MATTHEW CHAPTER 26.
VIEW FOOTNOTES
Events Preceding the Last Passover. Matt. 26, 1-19.
Final prediction of the Passion: V.
1. And it came to pass when Jesus had finished all these sayings, He said unto
His disciples, v. 2. Ye know that after two days is the Feast of the Passover,
and the Son of Man is betrayed to be crucified. Jesus had begun His last
great discourse to His disciples immediately after leaving the Temple, chapter
24, 2, and had continued it on Mount Olivet and also on the way to His
lodging-place in Bethany. It did not end all His sayings; for He still intended
to give His disciples a farewell talk of a most intimate kind, full of the deep
humility and searching love which characterized His ministry, John 13-17. But
the Lord here completed His historical, His public prophetic office. Before
dismissing His followers for the evening, He reminded them once more of the
culmination of His ministry. In two days, on the Thursday of this week,
beginning with sunset on the 14th of Nisan, the first month of the Jewish church
calendar, the Feast of Passover, combined with the Feast of Unleavened Bread,
would begin, to last for a whole week, or till the evening of the 21st of the
month. Jesus was still a member of the Jewish Church, and observed the holidays
and festivals of the Jews, the gospels showing Him to have been present at
practically every one of the great feasts since entering upon His ministry. But
this Passover was to be distinguished as no Passover before or since, by the
fulfillment of the type and prophecy in the person of Jesus, the true Lamb of
God. As members of the Jewish Church with Him, His disciples were fully aware of
the fact that the festival was coming. What He wanted to impress upon them was
the fact that He, the Son of Man, literally is delivered up to be crucified, the
most terrible death in the catalog of Roman tortures. In His
prophetic character, Christ speaks as though the Passion has even now begun. It
is immutably fixed in the counsel of God, the betrayal process has even now
begun.
The conspiracy: V. 3. Then
assembled together the chief priests and the scribes and the elders of the
people unto the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, v. 4. and
consulted that they might take Jesus by subtlety and kill Him. V. 5. But they
said, Not on the feast-day, lest there be an uproar among the people.
Matthew purposely places the two events side by side: Jesus, out in Bethany,
solemnly declaring that He is being delivered to be crucified; the chief priests
together with the chief council of the Jews, the Sanhedrin, meeting, not in the
usual place, which was in a hall called Gazith, or House of the Polished Stones,
on the south side of the Temple-space, next to the Court of
Israel, but in the open court in the center of the high priest's
palace, where there was less danger of eavesdroppers. Caiaphas, the son-in-law
of Hannas, or Annas, the former high priest, held the office that year, John 11,
49, according to the arrangement instituted by the Romans, by which
the appointment was made by the year, instead of for life, as formerly. As they
came together in a stealthy manner, so their discussions harmonized with their
intentions, which were to take Jesus by cunning or craft, with the final object,
as the evangelist bluntly puts it, not of convicting Him by due process of law,
but of killing Him. Only one scruple they voiced, namely, that the actual arrest
should not be done at the feast, especially not on the day of the Passover meal,
lest an uproar or tumult of the people arise, that might rapidly assume such
proportions as to be beyond the control of the authorities. It was all a matter
of expediency, of policy, of politics, with them; they were a merciless band of
murderers. It was very difficult to say which way the whim of the many thousands
of pilgrims might sway them at the crucial moment, whether on the side of their
religious leaders or on the side of the Prophet of Nazareth. Therefore crafty
care was demanded.
The anointing in Bethany: V. 6.
Now, when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, v. 7. there
came unto Him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and
poured it on His head as He sat at meat. V. 8. But when His disciples saw it,
they had indignation, saying, To what purpose is this waste? V. 9. For this
ointment might have been sold for much and given to the poor. In order to
complete his narrative, Matthew here relates a happening of the previous
Saturday, John 12, 1-8. When Christ came up to Bethany from Jericho, He took
dinner with one Simon, otherwise unknown, who had formerly been a leper and had
probably been healed by Jesus. According to one tradition, he was the father of
Lazarus; according to others, the husband of Martha. While the dinner was in
progress, and the guests, after the Oriental fashion, were reclining about the
table, Mary, the sister of Lazarus and Martha, came into the room. In her hand
she held an alabaster box of most costly ointment of spikenard, which she
proceeded to pour out over the head of Jesus as He reclined at meat. Anointing
with oil was the Old Testament method of denoting consecration to the Lord. It
was used in the case of kings, priests, and prophets, Lev. 8, 12; 1 Sam. 10, 1;
16, 13; 1 Kings 19, 16. It was also a distinction bestowed upon the guests of
honor, Luke 7, 46. Mary was not at all saving in her ministrations. She broke
off the head of the alabaster flask, just as she had purchased it, and
recklessly, lavishly, applied the precious aromatic, so that the whole room was
filled with its odor. All of the disciples were taken aback and annoyed,
muttering, Why this waste? But one of them, Judas, the treasurer of the
apostles, who was a thief, was loudest in his objections. The nard, he
indignantly remarks, might have been sold for much, possibly for three hundred
denarii, and the money given to the poor. But his show of charity only served as
a cloak for his covetousness. The money being in his care, it would be an easy
matter to obtain some of it for his own uses.
Christ's defense of the woman: V.
10. When Jesus understood it, He said unto them, Why trouble ye the woman? for
she hath wrought a good work upon Me. V. 11. For ye have the poor always with
you; but Me ye have not always. V. 12. For in that she hath poured this ointment
on My body, she did it for My burial. V. 13. Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever
this Gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this, that
this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her. Whether these remarks
were made in a subdued tone of voice so as to be inaudible to Christ, or whether
He was so engrossed with His thoughts that He did not catch their exact wording,
is immaterial. But He knew of the secret ungracious mumbling as well as of the
angry remark of Judas. Immediately He arose to Mary's defense. They should not
cause her any unpleasantness, they should not make her feel bad "by
confusing her conscience, disturbing her love, or by disparaging her noble act
of sacrifice." It was not only a kind, but a good, a noble deed which she
had done. It was not a mere impulsive act, and, whether she had a presentiment
of coming evil, having understood the prophecies of Jesus concerning His death
better than the disciples, or whether she merely meant to honor the chief guest,
she had succeeded beyond her intentions in actually embalming Him with this
ointment for His burial. To judge harshly in regard to many a deed, involving
also expenditures, made for the honoring of Jesus and for the beautifying of His
services, shows a lack of proper understanding of real, unselfish love toward
Him. As for the poor, they are always with us, and there is always opportunity,
and usually need, of doing them a kindness, but the bodily presence of Christ
was shortly to be removed from the disciples, and all evidences and proofs of
kindness toward His person would then be a thing of the past. Solemnly He
declares that the woman's deed of kindness, since it flowed from a heart full of
faith and love, would be spoken of in her remembrance wherever this Gospel would
be proclaimed, in the whole world. Note: Jesus knew, with the certainty of the
omniscient God, that the Gospel would be preached throughout the world. He knew
that the kindness of this woman would become a subject of discussion wherever
such proclamation would take place. He thereby gave the most tactful and
incidentally the most serious encouragement to all such as are willing to serve
Him in a similar manner.
Judas offers to betray Christ: V.
14. Then one of the Twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief
priests, v. 15. and said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver Him
unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver. V. 16. And
from that time he sought opportunity to betray Him. There is a world of
significance in the expression "one of the Twelve." One of those whom
Jesus chose out of the larger circle of His disciples; one of those whom He had
with Him for three years, in the intimacy of the communion which obtains between
teacher and pupils; one of those to whom He had given the promise of special
rewards; one of the Twelve that were to become the teachers of the whole world
in a peculiar sense. His name, Judas Iscariot, has, since that time, and will,
till the end of time, stand for the lowest and meanest treason. He stands as an
example to warn and deter all men against yielding to the first impulse toward
sin. Love of money, covetousness, avarice, theft, treason, and murder of His
Savior: those were the stepping-stones in his downward career. Without receiving
a preliminary inducement from the chief priests, he deliberately went to them
and made his heinous offer. He would deliver Christ to them for a consideration.
And then began a hellish bargaining and haggling over the price of betrayal. But
they realized the caliber of the man with whom they were dealing, his vice being
by this time probably stamped upon his face. They placed in the balance, they
weighed out to him, they set before him to stimulate his greed, as he actually
saw the money before him, thirty shekels or pieces of silver, about fifteen
dollars, the average price for a slave in those days, Ex. 21, 32; Zech. 11, 12.
For this miserable sum Judas sold his Lord, for this he bartered away his
immortal soul. His vacillating mind, greedy for the money, came to a decision;
he sought a convenient opportunity to betray Him.
Arrangements for the Passover meal:
V. 17. Now the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread the disciples came
to Jesus, saying unto Him, Where wilt Thou that we prepare for Thee to eat the
Passover? V. 18. And He said, Go into the city to such a man and say unto him,
The Master saith, My time is at hand; I will keep the Passover at thy house with
My disciples. V. 19. And the disciples did as Jesus had appointed them; and they
made ready the Passover. The Passover was also known as the Feast of
Unleavened Bread, Luke 22, 1, and since all leaven was removed from the homes of
the Jews on the afternoon of the 14th of Nisan, in preparation for the Passover
sacrifice and meal, this day of preparation was simply regarded as one of the
festival days, especially since it merged into the 15th, the Passover beginning
with sundown, approximately six o'clock in the evening at that time of the year.
Jesus had had the custom of celebrating the feast with His disciples, which
explains their question as to the place in which they would have their supper.
The preparations for the Passover consisted in procuring a lamb which measured
up to the qualifications of God's institution, in having this slain by the
priests in the court of the Temple, in providing the unleavened loaves and the
other requisites for the feast, in having the lamb roasted, and in preparing the
table, the sofas, and the pillows for the dining-room. Two of the disciples,
Peter and John, were commissioned to attend to this work, Jesus giving them
another bit of evidence as to His omniscient power. They were to go to a certain
place, which Christ designated very exactly, to a man whom He also described to
them, and give him a message. The Lord's time was near, even at hand, that time
to which His entire life converged, the time when He would be taken up into
glory through suffering and death. With him, in this certain man's house, He
would celebrate the Passover with His disciples. It is likely, as has been
suggested, that this man was a disciple of Jesus in secret, just as Nicodemus
and Joseph of Arimathea were. The disciples carried out the wishes of the Master
in every detail, acting as the representatives of the householder in making all
arrangements for the evening.
The Passover Meal and the
Institution of the Lord's Supper. Matt. 26, 20-29.
The traitor in their midst: V.
20. Now when the even was come, He sat down with the Twelve. V. 21. And as they
did eat, He said, Verily I say unto you that one of you shall betray Me. V. 22.
And they were exceeding sorrowful, and began every one of them to say unto Him,
Lord, is it I? V. 23. And He answered and said, He that dippeth his hand with Me
in the dish, the same shall betray Me. V. 24. The Son of Man goeth as it is
written of Him; but woe unto that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It had
been good for that man if he had not been born. V. 25. Then Judas, which
betrayed Him, answered and said, Master, is it I? He said unto him, Thou hast
said. By sundown all the lambs that had been presented in the Temple-courts
had been slain, and throughout the city of Jerusalem the little bands of ten to
twenty Jews gathered about the commemorative meal. Originally, the supper had
been eaten standing, Ex. 12, 11, but the Jews, after entering the Promised Land,
had modified this rule, saying that servants stand, masters recline at the
table. Jesus had all twelve of His disciples with Him when the meal began. It
began with the benediction over the wine and the feast and the drinking of the
first cup, the master of the house drinking first, after him the rest. After all
had washed their hands, they ate the bitter herbs, dipped in vinegar or salt
water, as a reminder of the sorrows of Egypt. In the mean time the paschal
dishes were brought in, the charoseth, or broth, the unleavened loaves,
the festal offerings, and, above all, the roasted lamb, after which came the
explanation of all these dishes by the head of the household. They now sang the
first part of the Hallel, Ps. 113 and 114, and drank the second cup. Hereupon
began the feast proper, the householder taking two loaves, breaking one in two,
laying this upon the whole loaf, blessing it, wrapping it with bitter herbs,
dipping it into the broth, and handing it around the circle, with the words:
This is the bread of affliction which our fathers ate in Egypt. The master next
blessed the paschal lamb and ate of it; the festal offerings were eaten with the
bread, dipped in the broth; and finally also the lamb. The thanksgiving for the
meal followed the blessing and the drinking of the third cup. In conclusion, the
remainder of the Hallel was sung, Ps. 115-118, and the fourth cup drunk. 195)
"The first cup was thus devoted to the announcement of the feast; and Luke
tells us that with this cup Christ announced to the disciples that this was the
last feast which He would celebrate with them in this world…. The second cup
was devoted to the interpretation of the festal act; with it the Apostle Paul
connects the exhortation: ‘As oft as ye eat of this bread and drink of the
cup.' The third cup followed the breaking of the loaves, which celebrated the
unleavened bread and was the cup of thanksgiving; this the Lord consecrated as
the cup of the New Covenant." 196) It was during the first part of the meal
that the Lord made His startling announcement regarding the traitor in their
midst. He does not turn directly to the guilty one, but is very considerate with
him, as though He were still gently urging him to repentance. Naturally, the
greatest consternation and sorrow is caused by these words, and the disciples
frantically implore Him: Surely it cannot be I! Jesus gives them a definite sign
by which they might know the traitor, namely, the one who with Him would dip his
morsel of bread into the broth, and would then receive it at His hands. But in
the general excitement, and on account of the fact that all the members of the
little circle dipped their bread into the sop, or charoseth, this was
overlooked in part. But Christ speaks solemn words of warning in a last effort
to keep Judas from carrying out his nefarious undertaking. The Lord must indeed
enter upon His Passion according to the Scriptures and the will of God, but he
that would betray Him into the hands of His enemies was a cursed being, for whom
it would have been far better had he never been born. Judas, however, had
utterly hardened his heart. The searching,
The institution of the Lord's
Supper: V. 26. And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and
brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is My body. V.
27. And He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye
all of it; v. 28. for this is My blood of the New Testament, which is shed for
many for the remission of sins. V. 29. But I say unto you, I will not drink
henceforth of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you
in My Father's kingdom. The sacrament of the Old Covenant had just been
celebrated by Christ, for He did not come to change the essence of the old
faith, which is the same for all times, but to bring the fulfillment of type and
prophecy. But as the sacraments of the time before Christ themselves were only
typical, it was necessary that they themselves be replaced by those of the New
Testament, to point back to, and be based upon, Christ. While they were eating,
probably immediately after Jesus had distributed the bread of affliction, He
took bread, solemnly returned thanks over it, thus blessing it. The ancient
Jewish prayer over the bread was: "Blessed be Thou, our God, King of the
universe, who bringest forth bread out of the earth!" 197) Then, after
breaking it, He gave it to His disciples and said: "Take, eat; this is My
body." The words of command are plain. From His hand they should take and
then eat what He gave them. But it was not mere bread which He gave them; for
in referring to the pieces which He distributed, He uses the neuter
demonstrative, while bread in the Greek is masculine. Here is a clear reference
to the sacramental presence of the body of Christ in, with, and under the bread.
This is brought out still more strongly in the parallel passages, especially 1
Cor. 11, 24. In the same way, after the supper proper was ended, when the cup of
thanksgiving was about to be passed. He took the cup, returned thanks, thus
blessing it and its contents, and gave it to them, letting it go around in the
circle with the express command that they all should drink of it. For the wine
which the cup contained was His blood of the New Covenant, of the new time of
grace and peace with God through the efficacy of this blood, for it is shed for
the forgiveness of sins unto all, and actually is given to many that receive it
by faith. As for the contents of the cup, all attempts to interpret
"We Christians confess and
believe that the Sacrament of the Altar is the true body and blood of our Lord
Jesus Christ, under the bread and wine, for us Christians to eat and to drink,
instituted by Christ Himself. All explanations of the sects, Reformed as well as
Papist, as though the bread merely represents the body, and the wine the blood
of Christ, or that bread and wine are changed into the body and blood of Christ,
come to naught in view of the clear text of Scriptures. Reason, indeed, must
yield here; it cannot understand how Jesus at that time, while standing in
visible form before His disciples, could give them His body, His blood to eat
and to drink, nor how the exalted Christ, though in heaven, yet is present
everywhere on earth with His body and blood, wherever this meal is celebrated
according to His institution. But the word of Christ is clear and true, and we
also know from Scriptures that the body of Christ, the vessel of His deity, had
a higher, suprasensual form of being, even in the days of His humility, in
addition to His limited form of existence, John 3, 13, also that the exalted
Christ now is not locked up in heaven, but as God and man fills all things also
according to His body, Eph. 1, 23. Thus we take our reason captive under the
obedience of Scripture and do not brood over it, but rather thank God for the
great blessing of this His Sacrament. From it we gain ever anew the certainty of
the forgiveness of our sins. In guaranteeing to us the grace of God, the
Sacrament serves for the strengthening of our faith. As the first paschal meal
strengthened the Israelites for the journey which lay before them, through the
desert to Canaan, so the Lord's Supper is for the children of the New Covenant
food upon the way, for the time of their earthly journey. And it incidentally
points forward, just like the Passover meal, to the end of the journey, to the
meal of eternity, when the Lord will drink it with us in His Father's
kingdom." 199)
Events at Gethsemane.
Matt. 26, 30-46.
The prophecy of the denial: V.
30. And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the Mount of Olives. V.
31. Then
The arrival at Gethsemane: V.
36, Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto
the disciples, Sit ye here while I go and pray yonder. V. 37. And He took with
Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy.
V. 38. Then saith He unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death;
tarry ye here and watch with Me. Gethsemane, valley of the oil-press, was a
small country-place with a large garden of olive-trees, well known also to
Judas, because it was a favorite haven of seclusion of the Lord. With a full
knowledge of all that was to happen in this night, He sought out this place of
the betrayal, hoping to gain a last hour of prayer. Eight of the disciples He
left at the entrance of the garden. They were to wait there for Him until He was
through praying at the spot to which He pointed. Only the three disciples that
had been witnesses of His transfiguration He took along with Him, to see the
agony of His soul. He felt the need of some one whom He could trust, from whom
He might expect some assistance in the form of encouragement and prayer in this
hour. For now He began to be excessively sorrowful and to be anguished, an
expression indicating the most harrowing and terrifying spiritual affliction. In
His agony He calls out to them that His soul is exceedingly sorrowful,
surrounded and overwhelmed with a sorrow of the most trying kind. The terrors of
death were falling upon Him. He begged them for at least some measure of
companionship and sustaining power through prayer. And still the anguish of His
soul increased, making even the nearness of these disciples unbearable.
The first prayer: V. 39. And He
went a little farther, 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. V. 40. And He cometh unto the disciples, and findeth
them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with Me one hour? V.
41. Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation; the spirit indeed is
willing, but the flesh is weak. Leaving even His favorite disciples, though
near the place where He was going, He felt constrained to be all alone with the
horrors of death and hell, with the realization of the unquenchable wrath of God
upon the sins of the world which He had taken upon Him. As the vicar, the
representative of sinful mankind, damnation stared Him in the face. He throws
Himself down upon His face in the dust, and from a heart full of the anguish of
terrible suffering His prayer is wrung: Father, if it be possible, let this cup,
literally, go along past Me, but by no means as I will, but as Thou wilt. The
cup of excruciating torture, of death on the cross, was before His eyes, and His
weak human nature shrinks back from its terrors. For death is an unnatural
condition, it destroys the life which God has created, it tears asunder the bond
between body and soul which was tied by God. If therefore there is any
possibility of carrying out the work of salvation without being obliged to
endure the sum total of all punishments upon sin, without draining the cup of
God's wrath to the very dregs, He begs to be given leave to choose that easier
way. The counsel of God, to which He Himself had agreed, that redemption for the
lost and condemned sinners would have to be gained through suffering and death,
had become obscured in His human consciousness. What deep humiliation! And yet,
there was not the slightest hint of objecting and murmuring in His prayer. By
all means, in every way, the will of the heavenly Father should be carried out.
"How, then, does Christ pray? This is a useful and necessary instruction,
which we ought to follow gladly and not forget…. Our dear Lord Jesus prays
that God should take the cup from Him, and expects, as the only-begotten Son,
nothing but good from the Father. And yet He adds these words: Not as I will,
but as Thou wilt. Do thou the same way. If thou art in tribulation and
suffering, be careful not to think that God for that reason is thy enemy; turn
to Him, as a child to his father (for since we believe on Christ, He wants to
accept us as sons and coheirs of Christ), cry to Him for help, say: O Father,
behold what things are happening to me here and there; help me for the sake of
Thy dear Son Jesus Christ…. Now we should, in all matters pertaining to the
body, place our will under God's will; for, as Paul says, we know not how to
pray as we ought. Then it is often also highly necessary that God keep us in
cross and distress. Now, since God alone knows what is good and useful for us,
we should place His will ahead, and our will after, and prove our obedience in
patience." 200) Returning to His disciples after His prayer, the Lord found
them asleep. They were unable to stand the test of the great strain; human
nature demanded rest. The greatness and depth of the revelation unfolding before
their eyes was too much for their feeble flesh. Reproachfully Jesus addresses
Himself to Peter, in an
The continuation of the agony: V.
42. He went away again the second time and prayed, saying, O My Father, if this
cup may not pass away from Me except I drink it, Thy will be done. V. 43. And He
came and found them asleep again; for their eyes were heavy. V. 44. And He left
them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.
The Holy One of God was here almost submerged in the flood of grief and
bitterness which threatened to engulf Him. Fearfulness and trembling had come
upon Him, and horror had overwhelmed Him, Ps. 55, 5, the horror of death and
hell. For the sins, the guilt, the curse, the punishment of the whole world lay
upon Him; He was to die the death of a sinner, the most atrocious sinner the
world had ever known. Therefore He felt the sting of death a thousand-, a
millionfold. His battle in the shadows of Gethsemane was a second temptation of
the devil. It was the prince of hell that filled His soul with the dread of
death, in order to make Him shrink back from the tortures of the cross, refuse
obedience to His Father in heaven. Thus would the plan of God and the redemption
of mankind be frustrated. The sufferings of Christ in these hours are beyond the
power of human language to express. For the second, for the third time He sank
down to the earth. If it cannot be done, if it be out of the question for Him to
expect any alleviation of His sufferings, if there is no recourse but that He
drink out of the cup now held to His lips, He is ready to bow to the will of His
Father. Comfort and encouragement from His disciples was not to be expected.
Their eyes were heavy, pressed down with sleep. Cut off from all assistance of
men, suffering the full wrath of His heavenly Father, Jesus had to fight the
battle for the salvation of mankind to the bitter, but victorious end.
The end of the struggle: V. 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. V. 46. Rise, let us be going; behold, he is at hand that doth betray
Me. Without respite, without aid had His harassed soul wrestled with death
and hell. And His body was wearied to the point of utter exhaustion. Dragging
Himself back finally to His sleeping disciples, He tells them, not in irony or
with reproach, but with complete resignation: So far as I am concerned, you
might sleep on now; this battle is ended, your watchfulness in My behalf is no
longer needed. But it is better for their own sakes that they arise now, for the
hour of His betrayal is at hand. The traitor, who was to deliver Him into the
hands of the Gentiles to be killed by them, was approaching in the distance.
Clearly, ringingly He gives His command: Arise, let us go! There is no
hesitation, no shrinking now. He is not like a fugitive whom the officers of the
law must seek and finally drag forth from a place of hiding; He is like a
conqueror meeting the vanquished.
The Betrayal and Arrest. Matt.
26, 47-56.
The coming of the traitor: V.
47. And while He yet spake, lo, Judas, one of the Twelve, came, and with him a
great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and elders of the
people. V. 48. Now he that betrayed Him gave them a sign, saying, Whomsoever I
shall kiss, that same is He; hold Him fast. V. 49. And forthwith he came to
Jesus and said, Hail, Master; and kissed Him. V. 50. And Jesus said unto him,
Friend, wherefore art thou come? Then came they, and laid hands on Jesus, and
took Him. While Jesus was still urging His disciples to shake off the
drowsiness to which they had given way, Judas came. One of the Twelve he is
called, to heighten the effect of the contrast: A chosen apostle of the Lord,
and yet His traitor. With him came a big crowd, as many as could be assembled
late in the evening, rabble, for the most part, with a nucleus of Temple police,
who were at the command of the Sanhedrin, servants of the chief priests and the
leaders of the Jews. In the motley crowd some of the elders themselves may have
appeared, though they kept in the background. They even bore arms of a kind,
swords and staves, to quell any disturbance of Christ's followers at the start.
The traitor may have been considering the best way of approaching the Lord. It
was, after all, not an easy matter, hardened though he was, to deliver his old
Master to this composite crowd. Finally he hit upon the plan of making a kiss,
the token of affection and fidelity, the sign by which they should recognize the
Lord, and so informed his band. Upon Him whom he would kiss they should lay
restraining hands, to hold Him with main strength, if need be. With a respectful
salute: Rabbi, Judas stepped up to Jesus, and kissed Him most tenderly. And the
Lord, kind, tactful, searching ever, addresses him with the salutation of
disciple or companion, instead of spurning his traitorous kisses, the very
essence of hypocrisy. At the same time Christ shows that He knows the purpose of
his coming. For the last time He warns him: Remember what this treason means.
"From this horrible case we should learn to fear God. For Judas was not a
lowly man, but an apostle, and without doubt had many fine, excellent gifts;
just as he, above other disciples, had a special office, and the Lord had
ordained him to be steward, or treasurer. But since this man, who is an apostle,
who in the name of Jesus preaches repentance and forgiveness of sins, baptizes,
casts out devils, and performs other miracles, falls so grievously, becomes an
enemy of Christ, sells Him for a little bit of money, betrays Him, and
sacrifices Him as a lamb brought to the slaughter; since, I say, such a terrible
mishap comes upon such a great man; we surely have reason not to be secure, but
to fear God, guard against sins, and pray diligently that God would not lead us
into temptation; but if we do fall into temptation, that He would graciously
lead us out that we may not remain therein. For it happens very easily that one
gets into trouble and commits sins, when one does not watch carefully and
diligently make use of the protection of prayer." 201)
Resistance offered by Peter: V.
51. And, behold, one of them which were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and
drew his sword, and struck a servant of the high priest's, and smote off his
ear. V. 52. Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place; for
all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword. V. 53. Thinkest thou
that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He shall presently give Me more than
twelve legions of angels? V. 54. But how then shall the Scriptures be fulfilled,
that thus it must be? Due to a misunderstanding of Christ's words concerning
the necessity of being effectively prepared against all enemies, Luke 22, 36-38,
the disciples had provided two swords. In the excitement of the moment, a carnal
anger which can very well be explained, took hold of one of the disciples, Simon
Peter. Drawing the sword which he had taken with him, he put the full force of
his indignation into his blow, succeeding so well that he cut off the ear of the
high priest's servant. That was carnal zeal, without a proper weighing of the
circumstances, without considering the possible evil results for the Lord. Such
fleshly haste is altogether out of place in the service of the Master. The
reproof of Jesus is thus well deserved. Put away the sword into its proper
place. The reason for the order: Draw the sword, perish with the sword. Unless
one has the duty of using the sword, as a member of the government or by the
command of the government in a matter which is not sinful, he has no business to
make use of arms. The followers of Christ shall not carry on their work with
force of arms, but by the Word, in the power of the Holy Ghost. Note also: By
implication, there is the inference that the government shall make use of her
rights and duties in carrying the sword for the punishment of evildoers.
"Where worldly government lets the sword play against sin and offense, that
means to serve God. For God has commanded it, since He does not want to let sin
and offense go unpunished. That is a special division which God makes among men
that He gives the sword into the hands of a few, to hinder the evil and to
protect the subjects." 202)
Jesus adduces another reason for
objecting to the use of the sword at this time. If He had chosen not to take the
way of suffering which was now opening before Him, He might have adopted a far
easier and more effective way of disposing of His enemies. He might have asked
His heavenly Father for the assistance of more than twelve legions of angels, or
more than twelve thousand strong spirits of light, for whom it would have been
an easy matter to vanquish the band here assembled. But what Christ is
principally concerned about is the fulfillment of the Scriptures, of which He
had said that they could not be broken, upon which thousands of the believers of
the Old Testament had placed their trust, the hope of the Messiah that would
earn a full and complete redemption for the whole world. "That is what
Christ says: It must be thus that the Scriptures might be fulfilled. As though
He would say: I might easily have begun this matter differently. However, do not
ask any further, but believe the Scriptures. If thou wilt not believe or follow
the Scriptures, then leave it. Thus we say also to our wise people: We invent no
new doctrine, preach no different faith than that of which Scriptures speak. And
if we have taught and preached according to Scripture, we have done our share,
and let the others remain wise; but we remain with the small crew which believes
and follows Scriptures." 203)
Reproving the enemies: V. 55. In
that same hour said Jesus to the multitudes, Are ye come out as against a thief
with swords and staves for to take Me? I sat daily with you teaching in the
Temple, and ye laid no hold on Me. V. 56. But all this was done that the
scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook
Him and fled. Christ's point is well taken, especially since He addressed
these words chiefly to the rulers and to the guards of the Temple. Their manner
of apprehending Him was an insult to Him and was unworthy of them, if they still
had respect for themselves. As for a common murder or some other criminal they
had gone forth, with swords and with clubs, in order to surround and to catch
Him. Their mode of procedure savors of shadiness
The Trial before Caiaphas and the
Denial of Peter. Matt. 26, 57-75.
To the house of Caiaphas: V. 57.
And they that had laid hold on Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas, the high priest,
where the scribes and the elders were assembled. V. 58. But Peter followed Him
afar off unto the high priest's palace, and went in, and sat with the servants
to see the end. The palace of Caiaphas, according to most investigators, lay
at the extreme southwest corner of the city of Jerusalem. It was evidently built
in the form of a quadrangle about an open court. On the one side of the palace
lived Annas, the father-in-law, on the other Caiaphas, the families occupying
the upper stories, while the servants had the apartments on the ground floor.
The entrance to the palace was through an arched door and passageway, which was
usually guarded by one of the servants. After a short, preliminary hearing
before Annas, John 18, 13, arranged in the interval until all the members of the
council might be assembled, Jesus was led before the highest court of the Jewish
Church, consisting of scribes and elders, according to their office, of
Pharisees and Sadducees, according to their sectarian tendencies, but all agreed
upon that one point, that this man must be removed. Peter, in the mean time, led
partly by affection, partly by inquisitiveness, followed the band from a
distance, and, having obtained leave to enter the courtyard of the palace, sat
with the servants about a fire of coals which the cool spring night made
necessary, to see the end, to find out what would happen to the Master. Many a
Christian has thought himself strong enough to withstand temptation, to ignore
attack and ridicule, when venturing into the midst of the children of the world,
but has found out to his great sorrow that such experiments are fraught with too
great danger.
The trial before Caiaphas: V.
59. Now the chief priests and elders and all the council sought false witness
against Jesus to put Him to death; v. 60. but found none; yea, though many false
witnesses came, yet found they none. At the last came two false witnesses v. 61
and said, This fellow said, I am able to destroy the Temple of God, and to build
it in three days. V. 62. And the high priest arose and said unto Him, Answerest
Thou nothing? What is it which these witness against Thee? V. 63. But Jesus held
His peace. And the high priest answered and said unto Him, I adjure Thee by the
living God that Thou tell us whether Thou be the Christ, the Son of God. V. 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. Note: The enumeration of the several sections of the
Sanhedrin brings out all the more strongly the injustice of the proceedings. Men
whose business it was to know the Law and to lead in all virtues were here the
very ones to subvert right and to make a farce of justice. Also: They
deliberately sought false witness. Knowing that the usual method of obtaining
testimony against a criminal would have yielded no results, they exerted
themselves most diligently to find such testimony as would enable them to judge
Him worthy of death, but without success. The more men they examined with their
obvious purpose in view, the more thoroughly just and holy Jesus stood before
them. Even the last two witnesses that garbled the prophecy of Christ concerning
the temple of His body, John 2, 19, could not make their witness agree. The
whole trial threatened to be a glorious justification of Jesus. But here the
high priest Caiaphas, for fear of losing his case, forgot the dignity of his
position as judge and turned accuser, if not plaintiff. He demanded that Christ
defend Himself against the testimony which had been adduced. But Christ remained
perfectly quiet, knowing that under the circumstances this silence was the best
course. Since they wanted not justice, but His death at all costs, they would
have pounced upon every word He might have uttered, and mutilated it beyond
recognition. "Here see how unjustly the high priests deal with Christ the
Lord. For they are at the same time accusers and judges. Therefore the Lord must
be wrong in His case, no matter what He may say or do. In temporal affairs this
would be a great dishonesty…. But for these holy people nothing is sin, they
have power in all things; they can do what they please, and challenge all who
would accuse them of wrong or interpret something in an evil way." 204) And
now comes the climax of the sinful farce staged by the Sanhedrin. Most solemnly
the high priest challenges Christ to state under oath whether He be in truth the
Son of God. He was determined to draw an explanation from Christ which could be
used as damaging evidence against Him at any cost. To continue silent now would
be tantamount to a denial of a truth which was essential in His Messianic
ministry. And so He answered with an emphatic: I am. But just as emphatically,
and more so, He added a startling bit of information, namely, that the time
would come when He would return in glory; in fact, this glorification was about
to begin, with His entering, through suffering and death, into the glory of His
Father. When these unjust judges will see Him again, it will be in the role of
their Judge. And all the enemies of Christ will tremble and quake when this same
Christ whom they have rejected will come to Judgment and demand a reckoning.
The sentence: V. 65. Then the
high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further
need have we of witnesses? Behold, now ye have heard His blasphemy. V. 66. What
think ye? They answered and said, He is guilty of death. V. 67. Then did they
spit in His face, and buffeted Him; and others smote Him with the palms of their
hands, v. 68. saying, Prophesy unto us, Thou Christ, Who is he that smote Thee?
It was the sign of the greatest grief, of the deepest mourning, for a Jew to
tear open his outer garment. Here was an act of theatrical affectation without
true emotion. He is shocked beyond measure, so he declares by his action, by the
blasphemy out of the mouth of Jesus. There is no more need of trial, no more
need of witnesses, he declares. His reference is to Lev. 24, 15, to the penalty
for blasphemy, and to Deut. 18, 20, to that for being a false prophet. In his
eagerness Caiaphas entirely overlooked the fact that he had not proved a case of
blasphemy against Jesus. But his acting had its effect. No formal vote was
taken, the cries of assent coming from all sides being counted as sufficient
evidence of universal agreement. And now followed a scene during which not only
the servants and the Temple police, but also the members of the great council
forgot the last shred of their assumed dignity and humanity, giving way to, the
vilest and lowest ways of venting their spite against Jesus. Spitting into His
face, striking Him with their clenched fists, slapping Him with the open palms
of their hands were only some of the ways in which they amused themselves. It
was like an orgy of devils. They tried to ridicule His ability to foretell the
future; in short, devilish hatred had unhindered sway. For in reality they were
baffled, in spite of their apparent victory. Thus did
The denial of Peter: V. 69. Now
Peter sat without in the palace; and a damsel came unto him, saying, Thou also
wast with Jesus of Galilee. V. 70. But he denied before them all, saying, I know
not what thou sayest. V. 71. And when he was gone out into the porch, another
maid saw him, and said unto them that were there, This fellow was also with
Jesus of Nazareth. V. 72. And again he denied with an oath, I do not know the
Man. V. 73. And after a while came unto him they that stood by, and said to
Peter, Surely thou also art one of them; for thy speech betrayeth thee. V. 74.
Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the Man. And immediately
the cock crew. V. 75. 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. Peter had found a place in the entrance-hall of the palace, not
far from the door of the room where the council was in session, and also near
the circle of servants that were warming themselves by the fire in the court.
Here one of the maid-servants that had seen him come in made the remark that he
was one of the followers of the prisoner. Naturally the servants took the part
of their masters against the Galilean, and had undoubtedly been discussing ways
and means of removing all His followers. Peter, feeling the bristling in the
circle against him, quickly made a denial, more in haste than in deliberate
malice. Nevertheless his conscience must have bothered him some, for he now left
the circle about the fire and walked back to the arched passageway that led into
the court. And again he was accused of being a follower of that Jesus of
Nazareth. This time the fear that was beginning to rise in his heart made him
unduly emphatic; he confirmed his lie with an oath. But they watched him with
suspicion, probably talking the matter over among themselves. And finally, after
some time, those that were standing about in the court came up to him, speaking
more emphatically. Surely he must be a member of the Nazarene's band, for there
was his Galilean dialect which betrayed him. Here Peter completely lost control
of himself. With the most astonishing vehemence he added swearing to cursing in
his denial of any and all connection with Jesus. The chances are that his very
emphasis confirmed the servants in their supposition, which, however, they did
not act upon. But the Lord had not forgotten His weak disciple. It was now the
time of cock-crowing, and the lusty crowing of one of them at just this moment
recalled to the mind of Peter the prophecy of Jesus concerning his threefold
denial of Him. And going out, he wept in bitter repentance over his terrible
sin. "Here we should learn, by the example of Peter, our own weakness, that
we should not depend too firmly upon other people nor upon ourselves. For our
hearts are so utterly weak and uncertain that they change every hour, as the
Lord says, John 2, 24. 25. Who would have expected such instability and weakness
in Peter? … Who would believe that such a courageous man, who holds so firmly
to his Lord, would deny Him so shamefully? Watch this example most carefully, in
order to know thyself and other people well and to guard against arrogance. For
if this could happen to Peter, what do you suppose will happen to us, that are
not only much lower, but also much weaker? Therefore it will not do to be
secure, but maintain thy fear of God and a very careful lookout on all
sides." 205)
Summary. The Jews complete
their conspiracy, and Judas makes ready to betray his Lord, but Jesus accepts
the anointing of Mary at Bethany, celebrates the Passover for the last time,
institutes the Eucharist, suffers the agony of death in Gethsemane, is betrayed,
taken captive, brought before Caiaphas for trial, sentenced, and reviled, while
Peter denies his Lord three times.