Reflections on Matthew 26

Matthew 26 (Contemporary English Version)


1. When Jesus had finished teaching, he told his disciples,
   
2. Jesus knew what they were thinking, and he said: Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing for me.
   
3. You will always have the poor with you, but you won't always have me.
   
4. She has poured perfume on my body to prepare it for burial.
   
5. You may be sure that wherever the good news is told all over the world, people will remember what she has done. And they will tell others.
   
6. Judas Iscariot was one of the twelve disciples. He went to the chief priests
   
7. and asked, "How much will you give me if I help you arrest Jesus?" They paid Judas thirty silver coins,
   
8. and from then on he started looking for a good chance to betray Jesus.
   
9. On the first day of the Festival of Thin Bread, Jesus' disciples came to him and asked, "Where do you want us to prepare the Passover meal?"
   
10. Jesus told them to go to a certain man in the city and tell him, "Our teacher says, 'My time has come! I want to eat the Passover meal with my disciples in your home.' "
    
11. They did as Jesus told them and prepared the meal.
    
12. "You know that two days from now will be Passover. That is when the Son of Man will be handed over to his enemies and nailed to a cross."
    
13. When Jesus was eating with his twelve disciples that evening, he said, "One of you will surely hand me over to my enemies."
    
14. (SEE 26:20)
    
15. The disciples were very sad, and each one said to Jesus, "Lord, you can't mean me!"
    
16. He answered, "One of you men who has eaten with me from this dish will betray me.
    
17. The Son of Man will die, as the Scriptures say. But it's going to be terrible for the one who betrays me! That man would be better off if he had never been born."
    
18. Judas said, "Teacher, you surely don't mean me!" "That's what you say!" Jesus replied. But later, Judas did betray him.
    
19. During the meal Jesus took some bread in his hands. He blessed the bread and broke it. Then he gave it to his disciples and said, "Take this and eat it. This is my body."
    
20. Jesus picked up a cup of wine and gave thanks to God. He then gave it to his disciples and said, "Take this and drink it.
    
21. This is my blood, and with it God makes his agreement with you. It will be poured out, so that many people will have their sins forgiven.
    
22. From now on I am not going to drink any wine, until I drink new wine with you in my Father's kingdom."
    
23. At that time the chief priests and the nation's leaders were meeting at the home of Caiaphas the high priest.
    
24. Then they sang a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives.
    
25. Jesus said to his disciples, "During this very night, all of you will reject me, as the Scriptures say, 'I will strike down the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.'
    
26. But after I am raised to life, I will go to Galilee ahead of you."
    
27. Peter spoke up, "Even if all the others reject you, I never will!"
    
28. Jesus replied, "I promise you that before a rooster crows tonight, you will say three times that you don't know me."
    
29. But Peter said, "Even if I have to die with you, I will never say I don't know you." All the others said the same thing.
    
30. Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane. When they got there, he told them, "Sit here while I go over there and pray."
    
31. Jesus took along Peter and the two brothers, James and John. He was very sad and troubled,
    
32. and he said to them, "I am so sad that I feel as if I am dying. Stay here and keep awake with me."
    
33. Jesus walked on a little way. Then he knelt with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, don't make me suffer by having me drink from this cup. But do what you want, and not what I want."
    
34. They planned how they could sneak around and have Jesus arrested and put to death.
    
35. He came back and found his disciples sleeping. So he said to Peter, "Can't any of you stay awake with me for just one hour?
    
36. Stay awake and pray that you won't be tested. You want to do what is right, but you are weak."
    
37. Again Jesus went to pray and said, "My Father, if there is no other way, and I must suffer, I will still do what you want."
    
38. Jesus came back and found them sleeping again. They simply could not keep their eyes open.
    
39. He left them and prayed the same prayer once more.
    
40. Finally, Jesus returned to his disciples and said, "Are you still sleeping and resting? The time has come for the Son of Man to be handed over to sinners.
    
41. Get up! Let's go. The one who will betray me is already here."
    
42. Jesus was still speaking, when Judas the betrayer came up. He was one of the twelve disciples, and a large mob armed with swords and clubs was with him. They had been sent by the chief priests and the nation's leaders.
    
43. Judas had told them ahead of time, "Arrest the man I greet with a kiss."
    
44. Judas walked right up to Jesus and said, "Hello, teacher." Then Judas kissed him.
    
45. But they said, "We must not do it during Passover, because the people will riot."
    
46. Jesus replied, "My friend, why are you here?" The men grabbed Jesus and arrested him.
    
47. One of Jesus' followers pulled out a sword. He struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear.
    
48. But Jesus told him, "Put your sword away. Anyone who lives by fighting will die by fighting.
    
49. Don't you know that I could ask my Father, and right away he would send me more than twelve armies of angels?
    
50. But then, how could the words of the Scriptures come true, which say that this must happen?"
    
51. Jesus said to the mob, "Why do you come with swords and clubs to arrest me like a criminal? Day after day I sat and taught in the temple, and you didn't arrest me.
    
52. But all this happened, so that what the prophets wrote would come true." All of Jesus' disciples left him and ran away.
    
53. After Jesus had been arrested, he was led off to the house of Caiaphas the high priest. The nation's leaders and the teachers of the Law of Moses were meeting there.
    
54. But Peter followed along at a distance and came to the courtyard of the high priest's palace. He went in and sat down with the guards to see what was going to happen.
    
55. The chief priests and the whole council wanted to put Jesus to death. So they tried to find some people who would tell lies about him in court.
    
56. Jesus was in the town of Bethany, eating at the home of Simon, who had leprosy.
    
57. But they could not find any, even though many did come and tell lies. At last, two men came forward
    
58. and said, "This man claimed that he would tear down God's temple and build it again in three days."
    
59. The high priest stood up and asked Jesus, "Why don't you say something in your own defense? Don't you hear the charges they are making against you?"
    
60. But Jesus did not answer. So the high priest said, "With the living God looking on, you must tell the truth. Tell us, are you the Messiah, the Son of God?"
    
61. "That is what you say!" Jesus answered. "But I tell all of you, 'Soon you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right side of God All-Powerful and coming on the clouds of heaven.' "
    
62. The high priest then tore his robe and said, "This man claims to be God! We don't need any more witnesses! You have heard what he said.
    
63. What do you think?" They answered, "He is guilty and deserves to die!"
    
64. Then they spit in his face and hit him with their fists. Others slapped him
    
65. and said, "You think you are the Messiah! So tell us who hit you!"
    
66. While Peter was sitting out in the courtyard, a servant girl came up to him and said, "You were with Jesus from Galilee."
    
67. A woman came in with a bottle of expensive perfume and poured it on Jesus' head.
    
68. But in front of everyone Peter said, "That isn't so! I don't know what you are talking about!"
    
69. When Peter had gone out to the gate, another servant girl saw him and said to some people there, "This man was with Jesus from Nazareth."
    
70. Again Peter denied it, and this time he swore, "I don't even know that man!"
    
71. A little while later some people standing there walked over to Peter and said, "We know that you are one of them. We can tell it because you talk like someone from Galilee."
    
72. Peter began to curse and swear, "I don't know that man!" Right then a rooster crowed,
    
73. and Peter remembered that Jesus had said, "Before a rooster crows, you will say three times that you don't know me." Then Peter went out and cried hard.
    
74. But when his disciples saw this, they became angry and complained, "Why such a waste?
    
75. We could have sold this perfume for a lot of money and given it to the poor.

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The march of events leading to Jesus' crucifixion pick up their pace. In the first verses of this chapter Jesus again told His disciples of His approaching death, pointing out that it would happen during Passover. It is as if this were an announcement that set in motion the crucifixion events. Soon after this announcement came the conspiracy between the chief priests and the elders to arrest Jesus, then came the woman's anointing of Jesus' body in preparation for His burial. These events were followed by Judas' offer to betray Jesus and Jesus' observance of the Passover meal with His disciples and the first observance of communion in recognition of His broken body and spilt blood "that establishes the covenant . . . shed for many for the forgiveness of sins." (26:28) Next there was Jesus' time at Gethsemane agonizing in prayer over the coming events. Then came Judas' betrayal and Jesus' arrest followed by Jesus' initial trial before Caiaphas, the high priest, and then Peter's denial of Jesus.

It is important to keep in mind that in none of this was Jesus a victim of circumstances. He willingly allowed all of it to be done to Him. The establishment of the covenant by His shed blood for the forgiveness of sins had to be a willing sacrifice, not something forced on Him against His will. It is also important to recognize that there are no innocent players in this scenario other than Jesus. Nor are we today uninvolved observers of history as we read this account. We too have played a part, for it was not just the sins of those in that day for whom Jesus provided forgiveness, but also for the sins of today and for all days to come. Those who carried out the acts against Jesus represent all who reject Him while the disciples who fled from Jesus after His arrest and denied any knowledge of Him, such as Peter, represent all of us who follow Jesus. We all are unfaithful to Him and deny Him at times. And, as with Peter, Jesus is kind and merciful to forgive us when we repent and to still use us in His service. Actually, Peter's denial of Jesus served a good purpose, for it allowed him to see his own incapability to boldly stand with Jesus under pressure. He learned to depend on the Holy Spirit that was given him at Pentecost rather than his own strength. His remorse and repentance over his denial helped to solidify his commitment to Jesus and become one of the early martyrs for the faith.

The same forgiveness and power are available to us today, and we are called to stand with Jesus just as surely as was Peter as He continues to be publicly ridiculed and crucified.