Matthew 26:1-16
“Worship, Or A Wasted Life”
Vs. 1-5 Man Plotted, Jesus In Control
Vs. 6-13 The Fragrance of Worship
Vs. 14-16: The Price of a Wasted Life
Intro
This is the longest chapter in the book of Matthew, and it records many different events, but central to its theme are the events that led up to Jesus’ death on the cross. Nearly 1/3 of every gospel is devoted to the last week of Jesus’ life on earth, but what we fail to realize is that this was not some incident that was the result of circumstances gone out of control.
No, according to Matt. 16:21, Jesus said that this was going to happen six months previously. Not only that, including verse 2, He tells His disciples six times that this event will take place. Simply put, the only one not surprised by the events of this week was Jesus!
Now Matthew places this section right on the heels of the words Jesus had spoken to His disciples concerning His second coming in power and glory, where He will judge the world. It seems that right after saying this, He looked at the disciples and said, “As you know, the Passover celebration begins in two days, and I, the Son of Man, will be betrayed and crucified.” So our Lord reminds His disciples and us that there is no crown without a cross!
There is no second coming without the first coming! As you read this account, it will become obvious to you that Matthew does not record this chronologically. Instead, Matthew is showing you the reason for the events taking place as they did. One of the most startling things in this chapter is how the action of two individuals is misunderstood by the disciples, yet how clearly Jesus knows the hearts of those that profess to love Him.
A couple had just finished shopping at their local mall when they went to the parking lot only to find their brand new car was stolen. They went back into the mall and told security, who in turn called the police. When the police arrived, they took them around the parking lot, thinking that perhaps they had simply misplaced the car. As they drove around near where they had parked the car, they found their car in a different spot. On the windshield of the car was a note that said, “I’m so sorry for having taken your car, but my wife was having our baby and our car would not start, so I hotwired yours to rush her to the hospital. Please forgive the inconvenience.”
Attached to the note were two tickets to a long ago sold-out concert in town. Their faith was restored in the action of this guy, so they decided not to pursue any legal options and, a few weeks later, decided to take the tickets and go to the concert. When they returned, they came home only to find that their house had been ransacked and all of their valuables were gone. As they went through each room of the house, they came into the front bathroom only to find a note attached to the mirror that read, “Hey, I have to put my kid through college somehow, don’t I?” Clearly, we humans have a hard time looking into what really lies at the heart of others!
Vs. 1-5 Man Plotted, Jesus In Control
Vs. 1 As I’ve already said, Jesus’ words follow right on the heels of the Olivet discourse, which is where He outlined the events of the 2nd coming, specifically sharing the need to be more than just mere professors of the truth; they must be possessors of the truth. Everything in our Christian life has to do with faithfulness. Or, in other words, our response to the truth of who Jesus is. Jesus wants His disciples to know what is to take place so that they may have the appropriate response (faith) to what will soon take place.
How about it? How do you respond to change in your hopes and dreams? I can only say that I don’t do all that well! I like things to go according to my plans and expectations. Yet I am
being reminded over and over again of Who is really in charge, and it’s not me, nor is the situation or circumstance that I find myself in; rather, it is the Lord!
Vs. 2 What is interesting here is that Jesus gives us some interesting facts concerning His crucifixion. Now we know that Jesus came into Jerusalem on Sunday (that is why we call it Palm Sunday), for that is what we are told back in chapter 21. Then in the 18th verse of chapter 21, we are told that He comes back into the city; that would make this Monday mourning, right? From there on, it is all the same day, as the Pharisees send folks to try to catch Jesus in traps of words. We are even told in the 23rd verse of chapter 22 that it was the same day.
In chapter 23, we are told that “Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes,” in other words, still Monday. Then in chapter 24, as it became late in the day on Monday, He departed the temple, heading out to the Mount of Olives for what we have just concluded, the “Olivet discourse.” So what do you ask? Well, here Jesus tells His disciples that after two days it will be the “Passover,” and he will be delivered up and crucified. So what day was the Passover? Wednesday! So Jesus was crucified on the Passover, which would give three days and three nights in the heart of the earth, then the Resurrection on Sunday morning. You see, if you have a Friday Crucifixion, you have to do some juggling to get those three days and nights in.
Vs. 3 Here we see unity in the leadership of the nation. It never ceases to amaze me that all different kinds of folks will come together in opposition to Christ. We are told that Caiphas was the High Priest at that time. Now usually the High Priest was passed on from father to son through the levitical line, but when the Romans came in, they began to appoint the High Priest themselves to avoid some zealots getting in. So the high priest in those days was nothing more than a political puppet of Rome. Caiphas was the son of Annas, who had removed himself from office, choosing his son to serve in his stead. The whole family was quite wealthy and had paid Rome big money for the spot. They had made their money in the temple concession business. It was for this reason that they wanted to kill Jesus; He had overturned the concession tables, upsetting business!
Vs. 4-5 Here we are told their plan was one of deception and the end result was to be Jesus’ death, but notice that they did not want this to take place during the Passover as this would upset the people and damage good business.
Do you see this here? Both Jesus and the leaders in Israel agree that Jesus was going to die, but they differed greatly as to the timing of it. So? Well, think of this for a moment. You have the most powerful people in the nation all agreeing to the death of Jesus and that this death WOULD NOT take place during the Passover. Then you have this peasant prophet who said that He was going to die for the sins of the nation; He was going to be the “Passover lamb” and, as such, would have to be put to death at “Passover.” So which one of them would you normally think could carry out their plan?
Folks, don’t miss this because it has great application in our lives today. Jesus may seem helpless or weak to stop the circumstances, but in reality He was in perfect control! The same is true today in your lives. There you have the ball in motion, but what caused the ball to get there in the first place? That’s what we are told in the next section.
Vs. 6-13 The Fragrance of Worship
Vs. 6 Notice the words “and when.” These words tell you that this was not in chronological order. In fact, this story takes place according to John’s gospel 12:1, “Six days before the Passover ceremonies began,” so this is about 4 days earlier. Now we know that Jesus was staying at Lazarus’ house each night, and when He first came to town, John tells us that they threw a party for Him (John 12:2). Yet it was at Simon the leper’s house. Now Simon may have been a leper, but he wasn’t any longer.
Vs. 7 At any rate, Matthew tells us that a woman came to Him with an alabaster jar of very expensive fragrant oil. Again, John helps us out and tells us that this was no other than Mary, the sister of Lazarus and Martha.
You know it is interesting every time we see Mary; she is at the feet of Jesus!
A.) Luke 10:39 We read that “Mary sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught.” That is the first time we are introduced to her in the Bible, and where is she? At His feet, listening to what He taught! May I just say that if you want to grow in your Christian life, then you must be a person who will be willing to sit at His feet to learn from Him?
B.) John 11:32 We are told that “Mary came where Jesus was and saw Him; she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.” Again, we see Mary coming to Jesus; this time she comes and lays her troubled heart at His feet. Mary knew the only place to leave your heart aching was at the feet of Jesus. How did she know that? Well, she had sat at his feet to learn of him!
C.) John 12:3 Then in the story before us, we read that “Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.” Here she comes to Jesus to worship Him. Hey, Folks, do you see the progression here? If you are going to be a true worshiper, you need to be taught of Him; you need to see Him as the only one to leave your heart aching at. Your worship of Him is because He alone is able.
Vs. 8-9 Now notice the reaction of the disciple’s, “What purpose is this waste?” Folks, the religious will always misunderstand true worship! Now John tells us that it was Judas who started this statement, and it seems that all the disciples agreed (John 12:4-5).
Furthermore, John tells us that Judas’ motive was that of greed: “not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief and had the money box, and he used to take what was put in it.” Now I want you to notice a few things about Mary’s act of worship:
1.) It represented all that was valuable to her: We are told that this perfumed oil was worth “three hundred denarii.” That would be about a year’s salary. Now most likely this was a dowry paid to her by either a husband or a suitor. It was her ticket to marriage. Yet she saw herself as married to Jesus. These Alabaster jars of perfume were so expensive that they were often bought as investments. Folks, our worship of Jesus ought to cost us something, not materially but spiritually. David said that as he purchased the land of Ornan, the Jebusite, which the temple was to be built on. Ornan wanted to give it to David, but David said, “No, but I will surely buy it for the full price, for I will not take what is yours for the LORD, nor offer burnt offerings with that which costs me nothing.”
2.) It ought to be given up liberally. We are told by Matthew that she broke the alabaster jar and poured it on His head as well as His feet. She did not worship sparingly; she emptied himself out, man! Worship every moment of every day; folks don’t just worship Jesus on Sunday. Come and empty yourself out daily, moment by moment! From His head to His toes. You know what that speaks to me—that we need to worship not just for the big things but for the little things as well!
3.) It needs to be a total surrender. In 1 Cor. 11:15, Paul tells us that a woman’s hair is her glory. So what does Mary do with her glory? She used it to wipe the feet of Jesus. We ought to surrender our glory to the Lord and worship with our precious gift of praise.
Vs. 10-13 Now what is amazing about this passage of scripture to me is that it appears that the only one of Jesus’ disciples that fully listened to what He had been saying about His death was Mary. She had been at His feet and heard what He said about His own death and knew that He was going to die. Now I’m sure that she did not fully grasp it all, but clearly more than the rest. Folks, if you want to grasp the truths of God, sit at His feet. surrendered to Him, dependent upon Him, worshiping Him.
It is clear from this passage that the greatest thing we can do for Jesus is worship. Now we can worship clearly by caring for others, but it is only if what we do is as unto the Lord! Folks, nothing given to the Lord is ever wasted! Do you know that? John tells us that her act of love and devotion was something that brought a fragrance to the whole house. So, as you worship Him, it will always bring a fragrance to the world. So don’t be afraid to give your very best to Jesus, because though your best is to Him, clearly it blessed others as well!
One last point, and I will move on. Did you know that the only one that prepared Jesus for burial was Mary, and did you know that she was not among those who returned the following to anoint Him after His death? Why? Well, I think she had been listening. Man If we just would listen with our hearts, not just with our minds! I think Mary listened with her heart!
Why is this a memorial to Mary? Because it teaches us about sitting at His feet and worshiping Him!
Vs. 14-16: The Price of a Wasted Life
Vs. 14-15 I’m going to lump these verses together for a moment. It was Judas who said that Mary’s gift of devotion was a waste. Yet Jesus calls Judas the “son of perdition” in John 17:12. You know what perdition means? You’ve got it, “waste.”. Jesus calls Judas the son of waste! Judas had been with Jesus for 3 years, saw the miracles, heard the teaching, and had even been used by God, yet his life was nothing but wasted opportunities. Folks, the waste is not the fragrance of worship but rather the lack of it in a life that had every opportunity to do so.
And so Judas goes out and sells out the Lord. For how much? For the price one would pay for a slave that had been gored to death by a bull, $25.00.
Hey, what are you willing to sell your worship for? Maybe you have never met the Lord, and you’re willing to sell your ticket to heaven for a can of Budweiser or that good-looking gal or guy. Are they worth it?
Matthew 26:17-30
“Giving Thanks”
Vs. 17-19 Preparation for Passover
Vs. 20-25 Is it I?
Vs. 26-30 Something New
Intro
The last few weeks we have spoken of worship and what true worship is all about. This week we are given the greatest reason to worship Jesus as He institutes what we commonly call communion. Now some of you will call this the “Eucharist,” which is Greek for the “Giving of Thanks.” Folks, that is what the Lord’s Supper is all about. It is amazing to me how many churches have almost come to blows or split because of arguments over communion. I suppose it is like so many other traditions that we in our flesh get a hold of and soon begin to worship the ordinance and forget what it was supposed to generate in our hearts.
I was at the ministerial meeting two weeks ago, and sitting across from me was the fellow from the local Episcopal Church. We are friends, though we would not agree on all things. Now I come from the first church of being a heathen, so I don’t have a traditional background. And Father Ron was talking about the uniform that he wears. Now one of the guys at our table asked him if it had some meaning, to which he replied that he thought that it had at one time but nobody knew it any longer. Then he proceeded to tell us the difference between the collars that the Roman Catholics wear compared with what they wear. Again, we asked him if there was a purpose to it, and he again said he did not know of one.
Now just the other day I heard a joke about a minister who wore a collar. It seems that a little fellow saw a priest wearing his outfit and asked the priest why he was dressed so differently. “Well said the priest, it’s just like a baseball player who wears a uniform.” So the young guy said, “Well, what’s that thing around your neck for? Did you hurt yourself and half to put a Band-Aid on?” The priest could see that the little guy was curious, so he took it off to show the boy that it was not a Band-Aid. On the inside was some raised lettering indicating the company that manufactured it. So the priest asked, Do you know what that says? “Sure do!” Said the little guy. “It says that it is guaranteed to keep fleas and ticks away for 30 whole days!” I’m afraid that we non-traditional Christians often fail to understand the things that we call traditions as well.
Vs. 17-19 Preparation for Passover
Vs. 17 What we are told here is what leads up to what we call “communion.”.
A.) First, notice that what we call the “Lord’s Supper” was instituted on the same day as another feast day, “Passover.” We are told in Hebrews 10:1-3 “For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never, with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be offered?” Jesus was with this act, telling us all that substance that the shadow told of has arrived.
Now I don’t know if you have ever attended a Passover Haggadah Seder, but what you have is an organized dinner where you are hearing the telling of the Passover while you eat. Everything in the Passover points to Yeshua as Messiah (Jesus). This had become Israel’s largest and most elaborate feast. I can just imagine the excitement of the disciples who had just been told about His 2nd coming. Little did they realize that this very night their hopes and dreams were going to be shattered.
- Second, notice that the preparations came on the first day of the “feast of the unleavened bread.” As part of the preparations on the first day, the Jews would put out all the leaven from their houses. Now leaven, of course, is yeast, which causes bread dough to rise. Now when Moses had told the Israelites to do this, it was because it takes time for this to take place. But more than this leaven in scripture symbolizes sin.
It is interesting to me that before the lamb was to be slain, the house had to be rid of leaven. Hey folks, the sacrifice of Christ will do us no good if we first don’t realize that our house needs to be rid of sin! What they would do is make this a game with the children. For the most part, all the leaven would be out of the house except a small amount that the parents would leave; it was then the job of the children to find the leaven to put it out of the house. I was reading the other day in Psalm 34:18. “The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart and saves, such as those who have a contrite spirit.” How about it, folks? Have you searched your house for sin? Are you broken-hearted and contrite? For it is those that He is near and saves!
C.) Vs. 18 Now Mark and Luke both tell us that Jesus told them to look for a “man carrying a pitcher of water.” So? Hey, men did not carry water pitchers that were women’s work. So a man doing this would have stood out. Now this unnamed servant must have been a follower of Jesus, as Jesus tells His disciples to say, “The teacher says…” What this says is that no matter what was the common custom of the day, this unnamed servant was doing whatever it took to prepare for the Lord’s coming. I like that. I think that is what we all ought to be like, willing to do whatever it takes to prepare for the Lord’s coming.
In fact, our deacons are given a paper that speaks about counting the cost in leadership, which says that we ought to be ready, willing, and available, which is a heart attitude seen in a willingness to do whatever it takes in order to further the Lord’s work.
D.) With a little bit of Bible detective work, I think we can figure out who this servant was and what house this took place at.
1.) Acts 1:13 says that they “went up into the upper room where they were staying.” Furthermore, Luke 22:12 describes this same room as a “large, furnished upper room.” So by this we find out that the Passover “upper room and the Pentecost upper room” are one in the same.
2.) Acts 12:12 tells us that this place was the “house of Mary, the mother of John, whose surname was Mark, where many were gathered together praying.” So the man was either John Mark or his father.
But let’s go back a moment to realize something about the fact that the “upper room” was both used for the Lord’s supper as well as the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. May I suggest to you that you will always find empowerment of the Holy Spirit for the work of ministry when you go away and wait on Him, seeing His brokenness for us and our riches through His brokenness!
Vs. 19 We are told in Luke 22:8 that the two disciples that went and did all this were Peter and John. This preparation was no small matter and had to be followed exactly. Again, may I just say that we learn some things about servanthood here? Obedience to everything the Lord tells you to do. I love to be around folks who have a “stick-to-it” nature instead of a “get-a-round-to-it” nature. That is what makes this body so precious—you stick to it!
Vs. 20-25 Is it I?
Vs. 20-22 Preparation had been finished, and the food had been laid out on the table. Of coarse, the Passover lamb had been slain.
A.) I suppose you are all familiar with Leonardo’s famous painting titled. “The Last Supper.” The problem with the painting is that it is from an Italian perspective. The Jews in Jesus time sat on the floor at a U-shaped table with the host “Jesus” at the center. Furthermore, in John’s gospel (13:23), we are told that John was seated on the right of Jesus; therefore, if Jesus and Judas were sharing the same bowl, then Judas was on Jesus’ left, which we know was the place of honor.
Folks, think of this for a moment! Jesus knew who it was that would betray Him, but in all of this He was giving Judas the opportunity to repent. God is not willing any should perish, not even Judas. I am amazed at the Lord’s mercy and grace, aren’t you? I mean, why would He give me so many opportunities to repent, but don’t make the mistake that Judas did and see those opportunities as reason to continue in sin?
B.) I want you to see that each one of those men recognized that they had the potential to betray Jesus. The way that sentence is constructed, “It is not I, is it?” indicates that they did not think it was them, but nonetheless they understood the possibility of it.
Now you may say right now that you would never be able to betray one who died for you, but the simple truth is that each of us betrays Him every time we choose sin. So every time you take part in communion, you are saying that you are a failure and that you are resting upon His grace!
Vs. 23-25 As Jesus said these words, He was indicating that He would be betrayed by someone who claimed to be in communion with Him. You see, the Jews viewed eating together very differently than we do; they saw it as becoming one with another person. As people partook of something that gave it’s life that might sustain our lives, then we were both being sustained together.
The dish that they were eating in the bowl was Kharoset, which was a paste made up of dates, figs, and nuts. Simple put, it looked like mud, which was to remind the Israelites of their slavery to Egypt. Think of this a moment as Judas dipped the unleavened bread in the Kharoset; it should have told him to put away the sin to which he was enslaved, and he was eating it with the one who was going to die so that he could be forgiven. Folks, I wonder if, at the great judgment of mankind, we will be able to see how close people came to getting saved only to continue to reject His loving offers. If they can, how awful that will be to realize all the opportunities they wasted, hanging on to sin!
Now, Jesus gives us both perspectives in verse 24.
A.) First, He gives us heaven’s perspective: “The Son of Man indeed goes just as it is written of Him.” Hey, this was no surprise from Jesus’ perspective.
B.) Secondly, He gives man’s perspective, “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 “bborn.” Better to have never been born than not to be born again! Better to have no being than not have your being in Christ! People who hate change and end up in hell will find a place where it never changes.
Vs. 25 Look at this: Judas is the only one who does not address Jesus as Lord, only teacher. Judas knew that it was he that would betray, for he had already made arrangements to do so. Notice that none of the others thought it was Judas; he was not wearing black outwardly, only inwardly!
Next, look at Jesus’ words, “You have said it.” Those words were not condemnation but searching: “That’s what you say, Judas, but is it true?” Now John tells us that it was then that Satan entered him (13:27). It was the moment that, having been given every opportunity to repent, Judas decided for the final time to continue to be outwardly something that he was not inwardly. Hey folks, whatever you are, be real! If you’re a mess, be a “real mess.” That is where the Lord begins to deal with us when we are real with Him!
Vs. 26-30 Something New
Vs. 26 According to John 13:30, Judas, “Having received the piece of bread, he then went out immediately. And it was night.” In other words, Judas left before Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper.
A.) Again, we are told that as they were eating, this took place during the time of the Passover, right between the third and fourth cups of wine. Say what? As I said, this is like a big drama in which you are not only eating but listening to the production with things you say. Throughout the ceremony, they would be four times when they would all share a glass of wine together.
1.) First they would say, “I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians.”
2.) Second, they would say, “I will free you from being slaves.”
3.) Third, they would say, “I will free you with an outstretched arm.”
4.) Lastly, they would say, “I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God.”
They had just drank together and all said, “I will free you with an outstretched arm.”
Do you see the significance of this? The Lord’s supper was placed right in between those two statements. Man, when I think of the reality of what Jesus was doing here, it overwhelms me. “I’m freeing you from sin, with My death upon the cross.” “That will be the sole basis of your relationship with me; celebrate it; realize that it is because of this that I will take you as my own and be your God.” “This is my promise to you, my covenant to you!”
It is here that He took up the unleavened bread, broke it, blessed it, and said, “This is my body.” Now the word Eucharist is taken from right here, where it says “blessed it.” Think of it: who is giving thanks here? It is Jesus. Jesus is giving God the Father thanks for the opportunity to purchase us back to God. Next time you are bummed out, think of this: “Jesus is saying thank you for the opportunity to suffer the worst kind of death for something that you did, all that you might be restored to fellowship with the Father.” Man, does he ever love us?
“Take, eat.” You cannot be saved until you have taken Jesus into your life and allowed Him to sustain you! That’s what it is all about!
Vs. 27-28 Now this cup would have been the one in which they would say, “I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God.” And it becomes the new agreement between God and man. The word “shed” or “poured out” points back to Lev. 8:15, where we are told that only in the sin offering is the blood poured out upon the altar. So this blood represents a covenant by which you will be My people and I will be your God. It is by My sacrifice for your sins. Or if you will, it is His sacrifice and our sins; do you agree?
Vs. 29: Covenants were entered into by eating and drinking together, and so when we partake of it, we are agreeing to the terms, which are that we are only saved by faith in Jesus finished work on the cross; furthermore, we are sustained by it! The Lord’s supper is all about His sacrifice and our rejoicing in it, thanking Him for it!
Folks, if a person takes part in communion without being saved, it does them only harm. This is a celebration for the living, not the dead!
Vs. 30 Now we know that the hymn sung was Psalm 136. Over and over in this 26-verse psalm is repeated, the words, “For His mercy (loving kindness) endures forever.”.
It is now time for us to celebrate the Lord’s Supper together, so let’s spend some time in thanksgiving.
Matthew 26:31-56
“Alone in the Garden of Grief”
Vs. 31-35 Scattered Sheep
Vs. 36-46 Far From Home
Vs. 47-56 The Price of Our Freedom
Intro
We now move from the upper room to the garden called Gethsemane. When we first started this chapter, I told you that it can be divided into four parts, each dealing with a different location:
A.) Vs. 1-16 Bethany: Of course that is where Jesus and His disciples stayed each night and where Mary anointed His feet.
B.) Vs. 17-30 The “upper room”: This is where the Passover took place as well, and in the midst of it, the “Lord’s Supper.”
C.) Vs. 31-56 This is where we are today in the garden of Gethsemane. Now the word Gethsemane means “oil press.” And you will see that Jesus will be pressed out by what is about to take place.
D.) Vs. 57-75 All take place at the Caiaphas’s, the high priest’s, court yard, and of course deal with Jesus’ trial.
I saw a discovery channel special on the rock, “Alcatraz.” They were interviewing those prisoners who had done some time there, and everyone said that by far the worst place in the whole prison was isolation. They would throw the troublemakers into a 7-by-7-foot cell away from the rest of the population. It was pitch black, and there was no human contact for weeks. Some men would go insane being left alone with their own thoughts.
As I read this section and ponder the meaning of what our Lord went through, I’m struck at how alone He was. What He must have felt and gone through at this time is beyond human understanding. As you will remember, Jesus had just shown them in the Lord’s supper what was now going to take place; time had come for scripture to be fulfilled.
Vs. 31-35 Scattered Sheep
Vs. 31-32 They had just sung the song declaring God’s enduring loving kindness and made the walk in the full moon of Passover across the Brook of Kidron no doubt red with the blood of a thousand lambs for sacrifice. As they came to the Mount of Olives, Jesus made this statement.
“All of you will be made to stumble because of me tonight.” The word “stumble” is an interesting one as it is where we get our English word “scandalized.” “I’m going to be the object over which you all will be offended.” Have you ever been embarrassed over being called a Christian?
Now I’m not talking about the times when you have blown your testimony of Him and some unbeliever says, “Aren’t you a Christian?” No, I’m talking about the times when people who are cool look at who you are in Christ and say, “Oh, don’t swear around him; he’s a Christian!” Perhaps it’s more subtle, and we just live a little more like the world when we were out in the world. So what’s your point?
Well, I like the fact here that Jesus is telling them ahead of time that He knows that they are going to stumble because of Him. Jesus is saying by this statement, “I know your frame guy’s, and I know that you are going to act differently than where you think your heart is.” Then Jesus tells them why, quoting from Zech. 13:7. So what does that verse tell us?
Well, I’ve thought about it, and I think the Lord is revealing something that is true about the fallen human nature. We all like to be identified with winners, but the moment that our winner appears to be a loser, we run out on them. As long as the Shepherd was keeping the flock man kicking tail on all the wolves, lions, and bears, we are all jumping up and down wearing our team jerseys, saying, “I’m a member of the SHEPHERDS, baby, and we are undefeated!”
Months back, as Jesus was sending the 70 disciples out, they came back and said, Luke 10:17. “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.” But Jesus said, “Do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.” Bear with me here a moment. Jesus knows that we have a tendency to do this; we get so caught up in the individual moments that we lose sight of the mission.
Vs. 32 That’s when Jesus tells them that though it would appear that He would have been defeated, it was all part of His plan. What was about to happen in a few hours was not the final out of the game; it was instead the sign of the ultimate victory.
I pray that this encourages you this morning. Perhaps you are experiencing some circumstance right now in your life and you feel like a failure, but as a believer in Christ, folks, the game is not over! He is going on ahead of us after he has already won the game!
Vs. 33-35 With that great pep talk of Jesus about human failure and His faithfulness, Peter and I as well are sometimes afraid of us missing what He is telling them. Jesus was saying that “ultimate victory was won” and that the victory was not based upon man’s faithfulness but rather on God.
But Peter was still stuck on those words, “all of you.” Peter is making that mistake that we all make about ourselves—the overestimation of our own ability. “Hey, I know myself, man, and I will never be able to fall away from you.” Peter was a passionate, strong man, and therein lies his weakness.
So Peter is telling the Lord, “Hey, Lord, I used to be shifting sand (Simon), but you renamed the rock.” “So all of you must mean, all of them!” Peter had started believing his own press reports. Folks, there is only One that is invincible, only One that never fails, and it’s not me nor any man; it is Jesus. Too many people put their trust in themselves or others only to see their hopes dashed. I pray that we always be a church that places people in dependence upon Jesus, not Calvary Chapel!
Vs. 34 Now Peter thought that he was better than all the others. The truth was that he was worse than all the others. Paul warns us in 1 Cor. 10:12, “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.”
Vs. 35 Instead of heeding the warning, Peter says that he was ready to die for the Lord. Hey folks, we are all ready to die for a winner, but what do we do when we feel as if our Shepherd has become a lamb? Ever notice after some pro team wins the title, how many folks start warring their apparel? I mean, all you ever saw was Chicago Bulls stuff; now you don’t see anybody wearing it. Again, in Christ you will always have a winner, but His winning has nothing to do with your character or ability; it has everything to do with His!
Vs. 36-46 Far From Home
Vs. 36-37 As I said earlier, Gethsemane means olive press in the original language, and it is here that the weight of man’s sin begins to press in upon Him. What initially strikes me is the loneliness of this moment. What I mean is that of human loneliness, because what we have here recorded is three prayers of Jesus to the Father, and the wording indicates complete fellowship.
Now 11 of the closest friends that Jesus had were with Him, and He separates three of them to be even closer still. Now, by the way, it is these same three (Peter James and John) who were with Him on the Mount of Transfiguration, and they also were taken with Him into Jairus’s house when his daughter was raised. This then was the inner circle.
Yet sometimes I wonder what made it the inner circle? Was it that these men were the cream of the crop? Somehow I think it’s the opposite. I think these guys were the weakest of the bunch, needing the most proof of who He was.
At any rate, He wants them near Him as He faces His greatest trial. You will remember at the beginning of His ministry as Satan tempted Him for those 40 days and nights. Well, I think that Luke gives a great deal of incitement into this moment in the garden. In Luke 4:13, we read that “Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time.” Here then was that “opportune time.”.
Now it is interesting to look at the wording here. The words of verse 37 describe Jesus as being “deeply distressed,” and these words literally mean “far from home.” It describes the feeling one gets of desolate loneliness. Perhaps today we would say that Jesus was home sick! The feeling of complete isolation.
Vs. 38 Now we are told here that He tells the three of this, and here He uses the words, “exceedingly sorrowful.” Now these words mean “grieved all around.”. So this feeling of loneliness, which was so overwhelming as to bring to the point of death, is the context of His prayers. So what was it that caused such despair?
Vs. 39-45 Look carefully at the prayers of Jesus here. “O My Father.” There is no doubt as to His abiding relationship with the Father. So what do we make, shrinking away from the cup? Well, I believe that what Jesus is speaking of is not the agony of the cross so much as what was placed upon Him (our sin) and what that sin would mean as far as unbroken fellowship with the Father.
2 Cor 5:21 says, “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” Here is where I cannot comprehend this agony. You see, I am a sinner. I have times where I don’t experience the fellowship of God, but not so with Jesus. Our sin would separate Jesus’ unbroken fellowship with the Father.
Every year on the day of atonement, the priest made atonement for Israel’s sin by placing his hands upon the goat and confessing all the sins of the nation upon it’s head. The goat was called the Aza-zel. It means “the complete sending away,” for after the priest would do so they would lead it out into the wilderness into a land not inhabited.
This is where we get our word “scapegoat.” For years they did this and set the scapegoat free, but one year, having done so, the goat returned into the city. So they changed the custom to taking the goat some 6 1/2 miles away to a hill with a cliff and pushing the goat down the hill so that it would die in the fall. Folks, do you see the picture of what is happening in this garden? The sins of the whole world are being placed upon Jesus: “He who knew no sin became sin for us.” And soon he would be led 6 1/2 miles away to a hill called Golgotha, where he would die.
You will notice that in the first prayer Jesus asks, “If it is possible.” That is, if there is any other way in which man’s sin can be atoned for apart from the cross. If a certain amount of good works or deeds; if some other religion can do the job. Yet in the 2nd and third prayers (the third prayer being the same as the second), Jesus says that this cup cannot pass.
You know what, folks? There is no other way for our sins to be forgiven except by Jesus dying! And each time Jesus submitted His life to that of the Father. Back in Luke’s account of the temptation of Jesus, Satan tried to get Jesus to worship him, and if He did, all the world would be His, but Jesus knew that there was only one way the world could be purchased back, and that was through the cross.
Now let’s look at the inability of these three to stay awake. If their salvation was dependent upon them staying awake, then they would be condemned. Isn’t it great that Jesus does not save us based upon our deserving it?
I mean, if the Lord looked at me and said Dale is just not worth it, I mean the guy is so fickle. Why can’t he even stay awake when I want him to? I’m not going to suffer eternal separation from My Father for this flake!” He could have done that, but he did not. Why because our salvation is based upon His goodness, not ours!!
Vs. 46 Jesus is the one who is staying watch over us! Peter had promised to be faithful, but instead he was faithless. They all needed to be praying for themselves, and instead Jesus prays for them. There you have my Christian experience summed up—my complete failure, His complete faithfulness! It is only when I realize the truth that apart from Him I can do nothing and enter into His faithfulness!
Vs. 47-56 The Price of Our Freedom
Vs. 47-50 Now John tells us that there were some 600 men in the company of Judas, and they had come prepared. One wonders how silly this scene must have looked. 600 armed men were there to arrest the meekest man that ever lived and 11 sleepy disciples’. Perhaps they thought that they would have to search for Jesus and fight with Him to take Him, but it is Jesus who goes right up to the mob.
It was common for a disciple to kiss his teacher, but clearly Judas wanted to identify him. Perhaps Judas kissed Jesus repeatedly to preoccupy Him in case Jesus would do some miracle to try to slip away.
Vs. 50 Look at what Jesus calls Judas here: “Friend, why have you come?” Amazing grace as Jesus gives Judas one more chance to be forgiven.
Vs. 51-53 Now we know who it was that chopped off the servant’s ear; it was Peter. We are told that the servant’s name was Mal-cus, which means king. It is here that we have the last person healed by Jesus. What do we learn from this section? Well, I think we learn that Jesus does not need to be defended by the work of the flesh.
Furthermore, any work of the flesh, no matter how noble, always leaves a person wounded. Notice what it was that was cut off by Peter’s act—Malcus’s ear. We are told that faith comes by hearing. How many times have well-meaning Christians whacked off some non-believers’ ears? Next time you are out there talking to a person about Jesus and they just aren’t listening, ask them if they know me, because it might have been my fleshly attempt at defending Jesus. Hey folks, let’s love the world; let’s imitate Him.
Now the Roman legion was about 6,000 men. So 12 legions is about 72,000 angels, and we are told in 2 Kings 19:35 that it only took 1 angel to wipe out 185,000 Assyrians. So the truth is that the Lord does not need our help in protecting Him; what He does want us to do is to follow Him.
Vs. 54-56 Notice that Jesus said that all of this was the fulfillment of the Word of God. May I just close with these guys? We all will sooner or later show our flesh and flee, but please remember that He is faithful and is going ahead of us. So once you get over the truth of your failure, why not go ahead? He is waiting for you!!
Matthew 26:57-75
“Christ in the Court of Humanity”
Vs. 57, 59-68 Religion on Trial
Vs. 58, 69-75 Will the Witness Please Stand Up?
Intro
Now last week we looked at two things: the failure of Peter and the rest of the disciples and Jesus’ arrest. This week we continue on in both of those themes. Behind both of these events is our Lord, who continues His march to victory at the cross. I love the fact that nothing can thwart God’s plan; everything will work out to His glory, even if I do not as of now see how.
Yet with that said, I am equally amazed by how, in the midst of the single most important event in human history, he takes time for the hurting, failing individual. Simply put, there is no event too great for Jesus, but neither is there an event too small for Him. That must mean that He is “able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think” (Eph. 3:20).
Here we start the Jewish trial of Jesus. I say that because Jesus was tried three times:
A.) Jewish, before Annas, Caiaphas, and the council
B.) Roman, before Pilate.
C.) Herodian, before Herod.
Furthermore, there were three separate examinations of Jesus in His Jewish trial. First he appeared before Annas, the real high priest who was deposed by the Romans. Then, in the same evening, he appeared before Caiaphas Annas’s son-in-law. Lastly, this passage is here before us, which was the formal trial before Caiaphas and the full council.
Amazingly, it is not Jesus that is on trial; instead, it is fallen humanity, which hides behind religion, that is found guilty. And in the case of Peter, it is the fallen flesh seen in pride that is found guilty as well.
Vs. 57, 59-68 Religion on Trial
Vs. 57 John tells us that the troops first led Jesus to Annas (John 18:13), so this must have been very early in the morning. Next we are told again by John (John 18:19–23) that Caiaphas came and examined Jesus, asking Him about His disciples and His doctrine. So what records here is that the sun is about to rise. So? Well, what this tells us is that based upon Jewish law, this was a completely illegal trial, for several reasons:
- All criminals must be tried in the daylight.
- No criminal case could be tried during Passover time.
- Only a “not guilty verdict” could be issued on the same day of the trial; guilty verdicts had to wait one day.
- Only decisions made at the official court were valid; this was at the home of the high priest.
May I point out two things here? First, this again is a picture of Jesus as the “scapegoat,” as He is fully examined and the sins of Israel are placed upon Him by the high priest. Second, these were the highest religious leaders in the land; they could trace their ancestors back to Aaron, the first high priest. Their position was sacred, yet these men were nothing more than murderers!
Folks, men are fallible. Religion, no matter how spiritual it might appear to be, can be nothing more than a bunch of lies. The Bible tells us to “Test all things; hold fast what is good.” (1 Thess 5:21). Isa. 8:20 says, “To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.” Folks, don’t follow a man or religion; follow the Lord through His word! So many people follow the “watchtower,” the “prophet,” or the TV preacher without checking the Bible.
Vs. 59-60 Now you will remember that Annas’ family was kind of a racketeer, and he and his five sons ran the temple business. Normally the high priest served for life, but when the Romans took over, they made the position an appointed one. Annas served as high priest for 9 years, and each of his five sons served as well.
Lastly, his son-in-law Caiaphas served, but Annas was still the power behind the seat. They were all Sadducees, which meant that they did not believe in the resurrection or anything except the first five books of Moses. They had already determined that Jesus was guilty, and they were just looking for people who could substantiate their conclusion.
The 9th commandment states that you shall not bear false witness against your neighbor, but they did not care. They could find no honest witnesses; they had to come up with a charge if they were going to put him to death, and none came forward that would substantiate each other.
Vs. 60b-63a Finally, after a night of searching, two guys come forward. Now these guys twist what Jesus said to make it sound something different. Let’s look at what Jesus said and what they said. He said:
A.) John 2:19 “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”
B.) Matt. 26:61, “I am able to destroy the temple of God and to build it in three days.”
Jesus never said, “I am able” to destroy the temple! He said, “Destroy this temple.” To speak against the temple was a serious matter, a charge that was punishable by death. Jesus is not the destroyer; that is not His work. He was, of course, speaking of the fact that they were going to destroy Him by taking His life and that He was going to raise Himself from the dead!
Now notice Jesus’ reaction to their statement: silence! Isaiah the prophet said some 700 years earlier that the reaction of the Messiah would be, “He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He 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.”
I wonder how many times in my life the best answer would have been silence. But No! I’ve got to go and try to explain what I meant. There is no need to answer people who are not looking for the truth; they are rather looking for reasons to continue to believe lies. A while back there was this guy where my wife works asking all these questions about the Bible and Jesus.
At first it seemed that he really was interested in searching for the truth, but when my wife started answering his question, he would just come up with some more questions. Finally, my wife just stopped answering his questions; this only made him more persistent. It got to the point that this guy was getting rude, so I told her that she just needed to ask him a question, and either he would stop asking her questions or he would ask them for the right reasons.
So she went to work the next day, and he began to go right after her with the questions, so she looked him in the eye and said, “Robert, are you looking for reasons to believe or are you looking for reasons not to believe?” He just looked at her and couldn’t say a word; his heart was cut to the quick. How unfortunate that he never asked questions for the right reason.
That is exactly what happened here; Jesus said nothing.
Vs. 63b-68 Now you will notice that Caiaphas uses the legal system to put Jesus under obligation to speak. Look carefully at the question of Caiaphas because it reveals insight into what the nation had observed about Jesus’ life and ministry.
“Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” The hope of the nation was the Messiah, and they understood that He should be the Son of God, anointed for the purpose of accomplishing God’s will upon the earth. But most importantly, they affirm that what Jesus of Nazareth had been doing and saying pointed to the fact that He was making this claim.
Simply put, you do not put a person on trial for pretending to be something if they had not acted as if they were indeed that person. You can’t put me on trial for pretending to be a doctor if I have not been observed wearing a white smock, writing prescriptions, and trying to examine people!
Say what you will about these religious leaders, but they had observed Jesus to the point that they understood what He claimed to be. So they ask Jesus, “Let’s make it official under oath to God; are you what you claim to be, the Messiah?” “Give us an open confession in court!”
Vs. 64 Look here at Jesus twofold answer:
A.) “It is as you said.” Jesus’ answer to the question is as simple as it is profound. “You have observed me correctly!” Jesus is exactly what the high priest said, the Son of God! Folks, there is such overwhelming evidence in the truth of who Jesus is. People who really search will find out, but then they will be faced with a choice of what to do with the truth!
B.) “Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.” The high priest, under oath, asks Jesus the question concerning His Messiahship. Yet the high priest had already come to the conclusion that he was not. In other words, the high priest already had his bias, his presupposition, and his prejudice. That is what is behind the force of the words, “Nevertheless.” “In spite of your prejudice and pride, you will still see.” What is wonderful is that Jesus, in saying this statement, quotes two Old Testament passages:
1.) Ps 110:1 “The LORD said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool.”
2.) Dan. 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 is the one that shall not be destroyed.”
Why those verses? Well, Jesus is saying that He is going to raise, ascend, and return in glory no matter what Caiaphas and the rest decide to do. In fact, what we do with the truth will not change the truth, but it will change where we will spend eternity.
Folks, I want you to think about the day that the book of life is opened. Now some who will appear there will be like old Caiaphas, and he is going to be brought before Jesus whom he condemned, but who is it that really is condemned? You know what’s tragic? Does it not have to be that way? It was Caiaphas’s choice to reject the truth, not Jesus’!
Vs. 65-66 Without considering the evidence, the sentence is passed. Now Leviticus tells us that the high priest violated the law here by tearing his garments in anger or sorrow. And when he did so, he ripped out the old system of levitical priests for a new one was going to be established, and this one is established on Jesus being the Great High Priest, who does not offer animals for the sins of man; He offers himself!
Vs. 67-68 Notice the punishment that they dished out upon Jesus.
A.) First they spit on him. This is a sign of total disdain and contempt. A nasty thing to do. It was not just saliva; it was mucus!
B.) Then they beat him. We are told by Mark 14:65 that they first blindfolded him. Now if you blindfold someone and then hit them, they lose that natural reflex reaction of rolling with the punch. So the blows were having a full impact upon His face.
Others hit him with the palm of their hands, while others used rods.
D.) Isa. 50:6 tells us that He pulled out the hair of His beard as well. Now wonder Isa 52:14 says, “So His visage was marred more than any man, and His form more than the sons of men.” Further, Isa. 53:3 says, “And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him.” By the time the beating was over, you could hardly recognize Him as a human being, let alone Jesus. Yet, through it all, He did not speak upon His mouth.
Vs. 58, 69-75 Will the Witness Please Stand Up?
Vs. 58, 69-75 Here we are going to get a glimpse of why we Christians fail in our walk with the Lord. Ultimately, it is because of what we saw last week our pride in our own self-effort.
which will inevitably lead up to what we see here:
A.) Following the Lord at a distance. Folks, any attempt to follow the Lord in our own strength will always put us at a distance with Him! Jesus, at the time of His arrest, had wanted the disciples to “go their way.” But not Peter and John; no, they were going to see it through even if it meant they had to do it by themselves!
B.) Mark tells us that Peter had gone into the enemy’s courtyard to warm himself by their fire. Here is another mistake we make: we get too close to the fires of the world. We, no matter how well meaning, end up back into places we have no business being! No, you will notice that Peter’s first two interrogators were servant girls.
Next, you see by Peter’s response that he does not want to be associated with Jesus. At first he is willing to lie about it, then he is willing to take an oath to deny it. Finally, he begins to curse and swear it is a lie. Folks, the more you try to stand in your own strength, the more you will look like the world! Why all of this cowardice? Well, when Peter’s relationship with Jesus was seen as depending upon himself, then it had no security.
Now it was illegal to have a rooster inside the city limits, so the moment the rooster crowed, Peter was reminded not only of his failure but also of the reason for it: he was in the wrong place doing something that he had no business doing. No amount of love and self-effort will ever make us immune to failure. We cannot depend upon anything but Jesus’.
I find it interesting that it was his speech that gave him away. Too many people get the talk down before they do the walk. Peter was not walking, and his talk when put to the test failed as well.