the only gospel that does not record Jesus’ statement This is my body. In John 6:53–58, Jesus says to a multitude, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your ancestors ate manna and died, but whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.”

When Jesus spoke of eating His flesh in John 6 (SEE COMMENTARY), He had already given the crowd an indication that He was has speaking figuratively. Earlier, in Jn 6:32–35, Jesus had called Himself bread, comparing Himself with the manna in the wilderness: “‘Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.’ ‘Sir,’ they said, ‘always give us this bread.’ Then Jesus declared, ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.’” As if to clear up any misunderstanding, Jesus then distinguishes the physical from the spiritual: “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life” (John 6:63ESV+).

When Jesus spoke of His “broken” body at the Last Supper, He was referring to His sacrifice on the cross. His body was broken, and His blood was shed. According to John 6:35, one can “eat” Jesus’ broken body by “coming” to Him and “drink” His blood by believing in Him. Jesus also emphasizes faith (which the eating only symbolizes) in verses 36, 40, and 47.

Again, the whole context of the Last Supper is symbolic. We do not partake of Jesus by physically eating His body. “The flesh counts for nothing” (John 6:63+). Rather, we partake of Jesus by coming to Him in faith, trusting that His broken body (and shed blood) is sufficient to pay for our sins. The elements of bread and wine commemorate His broken body and shed blood, and when we eat them, we affirm our faith and fellowship in Christ.

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Related Resources:

• What does it mean to take communion unworthily (1 Corinthians 11:27)?
• What is the importance of the Lord’s supper / Christian Communion?
• What is the meaning and importance of the Last Supper?
• What does the Bible say about communion? 
• What did Jesus mean when He said we must eat His flesh and drink His blood?
• Why did Jesus say to “do this in remembrance of Me” in Luke 22:19?
• How often should the Lord’s Supper / Communion be observed?
• Why is the real presence of Christ in the Lord's Supper such a controversial issue?
• Should a non-Catholic Christian participate in a Catholic Mass?
• What is transubstantiation?
• What is consubstantiation?
• What is the spiritual presence view of the Lord’s Supper?
• What does the Bible mean when it speaks of the breaking of bread?
• How often should the Lord’s Supper / Communion be observed?
• 10 Things You Should Know about the Lord's Supper and Communion - Sam Storms

Matthew 26:27 And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you;

• When He had taken a cup: Mk 14:23-24 Lu 22:20 
• Drink: Ps 116:13 Song 5:1 7:9 Isa 25:6 55:1 1Co 10:16 11:28 

Related Passages: 

Mark 14:23-24+ And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, and they all drank from it. 24 And He said to them, “This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.

Luke 22:20+ And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood.

COMMANDED TO DRINK
FROM THE THIRD CUP

And when He had taken (lambano) a cup (poterion) and given thanks (eucharisteo), He gave it to them, saying, “Drink (aorist imperative) from it, all of you - The cup contained ordinary red wine of the country mixed with two-thirds water.  Given thanks (eucharisteo) is the origin of the world Eucharist. Again Jesus commands the disciples (all) to drink from the cup. Most writers (see below) agree that the cup represented the Third Cup, the Cup of Redemption. All calls for all eleven to participate. 

THOUGHT -  A little later that same evening Jesus Himself too a cup from the hands of the Father and drank it to its bitter dregs. Into that cup there had been poured, as it were, all the world's sorrow. Yet full as it was of the very gall and bitterness of human guilt, He pressed it to His lips and drank it, saying, "The cup which the Father has given Me, shall I not drink it?" (Jn 18:11+, cf Mt 26:42) This cup, however, which Jesus handed to His disciples, was a cup of blessing (1Co 10:16+). Into it He Himself poured, as it were, the concentration of all heaven's joy and glory. Again, however, we must notice the words, "Drink from it, all of you." It is not enough that the cup shall be prepared and then offered to us. Unless we accept the blessing of Christ's atonement, we shall not be helped. (J R Miller)

ESV Study Bible on cup - Most likely the third of four cups at the Passover—the cup of blessing, or the cup of redemption—corresponding to God’s third promise in Ex. 6:6+: “I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment.”

John Grassmick agrees writing "Assuming Jesus followed the established Passover ritual this was the third of four prescribed cups of wine ("the cup of thanksgiving"; cf 1Co 10:16) which concluded the main portion of the meal. Presumably He did not drink the fourth cup, the cup of consummation. Its significance still lies in the future when Jesus and His followers will be together again in His kingdom (Luke 22:29–30; Mark 14:25). Presumably He did not drink the fourth cup, the cup of consummation. Its significance still lies in the future when Jesus and His followers will be together again in His kingdom (Luke 22:29-30) (See The Bible Knowledge Commentary)

Daniel Akin - The Passover meal...included four points at which the presider, holding a glass of wine, got up and explained the Feast’s meaning. The four cups of wine represented the four promises made by God in Exodus 6:6-7. These promises were (1) for rescue from Egypt, (2) for freedom from slavery, (3) for redemption by God’s power, and (4) for a renewed relationship with God. The third cup came at a point when the meal was almost completely eaten. This third cup, I believe, is the one alluded to by Mark 14:25-26.

A T Robertson points out that "Mark and Matthew give substantially the same account of the institution of the Supper by Jesus, while Luke 22:17-20 agrees closely with 1 Cor. 11:23-26 where Paul claims to have obtained his account by direct revelation from the Lord Jesus."

Brian Bell - The Cup! The Passover requires 4 cups of wine (2 before the meal and 2 after) -- (1) The cup of Sanctification; (2) The cup of Instruction; (3) The cup of Redemption; (4) The cup of Praise. [Taken from Ex 6:6-7] The cup of wine that would have been raised during the meal that is now remembered when one commemorates “the Lord’s Supper” was the cup of redemption. This was when Jesus established the New Covenant in His own blood. It’s a New Covenant(20) – Sacred binding contract. (Jer 31:31-34+)...In My blood (Lk 22:20) - Biblical covenants were always ratified by shed blood. After the cup of redemption, which commemorates God’s redemption of His people, comes the cup of praise. The cup of praise is the cup of wine that Jesus refused to drink from until the coming of His Father’s Kingdom! (see Lk 22:30) (Reference)

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Utley - ORDER OF PASSOVER SERVICE IN FIRST CENTURY JUDAISM
    A.      Prayer
    B.      Cup of wine
    C.      Hand washing by host and passing of basin to all
    D.      Dip of bitter herbs and sauce
    E.      Lamb and main meal
    F.      Prayer and second dip of bitter herbs and sauce
    G.      Second cup of wine with question-and-answer time for children (cf. Exod. 12:26–27)
    H.      Singing of the first part of Hallel Psalm 113–114 and prayer
    I.      Master of ceremony makes sop for each one after washing his hands
    J.      All eat until filled; finish with a piece of lamb
    K.      Third cup of wine after washing hands
    L.      Singing second part of Hallel Psalm 115–118
    M.      Fourth cup of wine

  Many believe that the institution of the Lord’s Supper occurred at “K.”

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Jehovah's Witnesses : answered verse by verse Matthew 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.” (RSV)

The Watchtower Society has taught its followers not to obey these clear instructions from Jesus Christ. When Jehovah’s Witnesses hold their annual communion celebration, the loaf and the cup are passed from hand to hand with hardly anyone partaking. (Statistics reported in the January 1, 1986, Watchtower magazine revealed that, of 7,792,109 in attendance at the celebration in 1985, only 9,051 partook. So, most of the 49,716 worldwide congregations of Jehovah’s Witnesses had no partakers at all in their midst.)

In failing to “drink of it, all of you” as Jesus commanded, the Witnesses are responding instead to instructions from their leaders, who have taught them that new believers since the year 1935 cannot share in the New Covenant mediated by Jesus Christ (Heb. 12:24); “Those of the ‘other sheep’ class are not in the new covenant and so do not partake” (The Watchtower, 2/15/86, p. 15).

But, speaking of the lifesaving covenant represented in the communion loaf and cup, Jesus said, “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in yourselves” (John 6:53, NWT). If Witnesses exclude themselves from the New Covenant, they exclude themselves from eternal life.

Ask a Jehovah’s Witness to show you a Bible verse where Jesus set the year 1935 as an expiration date for his instructions regarding communion. There is no such verse. Rather, he said, “Keep doing this in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19, NWT).

See also the discussion at Revelation 7:9 for more information on the “1935 doctrine,” and John 10:16 regarding the “other sheep.”

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Kevin Williams explains the four cups of wine - During a typical Passover Seder, four cups are shared, each with its own significant picture in the ritual.

1. The first cup is called the “cup of sanctification,” which sets the feast apart from any commonplace meal.
2. The second cup is the “cup of plagues,” remembering the calamities visited upon the Egyptians.
3. The third cup is called the “cup of redemption,” recognizing and memorializing the Hebrews’ release from captivity.
4. The fourth cup is called the “cup of praise,” during which the family recites Psalms 113–118, traditionally considered the praise Psalms. 

Our attention here is on the third cup, the “cup of redemption,” the “Kiddush  cup,” which in the modern Seder comes after the eating of the afikomen. Because of the ritualistic order of the meal and the rich significance of this observance, some Christian theologians believe that this is the cup Jesus lifted, blessed, and declared, “Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” (Mt 26:28) 

A cup of red wine is symbolic of blood in Jewish tradition, which is significant in our story. In the Pentateuch (first five books of the Bible) and throughout the ancient world, covenants were sealed and confirmed with blood. This is no less true in the Gospels. Symbolically with the cup and literally through His blood shed at the crucifixion, the Messiah proclaimed the beginnings of a new covenant predicted by the Jewish prophet Jeremiah:(Jer. 31:31-34+).  (For much more discussion of the Seder click "A Summary of a Typical Jewish Passover Seder.")

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Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth - Costly Gratitude  (BORROW The quiet place : daily devotional readings Page 252)

And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”—Matthew 26:27–28

 WITHIN HOURS OF HIS ARREST, HIS TRIAL, and ultimately His crucifixion—on a night when Jesus, from a human perspective, had every reason for giving in to self-pity, resentment, and murmuring—the Son instead spoke words of thanks to His heavenly Father, words that flowed from a thankful heart.

This was not just an obligatory blessing offered up before a meal. He understood that these emblems in His hands represented His own body and blood, soon to be broken and poured out in horrific fashion for the salvation of sinful man. And yet when you harmonize the gospel accounts, it appears that Jesus paused at least three times during the Passover observance to give thanks—to say in effect, “Father, I gladly surrender Myself to Your calling for My life, whatever the cost.”

He gave Himself to God and to the world not under coercion but with abandon—even with gratitude—thankful for the privilege of obeying His Father and fulfilling the mission He had been sent to earth to complete.

My own heart is convicted as I write these words, thinking how often my service for the Lord and others is tinged with shades of reservation or clouded with resentment over the price to be paid. Perhaps you feel the same inner conviction of His Spirit. Then, oh, may the thankful Spirit of Christ overflow our hearts, motivated by His example and enabled by His power. May He forgive us for our thankless self-absorption and help us to live lives—like His—of costly gratitude.For what circumstances or aspects of your calling are you the least inclined to be thankful at this moment? Can you—will you—lift your “cup” up to the Lord and give thanks

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THE PASSOVER SHADOWS IN EXODUS THEIR FULFILLMENT IN CHRIST
EXODUS 12+	CHRIST
Ex 12:1-2 The Passover marked a new year and a new beginning for Israel.	Every believer is a new creation in Christ "Old things passed away; behold, new things have come." (2 Cor 5:17)
Ex 12:5 A male lamb in its first year was taken into the home on the 10th of Nisan and was inspected for blemishes or defects before it was sacrificed on the 14th of Nisan.	Christ was closely inspected by: The priests (Lk 20:1-26), Sadducees (Lk 20:27-38) and Scribes  (Lk 20:39-21:4) Pilate (Mt 27:11-26; Lk 23:1-6, 13-25; Jn 18:28-19:16) Herod (Lk 23:8-12) Annas (Jn 18:12-13, 19-24) Caiaphas (Mt 26:57) They could find no fault for He was "a lamb unblemished and spotless" (1 Pe 1:19).
Ex 12:6 The "whole community" of God's people was required to participate in the sacrifice.	Receiving and believing in Christ's sacrifice is required for all who desire to participate in God's Kingdom (Ro 3:21-26).
Ex 12:7, 23 The blood of the lamb was applied to "the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses in which they eat it" and "the LORD will pass over the door" marked with blood.	Christ shed His blood to deliver sinners. One needs to be covered by the blood to be delivered from condemnation (Ro 3:25; Ro 5:9, Ro 8:1). The Lamb of God takes away the sins of the world (Jn 1:29).
Ex 12:14 The Passover was to be kept as a permanent memorial.	The Lord's Supper is to be done frequently "in remembrance of" Christ (Lk 22:19).
Ex 12:46 God commanded Israel not "to break any bone of" the lamb.	Roman soldiers came to break Jesus' legs, but He was already dead, so no bones were broken (Jn 19:32-33).
Adapted from Christ in the Passover - Benjamin Galan David Brickner of Jews for Jesus walks thru a typical Passover in the 38' video Christ in the Passover.

Matthew 26:28 for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins.

• this is My blood of the covenant: Ex 24:7-8 Lev 17:11 Jer 31:31-34 Zec 9:11 Mk 14:24 Lu 22:19 1Co 11:25 Heb 9:14-22 Heb 10:4-14 13:20 
• poured out: Mt 20:28 Ro 5:15,19 Eph 1:7 Col 1:14,20 Heb 9:22,28 1Jn 2:2 Rev 7:9,14 
• Alfred Edersheim - The Paschal Supper

Related Passages:

Exodus 24:7-8+ (THE FIRST COVENANT - MOSAIC COVENANT) Then he took the book of the covenant and read it in the hearing of the people; and they said, “All that the LORD has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient!” 8 So Moses took the blood and sprinkled it on the people, and said, “Behold the blood of the covenant, (berit/berith/beriyth) which the LORD has made ("cut" - karath) with you in accordance with all these words.” 

Leviticus 17:11+  ‘For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement.’ (See Significance of The Blood is Life)

Jeremiah 31:31-34+  “Behold, days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, 32 not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them,” declares the LORD. 33 “But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the LORD, “I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 34 “They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares the LORD, “for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.” 

Mark 14:24+ And He said to them, "This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. (Note "new" is not in the best manuscripts in Mark's Gospel).

Luke 22:20+ And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, "This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood.

1 Corinthians 11:25+  In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do (present imperative) this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” (D A Carson - “What is certain is that Jesus bids us commemorate, not his birth, nor his life, nor his miracles, but his death.”)

THE BLOOD OF
THE NEW COVENANT

Paul Apple - In this key passage as we transition from the celebration of the Passover Feast to the institution of the Lord’s Supper, we are moving from the Old Covenant to the New Covenant. This is a watershed moment in human history. We are looking at the events on the Thursday evening before the Friday crucifixion of Jesus Christ – the central event to which all of the types and prophecies of the Old Testament pointed. Christianity is all about the Person of Jesus Christ. And Christianity is all about the Cross of Christ.

For (gar) Term of explanation. What is Jesus explaining? Clearly He is explaining why all were to drink from the cup He had just given to the eleven. 

This Is My blood (haima) of the covenant (diatheke) - When He said "this," possibly He pointed to the cup that they were to drink from. Jesus is using the cup of wine to symbolize a far deeper meaning. He is describing probably the third cup, the "cup of redemption," and says that this cup symbolized His blood. Obviously the cup was not filled with His literal blood, even as the bread was not His literal body. He is speaking metaphorically, saying that this cup represents My blood. Blood (see Lev 17:11+, see Blood of Christ) was the element necessary to ratify both the Old and the New Covenant. His blood was soon to be shed on the Cross as the sin offering which was accepted by the Father (aka "propitiation") and which resulted in the tearing of the veil that separated the Holy of Holies from the Holy Place, indicating that the Old Covenant was now obsolete (cf Mt 27:51+, Mk 15:38+, Lk 23:45+, Heb 8:13+). The Old Covenant was ratified with animal blood (Heb 9:13, 10:4), but the New Covenant was a better covenant (Heb 7:22, Heb 8:6, Heb 12:24) because it was ratified with the "precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ."  (1 Peter 1:19+, Rev 1:5, Rev 5:9)  

Christ's sacrifice is exactly 
what God desired
and our sin required.

The New Covenant brings about a new way of approaching God. The writer of Hebrews explains the benefits to believers now that the veil has been torn... 

Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence (boldness) to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; 24 and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, 25 not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near (HIS RETURN). (Heb 10:19-25+)

Luke adds a detail not found in Matthew or Mark (not in best manuscripts) explaining that "This cup which is poured out for you is the new (kainos) covenant in My blood." This designation goes back to God's promise in Jer 31:31 declaring "Behold, days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will make a new (Lxx - kainos) covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah." While Jesus is ratifying the New Covenant, the fulfillment of Jeremiah 31:31 will not be seen for the nation of Israel until the return of Messiah and the remnant of believing Israel will be saved. New (kainos) signifies this covenant is brand new, new in kind, new in the sense that it brings into the world a new quality of thing which did not exist before.

The writer of Hebrews helps us understand why Jesus' blood was necessary to ratify the new covenant....

Hebrews 9:16-20+ For where a covenant is, there must of necessity be the death (SHEDDING OF BLOOD IS IMPLIED) of the one who made it. 17 For a covenant is valid only when men are dead, for it is never in force while the one who made it lives. 18 Therefore even the first covenant (MOSAIC COVENANT - Exodus 24:7-8+) was not inaugurated without blood. 19 For when every commandment had been spoken by Moses to all the people according to the Law, he took the blood of the calves and the goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, 20 saying, “THIS IS THE BLOOD OF THE COVENANT WHICH GOD COMMANDED YOU.” Play What Can Wash Away My Sin...

Oh, precious is the flow
That makes me white as snow;
No other fount I know,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
--Lowry

Grassmick - Just as sacrificial blood ratified the Old (Mosaic) Covenant at Sinai (cf. Ex. 24:6–8+), so Jesus’ blood shed at Golgotha inaugurated the New Covenant (Jer. 31:31–34+). This promises forgiveness of sins and fellowship with God through the indwelling Spirit to those who come to God by faith in Jesus. (See The Bible Knowledge Commentary) 

Which is poured out (ekcheo) for many - Just as the "first covenant" (Mosaic) was ratified by the blood of animals on Mt Sinai, the New Covenant was ratified by the blood of the Passover Lamb of God (Jn 1:29, 1Pe 1:19) on Golgotha.  For many speaks of the millions and millions of souls who have placed their faith in Christ and His fully atoning blood shed on Calvary 2000 years ago. 

 The purpose of the shedding of His blood of the New Covenant
was precisely to remove (forgive) sins.
-- A T Robertson

For forgiveness (aphesis) of sins (hamartia) - For is the Greek preposition eis which literally means "into" but in this context is used to indicate purpose and so could be rendered "in order to," with a view to" or "for the purpose of." The purpose of the pouring out of the blood, symbolic of the blood of Christ, is to bring about forgiveness of sins. I love the picture of the Greek word for forgiveness (aphesis) which literally means to send away. This always reminds me of the Day of Atonement when "the goat on which the lot for the scapegoat fell, shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make atonement upon it, to send it (Lxx = aphiemi root verb for aphesis) into the wilderness as the scapegoat." (Lev 16:10+, see also Lev 16:21+)

Some other great verses on the extent of our Father's forgiveness or sending away of our sins! 

Psalms 103:12  As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us. 

Isaiah 38:17 “Lo, for my own welfare I had great bitterness; It is You who has kept my soul from the pit of nothingness, For You have cast all my sins behind Your back. 

Isaiah 43:25  “I, even I, am the one who wipes out your transgressions for My own sake, And I will not remember your sins. 

Isaiah 44:22  “I have wiped out your transgressions like a thick cloud And your sins like a heavy mist. Return to Me, for I have redeemed you.” 

Micah 7:18-19  Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity And passes over the rebellious act of the remnant of His possession? He does not retain His anger forever, Because He delights in unchanging love. 19 He will again have compassion on us; He will tread our iniquities under foot. Yes, You will cast all their sins Into the depths of the sea. 

Spurgeon - The cup was the instructive token of his blood, for it was filled with the blood of the grape. Jesus is meat and drink to his people; their necessary food, their dainty luxury; their staff of life, their exhilaration and joy. How sweet to reflect that the memorial of our dying Lord is not a funeral wailing, but a festival of rest; not a superstitious rite, but a simple, joyful commemoration. It is a pity that by kneeling some of our brethren have missed the instruction which an easy reclining or sitting posture would have given them,—in Jesus, believers have entered into rest.

Spurgeon - They had had gross sin brought prominently to their minds; they had had a personal reminder of their own liability to sin; and now they were to have a personal pledge concerning the pardon of sin: "For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sin."

Henry Morris - The next verse makes it clear that the liquid in the cup was not actual blood but "the fruit of the vine." Nevertheless, it became an unforgettable symbol of His shed blood, just as the bread represented His broken body. This last meal of the Lord has, therefore, been commemorated by His followers ever since (1 Corinthians 11:23-26+). The regular practice of the Lord's supper, or the Holy Communion, or whatever it may be called by different churches, has thus become a perpetual testimony to the authenticity of the Christian faith. There is no way of accounting for the beginning of this universal and unique practice except that Christ Himself commanded it just before He died. It could not have been initiated only when this account was first read by the churches, for it has been observed ever since the last supper of Christ. In fact, if it were not already being observed when the written account was first received, the written account would itself have been rejected as false.

NET NOTE - Greek “for this is my blood of the covenant that is poured out for many.” In order to avoid confusion about which is poured out, the translation supplies “blood” twice so that the following phrase clearly modifies “blood,” not “covenant.” Jesus’ death established the forgiveness promised in the new covenant of Jer 31:31. Jesus is reinterpreting the symbolism of the Passover meal, indicating the presence of a new era.

J C Ryle on "the purpose and object for which the Lord’s Supper was appointed.This is a subject again on which great darkness prevails. The ordinance of the Lord’s Supper has been regarded as something mysterious and past understanding. Immense harm has been done to Christianity by the vague and high-flown language in which many writers have indulged in treating of the sacrament. There is certainly nothing to warrant such language in the account of its original institution. The more simple our views of its purpose, the more Scriptural they are likely to be.

The Lord’s Supper is not a sacrifice. There is no oblation in it,—no offering up of anything but our prayers, praises, and thanksgivings. From the day that Jesus died there needed no more offering for sin. By one offering He perfected for ever them that are sanctified. (Heb. 10:14.) Priests, altars, and sacrifices, all ceased to be necessary, when the Lamb of God offered up Himself. Their office came to an end. Their work was done.

The Lord’s Supper has no power to confer benefit on those who come to it, if they do not come to it with faith. The mere formal act of eating the bread and drinking the wine is utterly unprofitable, unless it is done with a right heart. It is eminently an ordinance for the living soul, not for the dead,—for the converted, not for the unconverted.

The Lord’s Supper was ordained for a continual remembrance of the sacrifice of Christ’s death, until He comes again. The benefits it confers, are spiritual, not physical. Its effects must be looked for in our inward man. It was intended to remind us, by the visible, tangible emblems of bread and wine, that the offering of Christ’s body and blood for us on the cross, is the only atonement for sin, and the life of a believer’s soul. It was meant to help our poor weak faith to closer fellowship with our crucified Saviour, and to assist us in spiritually feeding on Christ’s body and blood. It is an ordinance for redeemed sinners, and not for unfallen angels. By receiving it we publicly declare our sense of guilt, and need of a Saviour,—our trust in Jesus, and our love to Him,—our desire to live upon Him, and our hope to live with Him. Using it in this spirit, we shall find our repentance deepened, our faith increased, our hope brightened, and our love enlarged,—our besetting sins weakened, and our graces strengthened. It will draw us nearer to Christ.

Let us bear these things in mind. They need to be remembered in these latter days. There is nothing in our religion which we are so ready to pervert and misunderstand as those parts which approach our senses. Whatever we can touch with our hand, and see with our eyes, we are apt to exalt into an idol, or to expect good from it as a mere charm. Let us especially beware of this tendency in the matter of the Lord’s Supper. Above all, “let us take heed,” in the words of the Homily, “lest of the memory it be made a sacrifice.”

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Blood (129) haima is literally the red fluid that circulates in the heart, arteries, capillaries, and veins of a vertebrate animal carrying nourishment and oxygen to and bringing away waste products from all parts of the body and thus is essential for the preservation of life. Haima gives us English words like hemorrhage (Gk - haimorragia from haimo- + rragia from regnuo - to burst) English derivatives inclue hematology (study of blood) and "leukemia" which is from leuco (white) plus haima (blood), which is fitting as leukemia is a disease that affects the white blood cells. Haima was used to describe “descent” or “family” in ancient times. “To shed blood” is to destroy life. See discussion of the Blood of Christ.

Summary of haima - (1) human blood (Jn 19.34); by metonymy human nature, physical descent (Heb 2.14); (2) of sacrificial animals blood (Heb 9.7); (3) idiomatically - literally pour out blood, i.e. kill (Rev 16.6); menstrual flow, hemorrhage (Mk 5.25); literally fountain of blood, i.e. bleeding (Mk 5.29); (4) by metonymy, of another’s murder (Mt 23.30); of Christ’s atoning sacrifice death, the blood of Christ (Ro 3.25); (5) in apocalyptic language, the red color of blood as symbolizing disaster (Acts 2.19) (BORROW Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament)

Blood Of Christ which in many contexts represents the life that He gave for our atonement - Matthew 26:28, Mk 14:24, Lk 22:20, John 6:53, 55, 56, John 19:34, Acts 20:28 Ro 5:9, Eph 2:13, Colossians 1:20, Hebrews 9:14, 1 Peter 1:18, 1 Peter 1:19, 1 John 1:7, Revelation 1:5, Revelation 5:9, Revelation 7:14, Revelation 12:11 

Redemption through Christ's blood (Mt 26:28, Jn 6:56, 19:34, Acts 20:28, Ro 5:9, Col 1:20, Heb 9:14, 1Pe 1:18, 1:19, 1Jn 1:7, Rev 1:5, 5:9, 7:14, 12:11) It is clear that the blood of Christ is supremely significant in the NT (1Cor. 10:16; Ep 2:13), not so much His material blood, but what happened to His material blood - it was shed in violent death.

Haima is used in the phrase "blood of the covenant" (Ex 24:8, Mt 26:28, Mk 14:24, Heb 9:20, 10:29). See also blood associated with covenant (Zech 9:11, Lk 22:20, 1Cor 11:25, Heb 9:18, 12:24, 13:20). In John John 6:53-56 Jesus refers to drinking His blood, which clearly is not literal and is probably best explained as entering into the new covenant in Jesus' blood (Lk 22:20) by grace through faith.

• Why did God require animal sacrifices in the Old Testament?
• Why did the sacrificial system require a blood sacrifice?
• What was the significance of the sprinkling of blood?

Covenant (1242) diatheke from diatithemi = set out in order, dispose in a certain order <> from dia = two + tithemi = to place pictures that which is placed between two Thus, a covenant is something placed between two = thus an arrangement between two parties) literally conveys the idea of a testament, as in one's last will and testament.

A covenant is an agreement between two parties that binds them together and conveys the associated ideas of very close fellowship (even oneness and identity as for example in the marriage covenant where two mystically become one flesh).

Cleon Rogers describes covenant in the ancient world as…the uniting and community of the souls and wills of the two, which results in a common purpose, common friends, common enemies, mutual confidence, loyalty, and exclusion of strife. In all of this the will of the stronger was the dominating force. This resulting harmony is often described by the word Shalom which stresses the wholeness, harmony, and unity of the two. Along with this unity there was also the obligation to help or aid one another in time of trouble. Because of these tremendous implications it was always advisable to proceed with caution before making a covenant with anyone. (SEE THE FULL ARTICLE The Covenant with Abraham and Its Historical Setting. Bibliotheca Sacra. Volume 127. Issue 507. Page 240. 1970) (See another article by Cleon Rogers -  Covenant with Moses)

The 3 major meanings of diatheke in the NT can be summarized as…

(1) A legal technical term used when one settles an inheritance and known by our familiar English term "last will and testament"

(2) A binding contract between two or more persons, as in Galatians 3:15 where the covenant is between men.

(3) The major NT (and Septuagint use) is a declaration of the will of God in "concerning His self-commitment, promises, and conditions by which he entered into relationship with man covenant, agreement" (BORROW Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament)

Covenant has profound implications and is the most solemn, binding, intimate contract known in the Bible. Covenant was considered a binding agreement among the ancients, and so was not entered into lightly. After pieces of the sacrificial animal were laid opposite one another, the individuals who were cutting covenant would walk between the flesh. This walk represented the so-called walk into death indicating their commitment to die to independent living and to ever after live for their covenant partner and to fulfill the stipulations of their covenant (See this practice in Jer 34:8ff, esp Jer 34:18-19). Furthermore, this walk into death was a testimony by each covenant partner that if either broke the covenant God would take their life, even as had been done to the sacrificial animal. In short, we see the gravity of entering into and then breaking covenant. Covenant was a pledge to death. A pledge cut in blood. In covenant the shedding of blood demonstrated as nothing else could the intensity of the commitment. By cutting covenant the two parties were bound for life. Thus the shedding of blood in the cutting of covenant established the gravity and binding nature of this transaction. Both the Old and the New Covenants were inaugurated with blood. The practice of cutting covenant is found throughout history with traces or remnants of covenant truth in every quarter of the globe. See Introduction to Covenant and Summary of Major Biblical Covenants)

Related Resources:

• Covenant: Why the New is Better
• Covenant: New Covenant in the Old Testament
• Covenant: Abrahamic vs Old vs New
• Covenant: The Exchange of Robes
• Covenant: The Exchange of Armor and Belts
• Covenant: Solemn and Binding
• Covenant: A Walk Into Death
• Covenant: The Oneness of Covenant
• Oneness Notes
• Covenant: Withholding Nothing from God
• Covenant: Abrahamic versus Mosaic

Poured out (1632) ekcheo from ek = out + chéo = pour) means literally to flow out, to gush forth or to pour out . The inherent idea is to cause something to be emitted in quantity. Used of literal pouring out of liquids = wine from wineskins in Mt 9:17; Mk 2:22 and Lk 5:37; Jn 2:15, Acts 1:18. Used of literal pouring out of solids - coins of the moneychangers in John 2:15, bowels of Judas in Acts 1:18. Holy Spirit poured out - Acts 2:17-18, 2:33, Acts 10:45; love of God poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit; Titus 3:6 To pour out blood is an idiomatic way of saying to murder (of righteous blood shed Mt 23:35, Luke 11:50, Acts 22:20; see note Romans 3:15.

Forgiveness (859) aphesis from aphiemi = action which causes separation and is in turn derived from apo = from + hiemi = put in motion, send) literally means to send away or to put apart, a letting go, a leaving behind, a removal.  Aphesis refers to a remission as when one remits (pardons, cancels) a debt, or releases then from an obligation. To release from captivity. The root meaning of forgiveness is to put away an offense. In secular Greek literature, the related word aphiemi was used to indicate the sending away of an object or a person and came to include the release of someone from the obligation of marriage, or debt, or even a religious vow. In its final form this word group came to embrace the principle of release from punishment for some wrongdoing.

Remission (see definition of English word) of sins means once and for all taking them away, removing the guilt, punishment and power of sin. And so to release one’s sins, is not just release from the ("legal" or forensic) charge and the just penalty of sin but also release from the power and dominion of sin (and in Heaven the release from the presence of sin and the pleasure of sin). And so we see that Wuest translates Col 1:14 as "the putting away of our sins" (Wuest)

Friberg says aphesis means "(1) of captivity release, liberation, deliverance (Lk 4.18); (2) of an obligation or debt cancellation, pardon; (3) predominately in relation to sins forgiveness, cancellation of guilt (Mt 26.28); in the new covenant, a;. involves not a passing over of sins as in the old covenant (cf. pa,resij [passing over, overlooking] in Ro 3.25), but their removal from the mind of God, taking away (Heb 10.18; cf. Heb 10.3) (BORROW Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament) 

Mounce writes that aphesis "almost always refers to divine forgiveness, and its meaning is usually clarified by adding “of sins.” In Eph 1:7; Col 1:14, Paul defines redemption as specifically related to “the forgiveness of sins.” The forgiveness of sins is a central feature of the Christian message and witness, standing at the heart of the gospel. Also, the divine initiative in the forgiveness of sins creates a forgiving spirit in the life of the Christian. As Christ forgave us, so should we forgive others (Mt 5:38–48; Ro 12:19–21)." (Mounce’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old & New Testament Words.)

Aphesis is followed by sin (hamartia) 11/17 uses in the NT (Mt 26:28, Mk 1:4, Lk 1:77, 3:3, 24:47, Acts 2:38, 5:31, 10:43, 13:38, 26:18, Col 1:14), where Sin is depicted as a "master" that has bound and enslaved all mankind (cf "slave of sin" Ro 6:20). Paul writes "thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin Sin (see discussion of Sin personified as a "Slavemaster"), you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. (Ro 6:17-18) Aphesis releases (so to speak) a man from the cords of Sin, the power of Sin. Jesus declared that one of the goals of His ministry was to "release [aphesis] the captives" (Lk 4:18). Here the word captives is aichmalotos which refers to prisoners of war, and in context refers to all men as in a state of captivity to Sin as a result of having inherited Adam's sin nature (Ro 5:12).

APHESIS - 17/16V -  forgiveness(15), free*(1), release(1). Matt. 26:28; Mk. 1:4; Mk. 3:29; Lk. 1:77; Lk. 3:3; Lk. 4:18; Lk. 24:47; Acts 2:38; Acts 5:31; Acts 10:43; Acts 13:38; Acts 26:18; Eph. 1:7; Col. 1:14; Heb. 9:22; Heb. 10:18

Sins (266) hamartia literally conveys the idea of missing the mark as when hunting with a bow and arrow (in Homer some hundred times of a warrior hurling his spear but missing his foe). Later hamartia came to mean missing or falling short of any goal, standard, or purpose. Hamartia in the Bible signifies a departure from God's holy, perfect standard of what is right in word or deed (righteous). It pictures the idea of missing His appointed goal (His will) which results in a deviation from what is pleasing to Him. In short, sin is conceived as a missing the true end and scope of our lives, which is the Triune God Himself. As Martin Luther put it "Sin is essentially a departure from God." Ryrie adds that sin "is not only a negative idea but includes the positive idea of hitting some wrong mark."

From a Biblical perspective hamartia describes the missing of the ultimate purpose and person of our lives, that purpose being to please God Who is also the Person the sinner misses!

Hamartia is a deviation from God's truth or His moral rectitude (righteousness). It is a deviation from the straight line, marked off by the "plumb line" of God's perfect, pure Word. As someone has well said ultimately sin is man's (foolish) declaration of independence of God, of the "apostasy" of the creature from his Creator! Woe!

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QUESTION - What is the meaning of the blood of Christ? | GotQuestions.org

ANSWER - The phrase “blood of Christ” is used several times in the New Testament and is the expression of the sacrificial death and full atoning work of Jesus on our behalf. References to the Savior’s blood include the reality that He literally bled on the cross, but more significantly that He bled and died for sinners. The blood of Christ has the power to atone for an infinite number of sins committed by an infinite number of people throughout the ages, and all whose faith rests in that blood will be saved.

The reality of the blood of Christ as the means of atonement for sin has its origin in the Mosaic Law. Once a year, the priest was to make an offering of the blood of animals on the altar of the temple for the sins of the people. “In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness” (Hebrews 9:22). But this was a blood offering that was limited in its effectiveness, which is why it had to be offered again and again. This was a foreshadowing of the “once for all” sacrifice which Jesus offered on the cross (Hebrews 7:27). Once that sacrifice was made, there was no longer a need for the blood of bulls and goats.

The blood of Christ is the basis of the New Covenant. On the night before He went to the cross, Jesus offered the cup of wine to His disciples and said, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you” (Luke 22:20). The pouring of the wine in the cup symbolized the blood of Christ which would be poured out for all who would ever believe in Him. When He shed His blood on the cross, He did away with the Old Covenant requirement for the continual sacrifices of animals. Their blood was not sufficient to cover the sins of the people, except on a temporary basis, because sin against a holy and infinite God requires a holy and infinite sacrifice. “But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins, because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins” (Hebrews 10:3). While the blood of bulls and goats were a “reminder” of sin, “the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect” (1 Peter 1:19) paid in full the debt of sin we owe to God, and we need no further sacrifices for sin. Jesus said, “It is finished” as He was dying, and He meant just that—the entire work of redemption was completed forever, “having obtained eternal redemption” for us (Hebrews 9:12).

Not only does the blood of Christ redeem believers from sin and eternal punishment, but “His blood will make our consciences pure from useless acts so we may serve the living God” (Hebrews 9:14 NCV). This means that not only are we now free from having to offer sacrifices which are “useless” to obtain salvation, but we are free from having to rely on worthless and unproductive works of the flesh to please God. Because the blood of Christ has redeemed us, we are now new creations in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17), and by His blood we are freed from sin to serve the living God, to glorify Him, and to enjoy Him forever.

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QUESTION - What is the significance that life is in the blood (Leviticus 17:14)?

ANSWER - Thousands of years before scientists understood the complex and extraordinary life-sustaining properties of blood, the Bible informed that “the life of every creature is in its blood” (Leviticus 17:14NLT). In ancient Israel, blood was not only a metaphor or symbol for life; it was equivalent to life itself. In most occurrences where blood was shed in Scripture, it meant that life had ended. To remove the blood is to terminate life.

In Leviticus chapter 17, God gives instructions regarding sacrifices and offerings, particularly on the proper slaughtering of animals. The people of Israel were to bring each animal to the tabernacle entrance for the priest to offer. The blood of the animal was never to be treated as common food; it belonged to God, who is the giver of life (Genesis 2:7; Job 33:4; Psalm 139:13). Thus, the blood of animals had to be drained and offered to God on the altar.

Blood was God’s ordained means of effecting atonement: “For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life” (Leviticus 17:11). Atonement for sin was achieved by sacrificing an animal’s life in substitution for one’s own life. The shedding of blood was the most critical element—it was the blood of the guiltless substitute offered on the altar that served as payment for the people’s sins (Leviticus 16:15).

Through God’s ordained system of sacrifice in the Old Testament, the Lord laid the groundwork for a message that would not be fully grasped until later: “The old system under the law of Moses was only a shadow, a dim preview of the good things to come, not the good things themselves. The sacrifices under that system were repeated again and again, year after year, but they were never able to provide perfect cleansing for those who came to worship” (Hebrews 10:1, NLT).

The full meaning of “the life is in the blood” would only be revealed in Jesus Christ: “That is why, when Christ came into the world, he said to God, ‘You did not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings. But you have given me a body to offer’” (Hebrews 10:5, NLT). It has always been God’s will for humans to be made right with God by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time (Hebrews 10:10). In the Old Testament, the priests offered animals’ blood over and over again, but this repeated shedding of blood never permanently removed the curse of sin (Hebrews 10:11).

When Jesus came and offered up His life—pouring out His blood on the cross—the perfect sacrifice had finally been made: “Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins” (Hebrews 9:14NLT).

All those from times past, present, and future who put their faith in the Messiah, Jesus Christ, are made right with God: “For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he makes sinners right in his sight when they believe in Jesus” (Romans 3:25–26, NLT). The apostle John saw a future multitude of believers in heaven who “have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb.” They have been purified from sin and “clothed in white” (Revelation 7:13–14).

Because of the Old Testament system, Christ’s followers could comprehend what He was doing when He shed His blood on the cross. And today we can better see what His sacrifice means. Just as physical life is in the blood of animals, eternal life is in the blood of Jesus Christ. Physically, our existence depends on blood to sustain life, and, spiritually, our lives depend on the shed blood of Jesus Christ (Romans 5:10; 1 John 1:7; Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 1:14; Hebrews 9:22). Through those ancient sacrifices repeatedly offered in the Old Testament, we are led to appreciate that death—the shedding of blood—has always been the cost of securing eternal life for sinful humans.

Believers are cleansed, forgiven, and made right with God by the blood of the Lamb, God’s guiltless substitute. The life that Christ emptied of its blood now pumps everlasting life into our veins. Oh, how astounding it is that God would shed His own blood to pay the penalty for our sins!

Related Resources:

• Why did God require animal sacrifices in the Old Testament?
• Why did the sacrificial system require a blood sacrifice?
• What was the significance of the sprinkling of blood?

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F B Meyer - Matthew 26:28  My blood of the covenant. (R.V.)

The first covenant was not ratified without blood. For when every commandment had been spoken by Moses, he took the blood of the calves and goats, sprinkled the people, and said, This is the blood of the covenant (Hebrew 9:19–20). So the second covenant must be refilled by blood; not by that of calves and goats, but by the precious blood of Jesus Himself. He who made the covenant sealed it with his blood, that we might have strong assurance.

But Christ has put the cup which holds the emblem of his blood into our hands, and bids us drink it. What, then, do we mean when at the Supper we lift that sacred cup to our lips? Are we not saying by that significant act, Remember thy covenant! Are we not reminding Jesus that we are relying upon Hun to do his part? Are we not pledging ourselves to Him as his own, bound to Him by indissoluble ties, and satisfied with his most blessed service?

Among the most precious promises of the new covenant is that in which God promises to remember our sins no more. Here is the ground which enables God to forgive so freely. The blood has been shed for many auto the remission of sins; the claims of infinite justice have been met; the righteous demands of a broken law satisfied; the barriers have been removed that might have restrained the manifestation of Divine love, though they could not obstruct the love. And now we may sit with Christ at his table in his kingdom, not rebels, but welcome guests.

Also among the promises of the new covenant is that in which God promises that we shall be his people, and He our God. This item also is presented by us in humble expectancy, whilst, in expectant faith, we say, Do as Thou hast said.

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C H Spurgeon - The blood shed for many Mt 26:28 (See full sermon The Blood Shed for Many)

Our blessed Saviour would have us hold his death in great reverence: it is to be our chief memory. Both the emblems of the Lord’s Supper set forth the Saviour’s death. This peculiarly Christian ordinance teaches nothing if it does not teach this. Christ’s death for men is the great doctrine of the church. We profess ourselves partakers of the merit of his death when we come to this table; our Lord’s death is then remembered, shown, declared, testified and trusted in. Evidently the Lord Jesus means us to treat the fact of his death as a truth to be made pre-eminently prominent: he would not have instituted an ordinance specially to remind us of the shedding of his blood, if he had not regarded it as the forefront of his whole earthly career. The other ordinance of our holy faith also sets forth our Lord’s death. Are we not ‘buried with him by baptism into death’? Is not baptism an emblem of his being immersed beneath the waves of sorrow and death? Baptism shows us that participation in Christ’s suffering by which we begin to live; the Lord’s Supper shows us that participation in Christ’s suffering by which that life is sustained. Both institutions point to his death. Besides, beloved, we know from Holy Scripture that this doctrine of the death of Christ is the very core of Christianity. Leave out the cross and you have killed the religion of Jesus. Atonement by the blood of Jesus is not an arm of Christian truth; it is the heart of it. Even as the Lord said of the animal, ‘the blood of it is for the life thereof’, so is it true of the gospel; the sacrificial death of Jesus is the vital point of our profession. I know nothing of Christianity without the blood of Christ. No teaching is healthy which throws the cross into the background.

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Allen Ross - Old Testament Christology

Matthew 26:28  “The Memorial of the Cup”

In the night in which He was betrayed, Jesus instituted the memorial of His body and His blood in the upper room in what has come to be called the last supper.  In that time Jesus offered new words for a passover, new words to explain how His body would be broken and His blood would be shed.  For the blood Jesus took the passover cup after the meal and said,

    Drink from it, all of you.  This is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins (Mt 26:27b, 28).

In this statement Jesus was weaving three Old Testament passages together, one from Exodus 24, one from Jeremiah 31, and one from Isaiah 53.  Those who were, and are, familiar with the Old Testament would see immediately the great significance of these three passages in relation to what Christ was about to do.

The first allusion is to Exodus 24:8.  In that chapter Moses was inaugurating the covenant at Sinai with the people of Israel.  They had been delivered from bondage by the blood of the passover lamb, and passover was therefore instituted for Israel as the festival of freedom.  But at Sinai when the people were given the Law and formed into the nation, there was an elaborate sacrificial ritual to seal the covenant.  In that ceremony Moses took some of the blood of the sacrifice and sprinkled it toward the people, saying, “This is the blood of the covenant that the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words.”  Just as Moses inaugurated the old covenant at Sinai with sacrificial blood, Jesus inaugurated the new covenant with the blood of a better sacrifice, announcing: “This is my blood of the new covenant.”  The significance of this parallel with Moses is that the old covenant would come to an end now that Jesus inaugurated the new covenant, or at least the old would be subsumed in the new.  Or to put it another way, instead of calling this the “last supper,” perhaps it should be called the “last passover.”  Jesus was about to fulfill that festival, and all the ritual of the old covenant, with His own blood.

The second passage referred to in Jesus’ words is Jeremiah 31:31-34, the prophecy of the “new covenant.”  According to the prophet, the LORD said, “The time is coming that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah . . . . For I will forgive their wickedness, and will remember their sins no more.”  The prophecy of the new covenant here details what God will do for Israel.  Ezekiel 36 adds a number of additional aspects of the covenant.  And Isaiah in several places also predicts what it will be like (see Isa. 54).   In the upper room Jesus announced that He was now inaugurating that new covenant: by His blood there would be forgiveness of sin. 

In the New Testament there is sufficient evidence in the various accounts to say that Jesus said “new” covenant in the upper room.  Luke includes it; Paul includes it in 1 Corinthians 11, and several manuscripts of Matthew have the word in the text.  But most of the manuscripts of Matthew and also Mark exclude the word “new” for a couple of different reasons.  But the Bible is clear, Christ inaugurated the new covenant with his death that atoned for our sins and guaranteed us a share in His kingdom.

The third passage referred to by Jesus is Isaiah 53.  The key word that makes this connection is the word “many.”  Matthew records that Jesus said His blood would be poured out for “many.”  This is unusual; why not “for you,” or “for the world”?  But the word “many” refers directly to Isaiah 53, the song of the suffering servant (Isa. 52:13--53:15).   Four times in the song the word “many” is used, and this forms an interpretive problem in Isaiah as well (what he meant by “many”).  But at the end of the song the servant is said to “justify many” “because he poured out his life unto death” and “bore the sin of many.”  Jesus had already indicated that He was this suffering servant, for He said, “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Matt. 20:27).  Now, in the upper room, He wanted the disciples to see that what He was about to do was to fulfill the prophecy of the suffering servant, and pour out His life for all of us, the “many.”

These three Old Testament passages contain a wealth of theology in their own contexts.  However, by alluding briefly to all three and bringing them forward to the moment of His death, Jesus uncovered their greatest meaning in Him, and for all of us.

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QUESTION - What did Jesus mean when He said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood”?

ANSWER - At the Last Supper, Jesus took a cup and said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you” (Luke 22:20). Moments before, the Lord had broken the bread and given it to His disciples with the words, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me” (verse 19). With these symbolic actions Jesus instituted the ordinance of communion, or the Lord’s Table.

The “new covenant” that Jesus spoke of is in contrast to the Old Covenant, the conditional agreement that God had made with the Israelites through Moses. The Old Covenant established laws and ceremonies that separated the Jews from the other nations, defined sin, and showcased God’s provision of forgiveness through sacrifice. The New Covenant was predicted in Jeremiah 31:31–33.

The Old Covenant required blood sacrifices, but it could not provide a final sacrifice for sin. The Old Covenant required repeated, daily sacrifices of animals as a reminder of the people’s sin. But, as Scripture says, “it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins” (Hebrews 10:4). Under the Old Covenant, the same inadequate sacrifices were constantly repeated. For every sin, the process was replicated, day after day, month after month, year after year. The Old Covenant never provided a full, complete sacrifice for sin. “For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second” (Hebrews 8:7, ESV).

Jesus came to establish a “better covenant” (Hebrews 7:22), a “new covenant” that Jesus said was in His blood. Jesus shed His blood on the cross to take away the sins of the world (John 1:29) and ratify the new covenant between God and man. On the night He was betrayed, Jesus took the cup and said to His disciples, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26:27–28). By “this cup,” Jesus referred, by metonymy, to the contents of the cup, which was the “fruit of the vine” (Mark 14:25). This was representative of Christ’s blood. Jesus gave His disciples the cup, infusing it with new meaning, and told them drinking it was to be a memorial of His death: it was to be drunk “in remembrance of me” (1 Corinthians 11:25). Now, “whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes” (verse 26).

The New Covenant is based on faith in the shed blood of Christ to take away sin, not on repeated sacrifices or any other kind of work (see Ephesians 2:8–9). Because Jesus is the holy Lamb of God, His one-time sacrifice is sufficient to atone for the sins of all who believe in Him. We “partake” of Jesus by coming to Him in faith (John 1:12), trusting that His shed blood (and broken body) is sufficient to pay for our sins. The elements of bread and wine commemorate His death and the shedding of His blood. When we eat those elements in communion with other believers, we affirm our faith and fellowship in Christ.

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Hymns Related to Mt 26:28

• O Lord, When My Sins Grieve Me

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Related Resource: 

• Why did Jesus say to “do this in remembrance of Me” in Luke 22:19?

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Spurgeon - The blood shed for many (See full sermon The Blood Shed for Many)

‘For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.’ Matthew 26:28

Our blessed Saviour would have us hold his death in great reverence: it is to be our chief memory. Both the emblems of the Lord’s Supper set forth the Saviour’s death. This peculiarly Christian ordinance teaches nothing if it does not teach this. Christ’s death for men is the great doctrine of the church. We profess ourselves partakers of the merit of his death when we come to this table; our Lord’s death is then remembered, shown, declared, testified and trusted in. Evidently the Lord Jesus means us to treat the fact of his death as a truth to be made pre-eminently prominent: he would not have instituted an ordinance specially to remind us of the shedding of his blood, if he had not regarded it as the forefront of his whole earthly career. The other ordinance of our holy faith also sets forth our Lord’s death. Are we not ‘buried with him by baptism into death’? Is not baptism an emblem of his being immersed beneath the waves of sorrow and death? Baptism shows us that participation in Christ’s suffering by which we begin to live; the Lord’s Supper shows us that participation in Christ’s suffering by which that life is sustained. Both institutions point to his death. Besides, beloved, we know from Holy Scripture that this doctrine of the death of Christ is the very core of Christianity. Leave out the cross and you have killed the religion of Jesus. Atonement by the blood of Jesus is not an arm of Christian truth; it is the heart of it. Even as the Lord said of the animal, ‘the blood of it is for the life thereof’, so is it true of the gospel; the sacrificial death of Jesus is the vital point of our profession. I know nothing of Christianity without the blood of Christ. No teaching is healthy which throws the cross into the background.

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H A Ironside - Mt 26:26-28 - The Lord’s supper in the Christian church takes the place of the Passover among the Jews. The two are intimately linked together, for it was after the celebration of the paschal feast that Jesus offered His disciples the bread and wine and tenderly requested them to partake of them as setting forth His body about to be offered on the cross and His blood so soon to be shed for the remission of sins. Nearly two millennia have elapsed since that solemn night, during which untold millions of grateful believers have partaken of these memorials in remembrance of Him who loved them even unto death.

The communion (1 Corinthians 10:16) is not in any sense a sacrifice. It commemorates the one perfect sacrifice offered by our Lord once for all when He gave Himself for us on Calvary. Neither should it be celebrated with any thought of its having saving value or increasing merit. It is the reminder that when we were utterly lost and helpless, Christ died for us to redeem us to God. It is true that the sacrifice of praise (Hebrews 13:15) should ever accompany it as we contemplate the great cost at which we were saved, and rejoice that He who endured such grief and shame for us is now alive forevermore, never again to have to submit to the pain of death. We call Him to mind as the Author and Finisher of faith, who for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and now sits at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:2). (The Continual Burnt Offering)

         Around the table of His grace,
         Spread with this feast of love,
         We meditate in perfect peace
         On our High Priest above:
         With praise and gratitude we trace
         The wonders of His love.

Matthew 26:29 “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.”  

• I will: Ps 4:7 104:15 Isa 24:9-11 Mk 14:25 Lu 22:15-18 
• until: Mt 18:20 <t 28:20 Ps 40:3 Song 5:1 Isa 53:11 Zep 3:17 Zec 9:17 Lu 15:5,6,23-25,32  Joh 15:11 16:22 17:13 Ac 10:41 Heb 12:2 Rev 5:8-10 Rev 14:3 
• with: Mt 13:43 16:28 25:34 Isa 25:6 Lu 12:32 Lk 22:18,29,30 Rev 7:17 

Related Passages: 

Mark 14:25+  “Truly I say to you, I will never again drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.” 

Luke 22:15-18+ And He said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; 16 for I say to you, I shall never again eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” 17 And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He said, “Take this and share it among yourselves; 18for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine from now on until the kingdom of God comes.”

Luke 22:29-30+ and just as My Father has granted Me a kingdom, I grant you 30 that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 

PROPHECY OF
MILLENNIUM

But - Term of contrast. Contrast is regarding the drinking of the wine. We are to continually drink it in remembrance of Him, but He will not drink it until He establishes the Millennial Kingdom. 

I say to you, I will (prophetic declaration) not (strong double negative - ou me) drink of this fruit  (genema) of the vine  (ampelos) (metaphorical description of wine) from now on - This implies He drank of the fruit of the vine up to this time with His disciples. In the parallel passage in Mark 14:25+ Jesus introduces His prophecy with a Truly (amen) I say to you which adds authority and affirmation to His prophetic promise. 

Until (until = expression of time) that day when I drink it new (kainos - brand new ~ "new wine") with you in My Father’s (pater) kingdom (basileia) - Note the time phrase "UNTIL that day" which indicates that while there is a pause now, Jesus will one day drink it again. This should have given the 11 disciples great assurance that Jesus would indeed establish His literal Kingdom and in that Kingdom they would drink wine (See Marriage of the Lamb). When the disciples see Jesus arrested, they will have a difficult time believing a promise like this, but God never lies and so in this promise is the clear implication that Jesus would be victorious over death and would return to establish His Kingdom! This is an interesting prophecy for it suggests the possibility that we will celebrate either the Passover or more likely the Lord's Supper in the Millennial Kingdom. We know from Zechariah 14:16+ we "will celebrate the Feast of Booths," so it would not be surprising to celebrate the Passover/Lord's Supper as a memorial (see Isa 25:6, Mt 8:11+, Lk 22:29-30+).

The word new (kainos - brand new) speaks of this future time as a qualitatively new existence (cf Isaiah 2:1-4+, Isaiah 4:2-6+) and speaks of the spiritual character of that future feast. Finally, note that when I drink is in the present tense which indicates this will not be a single event but a continuing feast. Hallelujah! O the glories that we as His brethren have to look forward to in fellowshiping with our Savior the Lord Jesus Christ! 

Daniel Akin has an interesting comment noting that "Jesus brought things to a close by refusing to drink the 4th and final cup. Why? Because it is the cup of consummation and life in the promised land of God. For that cup He would wait. First, He must drink to the last drop the cup of God’s wrath and justice. Apart from it, no cup of blessing would be possible."

Grassmick agrees with Akin writing "Assuming Jesus followed the established Passover ritual this was the third of four prescribed cups of wine (“the cup of thanksgiving”; cf. 1Co 10:16+) which concluded the main portion of the meal. Presumably He did not drink the fourth cup, the cup of consummation. Its significance still lies in the future when Jesus and His followers will be together again in His kingdom (Luke 22:29–30; see comments on Mark 14:25)." (See The Bible Knowledge Commentary)

Grant Osborne - As an amēn saying (cf. Mk 3:28; 14:9, 18), Jesus’ words here give special emphasis to this fourth cup (see Mk 14:23), which concluded the meal. The vow of abstinence resembles a Nazirite vow (Nu. 6:1–21, a vow of dedication to Yahweh). Jesus is also saying that he will never again drink wine on this earth, showing his “resolute will” to accept his Father’s will: his vicarious death was “irrevocable.” drink it new in the kingdom of God. This fourth cup was the cup of consummation, and the point is that God’s plan will not be finished until Christ returns and “the kingdom of my Father” has arrived in fullness. The “drink it new” anticipates the messianic banquet in Revelation 19:6–8 (cf. Isa. 25:6–9; 1 En. 62:13–16; 2 Bar. 29:5–8). This refers both to the “new wine” of the “new kingdom” and, adverbially, to Jesus drinking it “anew” at the end of the age. Our own eucharistic celebration likewise looks ahead to this eschatological banquet (ED: 1Co 11:26+ says "you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes." (Mark - Teach the Text )

Dave Guzik - Jesus has not yet celebrated a Passover in heaven. He still waits 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 the kingdom of God Jesus longed for.

J Vernon McGee - The Passover looked forward to His coming, but the Passover will be restored for the millennial Kingdom (as we learn in Ezekiel). And the reason for it, I think, is that during the Millennium there will be a remembrance of His coming; when it was first instituted, it had looked forward to His coming. I see no reason why it couldn't look forward and also look backward. And, by the way, that would bring out the real meaning of the Passover during the millennial Kingdom. Paul says, "...For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us" (1Cor. 5:7). (Thru The Bible Matthew 14-28)

Ezekiel 45:21 clearly states "In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, you shall have the Passover, a feast of seven days; unleavened bread shall be eaten." Ezekiel 40-48 describes the time of the Millennium thus the Passover will be celebrated in the Millennial Kingdom.

NET NOTE - Greek “produce” (“the produce of the vine” is a figurative expression for wine).

Spurgeon - Thus Jesus took the great Nazarite vow never to drink of the fruit of the vine until he should drink it new with His disciples in His Father’s kingdom. O Lord, you have pledged us in this cup, and you will return before long, and then what festivals we will hold with you, what joy we shall have in you forever and ever! He will keep his tryst with all his followers, and they with him shall hold high festival forever......Symbols were not for him, though useful to us: we shall before long with him enjoy the reality which the emblem could but feebly typify. 

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World’s Longest Table

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. — Matthew 26:29

Today's Scripture : Matthew 26:26-30

On Sunday, July 18, 2010, one of the busiest highways in Europe became what some called “the longest table in the world.” Officials closed a 60-kilometer (37-mile) section of the A40 Autobahn in Germany’s Ruhr region so people could walk and bicycle or sit at one of 20,000 tables set up on the roadway. An estimated 2 million people came to enjoy an event the director hoped would connect people from many cultures, generations, and nations.

This event made me think of an even grander table around which believers gather to share the Lord’s Supper. During communion, we remember Jesus’ death for us as we anticipate the culmination of history at His return.

Just before Jesus was crucified, He shared the Passover meal with His disciples, telling them, “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” (Matt. 26:29).

The Lord’s Table unites everyone Christ has redeemed by His blood “out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation” (Rev. 5:9). One day, in a scene of reunion and joy, all who belong to Jesus will sit down together with Him at a table that will dwarf the Autobahn gathering. We joyfully anticipate sharing that table together! By:  David C. McCasland (Reprinted by permission from Our Daily Bread Ministries. Please do not repost the full devotional without their permission.)

Here we gather to remember,
In the breaking of the bread,
Jesus, who for us was broken,
And is now our living Head.
—Anon.

Christ’s love creates unity out of diversity.

Matthew 26:30 After singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.  

• After singing a hymn: Ps 81:1-4 Mk 14:26 Eph 5:19,20 Col 3:16,17 
• they went: Lu 21:37 Lk 22:39 Joh 14:31, Jn 18:1-4 

Related Passages: 

Ephesians 5:18-19+ And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord;

Psalm 118:1-3; 29+  Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; For His lovingkindness is everlasting.  2 Oh let Israel say, “His lovingkindness is everlasting.”  3 Oh let the house of Aaron say, “His lovingkindness is everlasting.” 29 Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; For His lovingkindness is everlasting.

UPPER ROOM > KIDRON VALLEY > GARDEN
Source: ESV Study Bible

SINGING A HYMN IN THE
SHADOW OF THE CROSS

After singing a hymn (humneo), they went out to the Mount of Olives - More specifically they went to the Garden of Gethsemane (see map above). This would mark the beginning of the end of the life of Jesus. And to do so by singing a hymn shows that Jesus was continually empowered by the Holy Spirit, for singing is one of the first "fruits" mentioned in Eph 5:18-19+. Jesus knew exactly what awaited Him in the Garden, prayer to His Father and betrayal by Judas, but He goes forth with singing! What a Savior! 

Swete says of their going to the Mount of Olives; “The nightly departure for the Mount of Olives; The nightly departure for the Mount had become habitual, and the Eleven felt no surprise when they were summoned to leave the guest chamber: no provision had been made for spending the night in Jerusalem.”

G Campbell Morgan - “No sweeter singing, no mightier music ever sounded amid the darkness of the sad world’s night than the singing of Jesus and His first disciples, as they moved out to the Cross of His Passion, and their redemption.” 

John MacArthur - As the Passover celebration concluded, Jesus and the disciples sang a closing song, likely the final psalm of the traditional Hallel (Ps. 118+). It is difficult to imagine a more fitting benediction, since the repeated refrain of Psalm 118+ is that the loving-kindness of God is everlasting (Ps 118:1-3, 29+). No refrain could have been more fitting in light of the imminence of the cross. (See Mark Commentary) 

John Grassmick points out that "The Hallel (praise) Psalms (ED: What are the Hallel Psalms?) were sung or chanted antiphonally in connection with the Passover—the first two (Ps 113-114) before the meal, the remaining four (Ps 115-118) after it to conclude the evening observance. Such verses as Psalm 118:6-7, 17-18, 22-24 gain added significance on Jesus' lips just before His suffering and death." Since their conversation after the meal included Jesus’ (upper room) discourse and prayer (John 13:31–17:26), it was probably near midnight when He and the Eleven (minus Judas) finally left the Upper Room and the city. They crossed the Kidron Valley (cf. John 18:1) to the western slopes of the Mount of Olives (cf. Mark 11:1a) where Gethsemane was located (Mk 14:32) (See Bible Knowledge Commentary - Page 178)  

Henry Morris -  It is striking that the only recorded instance of Jesus singing is just as He prepared to go to the cross. However, after He comes again, He will sing joyfully in the midst of His redeemed people (Zephaniah 3:17+).

Utley on singing a hymn - This was probably part of the Hallel Psalms (i.e. Ps. 113–118, cf. Matt. 26:30), which was the last part of the Passover ritual. These psalms were expressions of joy and gratitude for YHWH’s redemption. They are recited or chanted in whole, or in part, at all major feast days, except the Day of Atonement. Psalms 113–114 are chanted early in the Passover meal and 115–118 towards the end of the meal.

NET NOTE - After singing a hymn. The Hallel Psalms (Pss 113–118) were sung during the meal. Psalms 113 and 114 were sung just before the second cup and 115–118 were sung at the end of the meal, after the fourth, or hallel cup.

Spurgeon - Brave was the heart which could sing with death before him: surely that hymn was a battle psalm defying death and Hell. In like manner let us sing in all times of trial and temptation, and so glorify our God......Was it not truly brave of our dear Lord to sing under such circumstances? He was going forth to his last dread conflict, to Gethsemane, and Gabbatha, and Golgotha; yet he went with a song on His lips. The door opens, they go downstairs, they are in the open-air, that night of the full moon, and they wend their way to the Mount of Olives. Then came that desperate struggle in which the great Captain of our salvation wrestled even to a bloody sweat, and prevailed.....Was it not truly brave of our dear Lord to sing under such circumstances? He was going forth to his last dread conflict, to Gethsemane, and Gabbatha and Golgotha; yet he went with a song on his lips. He must have led the singing, for the disciples were too sad to start the hallel with which the paschal feast closed: And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives. Then came that desperate struggle in which the great Captain of our salvation wrestled even to a bloody sweat, and prevailed.

Spurgeon - It was a social feast, somewhat funereal, and tinctured with sadness, for Jesus was about to go from them, to die, still, it was a joyous celebration, closing with a hymn. At the paschal feast, the Jews always sang Psalms 113-118. Probably our Lord sang all these through. At any rate, Christ and his apostles sang a hymn; and I always like to think of him as leading the little company, — going to his death with a song upon his lips, his voice full of melody, and made more sweet than ever by the near approach of Gethsemane and Calvary. I would like always to sing, whenever we come to the communion table, after the fashion in which they sang that night: "When they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives."......To his last great battle the Champion goes singing, attended by feeble followers, who could not protect him; but who could sing with him. I think he must have led the tune; his disciples were too sorrowful to sing until his clear voice started the Hallelujah Psalms; but they joined him in the holy exercise, for "they" as well as their Lord sang the hymn. When you are about to face a trial, offer a prayer; but, if you can, also sing a hymn. It will show great faith if, before you enter into the burning fiery furnace, you can sing psalms unto the Lord who redeems his people. 

THOUGHT- “If, beloved, you knew that at—say, ten o’clock tonight, you would be led away to be mocked, and despised, and scourged, and that tomorrow’s sun would see you falsely accused, hanging, a convicted criminal, to die upon a cross, do you think that you could sing tonight, after your last meal?” (Spurgeon)

Dave Guzik - 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. Think of how the words of these Psalms would have ministered to Jesus as He sang them on the night before His crucifixion:

    • The pains of death surrounded me, and the pangs of Sheol laid hold of me; I found trouble and sorrow. Then I called upon the name of the LORD: “O LORD, I implore You, deliver my soul!” (Psalm 116:3–4)
    • For You have delivered my soul from death, My eyes from tears, and my feet from falling. I will walk before the LORD in the land of the living. (Psalm 116:8–9)
    • I will take up the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the LORD. I will pay my vows to the LORD now in the presence of all His people. Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of His saints. (Psalm 116:13–15)
    • Praise the LORD, all you Gentiles! Laud Him, all you peoples! (Psalm 117:1)
    • You pushed me violently, that I might fall, but the LORD helped me. The LORD is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation. (Psalm 118:13–14)
    • I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the LORD. The LORD has chastened me severely, but He has not given me over to death. Open to me the gates of righteousness; I will go through them, and I will praise the LORD. (Psalm 118:17–19)
    • The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone. This was the Lord’s doing; It is marvelous in our eyes. (Psalm 118:22–23)
    •  God is the LORD, and He has given us light; bind the sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar. You are my God, and I will praise You; You are my God, I will exalt You. (Psalm 118:27–28)

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Singing (5214)(humneo from húmnos = hymn; English = hymn) means to celebrate or praise with a hymn, to sing a song of praise.

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Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth - Singing in the Shadow  (BORROW The quiet place : daily devotional readings Page 86)

And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.—Matthew 26:30

WE KNOW FROM HEBREW TRADITION that Psalms 113–118 (known as the Hallel) were traditionally sung at national Jewish feasts, such as the Passover. Read those few pages again yourself, and you won’t have to look hard to spot the resounding theme of triumph, praise, and deliverance. “Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your name give glory” (Ps 115:1). “For you have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling” (Ps 116:8). “Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good” (Ps 118:29).

But imagine now you’re not singing these psalms in celebration of God’s dramatic rescue, watching a rehydrated Red Sea still foaming before your disbelieving eyes. Imagine instead you’re singing these psalms where Jesus likely was singing them—in the dim light of the upper room, mere moments from your violent capture and arrest, mere hours from trial, torture, and death.

To be able to sing a hymn of praise in that moment—that’s serenity. That’s “blessed assurance.” That’s realizing your Father is wise and good and that He can be implicitly trusted. It’s refusing to factor your own feelings into your faith decisions. It’s valuing His great redemptive plan above your own comfort and safety. And it’s choosing to recognize traces of life, hope, glory, and joy in the same situations where most can see only fear, doubt, anxiety, and self-pity.

But that’s what His suffering love has earned us the right to experience. Because of Christ’s sacrifice, the same song that brightened the shadow of the cross can cast its calming light into the room where you’re sitting today. His heart at rest can be music to your weary, worried soul.What kinds of circumstances are likely to trigger stress and drive away your serenity? What are the first signs that reveal you’ve crossed over the line into fear and panic?

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Grandpa's Last Hymn

When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. — Matthew 26:30

Today's Scripture : Matthew 26:17-30

As our Lord faced the terrible prospect of dying on the cross, He concluded the first Communion service with the singing of a hymn. By this He showed that believers can meet the “last enemy” with peaceful confidence when they have faith in God and His sustaining grace.

I remember hearing my parents telling about Grandpa Bosch’s final moments on this earth. He had become afflicted with a serious heart ailment, and in spite of the doctor’s best efforts to relieve his condition, he steadily worsened. After 3 trying days and nights, he realized that death was near.

Calling his children to his side, he lovingly spoke to each of them. Then he said, “Let’s part with a hymn.” His weak voice quavered as he sang these familiar words by Edward Mote:

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.
His oath, His covenant, His blood
Support me in the whelming flood;
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my hope and stay.
On Christ, the solid rock, I stand—
All other ground is sinking sand.

After a tender word of spiritual admonition, Grandpa closed his eyes and went to be with the Lord.

If we rely on Christ, we too will have that kind of peace when we come to the end of our lives. By:  Henry G. Bosch (Reprinted by permission from Our Daily Bread Ministries. Please do not repost the full devotional without their permission.)

In life and in death, Christ the Rock is our sure hope.

Matthew 26:31 Then Jesus *said to them, “You will all fall away because of Me this night, for it is written, ‘I WILL STRIKE DOWN THE SHEPHERD, AND THE SHEEP OF THE FLOCK SHALL BE SCATTERED.’

• You will all fall away: Mt 26:56 11:6 24:9,10 Mk 14:27,28 Lu 22:31,32  Joh 16:32 
• I will: Isa 53:10 Zec 13:7 
• and the: Job 6:15-22 19:13-16 Ps 38:11 69:20 88:18 La 1:19 Eze 34:5,6 

Related Passages: 

John 16:32+  “Behold, an hour is coming, and has already come, for you to be scattered, each to his own home, and to leave Me alone; and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me.

John 17:9+ “I ask on their behalf; I do not ask on behalf of the world, but of those (ELEVEN) whom You have given Me; for they are Yours;

Mark 14:26-28 After singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.  27 And Jesus *said to them, “You will all fall away, because it is written, ‘I WILL STRIKE DOWN THE SHEPHERD, AND THE SHEEP SHALL BE SCATTERED.’ 28 “But after I have been raised, I will go ahead of you to Galilee.”

DEPICTION OF "SKANDALON/SKANDALIZO"

PROPHECY OF 
DESERTION BY DISCIPLES

Then (tote) marks progression in the narrative. Jesus and the eleven have left the Upper Room, crossing the Kidron Valley and are heading to the Garden of Gethsemane. Once again, this passage demonstrates that Jesus would not be caught off guard, but had full knowledge of the coming events. 

Jesus (Iesous) *said to them, “You will (prophetic declaration) all (cf "all" in Mt 26:35, 56) fall away (skandalizo) because (term of explanation) of Me this night (the idea is this very night - it is probably approaching midnight - imagine the thoughts that went through their minds) - Jesus gives the eleven a prophetic "heads up," but even with this forewarning we will see they still fulfill His prophecy. He predicts not only their falling away but the specific timing, once again evidence of His deity and omniscience.

Fall away means to stumble over an obstacle and in this case Jesus would be the "Obstacle!" The fear of the disciples will cause them to stumble, to run away because they do not want to be arrested with Jesus. The best antidote to fear is faith, but clearly they are experiencing a faith failure (Some versions - REB, JB render skandalizo "lose faith")! On the other hand consider the impact on their faith once the prophecy had been fulfilled, for "faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of Christ." (Ro 10:17) When they repented and returned, their faith would be stronger because of their assurance that Jesus had predicted their failure. They knew He could be trusted. 

Some have argued that Peter’s following Jesus into the high priest’s courtyard would not fit with this prophecy. However Mt 26:56 makes it clear that "all the disciples left Him and fled."

The intimacy of the Last Supper
is shortly to be replaced by disloyalty and cowardice.
-- D A Carson

For (gar) is a term of explanation. What is Jesus explaining? He is explaining why the falling away of the eleven disciples had to occur. 

It is written (grapho - perfect tense = written in past, continuing force - prophetic fulfillment), ‘I (Jehovah Himself is declaring He) WILL STRIKE DOWN (patasso) THE SHEPHERD (poimen), AND THE SHEEP (probaton) OF THE FLOCK (poimne) SHALL BE SCATTERED (diaskorpizo) - Don't miss the point that the One Who made this prophetic pronouncement to strike down the Shepherd via a violent death is none other than God the Father! This was to be a fulfillment of Zech 13:7+ “Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, And against the man, My Associate,” Declares the LORD of hosts. “Strike the Shepherd that the sheep may be scattered; And I will turn My hand against the little ones." So approximately 500 years before this event would transpire God saw it would happen!  

COMMENT: Zechariah's prophecy has had a double fulfillment. When Jesus was crucified, not only were the disciples scattered, but within 40 years the entire nation of Israel was scattered after the Romans sacked Jerusalem and the Temple. It would not be until May, 1948 that their scattering would be divinely, supernaturally reversed with the creation of the sovereign nation of Israel. Beloved, if you think God is finished with Israel (aka replacement theology / supersessionism), then can I respectfully and kindly say, you are believing a lie from the father of lies, the devil (Jn 8:44+), who hates Israel and wants to see it destroyed so that Jesus does not have a nation to come back to save (read Zech 12:1-14+, Zech 14:1-21+). Just look at a map of the Middle East to be reminded that God has a final solution (not like the Nazi's "final solution" but a good solution) for His chosen people, the Jews! As Ripley used to say "Believe it or not!" 

There was a second prophetic promise Jesus gave in Jn 17:12+ and which was fulfilled when the eleven were protected (even though the scattered) John recording Jesus' words that "While I was with them, I was keeping them in Your name which You have given Me; and I guarded them and not one of them perished but the son of perdition, so that the Scripture would be fulfilled."

Spurgeon - Observe our Lord’s habit of quoting Scripture. He was able to speak words of infallible truth, yet he fell back upon the Inspired Record in the Old Testament. His quotation from Zechariah does not seem to have been really necessary, but it was most appropriate to his prophecy to his disciples: " All you shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad." Jesus was the Shepherd who was about to be smitten, but he foretold the scattering of the sheep.......Observe our blessed Lord’s habit of quoting Scripture. He was able to utter words of infallible truth which had never before been used, you he constantly quoted from the inspired Scriptures. Those who nowadays cavil at the Word of God, and yet profess to be followers of Christ, find no excuse for their conduct in the example that he has left us, for he even quoted Scripture sometimes when it might not have seemed to be necessary to do so. Brethren and sisters in Christ, have your Bible first in you hearts, then at your tongue’s end, I was going to say at your fingers’ end, so that you may always be able to give a good reason, a solid and divinely-authoritative reason, for any statement that you may make.

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Fall away (stumble; take offense) (4624) skandalizo from skandalon= a trap = put a snare or stumbling block in way; English = scandalize = to offend the moral sense of) means to put a snare (in the way), hence to cause to stumble, to give offense. It comes from the idea of used of the spring of a trap which might ‘go off’ when you were least expecting it. Thus it means to entrap, trip up, or entice to sin, offend. In Mt 5:29-30 skandalizo is used in the active sense which conveys the idea to cause to do wrong, to entice to commit sin. In the passive sense it be means to be led into sin, to be caused to do wrong. In the passive some uses mean to be offended (Mt 11:6), the idea being that one is taking offense at Jesus and/or refusing to believe in Him. Finally, skandalizo can mean to furnish an occasion for some to be shocked, angered, or offended (Mt 17:27).

SKANDALIZO - 27V -  cause(1), cause...to stumble(2), causes(2), causes...to stumble(6), fall away(7), falls away(1), led into sin(1), makes...stumble(2), offend(1), offended(1), stumble(3), stumbling(1), take(1), take offense(1), took offense(2). Matt. 5:29; Matt. 5:30; Matt. 11:6; Matt. 13:21; Matt. 13:57; Matt. 15:12; Matt. 17:27; Matt. 18:6; Matt. 18:8; Matt. 18:9; Matt. 24:10; Matt. 26:31; Matt. 26:33; Mk. 4:17; Mk. 6:3; Mk. 9:42; Mk. 9:43; Mk. 9:45; Mk. 9:47; Mk. 14:27; Mk. 14:29; Lk. 7:23; Lk. 17:2; Jn. 6:61; Jn. 16:1; 1 Co. 8:13; 2 Co. 11:29

Swindoll - The original and most literal meaning is “to spring back and forth” or “to slam closed,” as with a spring-loaded animal trap. Therefore, the verb generally means “to close something in.” The figurative use of this word is rare outside of Jewish and Christian writings, but not altogether absent. One Greek playwright describes an unjust accuser dragging innocent men into court and “laying traps” with his questions. (Aristophanes, Acharnenses 687) Paul frequently used the corresponding noun (skandalon) to describe Jesus as an intellectual and moral trap for any who oppose God and think themselves righteous (Rom. 9:33; 11:9; 1 Cor. 1:23; Gal. 5:11). (Borrow Insights on John)

Strike down (3960)(patasso) means to strike or hit whether violently or lightly. In the present context it speaks of a violent blow intended to kill (cf Acts 7:24, Mt 26:31, Mk 14:27, Acts 12:23 Ex. 21:12, 18; Ex 12:23 = smite the Egyptians on Passover). It is interesting that potasso describes Moses striking down and killing the Egyptian,and  is  used in the Septuagint to describe Moses striking the Nile (Ex 7:20, 25) and it turned to blood. Potasso is used in a more figuratively sense in describing striking or smiting with disease, evil, judgment, etc (Rev. 11:6 = strike the earth with plague; Ge 19:11 = angels struck the men with blindness; Nu 14:12 = smite them with pestilence ; Mal. 4:6 = smite the land with a curse).

The same word patasso is used off Peter striking Malchus, the slave of the high priest, and cutting off his ear (Mt 26:51, cf Lk 22:49, 50). While the role of the Shepherd was to protect the flock, when Jesus died that would seem unlikely to the disciples (sheep) and so they scatter from the "wolves." But as they say, the disciples have not seen the end of the story (see next passage). 

POTASSO - 10X/10V - strike(2), strike down(3), striking down(1), struck(4). Matt. 26:31; Matt. 26:51; Mk. 14:27; Lk. 22:49; Lk. 22:50; Acts 7:24; Acts 12:7; Acts 12:23; Rev. 11:6; Rev. 19:15

Shepherd (4166)(poimen A T Robertson says poimen is from a root meaning to protect; verb poimaino = to shepherd) literally describes one who herds, feeds, and tends a flock.  The main responsibility of the shepherd was to keep the flock intact, to protect and to provide for the sheep. Poimen describes one who assumes leadership or guardianship over a group of believers. This  title is applied to Jesus here and in in several passages (Mt 26:31, Jn 10:11, 14, 16, Heb 13:30 1Pe 2:25). A shepherd is one who carries out oversight, protecting, leading, encouraging, discipling, guarding, guiding and feeding ("feed and lead"). English dictionaries say that "to shepherd" means to guide, direct or guard in the manner of a shepherd.

POIMEN - 18X/17V - pastors(1), shepherd(13), shepherds(4). Matt. 9:36; Matt. 25:32; Matt. 26:31; Mk. 6:34; Mk. 14:27; Lk. 2:8; Lk. 2:15; Lk. 2:18; Lk. 2:20; Jn. 10:2; Jn. 10:11; Jn. 10:12; Jn. 10:14; Jn. 10:16; Eph. 4:11; Heb. 13:20; 1 Pet. 2:25

Sheep (4263)(probaton from probaíno = to go before, walk ahead) is literally something that walks forward (a quadruped) and in context refers to a sheep. One of the most famous uses of probaton in the Septuagint is found in Isaiah 53:6-7+ describing both us and our Lord - "All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him. He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth. "

PROBATON - 35V - Matt. 7:15; Matt. 9:36; Matt. 10:6; Matt. 10:16; Matt. 12:11; Matt. 12:12; Matt. 15:24; Matt. 18:12; Matt. 25:32; Matt. 25:33; Matt. 26:31; Mk. 6:34; Mk. 14:27; Lk. 15:4; Lk. 15:6; Jn. 2:14; Jn. 2:15; Jn. 10:1; Jn. 10:2; Jn. 10:3; Jn. 10:4; Jn. 10:7; Jn. 10:8; Jn. 10:11; Jn. 10:12; Jn. 10:13; Jn. 10:15; Jn. 10:16; Jn. 10:26; Jn. 10:27; Acts 8:32; Rom. 8:36; Heb. 13:20; 1 Pet. 2:25; Rev. 18:13

Scattered (1287) diaskorpizo from dia = an intensifies or denotes separation + skorpízō = to dissipate) means to scatter abroad or disperse. It is used of chaff being scattered to the wind on the threshing floor, meaning to winnow (Mt 25:24, 26). Metaphorically it means to dissipate, squander (Luke 15:13; 16:1).  Mattoon says "to winnow, like a person that separates the grain from the chaff by throwing it up high into the air and letting the wind blow away the chaff." This is the way the prodigal son handled his resources. He was throwing away his substance." (Treasures from Luke)

DIASKORPIZO - 9X/9V -  scattered(6), scattered abroad(1), squandered(1), squandering(1). Matt. 25:24; Matt. 25:26; Matt. 26:31; Mk. 14:27; Lk. 1:51; Lk. 15:13; Lk. 16:1; Jn. 11:52; Acts 5:37

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Spurgeon - He is not the great Shepherd when He dies; He is the good Shepherd. He is the great Shepherd when He is brought again from the dead. In resurrection you perceive His greatness. He lies in the grave slumbering; He is the good Shepherd then, having laid down His life for the sheep. Life appears again in Him, the stone is rolled away, the watchmen are seized with terror, and He comes out the risen one, no more the dying—now He is the great Shepherd. In the covenant we are the sheep; the Lord Jesus is the Shepherd. You cannot make a covenant with sheep—they have not the ability to covenant. But you can make a covenant with the Shepherd for them, and so, glory be to God, though we had gone astray like lost sheep, we belonged to Jesus. He made a covenant on our behalf, and stood for us before the living God. It is very beautiful to trace the shepherds through the Old Testament, and to see Christ as Abel, the witnessing shepherd, pouring out the blood that cried from the ground; as Abraham, the separating shepherd, leading out his flock into the strange country where they dwelt alone; as Isaac, the quiet shepherd, digging wells for his flock, and feeding them in peace in the midst of the enemies; as Jacob, the shepherd who is surety for the sheep, who earns them all by long toils and weariness, separates them, and walks in the midst of them to Canaan, preserving them by his own lone midnight prayers. There, too, we see our Lord as Joseph, the shepherd who is head over Egypt for the sake of Israel, of whom his dying father said, “From there is the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel” (Gen 49:24). Head over all things for His church, the King who governs all the world for the sake of His elect, the great Shepherd of the sheep, who for their sakes has all power committed unto His hands. Then follows Moses, the chosen shepherd, who led his people through the wilderness up to the promised land, feeding them with manna and giving them drink from the smitten rock—what a wide theme for reflection here! And then there is David, the type of Jesus, reigning in the covenanted inheritance over his own people as a glorious king in the midst of them all. All these together enable us to see the varied glories of “that great Shepherd of the sheep.”

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Brian Bell - God’s Best Gifts Are Not Things but OpportunitiesWhat we call adversity, God calls opportunity. Warren Wiersbe ~ Peter missed many important opportunities…

• Peter boasted when he should have listened (32-35)
• Peter slept when he should have prayed (36-46)
• Peter fought when he should have surrendered (47-56)
• Peter followed when he should have fled for safety (57-75)

But, when the opportunity came to repent, he wept.

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Henry Blackaby - Facing Failure

       Then Jesus said to them, “All of you will run away, because it is written:  I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.”—Mark 14:27 

As you follow Jesus you will face moments of great distress. At times it will seem that events conspire to cause you to stumble in your relationship with Him. You do not initiate them, but they arise from opposition or the intensity of your circumstances. Nevertheless, failure is the end result. The disciples faced such fierce opposition to their Lord that they all failed Him on the night Jesus was crucified.

Peter boasted that he was incapable of forsaking Jesus (Mark 14:29–31). Yet Jesus assured the disciples even before their failure that it was inevitable. The Scriptures had prophesied it. God always knew the disciples would fail His Son; He wasn't caught by surprise. He had made provision for their shortcomings, knowing He would eventually develop them into apostles who would fearlessly preach the gospel, perform miracles, and teach others. Later, when the risen Christ encountered Peter on the seashore, He did not ask Peter for a confession of his sin, but a confession of his love (John 21:15–17).

You may fear that your failure has caught God by surprise. Perhaps you promised, like Peter, to stand with the Lord, but you failed. God was just as aware that you would fail Him as He was with the original disciples. He has made provision to respond every time you stumble. Don't think that somehow your failures are bigger or more complex than any God has dealt with. If you are facing challenges that seem overwhelming, don't be discouraged. God has already foreseen them and prepared for them (1 Cor. 10:13).

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QUESTION - What is the meaning of “strike the shepherd and the sheep will scatter” (Zechariah 13:7)?

ANSWER - A shepherd theme runs throughout Zechariah’s prophetic ministry (Zechariah 10:2; 11:4–14, 15–17). An instance of that theme is found in Zechariah 11:4–14, where the prophet announces Israel’s future rejection of the Messiah and the Messiah’s death. Because God’s people reject their Messiah, the Lord gives this staggering command: “Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered, and I will turn my hand against the little ones” (Zechariah 13:7).

As envisioned in Ezekiel 34, the sheep in Zechariah’s prophecy are the people of God. In Ezekiel’s day, the people of Judah were stripped of their godless leaders and scattered. During that time of exile, the Lord’s hand was against “the little ones” in judgment as they were dispersed and punished. God’s hand was also against the false shepherds of Israel. But the Shepherd in Zechariah 13:7 is distinct from the wayward leaders of Israel. He is none other than the Messiah, Jesus Christ.

The verb translated as “strike” in Zechariah 13:7 means “to smite, kill.” The violence against Israel’s Messiah-Shepherd is foreseen as early as Genesis 3:15 when God foretells that Satan will “strike his heel.” A parallel passage to Zechariah 13:7 appears in Isaiah 53:10, also predicting Messiah’s suffering and death: “It was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer” (see also Isaiah 53:4).

In the New Testament, Jesus Himself cites Zechariah 13:7 in reference to His arrest, Peter’s denial, and the falling away and scattering of His disciples (Matthew 26:31, 56; Mark 14:27). In John’s gospel, Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (John 10:11).

God’s command to “strike the shepherd and the sheep will scatter” is multi-purposed. First, it reveals that Christ’s death was not an accident; it was part of God’s divinely arranged plan (Acts 2:23). Even still, God does not let the slaughter of His Son and Savior of the world go unpunished. Instead, He uses it as an instrument of judgment on sinful people (see John 3:19; 16:32; 12:30–32).

Zechariah 13 continues to reveal God’s purpose as the prophet describes the opening of a fountain of cleansing from sin that purges the people from their idolatry (verses 1–6). After their Shepherd is struck, the people go through a fiery refinement to become purified like gold and restored to covenant relationship with the Lord their God (verse 9). These passages predict the restoration of the remnant of Israel (see Hosea 2:23) as well as a future reinstatement spoken of by the apostle Paul (see Romans 11:11–32). They also look down through history to the refining periods of persecution of God’s people in the church age and the tribulation period (Matthew 24:15–22).

In God’s economy, justice must be served. Sin warrants a penalty of death and cannot go unpunished, so Jesus takes the punishment for us all (Romans 6:23; 1 Corinthians 15:21–22). The apostle Peter explains, “Christ suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but he was raised to life in the Spirit” (1 Peter 3:18, NLT). From the moment of the fall, God’s ultimate plan to strike the Shepherd and scatter the sheep was the restoration and redemption of His people. Through the death of Jesus Christ, God’s chosen Savior and Israel’s Messiah, sinful people can be reconciled to God (Colossians 1:19–22). Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross washes away our sins and opens the way for the reinstatement of our relationship with the Father (Hebrews 2:17; 10:19–22). Zechariah 14 closes with the final victory and defeat of every enemy as the Lord Jesus Christ reigns as King over all the earth.

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Allen Ross - Zechariah 13:7  “Strike the Shepherd”

In an extended oracle that runs from chapter 12:10 through chapter 13:9, the prophet foretells Israel’s complete deliverance from sin.  In this section we have such famous verses as “I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication.  They will look on me whom they have pierced,” and “on that day a fountain will be opened to the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and impurity.”  There is some debate as to the exact time of the fulfillment of these two prophecies, but they seem to be linked to the fulfillment of the New Covenant promises to Israel, and therefore will have their complete fulfillment at the second coming, and in those of the house of Israel who are alive at the time: they will look to the Messiah in faith and be saved (see Romans 11:26).
But as part of this oracle we have these words:

Awake, O sword, against my shepherd,
against the man who is close to me!”
declares the LORD of hosts.
Strike the shepherd,
and the sheep will be scattered,
and I will turn my hand against the little ones.

In the poem (13:7-9) the prophet looks back to the time when Israel would be scattered because of her rejection of the true Messianic Shepherd.  The prophets of Israel often provide very vivid details of the suffering and death of Messiah, as well as the glorious reign of Messiah, but do not detail the sequence of events or the exact chronology. 

The little poem is starling.  It begins with an apostrophe, a turning to address the sword, an instrument of death.  The word “sword” as an instrument of death also appears in Psalm 22:20.  So here death is announced against one whom the LORD calls “my shepherd.”  This is the royal Good Shepherd, the true Shepherd of Zechariah 11:4-14, in contrast with the foolish and worthless shepherd of Zechariah 11:15-17.

God also describes this shepherd as “one who is close to me.”  The term is literally “who stands next to me.”  It is used in Leviticus 6:2 and 18:20 to describe a near neighbor.  Accordingly, this Shepherd dwells side by side with the LORD, His equal.  The expression leads to more precise revelations in the Bible, such as “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30), and “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9).  John 10 is the passage, by the way, in which Jesus declares that he is the Good Shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep.

In verse 7 this Good Shepherd will be struck (in 11:17 it was the worthless shepherd who was destroyed), and the striking will leave him pierced (12:10).  Here, the one who “wields the sword” is God himself; “awake” is the feminine imperative referring to the sword, and “strike” is the masculine imperative agreeing with God.  So in Zechariah, Messiah is put to death by the people according to 12:10-14, and by God according to 13:7 (see Isaiah 53:10 and Acts 2:23).

When the Shepherd is struck, the sheep are scattered.  The full meaning of this would be the scattering of Israel because of their rejection of Messiah, that scattering being part of the curse pronounced for disobedience to the covenant (see Deut. 28:64; 29:24-25).  God gives up the nation to the misery and confusion of a flock without a shepherd.  So the flock that is scattered in consequence of the death of the Messiah is the covenant nation, ethnic Israel. 

The passage is quoted in the New Testament by Jesus (Matt. 26:31; Mark 14:27) and applied to the scattering of the disciples (Matt. 26:56; Mark 14:50); they are probably intended to be a picture, or a type, of the Diaspora that began in 70 A.D. with the destruction of the Temple. 
The reference to “the little ones” is probably a reference to the remnant (13:8,9; see Isa. 6:13; 66:22-24).  With this the poem concludes with the reiteration that the final stage in the program of the New Covenant is yet to be played out, the refining of Israel so that they will become the people of God. The remnant will survive and enter the Messianic kingdom when the king again appears.

At this holy season when we commemorate the Last Supper on Thursday evening, the agony in the garden in that night, the death of the Savior on Good Friday, we must remember that this is a work of God, first and foremost, to bring about the cleansing from sin, both for the Israel and the Gentiles.  But God’s dealings with Israel involve a scattering of the sheep first, during a time in which we, the Gentiles, are grafted in to the covenant (Romans 11:11-24).   We should not boast, but rather should praise God that a fountain has also been opened to us, so that we could receive the grace of God. 

Matthew 26:32 “But after I have been raised, I have been raised of you to Galilee.”

• after I have been raised: Mt 16:21 20:19 27:63,64 Mk 9:9,10 Lu 18:33,34 
• I have been raisedl: Mt 28:6,7,10,16 Mk 14:28 16:7 Joh 21:1-14 1Co 15:6 

AN ENCOURAGING
PROPHETIC PROMISE

But - Term of contrast. What is Jesus contrasting in context? He has just predicted they would all fall away. 

After - This expression of time means at a later or a time subsequent, but does not specify how much later in this context. In any event after is one of the most important expressions of time the disciples would ever hear! (explained below) 

Hiebert - Jesus seldom spoke of His coming death without also speaking of His resurrection (Mark 8:31; 9:31; 10:34). But these references to His resurrection, never enlarged upon, seemingly made little impression on the minds of the disciples. Jesus had repeatedly told them that He would be raised up on the third day, but now His after looks beyond that crucial event to what it will mean for Him and them. (An Expositional Commentary)

I have been raised (egeiro) - He does not state He will be crucified and die, but have been raised clearly calls for the Cross. Note also that He speaks His resurrection in the past tense (cf prophetic aorist or proleptic aorist), because He is certain it will occur. He has previously predicted His resurrection in Mt 16:21+ "From that time Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day." 

David Turner comments that "The resurrection of Jesus has already been stressed (Matt. 12:40; 16:21; 17:23; 20:19; 27:63–64; 28:6), and it will be the turning point that brings the straying disciples back into the fold." (See Matthew Baker Exegetical Commentary)

I will go ahead (proago) of you to Galilee (see map above) - Then Jesus gives them a prophetic promise. Implicit in this promise is the truth that they will not die in the tumultuous times soon to come (or He could not have indicated that they could go to Galilee). Galilee was the home turf for all eleven, so He is going to meet them where He had first called them to follow Him and will give them their "marching orders." (Mt 28:18-20+) Notice the picture of Jesus going ahead continues the shepherd metaphor, fore a shepherd went before his flock (cf Jn 10:4).

Matthew records the divine rendezvous....

But the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had designated. (THIS MOUNTAIN IS NOT RECORDED IN SCRIPTURE) 17 When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some were doubtful. 18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 “Go therefore and make disciples (matheteuo in the aorist imperative) of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matt. 28:16-20+)

Spurgeon - Even those leaders of the flock that had been first chosen by Christ, and had been most with him, would stumble and fall away from him on that dread night, but the Shepherd would not lose them, there would be a reunion between him and his sheep: " After I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee." Once again he would resume, for a little while, the character of their Shepherd-King, and with them he would revisit some of their old haunts in Galilee, before he ascended to his heavenly home. " I will go before you," suggests the idea of the food Shepherd leading his flock after the Eastern manner. Happy are his sheep in having such a Leader, and blessed are they in following him wherever he goes.

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Raised (1453) egeiro means to rise (stand up) from a sitting or lying position (Mt 8:26, 9:5), to awaken from sleep (Mt 8:25), figuratively to "awaken" from death (rise up). Egeiro was used literally also to raise up or lift up a person either sitting or lying down. Figuratively egeiro was used to "raise up" a person from illness, thus restoring them to health. Figuratively as used in Romans 4:24, egeiro describes the bringing back of Jesus from the dead and thus raising Him or causing Him to rise. The idea of wake up from death is conveyed by egeiro because sleep was used as metaphor of death for believers (there is however no "soul sleep"). To raise up to a position as was David in Acts 13:22 (referring to his "promotion" to king).

EGEIRO IN MATTHEW Matt. 1:24; Matt. 2:13; Matt. 2:14; Matt. 2:20; Matt. 2:21; Matt. 3:9; Matt. 8:15; Matt. 8:25; Matt. 8:26; Matt. 9:5; Matt. 9:6; Matt. 9:7; Matt. 9:19; Matt. 9:25; Matt. 10:8; Matt. 11:5; Matt. 11:11; Matt. 12:11; Matt. 12:42; Matt. 14:2; Matt. 16:21; Matt. 17:9; Matt. 17:23; Matt. 20:19; Matt. 24:7; Matt. 24:11; Matt. 24:24; Matt. 25:7; Matt. 26:32; Matt. 26:46; Matt. 27:52; Matt. 27:63; Matt. 27:64; Matt. 28:6; Matt. 28:7

Go ahead (4254) proago from pro = before + ago = go) means to go before. Transitively (BDAG = to take or lead from one position to another by taking charge) = to lead forward, lead or bring out (Ac 12:6; 16:30; 17:5; 25:26)  Intransitively (BDAG =  to move ahead or in front of) = to go before, lead the way, precede either (a) in space Mt 2:9; Mk 11:9; walk ahead of Mk 10:32 or (b) in time go or come before (Mt 14:22; Mk 6:45; 14:28; 1 Ti 1:18; 5:24; Heb 7:18; get in before Mt 21:31)

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Henry Blackaby - Your Lord Precedes You - See Experiencing God Day by Day: 365 Daily Devotional - Page 94

       “But after I have been resurrected, I will go ahead of you to Galilee.”

God never sends you into a situation alone. He always goes before His children, as He did with the children of Israel when He led them with a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. You do not serve as His advance troops in a foreign and hostile situation. He always precedes you in any situation you encounter. God is never caught by surprise by your experience; He has already been there. He is prepared to meet every need because He has gone before you and knows exactly what you will need for your pilgrimage (Deut. 31:8).

Not only does God go before you, but He also stands beside you and behind you, to provide protection and comfort (Ps. 139:7–12). Jesus knew His disciples would be totally bewildered by His crucifixion, so He assured them in advance that no matter what happened, no matter where they went, they could go in confidence that He had already gone before them. Paul, too, experienced this assurance (Acts 18:9; 23:11). In the most bewildering circumstances, his Lord was there!

If you are going through a difficult or confusing time, know that your Lord has gone before you and He is present with you. He is fully aware of what you are facing, and He is actively responding to your need. There is nowhere you can go that you will not find Christ waiting for you to join Him. Even when you face death, you can be assured that He has gone before you in triumph. As a child of God, rest in the knowledge that your Savior preceded you, and He will walk with you through each experience of your life.

Matthew 26:33 But Peter said to Him, “Even though all may fall away because of You, I will never fall away.”

• Even though: Mk 14:29. Lu 22:33, John 13:36-38 21:15 
• I will never fall away: Ps 17:5 119:116,117 Pr 16:18,19 20:6 28:25,26 Jer 17:9 Ro 12:10 Php 2:3 1Pe 5:5,6 

Related Passages: 

Mark 14:29+  But Peter said to Him, “Even though all may fall away, yet I will not.”

Luke 22:33+  And he said to Him, “Lord, with You I am ready to go both to prison and to death!”

John 13:36-38+ Simon Peter *said to Him, “Lord, where are You going?” Jesus answered, “Where I go, you cannot follow Me now; but you shall follow later.” 37 Peter *said to Him, “Lord, why can I not follow You right now? I will lay down my life for You.” 38 Jesus *answered, “Will you lay down your life for Me? Truly, truly, I say to you, a cock shall not crow, until you deny Me three times.

"CARNAL SELF-CONFIDENCE"
NOT ME LORD!

But - Term of contrast. What is the contrast in context? What does Peter skip over in his declaration? Clearly Peter simply pays no heed to Jesus' quotation from Zechariah 13:7 and his pride comes to the forefront.

Peter said to Him, “Even though all may fall away (skandalizo)because of You, I will never fall away (skandalizo) - As one writer says Peter was "drunk with pride." What's the first problem? Peter disregards Jesus' prophetic statement that He would be resurrected. Secondly, he fails to take Jesus' literally. Why do I say that? Because Jesus had not not said "ALL with one exception," but "ALL." In effect Peter does not accept, believe or receive Jesus' word that "ALL" means all. Jesus has never lied to him before, but he refuses to believe that "ALL" would ever include him! Peter was not a good student of the Proverbs, specifically Pr 16:18 which warns "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit (ANOTHER HEBREW WORD DESCRIBING PRIDE) before stumbling (HEBREW "KISSALON" = LITERALLY TO TRIP ON SOMETHING, IN THIS CASE SPEAKING OF SPIRITUAL COLLAPSE)." Pride will lead to a fall, but pride blinds one to truth. Peter missed the truth of the meaning of "ALL" and the truth of the ancient proverb. Peter's "prophetic" "I will never fall away" would soon prove to be a false "prophecy!" Imagine the thoughts that must have gone through the minds of the other 10 disciples, like "Here he goes again. Open mouth, insert foot!" or something similar! 

Spurgeon - This was a very presumptuous speech, not only because of the self-confidence it betrayed, but also because it was a flat contradiction of the Master’s declaration. Jesus said, " All you shall be offended because of me this night, " but Peter thought he knew better than Christ, so he answered, "Though all men shall be offended because of you, yet will I never be offended." No doubt these words were spoken from his heart; but " the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked." Peter must have been amazed, the next morning, as he discovered the deceitfulness and wickedness of his own heart, as manifested in his triple denial of his Lord. He who thinks himself so much stronger than his brethren, is the very man who will prove to be weaker than many of them, as did Peter, not many hours after his boast was uttered......No doubt Peter said this from his heart, but "the heart is deceitful above all things." Peter may have thought that he was stronger than his brethren, yet he was the very one who proved to be the weakest of the whole apostolic band. "Though all men shall be offended because of you, yet will I never be offended."

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Brian Bell - Peter did not know how weak he was. (Pete leaning in, whispering to Jesus)“I wouldn’t be surprised at the rest of these guys, but I’d never do that.”

1. Had he forgotten the traps that life can lay for even the best of men?
2. Had he forgotten that the best can slip?
3. Had he forgotten his own human weakness?
4. Had he forgotten the traps that life can throw at us?
5. Had he forgotten the strength of the devil’s temptations?
6. Peter seemed to have a problem with applying Jesus’ commands to himself.
   Do you ever have a problem w/personal application? Ever run away from a situation because of your Christianity? Ever deny Jesus by not standing up for right & wrong...before friends, in conversations? *But don’t miss the integrity of Peter, having Mark write down his embarrassing words :)

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Hymns Related to Mt 26:33

• Hosanna to the Son of God
• Lord, Is It I? (Green)
• To Keep the Lamp Alive

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C H Spurgeon - Matt. 26:33. Faith's Checkbook

“WHY,” cries one, “this is no promise of God.” Just so, but it was a promise of man, and therefore it came to nothing. Peter thought that he was saying what he should assuredly carry out; but a promise which has no better foundation than a human resolve will fall to the ground. No sooner did temptations arise than Peter denied his Master, and used oaths to confirm his denial.

What is man’s word? An earthen pot broken with a stroke. What is your own resolve? A blossom, which, with God’s care, may come to fruit, but which, left to itself, will fall to the ground with the first wind that moves the bough.

On man’s word hang only what it will bear.

On thine own resolve depend not at all.

On the promise of thy God hang time and eternity, this world and the next, thine all and the all of all thy beloved ones.

This volume is a cheque book for believers, and this page is meant as a warning as to what bank they draw upon, and whose signature they accept. Rely upon Jesus without limit. Trust not thyself, nor any born of woman, beyond due bounds; but trust thou only and wholly in the Lord.

Matthew 26:34 Jesus said to him, “Truly I say to you that this very night, before a rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.”

• you will deny Me: Mk 14:30,31 Lu 22:34 John 13:38 

Related Passages: 

Mark 14:30-31+ And Jesus *said to him, “Truly I say to you, that this very night, before a rooster crows twice, you yourself will deny Me three times.” 31 But Peter kept saying insistently, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!” And they all were saying the same thing also.

Luke 22:34+  And He said, “I say to you, Peter, the rooster will not crow today until you have denied three times that you know Me.” 

John 13:38+  Jesus *answered, “Will you lay down your life for Me? Truly, truly, I say to you, a rooster will not crow until you deny Me three times.

JESUS PITHY
PETRINE PROPHECY

This prophecy is deemed so important by the Spirit, that it is found in all 4 Gospel accounts. There is some variation in these accounts which has led to a number of attempts to reconcile them. Norman Geisler has a simple summary of the differences including a table. See also Gleason Archer's discussion of how Peter’s denial can be reconciled.

Jesus (Iesous) said to him, “Truly (amen) I say to you - Jesus beginning His prophecy with these words surely would have struck deeply into Peter's heart. He knew that when His Lord said "Truly" (amen) this meant Jesus was speaking with authority and assurance that what followed would come to pass (See list of 76 uses of this exact phrase in the Gospels). And yet as we will see in Peter's reply, he sill fails to believe His Lord's clear word! 

That this very night - Note the time phrase which recalls Jesus earlier warning prophecy in Mt 26:31 "You will all fall away because of Me this night."

Before a rooster crows - This is the second timing phrase. First this night and second "before a rooster crows." See discussion of how many times the rooster was to crow.

Utley - “a rooster crows” See Mark 13:35+. This occurred between 12:00 a.m. and 3:00 a.m. It must have been a Roman rooster because the Jews did not allow them in the holy city.

Carson - Apparently it was usual for roosters in Palestine to crow about 12:30, 1:30, and 2:30 A.M. (Hans Kosmala, “The Time of the Cock-Crow,” Annual of Swedish Theological Institute 2 [1963]: 118–20; 6 [1967–68]: 132–34); so the Romans gave the term “cock-crow” to the watch from 12:00 to 3:00 A.M. Despite Peters claims of undeviating loyalty (Mt 26:33), Jesus says that Peter is within hours of disowning (same verb as in 16:24) him three times. (See Matthew)

William Barclay adds that "The Romans and the Jews divided the night into four watches – 6 pm to 9 pm; 9 pm to midnight; midnight to 3 am; 3 am to 6 am. It was between the third and the fourth watch that the cock was supposed to crow. What Jesus is saying is that before the dawn comes, Peter will deny him three times."

J. Ligon Duncan: The early church fathers said that Peter, for the rest of his life, could not hear a cock crow without his tears welling in his eyes.

You will deny (aparneomai) Me three times - And now Jesus gives the prophetic promise that Peter would deny knowing Jesus, not once, but three times! It probably would have been better had Peter not boasted that he would never fall away, because not only will he fall away but he is the only disciple who will deny Jesus. It is notable that Jesus did not use the verb arneomai for deny, but the stronger form of this verb aparneomai which Peter knew spoke of utterly, completely denying association with another! Peter must have thought "Surely not I!" 

Spurgeon - The story of Peter’s denial of his Master is recorded in all four of the Gospels. There are some differences of expression in each version, so it will not be tautology if we read all four of them; and if we read them attentively, we shall get a clear view of the whole incident......Jesus now tells his boastful disciple that, before the next morning’s cock-crowing, he will thrice deny his Lord. Not only would he stumble and fall with his fellow-disciples, but he would go beyond them all in his repeated denials of that dear Master whom he professed to love with intense affection than even John possessed. Peter declared that he would remain true to Christ if he were the only; faithful friend left, Jesus foretold that, of all the twelve, only Judas would exceed the boaster in wickedness......According to Mark’s record, the rooster was to crow once before Peter had denied his Lord thrice, and this it did; and when he had give his third denial, it crowed a second time, and then his slumbering conscience was awakened, and "he went out, and wept bitterly." Some persons, who are well acquainted with the religious ceremonies of the Jews, say that the period called the cock-crowing was the time for the sacrifice of the morning lamb, and that it was about that time that Peter denied his lord.

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Deny (533) aparneomai from apó = from + arneomai = to deny, refuse) means to deny, to refuse to recognize or acknowledge. It is a strengthened form of arneomai and thus mean to deny utterly (to completely deny) as used in the context of Peter denying any connection with Jesus (Mt 26:34, 35, 75, Mk 14:30, 31, 72, Lk 22:34, 22:62). Jesus says His followers must deny self (Mt 16:24, Mk 8:34). Aparneomai in this context conveys the basic idea of saying “no," of acting in a wholly selfless manner. It is to disown oneself, to turn away from the idolatry of self-centeredness, to act in a wholly unselfish manner. Aparneomai is used once of Jesus denying men who deny Him  = "He who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God." (Lk 12:9+) Some evangelical commentators (Constable) make the interpretation that Jesus is referring to loss of rewards, but the passage says absolutely nothing about rewards. This is not loss of rewards but loss of one's life in eternal punishment. The ESV Study Bible (borrow) says "The eternal consequences for those who deny Christ, in fact, will be far worse than the persecution that they sought to avoid." Gilbrant writes Jesus "said that whoever denies Him before men (that is, whoever does not acknowledge that he belongs to Jesus) the Lord himself shall reject before the angels of God. The “good news” is that whoever acknowledges Him before men, him the Son of Man will also acknowledge before the angels of God."

APARNEOMAI - 11V - denied(2), deny(9). Matt. 16:24; Matt. 26:34; Matt. 26:35; Matt. 26:75; Mk. 8:34; Mk. 14:30; Mk. 14:31; Mk. 14:72; Lk. 12:9; Lk. 22:34; Lk. 22:61

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When Critics Ask, page 306 - Norman Geisler - MATTHEW 26:34 (cf. Mark 14:30+)—When Peter denied Christ, did the rooster crow once or twice?

PROBLEM: Matthew and John 13:38+ say before the rooster crows once, Peter will have denied the Lord three times. But Mark affirms that before the rooster crows twice Peter will deny Christ three times. Which account is right?

Matthew and John do not expressly state
how many times the rooster will crow.

SOLUTION: There is no contradiction between the two accounts because, given the correctness of the text, Matthew and John do not expressly state how many times the rooster will crow. They simply say Peter will deny Christ three times “before the rooster crows,” but they do not say how many times it will crow. Mark may simply be more specific, affirming exactly how many times the rooster would crow.It is also possible that different accounts are due to an early copyist error in Mark, that resulted in the insertion of “two” in early manuscripts (at Mark 14:30 and Mark 14:72). This would explain why some important manuscripts of Mark mention only one crowing, just like Matthew and John, and why “two” appears at different places in some manuscripts.

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Norman Geisler -  Parallel accounts in the Gospels - PETER'S DENIALS - When Skeptics Ask - page 120 

Many critics have blasted the Gospels because of variations in their records of the same events. Some even insist that it is impossible to harmonize all of the accounts into a cohesive whole. The existence of such harmonies as A.T. Robertson’s should suffice to quiet these complaints, but some still persist. A common objection is found in Peter’s denials. All accounts agree that Christ told Peter he would deny Him three times, but there appear to be more than three denials recorded. Also, Mark 14:30 says that the cock will crow twice and proceeds to mention two crows (Mk 14:68, 72), but there is only one crow spoken of in the other Gospels. There are, however, possible solutions which account for all the evidence without contradiction.

First, as to the number of cock crows, there is no real problem if we understand that Mark simply included a detail that the others omitted. Since Peter himself was probably the source of Mark’s information (they are related in 1 Peter 5:13), there is no reason to doubt his word. It is reasonable to think that Peter might have noticed a cock crowing after the first denial and that he would include such details that the other disciples ignored because it had more personal relevance to him.

The number of denials can be harmonized as follows:

HARMONIZING PETER'S DENIALS
FIRST DENIAL	SECOND  DENIAL	THIRD DENIAL
Mt. 26:69–70; Mk 14:66–68; Lk 22:55–57; Jn 18:17–18	Mt. 26:71–72; Mk 14:69–70a; Lk 22:58; Jn 18:25	Mt. 26:73–74; Mk 14:70b–72; Lk 22:59–60; Jn 18:26–27
Peter is warming himself by a fire in the court and a servant of the high priest brings the accusation, knowing that he entered with John. John’s description of the scene follows his account of the denial. A cock crows, noted by Mark.	Peter has moved to a different fire on the porch when a second servant brings the same accusation.	A relative of Malchus first recognizes Peter, then others note that his accent is Galilean. A second cock crows, noted by all.

Second, it is possible that there is a copyist’s mistake in Mark 14:68, 72. The statement “and a cock crowed” may have been inadvertently written into verse 68 when it was originally only in verse 72. The word “second” would have been inserted later by someone seeking to clarify it. One of the very best Greek manuscripts supports this and a few other copies agree.

As long as it is possible to reconcile alleged contradictions in one of these ways, there is no real contradiction. Since there are possible solutions, the Bible should be given the benefit of the doubt.

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Related Resource:

• See below for Gleason Archer's related discussion How can the various accounts of Peter’s denial of Christ be reconciled?

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QUESTION - What is the significance of the rooster crowing in regards to Peter denying Jesus three times?

ANSWER - Matthew 26:34, Luke 22:34, and John 13:38 all record Jesus telling Peter, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” Mark words it differently, which has led to some confusion. Mark 14:30 says, “And Jesus said to him, ‘Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times’” (emphasis added). Then, when the first servant girl questioned Peter about his relationship to Jesus, “he denied it, saying, ‘I neither know nor understand what you mean.’ And he went out into the gateway and the rooster crowed” (Mark 14:68). Later, after Peter’s third denial, “immediately the rooster crowed a second time. And Peter remembered how Jesus had said to him, ‘Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.’ And he broke down and wept” (verse 72). Did the rooster crow once or twice, and what is the significance of that crowing?

Since we know that all Scripture is God-breathed and therefore accurate (2 Timothy 3:16), we can rest assured that there are always explanations for seeming inconsistencies. In biblical days, roosters were common within the towns and cities. The first crowing often occurred around midnight. The second crowing could be expected before daybreak. Jesus’ prediction about Peter’s denials meant that Peter would have opportunities all night long to repeat the validating claim he made when he told Jesus, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16). However, despite three opportunities, the overconfident Peter denied His Lord every time. When daylight came, Jesus’ mock trial was over, and Peter lost his opportunities to defend Jesus as he had claimed he would do (Mark 14:29).

Jesus did not say that Peter would deny Him before any rooster’s crow. So the report of a first crowing does not negate the validity of Jesus’ words. In those days, when someone made the comment “before the rooster crows,” it would have been commonly understood to mean the crowing at daybreak. But morning was not the only time roosters crowed. As anyone who has lived on a farm can attest, roosters crow whenever they feel like it. A rooster can crow when he senses danger, when another rooster threatens his flock, or simply because he got his days and nights mixed up. So it is perfectly understandable that Jesus would have been precise in prophesying to Peter that a rooster would actually crow twice during the time Peter was denying Him.

The first crowing would not have been noticed by Peter at that moment, since people were used to hearing roosters at random times. It is similar to how people living near train tracks get used to hearing the noise of trains and stop noticing the sound. But when the morning rooster crowed, Peter was struck with the accuracy of Jesus’ words, and he went out and wept bitterly.

It is also noteworthy that Mark was a close associate of Peter’s (1 Peter 5:13) and would have obtained many details for his Gospel from Peter himself. After the fact, Peter would have considered the first crowing more significant than he did at the time. Jesus’ prophetic words must have played over and over in his head as he then recalled the first crowing and then the second. It seems likely that, in his retelling of that night to Mark, Peter would have made mention of both crowings. Mark does not in any way contradict the other accounts, which only mention the second crowing. The second crowing was the most important one, since it marked the end of Peter’s testing.

Because of the prominence of the story of Peter and the rooster, recorded in all four Gospels, the rooster, or cock, has at times been used as a Christian symbol. Some churches even place a rooster atop their steeples. Used as a symbol, the rooster represents the weakness of man and the grace of Christ in forgiving sinners. Peter three times denied his Lord and Savior, but he was forgiven, restored, and sent out to live for the glory of God (John 21:15–19). The rooster reminds us that Christ extends hope to sinners everywhere.

The rooster, used as a Christian symbol, can also represent watchfulness. Before His arrest, Jesus prayed in the garden and asked His disciples to do the same. But He found them sleeping, and He said to Peter, “Are you asleep? Couldn’t you keep watch for one hour? Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation” (Mark 14:37–38). Later that night, Peter did indeed fall into temptation, and the rooster’s crow served as his spiritual wake-up call. The rooster can still be a reminder today that we must watch and pray and live as children of light: “You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness” (1 Thessalonians 5:5).

The rooster could also be seen as proclaiming the start of a new day. In Christ, all things become new (2 Corinthians 5:17). A new day of forgiveness and grace has dawned, and believers, saved by grace, proclaim the good news to a world in need of light.

Jesus is never impressed with our fleshly bravado such as Peter expressed in Matthew 26:35. Jesus knows our hearts better than we do (Matthew 9:4; Luke 9:47). But, even though He knows the ways we will fail Him, our Lord does not stop loving us or using us to further His message. Those rooster crowings must have haunted Peter for many years and may have helped him stay humble, watchful, and committed to his calling. Our past failures can be battle scars in our lives as well, propelling us toward greater devotion and stricter loyalty to Jesus when we recall how much we have been forgiven (see Luke 7:47).

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Related Resources:

• What does the rooster represent in Christianity? 
• Why did Jesus ask Peter “Do you love me?” three times?

Matthew 26:35 Peter *said to Him, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You.” All the disciples said the same thing too.

• Even if I have to die with You: Mt 20:22,23 Pr 28:14 29:23 Ro 11:20 1Co 10:12 Php 2:12 1Pe 1:17 
• All the disciples said the same thing too: Mt 20:24 Ex 19:8 

Related Passages: 

Mark 14:29+  But Peter said to Him, "Even though all may fall away, yet I will not."

Luke 22:33-34+   But he said to Him, “Lord, with You I am ready to go both to prison (ONLY LUKE MENTIONS PRISON) and to death!” 34 And He said, “I say to you, Peter, the rooster will not crow today until you have denied three times that you know Me.”  

Luke 22:35-38+ (THE MATERIAL IN THE FOLLOWING PASSAGES IS UNIQUE TO LUKE AND PRECEDES JESUS' TIME IN THE GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE) And He said to them, “When I sent you out without money belt and bag and sandals, you did not lack anything, did you?” They said, “No, nothing.” 36 And He said to them, “But now, whoever has a money belt is to take it along, likewise also a bag, and whoever has no sword is to sell his coat and buy one. 37 “For I tell you that this which is written must be fulfilled in Me, ‘AND HE WAS NUMBERED WITH TRANSGRESSORS’; for that which refers to Me has its fulfillment.” 38 They said, “Lord, look, here are two swords.” And He said to them, “It is enough.”

Matthew 16:22-23+  And Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord! This shall never happen to You.” 23 But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.”

PETER'S PERSISTENT
BRAVADO

Peter *said to Him, “Even if I have to die  (apothnesko) with You, I will not deny (aparneomai) You.” - Peter's "prophecy" would prove to be a false prophecy! Again Peter refuses to believe Jesus' prophetic words! He knows Jesus has never lied to them, so it is difficult to comprehend why he is being so recalcitrant. Perhaps it reflects his level of hubris, which would soon be cut down to humility! Peter doubles down with a strong denial (uses double negative - ou me) that he would ever deny. He is so sure that he adds that he is willing to be a martyr with Jesus. 

J C Ryle - This profession was the language of a self-confident, inexperienced disciple who had not yet found out the weakness of his own faith, and the deceitfulness of his own heart. Men little know what they will do, till the time of temptation actually comes. “Is thy servant a dog,” said Hazael, “that he should do this great thing?” (2 Kings 8:13.)

David Turner quips that "The mention of a strutting, crowing rooster creates an image that fits Peter’s rebuttal of Jesus (W. Davies and Allison 1997: 487). Peter’s impetuous personality is highlighted here (as in Mt 14:28–31; Mt 16:21–23)" (See Matthew - Page 629) 

THOUGHT - I have heard saints say "I am never tempted to _____ sin." While I am glad they can say that, they need to be aware that the only reason they have been able to resist that sin is because of God's provision of His Spirit and His grace and not their self-energized self-control! It is a dangerous thing in Christianity to say "I would never commit that sin." Beloved, as Peter would soon prove, when God removes His hedge of protection and gives our depraved sin nature full sway, we are capable of virtually any sin, whether "respectable" or "heinous!" Including even denying our Lord Jesus Christ! Simon should have prayed Ps 139:23, 24+, a good prayer for all disciples to pray from time to time because sin is so deceitful we may not even be aware of it! 

Hiebert - Although there was genuine love for Christ behind his protest, it revealed his sad ignorance of his own weakness. With his boast, Peter arrogantly elevated himself above the other disciples.“This is one of the most unfavorable specimens on record of the dark or weak side of this great apostle’s character, because it exhibits, not mere self-sufficiency and overweening self-reliance, but an arrogant estimate of his own strength in comparison with others, particularly with his brethren and associates in the apostolic office.” Jesus seems to make reference to this claim in John 21:15, “Lovest thou me more than these?” ( An Expositional Commentary)

All the disciples (mathetes) said the same thing too - Peter was clearly the leader of the pack and apparently his strong denial of a potential future denial was enough to cause the other 10 to chime in that they would never ever fall away and that too were willing to die with Jesus. And so all 10 give their hearty "Amen" to Peter's firm denial of defection. While Jesus did not predict the other 10 would deny Him three times, He had predicted they would be scattered. It is interesting that all 11 by saying they would remain loyal in effect implied Jesus had finally just given an inaccurate prophecy, but in only a few hours Jesus' prophecy would be fulfilled.

THOUGHT - Although we would all like to think we are different, the truth is we are all a lot like Peter and the rest of the disciples. We would have denied and departed rather than risk death! Each of us has probably made many promises to God and then we fail to keep them.  I will never commit that particular sin again Lord, I promise! Look at God’s covenant people in OT times pledging to keep all of God’s laws – how did that turn out? We all do well the remember that although our spirit is willing our flesh is weak! 

Warren Wiersbe - Peter's self-confident boasting is a warning to us that none of us really knows his own heart (Jer. 17:9) and that we can fail in the point of our greatest strength. Abraham's greatest strength was his faith, and yet his faith failed him when he went down to Egypt and lied about Sarah (Ge 12:10-13:4). Moses' strength was in his meekness (Nu 12:3), yet he lost his temper, spoke rashly with his lips, and was not allowed to enter Canaan (Nu 20). Peter was a brave man, but his courage failed him and he denied his Lord three times. "Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall" (1 Cor 10:12, NKJV). (Bible Exposition Commentary)

Guzik - Relying on how you feel at the moment is not a stable foundation. Peter felt brave at the moment, but would soon be intimidated before a humble servant girl, and deny to her that he even knew Jesus.ii. “It is sometimes easier to bear a great load for Christ than a small one. Some of us could be martyrs at the stake more easily that confessors among sneering neighbors.” (Maclaren)

Spurgeon - Here again Peter contradicts his Master straight to his face. It was a pity that he should have boasted once after his Lord’s plain prophecy that all the disciples would that night be offended; but it was shameful that Peter should repeat his self-confident declaration in the teeth of Christ’s express prediction concerning him. He was not alone in his utterance, for likewise also said all the disciples. They all felt that under no circumstances could they deny their Lord. We have no record of the denial of Christ by the other ten apostles, although they all forsook him and fled, and thus practically disowned him. Remembering all that they had seen and heard of him, and especially bearing in mind his most recent discourse, the communion in the upper room, and his wondrous intercessory prayer on their behalf, we are not surprised that they felt themselves bound to him forever. But, alas, notwithstanding their protests, the King’s prophesy was completely fulfilled, for that night they were all "offended."......They all felt quite sure that, under no circumstances, could they be so base as to forsake their Lord; and if you think of the washing of their feet by their Lord and Master, the wonderful words of Christ to which they had listened, and that solemn communion service in the large upper room, you may not be surprised that they felt themselves bound to Christ forever, —felt that they could never leave him, nor forsake him; yet they all did so.

Briah Bell - Instead of humbly praying, Lord, help me! Peter kept on asserting the more vehemently. Peter was not the only 1 with pride & boasting self-confidence…they all said likewise. They were all pathetically unaware of their inner weakness. Do you empathize or fail to empathize w/Peter’s declarations? Let’s remember, I’m not ok & you’re not ok, but Jesus can fix us both. Peter loved Jesus, & even if his loved failed, it rose again.

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Rod Mattoon - The Dictionary of Nautical Literacy records a true story that illustrates the destructiveness of overconfidence and pride. During a 1923 training exercise, a naval destroyer called the USS Delphy led a flotilla of seven vessels down the California coast. The USS Delphy was captained by Lieutenant Commander Donald T. Hunter, an experienced navigator and instructor at the Naval Academy.

Without warning, about halfway on their training mission, a thick blanket of fog descended on the ships like a thick white veil. Hunter said it looked like pea soup and it prevented him from getting an accurate evaluation of his location. Contrary to Hunter's calculations, the lead ship was headed right into Devil's Jaw, which was a series of rocky outcroppings that were a scant two miles off the California coast near Santa Barbara. The dangerous area didn't stop Hunter from plowing ahead. This was not surprising, for Hunter was known for his self-confident decisiveness and what others called his "magic infallibility" to guide his ship.

Traveling at 20 knots (23 mph), suddenly the USS Delphy smashed broadside into the rocky Point Arguello shoreline. The force of the massive collision of welded steel and jagged rock split the hull of the USS Delphy in half. One by one, the other destroyers followed the Delphy's lead and smashed into the rocks. Twenty-three naval men died.

The accident resulted in the loss of all seven ships. It still stands as one of the worst peacetime naval disasters in history. Why? Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before the fall. Our pride leads to a forecast for failure.

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Rod Mattoon - Overconfidence says.....

* I don't need to pray about it. (If Joshua had prayed, he would have realized there was a problem in the camp.)

* I don't need to read the Bible each day or study God's Word.

* I don't need God's help.

* I don't need godly counsel.

* I'll do it my way. I don't need anyone's help or advice.

* I don't need my husband, my wife, or my parents.

* I don't need to give 100% or do my best. I'll just get by!

Matthew 26:36 Then Jesus *came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and *said to His disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.”

• a place called Gethsemane: Mk 14:32-35 Lu 22:39-46 Joh 18:1-11 
• while I go over there: Mt 26:39,42 Ps 22:1,2 69:1-3,13-15 Heb 5:7 

Related Passages: 

Mark 14:32-35+  They *came to a place named Gethsemane; and He *said to His disciples, “Sit here until I have prayed.”

Luke 21:37+ Now during the day He was teaching in the temple, but at evening He would go out and spend the night on the mount that is called Olivet.

Luke 22:39+ And He came out and proceeded as was His custom to the Mount of Olives; and the disciples also followed Him.

Garden of Gethsemane

PRAYER IN THE GARDEN
OF GETHSEMANE

I think Daniel Akin is "spot on" when he says "These verses constitute sacred, holy ground. We will never know the depths of agony and pain our Savior endured that night alone for love of sinners like us." And that thought makes grace even that much more amazing! 

Then (tote) marks an advance in the narrative. Jesus has spoken His prophetic words to Peter and will add no more even after all 11 deny that they would fall away. 

Jesus (Iesous) *came (erchomai) with them to a place called Gethsemane, and *said to His disciples (mathetes) - Gethsemane (only other mention is Mk 14:32) is a combination of two Hebrew words—gath, which refers to a press, and shemen, which is the word for olive oil. When Jesus went with His disciples to Gethsemane, He was literally going to the olive oil press, an appropriate name for His agonizing prayers as Jesus was about to experience the ultimate pressing through indescribable suffering as He was tried, beaten, and crucified. Even as the oil press would bring forth the most valuable oil, the pressing of Jesus would bring forth the precious oil of forgiveness He obtained for us on the Cross. From Jn 18:1 it is evident that it was across the Kidron, and from Lk 22:39, that it was on the Mount of Olives. What began in a garden (Eden) bringing disaster on mankind would now begin to be brought to deliverance in the garden called Gethsemane. 

THOUGHT - As noted above Gethsemane means “oil press,” and indeed His blood was pressed out (Lk 22:44) as He strove against the temptation to avoid the cross. He resisted that temptation and put all His trust in the Father. Are you resisting temptation in prayer to the point that it causes your sweat to become like drops of blood? Hebrew 12:4 says "You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin." Likely we will never sweat drops of blood like He did, but Jesus does command us  to resist declaring "Keep watching (present imperative see our need to depend on the Holy Spirit to obey) and praying (present imperative see our need to depend on the Holy Spirit to obey) that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Mt 26:41) Note our part (watching, praying) and God's part (His Spirit energizing and enabling us to watch and pray). Don't try to resist relying solely on self!

J R Miller adds "Gethsemane means oil press. It was the place where oil was crushed out of the olives. Olive oil was very valuable. It was used chiefly for food and for lighting. The sufferings of Christ have yielded the highest blessings to the world—food for men's souls, and light to shine in darkness."

Sit (aorist imperative) here while I go over (aperchomai) there and pray (proseuchomai) - is a command in the aorist imperative calling for immediate attention/obedience!  He is commanding 8 of the disciples to sit for in the next passage takes three with Him as He goes to pray to His Father in His darkest of hours.

Spurgeon - Company yields solace to a heavy heart; the disciples could not bear any part of our Lord’s griefs, but they might have watched with him.

THOUGHT - "See yonder another King’s garden, which the King waters with his bloody sweat—Gethsemane, whose bitter herbs are sweeter far to renewed souls than even Eden’s luscious fruits. There the mischief of the serpent in the first garden was undone: there the curse was lifted from earth, and borne by the woman’s promised seed. My soul, bethink thee much of the agony and the passion; resort to the garden of the olive-press, and view thy great Redeemer rescuing thee from thy lost estate. This is the garden of gardens indeed, wherein the soul may see the guilt of sin and the power of love, two sights which surpass all others. " (Spurgeon from Morning and Evening on Nehemiah 3:15)

Briah Bell - History started in a Garden (Eden). History will end 1 day in a Garden (Heaven's Main St).In between we find Jesus in this Garden, the Garden of Gethsemane. In the 1st Garden, we have the 1st Adam & it became a Garden of disobedience & sin. In Gethsemane we have the last Adam & it became a Garden of obedience/submission. Here is a passage we almost fear to read, for it seems to intrude into the private agony of Jesus. Weird, the 10 are asked to stay back, but you & I, WE are invited in. Jesus’ prayers reveal the conflict in His holy soul as He faced bearing the sins of the world on the cross.

William Barclay on the Garden of Gethsemane - The space within Jerusalem was so limited that there was no room for gardens. Many well-to-do people, therefore, had private gardens out on the Mount of Olives. Some wealthy friend had given Jesus the privilege of using such a garden, and it was there that Jesus went to fight his lonely battle.

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Mattoon on the Kidron Valley - The waters of the Kidron were also darkened by blood. During the Passover, as many as 2¹/₂ million Jews were in Jerusalem. This would mean that over 250,000 lambs would be slain in the Temple in one week. The blood of those lambs was poured on the altar as a crimson offering to God. From the altar, there was a channel which led down to the Brook Kidron. The blood from the altar drained down this channel into the brook Kidron. When Jesus crossed the brook to go to the Garden of Gethsemane, it would soon be solid red from the blood of the slain Passover lambs. Jesus was about to cross the dark waters of crucifixion and death. The sacrifice He was about to make with His own blood would be vivid in His mind. His sacrifice would also cancel the need for the brook to drain away any further blood of sacrificial lambs for He would be the final sacrifice. For this reason, He cried on the cross, "It is finished!" It is very interesting to note that in the Old Testament, the Brook Kidron was also a place of suffering and anxiety for someone else in Jesus' family. When King David was fleeing from Absalom, he too, had to cross the Kidron. Their situations were very similar. David was betrayed and rejected by his nation and so was Jesus. Jesus was betrayed by Judas. The betrayers of both men ended up being hung. Absalom hung in a tree and Judas hung himself. (Treasures from Luke: Volume Six)

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Someone Had to Do It

TODAY’S READING: Matthew 26:36–46

Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” -Matthew 26:39

Six-year-old Ruby Bridges’ first day at William Frantz Elementary in Louisiana was historic. Ruby’s escorts were armed US marshals. An angry mob of men and women nearby, protesting desegregation, hurled hate-filled insults at the child.

Seeing images of this little Black girl facing a White mob, we might wonder why Ruby’s parents allowed their innocent child to walk into those circumstances. Yet, someone had to integrate the school, and Ruby was assigned the task. Attending school was dangerous, no rescue from that would come, and no one else would attend in her place.

This was a pivotal moment in her life, and in America.

When humanity needed the Savior, Jesus understood His assignment. Though suffering and humiliation of crucifixion loomed, Jesus prayed in the garden of Gethsemane, “My father if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me” (Matthew 26:39).

Despite Jesus’ appeal, the Father did not change the plan or alter the outcome. Ruby followed Jesus’ approach, recalling later in life: “Somehow, it always worked. Kneeling . . . and talking to the Lord made everything okay.”

Enduring hate, betrayal, and pain isn’t easy, especially when we have a choice to avoid it. A brave six-year-old and her parents reflect the mindset of Jesus when He conceded, “not as I will, but as you will” (v. 39). That changed the course of humanity.

May we strive to be as willing in order to bring about change. Anthony Cobbs (Reprinted by permission from Our Daily Bread Ministries. Please do not repost the full devotional without their permission.)

What is a struggle you may need to take to God in prayer?

God, help me to handle adverse situations, including those I don’t want to endure.

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Who Holds The Cup?

Shall I not drink the cup which My Father has given Me? —John 18:11

Today's Scripture : Matthew 26:36-46

Are you being called to taste some bitter cup of pain or loss? Are you tempted to push it away? You may be wondering, Is God in this situation? If so, recall the dark and distressing experience of Jesus and His example on the night of His betrayal.

We must never forget that Jesus was the God-Man, with both divine and human natures. He therefore recoiled from the prospect of agonizing crucifixion and the ordeal of having the world’s sin heaped on His sinless soul. And worst of all, He shuddered at the thought of being abandoned by His Father. So He pleaded, “If it is possible, let this cup pass from Me” (Matt. 26:39). Yet after that He said in trustful submission, “Shall I not drink the cup which My Father has given Me?” (John 18:11). He knew that the hand, which would for our redemption hold the cup to His lips, was not the hand of Judas or Caiaphas or Pilate. It was the hand of His loving Father intent on redeeming our lost human race.

Baffled by the mystery of such love, we take our stand on Calvary and believe that any cup we drink is held to our lips by the Father of fathomless love and wisdom. Our prayer is that of trustful submission because we believe that even life’s most bitter cup is held in the Father’s hand.By:  Vernon Grounds (Reprinted by permission from Our Daily Bread Ministries. Please do not repost the full devotional without their permission.)

Death and the curse were in our cup
O Christ, ’twas full for Thee!
But Thou hast drained the last dark drop—
Now blessings there for me. 
—Anon.

 We learn the lesson of trust in the school of trial.

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C H Spurgeon - The garden of the soul Matthew 26:36 (See full sermon The Garden Of The Soul)

Watch inward. Look at Christ. ‘Consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself.’ Watch the Saviour, and watch with the Saviour. Brethren and sisters, I should like to say this to you so emphatically that you would never forget it. Be familiar with the passion of your Lord. Get right up to the cross. Do not be satisfied with that, but get the cross on your shoulders; get yourself bound to the cross in the spirit of the apostle when he said, ‘I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live.’ I do not know that I have had sweeter work to do for a long time than when a few weeks ago I was looking over all the hymn-writers and all the poets I knew of for hymns upon the passion of the Lord. I tried to enjoy them as I selected them, and to get into the vein in which the poets were when they sung them. Believe me, there is no fount that yields such sweet water as the fount that springs from Calvary just at the foot of the cross. Here it is that there is a sight to be seen more astounding and more ravishing than ever from the top of Pisgah. Get into the side of Christ; it is a cleft of the rock in which you may hide until the tempest is overpassed. Live in Christ; live near to Christ; and then, let the conflict come, and you will overcome even as he overcame, and rising up from your sweat and from your agony you will go forth to meet even death itself with a calm expression on your brow, saying, ‘My Father, not as I will, but as thou wilt.’

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Supported In Suffering

My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me. — Matthew 26:38

Today's Scripture : Matthew 26:36-46

The sequoia trees of California tower as much as 300 feet above the ground. Strangely, these giants have unusually shallow root systems that reach out in all directions to capture the greatest amount of surface moisture.

Their intertwining roots also provide support for each other against the storms. That’s why they usually grow in clusters. Seldom will you see a redwood standing alone, because high winds would quickly uproot it.

Support is what Jesus wanted from Peter, James, and John in Gethsemane as He faced Calvary (Mt. 26:37-38). On the cross as the world’s sin-bearer, He would experience His Father’s wrath and abandonment. That was the awful cup He prayed would be taken from Him (v.39). In that dark hour, He looked to His disciples for prayerful alertness and compassion. But oh, how they disappointed Him! The sight of His sleeping disciples must have made the isolation of Gethsemane that much more painful (v.45).

If Jesus looked to human support in His crisis hour, how much more do Christians need one another when they suffer! Let’s be willing to ask someone to pray for us and with us. And let’s be alert for opportunities to lend our support to others who are suffering.By:  Dennis J. DeHaan (Reprinted by permission from Our Daily Bread Ministries. Please do not repost the full devotional without their permission.)

Oh, how we need support in times
Of heartache and despair—
Upheld in prayer by saints of God
Who understand and care!
—DJD

People who suffer need more than sympathy—they need companionship.

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Why Do You Ask?

If we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. — 1 John 5:14

Today's Scripture : Matthew 26:36-46

You may have heard the saying, “Our small things are great to God’s love; our great things are small to His power.” How true! There’s nothing in our lives so small that God isn’t concerned about it—no need, no desire, no burden, no emotion. Likewise, no problem or crisis is so big that it baffles God’s wisdom and power. And because He cares for us, we are invited to tell Him about any and all of our concerns (1 Peter 5:7).

Does that mean we can ask God for anything and expect to receive it? For example, does a Christian on a sports team have the right to ask God for victory in a particular game, and then expect God to intervene directly to help his team win? And what if players on the other team are also praying for victory?

Faith in our Savior and praying in His name are surely praiseworthy. But let’s be sure that what we’re asking for is something in line with what we know God would want. It is possible to cross the line from trustful dependence to superstitious selfishness.

Biblical faith is controlled by submission to God’s will (1 John 5:14). So every petition must be offered in a way that reflects the attitude of Jesus, who said to His Father, “Not as I will, but as You will” (Matthew 26:39).  By:  Vernon Grounds (Reprinted by permission from Our Daily Bread Ministries. Please do not repost the full devotional without their permission.)

God's will, not mine, I make my goal
When I bow to Him in prayer;
I know He'll do what He deems best,
When I cast on Him my care. 
—Fitzhugh

The keynote of every prayer should be: "Your will be done."

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Unanswered Prayer

O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done. — Matthew 26:42

Today's Scripture : Matthew 26:36-44

Have you or a friend been afflicted with an illness for which there is no medical cure? Has God denied your repeated requests for healing? Has His refusal to say yes caused you to question His purpose?

An article by Carol Bradley tells us about the wisdom of Craig Satterlee, a seminary professor in Chicago. He has been legally blind since birth, with only 20 percent of normal vision. Does he complain, saying that God has not kept His promise to answer prayer? By no means! He believes wholeheartedly that God has given him something even better.

“I am whole,” he testifies, “even though I am legally blind.” If introduced as a believer in the power of prayer, he graciously explains, “I don’t believe in the power of prayer. I believe in the power and presence of God, so I pray.” He adds, “We know that God brings light out of darkness, life out of death, hope out of despair. That’s what Scripture teaches us.”

Prayer isn’t the way to get God to do whatever we want. It’s an expression of our trust in His power, wisdom, and grace. No matter what we ask God to do for us, we are to have the attitude of Jesus, who said, “Nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will” (Matthew 26:39). By:  Vernon Grounds (Reprinted by permission from Our Daily Bread Ministries. Please do not repost the full devotional without their permission.)

I know not by what methods rare,
But this I know—God answers prayer;
I leave my prayers with Him alone,
Whose will is wiser than my own.
—Hickok

God's answers are wiser than our prayers.

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Calvary's Deepest Pain

The Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. — Isaiah 53:6

Today's Scripture : Matthew 26:36-46

After washing His disciples’ feet and celebrating the Passover with them, Jesus led them into a familiar garden and “began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed” (Matthew 26:37). Going a bit farther with Peter, James, and John, He said, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me” (v.38).

Then, walking a short distance away, Jesus “fell on His face” before God, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will” (v.39). He did this three times (v.44).

How do we account for such a surge of emotional turmoil? Only by understanding the “cup” that Jesus asked His Father to take from Him. He was about to bear “the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6). That “cup” was filled with the sins of the whole world.

The agony of Gethsemane would culminate on the cross in His heart-wrenching cry: “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46). Jesus’ physical pain was nothing compared with Calvary’s deepest pain—the awful reality of being abandoned by His Father. God made Jesus “to be sin for us” (2 Corinthians 5:21), so the Father had to turn away from Him.

Praise God for His great love for us! By:  Herbert Vander Lugt (Reprinted by permission from Our Daily Bread Ministries. Please do not repost the full devotional without their permission.)

"Man of Sorrows," what a name
For the Son of God who came
Ruined sinners to reclaim!
Hallelujah! What a Savior!
—Bliss

Christ braved the shadow of eternal death to bring us the sunshine of eternal life.

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Streams in the Desert - Matt. 26:36

IT is a hard thing to be kept in the background at a time of crisis. In the Garden of Gethsemane eight of the eleven disciples were left to do nothing. Jesus went to the front to pray; Peter, James and John went to the middle to watch; the rest sat down in the rear to wait. Methinks that party in the rear must have murmured. They were in the garden, but that was all; they had no share in the cultivation of its flowers. It was a time of crisis, a time of storm and stress; and yet they were not suffered to work.

You and I have often felt that experience, that disappointment. There has arisen, mayhap a great opportunity for Christian service. Some are sent to the front; some are sent to the middle. But we are made to lie down in the rear. Perhaps sickness has come; perhaps poverty has come; perhaps obloquy has come; in any case we are hindered and we feel sore. We do not see why we should be excluded from a part in the Christian life. It seems like an unjust thing that, seeing we have been allowed to enter the garden, no path should be assigned to us there.

Be still, my soul, it is not as thou deemest! Thou art not excluded from a part of the Christian life. Thinkest thou that the garden of the Lord has only a place for those who walk and for those who stand! Nay, it has a spot consecrated to those who are compelled to sit. There are three voices in a verb—active, passive and neuter. So, too, there are three voices in Christ’s verb “to live.” There are the active, watching souls, who go to the front, and struggle till the breaking of the day. There are the passive, watching souls, who stand in the middle, and report to others the progress of the fight. But there are also the neuter souls—those who can neither fight, nor be spectators of the fight, but have simply to lie down.

When that experience comes to thee, remember, thou are not shunted. Remember it is Christ that says, “Sit ye here.” Thy spot in the garden has also been, consecrated. It has a special name. It is not “the place of wrestling,” nor “the place of watching,” but “the place of waiting.” There are lives that come into this world neither to do great work nor to bear great burdens, but simply to be; they are the neuter verbs. They are the flowers of the garden which have had no active mission. They have wreathed no chaplet; they have graced no table; they have escaped the eye of Peter and James and John. But they have gladdened the sight of Jesus. By their mere perfume, by their mere beauty, they have brought Him joy; by the very preservation of their loveliness in the valley they have lifted the Master’s heart. Thou needst not murmur shouldst thou be one of these flowers!—Selected

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Oswald Chambers - His agony and our fellowship

Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, … tarry ye here, and watch with Me. Matthew 26:36, 38.

We can never fathom the agony in Gethsemane, but at least we need not misunderstand it. It is the agony of God and Man in one, face to face with sin. We know nothing about Gethsemane in personal experience. Gethsemane and Calvary stand for something unique; they are the gateway into Life for us.

It was not the death on the cross that Jesus feared in Gethsemane; He stated most emphatically that He came on purpose to die. In Gethsemane He feared lest He might not get through as Son of Man. He would get through as Son of God—Satan could not touch Him there; but Satan’s onslaught was that He would get through as an isolated Figure only; and that would mean that He could be no Saviour. Read the record of the agony in the light of the temptation: “Then the devil leaveth Him for a season.” In Gethsemane Satan came back and was again overthrown. Satan’s final onslaught against Our Lord as son of Man is in Gethsemane.

The agony in Gethsemane is the agony of the Son of God in fulfilling His destiny as the Saviour of the world. The veil is drawn aside to reveal all it cost Him to make it possible for us to become sons of God. His agony is the basis of the simplicity of our salvation. The Cross of Christ is a triumph for the son of Man. It was not only a sign that Our Lord had triumphed, but that He had triumphed to save the human race. Every human being can get through into the presence of God now because of what the Son of Man went through.

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Garden of Gethsemane - from Gath = Hebrew = upper trough where grapes were pressed by treading (Neh 13:15) + Shemen = Hebrew word which means "oil". In OT times the presses for making wine were usually cut or hewed out of rock (Isa 5:2) and were connected by channels to lower rock-cut vats where the juice was allowed to collect and ferment. The juice was squeezed from the grapes by treading over them with the feet (Job 24:11; Amos 9:13). God's judgment is vividly pictured by the metaphor of the treading of the wine press (Isa 63:2, 3+; Rev 14:19, 20+).

Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord;
He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored 
He hath loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword;
His truth is marching on.

Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! His truth is marching on.
(Battle Hymn of the Republic - Choir Vocal)
(Read story behind Julia Howe's Hymn and all the incredible lyrics)

How fitting that the sinless Son of God would be in Gethsemane, and would shortly thereafter bear the sins of mankind and experience the meting out of His Father's wrath against sin, crushing Him even as grapes were crushed…

But He was pierced through for our transgressions. He was crushed (Hebrew = daka' = bruised, broken in pieces, smitten) for our iniquities. The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging (Lxx = molops = bruises, whelps, marks left on one's body by the stripes of a whip, wheals left by the blows from a fist) we are healed. (Isa 53:5+ Read Isa 53:2, 3, 4, 5, 6)! Thank You, dear Jesus.

Peter summarized this event..

He Himself bore (literally bore up - to cause to move from a lower position to a higher position) our sins in His body on the cross, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls. (1Pe 2:24, 25-note)

He Himself bore our sins - During the Napoleonic Wars, men were conscripted into the French army by a lottery system. If your name was drawn, you had to go off to battle. But in the rare case that you could get someone else to take your place, you were exempt. On one occasion the authorities came to a certain man and told him that his name had been drawn. But he refused to go, saying, “I was killed two years ago.” At first they questioned his sanity, but he insisted that this was in fact the case. He claimed that the records would show that he had been conscripted two years previously and that he had been killed in action. “How can that be?” they questioned. “You are alive now.” He explained that when his name came up, a close friend said to him, “You have a large family, but I’m not married and nobody is dependent on me. I’ll take your name and address and go in your place.” The records upheld the man’s claim. The case was referred to Napoleon himself, who decided that the country had no legal claim on that man. He was free because another man had died in his place.

Hallelujah! What a Savior
—Philip Bliss

Man of Sorrows! what a name
For the Son of God, who came
Ruined sinners to reclaim.
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Bearing shame and scoffing rude,
In my place condemned He stood;
Sealed my pardon with His blood.
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Guilty, vile, and helpless we;
Spotless Lamb of God was He;
“Full atonement!” can it be?
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Lifted up was He to die;
“It is finished!” was His cry;
Now in Heav’n exalted high.
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

When He comes, our glorious King,
All His ransomed home to bring,
Then anew His song we’ll sing:
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

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Pray (4336) proseuchomai from pros = toward, facing, before [emphasizing the direct approach of the one who prays in seeking God’s face] + euchomai = originally to speak out, utter aloud, express a wish, then to pray or to vow. Greek technical term for invoking a deity) in the NT is always used of prayer addressed to God (to Him as the object of faith and the One who will answer one’s prayer) and means to speak consciously (with or without vocalization) to Him, with a definite aim (See study of noun proseuche).  Proseuchomai encompasses all the aspects of prayer -- submission, confession, petition, supplication (may concern one's own need), intercession (concerned with the needs of others), praise, and thanksgiving. Wuest adds that the prefixed preposition pros "gives it the idea of definiteness and directness in prayer, with the consciousness on the part of the one praying that he is talking face to face with God...(thus proseuchomai) speaks also of the consciousness on the part of the one who prays, of the fact of God’s presence and His listening ear." 

PROSEUCHOMAI IN MATTHEW - Matt. 5:44; Matt. 6:5; Matt. 6:6; Matt. 6:7; Matt. 6:9; Matt. 14:23; Matt. 19:13; Matt. 23:14; Matt. 24:20; Matt. 26:36; Matt. 26:39; Matt. 26:41; Matt. 26:42; Matt. 26:44;

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James Smith - THE FIVE RECORDED OCCURRENCES OF OUR LORD PRAYING.

1. At His Baptism, Luke 3:21
2. On the Mount of Transfiguration, Luke 9:28
3. When Choosing His Disciples, Luke 6:12
4. When the Jews Sought to Kill Him, John 12:27
5. In Gethsemane, Luke 22:42

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Billy Graham - Gethsemane means “an oil press.” When olives are harvested, they are squeezed under an enormous revolving stone that mashes the fruit to pulp and recovers the valuable oil.

In the Garden of Gethsemane, the wheel of humiliation and death would squeeze Jesus to the point of His greatest agony, so He pleaded with His Father for release—but only if it were the Almighty’s will.

God did not grant release, for there was no other way for our just and loving God to deal with our sins. Sin must be punished. If God were simply to forgive our sins without judging them, then there would be no justice, no accountability for wrongdoing. God would not be truly holy and just.

But if God were simply to judge us for our sins as we deserve, there would be no hope of salvation for any of us. His love would have failed to provide what we need.

The cross was the only way to resolve the problem of sin. At the cross God’s love and justice came together. Jesus took the punishment we deserved, and now we are clothed in His perfect righteousness. (See Hope for Each Day Morning and Evening Devotions - Page 195)

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Rod Mattoon - Beloved, we need to spend time in our Gethsemane. I am talking about those times when we get with the Lord and pour out our heart to Him. Unfortunately, many Christians are spiritually asleep and they are unprepared for testing and temptation in the world. Praying helps us to be alert to what is happening around us and prepared for trials, temptations, and opportunities to be a blessing to others. Jesus told the disciples to "rise" or "wake up." In fact, it is the word for "resurrection." Many Christians need a resurrection of service, dedication, and commitment to Christ. (Mattoon's Treasures)

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Henry Morris - The Gardens of the Lord

"When Jesus had spoken these words, he went forth with his disciples over the brook Cedron, where was a garden, into the which he entered, and his disciples" (John 18:1).

As Jesus, after the last supper with His disciples, walked out with them, they soon crossed over a small brook and entered the little garden called Gethsemane. Eventually He left the disciples and went farther into the garden alone for a time of solitary prayer.

Perhaps He remembered how, long ago, He had walked in His first garden with Adam and Eve in beautiful fellowship. Then they had rebelled against His word, and had to be expelled from the Garden of Eden, leaving Him alone there also (Gen. 3:8).

As He prayed in Gethsemane, He knew that it would be only a few hours before He would be buried in still another garden, one "wherein was never man yet laid" (John 19:41). He would be carried to a new tomb prepared in a newly planted garden by the loving hands of Joseph and Nicodemus, but then He would be alone once again.

He had walked alone in the first garden, seeking His own; then had knelt alone in the second garden, praying for His own; and finally, was buried alone in the third garden, after dying for His own.

Because He came "to seek and to save that which was lost" (Luke 19:10), and because He now "ever liveth to make intercession for them" (Heb. 7:25), after paying the awful price of "redemption through his blood" (Eph. 1:7), all those who believe and trust Him will spend eternity in fellowship with Him in a beautiful garden city, where flows "a pure river of water of life" surrounded on both sides by "the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month" (Rev. 22:1-2), and all will be "very good" forever. (Days to Remember)

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 HOME AT LAST IN GOD’S BEAUTIFUL GARDEN

 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb. Rev 22:1 

Throughout history gardens have been the scenes of significant life-and-death struggles. In a garden Eve made a decision that bore the fruit of death. In a garden the Savior agonized over a decision that would mean life eternal for all who believed.

 John Henry Jowett probes the significance of that fateful night in a garden called Gethsemane.

 WALK WITH JOHN HENRY JOWETT

 “The Bible opens with a garden. It closes with a garden. The first is the Paradise that was lost. The last is paradise regained.
 “Between the two there is a third, the garden of Gethsemane. And it is through the unspeakable bitterness and desolation of Gethsemane that we find again the glorious garden through which flows ‘the river of the water of life’ (Revelation 22:1).
 “Without Gethsemane, no new Jerusalem! Without its mysterious and unfathomable night, no blessed sunrise of eternal hope!
 “Can I forget Gethsemane? Yes, I can; and in the forgetfulness I lose the sacred awe of my redemption, and I miss the real glory of ‘paradise regained.’
 “ ‘You are not your own; you were bought at a price’ (1 Corinthians 6:19–20). That is the remembrance that keeps the spirit lowly, and that fills the heart with love for him ‘whose I am,’ and whom I ought to serve.”

 WALK CLOSER TO GOD

 Eden … Gethsemane … the new Jerusalem. The journey has been costly and difficult. Yet through it all, God’s purposes triumph.
 His grace, his goodness, his Gethsemane have made it possible for you to dwell in the garden of God—forever. A garden in which there is no curse or darkness, only face-to-face fellowship with the Creator.

 To forget such a gift might seem unthinkable. To understand fully such a gift—unfathomable. To spend this day thanking him for it—unbeatable! (Closer Walk New Testament)

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Two Gardens 

The Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed. —Genesis 2:8

Two gardens are mentioned prominently in the Bible: the garden of Eden and the garden of Gethsemane. God placed the first man, Adam, in the garden of Eden; Jesus went into Gethsemane to restore what the first man had lost.

The first Adam sinned in the garden; the last Adam took this sin upon Himself. The garden of Eden had the tree of life, which man could have enjoyed forever had he not broken fellowship with God. The garden of Gethsemane was a step toward the tree of death (Acts 5:30; 1 Peter 2:24). By Adam’s transgression, he forfeited his right to the tree of life and brought death to all mankind. He who hung on the tree of Calvary conquered death and by His glorious resurrection restored the tree of life to all who believe.

The garden where Adam fell is gone from the earth, but there is a glad day coming when He who suffered alone in Gethsemane will restore all things. The curse will be lifted from the earth, the animals will again be docile (Isaiah 11:6-8), the deserts will disappear (Isaiah 35:6), the earth will yield her increase abundantly (Amos 9:13), and Jesus will be here personally to bless His people (Revelation 21:3).

What Adam lost, Jesus will restore. —M.R. De Haan (Reprinted by permission from Our Daily Bread Ministries. Please do not repost the full devotional without their permission.)

Adam was God’s first man in creation—
He through sin brought death to all mankind;
Jesus came to earth to bring salvation:
Trusting Him, eternal life we’ll find.  
—Hess

God formed us;
Sin deformed us;
Christ transforms us

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LEST I FORGET GETHSEMANE Mt 26:30-46 - Wayne Stiles (See Going Places with God: A Devotional Journey Through the ... - Page 44)

At the base of the Mount of Olives today lies a small grotto that produced evidence of an ancient oil press, the meaning of the name “Gethsemane.”

Byzantine Christians believed that Jesus left His disciples at this place while He went a stone’s throw away to pray in the garden. “Sit here,” Jesus told them, “while I go over there and pray” (Matt. 26:36). Then, taking Peter, James and John with Him into the garden, He said to them, “Remain here and keep watch with Me” (Mt 26:38). Going a bit farther, Jesus fell prostrate and prayed with passion.

Today, the Church of All Nations covers the traditional place where Jesus prayed to the Father and displays a beautiful mosaic of the event. Ancient olive trees still stand in the garden, but it’s unlikely they ever beheld Christ in prayer, as the Romans cut down all the trees in the region during the siege on Jerusalem in A.D. 70.

Still, entering the Garden of Gethsemane, one can imagine the scenes and almost retrace Jesus’ steps along the places Matthew mentioned: “‘Sit here [in the grotto] while I go over there and pray’ . . . ‘Remain here [in the garden] and keep watch with Me’ . . . He went a little beyond them [where today sits the Church of All Nations]” (Mt 26:36,38-39).

Standing in the garden, a stunning insight occurs when one turns around and sees the walls of Jerusalem so close behind: Jesus could easily see the soldiers coming to arrest Him! In fact, He said, “Here comes my betrayer!” (Mt 26:46, NIV). He could see those who would lead Him to death approaching, but still He chose to stay in the garden out of obedience to the Father . . . and out of love for us.

 Lord Jesus, no one took Your life—You gave it up willingly for me. You chose to do the Father’s will above Your own and thus became my Savior—and my example.

It costs God nothing, so far as we know, to create nice things; but to convert rebellious wills cost Him crucifixion. —C. S. Lewis

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Joe Stowell - SURRENDER

THAT I MAY KNOW HIM . . . BEING CONFORMED TO HIS DEATH.—Philippians 3:10 NASB

In Gethsemane, Jesus knelt in agony at the rock praying that the prospect of the cross could be lifted from Him. It is not surprising that Jesus in His humanity shrank from the horror—but in the end, broken and weary, through lips parched with anxiety, with a voice heavy with the weight of the cross to come, he uttered these words that now ring through history with a strength of unparalleled resolve, “Not My will, but Yours be done!”

This is the ‘image of His death’, and being conformed to the image of His death means full surrender to our Father’s will . . . regardless. No excuses. No escape clauses. No negotiation. And not only is it surrender for the moment, it is about persevering in the resolve until we have fully obeyed. As Jesus rose from the rock exhausted, the torch lit lynch mob was approaching.

But Jesus would not be deterred.

When Peter unsheathed his sword and slashed the side of the soldiers face leaving his ear on the ground, Jesus had the perfect excuse to escalate the conflict. It’s one thing to surrender. It’s quite another to persevere when opportunities to justifiably slide out of our resolve present themselves.
Through all of those horrible hours to follow, when Jesus was dragged through the halls of the kangaroo courts, He refused to return their accusations and slander. Years later Peter would pen, “Christ also suffered for you, leaving an example that you should follow in His steps” (1 Peter 2:23).

Regardless of what He requires, those of us who want to draw close to Him meet Him at that sweat stained rock in the garden brokenly repeating His words after Him: “Not My will but Yours be done.” It is a resolve that covers the whole waterfront of our existence. Nothing is exempt. Relationships, real estate, financial resources, spouses, children, grandchildren, desires, dreams, plans, attitudes, and actions all are included. It demands no flirting around the edges of sensuality. It requires the expulsion of jealousy, residual anger, and the bitterness that tears at our relationships.
Gethsemane asks for it all.

Is there anything in your life that is unsurrendered to the will of the Father (Strength for the Journey)

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'TIS MIDNIGHT Words by Wm. B. Tappan  Music by Virgil C. Taylor

“‘Tis midnight; and on Olive’s brow 
The star is dimm’d ‘that lately shone.”

The author of the words of this hymn, William Bingham Tappan, was born at Beverly, Mass., October 29, 1794. He was a Congregational minister and was engaged for many years in the service of the American Sunday-school Union.

The hymn was first published in the author’s “Gems of Sacred Poetry,” in 1822, under the title, “Gethsemane.” Mr. Tappan died in his native state in 1849.

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QUESTION - What happened in the Garden of Gethsemane?

ANSWER - The garden at Gethsemane, a place whose name literally means “oil press,” is located on a slope of the Mount of Olives just across the Kidron Valley from Jerusalem. A garden of ancient olive trees stands there to this day. Jesus frequently went to Gethsemane with His disciples to pray (John 18:2). The most famous events at Gethsemane occurred on the night before His crucifixion when Jesus was betrayed. Each of the Gospel writers describes the events of that night with slight variations, so reading the four accounts (Matthew 26:36-56, Mark 14:32-52, Luke 22:40-53 and John 18:1-11) will give an accurate picture of that momentous night in its entirety.

s the evening began, after Jesus and His disciples had celebrated the Passover, they came to the garden. At some point, Jesus took three of them—Peter, James and John— to a place separated from the rest. Here Jesus asked them to watch with Him and pray so they would not fall into temptation (Matthew 26:41), but they fell asleep. Twice, Jesus had to wake them and remind them to pray so that they would not fall into temptation. This was especially poignant because Peter did indeed fall into temptation later that very night when three times he denied even knowing Jesus. Jesus moved a little way from the three men to pray, and twice He asked His Father to remove the cup of wrath He was about to drink, but each time He submitted to the Father’s will. He was “exceedingly sorrowful unto death,” but God sent an angel from heaven to strengthen Him (Luke 22:43).

After this, Judas Iscariot, the betrayer, arrived with a “multitude” of soldiers, high priests, Pharisees, and servants to arrest Jesus. Judas identified Him by the prearranged signal of a kiss which he gave to Jesus. Trying to protect Jesus, Peter took a sword and attacked a man named Malchus, the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear. Jesus rebuked Peter and miraculously healed the man’s ear. It’s surprising that witnessing this amazing miracle of healing had no effect on the multitude. Neither were they shaken by His awesome display of power as described in John 18:5-6, where either at the majesty of His looks, or at the power of His words, or both, they became like dead men, falling to the ground. Nevertheless, they arrested Him and took Him to Pontius Pilate, while the disciples scattered in fear for their lives.

The events that occurred in the Garden of Gethsemane have reverberated down through the centuries. The passion Jesus displayed on that momentous night has been depicted in music, books, and films for centuries. From the 16th century, when Bach wrote two magnificent oratorios based on the gospel accounts of Matthew and John, to the present day with the film The Passion of the Christ, the story of this extraordinary night has been told again and again. Even our language has been affected by these events, giving us such phrases as “he who lives by the sword dies by the sword” (Matthew 26:52); “the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Mark 14:38); and “sweating drops of blood” (Luke 22:44). Of course, the most important impact of this night was the willingness of our Savior to die on the cross in our place in order to pay the penalty for our sins. God “made Him who knew no sin, to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21). This is the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Related Resources:

• What happened on the Mount of Olives?
• Why did Jesus sweat blood in the Garden of Gethsemane?
• Why did Jesus have to experience so much suffering? 
• Why did Jesus choose Peter, James, and John to be His inner circle?

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LIFE’S FINAL CROSSROADS - John Mayshack

  1.      Gethsemane—The Crossroad of Prayer
  2.      Gethsemane—The Crossroad of Betrayal
  3.      Gethsemane—The Crossroad of God’s Will

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James Smith - GETHSEMANE.Matthew 26:36-46.

The supper was finished, the precious words recorded in John 14, 15, 16, 17, having been spoken, Christ and His disciples pass over the brook into the quiet seclusion of the garden. In a garden the first man fell through yielding to the wicked one, in a garden the Second Man conquered through yielding to the Holy One. May the calm of Gethsemane pervade our spirits, as we in thought follow our Lord's footsteps thither. This place called Gethsemane was to Him—

I. A Place of Great Heaviness. "He began to be sorrowful and very heavy" (Mt 26:37). Mark adds, "Sore amazed." Heaviness of spirit laid hold of Him. Who can tell the weight of this burden to Him? "The Lord laid on Him the iniquity of us all" (Isa. 53:6). What a burden! To us the sense of sin is about as natural as the clothes we wear. To the sinner sin is but a trifle, to the Holy Son of God it was very heavy. "It bowed Him to the earth with grief."

II. A Place of Intense Suffering. "He began to be sorrowful" (Mt 26:38). Then saith He, "My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death" Now that the blessed Lord is entering into the relationship of the sinner's substitute He begins to be sorrowful. Sin and suffering have been joined together by the righteousness of God. The sufferings of Christ were the sufferings of sorrow, heart sufferings. This sorrow was not the result of the fear of death neither was it the sorrow of regret or failure, but of pure love and sympathy. He was in deep sympathy with the holiness of God and the helplessness of man. May our eyes be opened to see, and our hearts touched to appreciate the "beautiful sadness" of the Son of God! (Isa. 53:3, 4).

III. A Place of Solemn Loneliness. "Tarry ye here and watch with Me... What, could ye not watch with Me one hour?" (Mt 26:38). The tender heart of the Man of Sorrows yearned for fellowship in His sufferings, but they "could not." They slept even while He was in agony, sweating as it were, great drops of blood. He looked, but there was none to help Him. No; man cannot help the Lamb of God to bare away the sin of the world. "I looked for some to take pity, and for comforters, but I found none" (Psa. 69:20).

IV. A Place of Agonising Prayer. "He fell on His face and prayed, saying, O My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me" (Mt 26:39). "He prayed the third time, saying the same words" (Mt 26:44). "He offered up prayer and supplications with strong crying and tears, unto Him that was able to save Him from death, and was heard in that He feared" (Heb. 5:7). What a contrast between this prayer and the one in John 17! This awful cup contained desertion and death, a most repulsive portion to the loving, holy, obedient Son of God. Around this prayer there is a halo of mystery, both deep and glorious, into which the carnal thoughts cannot enter. We bow in adoration, saying, "Behold, what love!" (1 John 3:1).

V. A Place of Entire Resignation. "Nevertheless, not as I will, but as Thou wilt" (Mt 26:39). My will, not Thine, be done, opened the flood gate of sin, and turned man out of the Paradise of God. In the wilderness, while tempted of the devil, the will of Christ was as firm and unyielding as the mountains. We will be strong to resist evil in proportion as we are willing to resign to the will of God. In every crisis in our spiritual experience let us remember these words of our Lord. Who can tell what tremendous consequences may hang on our "Not as I will, but as Thou wilt."

VI. A Place of Special Succour. "There appeared an angel unto Him from Heaven, strengthening Him" (Luke 22:43). Blessed be God for this. The place of entire surrender to the will of God will always be the place of special succour from the Lord. "I will glory in my infirmity, that the power of Christ may rest upon me" (2 Cor. 12:9). The angel of His sufficiency will minister perfect strength in our weakness. Be not anxious about the angel, let His promise suffice.

VII. A Place of Heartless Betrayal. "Behold, he is at hand that doth betray Me. While He yet spake, lo, Judas came" (Mt 26:46). Could anything be more heartrending to the Son of God than this? Kissed with traitor lips while yet the agonising sweat is on His brow. Christ had just accepted the awful cup in man's room and stead, and all the reward He receives at the hands of men is a hypocritical salutation, condemnation, and death. It is possible to play the Judas while sitting at the Lord's table. Salute Him with an holy kiss. Let our whole souls gush in love through our lips while we confess Him as our Lord before men

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Oswald Chambers - His Agony and Our Access

    “Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples … ‘stay here and watch with Me’ ” (Matthew 26:36, 38).

We can never fully comprehend Christ’s agony in the Garden of Gethsemane, but at least we don’t have to misunderstand it. It is the agony of God and man in one Person, coming face to face with sin. We cannot learn about Gethsemane through personal experience. Gethsemane and Calvary represent something totally unique—they are the gateway into life for us.

It was not death on the cross that Jesus agonized over in Gethsemane. In fact, He stated very emphatically that He came with the purpose of dying. His concern here was that He might not get through this struggle as the Son of Man. He was confident of getting through it as the Son of God—Satan could not touch Him there. But Satan’s assault was that our Lord would come through for us on His own solely as the Son of Man. If Jesus had done that, He could not have been our Savior (see Hebrews 9:11–15). Read the record of His agony in Gethsemane in light of His earlier wilderness temptation—“… the devil … departed from Him until an opportune time” (Luke 4:13). In Gethsemane, Satan came back and was overthrown again. Satan’s final assault against our Lord as the Son of Man was in Gethsemane.

The agony in Gethsemane was the agony of the Son of God in fulfilling His destiny as the Savior of the world. The veil is pulled back here to reveal all that it cost Him to make it possible for us to become sons of God. His agony was the basis for the simplicity of our salvation. The Cross of Christ was a triumph for the Son of Man. It was not only a sign that our Lord had triumphed, but that He had triumphed to save the human race. Because of what the Son of Man went through, every human being has been provided with a way of access into the very presence of God.

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The following chart is from Rod Mattoon - Man was created in the Garden of Eden. In Genesis chapter two, we find a garden of tragedy where the seeds of death were planted. The events that took place in Eden led to the events in Gethsemane, which is the garden of testing where death stalked our Savior and beat at His door.

The Garden of Eden	The Garden of Gethsemane
All was delightful.	All was dreadful & despicable.
Adam parleyed with Satan.	The Last Adam, Jesus, prays with the Father.
Adam disobeyed and sinned.	The Savior suffered and obeyed.
Adam is conquered by sin.	Jesus conquered His own will.
Adam took fruit from Eve's hand.	Christ took the cup from His Father's hand.
God sought for Adam.	The Last Adam sought God His Father.
The Self-indulgence of Adam ruined us.	The agonies of the Second Adam restored us.
Adam's attitude, "My will be done."	Jesus' attitude was, "Thy will be done."

Matthew 26:37 And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be grieved and distressed.

• Peter: Mt 4:18,21 17:1 20:20 Mk 5:37 
• grieved and distressed: Mk 14:33,34 Lu 22:44 Joh 12:27 

Related Passages:

Mark 14:33-35+  And He *took with Him Peter and James and John, and began to be very distressed and troubled. 34 And He *said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved to the point of death; remain here and keep watch.” 35 And He went a little beyond them, and fell to the ground and began to pray that if it were possible, the hour might pass Him by.

JESUS' COMPANIONS
IN HIS PRAYER VIGIL

And He took (paralambano) with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee (James and John - Mk 14:33) - Peter, James and John are the three in Jesus "inner circle" who were present at other significant events such as the Transfiguration (Mt 17:1-2, Mk 9:2), resurrection of Jairus' daughter (Mk 5:37-43), on the Mount of Olives questioning Jesus (Mk 13:3). It is notable that these three men witnessed the height of His glory at the transfiguration and the depth and pathos of His agony in Gethsemane. Took is paralambano which has the prefix "para-" which means by His side and would have been a mark of special favor and privilege. 

Robertson suggests that " The eight would serve as a sort of outer guard to watch by the gate of the garden for the coming of Judas while the three would be able to share the agony of soul already upon Jesus so as at least to give him some human sympathy which he craved as he sought help from the Father in prayer."

Van Parunak adds that "These three were the disciples closest to the Lord.  They were the first called, along with Andrew, in (Matt 4:18-21).  They alone went with him to Jairus’ house for the raising of his daughter (Mark 5:37). He chose them to accompany him into the mount of transfiguration (Matt 17:1). These were the first three mentioned when the disciples gathered after the ascension (Acts 1:13). When Paul came from Antioch to Jerusalem with Barnabas at the time of the famine (Acts 11:27- 30), he mentions the three as pillars of the church. (Quoted by Paul Apple)

Hiebert - As Jesus walked farther into the garden with the three, a strong agitation swept over Him, visible to them before He spoke.....Jesus had long foreseen His coming death, but now that the shadow of the actual cross fell upon Him He felt the shuddering horror of the terrible ordeal. “The cause of Jesus’ soretrouble was not physical fear, but the pressure upon His sinless soul of the sin of the world, together with His knowledge of what bearing it involved.” It came with stunning effect. (Expositional Commentary)

James Edwards - All three have earlier crowed of their mettle (Peter, Mk 14:29–31; James and John, Mk 10:38–39; Mk 14:31); they should be exactly the companions Jesus needs in the crisis before him.  (The Gospel according to Mark)

And began (archo) to be grieved (lupeo in present tense) and distressed (ademoneo in present tense) - Began (archo) describes the initiation of an action or state of being. To be sure Jesus had experienced deep emotions before (Jn 11:35), but now the Cross looming near brought forth a depth and degree of emotions that even these strong Greek words surely fail to describe! The present tense depicts these emotions as continually present in Jesus. Distressed (ademoneo) describes Jesus being almost overwhelmed with sorrow or burden of mind by the truth that He would soon "taste death for everyone." (Heb 2:9). 

Alfred Edersheim gave us a sense of the profound pathos and deep emotion of Jesus when he wrote that Jesus "disarmed Death by burying its shaft in His own heart.” 

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Grieved (to sorrow) (3076) lupeo from lupe = sorrow) signifies pain, of body or mind and means to cause one to experience severe mental or emotional distress or physical pain which may be accompanied by sadness, sorrow or grief. The King James' translation of lupeo as heaviness parallels our colloquial sayings like -- "It weighs heavy on my soul" or "My soul is weighed down with affliction." or "My soul is so burdened."  Lupeō is a general term for “sorrow,” encompassing various expressions of grief (cf. thrēneō, “to lament”; koptō, “to smite the breast in grief”; pentheō, “to mourn passionately”). It may refer to outward mourning or simply to sad feelings. It is commonly used to designate heaviness of heart." In the papyri its use ranges from grief over the loss of a loved one to sadness over the loss of a cloak (Moulton-Milligan). It is also used of the general troubles of a steward (ibid.).

Friberg - (1) active (cause) pain, grieve, make sad (Eph 4.30); (2) passive be sad, be sorrowful, be distressed (Mt 26.22); aorist become distressed or sorry (2Co 7.9)

LUPEO - 26X/21V - cause...sorrow(1), caused...sorrow(2), caused sorrow(2), distressed(1), grieve(3), grieved(7), grieving(2), hurt(1), made sorrowful(5), sorrow(1), sorrowful(1). Matt. 14:9; Matt. 17:23; Matt. 18:31; Matt. 19:22; Matt. 26:22; Matt. 26:37; Mk. 10:22; Mk. 14:19; Jn. 16:20; Jn. 21:17; Rom. 14:15; 2 Co. 2:2; 2 Co. 2:4; 2 Co. 2:5; 2 Co. 6:10; 2 Co. 7:8; 2 Co. 7:9; 2 Co. 7:11; Eph. 4:30; 1 Thess. 4:13; 1 Pet. 1:6

Distressed (85) ademoneo from a derivative of adeo = to be sated to loathing) means to be distressed, deeply troubled or distressed, this intense discomfort being quite plain. Be sorely troubled. Be upset. Be dismayed. Be in anguish. The present tense indicates this was a lingering distress. Ademoneo describes the confused, chaotic, heavy state of restlessness that results from a time of turmoil or great trauma.  

ADEMONEO - 3V -distressed(2), troubled(1).  Matt. 26:37; Mk. 14:33; Phil. 2:26

Matthew 26:38 Then He *said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch with Me.”  

• My: Job 6:2-4 Ps 88:1-7,14-16 116:3 Isa 53:3,10 Ro 8:32 2Co 5:21 Ga 3:13 1Pe 2:24 3:18 
• remain: Mt 26:40 25:13 1Pe 4:7 

IN HIS TIME OF DISTRESS
JESUS DESIRES DISCIPLE'S COMPANY

Then He *said to them, “My soul (psuche - "inner self-conscious life" - Grassmick) is deeply grieved (perilupos), to the point of death (thanatos) - Deeply grieved is perilupos where the preposition peri = means around which gives us the picture of Jesus being surrounded by sorrow, encompassed by grief. Clearly Jesus' soul afflicted beyond measure and far beyond what we as finite humans can fully understand.. Perilupos is used in the Lxx of Ps 42:5 in the question "Why are you in despair (Lxx = perilupos) O my soul." One would think that His addendum of to the point of death (thanatos) would have been sufficient to stir them to obedience to the following commands. Jesus' agony was not over the physical suffering, as horrible as it would be, but was over the fact that He Who was eternally sinless would be made in a moment of time the bearer of all the sins of the world, past, present and future, and worst of all, his would result for the first time in eternity in alienation from His Father, which prompted His agonizing cry ""ELI, ELI, LAMA SABACHTHANI?" that is, "MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAST THOU FORSAKEN ME?" (Mt 27:46+, Mk 15:34+). Paul explained that in that fateful moment "He (HIS FATHER) made Him Who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." (2Co 5:21+) Amazing love how can it be that Thou My God hast died for me? 

John MacArthur makes an interesting comment on to the point of death - It is possible to die from sorrow just as from other strong emotions, such as fright and anger. Jesus’ anguish was enough to kill Him and doubtlessly would have done so had He not been divinely preserved for another kind of death. (Matthew Commentary)

H A Ironside - “His holy soul shrank from the awfulness of being made sin upon the tree. It was not death, but the divine anger against sin, the imputation to Him of all our iniquities that filled His soul with horror. There was no conflict of wills.” 

J. Ligon Duncan points out that "You will never understand Jesus’ agony until you realize that His distress is not over death but judgment. You will never understand Jesus’ agony until you understand His aloneness. (The Grieved and Distressed Savior)

Bob Utley - This was an Old Testament idiom (cf. Ps. 42:5) which expressed the tremendous intensity which was involved in the redemption of sinful mankind. Something of the struggle can be seen in the parallel of Luke 22:43–44+, which records that an angel came to minister to Him and He sweat great drops of blood. The victory over the evil one was won here in the garden. (ED: AND CONSUMMATED ON THE CROSS). 

Remain (meno in aorist imperative) here and keep watch (gregoreuo in present imperative) with Me - This is an amazing passage. Jesus, the omnipotent God had emptied Himself of His divine prerogatives and shows His profound humanity by seeking the companionship of sinful men in His time of greatest need. Jesus did not command them "Sleep here," but "Remain (tarry) here!" Remain (meno in aorist imperative) is a command in the aorist imperative calling for immediate obedience due to the urgency of the moment. So in one sense they obeyed because they remained there, but the sad part is they the remained asleep! The verb meno means to abide with someone. Jesus is calling for these men to "abide" with Him in His time of great agony. We might say  today "Sit tight!" Does this not give us a sense of Jesus' perfect humanity? 

Keep watch is a command in the present imperative calling for them to continually be on the alert and to maintain an attitude of vigilance. It is interesting to notice that the second verb Jesus chose (gregoreuo) is derived from the verb egeiro which means to wake up, stay awake. Thus the verb gregoreuo is used of mental alertness, the condition of the mind opposite to that which characterizes one mind in sleep. And what did the trio do? They failed to obey the command! They fell asleep three times instead of staying awake and alert. Why would they need to Keep watch? Remember that Judas had departed into the night and Jesus knew he was going to betray Him. The disciples were charged with the duty of keeping watch for the traitor Judas and his evil entourage who would be on their way to arrest Jesus. It is interesting that Jesus did not ask them to pray for Him.

THOUGHT - Are you willing to seek companions when you are in dire straits? Or better yet are you willing to be a companion to another you know is in dire straits? 

Spurgeon - He wished to have them near, but not too near: his woes were not to be seen of mortal man. The Man of Sorrows now began to enter the great deeps of woe.

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Deeply grieved (very sad) (4036) (perilupos from peri = about, surround + lupe = sorrow, cf  lupeo) means surrounded with grief and thus very sad, exceedingly sorrowful, deeply distressed/grieved, or characterized by affliction beyond measure.

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Henry Blackaby - A Soul Distressed

Who can know the depth and intensity of the heart of God? No one could measure His sorrow over an unrepentant sinner or His joy over a spiritual rebel who relinquishes everything to Him. We can begin to understand what is on the heart of God only when He shares His heart with us (Amos 3:7).

Are you aware of the fervent emotions in the soul of your Lord, as He carries the weight of the world? The disciples were unaware of the deep anguish in the heart of Jesus. Yet, He willingly shared His heart with them. The disciples often seemed disoriented to what Jesus was feeling. When He took delight in young children, His disciples attempted to chase them away (Luke 18:15–16). When Jesus had compassion for a woman living in sin, they acted confused (John 4:27). While Jesus wept at the hopelessness of those facing death, His closest friends grieved as if Jesus had no power to raise the dead (John 11:1–44).

You can choose to be alert to the heart of God. As you seek to understand what God is feeling, He may share with you the intensity of His heart. When you are around other people, God may sensitize you to the love He feels for them. When you see others suffering, you may feel the compassion Jesus feels. When sinners return to God in repentance, you may share the Father's joy. You will react to evil the way Jesus reacts. If you will remain alert in prayer, Jesus will share His heart with you.

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COMPANIONSHIP

"My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me" (Matthew 26:38).

Suffering comes to all of us, and no one can suffer for us. Even so, loved ones and friends can support us in many ways in those difficult times by their prayers and understanding. But when we are too proud to admit our need to others, we are in great danger.

The Sequoia trees of California tower as high as 300 feet above the ground, yet these giants have unusually shallow root systems, which reach out in all directions to capture the greatest amount of surface moisture. Seldom do redwoods stand alone, because high winds would quickly uproot them. They grow in clusters, their intertwining roots providing support for one another against the storms.

Support is what Jesus wanted from Peter, James, and John in Gethsemane as He faced Calvary. On the cross as the world's sin-bearer He would experience the Father's wrath and abandonment. That was the awful cup He prayed would be taken from Him. In that dark hour, He looked to His disciples for prayerful alertness and compassion. But they disappointed Him. The sight of His sleeping disciples must have made the isolation of Gethsemane even more painful.

If Jesus looked to human support in His crisis hour, how much more do Christians need one another when they suffer. We must be willing to ask someone to pray for us and with us. And we must be alert for opportunities to lend our support to others who are suffering. —D.J.D.

Those who suffer need more than sympathy, they need companionship.

Matthew 26:39 And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.”

KJV  Matthew 26:39 And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. 

• He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face Ge 17:3 Nu 14:5 16:22 1Ch 21:16 Eze 1:28 Lu 17:16 Ac 10:25 Rev 19:10 
• and prayed: Mk 14:35-36 Lu 22:41-42 Heb 5:7 
• My Father,: Mt 26:42  Joh 11:41 12:27 
• if it is possible: Mt 24:24 Mk 13:22 
• let this cup pass: Mt 20:22  Joh 18:11 
• yet not as I will: 2Sa 15:26 Joh 5:30 6:38 12:28 14:31 Ro 15:1-3 Php 2:8 

Related Passages: 

Mark 14:35-36+  And He went a little beyond them, and fell to the ground and began to pray that if it were possible, the hour might pass Him by. 36 And He was saying, “Abba! Father! All things are possible for You (All things are possible for You - is found only in Mark's account); remove this cup from Me; yet not what I will, but what You will.”

Luke 22:41-42+ And He withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and began to pray, 42 saying, “Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.”

 
Christ in Gethsemane
Heinrich Hofmann, 1886
 (But see Note Below)

JESUS WITHDREW
A STONE'S THROW

And He went a little beyond them - Luke 22:41+ adds that "He withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and began to pray." Consider the fact that even though it was dark, it is likely they would have been able to witness the agonizing prayers of Jesus, first falling on His knees (Lk 22:41+ says first "He knelt down') and then here in Mt 26:39 His entire body fell prostrate and He offered "up both prayers and supplications with loud crying (krauge = cry out with a loud  voice) and tears to the One able to save Him from death" (Heb 5:7+). What is amazing is not only could they likely see Jesus in agony, they could hear Him crying loudly and despite this they still fell asleep!

Hiebert agrees that "Hebrews 5:7+ records that His words of prayer were uttered with “strong crying and tears,” hence were entirely audible to the three....In facing His struggle, He separated Himself from the three, knowing He must tread the winepress alone (Isa. 63:3)." (An Expositional Commentary)

Jon Courson "That’s Jesus—always going a little further. He didn’t stop at Gethsemane. He went all the way to Calvary for you and for me."

And fell (pipto) on His face (prosopon) and prayed (proseuchomai), saying - He was on his face, not on his knees! Jesus went as low physically as He could go, on His face! This is an amazing scene, which is absolutely holy ground and therefore difficult to even comment upon! Notice the famous painting above is not accurate which makes the point that you never want to obtain your theology from Biblical art, even famous paintings! Note the difference in the Synoptic Gospels for Luke mentions only one prayer session, Mark has two and implies a third while Matthew explicitly indicates three prayer sessions. And Jesus prayed the same prayer three times, a Jewish way of showing intensity.

THOUGHT - Jesus' very act of praying once again demonstrates His full humanity and gives us a perfect example to imitate when we find ourselves in a "Gethsemane- like" moment. 

My Father (pater) - Jesus always addressed God as Father (but only as My Father here) except in Mt 27:46+ emphasizing the intimacy between Father and Son. Mark 14:36+ has “Abba! Father!" this Aramaic word speaking of endearment much like our term "Daddy." 

if it is possible, let this cup (poterion) pass (parerchomai) from Me -  The cup of course refers to His suffering and death on the Cross when God's full wrath would be poured out on the sinless sacrificial Lamb of God (cf Jn 1:29+)! Jesus had alluded to this cup in Matthew 20:22 when James and John ask to sit on His right and left and Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?” Jesus is asking His Father if it is possible to avoid the cross in His plan of redemption. Mark it down that Jesus’ request was not a sign of weakness! See related OT Scriptures on cup - Ps 75:8; Isa 51:17, 22; Jer 51:7

Brian Bell on the "contents" of the cup - A cup of Sin – a cup brimming full of jealousy, hatred, & covetousness…which He must drink. A cup of Wrath – as sin-bearer, He became the object of the Father’s holy wrath against sin. Salvation isn’t addition or subtraction, its substitution. A cup of Curse - Gal.3:13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law. Jesus would drink the entire chalice of: Man’s sin & God’s wrath & the Law’s curse. He drank it all.

Jon Courson on if it is possible - “Is there any other way people can be saved, Father? Can they join a church? Can they give canned goods at Christmas time? Can they treat their pets nice?” People think that if they’re just a “good person” or a “nice guy” they’ll be saved. In reality, it took nothing less than the death of Jesus Christ to save anyone from any one sin. (See Jon Courson)

John MacArthur on if it is possible - Jesus was here asking if avoiding the cross were possible within the Father’s redemptive plan and purpose. The agony of becoming sin was becoming unendurable for the sinless Son of God, and He wondered aloud before His Father if there could be another way to deliver men from sin. (See Matthew Commentary) 

A man’s will should be an echo, not a voice;
the echo of God, not the voice of self.
-- Alexander Maclaren

Yet (ESV = nevertheless) not as I will (thelo), but as You will - Praise God for this great term of contrast "Yet!" Jesus expresses complete submission to His Father, willingly “becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Phil. 2:8+). Jesus sought not His will but His Father's will and He did it because He loved His Father and He loved sinners like you and me! Amazing, unspeakable grace indeed! 

MacArthur has an interesting comment on not as I will (thelo), but as You will  - This conflict between what I will and what Thou wilt reveals the reality of the amazing fact that Jesus was truly being tempted. Though sinless and unable to sin, He clearly could be brought into the real conflict of temptation (see Heb. 4:15). (Matthew Commentary)

There are no disappointments to those
whose wills are buried in the will of God.
-- Faber

Brian Bell - This comes against the traditional picture of Jesus on 1 knee, hands reverently folded, leaning against a rock, & gazing off into the distance w/a warm glow about Him. God was on His Face…what a sight. As much as His Human nature shrank from the cup, still more did He shrink from any thought of acting contrary to His Fathers will. [but as You will] Nevertheless (Mt 26:39KJV) - The most wonderful nevertheless in the bible.

Spurgeon - Blessed prayer! Its sweet resignation to the Father’s will should be an example to every tried child of God.

NET NOTE - This cup alludes to the wrath of God that Jesus would experience (in the form of suffering and death) for us. See Ps 11:6; 75:8–9; Isa 51:17, 19, 22 for this figure.

Henry Morris - this cup.  This "cup" was nothing less than the cup of God's wrath against all the sin and rebellion of all the men and women through all the ages (compare Revelation 14:10; 16:19). Note also Psalm 16:5; in fact, the entire 16th psalm seems to suggest the very prayer that Christ may have prayed that night in the garden of Gethsemane.   not as I will.  The Lord Jesus not only has taught us how to pray (Matthew 6:9) but also has set us an example. Our prayer must always be that God's will--not ours--be done (1 John 5:14), no matter how difficult that may prove to be. Some have suggested that Satan was here trying to slay Jesus before He could go to the cross, and that the Lord was beseeching the Father to let that cup be removed, but this is highly speculative at best. Jesus was fully human and would suffer as a man on the cross as no man had ever suffered before, bearing the full weight of the sin of the whole world in His body, and even suffering for the first time the loss of His Father's presence and approval. In His humanity, never calling on the resources of His own deity at all (Philippians 2:5-8), it would be inhuman not to shrink from such a prospect. It was this cup that He would have removed. Nevertheless, "not as I will, but as thou wilt," He said.

Believer's Study Bible -  The "cup" in the O.T. is a metaphor for divine punishment of sin. Hence, Jesus' death involved far more than physical death, for He becomes the object of the divine wrath (cf. Rom. 1:18-3:20) against sin by His identification with sinful man. Although Jesus knew that death and God's wrath comprised the climax of His mission as Messiah, His consciousness of God's wrath against sin becomes even more intense as the hour approaches.

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Cup (4221) poterion refers to a literal cup (Mt 10:42; Mt 26:27; Mk 7:4; 9:41; 14:23; Lk 11:39; 22:17, 20; 1 Cor 10:16, 21; 11:25a, 27f; Rev 17:4). The cup stands, by metonymy, for what it contains ( Lk 22:20b; 1 Cor 11:25b, 26. Figuratively it referred to undergoing a violent death, of one's lot or experience, joyous or sorrowful (frequent in the Psalms; cp. Ps 116:18, "cup of salvation"). In the NT it is used most frequently of the sufferings of Christ, Matt. 20:22, 23; Matt. 26:39; Mark 10:38, 39; Mark 14:36; Luke 22:42; John 18:11; also of the evil deeds of Babylon, Rev. 17:4; Rev. 18:6; of Divine punishments to be inflicted, Rev. 14:10; Rev. 16:19. Cp. Psa. 11:6; Psa. 75:8; Isa. 51:17; Jer. 25:15; Ezek. 23:32-34; Zech. 12:2. 

POTERION - 28V - Matt. 10:42; Matt. 20:22; Matt. 20:23; Matt. 23:25; Matt. 23:26; Matt. 26:27; Matt. 26:39; Mk. 7:4; Mk. 9:41; Mk. 10:38; Mk. 10:39; Mk. 14:23; Mk. 14:36; Lk. 11:39; Lk. 22:17; Lk. 22:20; Lk. 22:42; Jn. 18:11; 1 Co. 10:16; 1 Co. 10:21; 1 Co. 11:25; 1 Co. 11:26; 1 Co. 11:27; 1 Co. 11:28; Rev. 14:10; Rev. 16:19; Rev. 17:4; Rev. 18:6

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Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth - Whatever He Says  (BORROW The quiet place : daily devotional readings Page 96)

“My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”—Matthew 26:39

ONE OF THE SWEET BY-PRODUCTS of spending time alone with God in His Word and prayer is that our lives are brought into submission to God and His will. Yes, submission.

Now I’ll be the first to admit that the “S” word is not one of the most popular in our free-spirited era. The idea of submitting to the control or will of another is utterly contrary to our sinful human nature.

When we became children of God, however, we received a new nature, one that recognizes God’s right to rule over us. Yet even though our spirit now wants to obey Him, our flesh (our natural inclination) wars against our spirit and still wants to have its own way.

As a result, there are times when we resent, resist, or run from what God has brought into our lives. We view difficult, annoying people and circumstances as a problem, resenting the pressure they place upon us. In so doing, we end up pushing against God Himself, resisting His sovereign choices and purposes for our lives.

But when we place ourselves under the ministry and microscope of His Word, our resistance is exposed. We see the wise hand of God that is acting for our good. We realize the folly of trying to “box” with God.

Whether the problem is earth-shattering or a mere blip on the radar screen, the real issue often comes down to this: “Do I trust that God is wise and good? And will I submit to His hand and purposes in my life?”

 Is there an issue (big or small) in your life where your flesh is resisting the will of God? As you meet with Him, ask Him to bring you to a place of wholehearted submission and trust, until you can say, “Yes, Lord! Not as I will, but as You will.”

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Too Much For Me

O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me. —Matthew 26:39

Today's Scripture & Insight : Matthew 26:36-46

“God never gives us more than we can handle,” someone said to a father whose 5-year-old son had just lost his battle with cancer. These words, which were intended to encourage him, instead depressed him and caused him to wonder why he wasn’t “handling” the loss of his boy at all. The pain was so much to bear that he could hardly even breathe. He knew his grief was too much for him and that he desperately needed God to hold him tight.

The verse that some use to support the statement “God never gives us more than we can handle” is 1 Corinthians 10:13, “When you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it” (niv). But the context of these words is temptation, not suffering. We can choose the way out of temptation that God provides, but we can’t choose a way out of suffering.

Jesus Himself wanted a way out of His upcoming suffering when He prayed, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. . . . O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me” (Matt. 26:38-39). Yet He willingly went through this for our salvation.

When life seems too much to bear, that’s when we throw ourselves on God’s mercy, and He holds on to us. By:  Anne Cetas (Reprinted by permission from Our Daily Bread Ministries. Please do not repost the full devotional without their permission.)

Father, I feel vulnerable and weak. I know You are my refuge and strength, my help in trouble. I call upon Your name, Lord. Hold on to me.

With God behind you and His arms beneath you, you can face whatever lies ahead.

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The Work Of Prayer

[Jesus] went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed. — Matthew 26:39

Today's Scripture : Matthew 26:36-46

I must admit that I have found prayer strenuous, boring, and confusing at times. Occasionally I have gotten ahold of prayer, only to discover that I couldn’t sustain the grip. I’ve learned that real prayer can be tough, hard business.

We often think of prayer as preparation for the battle, but Christ showed us that it is the battle itself. Prayer was the heart of His work.

Where was it that Jesus’ sweat was like drops of blood? Not in Pilate’s hall, nor on His way to Golgotha. It was in the Garden of Gethsemane. There He “offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death” (Heb. 5:7).

If I had witnessed His struggle that night, I might have misinterpreted the situation and said, “If He is so broken up when all He is doing is praying, what will He do when He faces a real crisis? Why can’t He approach this ordeal with the calm confidence of His three sleeping friends?” Yet when the test came, Jesus walked to the cross with courage, and His three friends fell apart and ran away.

Have we misunderstood the importance of prayer? Instead of prayer being just a request for help to do God’s work, could it be that prayer is the work itself? By:  Haddon W. Robinson (Reprinted by permission from Our Daily Bread Ministries. Please do not repost the full devotional without their permission.)

Something happens when we pray,
Take our place and therein stay,
Wrestle on till break of day;
Ever let us pray.
—Anon.

Prayer was never intended to be a labor-saving device.

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His Way

O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will. — Matthew 26:39

Today's Scripture : Matthew 26:36-46

A question about the title of a hymn took me back to a wonderful old song I grew up singing in church called “Let Him Have His Way With Thee.” The chorus says: “His power can make you what you ought to be; His blood can cleanse your heart and make you free; His love can fill your soul, and you will see ’twas best for Him to have His way with thee.”

Even when we know that God’s way is best for us, we may still struggle to obey Him. When Christ our Savior faced the horrible reality of bearing our sins on the cross, He agonized in prayer, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will” (Matthew 26:39). Jesus, who lived to do His Father’s will, struggled and prayed, then willingly obeyed. And He can help us as we grapple with the difficult choices in our lives.

C. S. Lewis wrote: “There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, ‘Thy will be done,’ and those to whom God says, in the end, ‘Thy will be done.'” If we continually choose our own way, He will eventually allow us to suffer the consequences.

It’s best to surrender to God now. If we do, we’ll have the assurance that His way is best for us. By:  David C. McCasland

Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Thou art the Potter, I am the clay;
Mould me and make me after Thy will,
While I am waiting, yielded and still.
—Pollard

There is victory in surrender when the conqueror is Christ.

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Hymns Related to Mt 26:39

• Deep in Our Hearts Let Us Re­cord
• Gethsemane (Clea­tor)
• Immanuel, Sunk with Dread­ful Woe
• Thou Who Didst Stoop Be­low

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C H Spurgeon - Morning and Evening —Matthew 26:39

There are several instructive features in our Saviour’s prayer in his hour of trial. It was lonely prayer. He withdrew even from his three favoured disciples. Believer, be much in solitary prayer, especially in times of trial. Family prayer, social prayer, prayer in the Church, will not suffice, these are very precious, but the best beaten spice will smoke in your censer in your private devotions, where no ear hears but God’s.

It was humble prayer. Luke says he knelt, but another evangelist says he “fell on his face.” Where, then, must be THY place, thou humble servant of the great Master? What dust and ashes should cover thy head! Humility gives us good foot-hold in prayer. There is no hope of prevalence with God unless we abase ourselves that he may exalt us in due time.

It was filial prayer. “Abba, Father.” You will find it a stronghold in the day of trial to plead your adoption. You have no rights as a subject, you have forfeited them by your treason; but nothing can forfeit a child’s right to a father’s protection. Be not afraid to say, “My Father, hear my cry.”

Observe that it was persevering prayer. He prayed three times. Cease not until you prevail. Be as the importunate widow, whose continual coming earned what her first supplication could not win. Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving.

Lastly, it was the prayer of resignation. “Nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt.” Yield, and God yields. Let it be as God wills, and God will determine for the best. Be thou content to leave thy prayer in his hands, who knows when to give, and how to give, and what to give, and what to withhold. So pleading, earnestly, importunately, yet with humility and resignation, thou shalt surely prevail.

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J B Lightfoot (from sermon  “The Triumph of Failure,”) - Judged by any human standard, the life of Christ had proved a misadventure and a mistake. Amid the Hosannas of an admiring throng, he entered the Holy City, the acknowledged King of Israel. Then came the end. The populace turned against him. His own disciples deserted him. He was left alone—amidst the insults of the judgment hall, in the agonies of the Cross. Could any failure be more complete?

Failure is inevitable. Success is not the rule of human life. It is the rare exception. The path of life is strewn with the corpses of magnificent projects and brilliant hopes crushed and trampled under foot.

If failure is inevitable, how can we turn it to account? What are its special uses?

Failure is a discipline. As a test of strength and as a test of faith alike it is without a rival.

[Have you] felt enthusiasm burning in your heart? You tried and failed, and your faith deserted you. You felt that you were left alone; you did not feel that the Father was with you. You appropriated the one-half of Christ’s experience, the sense of failure; you did not appropriate the other and the essential half, the persistence of faith. There was in you then, there is in you now, if you will only believe it, a power that can defy failure, a power that must be victorious, because it is a power of God and not of your own.

The life of Christ was the most stunning failure, followed by the most stunning triumph that the world has ever seen.

This is the example of all examples. God’s purpose cannot fail. Whatever is honest, whatever is lovely, whatever is pure, whatever is truthful has vitality that no time can obliterate and no antagonism can subdue. Believe this and no failure will be a failure to you. It will only be a triumph deferred. The pains that you have spent in reclaiming that poor outcast are not thrown away, though you see no immediate fruits. The seeds of morality and goodness that you have sown in that wayward child are not lost, though the soil seems hard and barren now. You may not live to see it. Your life may be pronounced a failure. Dare to face this possibility. But your work cannot die. Think of Christ, your Master. Trust God, who is one, and not the world because it is many. “This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith” (1 John 5:4).

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David Jeremiah - PRAYER (See Your Daily Journey with God: 365 Daily Devotions - Page 165)

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.” Mt 26:39

You have probably heard the phrases “There are no atheists in foxholes” and “There are no atheists in the trenches.” We don’t know who said them first, but sources date the idea back as far as World War I. While there is no agreement about the origin of these sayings, there is no disagreement about their meaning.

Crying out to God for protection in times of heated battle is nothing to be ashamed of. Jesus Christ Himself, on the night of His arrest and trial for blasphemy, fell on His face before God and prayed that God might spare Him from the pain He knew was coming. But He ended His prayer with these all-important words: “Not as I will, but as You will.” We know what God’s will for Jesus was —it was for Him to die for the sins of the world. When we need to hear from God about our own future —when Scripture does not speak directly to our situation —the first thing we should do is pray. God has promised to hear us when we pray according to His will, and to answer (1 John 5:14-15).

When we pray for God’s will to be done, we can be assured it will be, as we rise submissively from our knees.

  The spirit of prayer is the fruit and token of the Spirit of adoption. 
JOHN NEWTON

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QUESTION - Why did Jesus ask God to “let this cup pass from me”?

ANSWER - The gospels contain an account of the time the disciples and Jesus spent in the Garden of Gethsemane, just before Jesus was arrested. In the garden Jesus prayed to his Father three times, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will”—the KJV says, “Let this cup pass from me” (Matthew 26:39). A little later, Jesus prays, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done” (Matthew 26:42). These prayers reveal Jesus’ mindset just before the crucifixion and His total submission to the will of God.

The “cup” to which Jesus refers is the suffering He was about to endure. It’s as if Jesus were being handed a cup full of bitterness with the expectation that He drink all of it. Jesus had used the same metaphor in Matthew 20:22 when prophesying of the future suffering of James and John. When Jesus petitions the Father, “Let this cup pass from me,” He expresses the natural human desire to avoid pain and suffering.

Jesus is fully God, but He is also fully human. His human nature, though perfect, still struggled with the need to accept the torture and shame that awaited Him; His flesh recoiled from the cross. In the same context, Jesus says to His disciples, “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Mathew 26:41). In praying, “Let this cup pass from me,” Jesus was battling the flesh and its desire for self-preservation and comfort. The struggle was intense: Jesus was “overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death” (Matthew 26:38), and Luke the physician observed that Jesus was sweating blood—a sign of extreme anguish (Luke 22:44). If anything shows that Jesus was indeed fully man, this prayer is it.

Jesus knew of what was to come (see Mark 8:31). The agony He faced was going to be more than physical; it would be spiritual and emotional, as well. Jesus knew that God’s will was to crush Him, to allow Him to be “pierced for our transgressions” and wounded for our healing (Isaiah 53:5–10). Jesus loves mankind, but His humanity dreaded the pain and sorrow He faced, and it drove Him to ask His Father, “Let this cup pass from me.”

Jesus’ prayer to “let this cup pass from me” contains two important qualifications. First, He prays, “If it is possible.” If there was any other way to redeem mankind, Jesus asks to take that other way. The events following His prayer show that there was no other way; Jesus Christ is the only possible sacrifice to redeem the world (John 1:29; Acts 4:12; Hebrews 10:14; Revelation 5:9). Second, Jesus prays, “Yet not as I will, but as you will.” Jesus was committed to the will of God, body, mind, and soul. The prayer of the righteous is always dependent on the will of God (see Matthew 6:10).

In Gethsemane, Jesus conquered the flesh and kept it in subjection to the spirit. He did this through earnest prayer and intense, willful submission to God’s plan. It is good to know that, when we face trials, Jesus knows what it’s like to want God’s will and yet not to want it; to act out of love yet dread the hurt that often results; to desire righteousness and obedience, even when the flesh is screaming out against it. This conflict is not sinful; it is human. Our Savior was “fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God” (Hebrews 2:17). He had come “to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10), and He accomplished His mission, even though it meant drinking the cup of suffering to the bitter end.

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QUESTION - Why did Jesus say, “Not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42)?

ANSWER - The life of Jesus Christ exemplified obedience. He came to earth to fulfill His heavenly Father’s will no matter how painful the task set before Him. Nonetheless, Jesus spoke honestly with God when faced with His crucifixion: “Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me” (Luke 22:42, NLT). In His human state, Jesus did not want to endure a torturous death. Yet in the same breath, He prayed, “Not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42).

This scene in Gethsemane records one of the most desperate hours of anguish in the life of Christ (Matthew 26:36–46; Mark 14:32–42; Luke 22:40–46). He told His disciples, “My soul is overwhelmed to the point of death” (Mark 14:34). Worse than the thought of death, Jesus, in His humanity, must have dreaded the thought of bearing the sins of the world (1 Peter 2:24). In the garden, the Lord fell to the ground flat on His face and offered God this desperate cry of His soul: “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will” (Matthew 26:39).

Christ’s words and actions here serve as a great comfort to us, His followers. God wants His children to pour out their hearts to Him in sincerity (Psalm 62:8). He is our refuge, our safe haven. Like Jesus, we can reveal the deepest longings in our hearts to our loving heavenly Father. He knows what we are feeling, and we can trust Him to carry the burdens of our souls.

Facing the cross, Jesus was able to pray, “Not my will, but yours be done” because He was wholly submitted to His Father’s will. “My food,” He had said, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work” (John 4:34). “By myself I can do nothing,” explained Jesus, “for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me” (John 5:30).

Obedience to God’s will was central to Christ’s mission. He told His disciples, “For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me” (John 6:38). Hundreds of years before, Scripture foretold Christ’s destiny to come to earth and do God’s will (Hebrews 10:5–7; cf. Psalm 40:6–8).

For Christ’s followers, “Not my will, but yours be done” is the definitive prayer that never fails. According to 1 John 5:14–15, we can pray with confidence “if we ask according to his will.” Praying God’s will guarantees that He hears us and will grant what we ask. In fact, one of the primary purposes of prayer is to allow the will of God to be accomplished and to bring glory and honor to His name on earth. Jesus taught His disciples to pray, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:9–10). Those who pray this way, desiring God’s will above all else, reveal that they are indeed Christ’s disciples (Matthew 7:21; see also Matthew 12:50; Mark 3:35; Luke 8:21; John 15:10; Ephesians 6:6).

The apostle Paul encouraged Christians to seek the Holy Spirit’s help to pray in agreement with God’s will: “And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will” (Romans 8:26–27, NLT). Paul also urged believers to “learn to know God’s will” for their lives because God’s will “is good and pleasing and perfect” (Romans 12:2NLT).

When Jesus said, “Not my will, but yours be done,” He surrendered His own will to God’s, fully convinced that His Father knew what was best. When we pray this way, we yield ourselves to God’s wisdom, trusting Him to work out what’s best for our lives, too (Romans 8:28). GotQuestions.org

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Related Resources:

• What does it mean to pray, “Thy will be done”?
• If Jesus was God, how could He pray to God?
• What does it mean that the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak?
• Why did Jesus sweat blood in the Garden of Gethsemane? 
• What is the passion of Christ? 

Matthew 26:40 And He *came to the disciples and *found them sleeping, and *said to Peter, “So, you men could not keep watch with Me for one hour? 

• found them sleeping: Mt 26:43 Mt 25:5 Song 5:2 Mk 14:37 Lu 9:32 Lk 22:45 
• So, you men could not keep watch: Mt 26:35 Jdg 9:33 1Sa 26:15,16 1Ki 20:11 

Related Passages: 

Mark 14:37+  And He *came and *found them sleeping, and *said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour?

Luke 22:45-46+  When He rose from prayer, He came to the disciples and found them sleeping from sorrow (lupe) , 46 and said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray (present imperative) that you may not enter into temptation (PARALLELS Mt 26:41).”

Andrea Mantegna's Agony in the Garden,

DISOBEDIENT DISCIPLES
SLEEPING NOT WATCHING

And He *came (erchomai) to the disciples (mathetes) and *found  (heurisko) them sleeping (katheudo), and *said to Peter - Note that although there were 3 sleeping, Jesus singles out Peter!  And Mark 14:37 uses his old name “Simon, are you asleep?" It is perhaps a preview of "coming attractions" as this same Simon who would fall asleep three times would soon deny Jesus three times!

Luke 22:45+ describes the fact that they were "sleeping from sorrow (lupe ~ "heartache")." While it must have been around midnight and the disciples would have been sleepy, that is not why they were sleeping. Luke explains they were sleeping because they were downcast at Jesus' repeated predictions that He would soon die. Imagine your best friend, your spouse, etc telling you that they were going to die in the next few hours even though at that moment they were perfectly healthy! The disciples were in deep despair and were depressed. As an aside, one of the clinical signs of depression is excessive sleeping. And not only would Jesus' imminent death make them sorrowful but they were surely sorrowful because Jesus had predicted they would desert Him and they knew His "batting average" for predictions was 100%!

Brian Bell quips asking if we know Simon's "sleep number on his "sleep number bed?" Answer "3"!

So, you men could not keep watch (gregoreo) with Me for one hour This passage suggests that Jesus prayed for an extended period, which is attested by the fact that He returned three times to find sleeping saints. As their subsequent response to Jesus' arrest will demonstrate, their sleeping instead of praying left their hearts unprepared for the test they would soon face. 

J C Ryle - We see in these verses, an example of the feebleness of the best of saints. We are told that while our Lord was in agony, His disciples fell asleep. In spite of a plain injunction to pray, and a plain warning against temptation the flesh overcame the spirit. While Christ was sweating great drops of blood, His apostles slept! Passages like these are very instructive. We ought to thank God that they have been written for our learning. They are meant to teach us humility. When apostles can behave in this way, the Christian who thinks he stands should take heed lest he fall. They are meant to reconcile believers to death, and make them long for that glorious body which they will have when Christ returns. Then, and not till then, shall we be able to wait upon God without bodily weariness, and to serve Him day and night in His temple.

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Sleeping (2518) katheudo from katá = an intensive + heúdō = to sleep) means literally to sleep, fall asleep or be fast asleep (Matt. 8:24; 13:25; 25:5; 26:40, 43, 45; Mark 13:36; 14:37, 40, 41; Luke 22:46; 1 Thess. 5:7; Sept.: Gen. 28:13; 1 Sam. 3:2, 3, 5; 2 Sam. 12:3) and figuratively (as here)  to die or be dead (Matt. 9:24; Mark 5:39; Luke 8:52 cf. John 11:11-14; 1 Th. 5:10; Da 12:2). Another figurative sense speaks of an attitude of spiritual laziness or indifference, to be spiritually indolent, to be indifferent. The idea is to be "asleep" in your sin, secure and unconcerned in sin, or indolent and careless in the performance of duty (Eph 5.14, 1 Th 5:6, cf. parallel thought but not using katheudo in Ro 13:11-13; 1 Cor. 15:34).  

KATHEUDO - 23X/20V - asleep(8), do their sleeping(1), goes to bed(1), sleep(3), sleep do(1), sleeper(1), sleeping(8). Matt. 8:24; Matt. 9:24; Matt. 13:25; Matt. 25:5; Matt. 26:40; Matt. 26:43; Matt. 26:45; Mk. 4:27; Mk. 4:38; Mk. 5:39; Mk. 13:36; Mk. 14:37; Mk. 14:40; Mk. 14:41; Lk. 8:52; Lk. 22:46; Eph. 5:14; 1 Thess. 5:6; 1 Thess. 5:7; 1 Thess. 5:10

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Illustration: Finding strength through prayer: at the great cathedral at Worms, Germany, along the Rhine River. . . all the powers of Europe were assembled in that place: the Roman emperor, in all his robes and dignity; the papal delegates, the bishops and archbishops of all the Catholic realms of Europe. It was the most imposing array of power possible on the face of the earth of that day, all gathered in that great cathedral against one lone man, Dr. Martin Luther, on trial for his life. The account tells us that the night before, someone overheard Martin Luther praying and wrote down the words of his prayer. It was a long, rambling, disconnected prayer of a soul in deep distress and fear, crying out to God for help, casting himself anew, again and again, upon the strength of God and reminding himself that there is no source of hope or help except God. All his reliance upon the princes of the German state disappeared. Martin Luther cast himself in naked helplessness upon the grace and sustaining strength of God. I am sure that is why, at that very moment, he received strength to stand and say, "Unless someone can show me from these books and from Holy Scripture the error in my thinking, I will not and cannot recant. Here I stand. I can do no other, God help me!" And though he was condemned as an heretic, it was then that the torts of the Reformation began to spread throughout all of Europe. Nothing could stop the shining forth of the light. (Stedman)

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Charles Simeon writes that "Unwatchfulness, even in a victorious army, exposes it to defeat. Therefore much more must our unwatchfulness subject us to the power of our subtle enemy. Peter had experienced its baneful effects. He had been warned of Satan’s intention to assault him (Lk 22:31). He had been commanded to pray lest he should fall by the temptation (Lk 22:40); but he slept when he should have been praying (Lk 22:45, 46). He stands in this respect, like Lot’s wife (Lk 17:32, Ge 19:26), a monument to future generations; but vigilance on our part will counteract the designs of Satan. The armed Christian, watching unto prayer, must be victorious (Ep 6:18+).. (1Peter 5:8, 9 The Means of Defeating Satan's Malice)

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Emotional Betrayals

[Jesus] found them sleeping, and said . . . , “Could you not watch with Me one hour?” — Matthew 26:40

Today's Scripture : Matthew 26:36-46

Some years back, another man and I were reading together Matthew 26 about Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. “I know this much,” he told me as we read along, “if I’d been with Jesus in Gethsemane, I’d have had His back. No way would I have fallen asleep!” Indignant, he continued, “How could anyone fall asleep after hearing Jesus tell them how troubled He was? He was practically begging!” (v.38).

Knowing that our families struggled with our long work hours, I wondered out loud to my friend: “How many times have our children looked for us in the crowd at their school activities, hoping to see us? Do our kids face troubles alone because we are away or busy? Our families and friends have an intense need for personal attention from us. Even Jesus asked His disciples to watch and pray with Him” (see vv.40-45).

It is not a simple thing to balance life’s demands against the needs of those we love and serve, but failing to do so is emotional betrayal. As we think about the disciples disappointing Jesus in the Garden, we might want to consider the ways we can today show our care for our loved ones and their interests. Help us, Lord, to love others well. By:  Randy Kilgore (Reprinted by permission from Our Daily Bread Ministries. Please do not repost the full devotional without their permission.)

Open my eyes, Lord, to people around me,
Help me to see them as You do above;
Give me the wisdom and strength to take action,
So others may see the depth of Your love.
—K. DeHaan

One measure of our love for Christ is our sensitivity to the needs of others.

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Oswald Chambers - The missionary watching

Watch with Me. Matthew 26:40.

“Watch with Me”—with no private point of view of your own at all, but watch entirely with Me. In the early stages we do not watch with Jesus, we watch for Him. We do not watch with Him through the revelation of the Bible; in the circumstances of our lives. Our Lord is trying to introduce us to identification with Himself in a particular Gethsemane, and we will not go; we say—‘No, Lord, I cannot see the meaning of this, it is bitter.’ How can we possibly watch with Someone Who is inscrutable? How are we going to understand Jesus sufficiently to watch with Him in His Gethsemane, when we do not know even what His suffering is for? We do not know how to watch with Him; we are only used to the idea of Jesus watching with us.

The disciples loved Jesus Christ to the limit of their natural capacity, but they did not understand what He was after. In the Garden of Gethsemane they slept for their own sorrow, and at the end of three years of the closest intimacy they “all forsook Him and fled.”

“They were all filled with the Holy Ghost”—the same “they,” but something wonderful has happened in between, viz., Our Lord’s Death and Resurrection and Ascension, and the disciples have been invaded by the Holy Spirit. Our Lord had said—“Ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you,” and this meant that they learned to watch with Him all the rest of their lives.

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WAKE UP!
Peter wasn’t the only sleeper. James and John were sleeping, too. Should Peter feel singled out for blame? Yes, he was. Peter was supposed to be the leader of his group. He professed his loyalty, and he knew that leadership required extra responsibility. Peter should have kept the others awake, along with himself. Yet aren’t we like Peter? How difficult is it for us to pray for one hour when we’re worried and exhausted, when our energy and motivation are at low levels? We must be leaders who are watchful, who remain prepared for the Lord’s work. We must learn leadership skills from teachers who see our potential and work hard to build our character. When Jesus singles you out for a special responsibility, he wants you to grow into a leader. Stay awake; step up; follow Christ. (Life application New Testament commentary )

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One Bless­èd Hour with Je­sus
Fanny Crosby

One bless­èd hour with Je­sus our Lord,
One bless­èd hour to feast on His Word;
One bless­èd hour with Je­sus apart,
One bless­èd hour to calm the trou­bled heart.

Refrain
One sweet hour of ho­ly, calm de­light,
One sweet hour of ten­der, melt­ing love;
One sweet hour, O pre­cious Sav­ior,
One sweet hour with Thee.

One bless­èd hour with Je­sus to plead,
One bless­èd hour to tell Him our need;
One bless­èd hour re­fresh­ing and sweet,
One bless­èd hour to sit at Je­sus’ feet.

Refrain

One bless­èd hour from labor to rest,
One bless­èd hour to lean on His breast;
Loving and loved, His fa­vor to share,
One bless­èd hour of soul re­viv­ing pray­er.

Refrain

One bless­èd hour with Je­sus our king,
One bless­èd hour to speak and to sing;
One bless­èd hour with Je­sus, how dear!
Surely ’tis Heav’n, and Heav’n it­self is here.

Matthew 26:41 “Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”  

• Watching: Mt 24:42 25:13 Mk 13:33-37 14:38 Lk 21:36 22:40,46 1Co 16:13 Eph 6:18 1Pe 4:7 5:8 Rev 16:15
• Enter: Mt 6:13 Pr 4:14,15 Lk 8:13 11:4 1Co 10:13 2Pe 2:9 Rev 3:10
• Spirit: Ps 119:4, 5, 24, 25, 32, 35, 36, 37,115,117,1 Isa 26:8,9 Ro 7:18-25 Ro 8:3 1Co 9:27 Ga 5:16, 17, 24 Php 3:12, 13, 14
• See in depth discussion on Matthew 26:41
• Matthew 26 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries

Related Passages:

Luke 22:40+  When He arrived at the place, He said to them, “Pray (present imperative) that you may not enter into temptation (peirasmos) .”

In these two passages in Luke - NOTE TWICE JESUS COMMANDS THE DISCIPLES TO PRAY SO THEY WOULD NOT ENTER INTO TEMPTATION

Luke 22:46+ and said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Get up and Pray (present imperative) that you may not enter into temptation (peirasmos) .”

JESUS COMMANDS VIGILANCE
AND WARNING OF WEAKNESS

In light of the fact that the three disciples were having difficulty staying awake, Jesus gives two commands. 

Keep watching (gregoreo) and praying (proseuchomai) - (See in depth discussion) Both commands are present imperative and the only way these commands can be obeyed is by depending on the Holy Spirit. Of course the 3 disciples did not have the Spirit within them at this time which might help understand why they failed to obey.  Gregoreo in the present imperative is a charge to continually stay awake! Jesus is saying that it is imperative that His disciples (and by application this includes us today) not become indolent and lazy and let down our guard or we will become easy prey for our inveterate, intractable enemies - the world, the flesh and the devil. The internal and external forces that come against us demand us to be alert and vigilant. Jesus is calling His disciples to be on the alert, maintaining a constant state of vigilance (vigilance suggests intense, unremitting, wary watchfulness; keenly alert to or heedful of trouble or danger as others are sleeping or unsuspicious).

THOUGHT- Notice the Order. The commands to watch and pray precede the warning about temptation. In other words, don't wait until the temptation comes to begin to watch and pray. Watch and pray before the temptation comes! Then you are ready to deal with the temptation and much more likely to come through the testing time victoriously. If you are not alert and "prayed up," you may "eaten up" by temptation.

Keep watching is a charge to continually stay awake! Jesus is saying that it is imperative that His disciples (and by application this includes us today) not become indolent and lazy and let down our guard or we will become easy prey for our inveterate, intractable enemies - the world, the flesh and the devil. The internal and external forces that come against us demand us to be alert and vigilant. Jesus is calling His disciples to be on the alert, maintaining a constant state of vigilance (vigilance suggests intense, unremitting, wary watchfulness; keenly alert to or heedful of trouble or danger as others are sleeping or unsuspicious).

Jesus' double command pictures watchfulness and prayer as if they were two sentinels or soldiers on duty at their guard post constantly watching over the entrance of our heart (Pr 4:23+), alerting us to sneak attacks, continually guarding against the subtle, often sudden approach of danger and giving us forewarning of that danger. The implication is clear that temptation lurks about, waiting for our unguarded moments and then attacks.

Marvin Vincent comments on the significance of Jesus' using the illustration of an awake, alert doorkeeper in this parable writing that "In the temple, during the night, the captain of the temple made his rounds, and the guards had to rise at his approach and salute him in a particular manner. Any guard (doorkeeper) found asleep on duty was beaten, or his garments were set on fire." (Greek Word Studies)

Puritan John Owen explains that keeping watch means "as much as to be on our guard, to take heed, to consider all ways and means whereby an enemy may approach to us… (this watchfulness requires) a universal carefulness and diligence, exercising itself in and by all ways and means prescribed by God, over our hearts and ways, the baits and methods of Satan, the occasions and advantages of sin in the world, that we be not entangled, is that which in this word is pressed on us."

Alertness is required because our enemy rarely shows himself for who he is. He almost always masks himself as a religious personality, almost always endeavoring somehow in some way to be able to approach you subtly so that you can't recognize the reality of who he is. So you need to "be on the alert"!

Wiersbe comments on watch and pray noting it is like saying "Pray with your eyes open"… The familiar phrase "watch and pray" goes back to when Nehemiah was leading the people in rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem and restoring the gates. The enemy did not want the holy city to be rebuilt, so they used fear, deceit, and every kind of ruse to hinder the work. What was Nehemiah's defense? "Nevertheless we made our prayer to our God, and because of them [the enemy] we set a watch against them day and night" (Neh. 4:9NKJV). Jesus (Mt 26:41; Mk 13:33), Paul (Col 4:2), and Peter (1Pe 4:7) commanded God's people to "watch and pray," to be on guard and pray with intelligence and alertness. We are soldiers in a battle and we dare not go to sleep while on duty. (Bible Exposition Commentary - Old Testament )

That you may not enter into temptation (peirasmos) - That is the Greek conjunction hina which usually introduces a purpose (or result) clause. The purpose (and the result) of watchfulness and prayer is that it builds a barrier against temptation that can easily wash into unwatched hearts which are suddenly overwhelmed. 

Temptation (peirasmos) is a neutral word and whether it is a temptation or a trial depends on our response. If a believer responds to a peirasmos in faith (which in the context of Mt 26:41 = watching and praying prior to the peirasmos), he successfully endures a trial (and we call it just that -- a "trial" and not a "temptation") but if he falls into it, doubts God and disobeys, the trial becomes a "temptation" which can (and usually does) lead to sin. God allows "peirasmos" in our life not to make us sin but to make us more like the Savior.Not so with Satan as his encounter with our Lord illustrates. Matthew records that "Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted (peirazo  - the verbal root of peirasmos) by the devil." (Mt 4:1+) The temptation of Jesus was morally neutral -- there was nothing inherently evil in offering Jesus bread (Mt 4:2-4). The context however allows us to determine that the purpose of the testing was clearly for evil not good. Satan, the Evil one himself, used the "neutral" peirasmos in an attempt to induce Jesus to commit a sin. When peirasmos is used in a passage in which the context indicates it has to do with inducing one to sin, most modern Bible versions translate it as "temptation". To reiterate, when God is the agent, peirasmos is for the purpose of proving us, never for the purpose of causing us to fall. If it is the devil who tempts us even though it is the same Greek word, his nefarious purpose is to trip us up.

In a sermon titled Faith Tested and Crowned (Ge 22:1-14) Alexander Maclaren distinguished between being tempted and being tried or tested. He said that temptation "conveys the idea of appealing to the worst part of man, with the wish that he may yield and do the wrong. The latter (trial) means an appeal to the better part of man, with the desire that he should stand. Temptation says, 'Do this pleasant thing; do not be hindered by the fact that it is wrong.' Trial or proving says, 'Do this right and noble thing; do not be hindered by the fact that it is painful.'" In sum, peirasmos refers to all the trials, testing, temptations that go into furnishing a test of one's character.

As J C Ryle said "Trials are intended to make us think, to wean us from the world, to send us to the Bible, to drive us to our knees."

Spurgeon reflects on the oft overlooked value of temptation so that we can truly live out Jas 1:2+ "There is no temptation in the world which is so bad as not being tempted at all, for to be tempted will tend to keep us awake. Whereas, being without temptation, flesh and blood are weak. Though the spirit may be willing, yet we may be found falling into slumber. Children do not run away from their father’s side when big dogs bark at them. The howlings of the devil may tend to drive us nearer to Christ, may teach us our own weakness, may keep us upon our own watch tower, and be made the means of preservation from other ills." (Spurgeon, C. H. Satan, A Defeated Foe)

THOUGHT - Mark it down that the Christian who is not alert to the enemy's attack is in for trouble. Don't misunderstand… we are not to look for a demon behind every bush. We are simply called to a continual state of spiritual alertness.

The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak (asthenes) - (See in depth discussion) The idea is on one hand we want to obey, but the problem is our flesh is weak. 

Spiritual eagerness is often accompanied by carnal weakness—
a danger amply experienced by successive generations of Christians.
-- D A Carson

Phil Newton explains that in Mt 26:41 Jesus presents a radical contrast between "the dignified desires of the human will ("the spirit") and the inherent physical weakness of the man ("the flesh") [Cleon Rogers, 60]. As we considered in the previous study (Mt 26:31-35), the disciples failed to realize their own inherent weakness, but gullibly thought they were capable of achieving lofty goals in their own strength. Even in His humanity, though sinless, Jesus faced normal human weaknesses (Ed: But clearly His "weaknesses" were not contaminated by the "fallen flesh"). He had to eat, sleep, and rest. We find Him hungry, tired, and asleep. Now the feelings of sorrow, grief, and distress weigh upon Him physically and emotionally. When He told the disciples "the flesh is weak," He understood that weakness of the physical frame under the duress of sorrow and anguish. Yet in every way, Jesus Christ displayed strength as He depended upon the Father. He watched and prayed as one that would have felt much more intensity from sin and temptation than any of us, setting an example for us to do the same. Those mired in sin scarcely feel temptation. It is those that resist it, who seek to walk in holiness and purity that understand the intensity of temptation. So, Jesus Christ gave us two sentinels that guarded His earthly life in the face of temptation. (The Son Drinks the Cup)

Spurgeon - It is said by Luke that they were sleeping FOR SORROW. Their kind Master, knowing this, was ready with an excuse for them, and did not chide them for what looked unkind.

Spurgeon - Christ had to tread the winepress alone, yet he showed how complete was his humanity by wishing to have a few choice friends near at hand. Yet even the chosen three failed him in his hour of greatest need.....Admire the tenderness of Jesus in making this apology for his disciples. What he said about them was true: but it is not everybody who would have uttered that gentle truth at such a trying time. Dear friends, make excuses for one another whenever you can; never make them for yourselves, but often make them for others, and especially, when some treat you as you think very untenderly, be the more tender towards them. 

D L Moody - THE flesh is weak. Is there any one on earth that dares to dispute that statement? Is there anything weaker under the sun than the human flesh? The spirit is willing. Most men would rather do the right thing, and think they will do it. Tell them that they will do certain things inside of twelve months, and they would say, as the king did, “Is thy servant a dog that he should do such a thing? No, never.” But they will do it just the same. “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

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Watching (1127) (gregoreuo from egeiro = to arise, arouse) pictures a sleeping man rousing himself from slumber and so means to refrain from sleep and by default to be awake, alert, and watchful. A secular use of gregoreuo described a person carefully crossing a river while stepping on slippery stones. If they did not pay strict attention to their steps, they would end up in the water (compare "enter into temptation").  In Mt 26:41 on one level the meaning of gregoreuo is literal, conveying the idea that the disciples were simply to refrain from sleeping. On a deeper level the idea is for the disciples to remain alert, watchful, ready to meet the danger and be quick to perceive and act.

Gregoreuo - 22x - alert, 10; awake, 1; keep, 1; keep watch, 4; keep watching, 1; keeping alert, 1; stay on the alert, 1; stays awake, 1; wake, 2 Matt. 24:42; Matt. 24:43; Matt. 25:13; Matt. 26:38; Matt. 26:40; Matt. 26:41; Mk. 13:34; Mk. 13:35; Mk. 13:37; Mk. 14:34; Mk. 14:37; Mk. 14:38; Lk. 12:37; Acts 20:31; 1 Co. 16:13; Col. 4:2; 1 Thess. 5:6; 1 Thess. 5:10; 1 Pet. 5:8; Rev. 3:2; Rev. 3:3; Rev. 16:15

Note that most of the 22 uses of gregoreuo are in the latter part of Gospels in the context of Jesus' soon to come crucifixion and repeated exhortations to His disciples to be on the alert for His future return. For example, Jesus concluded the parable of the 10 virgins with the warning

Temptation (3986) (peirasmos from peirazo = to make trial of, try, tempt, prove in either a good or bad sense) describes first the idea of putting to the test and then refers to the tests that come in order to discover a person’s nature or the quality of some thing. Think of yourself as a tube of "spiritual toothpaste". Pressure brings out what's really on the inside! The context determines whether the intended purpose of the "temptation" is for good or for evil. 

Weak (sick, helpless) (772)(asthenes from a = without + sthénos = strength, bodily vigor) (Related verb = astheneo-note concentration of asthenes/astheneo in the epistles to the Corinthians - almost 50% of NT uses) is literally without strength or bodily vigor. Asthenes describes one's state of limited capacity to do or be something and is used literally of physical weakness (most of these uses in the Gospels) and figuratively of weakness in the spiritual arena (weak flesh, weak conscience, weak religious system or commandment [Gal 4:9, He 7:18-note], etc) and thus powerlessness to produce results. In other words, when used in the moral sense as in Mt 26:41, asthenes denotes the disciples' (and our) inability and/or feebleness with regard to handling of temptations. Simply put, we cannot do it in our own inherent, intrinsic, natural "strength".

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ILLUSTRATION - When a bird is sleeping on its perch, it does not fall off. How does it manage to do this? The secret is in the tendons of the bird's legs. God designed the legs that when it is bent at the knee, the claws contract and grip like a steel trap. The claws refuse to let go until the knees are unbent again. The bended knee gives the bird the ability to hold on to his perch so tightly. When we bend our knee in prayer, it enables us to grip on to those things which are valuable.... honesty, holiness, honor, humility, helpfulness, and a heart for God.

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C H Spurgeon - When is the Christian most liable to sleep? Is it not when his temporal circumstances are prosperous? Have you not found it so? When you had daily troubles to take to the throne of grace, were you not more wakeful than you are now? Easy roads make sleepy travellers. Another dangerous time is when all goes pleasantly in spiritual matters. Christian went not to sleep when lions were in the way, or when he was wading through the river, or when fighting with Apollyon, but when he had climbed half way up the Hill Difficulty, and came to a delightful arbour, he sat down, and forthwith fell asleep, to his great sorrow and loss. The enchanted ground is a place of balmy breezes, laden with fragrant odours and soft influences, all tending to lull pilgrims to sleep. Remember Bunyan’s description: “Then they came to an arbour, warm, and promising much refreshing to the weary pilgrims; for it was finely wrought above head, beautified with greens, and furnished with benches and settles. It had also in it a soft couch, where the weary might lean.” “The arbour was called the Slothful’s Friend, and was made on purpose to allure, if it might be, some of the pilgrims to take up their rest there when weary.” Depend upon it, it is in easy places that men shut their eyes and wander into the dreamy land of forgetfulness. Old Erskine wisely remarked, “I like a roaring devil better than a sleeping devil.” There is no temptation half so dangerous as not being tempted. The distressed soul does not sleep; it is after we enter into peaceful confidence and full assurance that we are in danger of slumbering. The disciples fell asleep after they had seen Jesus transfigured on the mountain top. Take heed, joyous Christian, good frames are near neighbours to temptations: be as happy as you will, only be watchful.

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My Achilles Heel

Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. — Matthew 26:41

Today's Scripture : Ephesians 6:10-18

Nobody is temptation-proof. Even mature Christians have weaknesses in their spiritual armor that make them vulnerable to a wounding attack by the enemy of their souls. Our pride can provide the very opening needed for the sharp thrust of a satanic dart. So can the love of money, a quick temper, a critical tongue, or chronic impatience.

What, after all, is temptation? It’s any enticement to think, say, or do something contrary to God’s holy will. It may be a weak impulse or a powerful urge. It’s anything that’s against what God approves or desires for us.

The ancient Greeks told a story of a warrior named Achilles. His mother had been warned that he would die of a wound, so she dipped him as an infant in the river Styx. That was supposed to make him invincible. But she held him by one heel which the protective waters didn’t cover. And it was through that heel that he received his fatal wound.

Each of us must ask: What is my Achilles heel? We need to know our weaknesses, where we could easily be wounded spiritually. Then, as we rely on the Lord for His help, we will be protected from “the fiery darts of the wicked one” (Ephesians 6:16).  By:  Vernon Grounds (Reprinted by permission from Our Daily Bread Ministries. Please do not repost the full devotional without their permission.)

Leave no unguarded place,
No weakness of the soul;
Take every virtue, every grace,
And fortify the whole. 
—Wesley

Our greatest weakness may be our failure to ask for God's strength.

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Kenneth Osbeck - YIELD NOT TO TEMPTATION (Amazing grace : 366 inspiring hymn stories)

Words and Music by Horatio R. Palmer, 1834–1907

  Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. (Matthew 26:41)

Temptations are common to everyone, even mature Christians. The noblest souls are often the ones most tempted. It seems that Satan assaults Christians in positions of leadership with his strongest weapons. Therefore, we must all be on our constant spiritual guard.

Jesus’ 40 day temptation in the wilderness dramatically instructs us how to overcome Satan’s attacks. In each temptation, Jesus answered the devil with Scripture. All of the scriptural quotations Jesus used were from the book of Deuteronomy, an indication of the importance of being well-acquainted with the Old Testament (Deuteronomy 8:3; Matthew 4:4).

It is impossible to isolate ourselves from all of life’s temptations. The allurements of modern living are ever near. But we are not alone in this struggle. “We have One who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15). And “because He Himself suffered when He was tempted, He is able to help those who are being tempted” (Hebrews 2:18). Regardless of the temptation, our Lord understands what we are facing and stands ready to provide the strength to resist and to emerge victorious.

Horatio R. Palmer, author and composer, was an American musician. One day while he was working on a music theory exercise, the idea for this hymn suddenly came to him. He wrote it down as quickly as possible and with few exceptions the hymn has remained as it was written. The hymn has been an excellent teaching song for both young and old in learning how to face the daily temptations of life.

  Yield not to temptations for yielding is sin; each vict’ry will help you some other to win; fight manfully onward, dark passions subdue; look ever to Jesus—He’ll carry you through.
  Shun evil companions, bad language disdain; God’s name hold in rev’rence, nor take it in vain; be thoughtful and earnest, kind-hearted and true; look ever to Jesus—He’ll carry you through.
  To him that o’er-cometh God giveth a crown; thru faith we will conquer tho often cast down; He who is our Savior our strength will renew; look ever to Jesus—He’ll carry you through.
  Chorus: Ask the Savior to help you, comfort, strengthen and keep you; He is willing to aid you—He will carry you through.

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My Achilles Heel - Nobody is temptation-proof. Even mature Christians have weaknesses in their spiritual armor that make them vulnerable to a wounding attack by the enemy of their souls. Our pride can provide the very opening needed for the sharp thrust of a satanic dart. So can the love of money, a quick temper, a critical tongue, or chronic impatience.

What, after all, is temptation? It’s any enticement to think, say, or do something contrary to God’s holy will. It may be a weak impulse or a powerful urge. It’s anything that’s against what God approves or desires for us.

The ancient Greeks told a story of a warrior named Achilles. His mother had been warned that he would die of a wound, so she dipped him as an infant in the river Styx. That was supposed to make him invincible. But she held him by one heel which the protective waters didn’t cover. And it was through that heel that he received his fatal wound.

Each of us must ask: What is my Achilles heel? We need to know our weaknesses, where we could easily be wounded spiritually. Then, as we rely on the Lord for His help, we will be protected from “the fiery darts of the wicked one” (Ephesians 6:16). --Vernon C. Grounds (Reprinted by permission from Our Daily Bread Ministries. Please do not repost the full devotional without their permission.)

Leave no unguarded place,
No weakness of the soul;
Take every virtue, every grace,
And fortify the whole.
—Wesley

Our greatest weakness
may be our failure to ask for God's strength.

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Hymns Related to Mt 26:41

• Alas, What Hour­ly Dan­gers Rise!
• Christian! Seek Not Yet Re­pose
• Jesus, My Mas­ter, and My Lord
• Rise, My Soul, to Watch and Pray
• Time to Watch, a Time to Pray, A
• Watch and Pray (Noyes)
• Yield Not to Temp­ta­tion

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QUESTION - What does it mean to watch and pray?

ANSWER - Jesus used the phrase watch and pray on a couple of different occasions. Once was the night before the crucifixion. Jesus took His disciples with Him to the Garden of Gethsemane, where He prayed that “this cup be taken from me” (Matthew 26:39). After the prayer, He found His disciples sleeping. He was grieved that they could not even pray with Him for an hour and warned them to “watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41).

Another occurrence of the phrase watch and pray is found earlier in Jesus’ ministry when He prophesied about the end times. Luke chapter 21 details many of those events, and Jesus warns that they would happen suddenly: “Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap” (Luke 21:34). He then says, “Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man” (verse 36).

“Watch and pray.” The word translated “watch” means “to have the alertness of a guard at night.” A night watchman must be even more vigilant than a daytime guard. In the daytime, danger can often be spotted from a distance. But in the night everything is different. A night watchman must use senses other than sight to detect danger. He is often alone in the darkness and without the defenses he would otherwise employ. There may be no indications of enemy attack until it happens, so he must be hyper-vigilant, suspecting it at any moment. That is the type of watching Jesus spoke about.

Jesus warned us that we are too easily distracted by the physical and will be caught unaware if we do not continually discipline ourselves. In the Garden of Gethsemane, sleepiness overcame the disciples. Their physical need overpowered their desire to obey Him. He was grieved when He saw this, knowing what was ahead for them. If they did not remain spiritually vigilant, in tune with Him (John 15:5) and ready to deny the flesh, they would be overcome by the evil one (1 Peter 5:8).

Jesus’ disciples today must also watch and pray. We are easily distracted by this world, our fleshly needs and desires, and the schemes of the enemy (2 Corinthians 2:11). When we take our eyes from Jesus and His soon return, our values begin to shift, our attention wanders, and soon we are living like the world and bearing little fruit for God’s kingdom (1 Timothy 6:18–19). He warned us that we must be ready at any moment to stand before Him and give an account of our lives (Romans 14:12; 1 Peter 4:5; Matthew 12:36).

“Watch and pray.” We can only remain faithful when we are devoted to prayer. In prayer, we continually allow God to forgive us, cleanse us, teach us, and strengthen us to obey Him (John 14:14). In order to keep watch, we must pray for endurance and freedom from distractions (Hebrews 12:2; Luke 18:1; Ephesians 6:18). We must pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). When we live with the eager expectation of the Lord’s return and expect persecution until then (2 Timothy 3:12; Matthew 24:9; 1 Peter 4:12), we are more likely to keep our lives pure and our hearts ready to meet Him.

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QUESTION - What does it mean that the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak?

ANSWER - Just before His arrest, Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane, and He said to His disciples, “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41). The command came after Jesus had been praying to the Father and had found the disciples sleeping instead of praying (verses 38–40). He had admonished them to stay awake and pray with Him, but “their eyes were heavy” (verse 43), and they kept falling asleep. They slept right up until the time the armed mob came to take Jesus away (verses 45–47).

Because “the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak,” the disciples were caught unawares in Gethsemane. The word for “spirit” in this passage is the Greek word pneuma, which in this context refers to the soul of man or the mind. The word for “flesh” refers to the human body and nature, with its moral and physical frailties. When Jesus first found the disciples sleeping, He said to Peter, “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?” (Matthew 26:40), and then afterward told them all to watch and pray in order to avoid temptation.

The disciples’ spirits were willing to do what was right. In fact, just a few minute earlier, all of them had pledged their lives to Jesus: “Peter declared, ‘Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.’ And all the other disciples said the same” (Matthew 26:35). But, as it turned out, they couldn’t even pray with Jesus for any length of time. Their flesh was weak. They fell asleep because of their physical human weakness. They were tired. By affirming that “the spirit is willing,” Jesus was saying that He knew the disciples wanted to stay awake and pray, but the weakness of the flesh had overpowered the spiritual desire to pray and watch. Jesus was not scolding them but exhorting them to beware of the weakness of the flesh. The Lord Himself was fighting the same struggle against the flesh, but He had overcome it (verse 39).

The story of the disciples in Gethsemane rings true for all of us. We can so easily be distracted from prayer, worship, or a kind act by hunger, exhaustion, sexual desire, feeling too cold or too hot, thirst, pain, and even a persistent itch. The flesh shouts loudly when it wants something, and the ruckus it makes can easily drown out the desires of the spirit. Even when the spirit is willing to do whatever God asks, the flesh remains weak. The answer is just as Jesus said: watch and pray. What does it mean to watch and pray? How can that help us succeed against the weaknesses of the flesh?

Prayer is straightforward. We know that we can ask God for whatever we need. Jesus made a special point that whatever we ask “in His name” He will do (John 14:13). The phrase in His name means “according to His will.” Is having the strength to obey, to worship, to do what is right and true according to God’s will? Of course! Jesus will answer the prayer for spiritual strength to overcome the flesh. When we feel the weakness of the flesh about to overpower us, we can always pray.

Watchfulness is the other weapon we have against the weakness of the flesh. The apostle Paul said, “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it” (1 Corinthians 10:13). We should watch for the “way out.” Spiritual watchfulness sees the temptation coming and prompts prayer. The fact that the flesh is a natural ally to temptation makes spiritual alertness all the more important. “The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and pay the penalty” (Proverbs 22:3).

The spirit of a believer is willing to follow God, but the flesh is weak. The demands, desires, and fears of human nature can pull us way off track. Satan has set up the world to appeal to the weaknesses of the flesh: lust, greed, gluttony, and other sins are directly related to the demands of the body. Is it any wonder that almost every advertisement you see and hear speaks to the fulfillment of the lust of the flesh? Another weakness of the flesh is the fear that we will not be taken care of. But Jesus spoke to this fear too: “I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” (Matthew 6:25–26).

The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. All believers know the struggle. But when we watch and pray—when we remain spiritually alert and appeal to God for help—we can find strength in the time of need (see Psalm 46:1 and Hebrews 4:16). And when we fail, “we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:1–2).

Related Resource:

• What is the conflict of flesh vs. spirit?

Matthew 26:42 He went away again a second time and prayed, saying, “My Father, if this cannot pass away unless I drink it, Your will be done.”

• the second: Mt 26:39 Ps 22:1,2 Ps 69:1-3,17,18 88:1,2 Mk 14:39,40 Heb 4:15 5:7,8 

Related Passages: 

Mark 14:39-40+ Again He went away and prayed, saying the same words. 40 And again He came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy; and they did not know what to answer Him.

JESUS' SECOND PETITION
AND SECOND SUBMISSION

He went away again a second time and prayed (proseuchomai) , saying, “My Father (pater), if this cannot pass away (parerchomai) unless I drink it, Your will (thelema) be done (aorist imperative) - This is the second of three prayers to His Father (Mt 26:39, 42, 44) asking for His Father's will to be done. In Mt 26:39 Jesus said "yet not as I will, but as You will.” Now His request is more complete and includes an aorist imperative. 

“Thy will be done”
is the keynote to which every prayer must be tuned.
-- A. J. GORDON.

Carson comments that "Not your will but mine” changed Paradise to desert and brought man from Eden to Gethsemane. Now “Not my will but yours” brings anguish to the man who prays it but transforms the desert into the kingdom and brings man from Gethsemane to the gates of glory. (The Expositor's Bible Commentary)

Leon Morris on "Not your will but mine”  - Godet sees the incident as very important, for it differentiates the sacrifice of the freely consenting Jesus from those of animals with no say in the matter. ‘(ED: cf Heb 10:7-10) At Gethsemane Jesus did not drink the cup; He consented to drink it.’ The real battle was fought here. (Borrow The Gospel According to St. Luke: An Introduction and Commentary)

William MacDonald makes an interesting statement that "He was necessarily alone in His prayer life. He taught the disciples to pray, and He prayed in their presence, but He never prayed with them. The uniqueness of His Person and work precluded others from sharing in His prayer life." (BORROW Believer's Bible Commentary), 

Bob Utley on “if this cannot pass away unless I drink it” - This is a combination of a FIRST CLASS CONDITIONAL and a THIRD CLASS CONDITIONAL SENTENCE. It implies that Jesus knew it was God’s will that He go to the cross, but He knew He could express His concern to the Father. It is good to know that God will not reject us because of our fears and confusion, but will work with us in love and faith as He worked with Jesus. We cannot even pray ourselves out of the will of God.

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Will (2307) thelema from thelo = to will with the "-ma" suffix indicating the result of the will = "a thing willed") generally speaks of the result of what one has decided. One sees this root word in the feminine name "Thelma." In its most basic form, thelema refers to a wish, a strong desire, and the willing of some event. (Note: See also the discussion of the preceding word boule for comments relating to thelema).

Zodhiates says that thelema is the "Will, not to be conceived as a demand, but as an expression or inclination of pleasure towards that which is liked, that which pleases and creates joy. When it denotes God's will, it signifies His gracious disposition toward something. Used to designate what God Himself does of His own good pleasure. (Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament)

Thelema has both an objective meaning (“what one wishes to happen” or what is willed) and a subjective connotation (“the act of willing or desiring”). The word conveys the idea of desire, even a heart’s desire, for the word primarily expresses emotion instead of volition. Thus God’s will is not so much God’s intention, as it is His heart’s desire.

Most of the NT uses of thelema (over 3/4's) refer to God's will and signify His gracious disposition toward something. God's will usually refers to what He has decreed, but occasionally God's will refers to what He desires but has not decreed (Mt 18:14). Of the remainder of the uses of thelema twice refers to the will of the exalted Christ (Acts 21:14, Ep 5:17), once to the will of the devil (2Ti 2:26) and 12 times to human will most often in contrast to God's will (eg Lk 23:25, Jn 1:13, Ep 2:3). Paul was an apostle only because it was the will (thelema) of God - 1Co 1:1, 2Cor 1:1, Ep 1:1, Col 1:1, 2Ti 1:1.

THELEMA -59/54V- desire(1), desires(1), will(57). - Matt. 6:10; Matt. 7:21; Matt. 12:50; Matt. 18:14; Matt. 21:31; Matt. 26:42; Mk. 3:35; Lk. 12:47; Lk. 22:42; Lk. 23:25; Jn. 1:13; Jn. 4:34; Jn. 5:30; Jn. 6:38; Jn. 6:39; Jn. 6:40; Jn. 7:17; Jn. 9:31; Acts 13:22; Acts 21:14; Acts 22:14; Rom. 1:10; Rom. 2:18; Rom. 12:2; Rom. 15:32; 1 Co. 1:1; 1 Co. 7:37; 1 Co. 16:12; 2 Co. 1:1; 2 Co. 8:5; Gal. 1:4; Eph. 1:1; Eph. 2:3; Eph. 5:17; Eph. 6:6; Col. 1:1; Col. 1:9; Col. 4:12; 1 Thess. 4:3; 1 Thess. 5:18; 2 Tim. 1:1; 2 Tim. 2:26; Heb. 10:7; Heb. 10:9; Heb. 10:10; Heb. 10:36; Heb. 13:21; 1 Pet. 2:15; 1 Pet. 4:2; 1 Pet. 4:19; 2 Pet. 1:21; 1 Jn. 2:17; 1 Jn. 5:14; Rev. 4:11

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David Jeremiah -  Surrender (See Your Daily Journey with God: 365 Daily Devotions - Page 81)

He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may Your will be done.” Mt 26:42NIV

It’s often been said of some great military leader or another: “He never asked us to do something he wasn’t willing to do himself.” By comparing Matthew 6 with Matthew 26, we see this is true of Christ. In the earlier passage, He taught us to pray, “Your will be done on earth” (Mt 6:10). In the latter passage, He Himself prayed, “May Your will be done in Me” (Mt 26:42).

Surrendering our “all” to Christ doesn’t mean we’re dispirited prisoners waving a white flag. It means we’ve come face-to-face with the King of kings, and we are willing to defer every preference to Him. Knowing He is all-powerful, we submit as a servant to a king. Knowing He is all-loving, we yield as a child to a father. Knowing He is all-wise, we gladly choose His will over our own.

The Lord would rather have one person who is 100 percent committed than one hundred people who are 90 percent yielded.
Lord, not my will, but Yours be done!

I have been before God, and have given myself, all that I am and have, to God; so that I am not, in any respect, my own. . . . I have given myself clear away. JONATHAN EDWARDS

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PRESSURING GOD

My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may Your will be done. —Matthew 26:42

Under General George Patton’s  command in World War II, the army had been driving back the Nazis until fog and rain forced the troops to stop. Patton telephoned a chaplain to ask, “Do you have a good prayer for weather?” Immediately the chaplain complied with the general’s request. He wrote a prayer, which Patton ordered to be printed and distributed to the 250,000 soldiers under his command, directing them to pray for clear weather.

The Scriptures teach us that God wants us to bring our requests to Him, and we can be confident that He cares and will answer (Phil. 4:6; 1 John 5:14-15). But He is never obligated to answer in the way we want or just because many people are praying.

When the Son of God was agonising in Gethsemane, He made His request in humble submission to His Father by saying, “Your will be done” (Matt. 26:42). That Gethsemane principle ought to govern all our praying.

The Father’s will is always infused with infinite love and wisdom. So instead of trying to pressure God because we think He’s obligated to us, as trusting children we gladly commit to Him our desires. Whatever He grants will prove in the end to be the best of blessings. vernon c. grounds (Reprinted by permission from Our Daily Bread Ministries. Please do not repost the full devotional without their permission.)

INSTEAD OF TRYING TO TWIST GOD’S ARM, PUT YOURSELF IN HIS HANDS.

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Unanswered Prayer

O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done. — Matthew 26:42

Today's Scripture : Matthew 26:36-44

Have you or a friend been afflicted with an illness for which there is no medical cure? Has God denied your repeated requests for healing? Has His refusal to say yes caused you to question His purpose?

An article by Carol Bradley tells us about the wisdom of Craig Satterlee, a seminary professor in Chicago. He has been legally blind since birth, with only 20 percent of normal vision. Does he complain, saying that God has not kept His promise to answer prayer? By no means! He believes wholeheartedly that God has given him something even better.

“I am whole,” he testifies, “even though I am legally blind.” If introduced as a believer in the power of prayer, he graciously explains, “I don’t believe in the power of prayer. I believe in the power and presence of God, so I pray.” He adds, “We know that God brings light out of darkness, life out of death, hope out of despair. That’s what Scripture teaches us.”

Prayer isn’t the way to get God to do whatever we want. It’s an expression of our trust in His power, wisdom, and grace. No matter what we ask God to do for us, we are to have the attitude of Jesus, who said, “Nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will” (Matthew 26:39). By:  Vernon Grounds (Reprinted by permission from Our Daily Bread Ministries. Please do not repost the full devotional without their permission.) 

I know not by what methods rare,
But this I know—God answers prayer;
I leave my prayers with Him alone,
Whose will is wiser than my own.
—Hickok

God's answers are wiser than our prayers.

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Hymns Related to Mt 26:42

• God’s Way, His Will Be Done
• How Sweet to Be Al­lowed to Pray
• Jesus, While Our Hearts Are Bleed­ing
• O Bless­èd Life!
• Thy Will Is Done
• We See Not, Know Not
• Whene’er Again Thou Sink­est

Matthew 26:43 Again He came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy.

• for: Pr 23:34 Jon 1:6 Lu 9:32 Ac 20:9 Ro 13:1 1Th 5:6-8 

JESUS SECOND DISCOVERY
OF SLEEPING SAINTS 

Again He came came (erchomai) and found  (heurisko) them sleeping (katheudo), for (gar - term of explanation) their eyes were heavy (bareo) - Clearly His commands in Mt 26:41+ just "flew over their heads!" We can all identify with these 3 men, for some of us (yours truly) have trouble staying awake in our morning prayers! (Just being honest). But Luke tells us there was another reason they were sleepy saints and it was "from sorrow (lupe)." (Lk 22:45+). One could say that the three disciples were overcome by sleep because of heavy eyelids and heavy hearts!

NET NOTE - eyes were heavy - Grk “because their eyes were weighed down,” an idiom for becoming extremely or excessively sleepy

Matthew 26:44 And He left them again, and went away and prayed a third time, saying the same thing once more.

• prayed: Mt 6:7 Da 9:17-19 Lu 18:1 2Co 12:8 

JESUS' THIRD PETITION
TO HIS FATHER

And He left (aphiemi) them again, and went away and prayed a third time, saying the same thing once more - The one constant aspect in each of his prayers was his yielding to God’s will.

Warren Wiersbe - Jesus was not wrestling with God’s will or resisting God’s will. He was yielding Himself to God’s will. As perfect Man, He felt the awful burden of sin, and His holy soul was repelled by it. Yet as the Son of God, He knew that this was His mission in the world. The mystery of His humanity and deity is seen vividly in this scene. (Bible Exposition Commentary)

THOUGHT- Jesus gives us the perfect example to imitate that we too might pray not my will but Thine! Are you challenged? 

Spurgeon - Luke tells us, “Being in an agony, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was as it were great drops (or clots) of blood falling down to the ground.” Oh, the amazing grief’s which were laid upon Jesus when our sins became his burden. We bless him with all our hearts for agonizing this for us.

Matthew 26:45 Then He *came to the disciples and *said to them, “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.

KJV  Matthew 26:45 Then cometh he to his disciples, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.

BGT  Matthew 26:45 τότε ἔρχεται πρὸς τοὺς μαθητὰς καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς· καθεύδετε [τὸ] λοιπὸν καὶ ἀναπαύεσθε· ἰδοὺ ἤγγικεν ἡ ὥρα καὶ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου παραδίδοται εἰς χεῖρας ἁμαρτωλῶν.

NET  Matthew 26:45 Then he came to the disciples and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour is approaching, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.

CSB  Matthew 26:45 Then He came to the disciples and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the time is near. The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.

ESV  Matthew 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.

NIV  Matthew 26:45 Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour is near, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.

NLT  Matthew 26:45 Then he came to the disciples and said, "Go ahead and sleep. Have your rest. But look-- the time has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.

NRS  Matthew 26:45 Then he came to the disciples and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? See, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.

• Still sleeping 1Ki 18:27 Ec 11:9 
• the hour: Mt 26:2,14,15 Mk 14:41,42 Lu 22:53  Jn 13:1 17:1 

JESUS THIRD DISCOVERY
OF SLEEPING SAINTS 

Then He *came to the disciples (mathetes) and *said to them, “Are you still (loipos) sleeping (katheudo) and resting (anapauo) - The question is this -- Is Jesus asking a question or giving a command? The KJV translation is "Sleep on now, and take your rest" which is more like a command than a question. The ESV also takes this approach rendering it "Sleep and take your rest later on." See the translations above which are split between a declaration and a command. Some sources consider the Greek of katheudo as a command (present imperative). If this is a command, it means that the disciples may as well continue to sleep, because they have missed their opportunity to stay awake and keep watch with Jesus

D A Carson favors this word from Jesus to be a command and not a question  - "The word loipos as an adverb does not naturally mean “still” (NIV, v. 45) or “meanwhile” but points to the future (“henceforth”) or is inferential (“it follows that”). Therefore Jesus’ words should not be taken as a question (NIV) but as a gently ironic command (cf. KJV, “Sleep on now, and take your rest”; cf. the irony in Mt 23:23; cf. Moule, Idiom Book, p. 161).(The Expositor's Bible Commentary)

Behold (idou - "Pay attention!"), the hour  (hora) is at hand (eggizo) and the Son of Man is being betrayed (paradidomi - present tense = in process of) into the hands of sinners (hamartolos) - In light of the next verse it is quite possible that Jesus heard the footsteps (of the large number coming for Him) and saw their torches (Jn 18:3+). 

A T Robertson - The hour is at hand (ēggiken hē hōra). Time for action has now come. They have missed their chance for sympathy with Jesus. He has now won the victory without their aid. “The Master’s time of weakness is past; He is prepared to face the worst” (Bruce). Is betrayed (παραδιδοται [paradidotai]). Futuristic present or inchoative present, the first act in the betrayal is at hand. Jesus had foreseen his “hour” for long and now He faces it bravely.

D A Carson  -  The hour of the Passion is near: it is too late to pray and gain strength for the temptations ahead. His disciples may as well sleep. The Son of Man (see on Mt 8:20) is betrayed into the hands of sinners: he who is the resplendent, messianic King takes the path of suffering. Doubtless Jesus could see and hear the party approaching as it crossed the Kidron with torches and climbed up the path to Gethsemane. The sleepers for whom he would die have lost their opportunity to gain strength through prayer. By contrast Jesus has prayed in agony but now rises with poise and advances to meet his betrayer. (See The Expositor's Bible Commentary - Abridged Edition)

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Behold (2400) idou  is the second person singular aorist middle imperative of eidon which means to see, perceive, look at. In the NT idou is used as a demonstrative particle that draws attention to what follows. Idou in the middle voice means "you yourself look, see, perceive!" The aorist imperative is a command emphasizing "Do it now! Don't delay!" “Lo and behold!” It serves to call attention to something external to oneself. 

Spurgeon reminds us that "Behold is a word of wonder; it is intended to excite admiration. Wherever you see it hung out in Scripture, it is like an ancient sign-board, signifying that there are rich wares within, or like the hands which solid readers have observed in the margin of the older Puritanic books, drawing attention to something particularly worthy of observation." I would add, behold is like a divine highlighter, a divine underlining of an especially striking or important text. It says in effect "Listen up, all ye who would be wise in the ways of Jehovah!"

IDOU - USES IN MATTHEW - Matt. 1:20; Matt. 1:23; Matt. 2:13; Matt. 2:19; Matt. 3:16; Matt. 3:17; Matt. 4:11; Matt. 7:4; Matt. 8:24; Matt. 8:34; Matt. 9:10; Matt. 10:16; Matt. 11:10; Matt. 11:19; Matt. 12:2; Matt. 12:18; Matt. 12:41; Matt. 12:42; Matt. 12:46; Matt. 12:47; Matt. 12:49; Matt. 13:3; Matt. 17:3; Matt. 17:5; Matt. 19:27; Matt. 20:18; Matt. 21:5; Matt. 22:4; Matt. 23:34; Matt. 23:38; Matt. 24:23; Matt. 24:25; Matt. 24:26; Matt. 25:6; Matt. 26:45; Matt. 26:46; Matt. 26:47; Matt. 26:51; Matt. 27:51; Matt. 28:2; Matt. 28:7; Matt. 28:9; Matt. 28:20

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Map of Jerusalem Retracing Christ's last footsteps on earth: Here is a map of "Passion Week". Here is another similar map of Jesus' Arrest, Trial and Crucifixion) Hint: Locate the "Upper Room" (found on left side of picture) in the diagram and then follow the arrows which retrace the footsteps of the Messiah, steps which had been foreordained in eternity past "by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God" (Acts 2:23+, cp Acts 4:27-28+) taking Him from the Upper Room to the excruciating agony in the Garden of Gethsemane, to the tragic betrayal by a friend resulting in His unfair arrest, leading to 6 unjust trials (see table below) which culminate in the central event in all eternity, Christ on the Cross on Calvary. The numbers below correlate with the numbers on the map with the arrows on the lines signifying the direction of Jesus' movement) 

(1) Jesus left the Upper Room (see left side of picture just below Caiaphas' Residence) and walked with disciples out of the city, across the Kidron Valley and up to the Mount of Olives and  from there to the nearby Garden of Gethsemane (see right upper side of picture)

(2) He was arrested in the Garden and taken back into the city, first to an informal "trial" before Annas (who apparently lived next to Caiaphas) and then to Caiaphas' Residence (the location is an approximation) where the Jewish Council (Sanhedrin) were gathered.

(3). After His first night time "trial" before the Sanhedrin at Caiaphas’ residence, Jesus was tried at daybreak before the Sanhedrin, probably at the Temple (see Herod's Temple) as shown in the diagram above.

(4) Jesus is taken from the trial before the Sanhedrin

(5) Next, he was taken to Pontius Pilate (admittedly this is difficult to follow on the map above)

(6), Pilate sent Jesus to the palace of Herod Antipas (location uncertain). Herod Antipas returned Jesus to Pilate (admittedly this is difficult to follow on the map above)

(7), Pilate handed over Jesus for scourging (possibly at Fortress of Antonia but this is not depicted on the map) and then delivered over for crucifixion at Golgotha (note there are two possible locations - The "Traditional Golgotha" and "Gordon's Calvary")

See also (bottom of this page) Dr Darrell Bock's SUMMARY OF DIFFERENCES FROM LUKE AND OTHER SYNOPTIC GOSPELS

Matthew 26:46 “Get up, let us be going; behold, the one who betrays Me is at hand!”

NET  Matthew 26:46 Get up, let us go. Look! My betrayer is approaching!"

CSB  Matthew 26:46 Get up; let's go! See, My betrayer is near."

ESV  Matthew 26:46 Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand."

NIV  Matthew 26:46 Rise, let us go! Here comes my betrayer!"

NLT  Matthew 26:46 Up, let's be going. Look, my betrayer is here!"

NRS  Matthew 26:46 Get up, let us be going. See, my betrayer is at hand."

• 1Sa 17:48 Lu 9:51 12:50 22:15 Jn 14:31 Ac 21:13 

JESUS FACES HIS HOUR AND
ADVANCES TO MEET HIS BETRAYER

Get up (egeiro  - present imperative), let us be going (present tense); behold (idou), the one who betrays (paradidomi) Me is at hand (eggizo) - Jesus fearlessly faces His final hour. He does not say get up and let us flee, but let us go and meet the betrayer. 

Jesus sets
His face like flint!

Jesus' resolve to meet His enemies head on reminds me of His words in Luke 9:51KJV+ - "And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he steadfastly (resolutely) set his face to go to Jerusalem." There is a prophetic parallel in Isaiah 50:7 which says "For the Lord GOD helps Me, Therefore, I am not disgraced; Therefore, I have set My face like flint, And I know that I will not be ashamed (Heb 12:2+)."

Spurgeon - His agony in the garden was over, and he went calmly on to meet death and finish the great work of our redemption.

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Oswald Chambers - The initiative against despair

Rise let us be going. Matthew 26:46.

The disciples went to sleep when they should have kept awake, and when they realized what they had done it produced despair. The sense of the irreparable is apt to make us despair, and we say—‘It is all up now, it is no use trying any more.’ If we imagine that this kind of despair is exceptional, we are mistaken, it is a very ordinary human experience. Whenever we realize that we have not done that which we had a magnificent opportunity of doing, then we are apt to sink in despair, and Jesus Christ comes and says—‘Sleep on now, that opportunity is lost for ever, you cannot alter it, but arise and go to the next thing.’ Let the past sleep, but let it sleep on the bosom of Christ, and go out into the irresistible future with Him.

There are experiences like this in each of our lives. We are in despair, the despair that comes from actualities, and we cannot lift ourselves out of it. The disciples in this instance had done a downright unforgivable thing; they had gone to sleep instead of watching with Jesus, but He came with a spiritual initiative against their despair and said—‘Arise and do the next thing.’ If we are inspired of God, what is the next thing? To trust Him absolutely and to pray on the ground of His Redemption.

Never let the sense of failure corrupt your new action.

Matthew 26:47 While He was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, came up accompanied by a large crowd with swords and clubs, who came from the chief priests and elders of the people.

• behold: Mt 26:55 Mk 14:43 Lu 22:47-48 Jn 18:1-8 Ac 1:16 
• Judas Iscariot - James Stalker from his book THE TRIAL AND DEATH OF JESUS CHRIST: A DEVOTIONAL HISTORY OF OUR LORD'S PASSION

Related Passages: 

Mark 14:43+  Immediately while He was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, *came up accompanied by a crowd with swords and clubs, who were from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders.

Luke 22:47-48+ While He was still speaking, behold, a crowd came, and the one called Judas, one of the twelve, was preceding them; and he approached Jesus to kiss Him. 48 But Jesus said to him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”

John 18:1-8+  When Jesus had spoken these words, He went forth with His disciples over the ravine of the Kidron, where there was a garden, in which He entered with His disciples. 2 Now Judas also, who was betraying Him, knew the place, for Jesus had often met there with His disciples. 3 Judas then, having received the Roman cohort and officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, *came there with lanterns and torches and weapons. 4 So Jesus, knowing all the things that were coming upon Him, went forth and *said to them, “Whom do you seek?” 5 They answered Him, “Jesus the Nazarene.” He *said to them, “I am He.” And Judas also, who was betraying Him, was standing with them. 6 So when He said to them, “I am He,” they drew back and fell to the ground. 7 Therefore He again asked them, “Whom do you seek?” And they said, “Jesus the Nazarene.” 8 Jesus answered, “I told you that I am He; so if you seek Me, let these go their way,”

THE JUDAS LED 
PARTY APPEARS

While He was still speaking So the arrival of the crowd was temporally connected with Jesus praying. Note the crowd did not interrupt His prayer, so He prayed what He needed to pray and was prepared for the test ("temptation"). This show God's providential control of the timing. The disciples were not prepared! What a frightening sight this must have been to the disciples for the large crowd included Romans soldiers (Jn 18:3+) as well as "the chief priests and officers of the Temple and elders who had come against Him." (Lk 22:52+)

Behold (idou) - Marks the dramatic turning point in this drama, the actual betrayal and arrest of Jesus. Judas knew where Jesus was because after leaving the city it was His custom to go to the Mount of Olives (Lk 22:39). 

Judas, one of the twelve, came up (erchomai) accompanied by a large crowd with swords (machaira) and clubs, who came from the chief priests (archiereus) and elders  (presbuteros) of the people - The phrase one of the twelve (Mk 14:43; Lk 22:47) emphasizes the magnitude and horror of Judas' betrayal and to emphasize the fulfillment of Jesus' prediction in Mt 26:21. Some think Judas may have first led the crowd to the upper room and finding it empty knew where Jesus would retreat. John 18:3 adds that the crowd also included a Roman "cohort (speira)." Mark 14:43 adds that there were also scribes, which would be the three groups representative of the three sections that composed the Sanhedrin.  

Robert Stein - Of the nine times that the expression “one of the Twelve” is found in the Gospels, in eight instances it refers to Judas (Mark 14:10, 20, 43; Matt. 26:14, 47; Luke 22:47 [cf. also Luke 24:3]; John 6:71; 12:4; the exception is John 20:24). (See Mark Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament))

A T Robertson - It was an electric moment as Jesus faced Judas with his horde of helpers as if he turned to meet an army. The chief priests and Pharisees had furnished Judas a band of soldiers from the garrison in Antonia (John 18:3) and the temple police (Luke 22:52) with swords (knives) and staves (clubs) with a hired rabble who had lanterns also (John 18:3) in spite of the full moon. Judas was taking no chances of failure for he well knew the strange power of Jesus.

Wiersbe on crowd - The presence of such a large group of armed soldiers shows how little Judas really knew about the Lord Jesus. Did he think that Jesus would try to run away or perhaps hide somewhere in the Garden? Judas must have expected Jesus and the disciples to resist arrest; otherwise he would not have enlisted so much help. Perhaps he feared that Jesus might perform a miracle. Judas was deceitful; he was a liar just like Satan who entered into him (John 8:44; 13:27). He defiled almost everything that he touched: his name (Judah = "praise"), the disciple band (Luke 6:13-16), gifts given to Christ (John 12:1-8), and the kiss. He even invaded a private prayer meeting, defiled it with his presence, and betrayed the Saviour with a kiss. "Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful" (Pr 27:6). (Borrow Be courageous)

John does not describe the betrayal by a kiss but gives us more detail regarding the makeup of the crowd writing "Judas then, having received the Roman cohort and officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, came there with lanterns and torches and weapons. (John 18:3). A Roman cohort (battalion) (Gk - speira) normally consisted of 600 men (1/10th of a legion), this number being so large because they were probably commanded to pick up this insurrectionist who claimed to be some kind of king.

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See James Stalker The Trial and Death of Jesus Christ-A Devotional History of Our Lord's Passion

• 1.   THE ARREST   Matt. 26:47–56; Mark 14:43–50; Luke 22:47–53; John 18:1–11.
• 2.   THE ECCLESIASTICAL TRIAL   Matt. 26:57–68; Mark 14:51–65; Luke 22:54–71; John 18:12–14, 19–24.
• 3.   THE GREAT DENIAL   Matt. 26:69–75; Mark 14:66–72; Luke 22:54–62; John 18:15–18, 25–7.

Matthew 26:48 Now he who was betraying Him gave them a sign, saying, “Whomever I kiss, He is the one; seize Him.”

• Whomever I kiss: 2Sa 3:27 20:9,10 Ps 28:3 55:20,21 
• seize Him: Mk 14:44 

Related Passages: 

Mark 14:44+  Now he who was betraying Him had given them a signal, saying, “Whomever I kiss, He is the one; seize Him and lead Him away under guard.”

Luke 22:48+ But Jesus said to him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”

JUDAS EXPLAINS THE
BETRAYAL SIGN

Now he who was betraying (paradidomi) Him gave them a sign (semeion), saying, “Whomever I kiss (phileo), He is the one; seize Him - The sign (semeion) was normally a sign of greeting adding to the bitter irony of the scene. Seize is the verb krateo in the aorist imperative calling for them to immediately and forcefully take hold of Jesus. Imagine taking hold of the Creator of the Universe!

David Guzik commenting on Luke's words “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?” (Lk 22:48+) writes "Of course, Jesus knew the irony of being betrayed with a warm greeting; so He essentially asked Judas “are you so dead to all feeling that you can kiss and betray?” Judas is a good example of a seared conscience."

Matthew Henry -  Nothing can be a greater affront or grief to the Lord Jesus, than to be betrayed by those who profess to be his followers, and say that they love him. Many instances there are, of Christ's being betrayed by those who, under the form of godliness, fight against the power of it. Jesus here gave an illustrious example of his own rule of doing good to those that hate us, as afterwards he did of praying for those that despitefully use us. Corrupt nature warps our conduct to extremes; we should seek for the Lord's direction before we act in difficult circumstances. Christ was willing to wait for his triumphs till his warfare was accomplished, and we must be so too. But the hour and the power of darkness were short, and such the triumphs of the wicked always will be. 

NET NOTE - This remark is parenthetical within the narrative and has thus been placed in parentheses.

Matthew 26:49 Immediately Judas went to Jesus and said, “Hail, Rabbi!” and kissed Him.

• Hail: Mt 27:29-30 Mk 15:18 Jn 19:3 
• kissed him:  Ge 27:26 1Sa 10:1 2Sa 20:9 Pr 27:6 Mk 14:45,46 Lu 7:45 1Th 5:26 

Related Passages:

Matthew 27:29-30+ And after twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand; and they knelt down before Him and mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 30 They spat on Him, and took the reed and began to beat Him on the head.

Mark 15:18+ and they began to acclaim Him, “Hail, King of the Jews!”

John 19:3+   and they began to come up to Him and say, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and to give Him slaps in the face.

Mark 14:45+ After coming, Judas immediately went to Him, saying, “Rabbi!” and kissed Him.

 

Betrayed By A Kiss - Mt 26:48-49

JESUS BETRAYED BY 
A JUDAS KISS

Immediately(eutheos) Judas went to Jesus (Iesous) and said, “Hail (chairo - present imperative), Rabbi (rhabbi)!” - Judas' greeting of Jesus as Rabbi further highlights the depth of the traitor's hypocrisy, for Rabbi is transliterated from the Hebrew and literally means "my great one." It is used in the NT as a respectful term of address for a scribe or one recognized as an outstanding teacher of the law. Don't miss one of the most striking contrasts in the entire Bible - Judas' hypocritical betraying greeting of "Hail,Rabbi" set against Jesus' loving heartfelt greeting of "Friend!"

And kissed (kataphileo) Him - Judas kissed Jesus affectionately, eagerly, or repeatedly, the verb kataphileo where kata is used to intensify, and phileo to kiss, which suggests Judas exaggerated the kiss which further emphasize the complete hypocrisy.  A kiss was a frequent form of greeting in the oriental culture (1Sa 10:1; 2Sa 19:39; Lk 7:45; Ro 16:16; 1Pe 5:14). Some note that tt was apparently the rabbi who normally bestowed the kiss on a disciple rather than the reverse. It is also notable that this is the only occurrence in the Gospels where such a kiss is exchanged between Jesus and His disciples. Together, the greeting of Hail, Rabbi and the kiss emphasize the utterly despicable nature of Judas’ betrayal (cf. 2Sa 20:9–10+).

Marvin Vincent on the word kissed (kataphileo) - The same word is used of the tender caressing of the Lord’s feet by the woman in the Pharisee’s house (Luke 7:38), of the father’s embrace of the returned prodigal (Luke 15:20), and of the farewell of the Ephesian elders to Paul (Acts 20:37).

Spurgeon - “This sign of Judas was typical of the way in which Jesus is generally betrayed. When men intend to undermine the inspiration of the Scriptures, how do they begin their books? Why, always with a declaration that they wish to promote the truth of Christ! Christ’s name is often slandered by those who make a loud profession of attachment to him, and then sin foully as the chief of transgressors.” 

John MacArthur gives some interesting background on an oriental kiss - Because of his lowly status, a slave would kiss the feet of his master or other notable person, as would an enemy seeking mercy from a monarch. Ordinary servants would perhaps kiss the back of the hand of the one they greeted, and those above the level of servant would sometimes kiss the palm of the hand. To kiss the hem of a person’s garment was a sign of reverence and devotion. But an embrace and a kiss on the cheek was the sign of close affection and love, reserved only for those with whom one had a close, intimate relationship. A kiss and embrace were an accepted mark of affection of a pupil for his teacher, for example, but only if the teacher offered them first. Therefore, of all the signs Judas could have selected, he chose the one that would turn out to be the most despicable, not because of the act itself but because he perverted it so hypocritically and treacherously. He could have pointed out Jesus in countless other ways that would have been just as effective. For whatever debauched reason he may have had, Judas 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 in the very face of the one who had graciously taught and befriended him for three years. But Satan, who filled him, knows no embarrassment and has no restraint on his wretchedness. (See Matthew Commentary - Page 186)

Warren Wiersbe - Someone has defined "kiss" as "the contraction of the mouth due to the enlargement of the heart." But not all kisses are born out of a loving heart, for kisses can also be deceitful. In the case of Judas, his kiss was the basest kind of hypocrisy and treachery....Judas used the kiss as a sign to tell the arresting officers who Jesus was (Matt. 26:48-49). Jesus had taught in the temple day after day, and yet the temple guards could not recognize Him! (Borrow Be courageous)

William Barclay - When a disciple met a beloved Rabbi, he laid his right hand on the Rabbi’s left shoulder and his left hand on the right shoulder and kissed him. It was the kiss of a disciple to a beloved master that Judas used as a sign of betrayal.

Mattoon on Judas' kiss - The kisses were hollow with hypocrisy, corrupt with chicanery, masked with misery, teeming with treachery, and plagued with penury of any passion for Jesus Christ.

NET NOTE - Judas’ act of betrayal when he kissed Jesus is especially sinister when it is realized that it was common in the culture of the times for a disciple to kiss his master when greeting him.

Spurgeon - This sign of Judas was typical of the way in which Jesus is generally betrayed. When men intend to undermine the inspiration of the Scriptures, how do they begin their books? Why, always with a declaration that they wish to promote the truth of Christ! Christ’s name is often slandered by those who make a loud profession of attachment to him, and then sin foully as the chief of transgressors.

Robert Stein - The kiss of Judas must be understood in view of the darkness of Gethsemane. Even if there were a bright moon, among the olive trees in the garden, recognizing Jesus would have been difficult. If the night were cloudy, the difficulty would have been exacerbated. Even if they knew Jesus by face, they would have difficulty in the darkness distinguishing him from the tens of thousands of pilgrims camping on the surrounding hills of Jerusalem. Furthermore, Jesus was apparently personally unknown to most of the crowd coming to seize him (R. Brown 1994: 1.251–52). Compare how in the Johannine account Jesus must identify himself to them (John 18:7–8). (Mark - Page 693)

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Hail (5463) chairo means to be "cheer" full, calmly happy or well-off. Chairo implies and imparts joy. Chairo is used in a whole range of situations in which the emotion of joy is evoked. To be in a state of happiness and well being (often independent of what is happening when the Source is the Spirit!). Chairo means to enjoy a state of gladness, to be delighted.

Chairo was used in greetings (welcome, good day, hail to you, I am glad to see you) in the imperative mood implying a wish for well being or happiness to the recipient (Mt 26:49). Chairo is used in the introduction to a letter (Ac 15:23; 23:26; James 1:1). Chairo is translated "Hail!" several times in the Gospels (Mt 26:49, 27:29, Mk 15:18, Lk 1:27).

Rabbi (4461) rhabbi from Hebrew rab 07227 = >400x in OT - great one, master, chief) means my master (most common rendering in KJV) or my teacher. It was an respectful title of honor by which one would address a teacher who was recognized for their expertise in the Mosaic Law or Scriptures. Jesus' disciples repeatedly address Him as Rabbi (Jn. 4:31; Jn. 6:25; Jn. 9:2; Jn. 11:8)  The suffix -bi signified "my master" "and was a title of respect by which teachers were addressed. The suffix soon lost its specific force, and in the NT the word is used as courteous title of address." (Vine) It is interesting that In Mt. 23:7-8 Jesus forbade His disciples to desire to use it ("do not be called Rabbi"). " (Was Jesus a rabbi?)

RABBI - 15x in 15v - Matt. 23:7; Matt. 23:8; Matt. 26:25; Matt. 26:49; Mk. 9:5; Mk. 11:21; Mk. 14:45; Jn. 1:38; Jn. 1:49; Jn. 3:2; Jn. 3:26; Jn. 4:31; Jn. 6:25; Jn. 9:2; Jn. 11:8. Not found in the Septuagint. 

• Wikipedia on Rabbi
• Was Jesus a rabbi? | GotQuestions.org
• What is a Jewish rabbi? | GotQuestions.org

Kissed (2705) kataphileo from kata = intensifies the verb + phileo = to love, kiss, cp philos = loved, dear, friend) means to kiss fervently, eagerly, of a fervent or affectionate greeting kiss tenderly. To kiss eagerly, affectionately, or repeatedly. Liddell Scott says "to kiss tenderly, to caress, Xen."  

This same compound verb occurs in Luke 7:38 of the sinful woman, in Luke 15:20 of the Father’s embrace of the Prodigal Son, and in Acts 20:37 of the Ephesian elders and Paul.

Gilbrant - This word originates from the phileō (5205) word group meaning “love and affection.” It is used of a greeting or a farewell as a sign of respect. On one infamous occasion, when Judas Iscariot betrayed the Lord with a kiss, phileō was the word used for “kiss” (Matthew 26:38, parallel with Mark 14:44 and Luke 22:47). Usually, however, the act of kissing was expressed as kataphileō. It is found four times in Luke-Acts, once in Matthew, and once in Mark. In Luke 7:38-45 the woman continued kissing Jesus’ feet as she anointed them with perfume. In Acts 20:37 the elders of Ephesus were weeping and kissing Paul in farewell, because they were not going to see him again. In Luke 15:20 the kiss is also an emotional token of farewell. (Complete Biblical Library)

Vine comments "the stronger force of this verb (phileo) has been called in question, but the change from phileo to Kataphileo in Matt. 26:49 and Mark 14:45 can scarcely be without significance, and the act of the traitor was almost certainly more demonstrative than the simple kiss of salutation. So with the kiss of genuine devotion, Luke 7:38, 45; 15:20; Acts 20:37, in each of which this verb is used.

Vincent notes "The compound verb has the force of an emphatic, ostentatious salute. Meyer says embraced and kissed. The same word is used of the tender caressing of the Lord’s feet by the woman in the Pharisee’s house (Luke 7:38), of the father’s embrace of the returned prodigal (Luke 15:20), and of the farewell of the Ephesian elders to Paul (Acts 20:37).

KATAPHILEO - 6V - Matt. 26:49; Mk. 14:45; Lk. 7:38; Lk. 7:45; Lk. 15:20; Acts 20:37

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WOUNDS OF A FRIEND - Allen Ross - Proverbs 27:6  “Reproof, Its Value” Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.

The message of this proverb is that reproof given in love is superior to insincere expressions of affection.  The lines are in antithetical parallelism, contrasting the faithful (ne’emanim) wounds of a friend (’oheb) with the profuse kisses of an enemy (sone’). 

The NIV translated the first line “wounds from a friend can be trusted.”  These wounds, no doubt verbal wounds, are “faithful” because they are meant to correct or to improve (see 25:12; Deut. 7:9; Job 12:20).  There is no false flattery here--a good friend gives an honest response or a constructive criticism because there is concern for the well-being of the person.  The friendship is strong enough so that the friends know that the other person is not trying to hurt or destroy, but to help.

But an enemy’s kisses are deceptive (consider the kiss of Judas in Mark 14:43-45).  In spite of their profusion (for this word the versions have a variety of translations, including “confused, fraudulent, bad”), the “kisses,” that is, the outward expressions of professions of affection, mean nothing.  It is all show.  One can usually see through this false display of affection, for there is nothing behind it that remotely resembles true affection. But some people thrive on this kind of false flattery because they cannot handle the truth.

The proverb is simply making a comparison between the genuine way that friends function and the false display of friendship.  The mature person would much rather have a true friend who “told it like it was” than a number of people who pretend to be friends. The goal is to cultivate a good friendships like this, ones in which the people care enough to be honest, even when it is painful to hear.  But these are the kinds of friendships that last.

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QUESTION - What is the significance of Judas betraying Jesus with a kiss?

ANSWER - Judas Iscariot was one of the original twelve disciples who followed and were taught by Jesus. Being in Jesus’ “inner circle,” Judas had a closer relationship to Jesus than most people during His ministry. Judas betrayed the Lord to the Jewish authorities. The pre-arranged signal was that the person Judas kissed was to be arrested and taken away (Mark 14:44). In this way the Son of Man was betrayed with a kiss (Luke 22:48).

In the culture of first-century Israel, a kiss was not always a romantic expression of love; rather, a kiss on the cheek was a common greeting, a sign of deep respect, honor, and brotherly love (see Luke 7:45; Romans 16:16; 1 Corinthians 16:20; 2 Corinthians 13:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:26; 1 Peter 5:14). For a student who had great respect for his teacher, a kiss fell well within the healthy expression of honor.

What really stands out in the mode of Judas’s betrayal is that Judas used such an intimate expression of love and respect to betray Jesus. Judas’s actions were hypocritical in the extreme—his actions said, “I respect and honor you,” at the exact time he was betraying Jesus to be murdered. Judas’s actions illustrate Proverbs 27:6, “Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.” Often, foes disguise themselves as friends. Evil often wears a mask to conceal its true purpose.

In Luke 22:3, we see that Satan entered into Judas before Judas went to see the chief priests and set things up to betray Jesus. Satan possessed Judas in hopes of using him to destroy Jesus’ ministry and get Him out of the way, and Satan used a kiss—a sign of affection—to unleash a surge of hatred. However, there is nothing the Evil One does that God doesn’t know about or have complete control over. God allowed Satan to possess Judas and use him to betray Jesus in such a deceptive and hypocritical way in order to bring about our redemption. The betrayal itself was prophesied hundreds of years before its fulfillment (Psalm 41:9).

When Jesus was betrayed by a kiss, He identified with the troubles of David, who wrote, “If an enemy were insulting me, I could endure it; if a foe were rising against me, I could hide. But it is you, a man like myself, my companion, my close friend, with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship at the house of God, as we walked about among the worshipers” (Psalm 55:12–14). Job’s emotional pain also foreshadowed Jesus’ sorrow: “Those I love have turned against me” (Job 19:19).

Once Judas gave the kiss, the deed was done. Jesus was betrayed into the government’s hands to be crucified. Judas was “seized with remorse” (Matthew 27:3) over what he’d done. He gave the money back to the temple authorities and hanged himself out of guilt (verse 5).

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Related Resources:

• What is the significance of thirty pieces of silver?

Matthew 26:50 And Jesus said to him, “Friend, do what you have come for.” Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and seized Him.  

KJV  Matthew 26:50 And Jesus said unto him, Friend, wherefore art thou come? Then came they, and laid hands on Jesus, and took him.

BGT  Matthew 26:50 ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν αὐτῷ· ἑταῖρε, ἐφ᾽ ὃ πάρει. τότε προσελθόντες ἐπέβαλον τὰς χεῖρας ἐπὶ τὸν Ἰησοῦν καὶ ἐκράτησαν αὐτόν.

NET  Matthew 26:50 Jesus said to him, "Friend, do what you are here to do." Then they came and took hold of Jesus and arrested him.

CSB  Matthew 26:50 "Friend," Jesus asked him, "why have you come?" Then they came up, took hold of Jesus, and arrested Him.

ESV  Matthew 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.

NIV  Matthew 26:50 Jesus replied, "Friend, do what you came for." Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus and arrested him.

NLT  Matthew 26:50 Jesus said, "My friend, go ahead and do what you have come for." Then the others grabbed Jesus and arrested him.

NRS  Matthew 26:50 Jesus said to him, "Friend, do what you are here to do." Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and arrested him.

NJB  Matthew 26:50 Jesus said to him, 'My friend, do what you are here for.' Then they came forward, seized Jesus and arrested him.

• Friend: Mt 20:13 2Sa 16:17 Ps 41:9 55:13,14 Lu 22:48 

Related Passage:

Psalm 41:9+ Even my close friend in whom I trusted, Who ate my bread, Has lifted up his heel against me. 

JESUS CALLS 
JUDAS "FRIEND"

And Jesus (Iesous) said to him, “Friend (hetairos) , do what you have come for.” - These are the last words of Christ Judas would hear on this earth, but they will ring in his ears forever in hell. The next words Judas will hear from Jesus will be at the Great White Throne judgment and are "I (absolutely) never knew (intimately, personally) you; DEPART (present imperative) FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’(Mt 7:23+). While the KJV and CSB render this as a question, it is more likely to be a command with an implied imperative to "Do" what you came for. Luke's parallel passage does have a question "But Jesus said to him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?” (Lk 22:48+)

MacArthur - The Lord did not use the usual word (philos) for friend, which He used of the Twelve in John 15:14. Instead He addressed Judas merely as hetairos, which is better translated “fellow,” “comrade,” or “companion.” Jesus had offered Himself to be Judas’s friend, and 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. (SEE Matthew Commentary - Page 187)

Spurgeon - Still did the traitor mix a hypocritical respect with his baseness, as betrayers of Jesus are ever apt to do. How would such a kiss have provoked us! and yet our gentle Lord spake not one harsh word, his meekness endured to the end.

Then - This marks progression in the narrative. In this case this seizure follows their falling to the ground when Jesus declared "I Am" (Jn 18:6+) One has to be somewhat surprised that they would dare lay a hand on Jesus after His display of power. This shows the inveterate depravity of human hearts bent on destroying Jesus. And of course they did so because the Scripture must be fulfilled. As we see so often there is a juxtaposition of God's sovereignty and human responsibility. 

they came and laid (epiballo) hands on Jesus and seized (krateo) Him - While they did "arrest" Jesus (Mt 26:55+, Lk 22:54+), the verb seized pictures them forcibly laying their hands on Him and He gives no resistance. He knows this is His hour and has surrendered fully to the will of His Father in His prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane. His willing acquiescence reminds me of Isaiah's prophetic description "Like a lamb that is led to slaughter." (Isa 53:7+)

Laid hands on (in a negative sense) -  Ge 22:12; 2Sa 18:12; 2Ki 11:16; 2Chr 23:15; Neh 13:21; Lk 20:19; Jn 7:30, 44; Acts 4:3; 5:18; 12:1, etc.

Luke adds that  "When those who were around Him (THE 11 DISCIPLES) saw what was going to happen, they said, “Lord, shall we strike with the sword?” (Lk 22:49+)

Spurgeon - Still did the traitor mix a hypocritical respect with his baseness, as betrayers of Jesus are ever apt to do. How would such a kiss have provoked us! and yet our gentle Lord spoke not one harsh word, his meekness endured to the end.

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Friend (2083)(hetairos possibly from hetes = clansman but exact derivation is unclear).comrade, companion, friend

Friberg -  (1) as one who is associated with another comrade, friend, companion (MT 11.16); (2) as a form of address, denoting a mutually binding relationship that should be recognized by the one being addressed (my) friend, comrade (MT 20.13) (Borrow Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament )

Gilbrant -  Classical Greek and Septuagint Usage - From earliest times in classical literature this word has indicated one who is associated with someone else in terms of companionship and/ or comradeship. The Hebrew word (rē‛eh) that it most often translates in the Septuagint also means “companion,” although it sometimes renders chāvēr, “friend.” Josephus used the term to address fellow soldiers. Among the rabbis the Hebrew equivalent came to mean a colleague or associate (see Bauer).

New Testament Usage In the New Testament the word is used only three times: in Matthew 20:13; 22:12; and 26:50 (Matthew 11:16 reads heterois [see 2066], “others,” in the earlier manuscripts). Each time the word is used it is in the form of an address. Hetairos occurs in the Parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard as a means of address for the vineyard owner when he answered his grumbling worker: “Friend, I do thee no wrong” (Matthew 20:13). It appears on the lips of the king in the Parable of the Marriage Feast (Matthew 22:12) when he addressed the man without a wedding garment: “Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment?” It was also used by Jesus to address Judas when he betrayed the Lord (Matthew 26:50). Each use of the word indicates the existence of a bond between speaker and hearer which the hearer has somehow disregarded or even spurned. In many cases generosity is shown on the part of the speaker, in spite of the self-assertion of the hearer.

Finally, the word is to be distinguished from its related term philos (5220B), “beloved.” Jesus called His disciples philoi, never hetairoi (John 15:14,15).

In a variant of Luke 23:32 in p75 hetairoi can refer to “political partisans” in reference to the two criminals crucified with Jesus (see Bauer). (Complete Biblical Library)

See Zodhiates for a very in depth analysis of this word. Borrow The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament.

HETAIROS - 3V - Matt. 20:13; Matt. 22:12; Matt. 26:50

HETAIROS IN SEPTUAGINT - Jdg. 4:17; 2 Sam. 13:3; 2 Sam. 15:32; 2 Sam. 15:37; 2 Sam. 16:16; 2 Sam. 16:17; 1 Ki. 2:22; 1 Ki. 4:5; Job 30:29; Prov. 22:24; Prov. 27:17; Eccl. 4:4; Song. 1:7; Song. 8:13; Dan. 5:1; Dan. 5:2; 

Seized (2902) krateo from kratos = strength) has basic meaning be strong or possess power and thus means to take hold of, grasp, hold fast. Krateo is used most often in the sense of “take hold of forcibly” as when Pharisees wanted to “take hold of” Jesus  (Mt 21:46; Mark 12:12). Krateō can also mean “hold fast” with the idea of being loyal to or closely united with someone or something. The Pharisees were admonished for holding the traditions of the elders (Mark 7:3ff.), while Christians are encouraged to hold to the traditions of Christianity (2 Th 2:15)

Friberg -  (1) take hold of (forcibly), seize, grasp (Mt 9.25); (2) take into custody, seize, arrest (Mt 14.3); (3) take control of, hold (fast) (Acts 2.24); (4) hold back, restrain from, hinder, prevent (Lk 24.16); (5) of following a doctrine, creedal confession, or course of life hold fast to, keep hold of, continue firmly in (Heb 4.14); of causing a state to continue retain, keep (Jn 20.23) (Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament)

Matthew 26:51 And behold, one of those who were with Jesus reached and drew out his sword, and struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his ear.

• Mt 26:35 Mk 14:47 Lu 9:55 22:36-38,49-51  Jn 18:10,11,36 2Co 10:4

Related Passages: 

Mark 14:46-47+ They laid hands on Him and seized Him. 47 But one of those who stood by drew his sword, and struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his ear.

Luke 22:49-51+ When those who were around Him saw what was going to happen, they said, “Lord, shall we strike with the sword?” 50 And one of them struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his right ear. 51 But Jesus answered and said, “Stop! No more of this.” And He touched his ear and healed him.

John 18:10+ 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.

PETER'S SWORD STRIKE
CUTS OFF AN EAR

And behold (idou) one of those who were with Jesus (Iesous) reached and drew out (apospao) his sword (machaira), and struck the slave of the high priest (archiereus) and cut off his ear - We know from Lk 22:38+ that the disciples had "two swords," and Peter clearly was one with a sword. John (the only Gospel writer to give Peter's name) writes "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." (Jn 18:10+) Peter may have been emboldened by Jesus display of power in Jn 18:6 when He declared “I am,”  and "they drew back and fell to the ground." And this display of Jesus' power may have kept the soldiers from attacking Peter and taking his life. Either way it was a divine miracle that Peter escaped with his life! 

It would have been far better
if Peter’s hands had been clasped in prayer.
-- C H Spurgeon

A T Robertson has an interesting reason why the synoptic Gospels did not identify Peter - Like the other Synoptics Matthew conceals the name of Peter, probably for prudential reasons as he was still living before A.D. 68. John writing at the end of the century mentions Peter’s name (John 18:10).

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Drew out (645) apospao  from apó = from + spáo = to draw or pull) literally means to draw, pull or drag away from. Apospao is used literally to draw out a sword in Mt 26:51. Apospao is used figuratively here in Acts 20:30 to describe drawing someone away from ("attracting" them from) a point of view (resulting in alienation). A secular use means "alienate pupils from someone." Another classic writing is translated "so that they might be wrested from their sins." Other figurative uses mean to draw away from a place (Lk 22:41) or from people (Acts 21:1).

APOSPAO - 4V - Matt. 26:51; Lk. 22:41; Acts 20:30; Acts 21:1

Sword (3162) machaira from mache = a knife, sword) refers to a relatively short sword (even dagger) for cutting and stabbing. It was extremely difficult to approach a soldier well trained in the use of the machaira for it was short and could be moved rapidly. The fact that it was two-edged made it possible to strike on either side without changing its position in the hand, and its razor-sharp point could pierce armor. Proper use of Scripture in spiritual warfare enables the Christian to stand fast "against the wiles of the devil".

MACHAIRA - 26V - Matt. 10:34; Matt. 26:47; Matt. 26:51; Matt. 26:52; Matt. 26:55; Mk. 14:43; Mk. 14:47; Mk. 14:48; Lk. 21:24; Lk. 22:36; Lk. 22:38; Lk. 22:49; Lk. 22:52; Jn. 18:10; Jn. 18:11; Acts 12:2; Acts 16:27; Rom. 8:35; Rom. 13:4; Eph. 6:17; Heb. 4:12; Heb. 11:34; Heb. 11:37; Rev. 6:4; Rev. 13:10; Rev. 13:14

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QUESTION - Why did Peter cut off the ear of Malchus, one of the people trying to arrest Jesus?

ANSWER - The Synoptic Gospels detail one of the most dramatic events during Jesus’ arrest in Gethsemane: a disciple cutting off the right ear the high priest’s servant (Matthew 26:51; Mark 14:47; Luke 22:50). John’s account then fills in the details: Peter is the one who struck and cut off the ear of the servant, whose name was Malchus (John 18:10).

It was a late night after a full day, and Peter was thoroughly exhausted. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Peter had dozed off several times while he was supposed to be praying, and each time Jesus roused him. Then a mob led by Judas—a fellow disciple and friend—appeared in Gethsemane to arrest Jesus. Peter, shocked and scared, acted on impulse to defend his Lord. He swung his sword and cut off Malchus’ ear in the chaos. Jesus rebuked Peter: “Put your sword back in its place, . . . for all who draw the sword will die by the sword” (Matthew 26:52). Jesus then let Himself be taken.

It is strange that Peter would cut off someone’s ear in this situation. It is unlikely that he was aiming for Malchus’ ear and nothing else; he wanted to cause a more serious injury. There are two ways Malchus’s ear could have been hit: 1) Peter swung his sword down vertically, aiming to cleave Malchus’ skull, or 2) Peter swung his sword horizontally, aiming for the head or neck. In either case, Malchus moved his head out of the way of the swinging sword, which grazed the right side of his head and removed his ear. Dodging the sword probably saved Malchus’ life.

Why did Peter engage in swordplay in the first place? It seems the rash and tired apostle believed that Jesus needed help to prevent His arrest, but Jesus corrected him. Jesus had all kinds of help available to Him: “Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?” (Matthew 26:53–54). This arrest was not an accident. Jesus knew it was coming. If Christ had really wanted to prevent His crucifixion, He would not have needed Peter’s little sword; all the angels of heaven would have come in an instant if summoned. But the Scriptures must be fulfilled (Mark 14:49), and Jesus had to go to the cross and “drink the cup the Father has given Me” (John 18:11). After halting the violence, Jesus reattached and healed Malchus’ ear (Luke 22:51). Amazingly, even after witnessing that miracle of mercy, the mob proceeded to arrest the Lord.

Jesus submitted to His Father’s plan and let Himself be apprehended and crucified to fulfill Scripture and pay for the sins of the world. Peter, who at that time had “merely human concerns” in mind (Matthew 16:23), tried to prevent the arrest with violence. Peter’s earth-bound perspective, fear, and exhaustion clouded his judgment the rest of that night (see Matthew 26:69–75; Mark 14:66–72; Luke 22:54–62; John 18:15–18, 25–27).

Matthew 26:52 Then Jesus *said to him, “Put your sword back into its place; for all those who take up the sword shall perish by the sword.

• Put: Mt 5:39 Ro 12:19 1Co 4:11,12 1Th 5:15 1Pe 2:21-23 3:9 
• Those: Mt 23:34-36 Ge 9:6 Ps 55:23 Eze 35:5,6 Rev 13:10 16:6 
• Gleason Archer - Does the New Testament teach pacifism or the abolition of capital punishment?  page 341

JESUS' COMMAND AND 
WARNING TO PETER

Then Jesus (Iesous) *said to him, “Put your sword (machaira) back (apostrepho - aorist imperative) into its place - Jesus' like a commanding general gives a military-like order to "Stand down!" 

Violence in defense of Christ
is completely unjustified.
-- D A Carson

For (gar - term of explanation) all those who take up the sword (machaira) shall perish (apollumi) by the sword (machaira) - Jesus explains why Peter is to "stand down." The user of the sword does not bring deliverance but in fact brings trouble upon himself. In practical terms if one strikes another with a sword, the expected and usual reaction is that they will be struck in retaliation which might end the original attacker's life. Jesus is the Prince of peace, not the Prince of war and His disciples likewise are to be peacemakers for the sake of His Name. (Beloved disciple, are you a peacemaker or a warmonger?) As Jesus had taught on the mount, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God." (Mt 5:9+)

The warlike will perish
at the hands of the warlike.
-- Leon Morris

I like Stuart Weber's remark that "Jesus would provide the disciples with more effective weapons, suited to a different type of battle, to win a victory much greater than a military triumph. He wanted them alive to carry on the spiritual battle until the gospel of the kingdom was preached to all peoples of the world (Mt 24:14)." (HNTC-Mt)

Henry Morris - Jesus' message here to Peter (John 18:11) is worth heeding. For defense and order, God has ordained the powers of government to bear "the sword" (Romans 13:1-4). His angels are well able to protect His people when it is His will. Note the following verse and also Psalm 34:7; 91:11. (Defender's Study Bible)

A T Robertson - It was a stern rebuke for Peter who had misunderstood the teaching of Jesus in Luke 22:38 as well as in Matt. 5:39 (cf. John 18:36). The reason given by Jesus has had innumerable illustrations in human history. The sword calls for the sword. Offensive war is here given flat condemnation. The Paris Pact of 1928 (the Kellogg Treaty) is certainly in harmony with the mind of Christ. The will to peace is the first step towards peace, the outlawing of war.

J C Ryle - Let us notice for another thing, how our Lord condemns those who think to use carnal weapons in defence of Him and His cause. The sword has a lawful office of its own. It may be used righteously in the defence of nations against oppression. It may become positively necessary to use it, to prevent confusion, plunder, and rapine upon earth. But the sword is not to be used in the propagation and maintenance of the Gospel. Christianity is not to be enforced by bloodshed, and belief in it extorted by force. Happy would it have been for the Church if this sentence had been more frequently remembered! There are few countries in Christendom, where the mistake has not been made of attempting to change men’s religious opinions by compulsion, penalties, imprisonment, and death. And with what effect? The pages of history supply an answer. No wars have been so bloody as those which have arisen out of the collision of religious opinions. Often, mournfully often, the very men who have been most forward to promote those wars, have themselves been slain. May we never forget this! The weapons of the Christian warfare are not carnal, but spiritual. (2 Cor. 10:4.)

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Sword (3162) machaira from mache = a knife, sword) refers to a relatively short sword (even dagger) for cutting and stabbing. It was extremely difficult to approach a soldier well trained in the use of the machaira for it was short and could be moved rapidly. The fact that it was two-edged made it possible to strike on either side without changing its position in the hand, and its razor-sharp point could pierce armor. Proper use of Scripture in spiritual warfare enables the Christian to stand fast "against the wiles of the devil".

MACHAIRA - 29/26V - sword(23), swords(6). Matt. 10:34; Matt. 26:47; Matt. 26:51; Matt. 26:52; Matt. 26:55; Mk. 14:43; Mk. 14:47; Mk. 14:48; Lk. 21:24; Lk. 22:36; Lk. 22:38; Lk. 22:49; Lk. 22:52; Jn. 18:10; Jn. 18:11; Acts 12:2; Acts 16:27; Rom. 8:35; Rom. 13:4; Eph. 6:17; Heb. 4:12; Heb. 11:34; Heb. 11:37; Rev. 6:4; Rev. 13:10; Rev. 13:14

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QUESTION - What does it mean to live by the sword and die by the sword?

ANSWER - The saying “live by the sword, die by the sword” is an idiom that basically means “what goes around comes around.” More to the point, “if you use violent, forceful, or underhanded methods against other people, you can expect those same methods to be used against you.”

The proverb “live by the sword, die by the sword” has a biblical origin. It comes from a conversation between Jesus and His disciple Peter just before Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane. After Jesus was betrayed by Judas, a group of soldiers moved in to arrest the Lord. In a rash attempt to protect Jesus, Peter pulled out his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear—you can be sure Peter was trying to do more damage than that (John 18:10). Jesus rebuked Peter and put a quick stop to the bloodshed. Jesus replaced the wounded man’s ear, healing him instantly (Luke 22:51). Then He told Peter to put his sword away, for “all who draw the sword will die by the sword” (Matthew 26:52). Jesus also told Peter that He would not fight the arrest, for it was God’s will that He drink the cup that was given to Him (John 18:11). Jesus had come to die as a sacrifice for sin, and now was the time. Jesus’ placating of Peter also showed His concern for His disciple—in warning Peter against using violence, Jesus prevented Peter from being arrested himself.

“Live by the sword, die by the sword” has become a common expression, adapted from Jesus’ words to Peter. The proverb’s meaning is still basically the same: a person who lives violently will probably at some point be killed in a violent manner. Violence begets violence. Those who practice violence will come to violent ends.

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Norman Geisler -  MATTHEW 26:52—Is Jesus advocating pacifism and denouncing capital punishment in this passage? (When Critics Ask - page 306)

PROBLEM: When the soldiers came to arrest Jesus, Peter took out his sword and cut off the ear of the high priest’s servant. Jesus told Peter to put back the sword because those who take up the sword will die by the sword. Some use this verse to support pacifism and to oppose capital punishment, which the Bible affirms elsewhere (Gen. 9:6).

SOLUTION: Total pacifism is not taught in this Scripture. Indeed, Abraham was blessed by the Most High God (Gen 14:19) after engaging in a war against the unjust aggression of the kings who had captured his nephew Lot. In Luke 3:14, soldiers come to inquire of John the Baptist about what they should do. John never told them to leave the army. Likewise, Cornelius, in Acts 10, was a centurion. He was called a devout man (v. 2), and the Scriptures say that the Lord heard the prayers of Cornelius (v. 4). When Cornelius becomes a Christian, Peter does not tell him to leave the army. Also, in Luke 22:36–38, Christ says that the one who has no sword should sell his robe and buy one. The apostles responded saying that they had two swords. Jesus responded saying that “it was enough.” In other words, they did not need to get rid of their swords. The Apostle Paul accepted the protection of the Roman army to save his life from unjust aggressors (Acts 23). Indeed, he reminded the Roman Christians that God had given the sword to the king who did not bear it in vain (Rom. 13:1–4). When Jesus returns to earth, He will come with the armies of heaven and will war against the kings of the earth (Rev. 19:11–19). So, from the beginning to the end, the Bible is filled with examples of the justification of war against evil aggressors.

  What, then, did Jesus mean when He commanded Peter to put away his sword? Peter was making two mistakes in using his sword. First, while the Bible permits the sword by the government for civil purposes (Rom. 13:1–4), it does not endorse its use for spiritual ends. It is to be used by the state, not by the church. Second, Peter’s use was aggressive, not purely defensive. His life was not being unjustly threatened. That is, it was not clearly an act of self-defense (Ex. 22:2). Jesus appears to have endorsed the use of the sword in civil self-defense (Luke 22:36), as did the Apostle Paul (Acts 23).

  Likewise, capital punishment is not forbidden in Scripture, but rather was established by God. Genesis 9:6 affirms that whoever sheds man’s blood, the blood of the killer will also be shed. Numbers 35:31 makes a similar statement. In the NT, Jesus recognized that Rome had capital authority and submitted to it (John 19:11). The Apostle Paul informed the Romans that governing authorities are ministers of God and that they still possessed the God-given sword of capital authority (13:1, 4). So Jesus in no way did away with the just use of the sword by civil authorities. He simply noted that those who live lives of aggression often die by the same means.

Matthew 26:53 Or do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels?

• and He: Mt 4:11 25:31 2Ki 6:17 Da 7:10 2Th 1:7 Jude 1:14 
• twelve legions: Mt 10:1,2  Lu 8:30 

JESUS NEEDS
NO HUMAN DEFENSE

Or do you think that I cannot appeal (parakaleo) to My Father (pater), and He will at once (arti - Just now, at this very moment) put at My disposal (paristemi) more than twelve legions of angels - Jesus emphasizes that He was being taken prison because of His own free will, not their great power. Twelve legions of angels would be 72,000 angels, for a legion consisted of 6000 soldiers. Jesus' declaration brings to mind the picture in the OT when "Elisha prayed and said, “O LORD, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” And the LORD opened the servant’s eyes and he saw; and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha." (2Ki 6:17) 

Spurgeon - Our Lord had thus the means of self-defense; something far more powerful than a sword hung at his girdle; but he refused to employ the power within his reach. His servants could not bear this test; they had no self-restraint, the hand of Peter is on his sword at once. The failure of the Servants in this matter seems to me to illustrate the grand self-possession of their Master.”

David Guzik - With one sword, Peter was willing to take on a small army of men, yet he couldn’t pray with Jesus for one hour. Prayer is the best work we can do, and often the most difficult. With his sword, Peter accomplished very little. He only cut off one ear, and really just made a mess that Jesus had to clean up by healing the severed ear (Luke 22:51+). When Peter moved in the power of the world, he only cut off ears. But when he was filled with the Spirit, using the (ED: SWORD OF THE) Word of God (Eph 6:17+), Peter pierced hearts for God’s glory (Acts 2:37+, cf Heb 4:12-13+).

J C Ryle - We see in those words the secret of His voluntary submission to His foes. He came on purpose to fulfil the types and promises of Old Testament Scriptures, and by fulfilling them to provide salvation for the world. He came intentionally to be the true Lamb of God, the Passover Lamb. He came to be the Scapegoat on whom the iniquities of the people were to be laid. His heart was set on accomplishing this great work. It could not be done without the “hiding of his power” for a time. To do it he became a willing sufferer. He was taken, tried, condemned, and crucified entirely of His own free will. Let us observe this. There is much encouragement in it. The willing sufferer will surely be a willing Saviour. The almighty Son of God, who allowed men to bind Him and lead Him away captive, when He might have prevented them with a word, must surely be full of readiness to save the souls that flee to Him. Once more then let us learn to trust Him, and not be afraid.

NET NOTE - A legion was a Roman army unit of about 6,000 soldiers, so twelve legions would be 72,000.

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C H Spurgeon - Jesus declining the legions (See full sermon Jesus Declining the Legions)

‘Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? but how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?’ Matthew 26:53–54

For a man to abstain from using force when he has none to use is no great virtue: it reminds one of the lines of Cowper’s ballad: ‘Stooping down, as needs he must who cannot sit upright.’ But for a man to have force ready to his hand, and then to abstain from using it, is a case of self-restraint, and possibly of self-sacrifice, of a far nobler kind. Our Saviour had his sword at his side that night, though he did not use it. ‘What!’ say you, ‘how can that be true?’ Our Lord says, ‘Can I not now pray to my Father, and he will give me twelve legions of angels?’ Our Lord had thus the means of self-defence; something far more powerful than a sword hung at his girdle, but he refused to employ the power within his reach. His servants could not bear this test; they had no self-restraint; the hand of Peter is on his sword at once. The failure of the servants in this matter seems to me to illustrate the grand self-possession of their Master. ‘Alas,’ he seems to say, ‘you cannot be trusted even with swords, much less could you be entrusted with greater forces. If you had the angelic bands at your command, down they would come streaming from the sky to execute works of vengeance and so mar my great lifework of love.’ Brethren, we are better without swords and other forms of force than with them, for we have not yet learned, like our Lord, to control ourselves. Admire the glorious self-restraint of our Lord Jesus Christ, who, armed not with a sword but with the embattled hosts of ‘helmed cherubim and sworded seraphim,’ yet refused even by a prayer to bring them down to his relief. Peter’s passionate use of the sword illustrates the happy self-control of his Lord, and this is the use of the incident.

Matthew 26:54 “How then will the Scriptures be fulfilled, which say that it must happen this way?”  

• Mt 26:24 Ps 22:1-31 Ps 69:1-36 Isa 53:1-12 Da 9:24-26 Zec 13:7 Lu 24:25,26,44-46 Jn 10:35 Ac 1:16 

NECESSITY OF 
FULFILLMENT OF SCRIPTURE

How then will the Scriptures (graphe) be fulfilled (pleroo), which say that it must (dei - speaks of necessity, inevitability to) happen this way - Remember that the word Scriptures (graphe) in the NT almost always refer to the Old Testament.  All of the events taking place were not transpiring by accident but reflected the unfolding of prophecies in the Old Testament. Prophecies written hundreds of years before had foretold that these events would occur. Jesus is explaining to His disciples why they must not fight in an attempt to prevent His arrest. 

Some of the prophecies include Ps 22:1-31 Ps 69:1-36 Isa 53:1-12 Da 9:24-26 Zec 13:7. The last one in that list (Zec 13:7+) would be fulfilled in the next few moments (Mt 26:56)! 

David Guzik - With all power at His disposal, Jesus was in total command. He was not the victim of circumstance, but He managed circumstances for the fulfillment of prophecy.

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Run Away

How then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way? Matthew 26:54

Today's Scripture & Insight : Matthew 26:47–56

The introductory lesson on aikido, a traditional Japanese form of martial arts, was an eye-opener. The sensei, or teacher, told us that when faced with an attacker, our first response should be to “run away.” “Only if you can’t run away, then you fight,” he said seriously.

Run away? I was taken aback. Why was this highly skilled self-defense instructor telling us to run away from a fight? It seemed counterintuitive—until he explained that the best form of self-defense is to avoid fighting in the first place. Of course!

When several men came to arrest Jesus, Peter responded as some of us might have by drawing his sword to attack one of them (Matthew 26:51; see John 18:10). But Jesus told him to put it away, saying, “How then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?” (Matthew 26:54).

While a sense of justice is important, so is understanding God’s purpose and kingdom—an “upside-down” kingdom that calls us to love our enemies and return evil with kindness (5:44). It’s a stark contrast to how the world might react, yet it’s a response that God seeks to nurture in us.

Luke 22:51 even describes Jesus healing the ear of the man Peter had struck. May we learn to respond to difficult situations as He did, always seeking peace and restoration as God provides what we need. By:  Leslie Koh (Reprinted by permission from Our Daily Bread Ministries. Please do not repost the full devotional without their permission.)

How did you respond to a difficult situation recently? How does this compare with how you think Jesus might have responded?

Father God, give me a new understanding of Your greater purposes in Your kingdom, and a godly, loving, and peace-seeking heart to respond to situations as Your Son did.

Matthew 26:55 At that time Jesus said to the crowds, “Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest Me as you would against a robber? Every day I used to sit in the temple teaching and you did not seize Me.

• Have you come out: Mk 14:48-50 Lu 22:52-53 
• I used to sit in the temple teaching: Mk 12:35 Lu 21:37,38 Jn 8:2 18:20,21 

Related Passages: 

Mark 14:48-50+ And Jesus said to them, “Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest Me, as you would against a robber? 49  “Every day I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize Me; but this has taken place to fulfill the Scriptures.” 50 And they all left Him and fled. 

Luke 22:52-53+  Then Jesus said to the chief priests and officers of the temple and elders who had come against Him, “Have you come out with swords and clubs as you would against a robber? 53 “While I was with you daily in the temple, you did not lay hands on Me; but this hour and the power of darkness are yours.”

JESUS REBUKES THE
ARRESTING PARTY

At that time Jesus (Iesous) said to the crowds, “Have you come out with swords (machaira) and clubs (xulon) to arrest (sullambano) Me as you would against a robber (lestes)? They came after Jesus with swords and clubs, as if he were a dangerous criminal or insurrectionist. His question is a stinging rebuke to the cowardly, hypocritical Jewish religious leaders (and Judas)! Instead of arresting Him in the Temple court in daylight, they showed their cowardice by coming to arrest Him like one would a common criminal at night in a secluded place. Jesus' point is that they came "armed to the teeth" (as we might say today), as if He were a violent criminal who was "armed and dangerous!" (Albeit one impulsive member of His entourage was in fact armed and dangerous!)

As an aside it is worth noting a somewhat ironic wordplay because the clubs they were carrying is the Greek word xulon which is translated "cross" 4x in the NT! 

There is also another bit of irony here for "Highway robbers like Barabbas (lestes used of him in Jn 18:40) were common and were often regarded as heroes. Jesus would be crucified between two robbers  (lestes) in the very place that Barabbas would have occupied." (Robertson) 

Paul Apple paraphrases this "Were your expectations that I am some type of political revolutionary that has galvanized powerful forces and armed them with powerful weapons to try to wage war against the Roman government?"

NET NOTE - robber (lestes) - Or “a revolutionary.” This term can refer to one who stirs up rebellion: BDAG 594 s.v. λῃστής 2 has “revolutionary, insurrectionist, guerrilla” citing evidence from Josephus (J. W. 2.13.2–3 [2.253–254]). However, this usage generally postdates Jesus’ time. It does refer to a figure of violence. Luke uses the same term for the highwaymen who attack the traveler in the parable of the good Samaritan (Luke 10:30).

Every day I used to sit in the temple (hieros - temple complex) teaching (didasko) and you did not seize (krateo) Me -  Every day refers to Jesus' teaching in the Temple three consecutive days that week. Jesus' point is that He had not been hiding from them (like a robber would) and they had ample opportunity to observe His character. Yet now they treat Him as a common criminal.  

Stein adds "The very fact that Jesus taught daily and openly in the temple distinguishes his activity from that of the revolutionaries, who operated in the mountains and had to be hunted down. Jesus did not operate in the darkness, as his opponents were presently doing, but in the light." (See Luke: An Exegetical and Theological Exposition of Holy Scripture)

You did not seize (krateo) Me - Of course they WOULD have if they COULD have but they were afraid of the people and so afraid for their own lives! Sadly they feared MEN and not GOD! 

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Clubs (3586)(xulon/xylon from xuo = to scrape) is literally wood and refers to anything made of wood, including a tree or other wooden article or substance. In Acts 5:30, 10:39, 13:29, 1Pe 2:24 and Gal 3:13 xulon refers to the old rugged Cross. The NT idea of xulon/xylon as a cross is related to Deuteronomy 21 which emphasizes the shame that befalls the one who is exposed and punished in such a way.

BDAG says xylon is (1) "wood as a plant substance in unmanufactured form", then an (2) "object made of word" (pole = Nu 21:8, club = Mt 26:47, 55, Mk 14:43, 48, Lk 22:52, stocks (Job 33:11, Ac 16:24), a wooden structure used for crucifixion (cf OT passages referring to hanging or impalement of a criminal’s corpse on a post = Ge 40:19, Dt 21:22, 23, Josh 10:26) and finally (3) a "tree" (Ge 1:29, 2:9, 3:1ff, Is 14:8, Eccl 2:5, Lk 23:31, tree of life = Re 2:7; 22:2, 14, 19) (BORROW A Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament, and other early Christian literature BDAG)

TDNT use of xulon for the Cross. A distinctive use of xylon in the NT is for the cross. The basis is Dt. 21:22, which stresses the shame of being exposed on a tree. Acts 5:30; 10:39, etc. make the point that crucifixion is the greatest possible insult to Jesus, but that God has displayed his majesty by raising him from the dead. Paul in Gal. 3:13 shows that Christ has redeemed us from the curse by being made a curse for us according to Dt. 21:22. A curse lies on those who break the law, but Christ, who has not broken the law, voluntarily and vicariously becomes accursed, as his death on the accursed wood makes plain. He thus releases us from the curse and from the death that it entails. 1 Pet. 2:24 is to the same effect when it says that Christ bore our sins in his own body on the “tree” (with a plain reference to Isaiah 53:4, 12). The vicarious element is prominent here. Human sins are laid on Christ, crucified in him, and thus set aside. Christ does not lay sins on a scapegoat, but takes them to himself and cancels them on the cross, so that sinners, dead to sin, may live to righteousness. (BORROW Kittel's Theological Dictionary of the New Testament : abridged in one volume)

XULON - 20X/18V - clubs(5), cross(4), stocks(1), tree(7), wood(3). Mt 26:47; Mt 26:55; Mk 14:43; Mk 14:48; Lk 22:52; Lk 23:31; Acts 5:30; Acts 10:39; Acts 13:29; Acts 16:24; 1Co 3:12; Gal. 3:13; 1Pe 2:24; Rev 2:7; Rev 18:12; Rev 22:2; Rev 22:14; Rev 22:19

Robber (3027)(lestes from lizoma = to plunder, seize) means one who steals openly and by violence and who would violently resist arrest and try to escape. Coming with swords and clubs, they were approaching Jesus as one would a highway robber (Lk 10:30, 36), a revolutionary or insurrectionist who favors the use of force. The irony is that while Jesus was not a robber or revolutionary,  Barabbas was a robber, (lestes Jn 18:40) and insurrectionist (Lk 23:19, Mk 15:7) who was released in place of Jesus who was then crucified between two robbers (lestes Mk 15:27)!

Figuratively lestes speaks of unscrupulous, greedy, or overambitious leaders (Jn 10.8) Zodhiates - Judas was a thief (kleptes [John 12:6]) doing no violence to anyone. He stole secretly. Barabbas was a robber (lēstés [Jn 18:40 {cf. Mk 15:7}]). Palestine was infested by robbers to whom its walks and caves afforded a great deal of cover and shelter (cf. Jdg. 9:25; Hos. 6:9; 7:1), hence, the expression "den of robbers" (Jer 7:11; Mt 21:13). The temple became a haunt of robbers. The dealers in the temple market were notorious for their extortion, but it gave them fancied security in their evildoing. It is probable that some of these robbers were really zealots in rebellion against the authority of Rome, so that there was an element of misplaced patriotism and even religion in their proceedings. Josephus identified robbers with zealots. (BORROW The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament ) 

LESTES - 15V - Mt. 21:13; Mt. 26:55; Mt. 27:38; Mt. 27:44; Mk. 11:17; Mk. 14:48; Mk. 15:27; Lk. 10:30; Lk. 10:36; Lk. 19:46; Lk. 22:52; Jn. 10:1; Jn. 10:8; Jn. 18:40; 2 Co. 11:26

Arrest (4815)(sullambano from sun/syn = together with + lambáno = to take, to seize) means literally to seize or take together and conveys the picture of clasping, in this case grasping or apprehending Jesus, thus taking Him into custody as one would a common criminal. Sullambano has the meaning of arresting Jesus in Mt 26:55; Mk 14:48; Lk 22:54; Jn 18:12. Jesus’ arrest is also referred to in Acts (Acts 1:16), where Luke showed how Peter (Acts 12:3) and Paul (Acts 23:27) followed in their Lord’s footsteps and also were arrested. This verb is used to capture an animal, such as a "catch of fish." (Lk 5:9). In the Septuagint sullambano can describe the capture of cities by military force, the arrest of an individual, the catching of an animal, or even the snatching away of sinners by God’s judgment (Ps 9:16).

SULLAMBANO - 16X/16V - arrest(3), arrested(4), became pregnant(1), conceive(1), conceived(3), help(2), seized(1), taken(1). Matt. 26:55; Mk. 14:48; Lk. 1:24; Lk. 1:31; Lk. 1:36; Lk. 2:21; Lk. 5:7; Lk. 5:9; Lk. 22:54; Jn. 18:12; Acts 1:16; Acts 12:3; Acts 23:27; Acts 26:21; Phil. 4:3; Jas. 1:15

Matthew 26:56 “But all this has taken place to fulfill the Scriptures of the prophets.” Then all the disciples left Him and fled.

• But all this has taken place: Mt 26:54 Ge 3:15 Isa 44:26 La 4:20 Da 9:24,26 Zec 13:7 Ac 1:16 2:23 
• Then all the disciples left Him and fled: Mt 26:31 Mk 14:50-52  Jn 16:32 18:8,9,15,16 2Ti 4:16 

Related Passages:

John 16:32+  “Behold, an hour is coming, and has already come, for you to be scattered, each to his own home, and to leave Me alone; and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me.

Zechariah 13:7+  (PROPHECY FULFILLED BY DISCIPLES FLEEING) “Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, And against the man, My Associate,” Declares the LORD of hosts. “Strike the Shepherd that the sheep may be scattered; And I will turn My hand against the little ones. 

PROPHECY FULFILLED
DISCIPLES FLEE

But all this has taken place to fulfill (pleroo) the Scriptures (graphe) of the prophets (prophetes) - This fulfilled not only the prophecy of Zechariah 13:7+, but also the prophecy of Jesus only a short time before the fulfillment when Jesus declared "You will all fall away because of Me this night." (Mt 26:31+, cf Jn 16:32+). We can stake our eternal life on God's perfectly fulfilled prophecies "For all the promises of God in Him are yea, and in Him Amen, unto the glory of God by us." (2 Cor 1:20KJV+)

John MacArthur elaborates on the fulfillment of prophecy - "Even in their hostility toward Christ, the apostate leaders of Israel were fulfilling the redemptive plan of God, as predicted by the OT prophets (cf. Ps. 41:9; Ps 55:12-14; Isa. 53:3, 7-8, 12; Zech. 11:12; 13:7+) and by Jesus Himself (cf. Mk 8:31; 9:31; 10:32-34, Mt 26:31). God sovereignly used their wicked schemes to accomplish His eternal purposes (cf. Ge 50:20). (See MacArthur Commentary).

Then all the disciples (mathetes) left (aphiemi) Him and fled (pheugo) - Clearly this is not the finest hour for the disciples. Note the word ALL = Jesus' prophecy less than a few hours old and Zechariah's prophecy (Zechariah 13:7+) some 500+ years old were both fulfilled to the letter! This fleeing of all 11 of the disciples occurred to fulfill prophecy. In a separate event we note that Simon Peter and another disciple followed Jesus to the "pretrial" with Annas, where Peter denied Jesus three times. 

Thus we see that both Matthew and Mark record the fact that "all the disciples left Him and fled," a detail not recorded by Luke. The disciples had failed to pray lest they enter into temptation, and now when the temptation came, they were unprepared. When they realized that Jesus was not going to resist arrest, their faith faltered and they fled in fear (they "entered fully into temptation")! 

Spurgeon - Where now were brave Peter and loving John? Alas for poor human nature! Far be it from us to imagine that we should have done better. These flying disciples warn us to pray that we may be kept faithful in the hour of trial.

Scroggie - “All their hopes crashed in this dark hour, and their faith was demoralised, but in reality their love remained. But there is the tragic fact-they fled.”

Matthew Poole - We never know our own hearts when confronted with the prospect of great trials, until we come to grapple with them, and are engaged in them. These disciples had all said they would not forsake Him; when it comes to the push, not one of them stands by Him.

J C Ryle - Let us notice...how little Christians know the weakness of their own hearts, until they are tried. We have a mournful illustration of this in the conduct of our Lord’s apostles. The verses we have read conclude with the words, “Then all the disciples forsook him and fled.” They forgot their confident assertions made a few hours before. They forgot that they had declared their willingness to die with their Master. They forgot everything but the danger that stared them in the face. The fear of death overcame them. They “forsook him, and fled.” How many professing Christians have done the same? How many, under the influence of excited feelings, have promised that they would never be ashamed of Christ! They have come away from the communion table, or the striking sermon, or the Christian meeting, full of zeal and love, and ready to say to all who caution them against backsliding, “Is thy servant a dog that he should do this thing?” And yet in a few days these feelings have cooled down and passed away. A trial has come and they have fallen before it. They have forsaken Christ. Let us learn from the passage lessons of humiliation and self-abasement. Let us resolve by God’s grace to cultivate a spirit of lowliness, and self-distrust. Let us settle it in our minds, that there is nothing so bad that the best of us may not do it, unless he watches, prays, and is held up by the grace of God. And let it be one of our daily prayers, “Hold thou me up, and I shall be safe.” (Psalm 119:17.)

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Henry Blackaby - Oriented by the Scriptures

There are times when, in the darkest moments of your life, the only comfort left for you is a word from God. Jesus faced the cruel injustice of a hostile world, but perhaps His deepest pain came when His closest friends deserted and betrayed Him. What could possibly sustain Him at such a dark moment? Jesus found His comfort in the Scriptures (Matt. 26:20–25, 31). The Scriptures kept everything in perspective for the Savior, holding Him steadfast in the knowledge that everything He was experiencing was according to His Father's plan. Jesus could proceed with confidence because the Scriptures assured Him that the Father was in control.

The word of God will guide you in the same way. There will be times when events around you will confuse you. Those in whom you've placed your trust will fail you. Others will abandon you. You will be misunderstood and criticized. In these times of distress, when your devotion and obedience are put to the greatest test, you must let Scripture guide and comfort you. Never let the faithlessness of others determine what you do. Turn to the Scriptures and allow them to reorient you to God and His activity.

Even as a young boy, Jesus was already well acquainted with the Scriptures. He was never surprised by events; He lived with confidence because the Scriptures had prepared Him for everything that He would face.

If you will immerse yourself daily in the word of God, you will not be caught off guard when crises come. Your focus will already be on God, and He will safely guide you through your difficult moments. (See Experiencing God Day by Day: Daily Devotional - Page 91)

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Spurgeon Morning and Evening —Matthew 26:56

He never deserted them, but they in cowardly fear of their lives, fled from him in the very beginning of his sufferings. This is but one instructive instance of the frailty of all believers if left to themselves; they are but sheep at the best, and they flee when the wolf cometh. They had all been warned of the danger, and had promised to die rather than leave their Master; and yet they were seized with sudden panic, and took to their heels. It may be, that I, at the opening of this day, have braced up my mind to bear a trial for the Lord’s sake, and I imagine myself to be certain to exhibit perfect fidelity; but let me be very jealous of myself, lest having the same evil heart of unbelief, I should depart from my Lord as the apostles did. It is one thing to promise, and quite another to perform. It would have been to their eternal honour to have stood at Jesus’ side right manfully; they fled from honour; may I be kept from imitating them! Where else could they have been so safe as near their Master, who could presently call for twelve legions of angels? They fled from their true safety. O God, let me not play the fool also. Divine grace can make the coward brave. The smoking flax can flame forth like fire on the altar when the Lord wills it. These very apostles who were timid as hares, grew to be bold as lions after the Spirit had descended upon them, and even so the Holy Spirit can make my recreant spirit brave to confess my Lord and witness for his truth.

What anguish must have filled the Saviour as he saw his friends so faithless! This was one bitter ingredient in his cup; but that cup is drained dry; let me not put another drop in it. If I forsake my Lord, I shall crucify him afresh, and put him to an open shame. Keep me, O blessed Spirit, from an end so shameful.

Matthew 26:57 Those who had seized Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas, the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were gathered together.

• Ps 56:5-6 Mk 14:53-54 Lu 22:54-55 Jn 11:49 18:12-14,24 

Related Passages: 

John 18:12-14+ So the Roman cohort and the commander and the officers of the Jews, arrested Jesus and bound Him, 13 and led Him to Annas first; for he was father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year. 14 Now Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jews that it was expedient for one man to die on behalf of the people. 

John 18:19-24+ The high priest (REFERRING IN CONTEXT TO ANNAS NOT CAIAPHAS) then questioned Jesus about His disciples, and about His teaching. 20 Jesus answered him, “I have spoken openly to the world; I always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where all the Jews come together; and I spoke nothing in secret. 21 “Why do you question Me? Question those who have heard what I spoke to them; they know what I said.” 22 When He had said this, one of the officers standing nearby struck Jesus, saying, “Is that the way You answer the high priest?” 23 Jesus answered him, “If I have spoken wrongly, testify of the wrong; but if rightly, why do you strike Me?” 24 So Annas sent Him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.

Matthew 16:21 From that time Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day.

Matthew 17:22-23  And while they were gathering together in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men; 23 and they will kill Him, and He will be raised on the third day.” And they were deeply grieved.

Matthew 20:17-19  As Jesus was about to go up to Jerusalem, He took the twelve disciples aside by themselves, and on the way He said to them, 18 “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn Him to death, 19 and will hand Him over to the Gentiles to mock and scourge and crucify Him, and on the third day He will be raised up.”

Source: ESV Study Bible

THE SECOND ILLEGAL TRIAL
"A KANGAROO COURT"

As shown in the table of the Six Mock Trials, only John (see passages above) describes the "trial" (or pre-trial") before Annas. Matthew skips that trial before Annas and goes directly to the night "trial" before Caiaphas.  Note that interwoven with Jesus' three trials before Annas and Caiaphas were Peter’s three denials.

KEY TO THE DIAGRAM ABOVE - The path from Jesus’ arrest to his crucifixion (part of which is often called the Via Dolorosa, “Way of Sorrows”) is difficult to retrace with certainty. According to a possible harmony of the Gospel accounts, after the Passover meal Judas led a contingent of soldiers to Gethsemane to arrest Jesus (1). From there Jesus was led to Annas (location unknown) (ED: NOT MARKED ON THE DIAGRAM), who sent him to his son-in-law Caiaphas, the high priest (2). The Jewish leaders then appealed to the Roman governor Pilate to have Jesus put to death (3). Luke records that Pilate sent Jesus to Herod Antipas (4), who questioned Jesus but returned him to Pilate without rendering any judgment (5). Pilate then sent Jesus to be crucified at Golgotha (6). (ESV Study Bible)

A "kangaroo court" is "a military court that ignores recognized standards of law or justice, and often carries little or no official standing in the territory within which it resides. The term may also apply to a court held by a legitimate judicial authority who intentionally disregards the court's legal or ethical obligations. The defendants in such courts are often denied access to legal representation and in some cases, proper defense." (Wikipedia) The trials of Jesus fulfilled all the nefarious aspects of this definition!

S Lewis Johnson makes an excellent point - What is also ironic about this, is that He appears before the judges, both of the ecclesiastical court and of the civil court, and in the final analysis there is no judge, no high authority, in human life who does not receive the authority from the Lord God (Ro 13:1). And so he who gives authority to man now stands before the bar of the authority that he himself has given. I say the irony is excruciating, and we do not understand these sections of the gospels if we do not appreciate what we have here. (Christ Before Annas)

Those who had seized (krateo) Jesus (Iesous) led Him away (apago) to Caiaphas, the high priest (archiereus), where the scribes (grammateus) and the elders (presbuteros) were gathered together (sunago) - This second trial was illegal because it was at night and night trials were forbidden. Be careful not to get confused because while Caiaphas (served 18 A.D until 36 A.D.) is the ruling high priest, but his father-in-law Annas, the previous high priest (served A.D. 18-36), is called "high priest" in John's account (Jn 18:19+ see Scriptures above). Led...away recalls the words of Isaiah's prophecy "Like a lamb that is led to slaughter." (Isa 53:7+)

Norman Crawford comments on led Him away - He who created the stars, who calls them by their names and leads them in their courses (Isa 40:26), was led by His creatures to be tried by a human tribunal  (What the Bible Teaches)

S Lewis Johnson - Caiaphas was his son-in-law. He was a religious degenerate who prostituted the divine office for personal gain. And oh how many there have been down through the years who have done that. Caiaphas was a man who heaped up for himself a massive amount of money while he was serving in the priesthood. When the Romans seized Jerusalem in 70 A.D. they found a fortune of vast size stored away by him. In fact, when the British pound was worth a pound one of the commentators said that they found two and a half million pounds stored away by him which he derived from the office.  (Ref)

The events are unfolding in these passage are beginning to fulfill the prophecies Jesus had given His men - Mt 16:21, Mt 17:22-34, Mt 20:17-19.

Gathered together gives us a vivid picture of these Jewish leaders, presumably representing the Sanhedrin, coming together like a brood of vipers crawling in under the cover of dark! As you read about the trials of Jesus, realize that they were merely a "formality" because in the eyes of the Jews Jesus in their minds was already considered guilty and condemned to die on the Cross. So not only was the entire process a series of "mock" trials, there were as many as seven "illegalities involved in these trials from the perspective of Jewish law"

Grassmick - Three groups—the elders (influential lay leaders), chief priests (Sadducees, cf. Mk 12:18, including former high priests), teachers of the Law (scribes, mostly Pharisees)—constituted the Sanhedrin, the Jewish supreme court which met in Jerusalem (cf. Mk 11:27; Mk 14:53). (See The Bible Knowledge Commentary)

Paul Apple - How were they all able to suddenly come together in the dead of the night? 71 members of the Sanhedrin – no small gathering; shows how urgently they regarded the situation

The trials before Jewish authorities, the religious trials, showed the degree to which the Jewish leaders hated Him because they carelessly disregarded many of their own laws. There were several illegalities involved in these trials from the perspective of Jewish law: (from What trials did Jesus face before His crucifixion?)

1. No trial was to be held during feast time.
2. Each member of the court was to vote individually to convict or acquit, but Jesus was convicted by acclamation.
3. If the death penalty was given, a night must pass before the sentence was carried out; however, only a few hours passed before Jesus was placed on the Cross.
4. The Jews had no authority to execute anyone.
5. No trial was to be held at night, but this trial was held before dawn.
6. The accused was to be given counsel or representation, but Jesus had none.
7. The accused was not to be asked self-incriminating questions, but Jesus was asked if He was the Christ.
   (See Arnold Fruchtenbaum's more complete list of 22 laws the Sanhedrin broke)

John MacArthur points out that "Like a first-century mafia family, Annas and his sons controlled the lucrative temple operation, including money changing and the sale of sacrificial animals, which was so closely associated with him that it became notoriously nicknamed the Bazaar of Annas. Jesus disrupted the corrupt enterprise when He single-handedly evacuated the temple earlier that week (Mark 11:15–18+)." (See Mark Commentary)

Spurgeon - Waiting for his blood, his enemies were spending the night in watching, until news should come that he was taken.....It was night, but these wicked men could sit up for this gruel deed, to judge the Lord of glory, and to put the innocent One to shame. They "led him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled."

Henry Morris - Caiaphas the high priest.  Caiaphas' father-in-law was Annas (John 18:13). Acts 4:6 and Luke 3:2 support the fact that both were high priests. This position of high priest had become a political position. Annas had been deposed by Rome, with Caiaphas appointed in his place, but Annas still managed to exercise much of the power of the position. It is sad that both were Sadducees, rejecting the supernatural, and wanting the prestigious position for political and financial reasons only. They were intensely hostile to Jesus for these reasons, rather than for their manufactured charge of blasphemy against God. (Defender's Study Bible)

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SUMMARY OF THE THREE ILLEGAL JEWISH TRIALS 

(1) The "pre-trial" or preliminary arraignment before Annas only recorded in John 18:12-27

(2) An informal trial before Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin before dawn (Jn 18:24) (See Mt 26:57–68, Mk 14:53–65)

(3) A formal trial by the Sanhedrin after dawn (Luke 22:66–71, Mt 27:1, Mk 15:11) 

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THE SIX MOCK TRIALS OF THE MESSIAH
JESUS' THREE RELIGIOUS TRIALS See also Detailed Discussion of 3 Religious Trials
	MATTHEW	MARK	LUKE	JOHN
Before Annas Nighttime ~1-3 AM				Jn 18:12-14,19-24+
Before Caiaphas Nighttime - ~1-3 AM	Mt 26:57-68+	Mk 14:53-65+	Lk 22:54, 63-65+
Before Sanhedrin Daybreak ~5 AM	Mt 27:1+	Mk 15:1+	Lk 22:66-71+
JESUS' THREE CIVIL TRIALS
Before Pilate	Mt 27:2, 11-14+	Mk 15:1-5+	Lk 23:1-5+	Jn 18:28-38+
Before" Herod Antipas			Lk 23:6-12+
Before Pilate	Mt 27:15-26+	Mk 15:6-15+	Lk 23:13-25+	Jn 18:39-19:16+

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For a more detailed discussion of the rules/laws for trials, witnesses, etc. see Buss' ten page discussion "Extracts from the Mishna." 

• Buss - The Trial Before Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin
• Buss - Importance of Witnesses
• Buss - Many False Witnesses
• Buss - Second Stage, Before Caiaphas - Two Witnesses
• Buss - Third Stage Before Caiaphas - Ye Are All Witnesses
• Buss - Meeting At Daybreak

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See James Stalker The Trial and Death of Jesus Christ-A Devotional History of Our Lord's Passion

• 1.   THE ARREST   Matt. 26:47–56; Mark 14:43–50; Luke 22:47–53; John 18:1–11.
• 2.   THE ECCLESIASTICAL TRIAL   Matt. 26:57–68; Mark 14:51–65; Luke 22:54–71; John 18:12–14, 19–24.
• 3.   THE GREAT DENIAL   Matt. 26:69–75; Mark 14:66–72; Luke 22:54–62; John 18:15–18, 25–7.

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QUESTION - What happened during Jesus' last hours before His death?

ANSWER - The night before Jesus’ death, He washed the feet of His disciples and shared the Passover meal with them. During this time Judas was revealed as the one who would betray His master (John 13:1-30). At the conclusion of the meal, Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper (Matthew 26:26–29; 1 Corinthians 11:23–26). After the meal, He took His disciples to the Garden of Gethsemane. There, He pulled Peter, John, and James away, told them to pray they wouldn’t fall into temptation, and went off by Himself. The trio promptly fell asleep.

Alone, Jesus was grieved and depressed, sorrowful as He approached death. His sweat fell like drops of blood (Luke 22:44)—His anguish was such that His life was practically dripping away from Him. He asked God to take the coming torment from Him, but only if it was the Father’s will (Luke 22:42). But it wasn’t the anticipation of scourging or the horrible hours on the cross that had Jesus so sorrowful. What had Him crying out in the garden was the anticipation of carrying the weight of sin (Matthew 27:46).

God sent an angel to strengthen Him enough to get through it. Jesus asked Peter, James, and John to pray that they would stay loyal to Him, but they fell asleep again. He had shared His life and His coming death with His disciples for three years. Then one of them, Judas, walked up to Him, greeted Him as a friend, and handed Him to the Roman guards.

The next few hours were a blur of beatings, mockings, and whippings with leather thongs tipped with balls of metal and shards of bone. Jesus’ skin was flayed off, and blood dripped off His head from the long thorns in His crown. He also suffered the humiliation of numerous illegal mock trials before Annas (John 18:13), Caiaphas, and the Sanhedrin (Matthew 26:57–68); and Roman trials before Pontius Pilate, then Herod, then Pilate again. Pilate, who knew Jesus was innocent, finally bent to the will of the crowd who were shouting, “Crucify him!” and sent Jesus to the cross (Luke 23:1–25).

Once on the cross, He had the choice of resting His weight on the spikes driven into His hands or pushing up on the spikes in His feet and being able to breathe. People who had celebrated Him a week earlier now taunted Him. He watched the Roman soldiers divide His possessions before He died. And He took in His mother’s grief as she looked up at the One the angel had promised would save the world. When the soldiers came to break His legs (a typical method of hastening the death of the crucified), He was already dead, for He had given up His spirit (John 19:30).

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Related Resources:

• Did the Romans give Jesus 39 lashes?
• Where/what is Golgotha/Calvary?
• What is the meaning and significance of the crown of thorns?
• Why did the crowds shout, “Crucify Him!” when Pilate wanted to release Jesus?
• What is the significance of Jesus saying, “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36)?

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Rick Renner - Led Like a Sheep To Its Slaughter Matthew 26:57

After Jesus demonstrated His phenomenal power, He permitted the soldiers to take Him into custody. In a certain sense, this was simply an act, for He had already vividly proven that they didn’t have adequate power to take Him. Just one word and He could put them on their backs, yet the Bible says that they “laid hold on Jesus” and “led him away.”

The words “laid hold” are from the Greek word kratos. In this case, this word means to seize, to take hold of, to firmly grip, and to apprehend. Used in this context, it primarily carries the idea of making a forceful arrest. Once Jesus demonstrated that He could not be taken by force, He then allowed the soldiers to seize Him.

Once Jesus was in their hands, Matthew 26:57 tells us that they “led him away.” This phrase comes from the Greek word apago—the same word used to picture a shepherd who ties a rope about the neck of his sheep and then leads it down the path to where it needs to go. This word pictures exactly what happened to Jesus that night in the Garden of Gethsemane. He wasn’t gagged and dragged to the high priest as one who was putting up a fight or resisting arrest. Instead, the Greek word apago plainly tells us that the soldiers lightly slipped a rope about Jesus’ neck and led Him down the path as He followed behind, just like a sheep being led by a shepherd. Thus, the Roman soldiers and temple police led Him as a sheep to slaughter, just as Isaiah 53:7 had prophesied many centuries earlier. Specifically on that night, however, the soldiers led Jesus to Caiaphas the high priest.

Let’s see what we can learn about Caiaphas. We know that Caiaphas was appointed high priest in the year 18 AD. As high priest, he became so prominent in Israel that even when his term as high priest ended, he wielded great influence in the business of the nation, including its spiritual, political, and financial affairs. Flavius Josephus, the famous Jewish historian, reported that five of Caiaphas’ sons later served in the office of the high priest.

As a young man, Caiaphas married Anna, the daughter of Annas, who was serving as high priest at that time. Annas served as Israel’s high priest for nine years. The title of high priest had fallen into the jurisdiction of this family, and they held this high-ranking position firmly in their grip, passing it among the various members of the family and thus keeping the reins of power in their hands. It was a spiritual monarchy. The holders of this coveted title retained great political power, controlled public opinion, and owned vast wealth.

After Annas passed the title of high priest to his son-in-law Caiaphas, Annas continued to exercise control over the nation through his son-in-law. This influence is evident in Luke 3:2, where the Bible says, “Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests.…” It was impossible for two people to serve as high priests at the same time; nonetheless, Annas held his former title and much of his former authority. He was so influential to the very end of Jesus’ ministry that the Roman soldiers and temple police who arrested Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane led Jesus to Annas first before delivering him to Caiaphas, the current high priest (John 18:13).

Both Annas and Caiaphas were Sadducees, a group of religious leaders who were more liberal in doctrine and had a tendency not to believe in supernatural events. In fact, they regarded most supernatural occurrences in the Old Testament as myths.

The constant reports of Jesus’ supernatural powers and miracles, as well as the reputation He was gaining throughout the nation, caused Caiaphas, Annas, and the other members of the Sanhedrin to view Jesus as a threat. These religious leaders were control freaks in the truest sense of the word, and it was an affront to them that Jesus’ ministry was beyond their control and jurisdiction. Then they heard the verified report that Lazarus had actually been resurrected from the dead! This incident drove them over the edge, causing them to decide to do away with Jesus by committing murder.

These leaders were so filled with rage about Lazarus’ resurrection and were so worried about Jesus’ growing popularity that they held a secret council to determine whether or not Jesus had to be killed. Once that decision was made, Caiaphas was the one who was principally responsible for scheming how to bring His death to pass.

As high priest and the official head of the Sanhedrin, Caiaphas was also responsible for arranging Jesus’ illegal trial before the Jewish authorities. At first, he charged Jesus with the sin of blasphemy. However, because Jesus wouldn’t contest the accusation Caiaphas brought against Him, the high priest then delivered Him to the Roman authorities, who found Jesus guilty of treason for claiming to be the king of the Jews.

Caiaphas was so powerful that even after the death of Jesus, he continued to persecute believers in the Early Church. For instance, after the crippled man at the Beautiful Gate was healed (see Acts 3), Peter and John were seized and brought before the council (Acts 4:6). Caiaphas was the high priest at this time and continued to serve as high priest until he was removed in 36 AD.

This emphatically tells us that Caiaphas was also the high priest who interrogated Stephen in Acts 7:1. In addition, he was the high priest we read about who gave Saul of Tarsus written permission that authorized him to arrest believers in Jerusalem and later in Damascus (Acts 9:1, 2).

Because of the political events in the year 36 AD, Caiaphas was finally removed from the office of high priest. Of the nineteen men who served as high priests in the first century, this evil man ruled the longest. The title of high priest, however, remained in the family after Caiaphas stepped down, this time passed on to his brother-in-law Jonathan, another son of Annas.

Consider this: Jesus had never sinned (2 Corinthians 5:21); no guile had ever been found in His mouth (1 Peter 2:22); and His entire life was devoted to doing good and to healing all who were oppressed of the devil (Acts 10:38). Therefore, it seems entirely unjust that He would be led like a sheep into the midst of the spiritual vipers who were ruling in Jerusalem. According to the flesh, one could have argued that this wasn’t fair; however, Jesus never questioned the Father’s will or balked at the assignment that was required of Him.

The apostle Peter wrote this regarding Jesus: “Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously” (1 Peter 2:23). The word “committed” is the Greek word paradidomi, a compound of the words para and didomi. The word para means alongside and carries the idea of coming close alongside to someone or to some object. The word didomi means to give. When compounded together, it presents the idea of entrusting something to someone. The prefix para suggests that this is someone to whom you have drawn very close. It can be translated to commit, to yield, to commend, to transmit, to deliver, or to hand something over to someone else.
The Lord Jesus yielded Himself to the Father who judges righteously when He found Himself in this unjust situation. In that difficult hour, He drew close to the Father and fully entrusted Himself and His future into the hands of the Father. Jesus knew He was in the Father’s will, so He chose to entrust Himself into the Father’s care and to leave the results in His control.

If you are in a situation that seems unfair or unjust and there is nothing you can do to change it, you must draw as close to the Father as you can and commit yourself into His loving care. You know He wants the best for you, even though you have found yourself in a predicament that seems so undeserved. Your options are to get angry and bitter and turn sour toward life, or to choose to believe that God is in control and working on your behalf, even if you don’t see anything good happening at the present moment.

When Jesus was arrested and taken to Caiaphas to be severely mistreated, there was no escape for Him. He had no choice but to trust the Father. What other choice do you have today?

Matthew 26:58 But Peter was following Him at a distance as far as the courtyard of the high priest, and entered in, and sat down with the officers to see the outcome.  

• Jn 18:15,16,25 

Related Passages: 

John 18:15-16+ Simon Peter was following Jesus, and so was another disciple. Now that disciple was known to the high priest, and entered with Jesus into the court of the high priest, 16 but Peter was standing at the door outside. So the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the doorkeeper, and brought Peter in.

PETER HAD FLED BUT
RETURNED TO FOLLOW JESUS

Note that all Four Gospels have descriptions of Peter's denial, but comparing these four accounts is not always straightforward. Keep this in mind as you study, teach and preach on Peter's denials.

Robert Stein for example comments that there are several differences including "such things as: (1) exactly where and when the three denials took place, (2) who the people were who questioned Peter, (3) the exact wording of Peter’s denials,(4) and the number of cock crows (one or two). All four (Gospel writers agree) that Peter (1) denied his Lord three times (2) on the night of Jesus’ betrayal (3) in the courtyard of the high priest, (4) that a maid questioned Peter, and (5) that a cock crowed “immediately” after the third denial." (See Luke - Page 564) (Numbers in parentheses added).

But Peter was following (akoloutheo) Him at a distance  (makrothen) as far as the courtyard of the high priest (archiereus) - Yes, Peter is following Jesus but making sure to keep his distance so he is not identified with Jesus!

THOUGHT - Peter keeping a distance to keep from being associated with Jesus begs the question -- Are you following Jesus at a distance at work, school, etc, to keep from being identified as a "Jesus freak?" (If you are uncertain see What is a Jesus freak? - DC Talk popularized a song in 1995 entitled Jesus Freak. WARNING - Probably not my favorite song as it has a bit of a "heavy metal" beat, but I do like the line "What will people think when they hear that I'm a Jesus freak? What will people do when they find that it's true?") Am I a closet Christian in my workplace or school? 

Paul Apple - Commendable that Peter followed him at all – after putting himself in jeopardy by cutting off the ear of Malchus, the servant of the high priest But noteworthy that he only followed Jesus at a distance – not exactly the commitment that Jesus had called for when he commanded His disciples to forsake all and follow after Him; to deny themselves and take up their cross daily

Grassmick explains that the courtyard "was a central quadrangle with the high priest’s residence built around it (cf. John 18:15–18)." (See Bible Knowledge Commentary)

While the Scriptural evidence is lacking most authorities (since Augustine in the 4th century) have said that Annas and Caiaphas resided in different wings of the the same palace which was connected by a common courtyard through which Jesus was led (from Annas to Caiaphas). In the Jewish culture of the day a son-in-law would commonly build their residence adjacent to the parents’ home with a courtyard in between. Apparently it was in this courtyard that Peter and John stood, warming their hands on a fire of coals while waiting to hear the results of the hearing. And when Jesus was taken from Annas to Caiaphas, it was most likely through the very same courtyard where the two disciples were seated.

And entered in (eiserchomai), and sat down with the officers (huperetes) to see the outcome (telos) - John was known by the high priest and was able to get Peter entree into the courtyard. Little did Peter know this entree was providentially as it set the stage for the 3 "trials" of Peter! Peter wanted to know how this would end. Apparently he still does not completely grasp that Jesus must die as the sacrificial Lamb for the sins of the world. 

Mark 14:54+ gives us an added detail writing that Peter "was sitting with the officers and warming himself at the fire" - Jerusalem is elevated about 2500 feet above sea level and it can become cold at night in the spring. Sitting with the officers was a daring ploy in a dangerous place as he would soon discover. These officers would not have been Roman soldiers but were the "Temple police" under Jewish jurisdiction. At the fire is literally "toward the light" (fire is the word phos = light) or facing the fire. This small detail means that even though it was dark, his face would be well illuminated which would lead to discovery of his identity described in Mark 14:67+. Not smart Peter! But Jesus had given the prophecy and God took care of the details (cold night, need for fire, Peter facing the fire), so that it would be fulfilled perfectly. 

Spurgeon - I have heard Peter represented as if he did wrong to follow Christ "afar off." I think he was the bravest of all the apostles, for scarcely one of them followed Christ at all at that time. Afterwards, John bethought himself, and came into the judgment hall. Peter kept at a distance from his Lord, but he did follow him, and he did go into the high priest’s palace. He "went in, and sat with the servants, to see the end." Peter was right enough in following Christ; it was afterward, when the temptation came, that he fell so grievously.

NET NOTE - The guards would have been the guards of the chief priests who had accompanied Judas to arrest Jesus.

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Officers (5257)(huperetes from hupo = under, beneath + eretes = a rower) is literally and under oarsman and then a subordinate, a servant, an attendant (Lk 4:20), one who is in the service of another or an assistant in general.Vincent says huperetes was used most commonly with the meaning of officer (Mt 5:25, etc), "denoting a subordinate official, as a herald or an orderly." 

Huperetes - 20x in 20v - Usage: attendant(1), helper(1), minister(1), officer(1), officers(13), servants(3). - Matt. 5:25; Matt. 26:58; Mk. 14:54; Mk. 14:65; 

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James Butler - FAR OFF Matthew 26:58 (from Butler's Sermon Starters)

Our text deals with the failure of the Apostle Peter. It shows what happens when we distances ourselves from the Lord. It is not a pretty picture but sin never paints pretty pictures. Peter had earlier boasted that he would not deny the Lord, yet within hours he denied the Lord very conspicuously. It all happened when he let too much distance come between him and the Lord. His devotion and fellowship with the Lord declined until it was said that he followed the Lord “afar off.” Many folk are like Peter today and the price of this lack of devotion and fellowship with the Lord is costly. We note four bad results of following the Lord “afar off.”

FIRST—THE WRONG PLACE

“The high priest’s court.” The high priest’s court was not one that honored the Lord. In this place, Peter would hear much bad talk about Christ. They would slander Him, speak blasphemously of him, mistreat Him, and unjustly condemn Him. It is not good for God’s people to be in such places, in such dens of iniquity where Christ is so terribly dishonored. It only encourages you to dishonor Christ more as Peter did. But when you follow the Lord at a distance, you will end up in the wrong place.

SECOND—THE WRONG PEOPLE

“Sat with the guards to see the end.” When you follow the Lord at a distance, when you do not fellowship intimately with Him, you will eventually end up in the wrong crowd. Psalm 1:1 says, “Blessed is the man that … sitteth not in the seat of the scornful.” Peter learned the hard way that sitting with the scornful removes one from blessing. What’s a servant of the Lord doing with servants of those who hate the Lord? Elijah was asked, “What doest thou here?” (1 Kings 19:13). We need to ask ourselves that question often, for it will tell us much about our spiritual temperature. Those who do not follow the Lord closely will end up with the wrong people.

THIRD—THE WRONG POSTURE

“Sat.” Peter was sitting and listening to all the bad accusations and injustices said and done to Jesus Christ when he should have been standing up in protest for all the evil that was going on. But when you follow the Lord “afar off” you lose your zeal and your convictions. You will be sitting and condoning when you ought to be standing and condemning.

FOURTH—THE WRONG PERSPECTIVE

“To see the end.” It was not the end, it was the beginning of the Gospel program. But when you follow the Lord “afar off,” you will have poor perspective of life. We often look at our trials and difficulties as the end, when in fact they are the beginning. They are not to destroy us as we think but to build us up and strengthen us.

Matthew 26:59 Now the chief priests and the whole Council kept trying to obtain false testimony against Jesus, so that they might put Him to death.

• kept trying to obtain false testimony: De 19:16-21 1Ki 21:8-13 Ps 27:12 35:11,12 94:20,21 Pr 25:18 Mk 14:55-56 Ac 6:11-13 24:1-13

Related Passages: 

Mark 14:55-56+  Now the chief priests and the whole Council kept trying to obtain testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, and they were not finding any. 56 For many were giving false testimony against Him, but their testimony was not consistent.

SEEKING FALSE
TESTIMONY 

Grassmick offers an interesting supposition - The material in this section probably rests on the report of one or more Sanhedrin members who were secretly sympathetic to Jesus or who were against Him originally but later came to believe in Him (cf. Acts 6:7). (See Bible Knowledge Commentary)

Now the chief priests (archiereus  and the whole (holos) Council (sunedrion) kept trying to obtain (zeteo) false testimony against Jesus (Iesous), so that they might put Him to death - Note that this meeting of the Sanhedrin seems to be distinguished from the third "religious" trial at daybreak (Mt 27:1+).  It is also notable that these hypocritical legalists were openly violating the ninth commandment which stated, “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor” (Ex 20:16+)

The whole Council could mean all 71 (70 members plus the high priest) were present. But this not necessarily true, because "Joseph (of Arimathea), who was a member of the Council, a good and righteous man (he had not consented to their plan and action)," (Lk 23:50-51+). Joseph may have been present but did not consent to their actions. We also know that 23 members was enough to constitute a quorum of the Sanhedrin (as if "legalities" even mattered to them at this point!), so we cannot state with certainty how many were present at this time.

The Jews knew they needed a charge before they could convict Jesus and so kept trying (zeteo) which in the imperfect tense indicates they were seeking incriminating evidence over and over but to no avail. And it is no surprise that this seeking for witnesses was a highly unusual court procedure. They were not just trying to obtain testimony to convict Jesus of a capital crime (warranting the death sentence). Their hands were beginning to be "stained" (so to speak) with the blood of the Lamb. Unfortunately for most their hearts would never be washed clean of their sin by the blood of the Lamb (Jn 1:29+)!

THOUGHT - How do you respond when you are wrongly accused? We all have the identical natural response. We become extremely defensive; we seek to justify ourselves; we might lash back and attack our attackers; we marshal all the evidence that could possibly support our claims. But Jesus responded differently. He endured more intense injustice than we could ever imagine. But He never lost His poise. And He never lost His compassion. (Paul Apple)

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Council (supreme court, Sanhedrin)(4892) sunedrion from sun/syn = together + hedra = a seat or hedraios = sedentary, as one seated in a chair) means ones seated together. This noun generally describes an assembly or council. In classical Greek sunhedrion initially referred to the place of meeting; and later described the assembly itself or the “council.” In secular language sunedrion was used of a variety of official groups and councils including legislative bodies. In the intertestamental period prior to the birth of Christ sunedrion became a technical term for the "supreme court" or “high court” of the Jews who adopted the Greek into their own language (Hebrew/ Aramaic), calling the council the Sanhedrin. In the NT uses the council or Sanhedrin consisted of 71 members (70 members plus the highest official, the high priest) from the chief priests, former high priests, and the chief priests or heads of the twenty–four courses or divisions, elders, and scribes or lawyers. Apparently the council itself determined who could belong. There were also local councils throughout the Jewish Diaspora with 23 members, which were also called sunedrion.

The Sanhedrin tried the most serious offenses and pronounced the severest penalties, including death by stoning (see Acts 6:12-7:60) The Sanhedrin was formed in imitation of the seventy elders appointed by Moses (Nu 11:16ff.) The members were selected from the chief priests, former high priests, and the chief priests or heads of the twenty–four courses or divisions, elders, and scribes or lawyers. The Jewish genealogical records were kept by the Sanhedrin but they ceased to exist after the destruction of the Temple by the Romans in 70 A D.

William Barclay on Sanhedrin (from his commentary on Jesus' trial in Mark 14) - There is no doubt that in the trial of Jesus the Sanhedrin broke all its own laws. The regulations for the procedure of the Sanhedrin are in one of the tractates of the Mishnah. Naturally enough some of these regulations are rather ideals than actual practices but, even allowing for that, the whole procedure of this night was a series of flagrant injustices. The Sanhedrin was the supreme court of the Jews and was composed of seventy-one members. Within its membership there were Sadducees—the priestly classes were all Sadducees—Pharisees and Scribes, who were experts in the law, and respected men who were elders. It appears that any vacancies in the court were filled by co-option. The High Priest presided over the court. The court sat in a semi-circle in such a way that any member could see any other member. Facing it sat the students of the Rabbis. They were allowed to speak on behalf of the person on trial but not against him. The official meeting place of the Sanhedrin was the Hall of Hewn Stone ((watch this computer animation)) which was within the Temple precincts, and the decisions of the Sanhedrin were not valid unless reached at a meeting held in that place. The court could not meet at night, nor could it meet at any of the great feasts. When evidence was taken, witnesses were examined separately and their evidence to be valid must agree in every detail. Each individual member of the Sanhedrin must give his verdict separately, beginning from the youngest and going on to the eldest. If the verdict was a verdict of death, a night must elapse before it was carried out, so that the court might have a chance to change its mind and its decision towards mercy. One of the functions of the Sanhedrin was to deal with any man who was suspected of being a false prophet.

A synonymous term for sunedrion is bouleutḗs used in Mark 15:43 and Luke 23:50+ to describe Joseph of Arimathea who buried Jesus in his unused tomb.

Sunedrion -22x in 22v- Council(m)(17), council(2), courts(m)(2), supreme court(m)(1). Matt. 5:22; Matt. 10:17; Matt. 26:59; Mk. 13:9; Mk. 14:55; Mk. 15:1; Lk. 22:66; Jn. 11:47; Acts 4:15; Acts 5:21; Acts 5:27; Acts 5:34; Acts 5:41; Acts 6:12; Acts 6:15; Acts 22:30; Acts 23:1; Acts 23:6; Acts 23:15; Acts 23:20; Acts 23:28; Acts 24:20

Sunedrion - 12x in 11v in the Septuagint -  Ps. 26:4; Pr 11:13; Pr 15:22; Pr. 22:10; Pr 24:8; Pr 26:26; Pr 27:22; Pr 31:23; Jer. 15:17;

BACKGROUND ON SANHEDRIN
The Believer's Study Bible

Jewish tradition maintains that Ezra established a synod of teachers, known as the hakeneseth hagedolah (Heb.), which functioned to adapt and develop the oral tradition (cf. 15:2) to meet contemporary needs. They constituted the channel through which the knowledge of the Torah was transmitted. On this theory, when the Great Assembly ceased sometime in the third century B.C., the Sanhedrin (sunedrion, Heb.) arose to deliberate community concerns in Judea. According to Josephus, it was known as the gerousia (Gk.), "Council," during the Seleucid period (198-167 B.C.) and Sanhedrin, "Court," during the Roman occupation. It consisted of 71 members, including the acting high priest, who presided over the other 70 members from two parties, the Sadducees and Pharisees (26:3, 57; Mark 14:53; 15:1; Luke 22:66). Former high priests, the acting high priest, scribes, possibly members of the more privileged families from which the high priests were selected, and the elders (i.e., tribal and family representatives of the people and the priesthood) also served. During the Roman period, many local courts existed because the Romans permitted the Jews to handle many of their own domestic and religious matters. At least three judges made up the local courts which convened on the second and third days of the week. Courts in large towns had 23 members, the number needed to decide cases of capital punishment. The Sanhedrin consTitus uted the Jewish supreme court and met in the temple area each day, except on holy days and on Sabbaths. Sanhedrins existed in several communities of Judea during the rule of the Roman procurators (A.D. 6-66). The Jerusalem Sanhedrin, however, exercised considerable authority, which varied with different monarchs. Herod the Great tried to limit its powers, but under the Roman procurators its powers extended to free regulation of religious matters and controlled regulation of civil matters. Beginning with the rule of Archelaus (4 B.C.-A.D. 6), the powers of the Sanhedrin were evidently limited to Judea, since it could not exercise authority over Jesus when He was in Galilee. After the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, the Sanhedrin was abolished. During its existence, it had direct authority over its own police force and could order arrests (Mt 26:47; Mark 14:43), and in capital cases had the power of life and death, provided that the Roman governor gave his consent. His judgment, however, usually complied with the Sanhedrin's demands. The Sanhedrin also heard charges of blasphemy (Mt 26:57ff.; John 19:7), transgression of the Law of Moses (Acts 22-24), and false doctrine (Acts 4). Members sat facing one another in a semicircle. Two clerks of the court, one at each end, stood to record votes of condemnation and of acquittal. Condemnation required a two-thirds majority; acquittal, a simple majority. In cases involving capital punishment, arguments for acquittal were presented first, then those for condemnation. Acquittal could be declared on the day of the trial, but condemnation awaited the following day. Disciples of the scribes attended the courts, sat in front, and argued in favor of acquittal, but not for condemnation. Jesus was tried before the Sanhedrin (26:59; John 11:47), but due to His not being granted the benefit of the doubt which usually lay with the accused, the legality of His trial has been the subject of great deliberation.

Matthew 26:60 They did not find any, even though many false witnesses came forward. But later on two came forward,

• They did not find any: Da 6:4,5 Titus 2:8 1Pe 3:16 
• later on two came forward De 19:15 Mk 14:57-59 

Related Passages: 

Mark 14:57-59+  Some stood up and began to give false testimony against Him, saying, 58 “We heard Him say, ‘I will destroy this temple made with hands, and in three days I will build another made without hands.’” 59 Not even in this respect was their testimony consistent.

SANHEDRIN UNABLE TO 
FIND GENUINE WITNESSES

They did not find (heurisko) any, even though many false witnesses (pseudomarturia) came forward (proserchomai) - They did not find any incriminating evidence despite many false witnesses, thus their evil efforts came to a "dead end" (no pun intended). If this had been a fair proceeding, these men would serve as Jesus' judges, but instead they proved to be His prosecutors! Indeed Jesus was “guilty until proven innocent” but He was never going to be found innocent by the religious leaders. 

But later on two came forward - But later on indicates the Jews persisted for some time vainly attempting to find witnesses who could make a convincing case against Jesus. Two presumably to meet the requirement for 2 witnesses in Deut 19:15+. Following their failure to find any two who could agree on anything against Jesus, these two came forward apparently having a relatively similar story.

Bob Utley - This seems to imply that they were looking for two witnesses who could agree on some charge because OT legal precedent required two witnesses to condemn a person (cf. Num. 35:30; Deut. 17:6; 19:15). The Sanhedrin could not find two consistent testimonies against Jesus (Matt. 26:60-61). Finally they found two similar testimonies (cf. Mark 14:59) connected with Jesus' statement about destroying the temple (cf. John 2:19). There were many illegal elements in this night trial. These Jewish leaders would have rationalized this by illegally sacrificing this one man to save the whole nation from Roman retaliation.

Spurgeon - Because they did not agree, they would not hold together. This is the weakness of falsehood, that it contradicts itself. These men felt that they must have some show of truth-likeness even in condemning Christ, and this they could not get at first even from their false witnesses.

Matthew 26:61 and said, “This man stated, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and to rebuild it in three days.’”

• This: Mt 26:71 12:24 Ge 19:9 1Ki 22:27 2Ki 9:11 Ps 22:6,7 Isa 49:7 53:3 Lu 23:2  Jn 9:29 Ac 17:18 18:13 22:22 
• I am: Mt 27:40 Jer 26:8-11,16-19 Mk 15:29 Jn 2:19-21 Ac 6:13 

Related Passages: 

Mark 14:57-59+  Some stood up and began to give false testimony against Him, saying, 58 “We heard Him say, ‘I will destroy this temple made with hands, and in three days I will build another made without hands.’” 59 Not even in this respect was their testimony consistent.

John 2:19-21+ Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” 20 The Jews then said, “It took forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?” 21 But He was speaking of the temple of His body.

Matthew 27:40+  (NOTE THE SAME ACCUSATION BY THE TWO WITNESSES WOULD BE USED TO MOCK JESUS ON THE CROSS) and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross.”

FALSELY ACCUSED OF PLOTTING
TO DESTROY THE TEMPLE

and said, “This man (lit - "this one") stated, ‘I am able (dunamai) to destroy (kataluo) the temple (naos) of God and to rebuild (oikodomeo) it in three days - Their testimony is not what Jesus said in John 2:19+ for He declared “Destroy (aorist imperative in plural) this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” These false witnesses perverted His words. He did not say "I am able to destroy the Temple of God." In fact He gives a prophecy in the form of a command for them to Destroy this temple, His Body (Jn 2:21)! The irony is that the Sanhedrin were unknowingly fulfilling His prophetic words as they sought to discover a capital crime which would allow them to kill Him for in killing Him, they would destroy His "temple," His body! It is interesting that this same accusation would be used against Stephen by the Jews who would end up stoning him (Acts 6:14+).

As Mark concludes "Not even in this respect was their testimony consistent." In other words even these two who had similar stories failed to give matching testimonies. So the high priest was clearly at wits end which forces him in the next section to attempt to force Jesus' hand.

A T Robertson agrees that "What he had said (John 2:19) referred to the temple of his body which they were to destroy (and did) and which he would raise again in three days as he did. It was a pitiful perversion of what Jesus had said and even so the two witnesses disagreed in their misrepresentation (Mark 14:59)

It is interesting that these two false witnesses were more true than they realized for their phrase was "the temple of God" which indeed His body was! The Shekinah glory of God had long before departed from the Jewish Temple! The irony is that the glory returned when Jesus entered the Temple! (cf "His glory" Jn 1:14+) Note that only Mark's account specifically says they gave "false testimony." (Mk 14:57+) Note also that Mk 14:58 says they "heard Him say," so they are more like EAR witnesses than EYE witnesses! 

Stuart Weber makes an interesting comment that "These false witnesses attempted to convict Jesus of a capital crime—one worthy of the death sentence. If justice was done and the false witnesses were shown to be liars, each of them should have received the death penalty under Jewish law (Deut. 19:16–21+). However, these false witnesses felt safe. The men with the authority to convict them of false testimony were the ones who wanted them to give false testimony. (See Holman New Testament Commentary - Matthew)

Spurgeon - This was a perversion of his meaning, and a wresting of his words. He had spoken of his own body and said, "Destroy this temple." It is no strange thing if the wicked misrepresent what we say, for they did the same by our Master and Lord.....Brethren, observe, that this was a little twisting of Christ’s words, but that slight wresting made them as different as possible from what Christ had really said. I suppose that, if you want to know how this twisting or wresting is done, any one of our general elections will give you the most wonderful examples of how everything that any man may say can be twisted to mean the very reverse of what he said. If there is one thing in which English people are expert beyond all others, it is in the art of misquoting, misstating, and misrepresenting. As our Lord was wronged in this fashion, nobody need be surprised if the like should happen unto him. "This fellow said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days."

Henry Morris - This was a distortion of Jesus' words in John 2:19, but it was the best evidence the illegally assembled kangaroo court of Caiaphas could produce in this infamous travesty of a trial. (Defender's Study Bible)

Matthew 26:62 The high priest stood up and said to Him, “Do You not answer? What is it that these men are testifying against You?”

• Do You not answer: Mt 27:12-14 Mk 14:60 Lu 23:9 Jn 18:19-24 Jn 19:9-11 

Related Passages: 

Matthew 27:12-14+ And while He was being accused by the chief priests and elders, He did not answer. 13 Then Pilate *said to Him, “Do You not hear how many things they testify against You?” 14 And He did not answer him with regard to even a single charge, so the governor was quite amazed. 

Luke 23:8-9+ Now Herod was very glad when he saw Jesus; for he had wanted to see Him for a long time, because he had been hearing about Him and was hoping to see some sign performed by Him. 9 And he questioned Him at some length; but He answered him nothing.

John 19:9-11+  and he entered into the Praetorium again and *said to Jesus, “Where are You from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. 10 So Pilate *said to Him, “You do not speak to me? Do You not know that I have authority to release You, and I have authority to crucify You?” 11 Jesus answered, “You would have no authority over Me, unless it had been given you from above; for this reason he who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.”

CAIAPHAS CRIES OUT
FOR ANSWER

The high priest (archiereus) stood up and said to Him, “Do You not answer? What is it that these men are testifying against You - CSB - ""Don't You have an answer to what these men are testifying against You?" NLT - "Well, aren't you going to answer these charges? What do you have to say for yourself?" Why would Jesus need to respond? Every charge brought against Him was false!

Spurgeon - What was the good of answering? What is ever the good of answering when the only evidence brought against one is palpable and willful misrepresentation? So the Savior was silent; and thus, he not only proved his wisdom, but he also fulfilled that marvelous prophecy of Isaiah, "He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he opens not his mouth."

Matthew 26:63 But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest said to Him, “I adjure You by the living God, that You tell us whether You are the Christ, the Son of God.”

• Jesus: Ps 38:12-14 Isa 53:7 Da 3:16 Ac 8:32-35 1Pe 2:23 
• I adjure: Lev 5:1 Nu 5:19-21 1Sa 14:24,26,28 1Ki 22:16 2Ch 18:15 Pr 29:24 
• that: Mk 14:61 Lu 22:66-71  Jn 8:25 10:24 18:37 
• the Christ: Mt 16:16 27:40,43,54 Ps 2:6,7 Isa 9:6,7 Jn 1:34,49 3:16-18 Jn 5:18-25 6:69 10:30,36 19:7 20:31 1Jn 5:11-13 

Related Passages:

Psalm 38:12-14 Those who seek my life lay snares for me; And those who seek to injure me have threatened destruction, And they devise treachery all day long.  13 But I, like a deaf man, do not hear; And I am like a mute man who does not open his mouth.  14 Yes, I am like a man who does not hear, And in whose mouth are no arguments.

1 Peter 2:23  and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously;

 

JESUS SILENCE PROMPTS
CAIAPHAS PULLS OUT HIS "TRUMP CARD"

But Jesus (Iesous) kept silent (siopao) - This fulfills the prophecy in Isaiah 53:7 "He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth."  

David Guzik - Remarkably, Jesus kept silent and answered nothing until it was absolutely necessary in obedience for Him to speak. Jesus could have mounted a magnificent defense here, calling forth all the various witnesses to His deity, power and character. The people He taught, the people He healed, the dead risen, the blind who see, even the demons themselves testified to His deity. But Jesus opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He opened not His mouth (Isaiah 53:7).

“His was the silence of patience, not of indifference;
of courage, not of cowardice.
-- C H Spurgeon

Spurgeon - It was a tacit confession that Christ had been proved innocent up till then. The high priest would not have needed to draw something out of the accused one if there had been sufficient material against him elsewhere. The trial had been a dead failure up to that point, and he knew it, and was red with rage. Now he attempts to bully the prisoner that he may extract some declaration from him which may save all further trouble of witnesses, and end the matter.”

To play a trump card means to do something unexpected which gives one a definite advantage. Caiaphas pulls out his card!

And the high priest (archiereus) said to Him, “I adjure (exorkizo) You by the living (zao - present tense - continually living) God, that You tell us whether You are the Christ (Christos - CSB, NLT, NRSV, NAB = "the Messiah"), the Son of God - Caiaphas was asking Jesus under oath if He was the Messiah?  In English adjure means to urge or request someone solemnly or earnestly to do something, to charge, bind, or command earnestly and solemnly, often under oath or the threat of a penalty. Caiaphas called upon Jesus to swear by the living God, which is another irony, for the Living God was in fact standing in front of Him! And not only that, but Jesus had already told the Jews many times that He was the Son of God (Jn 5:17-18+, Jn 10:30-31+, Jn 10:36+) Not only had Jesus declared Who He was with His words but He had backed up his claim with many signs and miracles.

A T Robertson -  So Caiaphas put Jesus on oath in order to make Him incriminate Himself, a thing unlawful in Jewish jurisprudence. He had failed to secure any accusation against Jesus that would stand at all. But Jesus did not refuse to answer under solemn oath, clearly showing that He was not thinking of oaths in courts of justice when He prohibited profanity. The charge that Caiaphas makes is that Jesus claims to be the Messiah, the Son of God. To refuse to answer would be tantamount to a denial. So Jesus answered knowing full well the use that would be made of his confession and claim.

Bob Utley - Self-incrimination by means of an oath was illegal but effective, for Jesus would not be silent in the face of an oath in the name of YHWH. The name "YHWH," from Exod. 3:14, was from the Hebrew VERB "to be," which means the "ever-living, only-living God" (cf. Matt. 16:16). It was the covenant name for the God of Israel. These leaders recognized that Jesus, at least by His words and deeds, was claiming to be the promised Messiah (note how the titles "Messiah" and "Son of God" are equated). They saw Him as one of many false Messiah's because He was not committed to the Oral Traditions (i.e., Talmud) and their authority.

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Silent (hush, be quiet)(4623) siopao from siope = silence, a hush, properly, muteness, i.e. involuntary stillness, or inability to speak)  means to be silent, hold one's peace, say nothing (Mt 26:63; Mk 3:4; 9:34; 14:61; Acts 18:9). To stop speaking or become quiet (Mt 20:31; Mk 10:48; Lk 18:39, 19:40) and here in Luke 1:20 meaning to lose the ability to speak. In one use Jesus commands the wind (and waves) to "Hush!" or quieten down, becoming calm (Mk 4:39). In classic Greek it was a command to “be silent” (Iliad 23.568; Odyssey 17.513) Socrates before a jury. (Cf Plato before the popular assembly on Aegina, on trial for his life "did not say a single word.")

Adjure (1844) (exorkizo from ek = intensifies meaning + horkizo = to adjure) means to extract an oath, to force an oath, to cause to swear, to put under oath. BDAG = "to compel someone to do something by invoking a transcendent power." The only use is Mt 26:63.

Gilbrant - This verb (from ek [1523] and horkizo [3589]) means “to make (one) take an oath,” “to cause (someone) to swear (with an oath).” In non-biblical Greek it appears often in the sense of “to invoke” a deity or “to adjure” as in the exorcism of evil spirits (cf. Acts 19:13 the variant reading exorkizomen for horkizō, and the noun exorkistēs, an “exorcist”).

Septuagint Usage - Exorkizō occurs three times in the Septuagint. In Genesis 24:3f. Abraham made his servant “swear” that he would not allow Isaac to marry a Canaanite or to leave the land. Also King Ahab “adjured” the prophet Micaiah to speak the truth in his prophecy (1 Kings 22:16). In Judges 17:2 exorkizō refers to the “cursing” of something.

New Testament Usage - The only instance of exorkizō in the New Testament is in Matthew’s account of Jesus before the high priest (26:63). The high priest “adjured” (i.e., he tried to make Him take an oath) Jesus “by the living God” to tell him plainly whether or not He was the Messiah. In light of Jesus’ response, su eipas (“thou hast said”), the question is, Does this contradict Matthew 5:33,34? That is, did Jesus take an oath? Schneider offers a plausible resolution. Jesus’ response, su eipas, should not be understood as an acceptance of the high priest’s compelling; rather, it should be regarded as a refusal to comply with him. Jesus’ reply is not “you said it (correctly),” but “you tell me.” Then Jesus declared the facts of what the priest would witness—a description of the Son of Man, the Messiah, judging the world. Thus Jesus refused to take an oath and allowed the high priest to judge for himself (cf. Mark 14:62; “exorkizō,” Kittel, 5:464f.).

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QUESTION - What does it mean that Jesus is the Son of God? WATCH VIDEO

ANSWER - Jesus is not God’s Son in the sense of a human father and a son. God did not get married and have a son. God did not mate with Mary and, together with her, produce a son. Jesus is God’s Son in the sense that He is God made manifest in human form (John 1:1, 14). Jesus is God’s Son in that He was conceived in Mary by the Holy Spirit. Luke 1:35 declares, “The angel answered, 'The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.’”

During His trial before the Jewish leaders, the High Priest demanded of Jesus, “I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God” (Matthew 26:63). “‘Yes, it is as you say,’ Jesus replied. ‘But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven’” (Matthew 26:64). The Jewish leaders responded by accusing Jesus of blasphemy (Matthew 26:65-66). Later, before Pontius Pilate, “The Jews insisted, ‘We have a law, and according to that law He must die, because He claimed to be the Son of God’” (John 19:7). Why would His claiming to be the Son of God be considered blasphemy and be worthy of a death sentence? The Jewish leaders understood exactly what Jesus meant by the phrase “Son of God.” To be the Son of God is to be of the same nature as God. The Son of God is “of God.” The claim to be of the same nature as God—to in fact be God—was blasphemy to the Jewish leaders; therefore, they demanded Jesus’ death, in keeping with Leviticus 24:15. Hebrews 1:3 expresses this very clearly, “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being.”

Another example can be found in John 17:12 where Judas is described as the “son of perdition.” John 6:71 tells us that Judas was the son of Simon. What does John 17:12 mean by describing Judas as the “son of perdition”? The word perdition means “destruction, ruin, waste.” Judas was not the literal son of “ruin, destruction, and waste,” but those things were the identity of Judas' life. Judas was a manifestation of perdition. In this same way, Jesus is the Son of God. The Son of God is God. Jesus is God made manifest (John 1:1, 14).

Related Resources:

• Who is God the Son?
• What does it mean that Jesus is the son of David?
• What does it mean that Jesus is God’s only begotten son?
• Is Jesus God? Why should I believe that Jesus is God?

Matthew 26:64 Jesus *said to him, “You have said it yourself; nevertheless I tell you, hereafter you will see THE SON OF MAN SITTING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF POWER, and COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN.”  

KJV  Matthew 26:64 Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.

BGT  Matthew 26:64 λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ Ἰησοῦς· σὺ εἶπας. πλὴν λέγω ὑμῖν· ἀπ᾽ ἄρτι ὄψεσθε τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου καθήμενον ἐκ δεξιῶν τῆς δυνάμεως καὶ ἐρχόμενον ἐπὶ τῶν νεφελῶν τοῦ οὐρανοῦ.

NET  Matthew 26:64 Jesus said to him, "You have said it yourself. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power and coming on the clouds of heaven."

CSB  Matthew 26:64 "You have said it," Jesus told him. "But I tell you, in the future you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Power and coming on the clouds of heaven."

ESV  Matthew 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."

NIV  Matthew 26:64 "Yes, it is as you say," Jesus replied. "But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven."

NLT  Matthew 26:64 Jesus replied, "You have said it. And in the future you will see the Son of Man seated in the place of power at God's right hand and coming on the clouds of heaven."

NRS  Matthew 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."

NJB  Matthew 26:64 Jesus answered him, 'It is you who say it. But, I tell you that from this time onward you will see the Son of man seated at the right hand of the Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.'

• You have said it yourself: Mt 26:25 27:11 Mk 14:62 Lu 22:70 Jn 18:37 
• Hereafter: Mt 16:27 24:30 25:31 Da 7:13 Lu 21:27 Jn 1:50,51 Ac 1:11 Ro 14:10 1Th 4:16 Rev 1:7 Rev 20:11 
• the right: Ps 110:1 Ac 7:55,56 Heb 1:3 Heb 12:2 

Related Passages: 

Daniel 7:13-14+ “I kept looking in the night visions, And behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, And He came up to the Ancient of Days And was presented before Him.  14 “And to Him was given dominion, Glory and a kingdom, That all the peoples, nations and men of every language Might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion Which will not pass away; And His kingdom is one Which will not be destroyed.

Mark 14:62+  And Jesus said, “I am; and you shall see THE SON OF MAN SITTING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF POWER, and COMING WITH THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN.”

Matthew 24:30+ “And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory. 

Matthew 25:31+ “But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne.

Revelation 1:7+   BEHOLD, HE IS COMING WITH THE CLOUDS, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen. 

Revelation 19:11+  And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war.

Psalm 110:1+ A Psalm of David. The LORD says to my Lord: “Sit at My right hand Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.” 

JESUS ADMITS TO DIVINITY
AND ADDS PROPHECY

Jesus (Iesous) *said to him, “You have said it yourself - NIV = "Yes, it is as you say," This is equivalent in Greek to an affirmative reply. In Mk 14:62+ Jesus plainly stated “I am." (ego eimi) (Wouldn't that have been a scene if they all had fallen back like when Jesus was arrested!) 

Nevertheless I tell you hereafter - Jesus introduces a dramatic contrast. They see Him now before them in His humility, but the next time they would see Him, they would see Him in His glory as the true and living God! 

Spurgeon remarks on hereafter - “‘Hereafter!’ ‘Hereafter!’ Oh, when that hereafter comes, how overwhelming it will be to Jesus’ foes! Now where is Caiaphas? Will he now adjure the Lord to speak? Now, ye priests, lift up your haughty heads! Utter a sentence against him now! There sits, your victim upon the clouds of heaven. Say now that He blasphemes, and hold up your rent rags, and condemn Him again. But where is Caiaphas? He hides his guilty head he is utterly confounded, and begs the mountains to fall upon him.”

You will see THE SON OF MAN SITTING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF POWER, and COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN - The first "you" in this verse is singular and addresses Caiaphas. This "you will see" is plural. You say "so what?" The plural indicates that Jesus addressed this prophecy to the entire Sanhedrin. This prophecy to all the Jewish members will be fulfilled at His second coming. Son of Man is a messianic term from Da 7:13 (cf Ps 110:1). He was telling them that they would see the Messiah in the future! He is declaring to them He is the Messiah! Think about Jesus' words for a moment. These Jews were now faced with the decision of a lifetime - bow down to Him or murder Him! 

R T France makes an interesting observation that "Power is a typically Jewish reverential expression to avoid pronouncing the sacred name of God (which might have laid Jesus open to the charge of blasphemy, though ironically it was precisely that charge on which he was condemned, Matthew 26:65!).” (See Matthew: An Introduction and Commentary - Page 386) 

Spurgeon - How that sentence must have come with the vividness of a lightning flash before their faces! What a declaration of power from One who stood there bound before his enemies, apparently helpless, and about to die!

NET NOTE - at the right hand of power - An allusion to Ps 110:1. This is a claim that Jesus shares authority with God in heaven. Those present may have thought they were his judges, but, in fact, the reverse was true. The expression the right hand of the Power is a circumlocution for referring to God. Such indirect references to God were common in 1st century Judaism out of reverence for the divine name. Coming on the clouds - An allusion to Dan 7:13 (see also Matt 24:30).

Henry Morris - Caiaphas had no legal right to ask this question, but Jesus answered it anyway. When asked if He were the Messiah and the Son of God, He said yes. However, He persisted in calling Himself the Son of Man.

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Spurgeon - Nevertheless, hereafter’ Matthew 26:64 (See full sermon Nevertheless. Hereafter.)

There came to the members of the Sanhedrin a messenger, who told them that ‘the veil of the temple was rent in twain’. At that moment, when the Saviour died, that splendid piece of tapestry seemed to tear itself asunder from end to end as if in horror at the death of its Lord. The members of that council, when they met each other in the street and spoke of the news, must have been dumb in sheer astonishment; but while they looked upon each other, the earth they stood upon reeled, and they could scarcely keep their feet. This was not the first wonder which had startled them that day, for the sun had been beclouded in unnatural darkness. At midday it had ceased to shine, and now the earth ceased to be stable. Also, in the darkness of the evening, certain members of this council saw the sheeted dead, newly arisen from their tombs, walking through the streets; for ‘the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints … appeared unto many.’ Thus early they began to know that the man of Nazareth was at ‘the right hand of power’. Early on the third morning, when they met together, there came a messenger in hot haste, who said, ‘That stone is rolled away from the door of the sepulchre. Remember that you placed a watch and set your seal upon the stone. But early this morning the soldiers say that he came forth. He rose, that dreaded One whom we put to death, and at the first sight of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men.’ Now these members of the Sanhedrim believed that fact, and we have clear evidence that they did, for they bribed the soldiers, and said, ‘Say ye, His disciples came by night, and stole him away while we slept.’ Then did the word also continue to be fulfilled, and they plainly saw that Jesus whom they had condemned was at ‘the right hand of power’.

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Spurgeon  —Matt. 26:64. Faith's Checkbook

AH, Lord, thou wast in thy lowest state when before thy persecutors thou wast made to stand like a criminal! Yet the eyes of thy faith could see beyond thy present humiliation into thy future glory. What words are these, “Nevertheless—hereafter!” I would imitate thy holy foresight, and in the midst of poverty, or sickness, or slander, I also would say, “Nevertheless—hereafter.” Instead of weakness, thou hast all power; instead of shame, all glory; instead of derision, all worship. Thy cross has not dimmed the splendour of thy crown, neither has the spittle marred the beauty of thy face. Say, rather, thou art the more exalted and honoured because of thy sufferings.

So, Lord, I also would take courage from the “hereafter.” I would forget the present tribulation in the future triumph. Help thou me by directing me into thy Father’s love and into thine own patience, so that when I am derided for thy name I may not be staggered, but think more and more of the hereafter, and, therefore, all the less of to-day. I shall be with thee soon and behold thy glory. Wherefore, I am not ashamed, but say in my inmost soul, “Nevertheless—hereafter.”

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QUESTION - What does it mean that Jesus is the Son of Man? WATCH VIDEO

ANSWER - Jesus is referred to as the “Son of Man” 82 times in the New Testament (NIV and ESV). In fact, Son of Man is the primary title Jesus used when referring to Himself (e.g., Matthew 12:32; 13:37; Luke 12:8; John 1:51). The only use of Son of Man in a clear reference to Jesus, spoken by someone other than Jesus, came from the lips of Stephen as he was being martyred (Acts 7:56).

Son of Man is a title of humanity. Other titles for Christ, such as Son of God, are overt in their focus on His deity. Son of Man, in contrast, focuses on the humanity of Christ. God called the prophet Ezekiel “son of man” 93 times. In this way, God was simply calling Ezekiel a human being. Son of man is simply a periphrastic term for “human.” Jesus Christ was truly a human being. He came “in the flesh” (1 John 4:2).

Son of Man is a title of humility. The Second Person of the Trinity, eternal in nature, left heaven’s glory and took on human flesh, becoming the Son of Man, born in a manger and “despised and rejected by mankind” (Isaiah 53:3). The Son of Man had “no place to lay his head” (Luke 9:58). The Son of Man ate and drank with sinners (Matthew 11:19). The Son of Man suffered at the hands of men (Matthew 17:12). This intentional lowering of His status from King of Heaven to Son of Man is the epitome of humility (see Philippians 2:6–8).

Son of Man is a title of deity. Ezekiel may have been a son of man, but Jesus is the Son of Man. As such, Jesus is the supreme example of all that God intended mankind to be, the embodiment of truth and grace (John 1:14). In Him “all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form” (Colossians 2:9). For this reason, the Son of Man was able to forgive sins (Matthew 9:6). The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath (Mark 2:28). The Son of Man came to save lives (Luke 9:56; 19:10), rise from the dead (Mark 9:9), and execute judgment (John 5:27). At His trial before the high priest, Jesus said, “I say to all of you: From now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven” (Matthew 26:64). This statement immediately ended the trial, as the court accused the Lord of blasphemy and condemned Him to death (verses 65–66).

Son of Man is a fulfillment of prophecy. Jesus’ claim before the high priest to be the Son of Man was a reference to the prophecy of Daniel 7:13–14, “I was watching in the night visions, And behold, One like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, And they brought Him near before Him. Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, Which shall not pass away, And His kingdom the one Which shall not be destroyed” (NKJV). Daniel saw glory, worship, and an everlasting kingdom given to the Messiah—here called the “Son of Man”—and Jesus applied this prophecy to Himself. Jesus also spoke of His coming kingdom on other occasions (Matthew 13:41; 16:28). The author of Hebrews used a reference to the “son of man” in the Psalms to teach that Jesus, the true Son of Man, will be the ruler of all things (Hebrews 2:5–9; cf. Psalm 8:4–6). The Son of Man, in fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy, will be the King.

Jesus was fully God (John 1:1), but He was also fully human (John 1:14). As the Son of God and the Son of Man, He is deserving of both titles.

Related Resources:

• Was Jesus the biological son of Mary? If so, how did He not inherit a sin nature?
• Why is Ezekiel called son of man if it is a title for Jesus?

Matthew 26:65 Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “He has blasphemed! What further need do we have of witnesses? Behold, you have now heard the blasphemy;

• the high priest: Lev 21:20 2Ki 18:37 19:1-3 Jer 36:24 Mk 14:63,64 
• He: Mt 9:3 1Ki 21:10-13 Lu 5:21  Jn 10:33,36 

CAIAPHAS CRIES
GUILTY OF BLASPHEMY

Then the high priest (archiereus) tore his robes - An expression of horror at what Jesus had just declared, which he considered to be blasphemy (which it was not because Jesus is God)! Tearing one's robes indicated strong emotions and in this context, extreme anger (cf Ge 37:29; 2Ki 18:37–19:1; Job 1:20). Once again we see an illegality in this trial for  the Law stated that "The priest who is the highest among his brothers, on whose head the anointing oil has been poured and who has been consecrated to wear the garments, shall not uncover his head nor tear his clothes." (Lev. 21:10+)

John MacArthur has an additional note on tearing the robes - When the high priest ceremoniously tore his robes, he did so not out of grief and indignation over the presumed dishonor of God’s name but rather out of joy and relief that, at last, Jesus had placed Himself into their hands, condemning Himself out of His own mouth. Although Leviticus 21:10 strictly forbade the high priest’s tearing his garments, the Talmud held that judges who witnessed blasphemy had a right to tear their robes if they later sewed them up. By his traditional and theatrical display, Caiaphas dramatically gave the appearance of defending God’s name, but inwardly he gloated over the illegal, unjust, and devilish victory he imagined he had just won. (See Matthew Commentary)

and said, “He has blasphemed! What further need do we have of witnesses? Behold, (idou) you have now heard the blasphemy How could God's own Son blaspheme? His works had proved him to be God, and yet they called him a blasphemer. Their spiritual blindness and hardness of hearts reminds me of Stephen's words to his Jewish antagonists in Acts 7:51+ "You men who are stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit; you are doing just as your fathers did."

Matthew 26:66 what do you think?” They answered, “He deserves death!”  

• He deserves death: Lev 24:11-16 Jn 19:7 Ac 7:52 13:27,28 Jas 5:6 

Related Passages: 

Leviticus 24:16+ ‘Moreover, the one who blasphemes the name of the LORD shall surely be put to death; all the congregation shall certainly stone him. The alien as well as the native, when he blasphemes the Name, shall be put to death.

John 19:7+  The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and by that law He ought to die because He made Himself out to be the Son of God.” 

CAIAPHAS CALL INVOKES
A CHORUS OF "DEATH"

What do you think (dokeo)?” - Caiaphas addresses the question of the ages to the Sanhedrin seeking an immediate verdict.

MacArthur - He did not bother to have the members polled individually and the results tabulated by scribes, as judicial protocol required, but simply called for verbal support of the predetermined conclusion of guilt....Because we know that Joseph of Arimathea was a member of the Council but did not consent to Jesus’ condemnation (Luke 23:50–51+), he obviously had left the proceedings before this final judicial farce transpired. (See Matthew Commentary - Page 209)

They answered, “He deserves (enochos literally "is [estin] guilty of [enochos]") death (thanatos) - According to Leviticus 24:16+ the penalty for blasphemy was to be death. But if the letter of the law were followed it would have to be by stoning. The problem for the Jews of course was that the Romans did not allow them to carry out capital punishment. The more significant reason that they could not carry out stoning was because God had foretold His Son would die on the Cross, not by stoning. Little did these 71 Jewish know or understand the paradox that their pronouncement of death for their Messiah would open the floodgates for life and salvation to all who would believe in His death!  God would bring forth life out of death! 

Mark 14:64+ adds that the verdict was unanimous for "they all condemned Him to be deserving of death." 

Spurgeon - He looks round upon the seventy elders of the people who were sitting there in the great council, and "They answered and said, He is guilty of death:." Probably Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus were not there;: they were the only two friends the Lord had in the Sanhedrin.

NET NOTE - Grk “he is guilty of death.” L&N 88.313 states, “pertaining to being guilty and thus deserving some particular penalty—‘guilty and deserving, guilty and punishable by.’ οἱ δὲ ἀποκριθέντες εἶπαν, Ἐνοχος θανάτου ἐστίν ‘they answered, He is guilty and deserves death’ Mt 26:66.”

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Deserves (liable, subject , guilty) (1777) enochos  from enécho = to hold in, i.e., to ensnare, to be entangled - Gal 5:1) literally means held fast in (in the grasp, held in, contained in) and is an adjective describing one "in danger of," "liable to judgment and punishment in a legal forensic sense" (Mt 5:21), or "deserving (worthy) of (and subject to punishment)" (describing the crowd's antipathy toward Jesus = Mt 26:66, Mk 14:64). To be held fast, bound, obliged. Enochos means being guilty of having done wrong and thus deserving some particular penalty. It describes deeds that were open to judicial indictment (cf. Mt 5:21, 22; 26:66; Mk 3:29; 14:64; Jas 2:10). Enochos is primarily a legal term - liable to a charge or action at law or in court.

Matthew 26:67 Then they spat in His face and beat Him with their fists; and others slapped Him,

KJV  Matthew 26:67 Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him; and others smote him with the palms of their hands,

BGT  Matthew 26:67 Τότε ἐνέπτυσαν εἰς τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐκολάφισαν αὐτόν, οἱ δὲ ἐράπισαν

NET  Matthew 26:67 Then they spat in his face and struck him with their fists. And some slapped him,

CSB  Matthew 26:67 Then they spit in His face and beat Him; others slapped Him

ESV  Matthew 26:67 Then they spit in his face and struck him. And some slapped him,

NIV  Matthew 26:67 Then they spit in his face and struck him with their fists. Others slapped him

• they spat in His face: Mt 27:30 Nu 12:14 De 25:9 Job 30:9-11 Isa 50:6 52:14 53:3 Mk 14:65 Mk 15:19 1Co 4:13 Heb 12:2 
• and others slapped Him: Mt 5:39 1Ki 22:24 Jer 20:2 La 3:30,45 Lu 22:63  Jn 18:22 19:3 Ac 23:2,3 2Co 11:20,21 

Related Passage:

Mark 14:65+  Some began to spit at Him, and to blindfold Him, and to beat Him with their fists, and to say to Him, “Prophesy!” And the officers received Him with slaps in the face.

Isaiah 52:14 Just as many were astonished at you, My people, So His appearance was marred more than any man And His form more than the sons of men. 

Numbers 12:14+ But the LORD said to Moses, “If her father had but spit in her face, would she not bear her shame for seven days? Let her be shut up for seven days outside the camp, and afterward she may be received again.”

Deuteronomy 25:9+  then his brother’s wife shall come to him in the sight of the elders, and pull his sandal off his foot and spit in his face; and she shall declare, ‘Thus it is done to the man who does not build up his brother’s house.’

JESUS THEN 
ABUSED

Then they spat (emptuo) in His face (prosopon) and beat Him with their fists (kolaphizo); and others slapped (rhapizo) Him - This is one of those descriptions you find difficult to read. Even to Jews spitting in someone's face was the height of disrespect of that individual. WOE to these men at the Great White Throne! In abusing Jesus, these men were fulfilling the prophecy in Isaiah 50:6 where Messiah says "I gave My back to those who strike Me, And My cheeks to those who pluck out the beard; I did not cover My face from humiliation and spitting."  They offered him every indignity, in all its various and vexatious forms.

MacArthur has an anecdotal comment - The impressive tomb of Absalom is still standing in the Kidron Valley just outside Jerusalem. But for thousands of years that monument has been spat on by Jewish passersby to show their contempt for Absalom’s treacherous rebellion against his father, David. (See Matthew Commentary - Page 209) 

Spurgeon - “Be astonished, O heavens, and be horribly afraid. His face is the light of the universe, his person is the glory of heaven, and they ‘began to spit on him.’ Alas, my God, that man should be so base!” 

Spurgeon suggested some ways that men still spit in the face of Jesus.

      •   Men spit in His face by denying His deity.
      •   Men spit in His face by rejecting His gospel.
      •   Men spit in His face by preferring their own righteousness.
      •   Men spit in His face by turning away from Jesus.

Note that in Mark's account (Mk 14:65+) they blindfolded Jesus Grassmick explains that "This reflects a traditional test of messianic status based on a Rabbinic interpretation of Isaiah 11:2–4. The true Messiah could judge such matters without the benefit of sight (cf. Babylonian Talmud Sanhedrin 93b). But Jesus refused to submit to their test and remained silent (cf. Isa. 53:7; 1 Peter 2:23)." (See The Bible Knowledge Commentary)

G Campbell Morgan - “As one reads this story one wonders more and more at the greatest miracle of all, the patient suffering of the spotless One.”

Hiebert points out that "Having decided His fate, all restraint in their actions toward Jesus broke down. The activities engaged in are stated by four present tense infinitives, denoting that they continued for some time. To spit on His face (Matt. 26:67) is an act which is still universally regarded as the strongest and grossest form of personal insult (Num. 12:14; Deut 25:9)." ( An Expositional Commentary)

Constable - Spitting and hitting were traditional Jewish ways of expressing repudiation (cf. Nu 12:14; Dt. 25:9; Job 30:10; Isa 50:6).  Even today spitting in someone’s face is one of the grossest forms of personal insult. 

MacArthur - Revealing their true decadence, the supreme court of Israel descended into chaos and resorted to shameful physical abuse. For the Jews, the act of spitting constituted the most detestable form of personal insult (cf. Nu 12:14; Dt. 25:9) (See New Testament Commentary)

The KJV (based on Textus Receptus) has the added phrase "and others smote him with the palms of their hands" but most translations do not accept this addition. 

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Spit (1716) emptuo  spit on or at, as in one's face(Mt 26.67, Mt 27:30; Lxx - Nu 12:14); passive be spit on (Lk 18.32), to be understood as a gesture of extreme contempt (Lxx - 25:9) 

Emptuo - 8v Matt. 26:67; Matt. 27:30; Mk. 10:34; Mk. 14:65; Mk. 15:19; Lk. 18:32 Twice in Lxx = Num. 12:14; Deut. 25:9;

Beat with fists (buffet, harshly treat) (2852) kolaphizo from kolaphos = the knuckles or a closed fist and kolapto = to strike) means to beat or strike with the fist. To strike with clenched hand. Figuratively it means to cause harm, treat roughly or harshly (1Cor 4:11).

Gilbrant - Found primarily in the New Testament and early Christian literature, the meaning of the verb kolaphizō is “to strike with a clenched fist” or “to beat with one’s hands.” Although this meaning is to be taken literally, the usage in one location in the New Testament is better understood in a figurative sense. In Matthew 26:67, and the parallel passage in Mark 14:65, kolaphizō is used to refer to the “beating” which Jesus suffered at the hands of the high priest and others during His trial. Paul wrote concerning the apostles and the beatings which they suffered in 1 Corinthians 4:11. In 1 Peter 2:20 Peter addressed servants in regard to enduring beatings at the hands of overbearing masters as a mark of Christian commitment. In each of the above cited passages kolaphizō is used in a literal sense; i.e., receiving physical abuse, beatings. There is, however, one passage in which the meaning of kolaphizō is better understood in a figurative sense. In 2 Corinthians 12:7 Paul described his “thorn” as being given to him “to beat or buffet him.” This could refer to some sort of physical illness delivered by a “messenger of Satan.”

KOLAPHIZO - 5V - beat...with their fists(2), harshly treated(1), roughly treated(1), torment(1). Matt. 26:67; Mk. 14:65; 1 Co. 4:11; 2 Co. 12:7; 1 Pet. 2:20 NOT IN THE SEPTUAGINT.

Slapped (4474) rhapizo related to rhábdos = a stick or rhapis = rod) means to hit with the open hand, especially on the cheeks or ears. Rhapizo can refer to striking a blow with an instrument, such as a club, rod, or whip. Only used Mt 5:39, Mt 26:67 and twice in the Septuagint (Jdg 16:25 where Septuagint adds " they smote [rhapizo] him with the palms of their hands", Hos 11:4). Rhapizo should be distinguished from kolaphizo which means to punch or strike with a clenched fist. Both verbs are used to describe the treatment of our Lord on the night He was betrayed, when the Jewish religious leaders. 

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Understanding that Jesus endured such pain and humiliation should cause us to respond in three ways. The following are from Spurgeon...

1. We should bravely bear pain and humiliation for the sake of Jesus ourselves. “How ready should we be to hear slander and ridicule for Jesus’ sake. Do not get into a huff, and think it a strange thing that people should mock you. Who are you, dear sir? Who are you? What can you be if compared with Christ? If they spat upon him, why should they not spit upon you? If they buffeted him, why should they not buffet you? Shall your Master have all the rough of it? Shall he have all the bitter, and you all the sweet? A pretty soldier you, to demand better fare than your Captain!” 
2. We should be more diligent to praise Jesus. “How earnestly, next, ought we to honor our dear Lord. If men were so eager to put him to shame, let us be ten times more earnest to bring him glory. Is there anything we can do today by which he may be honored? Let us set about it. Can we make any sacrifice? Can we perform any difficult task which would glorify him? Let us not deliberate, but at once do it with our might. Let us be inventive in modes of glorifying him, even as his adversaries were ingenious in the methods of his shame.” 
3. We should have more assurance and confidence in receiving the finished work of Jesus for our redemption. “Surely I know that he who suffered this, since he was verily the Son of the Blessed, must have ability to save us. Such griefs must be a full atonement for our transgressions. Glory be to God, that spittle on his countenance means a clear, bright face for me. Those false accusations on his character mean no condemnation for me.” 

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Rick Renner - Has Anyone Ever Spit in Your Face? Matthew 26:67

Some years ago, I visited another church in our city to hear a special speaker who had come from afar. That evening at the meeting, the local church I was visiting announced they would be starting a building program. As I sat in there, God’s Spirit spoke to my heart and instructed me to sow a sacrificial seed into their new building program. It was a time when we desperately needed money for our own building program, so anything I sowed would be sacrificial. However, the amount the Lord put in my heart was significant.

What made it even harder for me to give this gift was that this church had acted maliciously toward our church in the past. They had lied about us, scoffed at us, and even prayed for our downfall. And now the Lord was telling me to sow a large gift into this same church?

Throughout that entire service, I argued with the Lord. The issue really wasn’t the money, although we could have used the money ourselves at that moment. The issue I was wrestling with was giving a gift to this church that had treated us with contempt for so long.

Finally, the Spirit of God asked me, Are you willing to sow a seed for peace with this church? That clinched it! I pulled my checkbook out of my pocket to write what I considered to be a sizable gift for this other church. Writing that check was difficult, but once it was written, my heart simply flooded with joy because I had been obedient. There is no joy to compare with the joy that comes from being obedient!

One week later, the pastor to whom I gave the gift was at a meeting with his staff and church leaders. The pastor told his leaders, “Look at this puny little check Pastor Rick gave us! Couldn’t he have done any better than this?” When I heard how he viewed the sizable gift I’d given, I was quite shocked. But when I heard what this pastor did next, I was literally stunned. He devoted the next part of his staff meeting to discussing all the things he didn’t like about me and our church. He poked fun at us, ridiculed us, mocked us, and put us down in front of his people. Instead of being thankful for the gift we gave, he once more demonstrated utter disrespect and contempt for us.

When I heard about this event, it hurt so badly that it cut deep into my heart. How could anyone say the gift we gave was puny? It would be considered significant in any nation of the world. But what hurt the most was that the pastor had put us down and publicly made fun of us in front of his staff and leadership. I remember feeling as if I had been spit on—and as the years passed, this same pastor spit on us many more times.

For instance, when we dedicated our church building—the first church to be built in sixty years in our city—it was a moment of great rejoicing. But soon after our dedication, this man stood before a large convention of several thousand people and sneered at our new facility. For a second time, he injected a dagger into my heart! At a time when this pastor could have been rejoicing with us, he chose to make it another opportunity to spit in our faces.

How about you? Can you think of an instance in your life when you did something good for someone, but that person didn’t appreciate what you did? Was he so unappreciative that you felt as if he’d spit in your face? Were you stunned by his behavior? How did you act in response to that situation?

I think nearly everyone has felt taken advantage of and spit on at some point or another. But imagine how Jesus must have felt the night He was taken to the high priest where He was literally spit on by the guards and temple police! For three years, Jesus preached, taught, and healed the sick. But now He was being led like a sheep to the spiritual butcher of Jerusalem, the high priest Caiaphas, and to the scribes and elders who had assembled to wait for His arrival.

In the trial that took place before the high priest and his elders, the religious leaders charged Jesus with the crime of declaring Himself the Messiah. Jesus replied by telling them that they would indeed one day see Him sitting on the right hand of power and coming with clouds of glory (Matthew 26:64). Upon hearing this, the high priest ripped his clothes and screamed, “Blasphemy!” as all the scribes and elders lifted their voices in anger, demanding that Jesus die (Matthew 26:66).

Then these religious scribes and elders did the unthinkable! Matthew 26:67, 68 says, “Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him; and others smote him with the palms of their hands, saying, Prophesy unto us, thou Christ, Who is he that smote thee?”

Notice that it wasn’t just a few who spit in his face that night; the Bible says, “… they spit in his face.…” The word “they” refers to all the scribes and elders who were assembled for the meeting that night. One scholar notes that there could have been one hundred or more men in this crowd! And one by one, each of these so-called spiritual leaders, clothed in their religious garments, walked up to Jesus and spit in His face!

In that culture and time, spitting in one’s face was considered to be the strongest thing you could do to show utter disgust, repugnance, dislike, or hatred for someone. When someone spattered his spit on another person’s face, that spit was meant to humiliate, demean, debase, and shame that person. To make it worse, the offender would usually spit hard and close to the person’s face, making it all the more humiliating.

By the time Caiaphas and his scribes and elders had finished taking turns spitting on Jesus, their spit was most likely dripping down from His forehead into His eyes; dribbling down His nose, His cheekbones, and His chin; and even oozing down onto His clothes. This was an extremely humiliating scene! And remember, the men who were acting so hatefully toward Jesus were religious leaders! Their hideous conduct was something Jesus definitely didn’t deserve. And what makes this entire scene even more amazing is that Malchus—the servant whom Jesus had just healed—was in all probability standing at the side of Caiaphas and watching it all happen!

These religious leaders didn’t stop with just humiliating Jesus. After spitting on Him, they each doubled up their fists and whacked Him violently in the face! Matthew 26:67 says, “Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him.…” The word “buffet” is the Greek word kolaphidzo, which means to strike with the fist. It is normally used to picture a person who is violently beaten.

As if it wasn’t insulting enough to spit on Jesus, approximately one hundred men viciously and cruelly struck Him with their fists. Not only was this brutal—it was sadistic! Humiliating Jesus with their spit and curses didn’t satisfy the hatred of these men; they wouldn’t be satisfied until they knew He had been physically maltreated. To ensure that this goal was accomplished, their own fists became their weapons of abuse.

It appears that these scribes and elders were so paranoid about Jesus getting more attention than themselves that they simply wanted to destroy Him. Every time they spit on Him, they were spitting on the anointing. Every time they struck Him, they were leveling a punch against the anointing. They hated Jesus and the anointing that operated through Him to such an extent that they voted to murder Him. But first they wanted to take some time to personally make sure He suffered before He died. What a strange way to render “thanks” to One who had done so much for them!

When I get disappointed at the way others respond to me or to what I have done for them, I often think of what happened to Jesus on that night when He came before these Jewish leaders. John 1:11 tells us, “He came unto his own, and his own received him not.” Although these men who spit on and hit Jesus refused to acknowledge Him, He still went to the Cross and died for them. His love for them was unwavering—unshaken and unaffected by their wrong actions.

As you think of how people have wronged you, does it affect your desire to love them? What have these conflicts revealed about you? Is your love for those unkind people consistent, unwavering, unshaken, and unaffected? Or have the conflicts revealed you have a fickle love that you quickly turn off when people don’t respond to you the way you wished they would?

The same Holy Spirit who lived in Jesus now lives in you. Just as the Spirit of God empowered Jesus to love people consistently, regardless of what they did or didn’t do, the Holy Spirit can empower you to do the same. So why don’t you take a few minutes today to pray about the people who have let you down or disappointed you? Then forgive those people, and decide to love them the way Jesus loved those who wronged Him!

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J J Knap - Then Did They Spit in His Face   Matthew 26:67

Jesus was in His suffering also subjected to contempt. They were not only just cruel and unjust towards Him. They did not only call upon false witness against Him in the room of Caiaphas. He was not only betrayed by an apostle and deserted by His friends. He was not even spared the lowest treatment, because, we read concerning the servants after the hearing of Caiaphas: “Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him.”

What is our face? It is called the mirror of the soul and that is well said. Whatever happens in our soul is reflected on our face. When we are ashamed, it is covered with a deep glow. When we are angry, the eye glitters and flares. In wrath and hatred our face falls like that of Cain’s, who had to hear: “Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?” Is our heart happy within us, a flood of light beams from our eye. There is hardly any affection or it can be read from the human face,—no wonder that the face is counted as the most honourable part of our body.

This explains how humiliating it was that the servants hit Christ with clenched fists in His face. This was already a humiliation of the severest kind. But the contempt went to the extreme when they spit Him in His holy face, that was a derision much more grievous than the buffeting. To have that countenance, hit by fists, dirtied by spittle, before us! And then to consider that He suffered this humiliation on our account and that He was willing to suffer it all quietly! There is here a compassion that made Him not only give His life but also His honour for sinners. This spit-upon face reminds us that He truly bore sin in its fullest and its most hideous form to cover it redemptively for His saved ones.

Thanks be to God that this foul face, dripping of spittle, misfitted and bruised by buffetings, was later glorified and is now covered with more than an earthly radiance. It is like the sun when it shines in its strength and it radiates upon our soul with comforting light. Formerly spit upon, but now a shining sun. Formerly spit upon, to make it now a radiant sun for all brokenhearted ones—is not that the peace of our soul? He is our light because He bore that humiliation. His goodness shines upon us because He has redeemed us by His sorrows. When that face lifts itself up in grace over us, everything within us becomes peaceful and we thank Him that there is to be found grace with Him for even the most contemptible of heart.

Matthew 26:68 and said, “Prophesy to us, You Christ; who is the one who hit You?”

• Prophesy: Mt 27:39-44 Ge 37:19,20 Jdg 16:25 Mk 14:65 Lu 22:63-65 
• You Christ: Mt 27:28,29 Mk 15:18,19 Jn 19:2,3,14,15 1Pe 2:4-8 

Related Passage:

Mark 14:65+  Some began to spit at Him, and to blindfold Him, and to beat Him with their fists, and to say to Him, “Prophesy!” And the officers received Him with slaps in the face.

Luke 22:63-65+ Now the men who were holding Jesus in custody were mocking Him and beating Him, 64 and they blindfolded Him and were asking Him, saying, “Prophesy, who is the one who hit You?” 65 And they were saying many other things against Him, blaspheming.

JESUS MOCKED
BY THE SANHEDRIN

And - Links this heinous act with the spitting, hitting and slapping! (See chart of Mocking of Jesus)

Said, “Prophesy (propheteuo - aorist imperative - Do it now!)  to us, You Christ ("You Messiah" - of course they were speaking this derogatorily); who is the one who hit You - Mark 14:65+ and Lk 22:64+ both tell us that they had Jesus blindfolded. And then they began commanding (aorist imperative = Do this now!) Him to tell them something that could only be discerned by divine revelation. They were making fun of His divinity, but see Grassmick's comment. Luke 22:65+ adds that "they were saying many other things against Him, blaspheming." What irony, true blasphemers blaspheming the One falsely accused of blasphemy! Jesus could hardly blaspheme since He was truly God! 

Spurgeon - Having rejected his Deity, they now mock at his prophetic claims. Those who deny Jesus to be God, do not long accept his teaching. See the shame our Lord endured! Our sins brought it upon him.

NET NOTE - Who hit you? This is a variation of one of three ancient games that involved blindfolds.

THOUGHT - If you doubt the depravity of the human heart (See Total Depravity), all you need do is read this section on the treatment of Jesus by these so-called religious men. It reminds me of the horrible Spanish Inquisition of men and women by those who called themselves "religious!"

Mark 14:65+ adds that "the officers (huperetes) received Him with slaps in the face" where received Him means the Sanhedrin gave Jesus back over to officers who were not Roman but Jewish, presumably the Temple police. 

The abuse Jesus suffered fulfilled His prophecy given earlier to His disciples and soon the prophecy of His death would be fulfilled...

The Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and will hand Him over to the Gentiles. They will mock Him and spit on Him, and scourge Him and kill Him, and three days later He will rise again. (Mark 10:33–34+)

John MacArthur sums on this segment of the abuse of our Lord writing "Every person who rejects Christ spits in His face, as it were, and is guilty of blasphemy against God, who sent His beloved Son to save that person and all mankind from sin. The irony is that all who misjudge Jesus will themselves be rightly judged by Him one day. Men continually misjudge Jesus, but He will never misjudge them. The tables will be turned. The criminals will no longer unjustly condemn and crush the innocent but will themselves be justly condemned and crushed." (See Matthew Commentary)

Peter gives a description of Jesus response to being abused writing that "while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously." (1 Peter 2:23+)

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Prophesy (4395) propheteuo  from pró = before or forth + phemí = tell) means literally to tell forth and can mean to speak forth God's message, not necessarily referring to speaking of future events. In other contexts to prophesy means to speak under inspiration and foretell future events. In this context the meaning could be either sense, although if the latter, it would imply that they were prophesying falsely in His name, because the canon of revelation is complete. The only legitimate prophesying in this age is to speak forth God's Word.

Friberg -  (1) generally, of speaking with the help of divine inspiration proclaim what God wants to make known, preach, expound (Acts 2.17; 1 Co 11.4); (2) as speaking out divinely imparted knowledge of future events foretell, prophesy (Mk 7.6; Jn 11.51; Rev 10.11); (3) as bringing to light what was concealed and outside the possibility of naturally acquired knowledge prophetically reveal, prophesy (Mt 26.68) (BORROW Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament) 

PROPHETEUO - 27V - Matt. 7:22; Matt. 11:13; Matt. 15:7; Matt. 26:68; Mk. 7:6; Mk. 14:65; Lk. 1:67; Lk. 22:64; Jn. 11:51; Acts 2:17; Acts 2:18; Acts 19:6; Acts 21:9; 1 Co. 11:4; 1 Co. 11:5; 1 Co. 13:9; 1 Co. 14:1; 1 Co. 14:3; 1 Co. 14:4; 1 Co. 14:5; 1 Co. 14:24; 1 Co. 14:31; 1 Co. 14:39; 1 Pet. 1:10; Jude 1:14; Rev. 10:11; Rev. 11:3

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THE FOUR EPISODES OF MOCKING THE KING OF KINGS
TRIAL	REFERENCE	MOCKING/ABUSIVE ACTIONS
Second Religious Trial Before Caiaphas	Mt 26:57,67-68+ Lk 22:54, 63-65+	Spat in face, beat, slapped, told to prophesy who hit Him Beating, blindfolded and told to prophesy, blaspheming
Second Civil Trial Before Herod	Lk 23:8-12+	Treated with contempt Mocking Him Dressed Him in gorgeous robe
Third Civil Trial Before Pilate	Mt 27:27-31+ Mk 15:16-20+ Jn 19:1-3+	Stripped Him, put scarlet/purple robe Wove crown of thorns & put on His head Reed in right hand, knelt and mocked Beating head with reed Spitting on Him Kneeling and bowing down Saying "Hail, King of the Jews" Blows to face
On the Cross	Mt 27:39-44+ Mk 15:29-32+ Lk 23:39+	Hurling abuse, wagging their heads If you are the Son of God come down from the cross Religious leaders mocking - cannot save Himself King come down from the cross & we will believe He trusts in God, let God deliver Him Robbers casting same insult - Are you the Christ? Save Yourself and us

Matthew 26:69 Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard, and a servant-girl came to him and said, “You too were with Jesus the Galilean.”

• Peter: Mt 26:58 1Ki 19:9,13 Ps 1:1 Mk 14:66-68 Lu 22:55-57 Jn 18:16,17,25 2Pe 2:7-9 
• Jesus: Mt 26:71 2:22,23 21:11  Jn 1:46 7:41,52 Ac 5:37 
• See additional comments on Matthew 26:34 regarding Peter's denial
• James Stalker's Devotional Commentary on Peter's Denial - THE GREAT DENIAL  Mt 26:69–75

Related Passages:

Mark 14:66-68+ As Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant-girls of the high priest *came, 67 and seeing Peter warming himself, she looked at him and *said, “You also were with Jesus the Nazarene.” 68 But he denied it, saying, “I neither know nor understand what you are talking about.” And he went out onto the porch.

Luke 22:55-57+  After they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter was sitting among them. 56 And a servant-girl, seeing him as he sat in the firelight and looking intently at him, said, “This man was with Him too.” 57 But he denied it, saying, “Woman, I do not know Him.”

PETER'S TURN
TO BE TRIED

Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard, and a servant-girl (paidiske) came to him and said, “You too were with Jesus (Iesous) the Galilean - Mk 14:66+ has “You also were with Jesus the Nazarene” in place of "Jesus the Galilean."

A T Robertson notes that Peter - was sitting without (ἐξω [exō]) the hall where the trial was going on in the open central court with the servants or officers (ὑπηρετων [hupēretōn], under rowers, literally, Mt 26:58) of the Sanhedrin. But he could possibly see through the open door above what was going on inside. It is not plain at what stage of the Jewish trial the denials of Peter took place nor the precise order in which they came as the Gospels give them variously.....Peter was warming himself by the fire and the light shone in his face. 

Spurgeon - Brave Peter trembles before a maid-servant.

NET NOTE - servant-girl - The Greek term here is παιδίσκη (paidiskē), referring to a slave girl or slave woman.

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See James Stalker The Trial and Death of Jesus Christ-A Devotional History of Our Lord's Passion

• 1.   THE ARREST   Matt. 26:47–56; Mark 14:43–50; Luke 22:47–53; John 18:1–11.
• 2.   THE ECCLESIASTICAL TRIAL   Matt. 26:57–68; Mark 14:51–65; Luke 22:54–71; John 18:12–14, 19–24.
• 3.   THE GREAT DENIAL   Matt. 26:69–75; Mark 14:66–72; Luke 22:54–62; John 18:15–18, 25–7.

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Would I Step On Jesus?

Peter and the other apostles answered and said: "We ought to obey God rather than men.. — Acts 5:29

Today's Scripture : Matthew 26:69-75

Twenty-six people died because they would not step on a picture of Jesus. In the 17th century some Christians were faithfully serving Jesus on an island in Japan. According to missionary Tim Johnson, a provincial leader, called a shogun, decided that these believers were a threat to the traditional culture, so he devised a fiendish trap. He placed a picture of Jesus on the street and demanded that the Christians in his province step on the picture in renunciation of their faith. When the test was finished, 26 people had refused. They were crucified at the water’s edge for all to see.

It’s sobering to realize that the apostle Peter, when questioned about his loyalty, denied that he was a disciple of Jesus (Mt. 26:69-75). But it was that same Peter who deeply regretted his choice and gave the rest of his life in bold witness for Christ.

Every day we are confronted with situations or decisions that tempt us to betray the Lord by choosing the world, the flesh, or the devil instead of obeying Him. We need His help to keep from denying Him by acts of sin or disobedience.

May the resolve of our heart be that we will never betray our Lord. Instead, may we be determined to boldly and unashamedly tell others of our love for Him. By:  David C. Egner (Reprinted by permission from Our Daily Bread Ministries. Please do not repost the full devotional without their permission.)

Jesus is all the world to me,
And true to Him I'll be;
O how could I this Friend deny,
When He's so true to me?
—Thompson

To keep from denying Christ, you must rely on Christ.

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Don't Give Up

Jesus said to him, "Feed My sheep." — John 21:17

Today's Scripture : Matthew 26:69-75

On the last day of spring training in 1979, baseball player Steve Kemp of the Detroit Tigers was hit in the head with a pitched ball and taken to the hospital. But on opening day of the regular season he stepped up to the plate with confidence. Taking fastballs from a veteran pitcher, he smacked a single. The next time at bat he hit a home run.

During a postgame interview he said, “After I was hit, I just told myself, ‘I can’t let it bother me.’ If you let it bother you, you’re not going to be any good to yourself or your team.”

The apostle Peter responded to a bitter experience in much the same way. He had been hit hard by a “pitch” from the enemy. He had promised earlier that he would follow Christ, even if it meant death (Matthew 26:33-35). But just a little while later, facing unexpected pressure, he denied his Lord (vv.69-75).

That devastating blow could have caused him to quit. But Peter didn’t give up—because Jesus didn’t give up on him. After the Lord encouraged him (John 21:15-19), Peter boldly proclaimed the gospel, and many people trusted in Christ.

Have you been hit by failure? The Lord wants to restore you and make you useful again.  — Mart De Haan II (Reprinted by permission from Our Daily Bread Ministries. Please do not repost the full devotional without their permission.)

Our Savior does not cast us off
Because we fail to stand the test;
Instead, He draws us back through love
That in Him we may find our rest. 
—D. De Haan

God can transform tragedies into triumphs.

Matthew 26:70 But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you are talking about.”

• Mt 26:34,35,40-43,51,56,58 Ps 119:115-117 Pr 28:26 29:23,25 Isa 57:11 Jer 17:9 Ro 11:20 1Co 10:12 Rev 21:8 
• See additional comments on Matthew 26:34 regarding Peter's denial
• James Stalker's Devotional Commentary on Peter's Denial - THE GREAT DENIAL  Mt 26:69–75

Related Passages:

Mark 14:68+  But he denied it, saying, “I neither know nor understand what you are talking about.” And he went out onto the porch.

PETER'S FIRST
DENIAL

But he denied (arneomai) it before them all, saying, “I do not know (eido)what you are talking about. - Mark 14:68+ has “I neither know nor understand what you are talking about.” Luke 22:57+  says "he denied it, saying, “Woman, I do not know Him.”

Henry Morris - Yet this same Peter, only a few hours before, had said: "If I should die with thee, I will not deny thee in any wise" (Mark 14:31). We need to be careful before boasting of what we intend to do spiritually.

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QUESTION - What was the reason behind Peter's denial of Jesus?

ANSWER - The story of Peter’s threefold denial of Christ is found in all four Gospel accounts: Matthew 26:69–74, Mark 14:66–72, Luke 22:55–62, and John 18:15–18, 25–27. But why would the chief of the disciples deny even knowing Him? There were two main reasons why Peter denied Jesus: weakness and fear.

Peter’s denial was based partially on weakness, the weakness born of human frailty. After the Last Supper, Jesus took His disciples to the Garden of Gethsemane to await His arrest. He told them to stay awake and pray while He went off to pray alone. When He returned to them, He found them sleeping. He warned Peter to stay awake and pray because, although his spirit might be willing, his flesh was weak. But he fell asleep again, and, by the time the soldiers had come to arrest Jesus, it was too late to pray for the strength to endure the ordeal to come. No doubt his failure to appropriate the only means to shore up his own weakness—prayer—occurred to him as he was weeping bitterly after his denials. But Peter learned his lesson about being watchful, and he exhorts us in 1 Peter 5:8, “Be on the alert, because your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” Peter’s weakness had caused him to be “devoured” momentarily as he denied his Lord because he hadn’t been prepared through prayer and he underestimated his own weakness.

A second reason for Peter’s failure was fear. To his credit, although all the others had fled (Mark 14:50), Peter still followed Jesus after His arrest, but he kept his distance so as not to be identified with Him (Mark 14:54). There’s no question that fear gripped him. From the courtyard, he watched Jesus being falsely accused, beaten, and insulted (Mark 14:57–66). Peter was afraid Jesus would die, and he was fearful for his own life as well. The world hated Jesus, and Peter found that he was not prepared to face the ridicule and persecution that Jesus was suffering. Earlier, Jesus had warned His disciples as well as us today, “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first” (John 15:18; cf. Matthew 24:9). Peter quickly found he wasn’t nearly as bold and courageous as he had proclaimed, and in fear he denied the One who had loved him.

We might well wonder why Jesus allowed Peter to fail so miserably and deny his Lord three times that night. Jesus revealed to Peter that Satan had asked for permission to sift Peter like wheat (Luke 22:31). Jesus could have easily protected Peter and not allowed Satan to sift him, but Jesus had a higher goal. He was equipping Peter to strengthen his brothers (Luke 22:32). Not only did Peter strengthen the other disciples, but he became the pillar of the early church in Jerusalem, exhorting and training others to follow the Lord Jesus (Acts 2). And he continues to this day to strengthen us through his epistles, 1 and 2 Peter. As with all our failures, God used Peter’s many failures, including his three denials of Christ, to turn him from Simon, a common man with a common name, into Peter, the Rock.

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Josh McDowell - Answers to tough questions skeptics ask about the Christian Faith 

QUESTION - Doesn’t Mark disagree with the other three Gospels about Peter’s denial of Jesus?

ANSWER - A problem that has perplexed many careful students of the Bible concerns the accounts of the denial of Christ by Simon Peter. Jesus said to Peter, “Truly I say to you that this very night, before a cock crows, you shall deny Me three times” (Matthew 26:34, NASB).
 Matthew records the fulfillment of this prediction, “And immediately the cock crew. And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly” (Matthew 26:74, 75, KJV).
 The problem comes when we read Mark’s version, “and Jesus saith unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this day, even in this night, before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice” (Mark 14:30, KJV). The fulfillment reads, concerning Peter, “He went out into the porch” (Mark 14:68, KJV), and later, in verse 72, “the second time the cock crew.”
 Peter called to mind the word that Jesus said to him, “Before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice. And when he thought thereon, he wept.” Was it before the cock crowed once or twice that Peter denied Jesus? Luke and John give the same basic account as Matthew, making Mark’s statement seemingly at variance with the other three.
 This problem is not as unresolvable as it may seem. It is quite reasonable that Jesus made both statements. He told Peter that he would deny Him before the crowing of the cock, and his denial would occur before it had crowed twice.
 What we have, therefore, is Mark recording the story in more detail. This would seem natural since Mark wrote his Gospel under the influence of Simon Peter, and it would be natural for him to further detail this story, seeing that he is one of the main characters.
 Thus we have all four evangelists recording that Jesus predicted Peter’s denial of Jesus, with Mark adding further details. A possible reconstruction would be the following: Jesus reveals to Peter that before the cock crows, Peter will deny Him three times.
 Peter, as was his way, probably objected loudly to this idea that he would deny his Lord. Jesus then in turn repeats His earlier prediction, along with a further note that before the cock crows twice Peter will deny Him three times. (This harmony fits well with Mark’s account in his Gospel.)
 Furthermore, the clause, “Before a cock crows, you shall deny Me three times” (Matthew 26:34, NASB), is not contradicted by Mark relating that after Peter had denied Jesus the first time, the cock crowed. The cock crow was the sign that morning was soon to appear, and the phrase, “the time of the cock crow,” is another term for dawn.
 When Jesus is referring to the cock crowing twice, he is predicting a crowing of the cock in the middle of the night long before daybreak.
 “Observation over a period of 12 years in Jerusalem has confirmed that the cock crows at three distinct times, first about a half hour after midnight, a second time about an hour later, and a third time an hour after the second” (William Lane, The Gospel According to Mark, p. 543).
 When all the facts are considered, the problem of Peter’s denial is not at all a blatant contradiction, but can be harmonized.

Matthew 26:71 When he had gone out to the gateway, another servant-girl saw him and *said to those who were there, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.”

• when: Mk 14:68,69 Lu 22:58 Jn 18:25-27 
• This: Mt 26:61 
• See additional comments on Matthew 26:34 regarding Peter's denial
• James Stalker's Devotional Commentary on Peter's Denial - THE GREAT DENIAL  Mt 26:69–75

Related Passages: 

Mark 14:68-69+  But he denied it, saying, “I neither know nor understand what you are talking about.” And he went out onto the porch. 69 The servant-girl saw him, and began once more to say to the bystanders, “This is one of them!” 

Luke 22:58+ A little later, another saw him and said, “You are one of them too!” But Peter said, “Man, I am not!”

John 18:25+ Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. So they said to him, “You are not also one of His disciples, are you?” He denied it, and said, “I am not.”

PETER'S SECOND
ACCUSATION

When he had gone out to the gateway (pulon) - Peter presumably begin to feel the heat (and not from the fire) so he moved to another location to avoid further scrutiny.  Mark 14:68+ has "And he went out onto the porch."

Another servant-girl saw him and *said to those who were there, “This man was with Jesus (Iesous) of Nazareth - The NASB adds "servant-girl" which is stated in Mark 14:69+ where she declares "This is one of them!" Notice this second servant girl does not directly address Peter, but those who were around him. 

Matthew 26:72 And again he denied it with an oath, “I do not know the man.”

• with an oath: Mt 5:34-36 Ex 20:7 Isa 48:1 Zec 5:3,4 8:17 Mal 3:5 Ac 5:3,4 
• Man, I am not: Mt 26:74 Lu 22:34 
• See additional comments on Matthew 26:34 regarding Peter's denial
• James Stalker's Devotional Commentary on Peter's Denial - THE GREAT DENIAL  Mt 26:69–75

Related Passages: 

Mark 14:70+  But again he denied it. And after a little while the bystanders were again saying to Peter, “Surely you are one of them, for you are a Galilean too.”

Luke 22:58+ A little later, another saw him and said, “You are one of them too!” But Peter said, “Man, I am not!”

John 18:25+ Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. So they said to him, “You are not also one of His disciples, are you?” He denied it, and said, “I am not.”

PETER'S SECOND DENIAL
INCLUDES AN OATH

And again he denied (arneomai) it with an oath (horkos) - This second denial is more emphatic as he invokes a divine witness, the idea being that if he lied, there would be a penalty for failing to keep this oath. 

“I (absolutely) do not know (eido) the man - Luke 22:58+  has ”But Peter said, “Man, I am not!” Use of the word "man" can even convey a sense of contempt. 

Stuart Weber on oath (horkos)- An oath in Jewish culture made God a party to the assertion, calling down the judgment of God if the words spoken were false. This was an ultimate oath of denial. Peter invited God’s curse on himself if he was not telling the truth when he said, I don’t know the man! (See Holman New Testament Commentary - Matthew) 

Spurgeon - He uttered an oath, that they might no longer suspect him, for followers of Jesus abhor swearing. Poor Peter, what a fall was yours!

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Oath (3727) horkos from herkos = a fence, an enclosure, that which restrains a person) (See more in depth dictionary discussion of Oath) in simple terms is a solemn statement attesting to the truth or inviolability of one’s words. It was used to validate a promise or affirm something said as absolutely true. An oath is a solemn promise, often invoking a divine witness, regarding one's future acts or behavior and often included penalties (and stated in the oath) for failure to keep the oath. An oath is a definitive and binding confirmation of the spoken word and invalidates any contradiction of the statement made. Vine adds that Oath refers to "the confirmation of a compact among men, guaranteeing the discharge of liabilities; in their disputes “the oath is final for confirmation.” This is referred to in order to illustrate the greater subject of God’s “oath” to Abraham, confirming His promise." 

Louw-Nida - an affirmation the truth of a statement by calling on a divine being to execute sanctions against a person if the statement in question is not true (in the case of a deity taking an oath, his divine being is regarded as validating the statement)

HORKOS - 10V - oath(7), oaths(2), vows(1). Matt. 5:33; Matt. 14:7; Matt. 14:9; Matt. 26:72; Mk. 6:26; Lk. 1:73; Acts 2:30; Heb. 6:16; Heb. 6:17; Jas. 5:12

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John Newton hymn - WHEN PETER BOASTED, SOON HE FELL

When Peter boast­ed, soon he fell,
Yet was by grace re­stored;
His case should be re­gard­ed well
By all who fear the Lord.

A voice it has, and help­ing hand,
Backsliders to re­call;
And cau­tions those who think they stand,
Lest sud­den­ly they fall.

He said, What­ev­er oth­ers do,
With Je­sus I’ll abide;
Yet soon amidst a mur­der­ous crew
His suf­fer­ing Lord de­nied.

He who had been so bold be­fore,
Now trem­bled like a leaf;
Not on­ly lied, but cursed and swore,
To gain the more be­lief.

While he blas­phemed he heard the cock,
And Je­sus looked in love;
At once, as if by light­ning struck,
His tongue for­bore to move.

Delivered thus from Sa­tan’s snare
He starts, as from a sleep;
His Sav­ior’s look he could not bear,
But hast­ed forth to weep.

But sure the faith­ful cock had crowed
A hun­dred times in vain;
Had not the Lord that look be­stowed,
The mean­ing to ex­plain.

As I, like Peter, vows have made,
Yet act­ed Pe­ter’s part;
So con­science, like the cock, up­braids
My base, un­grate­ful heart.

Lord Je­sus, hear a sin­ner’s cry,
My brok­en peace re­new;
And grant one pi­ty­ing look, that I
May weep with Pe­ter too.

Matthew 26:73 A little later the bystanders came up and said to Peter, “Surely you too are one of them; for even the way you talk gives you away.”

• Surely: Lu 22:59-60 Jn 18:26,27 
• for: Jdg 12:6 Ne 13:24 
• See additional comments on Matthew 26:34 regarding Peter's denial
• James Stalker's Devotional Commentary on Peter's Denial - THE GREAT DENIAL  Mt 26:69–75

Related Passages:

Mark 14:70+ (SECOND DENIAL) But again he denied it. (THIRD ACCUSATION) And after a little while the bystanders were again saying to Peter, “Surely you are one of them, for you are a Galilean too.” 

Luke 22:59+  (THIRD ACCUSATION) After about an hour had passed, another man began to insist, saying, “Certainly this man also was with Him, for he is a Galilean too.” 60 But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are talking about.” Immediately, while he was still speaking, a rooster crowed.

John 18:26+  (THIRD ACCUSATION) One of the slaves of the high priest, being a relative of the one whose ear Peter cut off, *said, “Did I not see you in the garden with Him?” 

PETER'S THIRD
ACCUSATION

A little later - How much later? Lk 22:59+  says "After about an hour had passed." 

The bystanders came up and said to Peter - The first two accusations were by servant-girls but here Matthew has bystanders. John 18:26+ says this was "One of the slaves of the high priest, being a relative of the one (MALCHUS) whose ear Peter cut off." 

Surely (alethos - "of a truth") conveys the idea "truly despite your denials."

You too are one of them (one of Jesus' disciples); for even the way you talk gives you away (more literally "makes [poieo] you evident [delos]") - They detected Peter's Galilean accent and identified him with the Galilean Jesus. 

Grassmick - Galileans spoke an Aramaic dialect with noticeable differences in pronunciation. So they concluded he was a follower of that heretic Galilean, Jesus. (See The Bible Knowledge Commentary) 

A T Robertson says "The Galileans had difficulty with the gutterals and Peter’s second denial had exposed him to the tormenting raillery of the loungers who continued to nag him."

Barclay - The Galileans spoke with a burr; so ugly was their accent that no Galilean was allowed to pronounce the benediction at a synagogue service.”

Spurgeon - His Galilean brogue revealed him. If a believer sins he will not be able to do it as others do, and is sure to be detected.

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Evident (1212) delos is an adjective which means clearly visible and hence clear, plain, clear to the understanding or mind. Delos pertains to that which can be clearly and easily able to be known. Strictly clearly visible hence clear, plain, evident. 

DELOS - 3V - Matt. 26:73; 1 Co. 15:27; Gal. 3:11

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Stick Out Your Tongue

Your speech betrays you.— Matthew 26:73

Today's Scripture : Matthew 26:69-75

One of the first things a physician says when he examines a patient is, “Let me see your tongue.” It is often possible to make a diagnosis just by looking inside a person’s mouth. Some diseases can be detected by the tongue’s appearance.

This is even more true as a test of spiritual health. A person’s speech reveals what is going on inside. Jesus said, “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Mt. 12:34).

The apostle Peter, on the night Jesus was arrested, made the mistake of opening his mouth. When he spoke, some of the bystanders recognized his dialect and said, “Surely you also are one of them, for your speech betrays you” (Mt. 26:73). Although he tried to deny their accusation, his speech revealed who he really was.

Our speech tells much about us. Our accent indicates the country or region from which we came. Our words reveal education or refinement, or the lack of it. Our topics of discussion point to our chief interests in life, for we talk about the things we love the most. And our conversation reveals our eternal destination, for travelers to heaven will speak “the language of Glory,” while travelers to hell will speak “the language of the pit.”

What is your tongue saying about you? —M. R. De Haan, M.D. (founder of RBC Ministries) (Reprinted by permission from Our Daily Bread Ministries. Please do not repost the full devotional without their permission.)

Take my tongue, and bridled well
Words of truth it e'er may tell.
Take my heart, its wellspring deep,
Cleanse and purify and keep.
—Bosch

A word from our mouth speaks volumes about our heart.

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Stick Out Your Tongue

Your speech betrays you.— Matthew 26:73

Today's Scripture : Matthew 26:69-75

One of the first things a physician says when he examines a patient is, “Let me see your tongue.” It is often possible to make a diagnosis just by looking inside a person’s mouth. Some diseases can be detected by the tongue’s appearance.

This is even more true as a test of spiritual health. A person’s speech reveals what is going on inside. Jesus said, “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Mt. 12:34).

The apostle Peter, on the night Jesus was arrested, made the mistake of opening his mouth. When he spoke, some of the bystanders recognized his dialect and said, “Surely you also are one of them, for your speech betrays you” (Mt. 26:73). Although he tried to deny their accusation, his speech revealed who he really was.

Our speech tells much about us. Our accent indicates the country or region from which we came. Our words reveal education or refinement, or the lack of it. Our topics of discussion point to our chief interests in life, for we talk about the things we love the most. And our conversation reveals our eternal destination, for travelers to heaven will speak “the language of Glory,” while travelers to hell will speak “the language of the pit.”

What is your tongue saying about you? —M. R. De Haan, M.D.

Take my tongue, and bridled well
Words of truth it e'er may tell.
Take my heart, its wellspring deep,
Cleanse and purify and keep.
—Bosch

A word from our mouth speaks volumes about our heart.

Matthew 26:74 Then he began to curse and swear, “I do not know the man!” And immediately a rooster crowed.

• began: Mt 27:25 Jdg 17:2 21:18 1Sa 14:24-28 Mk 14:71 Ac 23:12-14 Ro 9:3 1Co 16:22 
• saying: Mt 10:28,32,33  Jn 21:15-17 Rev 3:19 
• And: Mk 14:30,68,72 Lu 22:60 Jn 18:27 
• See additional comments on Matthew 26:34 regarding Peter's denial
• James Stalker's Devotional Commentary on Peter's Denial - THE GREAT DENIAL  Mt 26:69–75

Related Passages:

Mark 14:30+ And Jesus *said to him, “Truly I say to you, that this very night, before a rooster crows twice, you yourself will deny Me three times.”

Mark 14:71-72+  But he began to curse and swear, “I do not know this man you are talking about!” 72 Immediately a rooster crowed a second time. And Peter remembered how Jesus had made the remark to him, “Before a rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.” And he began to weep.

Luke 22:60+  But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are talking about.” Immediately, while he was still speaking, a rooster crowed. 61 The Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had told him, “Before a rooster crows today, you will deny Me three times.”

John 18:27+ Peter then denied it again, and immediately a rooster crowed.

PETER'S THIRD DENIAL
FULFILLS PROPHECY

Then he began (archo) to curse (katathematizo in present tense - continually) and swear (omnuo in present tense) Peter has completely lost self-control! One could paraphrase Peter with a modern idiom “If I am lying may God strike me dead." “I swear to God, and may I die if I am lying.” Like so many do today, Peter added a touch of profanity in a vain attempt to prove to them what he was saying was true. 

THOUGHT - When we hear one who claims to be a follower of Christ frequently using curse words in everyday conversation, we begin to wonder if they are truly a new creature in Christ. Dear reader, if you claim to be a follower of Christ, has your former foul language largely disappeared? If not, you need to ask yourself a solemn  question - "Have I truly been born again?" At the very least profanity is a horrible witness to the lost souls around you. At the very worst, it suggests you have never experienced the transformation Paul describes in 2Co 5:17+ writing "Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new (kainos = brand new) creature; the old things passed away; behold, new (kainos = brand new) things have come." All believers sin and yes they still occasionally curse. But if curse words fly out of your mouth effortlessly, then you are due for your "annual (spiritual) checkup!" In 2Co 13:5+ Paul even commands us "Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you–unless indeed you fail the test?"

I (absolutely) do not know (eido)  the Man!” - So we see a progression (which is a good picture of the progression of one sin to a greater sin) from a simple denial to a denial with an oath and now a denial with cursing and swearing. Lk 22:60+ has “Man, I do not know what you are talking about.” Peter even uses the somewhat contemptuous designation of "Man!" Peter repeats the words of his second denial (Mt 26:72) The second accusation was that Peter was one of Jesus' disciples. Now Peter disavows being one of His followers and in so doing separated himself from Jesus as well as His disciples. 

Curse (katathematizo) is used by Peter to intensify and affirm His denial of Jesus to the point that he was willing to place himself under a curse in order to stress his denial. Out of fear Peter emphatically denied personal acquaintance with the Lord Jesus in order to save his own life. By calling out such a curse he hoped to convince his interrogators he was telling the truth.

Swear (omnuo) means to "affirm the truth of a statement by calling on a divine being to execute sanctions against a person if the statement in question is not true (in the case of a deity taking an oath, his divine being is regarded as validating the statement." (Louw-Nida)

A T Robertson says " He called down on himself (καταθεματιζειν [katathematizein]) imprecations in his desperate irritation and loss of self-control at his exposure."

And immediately (euthus) a rooster crowed - Jesus' prophecy issued to Peter in John 13:38+ is now immediately fulfilled. Jesus prophecy proved perfect, but so would His prophetic promise "but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers." (Lk 22:32+).  Immediately might also suggest it startled Peter. 

Spurgeon - Providence controls what men call accidents. Surely the rooster could crow when it willed, and yet the will of the Lord was done.

NET NOTE - It seems most likely that this refers to a real rooster crowing, although a number of scholars have suggested that “cockcrow” is a technical term referring to the trumpet call which ended the third watch of the night (from midnight to 3 a.m.). This would then be a reference to the Roman gallicinium (ἀλεκτοροφωνία, alektorophōnia; the term is used in Mark 13:35 and is found in some MSS [𝔓37vid,45 f1] in Matt 26:34) which would have been sounded at 3 a.m.; in this case Jesus would have prophesied a precise time by which the denials would have taken place. For more details see J. H. Bernard, St. John (ICC), 2:604. However, in light of the fact that Mark mentions the rooster crowing twice (Mark 14:72) and in Luke 22:60 the words are reversed (ἐφώνησεν ἀλέκτωρ, ephōnēsen alektōr), it is more probable that a real rooster is in view. In any event natural cockcrow would have occurred at approximately 3 a.m. in Palestine at this time of year (March–April) anyway.

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Curse (2617)(katathematizo) (Note: KJV has katanathematizo) means curse, call down curses, to place oneself under a curse if one fails to speak truth) and is found only once in Matthew 26:74. (In the parallel passage Mark uses anathematizo.) “To bring under the anathema,” “to curse.” Thayer - "to call down direst evils on, to curse vehemently."

Swear (make no oath) (3660) omnuo derives from a basic meaning to grasp a sacred object (Friberg). The verb omnuo thus means to swear, confirm or affirm the truth of a statement by calling on a divine being (heaven, altar, temple, throne of God) to execute sanctions against a person if the statement in question is not true. To put one's self under oath. To threaten with an oath as in Heb 3:11,18, 4:3. BDAG phrases it this way "to affirm the veracity of one’s statement by invoking a transcendent entity, freq. w. implied invitation of punishment if one is untruthful." It is distinct from horkizō (3726), which means to adjure or implore someone divine to accomplish a task (demon in Mark 5:7; exorcists in Acts 19:13).

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Gleason Archer - How can the various accounts of Peter’s denial of Christ be reconciled? - Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties page 343

Concerning Peter’s denial, Christ is quoted in Matthew 26:34 as stating, “Truly I tell you that this night, before the rooster crows, you will three times deny Me.” Mark 14:30 quotes Jesus a little more fully: “And Jesus says to him, “ ‘Truly I tell you that today, this very night, before the rooster crows twice you will three times deny Me.’ ” (Luke 22:34 substantially follows Matthew’s wording, though in a somewhat briefer version.) Is this a real discrepancy, as some critics allege? Hardly, since we may be very sure that if the rooster crows twice, he has at least crowed once.

Apparently Jesus did specify that the cock would crow a second time by the time the third denial had been expressed by Peter. The important part of the prediction, however, lay not in the number of times the rooster would sound out but in the number of times Peter would basely deny to his interrogators that he belonged to Jesus—or even that he was acquainted with Him. To add or include additional information does not amount to a contradiction of the testimony of a witness who has given a somewhat briefer account. Such variation is observed in the lecture notes taken by students in a classroom: some include more details than others. But that does not mean they are not all equally valid witnesses to what their instructor said.

The same observation applied to the account of the triple denial itself. Each synoptist includes some items of information not included by the others, and John furnishes many details not found in the Synoptics at all. But it is perfectly clear that none of the statements are actually contradictory. When they are lined up in parallel columns, their rich wealth of information gives us a fuller account than could be gathered from any single one of them. Such a comparison yields the following composite narrative of Peter’s miserable experience during Christ’s trial before Caiaphas.

Peter was admitted to the outer court of the high priest after John had spoken to the doorkeeper (thyrōcros is probably masculine here) who guarded the approach from the street (John 18:15–16). After Peter entered, he sat down by a fire to warm himself on that chilly night (Luke 22:56). But a girl who served as a doorkeeper on the inner side of the gate began looking intently at him and finally blurted out, “You too were with Jesus, the Galilean from Nazareth!” (Mark 14:67) (Luke 22:56 reads “You too were with him!”). Then she asked him point blank, “Aren’t you one of His disciples?” (John 18:17). To this Peter uttered his first denial, “I am not!” He added, “I don’t know or understand what you are talking about” (Matt. 26:70; Mark 14:68). Then he stoutly affirmed, “I don’t know Him, woman!” (Luke 22:57).

After this brush with danger, Peter wandered off to the portico of the building itself; but even there he attracted some unwelcome attention. Another servant girl, who may well have been tipped off by the female gatekeeper, remarked to one of the bystanders, “This man was with Jesus the Nazarene” (Matt. 26:71). “He certainly was one of them,” she insisted (Mark 14:69).

At this point, one of the men in the group leveled an accusing finger at Peter and declared, “You are one of them!” (Luke 22:58). Peter had by this time joined some men standing around a charcoal fire (apparently not the same fire he had stopped by in the outer court); they also picked up the accusation: “You too were with Jesus the Galilean!” (Matt. 26:73; Mark 14:70). They followed this charge with a forthright question: “Are you one of His disciples?” (John 18:25). With mounting intensity Peter replied, “Man, I am not!” (Luke 22:58). “I neither know nor understand what you are talking about!” (Matt. 26:72).

Somewhat later, perhaps as long as an hour after the second denial (Luke 22:59), a relative of the servant Peter had wounded at Gethsemane spotted him and shouted out, “Didn’t I see you in the garden with Him? You certainly must have been with Him, for you are a Galilean” (Luke 22:59). At this the bystanders chimed in; “You are certainly one of them, for you are a Galilean” (Mark 14:70). “You must be, for you talk with Galilean accent” (Matt. 26:73). At this, Peter began to panic; so he broke out into cursing and swearing: “By God, I don’t even know the man you’re talking about!” (Mark 14:71).

As soon as he had uttered this lie, Peter heard a rooster crowing. Suddenly he remembered how he had boasted the night before that he was ready to go to his death rather than deny his Lord. It was at that moment that Jesus Himself, who was still standing before Caiaphas under trial, looked over in Peter’s direction—and their eyes met (Luke 22:61). Covered with shame and full of self-loathing, Peter hurried out of the high priestly palace into the darkness of the night, now graying into dawn; and he sat down to weep and sob out his contrition before God.

In conclusion, then, the four testimonies of the Evangelists contain no contradictions, even though the information they yield may be somewhat diverse. As in any properly conducted court hearing, it is the task of the judge and jury to piece together the full account of the occurrence under investigation on the basis of the report of their individual witness. Much of their testimony will, of course, be identical; but in each case there will be some details recalled or thought worth mentioning that are forthcoming from the other witnesses. There is under the laws of legal evidence no good grounds for concluding, as some biased scholars mistakenly do, that the difference between the Gospels involve genuine discrepancies and unresolvable contradictions. Critics such as these would be utterly incompetent to sit in judgment in any court of law.

Matthew 26:75 And Peter remembered the word which Jesus had said, “Before a rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.

• remembered: Mt 26:34 Lu 22:61-62  Jn 13:38 
• And he: Mt 27:3-5 Lu 22:31-34 Ro 7:18-20 1Co 4:7 Ga 6:1 1Pe 1:5 
• See additional comments on Matthew 26:34 regarding Peter's denial
• James Stalker's Devotional Commentary on Peter's Denial - THE GREAT DENIAL  Mt 26:69–75

Related Passages:

Luke 22:61-62+ The Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had told him, “Before a rooster crows today, you will deny Me three times.” 62 And he went out and wept bitterly. 

Jn 13:38  Jesus *answered, “Will you lay down your life for Me? Truly, truly, I say to you, a rooster will not crow until you deny Me three times.

PETER REMEMBERS
JESUS' PROPHECY

We could also subtitle this "THE WAY BACK HOME BEGINS."

And Peter remembered (mimnesko) the word (hema) which Jesus (Iesous) had said, “Before a rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” Peter was a broken man, but Jesus had prayed that His faith would not fail (Lk 22:32+). He was on his way back. As Paul wrote years later "the kindness of God leads you to repentance" (Ro 2:4+) and Peter was beginning to experience God's kindness even in this moment of deep brokenness. If you have been broken by your sinful behavior (and most of us have been), you have some sense of what Peter is beginning to experience. 

A T Robertson notes that "Luke adds that the Lord turned and looked upon Peter (Luke 22:61). That look brought Peter back to his senses. He could not stay where he now was with the revilers of Jesus. He did not feel worthy or able to go openly into the hall where Jesus was. So outside he went with a broken heart....The tears were bitter, all the more so by reason of that look of understanding pity that Jesus gave him. One of the tragedies of the Cross is the bleeding heart of Peter. Judas was a total wreck and Peter was a near derelict. Satan had sifted them all as wheat, but Jesus had prayed specially for Peter (Luke 22:31f.). 

MacArthur on Peter's eyes catching the eyes of Jesus - Luke 22:61 says, “and the Lord turned and looked at Peter.” The Lord turned and looked at Peter. Straight into Peter’s eyes went the gaze of the Lord Jesus. Perhaps his trial had just ended and He was coming back across the courtyard, headed to prison where he’d be kept for a few hours until the dawn, fake trial, scourging, crucifixion in the morning. His face covered with spit, black and blue puffy from being punched in the face and slapped. His garments covered with sweaty blood that had oozed out of His sweat glands in the agonies in the garden. And as He’s bound, is taken through the courtyard. He looks right into the eyes of Peter. I’m pretty sure that’s a look that Peter never, ever, ever forgot.

There is hope for anyone
who turns back to Him in faith
-- Bob Utley

And he went out (exerchomai) and wept (klaio) bitterly (pikros) - Peter was heartbroken. That he wept implies not only that he shed tears, but also manifested external expression such as weeping aloud, expressing uncontainable, audible grief typically even accompanied by wailing and sobbing, as when one suffers a traumatic personal loss (which is exactly what Peter had suffered). 

Spurgeon - There was grace in his heart, and therefore the crow of a rooster affected him, and the look of his Lord broke his heart. May the Lord by some means bring us also to repentance if at any time we are so base as to deny him.

Our memories serve us much
in the business of repentance.
-- Matthew Poole

David Guzik points out that "Peter would be restored, showing a significant contrast between Judas (showing apostasy) and Peter (showing backsliding).  Apostasy is giving up the truth, as Judas did. Judas was sorry about his sin, but it was not a sorrow leading to repentance.. Backsliding is a decline from a spiritual experience once enjoyed. Peter slipped, but he will not fall; his bitter weeping will lead to repentance and restoration.....There is a significant contrast between Judas and Peter. Both of them denied Jesus in one way or another, but one was restored and the other was not. Restoring Peter was important to Jesus; after His resurrection, Jesus had a private meeting with Peter (Luke 24:34) and a public restoration with Peter (John 21). Judas ended up as an apostate, and Peter was a backslider who suffered spiritual decline from an experience he once enjoyed.

“It was not the crowing of the cock that convicted Peter;
it was the remembering of Christ’s words.”  
-- Warren Wiersbe

NET NOTE - When Peter went out and wept bitterly it shows he really did not want to fail here and was deeply grieved that he had.

Peter could repent of his sin,
and that is the real test of a genuine believer.
-- J Vernon McGee

Spurgeon - After his final denial Peter not only went out, but he wept. As he kept on turning over his sin, it appeared to him in all its blackest hue. We are told he wept bitterly. Convulsive weeping came on him. He could not stand himself. His heart seemed as if it would flow away in rivers of repentant tears. It is a blessed sign of the work of grace in the soul when the man who has sinned quits his evil companions and mourns over his sin as one who is in bitterness for his firstborn. If any of us have sinned like Peter, we should go and weep like Peter. If we have fallen like Peter, then let our soul bitterly bewail our transgressions. Many talk about the greatness of David’s sin, but if they knew the depths of David’s repentance and the heartbreak that came with it, they would not so glibly speak of it. There is a tradition that Peter never heard a rooster crow or thought of this incident as long as he lived without weeping. And although that is only a tradition, I can well believe it was the case, for that is just what would be likely to happen to a true penitent.

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Wept (2799) klaio means to mourn, to weep, to lament or to wail with emphasis upon noise accompanying weeping. It expresses one’s immediate and outward reaction to suffering. The picture is of one lamenting with sobs or wailing aloud and was used to describe the wailing that took place when someone died. Weeping thus was a sign of the pain and grief for the entity or person being wept over 

KLAIO - 33V - Matt. 26:75; Mk. 5:38; Mk. 5:39; Mk. 14:72; Mk. 16:10; Lk. 6:21; Lk. 6:25; Lk. 7:13; Lk. 7:32; Lk. 7:38; Lk. 8:52; Lk. 19:41; Lk. 22:62; Lk. 23:28; Jn. 11:31; Jn. 11:33; Jn. 16:20; Jn. 20:11; Jn. 20:13; Jn. 20:15; Acts 9:39; Acts 21:13; Rom. 12:15; 1 Co. 7:30; Phil. 3:18; Jas. 4:9; Jas. 5:1; Rev. 5:4; Rev. 5:5; Rev. 18:9; Rev. 18:11; Rev. 18:15; Rev. 18:19

Bitterly (4090)(pikros) is found only here and Mt 26:75 and literally means sharp or piercing and so what sharply penetrates ones senses. In the two NT uses it describes piercing, poignant grief manifest by violent and uncontrollable weeping which expresses deep despair. Peter's heart was pierced. Peter was down but not out. Jesus was praying for him and He is praying for you when you have committed some similar sin that breaks your heart when you think about what it does to God's heart! (cf Ro 8:32, Heb 7:25). Picric acid is a bitter, highly explosive compound.

TDNT - pikros originally means “pointed,” “sharp” (e.g., arrows), then “penetrating” (e.g., a smell), then “painful” (to the feelings), and “bitter” (to the taste). The sense of bitterness yields such transferred senses as “unpleasant,” “unexpected,” “painful,” “severe,” “cruel,” “stern,” “embittered.” pikriÃa has the meaning “severity” or “bitterness,” pikraiÃnoÒ means “to provoke,” and the deponent pikraiÃnomai means “to become angry, bitter.”

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John MacArthur summarizes the pathogenesis of Peter's denial in 5 interesting descriptions which would make a most interesting sermon with which to feed the sheep! (Borrow - The Murder of Jesus : A Study of How Jesus Died - see page 124).

1. He Boasted Too Loudly - Mt 26:33, Lk 22:22
2. He Prayed Too Little - Mt 26:38
3. He Slept Too Much - Lk 22:40, 
4. He Acted Too Fast - Lk 22:50
5. He Followed Too Far - Mt 26:58

THOUGHT - John MacArthur has a very interesting comment that I would agree with (especially it you combine it with boasting which reflects an element of pride saying "I can handle this temptation!"). MacArthur writes "I’m convinced that most of the problems and failures Christians face are directly related to prayerlessness. “You do not have because you do not ask” (James 4:2). Perhaps Peter’s failure could have been averted if he had been obedient to the Lord and spent that time in the garden praying that the Lord would grant him grace to endure." (Theoretically that is correct but Jesus had prophesied denial would occur. Perhaps He would not have needed to make this prophecy had Peter prayed in the Garden instead of sleeping! O my am I convicted by this spiritual dynamic - prayerlessness predisposing to falling into temptation!)  (Borrow - The Murder of Jesus : A Study of How Jesus Died - see page 127 or see Moments of Truth: Unleashing God's Word One Day at a Time).

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ILLUSTRATION - Balthasar Hubmaier has been called “the Simon Peter” of the evangelical Anabaptist of the 16th century. The movement’s greatest theologian, he would see 6,000 believers baptized at Nikolsburg in 1526-27. And because of vicious and severe persecution, he would compromise and deny his commitment to Christ at least on two different occasions. And yet, like Peter, he would be brought by God to deep repentance and confession. In a work entitled Short Apology he would write, “O God, pardon me my weakness. It is good for me that you have humbled me” (Estep, The Anabaptist Story, 63). On what appears to be a third occasion of torture, Hubmaier “grew strong” and with uncompromising fortitude remained true to Jesus. The date was March 2, 1528. One week later, on March 10, Hubmaier was burned at the stake with his precious wife nearby encouraging him to remain faithful to Jesus. Three days later she would be executed as well by drowning in the Danube River. As Hubmaier prepared to be burned, he shouted loud for the on looking crowd to hear, “O my gracious God, grant me grace in my great suffering.” As the flames engulfed his beard and hair, his last words were simple, “O my heavenly Father! O my gracious God!” “O Jesus!” Witnesses said that in his death “he appeared to feel more joy than pain.” Such is the grace of God poured out on any sinner, no matter what the sin, who flees to Jesus in repentance, who flees to God in his hour of need. The Great King in His passion has made it possible for all of us without exception! Praise His Name! (Daniel Akin) 

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Spurgeon - Morning and Evening - It has been thought by some that as long as Peter lived, the fountain of his tears began to flow whenever he remembered his denying his Lord. It is not unlikely that it was so, for his sin was very great, and grace in him had afterwards a perfect work. This same experience is common to all the redeemed family according to the degree in which the Spirit of God has removed the natural heart of stone. We, like Peter, remember our boastful promise: “Though all men shall forsake thee, yet will not I.” We eat our own words with the bitter herbs of repentance. When we think of what we vowed we would be, and of what we have been, we may weep whole showers of grief. He thought on his denying his Lord. The place in which he did it, the little cause which led him into such heinous sin, the oaths and blasphemies with which he sought to confirm his falsehood, and the dreadful hardness of heart which drove him to do so again and yet again. Can we, when we are reminded of our sins, and their exceeding sinfulness, remain stolid and stubborn? Will we not make our house a Bochim, and cry unto the Lord for renewed assurances of pardoning love? May we never take a dry-eyed look at sin, lest ere long we have a tongue parched in the flames of hell. Peter also thought upon his Master’s look of love. The Lord followed up the cock’s warning voice with an admonitory look of sorrow, pity, and love. That glance was never out of Peter’s mind so long as he lived. It was far more effectual than ten thousand sermons would have been without the Spirit. The penitent apostle would be sure to weep when he recollected the Saviour’s full forgiveness, which restored him to his former place. To think that we have offended so kind and good a Lord is more than sufficient reason for being constant weepers. Lord, smite our rocky hearts, and make the waters flow.

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What's Next?

Read: Luke 22:54-62 

Peter went out and wept bitterly. —Luke 22:62

The night before Jesus was crucified, two of His disciples turned against Him. Judas betrayed Christ, leading His enemies to Him in the Garden (Lk. 22:47-48). And Peter denied three times that he even knew the Lord (vv.57-60).

But the difference in what they did next was enormous. Peter wept bitter tears of repentance and later was gently restored (v.62; Jn. 21:15-17); Judas hanged himself (Mt. 27:5).

When we commit a sin, the most important thing is what we do next. If we lose our temper and say something cruel to a family member, what do we do next? If we mistreat a co-worker, what do we do next? If we find we are dwelling on evil thoughts, what do we do next? To make excuses, to justify our bad behavior, to blame the other person, or to ignore God is only to add more sin to the first.

Perhaps as you’ve been reading this, the Holy Spirit has brought your attention to some sin in your life. If so, you’re faced with a choice—to repent and confess it to God (1 Jn. 1:9), or to continue denying that you have a sin problem.

When you sin, don’t compound it with another sin. Take it immediately to the Lord in prayerful confession. The most important thing is what you do next! By David C. Egner (Reprinted by permission from Our Daily Bread Ministries. Please do not repost the full devotional without their permission.)

For Further Study
In 1 John 1:8-10, what do we learn about ourselves?
How are we to react to sin in our lives? (1 Jn. 1:9).
What is the basis of our forgiveness? (1 Jn. 2:1-2).

Denial compounds our sin;
Confession cancels it.

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The Rooster’s Crow  - Robert Morgan

I’ve often thought of Peter when noticing how easily men cry in my office. In my experience, more men than women have broken down during counseling sessions, and often because of guilt. The husband who ruined his marriage. The father whose temper drove away his son. The alcoholic who relapsed.

When the eyes of Jesus scorch a man, when he hears the rooster’s crow and weeps bitterly, determined to change, he is then at last beyond regret, beyond remorse, to a level of sorrow called repentance. Two biblical characters, I’ve found, offer the best advice to men at such junctions.

Peter teaches God-forgiveness. Though Peter denied Jesus three times, the Lord appeared to him privately following the resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:5), with a view of restoring him (Luke 22:32). We have no record of the details of that meeting, but Peter undoubtedly confessed his sin in utter self-contempt and contrition; and there he vividly learned the power of the “precious blood of Christ” (1 Peter 1:19). Later by the sea, Jesus drew a three-fold affirmation of love from his wounded disciple (John 21:15–19, and the spiritual restoration was deepened.

But another layer of healing is necessary, for it is often easier to be forgiven by God than to forgive oneself. Here, the Old Testament hero Joseph helps us. Just as Jesus was betrayed by Peter, Joseph was betrayed by his own brothers who sold him into slavery. But years later, he said to them: “Do not be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life” (Genesis 45:5). In other words, “I’ve forgiven you. Now stop beating yourselves up over this. Don’t wallow in it any longer. Put it behind you, for God, who overrules all, has used even this sin for good.”

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Our faults and failures are damning matters; but when we kneel before the risen Christ, confessing our sins, His blood forgives us thoroughly; and we rise from our knees to forgive ourselves and to get on with the Master’s business.

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J B Lightfoot (from sermon  The One Taken and the Other Left) - Simon of Bethsaida and Judas of Kerioth had possessed all things in common: common opportunities, common associations, common trials and dangers. They had witnessed the same works and listened to the same words. They had lived in the same Presence. They had received the same revelation of the same Father from the same hallowed lips. Altogether it might have been thought that their characters must have been cast in the same mold. From what then came this difference?

From what but in the use or misuse of that mysterious, that fatal, that magnificent gift of God to humanity—free will?

Both were tempted. Both yielded to the temptation. The same night was fatal to the one and to the other. Just at this moment it might have seemed as if there were little to choose between Peter and Judas. How is it then that Peter rises again, while Judas sinks down, sinks suddenly, sinks irretrievably, sinks forever?

It was not what Judas had done but what Judas had become that prevented his rising. His guilt was great, but God’s mercy is greater. His guilt was great, but God’s pardon does not nicely calculate less or more.

Faith and hope are the two requisites without which restoration is impossible—faith in God and hope for the future. With these is life-giving repentance; without these is crushing remorse.

As long as we look only to ourselves, pardon seems wholly beyond our reach. There is nothing in our own hearts, nothing in our past lives that suggests it. It is well that we should grieve over our sins; it is not well that we should give ourselves up to overmuch self-dissection. Our failings must be our stepping-stones; they must not be our stumbling blocks. We cannot suffer them to cripple our energies or to bar our path. But this will always be the case so long as our gaze is directed solely within. For here we find only feebleness, only vacillation, only ignorance, only failure and sin. Our strength, our consolation, our renewal are elsewhere. It is only when our hearts go forth in faith to God the all wise and almighty, God the merciful, God our Father that the pardon comes, that the pure heart is made and the steadfast spirit renewed within us. This faith Judas did not realize. He knew God only as an avenging judge. He did not know him as a loving Father

....

The concentration on self is a denial of faith. The concentration on the past is an exclusion of hope. Judas could not face the future. The past had been an utter failure. Yet the future was all before him; the future was uncompromised. The two great preachers of the Gospel were destined to be Peter the denier of Christ and Paul the persecutor of Christ. Why should not Judas the betrayer of Christ have made up the triad? Why not—except that having lost faith he had lost hope also.

Hope is the reflection of God’s mercy; hope is the echo of God’s love. Hope is energy, hope is strength, hope is life. Without hope, sorrow for sin will lead only to ruin. We have no time to brood over the errors of the past, while the hours are hurrying relentlessly by. Have you been tempted? Have you yielded? Have you sinned? Then go out from the scene of your temptation, as Peter went out, and weep bitter tears of repentance before God. But having done this, return, return at once and strengthen your brothers and sisters. In active charity for others, in devoted service to God is the truest safeguard against the suicidal promptings of remorse. Be the foremost to bear witness of him to an unbelieving world—the foremost in zeal, the foremost in danger, the foremost to do and to suffer. The past is beyond recall. Put it behind you. The future is full of magnificent opportunities. Be energetic, be courageous, be hopeful. In the agony of your contrition, from the depths of your despair, listen to the divine voice that summons you: “Let the dead bury their own dead”—dead opportunities, dead regrets, dead failures, yes, even dead sins—and “follow me” (Matt. 8:22; cf. Luke 9:60)

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QUESTION - What is the significance of the rooster crowing in regards to Peter denying Jesus three times?

ANSWER - Matthew 26:34, Luke 22:34, and John 13:38 all record Jesus telling Peter, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” Mark words it differently, which has led to some confusion. Mark 14:30 says, “And Jesus said to him, ‘Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times’” (emphasis added). Then, when the first servant girl questioned Peter about his relationship to Jesus, “he denied it, saying, ‘I neither know nor understand what you mean.’ And he went out into the gateway and the rooster crowed” (Mark 14:68). Later, after Peter’s third denial, “immediately the rooster crowed a second time. And Peter remembered how Jesus had said to him, ‘Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.’ And he broke down and wept” (Mark 14:72).

Did the rooster crow once or twice, and what is the significance of that crowing?

Since we know that all Scripture is God-breathed and therefore accurate (2 Timothy 3:16), we can rest assured that there are always explanations for seeming inconsistencies. In biblical days, roosters were common within the towns and cities. The first crowing often occurred around midnight. The second crowing could be expected before daybreak. Jesus’ prediction about Peter’s denials meant that Peter would have opportunities all night long to repeat the validating claim he made when he told Jesus, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16). However, despite three opportunities, the overconfident Peter denied His Lord every time. When daylight came, Jesus’ mock trial was over, and Peter lost his opportunities to defend Jesus as he had claimed he would do (Mark 14:29).

Jesus did not say that Peter would deny Him before any rooster’s crow. So the report of a first crowing does not negate the validity of Jesus’ words. In those days, when someone made the comment “before the rooster crows,” it would have been commonly understood to mean the crowing at daybreak. But morning was not the only time roosters crowed. As anyone who has lived on a farm can attest, roosters crow whenever they feel like it. A rooster can crow when he senses danger, when another rooster threatens his flock, or simply because he got his days and nights mixed up. So it is perfectly understandable that Jesus would have been precise in prophesying to Peter that a rooster would actually crow twice during the time Peter was denying Him.

The first crowing would not have been noticed by Peter at that moment, since people were used to hearing roosters at random times. It is similar to how people living near train tracks get used to hearing the noise of trains and stop noticing the sound. But when the morning rooster crowed, Peter was struck with the accuracy of Jesus’ words, and he went out and wept bitterly.

It is also noteworthy that Mark was a close associate of Peter’s (1 Peter 5:13) and would have obtained many details for his Gospel from Peter himself. After the fact, Peter would have considered the first crowing more significant than he did at the time. Jesus’ prophetic words must have played over and over in his head as he then recalled the first crowing and then the second. It seems likely that, in his retelling of that night to Mark, Peter would have made mention of both crowings. Mark does not in any way contradict the other accounts, which only mention the second crowing. The second crowing was the most important one, since it marked the end of Peter’s testing.

Because of the prominence of the story of Peter and the rooster, recorded in all four Gospels, the rooster, or cock, has at times been used as a Christian symbol. Some churches even place a rooster atop their steeples. Used as a symbol, the rooster represents the weakness of man and the grace of Christ in forgiving sinners. Peter three times denied his Lord and Savior, but he was forgiven, restored, and sent out to live for the glory of God (John 21:15–19). The rooster reminds us that Christ extends hope to sinners everywhere.

The rooster, used as a Christian symbol, can also represent watchfulness. Before His arrest, Jesus prayed in the garden and asked His disciples to do the same. But He found them sleeping, and He said to Peter, “Are you asleep? Couldn’t you keep watch for one hour? Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation” (Mark 14:37–38). Later that night, Peter did indeed fall into temptation, and the rooster’s crow served as his spiritual wake-up call. The rooster can still be a reminder today that we must watch and pray and live as children of light: “You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness” (1 Thessalonians 5:5).

The rooster could also be seen as proclaiming the start of a new day. In Christ, all things become new (2 Corinthians 5:17). A new day of forgiveness and grace has dawned, and believers, saved by grace, proclaim the good news to a world in need of light.

Jesus is never impressed with our fleshly bravado such as Peter expressed in Matthew 26:35. Jesus knows our hearts better than we do (Matthew 9:4; Luke 9:47). But, even though He knows the ways we will fail Him, our Lord does not stop loving us or using us to further His message. Those rooster crowings must have haunted Peter for many years and may have helped him stay humble, watchful, and committed to his calling. Our past failures can be battle scars in our lives as well, propelling us toward greater devotion and stricter loyalty to Jesus when we recall how much we have been forgiven (see Luke 7:47).