Matthew 27:1-2

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1 When morning came, all the chief priests and elders of the people plotted against Jesus to put Him to death. 2 And when they had bound Him, they led Him away and delivered Him to Pontius Pilate the governor. ~ Matthew 27:1-2

Today, we transition into Matthew 27 where the Lord Jesus is being taken by the Jewish religious leaders to Pilate the Roman governor. He is about to endure yet another set of three trials before Pilate and Herod. Even though these trials lacked any credibility, they were necessary. They were necessary because they facilitated a much larger purpose and that is to provide forgiveness of sin for all who are willing of heart to admit their sin and their need of a savior.

In addition to the previous three trials before the Jewish religious leaders, all six of these trials led to the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus. No one but the Lord Jesus knew that His death was imminent and necessary. It was necessary for the forgiveness of our sin. He died in our place as our substitute. This is the heart of the gospel, the greatest news ever delivered to the ears of man.

In v.1 of today's passage we read, "When morning came, all the chief priests and elders of the people plotted against Jesus to put Him to death."

The contrast between good and evil is the background to today's narrative. In context we have the godless religious leaders of Israel and the sinless Lord Jesus Christ. In the first three trials at the hands of the religious leaders of Israel there is not one legitimate accusation provided against the Lord Jesus. And, a false witness was called who betrayed Him for a bribe. The first three trials were held in the middle of the night, which were all unlawful. Several of the laws which accommodated their justice system were violated. And in the midst of it all, the Lord Jesus stood before them innocent. In the final analysis, they came up with absolutely nothing to render Him guilty of anything. Rather than valuing and advancing righteousness, the religious leaders of Israel "justified" their evil motivations by presenting accusations which were laughable.

In John 18:28 we read, "Then the Jewish leaders took Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor. By now it was early morning, and to avoid ceremonial uncleanness they did not enter the palace, because they wanted to be able to eat the Passover."

When we truly do not know what the answer is, we will inevitably make it about stupid things. The Jewish leaders had no idea that the Lord Jesus was the Son of God. And, since He was a threat to their comfort, they wanted Him dead. So, they escorted Him to Pilate to try to get Him to do their dirty deed. When the religious leaders arrived at the palace of Pilate, they avoided entering the palace because they were worried about being unclean for the Passover. They were so blind to the truth they didn't recognize they were fulfilling the plan of God. From before time began it was the plan of God that the Lord Jesus would be the ultimate Passover Lamb, sacrificed on the behalf of all mankind. Evil lurks in the hearts of all mankind. The most alarming evil is seen when we seek to justify our evil actions through our religious routines. The theology of the Jewish religious leaders was suspected to be the best in the land but it was closest to the will of the evil one himself.

Anselm of Canterbury once said, "Theology is faith seeking under­standing." Biblical theology is much more than reading the Word of God. It is much more than going deeper in our understanding of the person and nature of God. It is much more than producing outwardly some kind of likeness to God. Biblical theology will always lead us to "more of Him and less of me." We must be careful that we are digging in the right direction. God is the Lord Jesus Christ in every way and the Lord Jesus is God. He is the fullness of deity, bearing the stamp of the character of God. He is the visible image of the Father and the Spirit. We discover this most valuable truth throughout the Bible which is the very source from which we gain a proper theology. When this correct theology is arrived upon, He will always be the One who is adored.

In v.2 of today's passage we read, "And when they had bound Him, they led Him away and delivered Him to Pontius Pilate the governor."

To think that sinful man could bind the God of the universe, and yet, we are told it happened. It happened this way because it was the plan of God from before the beginning of time. God didn't make these men do this dastardly deed but He knew they would make this choice. Their problem was they were their own gods. Their theology was so bad that they had fashioned God into their own image. Their real motivation was their fear of losing their status, influence and power. They had replaced their worship of the one true God with worship of themselves.

The disciples, in their fallen condition, struggled to understand this plan of God. Like the first disciples, we fail to see His purposes behind our troubles. We fail to see that our troubles all have a design which is to cause us to entertain certain undesirable questions and to take those questions to the Lord for His answers. But, His plan includes much more than just answers to our befuddlements. Our questions are designed to help us to seek Him for ourselves and to know Him accordingly.

The theology of these so-called leaders of Israel did not have room for the beautiful design that God had for us behind our gropes through our trials. Their posh lifestyles prevented them from having to endure trials. This is partly why their theology was so bad. They were more in love with their comfort and their status than they were the lover of their souls. They were so desperate to have their will, they eliminated the One who came to give to them the best they could ever have. And when they arrived at Pilate's palace, they realized they had a problem. They realized if they were to enter Pilate's palace they would become defiled. Following the self life always distorts our understanding of reality and what is best for us.

For us, every day the unwanted moments arrive in our lives. What we choose to do with those moments determines a lot. If we have learned the ways and the culture of God, we will recognize the value in the unwanted. Needless to say, we all struggle at finding purpose in our pain. We are wise to recognize that we serve a God who is daily delivering His unfolding redemption story in our lives. If we fail to see life through the lens of God's Word, we will not see the value of our trials. The beauty of it all is that God can even use our resistance and even our failure to hone our faith in Him. As followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, we must value the culture of the God of the Bible more than we do our own. We are wise to understand that it is in those moments that we struggle the most that we are being positioned to see the God of the Bible best and most deeply with our hearts.

Matthew 26:69-75

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69 Now Peter was sitting out in the courtyard, and a servant girl came to him. "You also were with Jesus of Galilee," she said. 70 But he denied it before them all. "I don’t know what you’re talking about," he said. 71 Then he went out to the gateway, where another servant girl saw him and said to the people there, "This fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth." 72 He denied it again, with an oath: "I don’t know the man!" 73 After a little while, those standing there went up to Peter and said, "Surely you are one of them; your accent gives you away." 74 Then he began to call down curses, and he swore to them, "I don’t know the man!" Immediately a rooster crowed. 75 Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: "Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times." And he went outside and wept bitterly. ~ Matthew 26:69-75

Today, we complete our study of Matthew 26 where right in the middle of the sixfold trial the Lord Jesus was enduring, Matthew turns the spotlight on Peter. It is through Peter's miserable failure that we are presented one of the most important lessons in our walk with the Lord. This is one of those lessons that stretches across the whole terrain of our relationship with Him. And, that lesson is that our spirituality is never about us, it is always about Him. Our spiritual growth does not always occur at a constant speed. The Scriptures indicate that, as with a child, it is discernible in stages. And, God is never in a hurry.

In v.69-70 of today's passage we read, "69 Now Peter was sitting out in the courtyard, and a servant girl came to him. 'You also were with Jesus of Galilee,' she said. 70 But he denied it before them all. 'I don’t know what you’re talking about,' he said."

Peter had earlier vowed to never ever deny knowing the Lord Jesus. But, his determination to show himself faithful to Christ failed greatly. While gathered around a fire with those who arrested the Lord Jesus, a young woman who was a servant of the high priest, recognized Peter and identified him as a follower of the Lord Jesus. The servant girl of the high priest identified Peter as a Galilean, as one who followed the Lord Jesus. Of course, it was Peter's first denial of the Lord Jesus.

In v.71-72 of today's passage we read, "71 Then he went out to the gateway, where another servant girl saw him and said to the people there, 'This fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth.' 72 He denied it again, with an oath: 'I don’t know the man!'"

Immediately, Peter's defenses sprung forward and he hurried outside to the gateway so he would be less visible. Peter’s denial of the Lord Jesus was a profound moment in human history. The lessons we learn from Peter's failure are innumerable because ultimately his failure was eclipsed by God's grace and wisdom. This was also a defining moment for Peter. Perhaps it was then that he gave up on the idea of earning or maintaining God's love. In Gethsemane, the Lord Jesus prayed to the Father three times, receiving strength from those prayers. In that very same garden Peter didn’t pray and he failed. When faced by his accusers, Peter lied three times.  

Like Peter, we often believe we need to be our own saviors. This is our default mode given us by our fallen nature. Often, there are times when we think we are being champions for the Lord, but in those moments we are really denying His lordship in our lives. Never will we be anyone's savior, especially our own. Only the Lord Jesus is qualified!

Peter distanced himself from the Lord Jesus because, he didn’t share His worldview. After Peter came to believe that the Lord Jesus was the Christ, the Lord Jesus told Peter and the other disciples that He would be rejected and He would be killed. Peter and the other disciples expected a Christ that would triumph over His enemies, not understanding that at His first coming the Lord Jesus came to destroy a much more sinister enemy, sin and death.

Peter did not understand his real enemy which was sin and death. The Lord Jesus came to deal a death blow to both. Peter, in some sense, speaks the truth when he said, "I don’t know this man you’re talking about." Peter knew the Lord Jesus, but he didn’t really know Him. But, after all, it really isn't how much we know the Lord that saves us; it is that we are known by Him, that is what saves us. The key is that we are increasing in our understanding and interaction with the words of John the Baptist: "More of Him and less of me."

In v.73-74 of today's passage we read, "73 After a little while, those standing there went up to Peter and said, 'Surely you are one of them; your accent gives you away.' 74 Then he began to call down curses, and he swore to them, 'I don’t know the man!' Immediately a rooster crowed."

Galileans had discernibly different accents than the Judeans which caused those who lived in Jerusalem to immediately recognize the one speaking was Galilean. Similar to the accents we find in the south in the USA and the accent of those who live in the north. This was the case here for Peter. His accent gave him away and the people noticed. This caused Peter to employ a tactic that was not known for a disciple of Christ. He cursed and swore in his response. As the truth closed in on Peter, he disassociated himself from it. I have often wondered what curse words Peter used that day. I'm sure they were the worst. As a former fisherman, Peter undoubtedly had quite an exhaustive list to choose from that evening. The Apostle Peter dropped a bomb of some sort in order to save himself.

We are just like Peter! We do not really know the ways of God. We do not understand the way of self-giving love. When the rooster crowed, a higher court rendered its verdict. Peter failed at something he had no business succeeding at: Following the Lord Jesus with a seriously flawed understanding of Him and His ways. Peter failed because his vision of God and of reality failed.

In v.75 of today's passage we read, "Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: 'Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.' And he went outside and wept bitterly."

Since the Lord Jesus had previously predicted Peter would deny Him, He knew Peter would do this. God is never surprised by our failure. He expects more failure out of us than we do ourselves. But, the beauty of all of this is Peter's darkest night was eclipsed by his brightest day when the Lord Jesus rose from the grave. You see, it was after the resurrection that the Lord Jesus met Peter on that Galilean beach. And, it was on that Galilean beach that Peter began to truly know the love of the Lord Jesus for him. It was then that Peter began to understand what it meant for him to love the Lord.

Peter's failure was integral to his later success. We, like Peter, have a hard time with our failure. We fail to see its role in deepening us in our dependency of the Lord. That is the key to any of our successes that we are dependent upon the Lord. Peter went on to preach the first sermon of the church. On the day of Pentecost, he was privileged to present the gospel to the thousands gathered in Jerusalem at Pentecost. And, thousands believed!

Matthew 26:62-68

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62 And the high priest arose and said to Him, "Do You answer nothing? What is it these men testify against You?" 63 But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest answered and said to Him, "I put You under oath by the living God: Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God!" 64 Jesus said to him, "It is as you said. 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." 65 Then the high priest tore his clothes, saying, "He has spoken blasphemy! What further need do we have of witnesses? Look, now you have heard His blasphemy! 66 What do you think?" They answered and said, "He is deserving of death." 67 Then they spat in His face and beat Him; and others struck Him with the palms of their hands, 68 saying, "Prophesy to us, Christ! Who is the one who struck You?" ~ Matthew 26:62-68

Today, we return to our study of Matthew 26. It was the last Friday for the Lord Jesus on this earth as the Son of Man. The stage had been set for Him to be put on trial. This trial will have six different parts: three in front of the Jewish religious leaders and three in front of the Roman political leaders. The first three Jewish trials happened between the hours of 1:00 and 5:00 in the early morning under the cloak of darkness.

In v.62-63 of today's passage we read, "62 And the high priest arose and said to Him, 'Do You answer nothing? What is it these men testify against You?' 63 But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest answered and said to Him, 'I put You under oath by the living God: Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God!'"

It is important that the Lord Jesus remained silent before His accusers. He did this in order to fulfill the prophecy of the silent Lamb found in Isaiah 53. In addition, the Lord Jesus remained silent because the burden of proof was upon His accusers, and as we will see, they had no case against Him. There was no justice in any of these trials. This entire process was completely illegal due to the fact that the Jewish writings known as the Mishnah outlined eighteen rules to be employed at a trial of a capital case. These so-called leaders broke many of these rules.

The very first rule of the Mishnah stated, "There shall be no trial for a capital offense held at night." The accusers of the Lord Jesus were supposed to wait till the next morning, even if the offense was known at night. The third rule in the Mishnah states, "It can never be done in private, it has to be done in the open, in a public place." They obviously broke this rule due to the fact that these first three trials took place in the cloak of darkness underscoring who was directing the actions of these religious leaders. And finally, the twelfth rule of the Mishnah states, "No high priest shall interrogate the prisoner." Not only did Caiaphas accuse and question the Lord Jesus, so did Annas. Both were High Priests.

In John 18 we are told the Lord Jesus was first taken to the house of Annas, the high priest. From there He was taken to Caiaphas, perhaps right next door where the Sanhedrin was gathered to question Him further. High priests were installed and removed by Roman rulers at that time. Rome had deposed Annas and made Caiaphas the high priest. So, officially, Caiaphas, the son-in-law of Annas, was high priest during Jesus’ ministry, but Annas, the former high priest, still held significant sway and was still called a high priest. From there the Lord Jesus was hauled before the Sanhedrin, the supreme Jewish legislative, judicial, and administrative council in Israel. The Sanhedrin managed in all of their religious blindness to go through with all three illegal Jewish trials ending with them violating the sixth commandment which reads, "Thou shalt not murder." 

In v.64 of today's passage we read, "Jesus said to him, 'It is as you said. 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 Lord Jesus referred to Himself as "the Son of man," a messianic title found in the book of Daniel. He also claimed to have "the right to sit on the right hand of the power of God," a clear reference to Psalm 110:1 which reads, "The Lord says to my lord: 'Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet." Seated at the right hand of the Father is the place of honor, authority, and power. By claiming this honor, the Lord Jesus was claiming to be God.  

In v.65-68 of today's passage we read, "65 Then the high priest tore his clothes, saying, 'He has spoken blasphemy! What further need do we have of witnesses? Look, now you have heard His blasphemy! 66 What do you think?' They answered and said, 'He is deserving of death.' 67 Then they spat in His face and beat Him; and others struck Him with the palms of their hands, 68 saying, 'Prophesy to us, Christ! Who is the one who struck You?"'

The religious leaders of Israel failed to provide the Lord Jesus a proper and legal trial. This is why they resorted to their theatrics. At that point they accused the Lord Jesus of "blasphemy." During these three trials these leaders revealed their hatred for the truth resulting in physical abuse and mockery. For those who know they are losing the argument, they resort to feeding the flesh not the Spirit. As a result they yell and turn up the volume. In this we see who was being defined by the truth.

Though He was on trial, the Lord Jesus was actually the Judge. The scene serves as a foreshadowing of the final judgment to come, where those who mocked the Lord Jesus will stand guilty before Him. It was the Lord Jesus' love for His Father that enabled Him to come to this earth and to die for the sin of languishing mankind. Like the Lord Jesus, as we grow in our love for God, we will be set free from the hatred and insults of others. As this happens, we will find ourselves increasingly being defined by the God of truth. And, the more we grow in our understanding of God's love for us, we will grow in our love for God and His Word. 

Matthew 26:57-61

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57 And those who had laid hold of Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled. 58 But Peter followed Him at a distance to the high priest’s courtyard. And he went in and sat with the servants to see the end. 59 Now the chief priests, the elders, and all the council sought false testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, 60 but found none. Even though many false witnesses came forward, they found none. But at last two false witnesses came forward 61 and said, "This fellow said, 'I am able to destroy the temple of God and to build it in three days.'" ~ Matthew 26:57-61

Today, we return to our study of the gospel according to Matthew where the stage has been set for the Lord Jesus to be put on trial. At this point the scene shifts from the Garden to the six-fold trial yet. to happen. Highlighted here is the underlining reason for Peter’s threefold denial. Afterwards the Lord Jesus was carried off to Caiaphas, the High Priest. It was then that the disciples ran away for their lives. The sham trial will have six different parts: three  with the Jewish religious leaders and three with the Roman political leaders.

In v.57 of today's passage we read, "And those who had laid hold of Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled."

The religious leaders of Israel gathered in opposition to the Son of God. This is what religion does, it tells us that we can earn God's favor through our own good attempts at being good. When we approach life and God this way we reveal how low of a view we have of God. If we could measure up to God's perfection, we would be His equal. And, as we have seen before this was Judas' problem and this is why he betrayed the Lord Jesus for 30 pieces of silver.

Perhaps the worst place one can be is where these "religious leaders" were. They thought they were in the light, yet, they were in the darkness. In Matthew 7:23 is recorded the most horrifying words that will ever be heard, "Depart from me for I never knew you." And, sadly those who resist the wooing of the Holy Spirit to believe on the Lord Jesus for the forgiveness of sin will hear those words.

The Lord Jesus did not say, "Depart from me for you never knew me." No, He said, "Depart from me for I never knew you." That which makes us known to God is the willingness of our hearts to admit that we need help and then to repent from our way to His. When we turn we will invite Him into our lives. This is what starts the relationship which will grow with time. This is what enables us to be known by God, having a personal relationship with Him through His Son.

In v.58 of today's passage we read, "But Peter followed Him at a distance to the high priest’s courtyard. And he went in and sat with the servants to see the end."

Earlier, it was Peter who said he would rather die than to abandon the Lord Jesus. Peter not only abandoned the Lord, he follow Him at a distance. This led Peter to deny that He knew the Lord three separate times, something the Lord had predicted. When we follow Jesus from a distance, we will deny Him every time.

During that cold night of betrayal and confusion, the heat of the fire became Peter’s only friend, but its light was his primary enemy. The heat temporarily warmed Peter, but the light that night revealed his identity. And Peter didn't want to be found out. Underscored in all of this were the words of the Lord Jesus: "Depart from me for I never knew you." It will never be our performance that garners God's acceptance of us. It is always His performance on our behalf that puts us in the right place with Him. The question is: "Do we have enough humility to receive the free gift?"

In v.59-61 of today's passage we read, "59 Now the chief priests, the elders, and all the council sought false testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, 60 but found none. Even though many false witnesses came forward, they found none. But at last two false witnesses came forward 61 and said, 'This fellow said, I am able to destroy the temple of God and to build it in three days.'"

The religious leaders of Israel were determined to prove that the Lord Jesus was false and was leading Israel astray. They searched feverishly for this evidence that did not exist. This is why they turned to Pilate, the Roman governor of the region of Judea to have him put the Lord Jesus to death. Their problem was magnified when they could not find two people who could corroborate their accusation that the Lord Jesus deserved death. Deuteronomy 19:15 states: "A single witness shall not suffice against a person for any crime or for any wrong in connection with any offense that he has committed. Only on the evidence of two witnesses or of three witnesses shall a charge be established." The testimony needed to be given individually and needed to agree in order to be valid. 

The Mosaic law includes certain crimes that may be punished by execution, but none of them could be hung on the Lord Jesus. This was part of the terrible irony of the Lord Jesus' sham trials. While witnesses against Him committed the last of these crimes, the Lord Jesus could not have even been accused of breaking even the Sabbath. Every time He worked on the Sabbath, He only violated manmade traditions that defined "work." He didn't break the commandment as written or as intended by God. 

Instead of seeking God and finding Him, these so called "leaders" were literally “seeking” evidence against the Son of God. The best the witnesses before the Ruling Council could do was to report that the Lord Jesus predicted that He would destroy the temple and three days later build another. Of course, in that prophecy He spoke of His body not the Temple. Ironically, in a court of law, an accusation is thrown out when it does not hold up to questioning. The Lord Jesus was convicted by an inconsistent accusation. Thus, it was unjust. And, according to 2 Corinthians 5:21, it had to be unjust. For there we read, "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."

Matthew 26:51-56

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51 And suddenly, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword, struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear. 52 But Jesus said to him, "Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword. 53 Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels? 54 How then could the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen thus?" 55 In that hour Jesus said to the multitudes, "Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to take Me? I sat daily with you, teaching in the temple, and you did not seize Me. 56 But all this was done that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled." Then all the disciples forsook Him and fled. ~ Matthew 26:51-56

Today, we return our study of Matthew 26 where the Lord Jesus is with His disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane, a place they were known to go often to pray. In the darkness of that early Friday morning, in a place with a name which means "oil press," the Lord Jesus was beginning to be squeezed like an olive between two very large stones. It was then that a large crowd came to apprehend Him as if He were guilty of some crime. He was then betrayed by Judas for 30 pieces of silver.

In v.51 of today's passage we read, "And suddenly, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword, struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear."

According to Luke, Peter cut off the right ear of Malchus the servant of the High Priest. He cut off his ear because Peter was more defined by this world's way of handling conflict than he was defined by the Lord's way of handling conflict. Like you and me, Peter found it much easier to feed the flesh than it is the Spirit of God. We do well to remember that every time we feed the flesh, it will deliver some form of destruction in our lives.

In Luke's gospel, we are told the Lord Jesus healed this servant of the High Priest. After his ear was chopped off, Malchus wasn’t looking to be healed. Even if he thought his ear could be reattached, he most definitely would not have turned to the Lord Jesus for a miracle. Yet, out of love, the Lord Jesus reached out to Malchus and did the impossible in an instant. This was the last healing the Lord Jesus would perform before going to His cross. After this miraculous moment Malchus is never again mentioned in the New Testament.

In the Scriptures, right is always the sign of power and authority, therefore Peter cut off Malchus' right ear. Malchus was what they called the "ears" of the High Priest. Whenever anything happened in Jerusalem, Malchus was right there to report the happenings to the High Priest. At that point, the Lord Jesus reached down, picked up Malchus's ear and put it back on his head. Miraculous! And, I have always wondered why have we no more information about Malchus in the New Testament. This just goes to show, miracles do not always change hardened hearts.

In v.52-53 of today's passage we read, "52 But Jesus said to him, 'Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword. 53 Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels?'"

The Lord Jesus came not to lead a rebellion, He came to provide forgiveness of sin. His mission was not to condemn but to save by being the truth and speaking the truth and sustaining the truth. And those who are not of the truth refuse to welcome Him as Savior. His ministry inevitably reveals that it is faith that welcomes the forgiveness of God and that it is blindness and unbelief that condemns.

According to Luke's account of this scene, the Lord Jesus said, "My kingdom is not advanced militarily, it is advanced by my grace." The Lord's gracious treatment of all who were there in that garden that early morning underscores this principle of His kingdom. We do not advance the cause of God with any sort of violence, we advance it by proclaiming His grace. The word "legions" is a military term that comes from the Roman army. A legion denoted a group of at least 6,000 Roman soldiers. The Lord Jesus could have called on 12 groups of 6000 angels but He didn't. The Lord Jesus came to introduce us to the most powerful concept in the world, His grace. We access His grace through our weakness. The God of the Bible has always prized weakness. Embracing our weakness is so hard yet so good because it is when we are weak that we discover He is so strong.

In v.54 of today's passage we read, "How then could the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen thus?" 

The Lord Jesus was betrayed with a kiss of a friend which led  the religious leaders of Israel to arrest Him. This happened as it did in order to fulfill the Scriptures. It was in that very dark hour that the power of darkness was given ultimate power. These events had to be as they were so that all righteousness could be sustained. This led to the fulfillment of many Old Testament passages which galvanize for us that the Lord Jesus is truly the long predicted Messiah of the world. According to John's gospel account, the Lord Jesus identified Himself as "Jesus of Nazareth" to those who were there to apprehend Him. The Old Testament prophecies told us the coming of the Messiah would be of humble origin and He would be despised and rejected. These Old Testament prophecies prepared us for a Messiah who would be of low and despised conditions and would be rejected. These were fully fulfilled in His being an inhabitant of Nazareth.

In v.55-56 of today's text we read, "55 In that hour Jesus said to the multitudes, 'Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to take Me? I sat daily with you, teaching in the temple, and you did not seize Me.' 56 "But all this was done that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled." Then all the disciples forsook Him and fled."

Every detail of this narrative happened as it did in order to reveal the utter sovereignty and grace of God. It had to be that everyone abandoned the Lord Jesus that day so that it could be shown that He is the only One who could withstand the onslaughts of evil in all of its forms. No mere human could withstand such pressure. It was necessary that He was abandoned for He alone solved our sin and death problem. The ear of God was closed to the Lord Jesus for a short time so that it might be open to us forever. It was the Lord Jesus who took on all our sins as the predicted perfect Lamb of God.

Matthew 26:44-50

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44 So He left them, went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words. 45 Then He came to His disciples and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 Rise, let us be going. See, My betrayer is at hand." 47 And while He was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and elders of the people. 48 Now His betrayer had given them a sign, saying, "Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him." 49 Immediately he went up to Jesus and said, "Greetings, Rabbi!" and kissed Him. 50 But Jesus said to him, "Friend, why have you come?" Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and took Him. ~ Matthew 26:44-50

Today, we return to our study of Matthew 26 where we find three sleepy disciples, Peter and James and John. It was early Friday morning and the Lord Jesus was about to be betrayed with a kiss by one of His disciples. The betrayal by Judas of the Lord Jesus was so dramatic, it appears in all four Gospels. When the Lord Jesus found Peter, James and John asleep the first time, He implored them to pray that they not enter into temptation. Prayer strengthens us. When we lay our hearts before the Lord, we are tuned to His activity in our lives, which in turn, strengthens our faith. When we look for Him more and more, we discover that He truly is the only One who is capable of being our Savior.

In v.44-46 of today's passage we read, "44 So He left them, went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words. 45 Then He came to His disciples and said to them, 'Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 Rise, let us be going. See, My betrayer is at hand.'"

Prayer is the yearning of the awakened soul. But, even though we have been awakened to God, we still find it much easier to feed the flesh than it is to feed the Spirit. Prayer is one of several ways to feed the Spirit of God who came to live within us when we first believed on the Lord Jesus. It is the nature of our flesh to be weak. And, the flesh is our default mode even though we are born again. In the hour of testing, if we are not given to prayer, we will discover the great strength of the flesh over us. It is through prayer that we access the strength of God in our lives. This is the major lesson that bursts forth in the Garden of Gethsemane. 

The Lord Jesus knew that the disciples were weak at battling the flesh which is always in opposition to the desires of God for us. The Lord knew the intense desire of the disciples was to love Him the best they could. He knows that our hearts are desperate to bring Him glory due to the fact that we have been made alive to Him through His Spirit. God is not surprised that in our battle against the flesh we most often lose. The disciples did not understand that in the hour of testing we will more often than not fail the test. In our hour of testing, the house built upon the sand will collapse. It cannot stand the test. 

In v.47-49 of today's passage we read, "47 And while He was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and elders of the people. 48 Now His betrayer had given them a sign, saying, 'Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him.' 49 Immediately he went up to Jesus and said, 'Greetings, Rabbi!' and kissed Him."

In the distance the Lord could see the flames of the torches of the soldiers and the religious leaders who were moving up the slope of the Mount of Olives. The large crowd was led by someone familiar with the nightly habits of the Lord Jesus. Knowing that His hour to be arrested, falsely accused, illegally put on trial, sentenced, and crucified, the Lord Jesus braced Himself. He wouldn't be controlled by these men, He was bent on being yielded to His Father. The idea that God had to forsake God is so foreign to us! Yet, the Son of God was never more pleasing to the Father than at this hour. He voluntarily laid down His life for our salvation. This is the intensity of the love of God for us. 

While the Lord Jesus was still speaking with His disciples, Judas betrayed Him with a kiss. We read in Proverbs 27:6, "Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful." It was customary in that day for disciples to greet their teachers with a respectful embrace and a kiss on the cheek. This kind of embrace was a sign of close intimacy and warm affection between a Rabbi and his student. Judas really overstepped the protocol that morning. It was appropriate in their culture for the Rabbi to initiate the embrace, but Judas had an agenda. He used the embrace and the kiss to identify the Lord Jesus for the arresting guards.

Ironically, the name Judas means "praise." In Gethsemane, the Lord Jesus told His disciples to watch and to pray. The design of these two commands was to get His followers to look for hope. I have found that this hope often appears in my life in the form of an intrusion or an anomaly, something that looks as if it doesn’t belong. I have found that those moments of greatest pain and anxiety have served me best in coming to know the heart of my Savior. In order to have this angle, we must be formed by God's Word, so that when these intruders come, we view them from His vantage point. The challenge to our faith is to believe God's promises especially when we find ourselves in a place where darkness seems to reign. God knows we often need the reassurance that the story doesn’t end in a place like Golgotha. In our darkest moments God is always faithful to give us glimmers of hope through the darkness.

In v.50 of today's passage we read, "But Jesus said to him, 'Friend, why have you come?' Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and took Him."

It was through a kiss along with a strong embrace that Judas betrayed the Lord Jesus. Slaves kiss feet. Inferiors kiss hands. Equals kiss cheeks. Judas saw himself as an equal to the Lord Jesus and that is what makes his betrayal of the Lord most repulsive. And, Judas did not hesitate to do his dirty work. Judas was included in the group of disciples, yet, he was not a believer. Proximity to the teachings and miracles of the Lord Jesus did not change Judas’ heart or secure his salvation, nor did his occasional good works. The offer of grace had been extended to Judas for over three years. Sadly, the opportunity for Judas to inherit the kingdom of heaven and walk with the Lord Jesus in eternity, he rejected. Rather than embracing the Lord Jesus from the inside out, Judas feigned love on the outside. Judas did this for three years, sealing his fate with a final kiss.

There are those who try to blame God for Judas' actions, but, God cannot be held accountable for the choice Judas made. It wasn't like He made Judas do what He did. Judas was motivated by greed which is what brought sin into existence in the first place. God knew in advance that Judas would betray the Lord Jesus, and then, He told us what Judas was going to do. This just underscores the fact that we all have the choice to believe in the Lord Jesus or not. And, that was the choice Judas had and he chose to not believe. When we believe in the Lord, we will choose to be defined by Him. And, we will know that we are being defined by Him when we obey Him.

Matthew 26:36-43

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36 Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, "Sit here while I go and pray over there." 37 And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed. 38 Then He said to them, "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me." 39 He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, "O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will." 40 Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, "What! Could you not watch with Me one hour? 41 Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." 42 Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, "O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done." 43 And He came and found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy. ~ Matthew 26:36-43

Today, we return to our study of Matthew 26 where the Lord Jesus has just told His disciples that after His crucifixion, they will all abandon Him. In fact, they will be pursued and caught and confronted regarding their association with the Lord Jesus. All of them will deny their association with Him. The Lord Jesus knew in advance of their failure to remain faithful to Him. He knows us better than we do ourselves, and yet, He is still committed to us. By now, it was early Friday morning.

In v.36-37 of today's passage we read, "36 Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, 'Sit here while I go and pray over there.' 37 And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed."

"Gethsemane" comes from two Hebrew words meaning "the olive press." In those days, olive oil was made by taking two stones, an upper stone which would revolve around the lower stone. Anything between the two stones was crushed. When the olives were crushed, the oil that came forth was gathered and collected and sold. The real value of the olive comes when it's crushed. This is yet again another picture of the culture of God. The Lord Jesus came to this earth to be crushed for the forgiveness of our sin. The first Adam rebelled against God in the garden of Eden and brought sin and death into this world. The Last Adam, the Lord Jesus, submitted Himself to God in the garden of Gethsemane and brought life and salvation for all who would believe in Him. 

Before going into the garden, the Lord Jesus gave His disciples the weapon against temptation: PRAYER. According to Mark 14, eight of His disciples stayed at the entrance to the garden. Three of them, Peter, James and John, went into the Garden with Him a little further, but only the Lord Jesus went all the way in, alone. A sign that only He could accomplish the impossible for humans. This is why He earlier said, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father but through Me."

Interestingly, there were two other occasions when this inner circle of Peter, James, and John joined the Lord Jesus exclusively: The first was at the house of Jairus when the Lord raised the daughter of Jarius from the dead. The second was on the Mount of Transfiguration when the Lord Jesus was transfigured before Moses and Elijah. There, the Lord Jesus spoke with Moses and Elijah about His departure. All three of these instances have something in common, and, it is His death. And, here in today's passage, the Lord Jesus presented Himself to the Father for death. I also find it interesting that the very first Christian martyr was James. The last to die was John. The middle one was Peter who would be crucified upside down in Rome. 

In v.38-39 of today's passage we read, "38 Then He said to them, 'My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me.' 39 He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, 'O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.'"

Even though the Lord Jesus was omniscient, death was an experience that He never knew. Being totally holy, He was perfectly alienated to sin. As a result, He was engulfed in His grief to the point of death. His plea to avoid the cross was absolutely consistent with His nature as God. His anguish was caused by the cup of God's wrath which He knew awaited Him on the cross, and He struggled with the idea of being alienated from the Father. He had never known such. It disturbed Him so much that He asked the Father for a way out of it. 

The Lord Jesus referred to the Father as "Abba" which is a very intimate word meaning "Daddy." No Jew would ever even consider calling God, Father. But, the Lord Jesus referred to Him as such, pleading for His intimate love to rescue Him. It was then that the Lord Jesus prayed to His Daddy and then He rested in His will. This is the way we should pray, to make our request and then to rest in God's will. The Lord Jesus submitted to the will of His Daddy. In His human nature the Lord Jesus felt anxiety, but, in the end He said, "Yet not what I will, but what you will." The Lord Jesus submitted Himself to whatever the Father wanted because He knew the character and the nature of his Daddy, that He could be completely trusted with the outcome, even though there would be an intense amount of agony for Him.

In v.40-41 of today's passage we read, "40 Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, 'What! Could you not watch with Me one hour? 41 Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.'"

Though we have been forgiven, and though we have been made new in Christ, we are still sinful. We are citizens of heaven yet we are trapped in unredeemed bodies. And we are seduced by the remnants of our fallenness. The temptation is to hold onto sin and not invest in His righteousness. The power of evil is still strong in us, even though we have been born again and the Holy Spirit dwells within. We struggle because sin still dwells within us and we are most familiar with it.

The Lord Jesus struggled with temptation in exactly the opposite way as we do. He struggled because He was and is holy. We struggle with the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life because we are sinful. He was being tempted to NOT embrace being the sin bearer while we are tempted because we are so attracted to our sin.

In v.42 of today's passage we read, "Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, 'O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done.'"

To "drink the cup" was an analogy informing us that the perfect Son of God would take the wrath of God on our behalf. In so doing, He conquered sin and death for us. His prayer in that garden overlooking Jerusalem was full of agony. There will always be a certain measure of agony found in legitimate prayer. The only way we can overcome the flesh is by yielding ourselves to the will of the Father. 

In v.43 of today's passage we read, "And He came and found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy."

The sleepiness of the disciples was an argument from God to the Lord Jesus that only He could endure the cross for man's salvation. And so, the agony of the Lord Jesus increased. He would be truly alone during those six hours as He hung on the cross. The sleepiness of the disciples was undoubtedly a reminder to Him that His followers would not endure the cross like He. Satan had given his best shot, he tried to divert the Lord Jesus from the will of God, but the Lord Jesus prevailed. 

The disciples yielded to temptation because they could not endure in prayer. In addition, they were exhausted by the sorrow. It was after this that the Lord Jesus set out to go to the cross where He crushed the head of the serpent. At His cross, He did what we could never do, He was made sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. It was now Friday morning and the darkness did not prevail. 

Matthew 26:31-35

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31 Then Jesus said to them, "All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written: 'I will strike the Shepherd, And the sheep of the flock will be scattered.' 32 But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee." 33 Peter answered and said to Him, "Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble." 34 Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you that this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times." 35 Peter said to Him, "Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!" And so said all the disciples. ~ Matthew 26:31-35

Today, we return to our study of the gospel according to Matthew where the Lord Jesus has just celebrated His last Passover meal with His disciples in the Upper Room. It was Thursday evening and Judas had departed from the Lord Jesus and the others just after the Lord Jesus had washed their feet. At this point in the narrative, the Lord Jesus and His disciples  are now in the Garden of Gethsemane.

Human history began in the Garden of Eden where human sin and failure began. In the garden of Eden, Adam was overcome by sin while in the Garden of Gethsemane, the Lord Jesus overcame sin. In the Garden of Eden, Adam ran from God while in the Garden of Gethsemane, the Lord Jesus embraced the Father's will to be the Savior of sinful man. In an amazing twist, human history will culminate in the garden of the New Jerusalem where righteousness will reign.

In v.31-32 of today's passage we read, "31 Then Jesus said to them, 'All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written: "I will strike the Shepherd, And the sheep of the flock will be scattered." 32 But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee.'"

During the Passover meal, the Lord Jesus announced one of the disciples would betray Him. Then, after the meal while on the Mount of Olives, He told the remaining eleven that all of them would fail to remain with Him. The disciples did not understand it at that time, but, they were being introduced to the only success that endures, the success of the Lord Jesus on their behalf.

In Zechariah 13:7 is found a prophecy of these events. The Lord Jesus knew the disciples had not grasped what was about to transpire. But, their failure was central to the formation of their walk with Him. We should never be surprised that God strategically uses our weaknesses in the formation of our spiritual development. God does not cause or delight in our sufferings or our weaknesses. He delights in using our weaknesses to bring us to the place that we fully trust Him. And, that is a lifetime process.

In v.33 of today's passage we read, "Peter answered and said to Him, 'Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble.'"

Peter, the spokesperson for all of the disciples, is always listed first in the list of the apostles. And now, for the second time Peter has resisted the plan of God. I am sure he thought he was being spiritual, but he knew nothing of the strength of his flesh. Only hours after being told that he would be a ruler in Christ's kingdom, Peter is told that he would go from the heights of confidence to the pits of failure. He didn't anticipate the fact that he would weep bitterly after locking his eyesight with the Lord Jesus. Peter had no idea that his leadership skills were about to be increased through the intensity of his acute pain. 

Peter, like you and me, falsely thought spiritual maturity was something he produced. Previous to hearing the Lord's prediction of His death and resurrection, Peter rebuked Him. Confident Peter was convinced that he could do anything for the Lord. In fact, this is what led him to grab his sword and proceed to cut off the ear of Malchus in the garden. When the Lord Jesus predicted the failure of all the disciples, Peter declared that he was different than the rest. But, as we know, Peter not only abandoned the Lord Jesus, he blatantly disowned Him three times.

In v.34 of today's passage we read, "Jesus said to him, 'Assuredly, I say to you that this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.'"

Like you and me, Peter believed in the Lord Jesus as His Savior, but his theology was under construction. We also, like Peter, fail. Sometimes miserably. We do well to recognize that the Lord Jesus is always at work in our lives using all things together to bring about His design in and through our lives. God looks at failure differently than we look at it. Like Peter, we’ve all professed dogged allegiance to the Lord in moments of confidence in ourselves. We forget that self is our biggest enemy. Sometimes God must allow us to fail in order to remind us that we are most spiritual when we are convinced that we desperately need Him. I find much comfort in the fact that God expects more failure from us than we expect from ourselves.

Through it all, the Lord Jesus refines us and teaches us that our failure isn’t final. He is the Master at taking our failure and improving our perspective of Him. This is how God hones our theology which is the most important thing about us. In the Garden of Eden our view of God was severely damaged but God takes our failure and makes it a part of our healing. The healing comes on the heels of being forced to run to Him. The intensity of our journey to Him is fueled by our exhaustion from trying to succeed on our own resources. Following the Lord through our failures is an art that teaches us to listen to Him and to trust and to depend upon Him more fully.

God is not the God of second chances, He is the God who is greater than all of our attempts to accomplish anything on our own. My long-time friend, Jason Britton always reminds me of the words of John MacArthur who said, "The road to spiritual maturity is paved with an ever increasing understanding of our own wickedness." God broke Peter's pride and self-reliance that night through the agony of his failure. Even though Peter failed, his failure was used of the Lord to make him the leader he became. It was Napolean who once said, "Leaders are dealers of hope." We do not have hope unless we have tested the faithfulness of God. And, it is through our most intense trials that we gain this kind of confidence in Him.

Matthew 26:26-30

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26 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, "Take, eat; this is My body." 27 Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. 28 For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. 29 But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom." 30 And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. ~ Matthew 26:26-30

Today, we return to our verse by verse study of the gospel according to Matthew. In today's passage we find the Lord Jesus with His disciples in the Upper Room in Jerusalem. It was Thursday evening and they were enjoying their final Passover meal with the Lord before He would be crucified. With the death of the Lord Jesus on the cross, He fulfilled the Passover, and now, believers in the Lord Jesus celebrate God's provision of forgiveness by celebrating the Lord's Supper where we gather around two symbols both pointing us to the Lord Jesus, the bread and the wine.

In v.26 of today's passage we read, "And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, 'Take, eat; this is My body.'"

At the Passover meal, the head of the family would typically explain the meal as it related to the Exodus story. On this occasion, the Lord Jesus explained the Exodus story in light of His death on the cross and how all sacrifices point us to the day when He took sin and death and defeated them. The Lord Jesus took the bread, gave thanks and broke it. He did this in order to commemorate the sacrifice He made of Himself on the cross at Calvary.

Many wonder why the Lord had to die. Sin can only be forgiven when a just payment is made, and the payment is death. The only acceptable death could only be made by a sinless and blameless substitute since all of mankind has been corrupted by sin. The Lord Jesus Christ is that substitute and the Lord's Supper is simply a reminder of what He accomplished for us on His cross. The bread and the wine are object lessons of His body and His blood which were given for us. The two elements are meant to enable us to understand what He did for us on His cross. Only when justice has been satisfied can we be delivered from the judgment of our sin. When the Lord Jesus died the debt that we could not pay, He paid by satisfying the righteous requirements of the God of the Bible. God made Him sin who never committed one sin so that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.

In v.27-28 of today's passage we read, "27 Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. 28 For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins."

The cup throughout the Scriptures, is representative of the wrath of God. And, now, it is the reminder of the shed blood of the Lord Jesus on the behalf of each believer. On the night before the Lord Jesus would be crucified, He pulled back the curtain revealing the point and the culmination of all of those Passover lambs down through the centuries. All of those sacrifices pointed to Him and the work that He was about to accomplish on His cross. In 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 the Apostle Paul tells us when we eat the bread and drink the wine, we remember the work of the Lord Jesus on the cross to pay the penalty created by our sin. The Apostle Paul also said that when we do this, we proclaim the death of the Lord Jesus until He returns to take us home to be with Him forever.

The Passover was a meal that centered around four cups of wine. The first was the opening glass. It was the cup of blessing where the host blessed the Lord and welcomed the people who had been invited. The second was called the cup of judgment. It spoke about the plagues that God brought upon Egypt and delivering His people out of Egypt. It was, at that point, that the Lord Jesus dipped His finger in the wine and sprinkle the cloth and the meal in front of Him to speak about the sprinkling of the blood of the sacrifice.

The unleavened bread was broken and then dipped into bitter herbs. Holding up the bread, the Lord Jesus said, "Blessed art thou, Lord God, King of the universe." Then, He passed to His disciples the dipped bread. After that, they enjoyed the meal together. After the meal there were two other cups of wine. The third was the cup of redemption. With it, the Lord Jesus spoke of the death of the firstborn and the deliverance of the children of Israel from Egypt. Before He gave the cup to the disciples, He held it up and said, "Blessed art thou, Lord God, King of the universe, who gives us the fruit of the vine."

The fourth and final cup was a cup of praise. and with that cup the Lord Jesus said, "This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many." This is why the Lord Jesus instituted the Lord's Supper, which is designed to be led by His Spirit who focuses us on His death, burial and resurrection. He knows well the tendency of the human heart to drift from the reminder of His intense love for us. It is His undying love that keeps our hearts close to Him. During the Lord's Supper, believers enjoy interaction with the Lord in our hearts and through His word, while focusing on His work on the cross.

In Revelation 3:20 we read, "Behold I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me." This was a verse written to believers, to those who had trusted in the finished work of the Lord Jesus on the cross. The word "sup" is used four times in the New Testament. In that culture, this word referred to the main meal of the day. And, in Middle Eastern fashion, it was a significant occasion for having intimate fellowship with the closest of friends. The Lord Supper is meant to be such: to sup or to experience intimate fellowship with our closest friend. 

The death of the Lord Jesus brought to the end the legal requirements of all the ceremonial law including all of the dietary laws and all of the Sabbath laws. In fact, immediately after the Lord's resurrection, the church started to meet on the first day of the week. His substitution brought to the end the Old Testament ceremonies, and rituals. The moral law has not changed because God doesn’t change. Of course, the moral law is sanctification teaching, not justification teaching. Obeying the moral law does not get us into heaven, it gets heaven into us, now. Following God's moral law garners for us His wisdom, and the more we walk in His wisdom, the more we will experience His sanctification.

In v.29-30 of today's passage we read, "29 But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom." 30 And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives."

After the Lord shared the fourth cup with the disciples, He said these words indicating this was the last Passover He would share with them on this earth. And, with these words, the Lord Jesus promised we will celebrate the Passover with Him during the Millennium. The Lord Jesus willingly embraced His cross to die as God’s sacrificial lamb. The innocent substitute dying for His rebellious creation, bearing the full wrath of God for all of our rebellion. 

On that evening the Lord Jesus fulfilled the Old Covenant and inaugurated the New. He took all who would ever believe, from the Passover to the Lord’s Table. He ended a millennia of the sacrificing of countless lambs for the forgiveness of sin. And, in order for those trapped in sin to be delivered from judgment, the requirement of death was met through His perfect sacrifice. At the cross, life overcame death. This is why He HAD to die.

The message of the Passover is: God delivers the sinful  through the death of the innocent substitute. But, no person has ever been delivered from divine judgment by the death of any animal. The repeated sacrifice of animals was simply a continual reminder that God does deliver by the death of an innocent substitute. And some of the people waited for that perfect sacrifice that would be satisfactory only to God. This was the point of all those Old Testament sacrifices. 

At the perfect time the long awaited day came when God offered His Son as the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world. The Lord Jesus is that perfect substitute for all sinners who would invite Him to be their Savior. He became God's satisfying sacrifice when God poured out His wrath upon Him on our behalf.

Matthew 26:20-25

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20 When evening had come, He sat down with the twelve. 21 Now as they were eating, He said, "Assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me." 22 And they were exceedingly sorrowful, and each of them began to say to Him, "Lord, is it I?" 23 He answered and said, "He who dipped his hand with Me in the dish will betray Me. 24 The Son of Man indeed goes just as it is written of Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born." 25 Then Judas, who was betraying Him, answered and said, "Rabbi, is it I?" He said to him, "You have said it." ~ Matthew 26:20-25

Today, we continue our study of Matthew 26 where the Lord Jesus and His disciples have prepared to eat the final legitimate Passover meal together. From this point on, all believers in the Lord Jesus will remember His death on the cross through the Lord's Supper. Before today's account we have been learning lessons about worship from Mary of Bethany, the sister of Lazarus and Martha. True worship is defined by that which  defines us most. The type of worship that Mary displayed at Simon's house was the result of a heart transformed by going deeper into an intimate and personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. 

In the Old Testament God had prophesied the Lord Jesus would be handed over to the Jews to be crucified as the Lamb of God. Before time began, God determined that the Lamb, the One foreshadowed in the Old Testament by all those sacrifices, would be slain for you and me on the Passover and at the place of the skull. In fact, most biblical scholars believe the Lord Jesus was crucified where Abraham put his son, Isaac, on the altar.

In v.20-21 of today's passage we read, "20 When evening had come, He sat down with the twelve. 21 Now as they were eating, He said, 'Assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me.'"

Due to rebellious man's sin we have all been condemned in our sinfulness. From our conception, there was no hope to be found for us. God had to do something. So, He prepared a plan of salvation, a way for us to be reconciled back to Him through someone in His inner circle. The Lord Jesus agreed before He created this world to be the One to reconcile sinful man back to the holy God of the Bible. In like manner, someone from the inner circle of the Lord Jesus would offer his services to betray the Lord Jesus. This was prophesied in Zechariah 11:12-13. It was not determined by God that Judas would betray the Lord. No, Judas made that decision for a mere 30 pieces of silver, according to Exodus 21:32. Interestingly was the amount of a common slave. The Lord Jesus was always aware of the powers of darkness. He knew that the devil was positioning Judas to betray Him. And yet, according to John 13:2, He loved the disciples, even Judas, til the end.

In v.22 of today's passage we read, "And they were exceedingly sorrowful, and each of them began to say to Him, 'Lord, is it I?'"

In response to the warning of the Lord that one of them would betray Him, the disciples were extremely bothered by these words of the Lord Jesus. They were bothered because they knew they were capable of betraying Him. Even though I have trusted in the Lord Jesus as my Savior, it does not mean that I am in the clear regarding sin. We all could do the worst things and like the disciples we do well to admit it. The other eleven disciples did not know that Judas had already made the deal with the Jewish religious leaders to betray the Lord. Soon, Judas would be revealed as the one who betrayed Him. His betrayal would set forth a series of events that would culminate in the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus. 

In v.23-24 of today's passage we read, "23 He answered and said, 'He who dipped his hand with Me in the dish will betray Me. 24 The Son of Man indeed goes just as it is written of Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born.'"

In those days, meals were served in community bowls from which everyone ate. So, all of the disciples would have dipped their hands in the bowls. This caused all of them to further consider if they were the one who would betray the Lord Jesus. Even though Judas would be revealed as the one who betrayed the Lord Jesus, in the end, the other eleven abandoned Him. When the disciples asked, "Lord is it I?" At that point Judas knew that he was the one, but he didn’t admit to it. God’s plan to provide sinful man His salvation would not be stopped. Even though God allowed Judas’ sin to accomplish part of His plan, Judas could have been forgiven of his betrayal. We do know Judas committed suicide but we do not know if his brokenness led him to confession and repentance. It is possible that we may see him in heaven but only if he acknowledged the Lord Jesus as his Savior.

We should not be surprised to find that someone could follow the Lord Jesus and hear His teachings and witness His miracles and then betray Him. But, this is what Judas did. When he decided the Lord Jesus was not going to overthrow the Romans and set up His political kingdom then and there, Judas went to the Jewish religious leaders to betray the Lord Jesus. And, he was motivated by money. In fact, Judas agreed to betray the Lord for 30 pieces of silver. According to Exodus 21, the price of a slave. According to Luke's gospel when Judas made this decision, it was on the heels of Satan entering him. God didn't make Judas betray the Lord Jesus, but He knew that Judas would make that choice. God makes no one sin, otherwise He would be guilty of sin. No, God knew in advance what Judas would do and He told us in advance of the deed that would be done. 

In v.25 of today's passage we read, "Then Judas, who was betraying Him, answered and said, 'Rabbi, is it I?' He said to him, 'You have said it.'"

Judas' address to the Lord Jesus reveals why he betrayed Him. Instead of calling the Lord Jesus "Lord," as the others did, Judas called Him "Rabbi." For Judas, the Lord Jesus existed for him, instead of Judas existing for the Lord Jesus. It is clear Judas was never a Christian in the first place. It is the earlier words of the Lord Jesus in John 6:64-65 that grants us further understanding. "'But there are some of you who do not believe.' For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who it was that would betray Him. 65 And He was saying, 'For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me, unless it has been granted him from the Father.'"

In the Upper Room, according to Luke's gospel, the disciples argued among themselves who was the greatest. Then, without a word the Lord Jesus arose, took off His outer clothing, and, kneeled in front of each disciple in turn, including Judas. He washed their feet and dried them with a towel. The disciples were shocked, stunned, and embarrassed. They didn't know what to make of this. Only absolute humility can generate absolute love. Love's nature is to be selfless and giving. Christ's love and His humility are inseparable. He could not have been so consumed with a passion for serving others, even His betrayer, if He had been primarily concerned with Himself. No, He loved them all til the end, even Judas.

Matthew 26:17-19

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17 Now on the first day of the Feast of the Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying to Him, "Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?" 18 And He said, "Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, 'The Teacher says, My time is at hand; I will keep the Passover at your house with My disciples.'" 19 So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them; and they prepared the Passover. ~ Matthew 26:17-19

Today, we continue our study of Matthew 26 where a clear contrast has been established between those who are defined by the God of the Bible and those who are not. As we return to the narrative, we find ourselves entering back into Thursday. Preparations are being made for this last Passover meal because the Lord Jesus changed it into the Lord’s Supper. In fact, now, God desires for us to remember the Passover by remembering the death of His Son on the cross at Calvary.

In v.17 of today's passage we read, "Now on the first day of the Feast of the Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying to Him, 'Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?'"

On the first day of the feast of the Unleavened Bread, the Jews celebrated the Passover where they gathered to share a celebration meal of the Exodus when the nation of Israel was delivered from slavery in Egypt. During the tenth plague in Egypt, those who trusted the LORD applied the blood of the sacrificial lamb to the doorposts of their home. As a result, the death angel passed over their house and their firstborns were spared from death. 

The time of Israel's slavery in Egypt was so hard, yet it was the will of God for them. As with all things, good and bad, there is always to be found the purposes of God for our lives and the lives of those whom we love. Sometimes, we find it difficult to imagine that God causes or allows certain things in our lives. But, we can rest assured that His will is the best for us and it will come to meaningful fruition as we learn to bend our will to His. 

No one would have guessed that for the Jews to be in Egypt for 400 years meant they would grow to be a powerful people in numbers. During those 400 years, God grew Israel to be a people of 2 million. God clearly uses the trials that come into our lives to tune our hearts and souls to be able to recognize and follow Him and to do His will. Without tests, there are no testimonies.  

Since they were in Jerusalem, the disciples inquired of the Lord Jesus regarding where to eat the Passover. The way the Lord Jesus arranged for the Passover feast clearly reveals He knew there were plots to thwart God's plan. This is why He set up the Passover meal at an unknown place. No names were given, and the unnamed man who carried the pitcher of water gave the disciples the guest room. And that’s where they had their last Passover. It happened this way so that the Lord Jesus could celebrate the Passover to fulfill all righteousness.

In v.18 of today's passage we read, "And He said, 'Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, ''The Teacher says, My time is at hand; I will keep the Passover at your house with My disciples.'""

Since it was the task of the women to carry the water from the well, a man carrying a pitcher of water was unusual. And, of course, that was how the Lord Jesus lead the disciples to look for the upper room. With the Lord, there is always more to the story. Rarely does He work in the main headlines of the day. He is to be found in the subscripts of all of the stories. Those thirsty for Him have heard His words found in John 7 where He said, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. He who believes in me, as the scripture has said, 'Out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water.'" 

We do not know what the next moment of our lives will bring. But, we have come to know the One who has invited us to follow Him through the ebbs and flows of life. As we follow Him through prayer and scripture reading, we learn to see Him with our hearts. This is not an easy habit to form but as we trust Him accordingly, He will direct our way. As He leads and we follow, we will realize that out of our hearts will flow rivers of living water. This water satisfies and fuels us on in our personal relationship with Him.

In v.19 of today's passage we read, "So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them; and they prepared the Passover."

It all happened as the Lord Jesus had told the disciples. When they arrived in Jerusalem, the disciples immediately saw the unnamed man carrying a jar of water. They followed him and made preparations in a large upper room in a man's house in Jerusalem. Through all of this the Lord Jesus very subtly illustrated the beauty of His will and His culture. He gave the disciples reassurance by showing them His omniscience, for He knew in advance that there would be a room and an obedient messenger who led them to the room. As a result of the obedience of the disciples, they enjoyed the will of God. This all aided the deepening of their relationship with Him. The more they saw Him in control, the more they trusted Him. This is the way it works. It was no accident. Such is the process of knowing God, His power, and realizing His will in and through our lives daily.

The death of the Lord Jesus Christ on Calvary's cross was also no accident. It was not a bad ending to a noble effort by a good man. His death on the cross was not the end of His life, it was the beginning of ours because His death brought an end to sin and death for us. It was at His cross that He dealt a death blow to the penalty, power and eventually the presence of sin. And, when we receive His free gift of salvation, God sees us through the lens of His Son. The goal of His life was to bridge the gap between us and God, something we could not do for ourselves. 

As is always the case, the Lord had a plan and afterwards, He was betrayed and arrested in accordance with His plan. After He finally accomplished everything during the last supper, the Lord Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. It was there that He was arrested and He was led away to be executed. Only in that little window could He be arrested, tried, and executed, but not before He fulfilled all righteousness on our behalf. Then He would die at the very hour all Passover lambs were slaughtered since Israel's time in Egypt. It is truly stunning to see all of these details come together under His control.

Many find the cross to be foolish, but it reveals the incredible wisdom of God. While it reveals the ugliness of sin, it reveals the beauty of God’s love. It punishes sin and offers forgiveness at the same time for all who are humble enough to admit we need help. Justice and grace were wed that Friday in Jerusalem at His cross. I trust you have seen the beauty of this narrative for yourself.

Matthew 26:14-16

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14 Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests 15 and said, "What are you willing to give me if I deliver Him to you?" And they counted out to him thirty pieces of silver. 16 So from that time he sought opportunity to betray Him. ~ Matthew 26:14-16

Today, we continue our study of Matthew 26 where we have just observed the worship of Mary of Bethany, the sister of Lazarus and Martha. Of course, it was six days before that Mary worshipped Him in that way. True worship is defined by that which defines us most. The type of worship that Mary displayed at Simon's house was the result of a heart transformed by entering into a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. 

God is sovereign and everything happens within His divine framework. Everything in life is controlled by our Father who is in heaven. Everything the Lord Jesus did was what God wanted Him to do. The Apostle Paul tells us that in the fullness of time, the Lord Jesus Christ came into this world to be the propitiation or the satisfying sacrifice for all of mankind. And, His death was planned by God before the foundation of the world. It was the divine plan of God that He would die for the sin of the world.

In v.14-15 of today's passage we read, "14 Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests 15 and said, 'What are you willing to give me if I deliver Him to you?' And they counted out to him thirty pieces of silver."

In just one verse the scene makes a dramatic shift from an incredible display of adoration and worship back to the ugly realities of living in this fallen world. It was the Passover and the Lord Jesus would be handed over to the Jews to be crucified as the Lamb of God. This was prophesied in Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53 among other Old Testament passages, and it was during the Passover that He was slain in Jerusalem. We are told in Revelation 13:8 that it was from the foundation of the world that it was determined that the Lord Jesus would pay the penalty for man's sin. God is omniscient which means He knows everything. That does not mean He makes all things happen as they do. He allowed man to sin. Could He have prevented it? Absolutely, but if He had, we would all be robots with no will of our own. And, without a will, there is no choice. And, without choice, there is no love. 

The Passover goes all the way back to Egypt when the enslaved Jews experienced the forgiveness of God as the death angel passed over their homes which had the blood stains of the sacrificed lamb over the door frame. God had long planned for the Lord Jesus to be THE Passover Lamb. It was the will of God for the Lord Jesus to be crucified on that particular Friday. God had to do something to remedy man's sin problem. So, He prepared a plan of salvation, a way for us to be reconciled back to Him through someone in His inner circle. While Mary used her money to honor the Lord Jesus, Judas used the Lord Jesus to get money. Mary anointed the Lord Jesus for His burial while the religious leaders and Judas arranged for His burial. The Lord Jesus recognized Mary for favoring Him over the poor while Judas seemed to favor the poor over the anointing of the Lord Jesus. 

Interestingly, the name "Judas" is a form of the name "Judah" which means "thank you." Judas didn't live up to His name. In fact, his family name was Iscariot which reveals he was from the village of Kerioth, 23 miles south of Jerusalem. I find it striking that Judas was the only non-Galilean among the twelve disciples. Judas Iscariot is always mentioned last whenever there's a listing of the twelve disciples in the New Testament. When Judas bargained with the leaders of Israel for the betrayal of the Lord Jesus, they considered the cost of the death of the Lord Jesus to be that of a slave. According to Exodus 21:32 the purchase price of a slave was 30 pieces of silver. It was the Lord Jesus who humbled Himself and offered Himself up as a slave to be betrayed for 30 pieces of silver. He was the only perfect one who could pay the worthy price for our forgiveness in the eyes of God.

In v.16 of today's passage we read, "So from that time he sought opportunity to betray Him."

In Psalm 41:9 we read, "Even my own familiar friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted up his heel against me." Only a friend could have betrayed the Lord Jesus. According to John 13:18, some 900 years after the writing of Psalm 41:9, it was confirmed that one within the inner circle of the Lord Jesus would betray Him. In fact, Judas shared bread with the Lord Jesus the evening he betrayed Him. This all happened in fulfillment of Psalm 41:9.