Matthew 27:35-44

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35 Then they crucified Him, and divided His garments, casting lots, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet: "They divided My garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots." 36 Sitting down, they kept watch over Him there. 37 And they put up over His head the accusation written against Him: THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS. 38 Then two robbers were crucified with Him, one on the right and another on the left. 39 And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads 40 and saying, "You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross." 41 Likewise the chief priests also, mocking with the scribes and elders, said, 42 "He saved others; Himself He cannot save. If He is the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him. 43 He trusted in God; let Him deliver Him now if He will have Him; for He said, 'I am the Son of God.'" 44 Even the robbers who were crucified with Him reviled Him with the same thing. ~ Matthew 27:35-44

Today, we return to our study of Matthew 27 where we have just witnessed the Roman soldiers volunteer Simon of Cyrene to help the Lord Jesus get to Golgotha with His crossbeam. As we learned last time, what started out as something very unwanted by Simon ended up being the greatest blessing ever. Such is the case with the ways of God. If we give Him enough time, He will work miracles in and through our lives.

In v.35 of today's passage we read, "Then they crucified Him, and divided His garments, casting lots, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet: 'They divided My garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots.'"

At nine in the morning the Lord Jesus was nailed to the cross. He was there for six hours, from 9am until 3pm. All four gospel writers found it most difficult to go into the details of the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus. None of them described the driving of the nails into His hands and feet. They all four just wrote four words to describe it: "Then they crucified him."

In this first verse of today's passage Matthew quotes Psalm 22:18, "They divided my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots." All of the four Gospels offer complementary perspectives on the crucifixion rather than providing a purely chronological report. They all confirm the central event while highlighted unique details. Matthew’s focus is on the prophecy while Mark is on the suffering of the Lord Jesus. Luke focuses on the compassion shown by the Lord Jesus towards others, while John focuses us on God's sovereignty over the whole event.

The prediction written here was made hundreds of years before this event was fulfilled by the Romans. According to Roman law, the property of the victim became the property of the executioners. The Roman soldiers "cast lots" to see which of them would get the clothing of the Lord Jesus. Their hardened hearts prevented them from seeing the real narrative which was unfolding before their eyes. They had long been trained by this world's values so much so they could not see from an eternal point of view. Because of this they had no interest in the greatest story ever told.

In v.36-37 of today's passage we read, "36 Sitting down, they kept watch over Him there. 37 And they put up over His head the accusation written against Him: THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS."

In those days the Romans included a sign above the criminal who was being crucified to explain why He was there on His cross. The sign above the Lord Jesus was written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek due to where He died. Since the Lord Jesus was not guilty of any crime, Pilate simply had written above Him, "THIS IS JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS." Matthew's gospel records it this way. Mark, Luke, and John record part of the saying. Pilate knew that the Lord Jesus was innocent. He knew that out of envy the religious leaders had conjured up lies about Him. This explains the sign above Him that day. I find it interesting that only non-Jews ever used the title "King of the Jews" to describe the Lord Jesus. This seemingly insignificant observation magnifies the truth found in John 1:11, which reads, "He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him." The Apostle John used the word "own" twice. The first time it is used, it is written in the neuter. The second, it is written in the masculine. The first "own" refers to created things, whereas the second refers to the people. His creation received Him, whereas His people didn't.  

This underscores the fact that faith is not a result of being provided more miracles or more truth. No, faith is about the informed bowing of our will to the One who created us. When we place our faith in the Lord Jesus, He will go from being our Creator to being our Re-Creator. He recreates us through His choice to bow His will to the plan of the Father. At the place of the skull, He paid the penalty that separated us from God. And, it is our faith that activates His work to begin in our souls.

In v.38-40 of today's passage we read, "38 Then two robbers were crucified with Him, one on the right and another on the left. 39 And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads 40 and saying, 'You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross.'"

The word translated "robbers" can also be translated "rebels." These guys who were crucified next to the Lord Jesus were friends of Barabbas, who was himself a rebel. The Lord Jesus Christ died the death of a rebel on behalf of rebels. These criminals were equally close to the Lord Jesus. One was saved and the other was lost; one went to heaven while the other went to hell. Both just as close, same opportunity, forever separated; one in glory and the other in eternal punishment. 

The Lord Jesus is the dividing line between death and life. What makes the difference is the choice we make regarding Him. One choice results in a hard heart and the other results in a soft heart. The Lord Jesus did everything for both of these men but only one received the free gift of eternal life. That's the whole idea of Christianity; we do not get into heaven by being reformed. We get into heaven through the death of the Lord Jesus who paid the price required by God in order to make it possible for us to enter into heaven.

The prophecy found in Isaiah 53:12, "And He was numbered with the transgressors" was fulfilled as the Lord Jesus hung on His cross. Think of the possibilities of arranging this. It is simply humanly impossible. The Lord Jesus fulfilled over one hundred Old Testament prophecies when He was crucified. Had He not died the way He did, we would have no hope for eternity. The Romans and the Jews hurled their abuses at Him, but He never once defended Himself. 

Everything that day screamed for the Lord Jesus to come down from the cross. His friends had abandoned Him, the Romans were killing Him, and his countrymen were mocking Him. And, in the middle of all of this, we learn a valuable lesson from the Lord Jesus who was led by His Father to that God-forsaken place. The other voices told Him to "come down." Those voices threatened His identity. We must resist those voices for ourselves because those voices demand that we must prove our value. This is what the Lord Jesus was dealing with while on the cross. His identity was firmly rooted in His Father's love for Him so that we could know His love for us. 

In v.41-44 of today's passage we read, "41 Likewise the chief priests also, mocking with the scribes and elders, said, 42 'He saved others; Himself He cannot save. If He is the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him. 43 He trusted in God; let Him deliver Him now if He will have Him; for He said, 'I am the Son of God.' 44 Even the robbers who were crucified with Him reviled Him with the same thing."

The religious leaders wanted the Lord Jesus to come down from the cross so that they, allegedly, might believe in Him. What they didn't understand, if He had come down, their faith in Him would have been meaningless. Of course, it is very questionable that their statement about believing in Him was authentic. After all He had given them so much truth and so many miracles, had He performed one more miracle would not have made a difference. The Lord Jesus resisted the temptation to come down from that cross, so that you and I would not be resisted by God. He hung there suspended between heaven and earth, so that you and I could transcend to heaven. He was abandoned so that we would not be abandoned.

Matthew 27:32-34

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32 Now as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. Him they compelled to bear His cross. 33 And when they had come to a place called Golgotha, that is to say, Place of a Skull, 34 they gave Him sour wine mingled with gall to drink. But when He had tasted it, He would not drink. ~ Matthew 27:32-34

Today, we continue our study of Matthew 27 where the Lord Jesus Christ has just endured a horrible beating at the hands of Pontius Pilate's soldiers. The earthly journey of the Lord to the cross did not begin 33 years earlier, it began in eternity past. This was no surprise to God, it was a part of His plan to redeem rebellious mankind. C.S. Lewis once said, "It costs God nothing, so far as we know, to create nice things: but to convert rebellious wills cost Him crucifixion." As we enter back into the narrative, we discover the Lord Jesus so weak from loss of blood that He was physically unable to carry His cross. This set the stage for today's sub-story which is where God is most acutely found.

In v.32 of today's passage we read, "Now as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. Him they compelled to bear His cross."

From Pilate’s residence to Golgotha, the place where the Lord Jesus was crucified, was only a few hundred yards. These would be the final steps of the Lord Jesus on this earth until He returns at His Second Coming. His walk to the place of His crucifixion was a display of humiliation highlighted by Him carrying His crossbeam which was tied to Him. The cross weighed between 75 and 100 pounds. Since the Lord Jesus struggled so to carry His cross, the Roman soldiers forced a man named Simon from Cyrene to carry it for Him. 

Simon was an African from Cyrene or as we know it today, Libya. He was an African Jew who had come to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover and he just so happened to be walking by as the Lord Jesus was struggling to carry His cross. The moment Simon was ordered to carry the Lord's cross, I am sure he thought, "I am in the wrong place at the wrong time." However, things were not as they first appeared. As is always the case, in God’s providence Simon was at "the right place at the right time." There are no coincidences with God. In Mark's gospel we are given the names of Simon's two sons, Alexander and Rufus. When Mark wrote his gospel these two were still alive. As a result of today's story, Simon and his two sons came to faith in the Lord Jesus as their Savior. In addition, today's story has long been corroborated.

In Romans 16:13 we read, "Greet Rufus chosen in the Lord and his mother." This Rufus was the son of Simon from Cyrene. Also, in Acts 13:1, we read, "In the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul." Simeon is a variant name for Simon who became a leader of the church in Antioch with other Christians from Cyrene.

On that day that the Roman soldier seized Simon to carry the cross for the Lord, he was ordered to do something he did want to do. In that moment, Simon could not possibly see what the Lord had in mind for him. God used the crucifixion of His Son to get to the heart of Simon the father of Alexander and Rufus. Simon thought he was in the wrong place at the wrong time, but, in time the whole scenario changed. I find that to be the case in my life. If I just give God enough time, He has always been known to make sense even out of my most unwanted of moments.

In addition, it just so happened that a certain man was being crucified next to the Lord Jesus that day in Jerusalem. Perhaps for the first time in his life, this unnamed criminal had the time to talk to and to listen to God. At one point he asked the Lord Jesus to remember him when He entered into His kingdom. To that random man that awful day, the Lord Jesus gave assurance of salvation and eternal life. Again, there are no coincidences with God. That day the sovereignty of God slayed the idea of coincidences for the thief on the cross as it did for Simon.

Citing coincidence is how we humans explain unexpected events and surprise meetings. But, just because we are taken by surprise does not mean that God is shocked. Scripture is clear that God allows sinful humans to make mistakes and reap the consequences of those mistakes, but only a sovereign God could also promise that He will make "All things work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose." In ways known only to God, He takes even our mistakes and weaves them together to fulfill His purposes which always render the best results for us. Just like Simon of Cyrene, the criminal that hung next to the Lord Jesus was not at all in the wrong place at the wrong time. He was exactly where he should have been. In response faith in the God of the Bible was born in that man that day. With our sovereign God, there are no coincidences. 

In v.33-34 of today's passage we read, "33 And when they had come to a place called Golgotha, that is to say, Place of a Skull, 34 they gave Him sour wine mingled with gall to drink. But when He had tasted it, He would not drink."

Golgotha means "the place of the skull" and it is located just outside the Damascus gate in the northern wall of Jerusalem. It is called the place of the skull because it looks like a human skull. This is where the Roman soldiers led the Lord Jesus to be crucified. I find it most striking that God allowed little ole man to order Him around. In doing so, the Lord Jesus illustrated the greatest display of strength for He gave up the right and the ability to exact His power on the lesser. 

The Lord Jesus was offered wine at two separate times while He hung on the cross. The first wine was mixed with myrrh. It was designed to dull His pain, to keep him from having to endure the cross with full consciousness. He refused the first wine because He knew He had to endure the full wrath of God for you and me. For our sake, the Lord Jesus died the most painful of deaths, out of love for us. He drank the second wine which was given to keep Him conscious for as long as possible, and thus it prolonged His pain. Though it was a sinister attempt by the Romans to be entertained by His suffering for longer, He yielded His will yet again. When we look at the Cross we see God’s incredible faithfulness to the promises He has given. There is nothing, not even the instinct to spare His own Son, that would have turned God from keeping His word.

Matthew 27:27-31

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27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole garrison around Him. 28 And they stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him. 29 When they had twisted a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand. And they bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 30 Then they spat on Him, and took the reed and struck Him on the head. 31 And when they had mocked Him, they took the robe off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him away to be crucified. ~ Matthew 27:27-31

Today, we return to our study of Matthew 27 where the Lord Jesus has been beaten to a pulp and Pilate has now issued a decree to have Him crucified. Unbeknown to him, Pilate was a major actor in the struggle between good and evil that day. Coming into view was the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. All of the events of today's passage merely led up to that most crucial moment of all of human history.

In v.27 of today's passage we read, "Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole garrison around Him."

The term "Praetorium" refers to the official residence or headquarters of a Roman governor. In this case, Pontius Pilate, the prefect of Judea during the time of Jesus' trial. Pilate's praetorium was the setting for the trial and sentencing of the Lord Jesus. It was there that Pilate turned the Lord over to his soldiers who were nothing short of brutal. There was an ancient Roman game that was played in those days, and it is alluded to here. This game was called "hot hand" which was when the guards took a prisoner and blindfolded him. Then they formed a circle around the prisoner, and they placed him in the center of the circle. Then, all but one of the soldiers would take turns at hitting the prisoner. Then, they took the blindfold off him, and they asked, "Which one of us didn't hit you?" If the prisoner guessed incorrectly, they'd do it all over again until he got it right.

In v.28-29 of today's passage we read, "28 And they stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him. 29 When they had twisted a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand. And they bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him, saying, 'Hail, King of the Jews!'"

The Roman soldiers mockingly placed a scarlet robe on the Lord Jesus. Then, they placed a crown of thorns on His head. This crown was the product of the Fall of rebellious man. This crown included the curse and the honor. It has always been impossible for any human to earn the honor of a personal relationship with God by atoning for our sin. This is why the Lord Jesus came. He came to atone for our sin. And, as a result, we have the chance of being made right in God's eyes simply by believing in His sacrifice on our behalf. Only the Lord Jesus could resolve our sin and curse problem.

Bowing before the Lord Jesus, the Roman soldiers mockingly hailed Him as a king. They also beat and spat on Him. Then they mockingly placed a crown of thorns on Him. They couldn't see the irony therein because they lacked a biblical theology. It was man's sin that brought thorns into existence in the first place and in just a few hours the Lord Jesus would reverse the curse that had been illustrated by those thorns. The mistreatment of the Lord Jesus Christ was for all who would believe, because all of us have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. This means that we are all guilty of rebellion against God which has caused us to not be able to dwell in His presence.

One sign that we have come into right relationship with God is that we no longer blame someone else for our sinfulness. Personal responsibility for our sin aligns with what the Bible calls confession. Agreeing with God's assessment in all areas of our lives is a possible sign that we have been born again. And, if we do not see ourselves standing there with the fickle crowd and the cruel soldiers, full of hostility and hatred for the Lord Jesus, we really do not understand the nature and the depth of our sinfulness or the necessity of the cross. Sin was not something created or authored by God. Rather, God created a good universe and good human beings. Sin is the product of man thinking he could make it through life on his own without God.

When the soldiers took the robe off of the Lord Jesus, it was quite painful for Him. When blood coagulates it acts like glue. Once they placed that robe on His bloodied body and the blood dried, the garment adhered to His body. And, when they took the robe off, they ripped the freshly mended scabs off of His body with it. That pain only added to the misery He was going through that day. But, it would get worse when they led Him to be crucified.

In v.30-31 of today's passage we read, "30 Then they spat on Him, and took the reed and struck Him on the head. 31 And when they had mocked Him, they took the robe off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him away to be crucified."

The reed with which they struck the Lord Jesus served as a symbol of mockery and humiliation. This reed was a flimsy narrow stick used symbolically by the Roman soldiers in order to belittle the Lord Jesus. In v.29 the reed was even placed in the right hand of the Lord Jesus. Inadvertently, the placing of that reed in the right hand of the Lord Jesus fulfilled a prophetic imagery given by Isaiah of the suffering servant. In Isaiah 42:3 we read, "A bruised reed He will not break and a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish; He will faithfully bring forth justice." 

Crucifixion was not invented by the Romans, the Persians invented it, but the Romans perfected it. The Persians originally invented crucifixion because they thought the earth was holy and sacred, and, they did not want to taint the earth. So, the Persians elevated the guilty ones off the sacred earth for their death. Crucifixion disappeared from man's purview until the Romans rediscovered it and when they perfected it, the Romans crucified thousands upon thousands. 

I find it most instructive that among so many crucified only One is remembered as such. The cross of the Lord Jesus Christ was made of two parts: the vertical stake and the horizontal crossbeam. The cross is the greatest axis ever known to man. It is the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ that made it possible for all of mankind to pass out of the darkness of death into the light of His everlasting life. This is done only by coming into a personal relationship with God by believing in the work of His Son on the cross. While this world grades according to the curve, God grades according to the cross. The Bible is clear that the only passage way into this personal relationship with God is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Matthew 27:20-26

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20 But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitudes that they should ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus. 21 The governor answered and said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release to you?”They said, “Barabbas!” 22 Pilate said to them, “What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ? They all said to him, “Let Him be crucified!” 23 Then the governor said, “Why, what evil has He done?” But they cried out all the more, saying, “Let Him be crucified!” 24 When Pilate saw that he could not prevail at all, but rather that a tumult was rising, he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, “I am innocent of the blood of this just Person. You see to it.” 25 And all the people answered and said, “His blood be on us and on our children.” 26 Then he released Barabbas to them; and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered Him to be crucified. ~ Matthew 27:20-26

Today, we return to our study of Matthew 27 where we have witnessed the trials of the Lord Jesus before He was required to carry His cross to the Place of the Skull. As we have seen, the six trials the Lord Jesus endured that early morning in Jerusalem were divided into two parts, the first three were before the Jewish religious leaders, and the second set of three before two Roman governors, Pilate and Herod.

In v.20-21 of today's passage we read, "20 But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitudes that they should ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus. 21 The governor answered and said to them, 'Which of the two do you want me to release to you?' They said, 'Barabbas!'"

Barabbas was an insurrectionist who wanted to overthrow the Roman government. Pilate wrongly believed that if he allowed the Jews to choose between the most despicable prisoner and the Lord Jesus, they would pick the Lord Jesus to be set free. And as we have seen before, such great irony is discovered in the name of Barabbas which means "son of the father." It was the Lord Jesus, the true Son of the Father, who was bound to be the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. 

Up to this point in the narrative, the crowds in Jerusalem had responded favorably to the Lord Jesus, but that changed as the deceit of the religious leaders began to spread. To the religious leaders and the people, Barabbas was the savior they chose that day. The Lord Jesus was there to give life, while Barabbas was the one who had taken life. The Lord Jesus was there to save the people from sin, while Barabbas was there to save the people from Rome. The people chose the fake over the real, and in so doing the crowd fell to the deceptive powers of darkness. The crowd didn’t free Barabbas because they liked him, they freed him because they disliked the Lord Jesus. They had taken up the offense of the religious leaders of Israel.

In v.22 of today's passage we read, "Pilate said to them, 'What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?' They all said to him, 'Let Him be crucified!'"

It was disappointment that drove the Jews to reject the Lord Jesus. They expected Him to fulfill their plans but He came with a much higher calling. It is really unwise to be defined by something like disappointment. In the economy of God, disappointment is necessary for the development of our faith in Him. Patience is a must when we are disappointed and we are making a very important decision. Change one little letter and our disappointments turn out to be His appointments. As Philip Yancey says in his book, Disappointment with God, "Where there is no longer any opportunity for doubt, there is no opportunity for faith either."

In v.23-25 of today's passage we read, "23 Then the governor said, 'Why, what evil has He done?' But they cried out all the more, saying, 'Let Him be crucified!' 24 When Pilate saw that he could not prevail at all, but rather that a tumult was rising, he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, 'I am innocent of the blood of this just Person. You see to it.' 25 And all the people answered and said, 'His blood be on us and on our children.'"

When Pilate asked the crowd about any evil the Lord Jesus had done there was nothing but chaotic words proving the point that the Lord Jesus was as a sheep led to slaughter. It wasn't that the Lord Jesus was so easy to hate. After all, He had done nothing but good for the people. All of this just underscores the incredible deceptive powers of Satan. Having said that, these things had to happen so that mankind could be redeemed back to God. It is not that God made the people choose Barabbas that day, but He allowed the deception of Satan to manipulate the outcome. 

In v.26 of today's passage we read, "Then he released Barabbas to them; and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered Him to be crucified."

Pilate released Barabbas and he had the Lord Jesus beaten. He didn't mean for it to go as far as it did but Pilate's men nearly beat the Lord Jesus to death. The flogging the Lord Jesus endured was bloody. Long leather cords were imbedded with bits of metal and bone, so that as the thongs whipped around the body of the Lord Jesus, the skin on His back and on His sides was cut and flayed open, until He was a bloody mess. Pilate ordered the flogging, thinking he would not have to crucify the Lord Jesus. He had hoped to awaken the sympathy of the crowd but to no avail. As a result, the Lord Jesus died a relatively quick death. Those who had been crucified before had hung on their cross for weeks at a time before they died. 

It was love that sent the Lord Jesus to the cross. Love naturally flows fully out of a heart that is itself conscious of being loved. In Gethsemane that night, the Lord Jesus communed with His Father who completely loved Him. As a result, having been strengthened and steadied, the Lord Jesus availed Himself to the cruelest form of human death, the cross. One cannot show His love further than laying down His life for another, especially when He has the power to wipe those who mean Him harm off the face of the earth in the twinkling of the eye. The Lord Jesus did not wait for us to earn His love to die for us. He knew that we were incapable of such, so, when He died on the cross, He spelled out the fact that God loves us. The cross has one horizontal beam along with another that was vertical. One represents the width of God's love and the other reflects the height of His holiness. As Max Lucado once said, "The cross is where God forgave His children without lowering His standards."

Matthew 27:15-19

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15 Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to releasing to the multitude one prisoner whom they wished. 16 And at that time they had a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. 17 Therefore, when they had gathered together, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release to you? Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” 18 For he knew that they had handed Him over because of envy. 19 While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent to him, saying, “Have nothing to do with that just Man, for I have suffered many things today in a dream because of Him.” ~ Matthew 27:15-19

Today, we return to our study of Matthew 27 which chronicles the trials of the Lord Jesus at the hands of the religious leaders of Israel and of Pontius Pilate governor of Judea. By now it was early Friday morning and the Lord Jesus was clearly on His way to being punished by Pilate so that the false charges against Him by the Jews would be satisfied. As we will see, there are many ironies to be found in today's narrative. An irony is a state of affairs or an event that seems deliberately contrary to what one expects. Once we begin to see irony in the Bible, we will increasingly see the glory and the sovereignty of God.

In v.15 of today's passage we read, "Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to releasing to the multitude one prisoner whom they wished."

Somewhere just after midnight the religious leaders arrested the Lord Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane and then they put Him through a series of three trials throughout the early morning. All three of these so-called trials were unlawful according to the law of Moses and they lasted about an hour all together. After the initial three trials, the Lord Jesus endured three more trials at the hands of Pilate and Herod. According to John 19:14, when Pilate rendered his final verdict, it was 6:00 a.m.  

All of this took place at the time of the Passover which commemorated the release of an entire nation from Egypt. During the Passover, Pilate had created a tradition of releasing a prisoner. He fully expected the crowd that had gathered there to choose the Lord Jesus to be released but it didn't happen as he anticipated. According to Luke's gospel, Pilate made a noble effort at being a just judge. Three times he declared the Lord Jesus "not guilty." Pilate tried to do the right thing, but he was under tremendous pressure to be bring justice upon the One who had committed no crime. Nothing worked. Since the religious leaders of Israel led the people to be against the Lord Jesus everything Pilate tried only mounted the hostility of the masses. The crowd became more bloodthirsty and more infuriated as the minutes advanced.

In v.16-18 of today's passage we read, "16 And at that time they had a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. 17 Therefore, when they had gathered together, Pilate said to them, 'Whom do you want me to release to you? Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?' 18 For he knew that they had handed Him over because of envy."

Barabbas, having unsuccessfully plotted an insurrection against Rome, languished in Pilate's prison. Such great irony is discovered in the name of Barabbas which means "son of the father." In Exodus, God identified Israel as "the son of the Father." In Barabbas, Israel saw itself. Yet, both Barabbas and the nation of Israel were very far from being sons of the Father. Ironically, the Son of the Father in heaven took Barabbas' place so that the sons of men could become sons of the Father who in heaven.

We are always at our worst when we are defining ourselves. We have been duped by the enemy to follow him by indirectly putting ourselves on the throne of our lives. As a result, we think that we know what is best for us. Not so! We often choose the kingdoms of this world, and we reject the Father and His Son and their values. If we could only understand that even the unwanted things and events that enter into our lives on a given day, they are all part of His divine will for us for that day. And, it is through such that God defines us.

In v.19 of today's passage we read, "While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent to him, saying, 'Have nothing to do with that just Man, for I have suffered many things today in a dream because of Him.'"

Pontius Pilate was the fifth governor of Judea. He was given the post in 26 A.D. by Tiberius Caesar and he occupied that post for 10 years. Pilate was not a Roman. He was Spanish. He was born in Seville, Spain. Due to the fact that he loved war, when the Roman legions came to his area of the world, he decided to join the Roman army and fight for Rome. He got the position of governor over Judea by marrying a young lady by the name of Claudia Procula, the granddaughter of Augustus Caesar. 

When Pontius Pilate was sitting on his judgment throne, his wife warned him to do nothing wrong to the Lord Jesus. But, as we will later learn, the Jewish religious leaders had persuaded the multitudes that they should ask for Barabbas to be released by Pilate and that the Lord Jesus should be killed. In the end, the Lord Jesus willingly gave up His power while Pilate held on to his. This narrative drips with irony. The Son of the Father laid down His life for a man whose name means "son of the father." And, the ultimate Judge/King yielded Himself to be judged by a man whom He had put into his position as king. But, the greatest irony of them all is that the wrong thing was being done at just the right moment in time.

Matthew 27:11-14

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11 Now Jesus stood before the governor. And the governor asked Him, saying, "Are You the King of the Jews?" Jesus said to him, "It is as you say." 12 And while He was being accused by the chief priests and elders, He answered nothing. 13 Then Pilate said to Him, "Do You not hear how many things they testify against You?" 14 But He answered him not one word, so that the governor marveled greatly. ~ Matthew 27:11-14

Today, we continue our study of Matthew 27 where the Lord Jesus has endured three trials before the religious leaders of first century Israel and now he is before Pontius Pilate for the first time. When this is over, the Lord Jesus will have endured six trials, three at the hands of the Jewish religious leaders and three at the hands of Pilate and Herod. These trials reveal mankind's wicked heart and God's gracious heart. The Lord Jesus was not crucified because evil men decided to murder Him, He was crucified in accordance with God's plan. 

In v.11 of today's text we read, "Now Jesus stood before the governor. And the governor asked Him, saying, 'Are You the King of the Jews?' Jesus said to him, 'It is as you say.'" 

The entire religious ruling body of Israel, all 70 of them, escorted the Lord Jesus to Pilate's palace. They did this after they had bound Him, ridiculed Him, spit on Him, and beaten Him. The Lord Jesus was never the victim of human cruelty, though. He wasn’t the victim of the Jewish Supreme Court who condemned Him. And, as we will see, the Lord Jesus was not the victim of Pilate and Herod, who ultimately executed Him. He was God’s chosen Lamb whom God had predetermined that He would procure forgiveness for all who would believe in the kindness of the God of the Bible.  

In v.12 of today's passage we read, "And while He was being accused by the chief priests and elders, He answered nothing."

In Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53 we are given the description of the crucified Son of God long before crucifixion was even known to be a mode of death. Before His accusers He was silent just like a sheep is before its shearers. Just days before, it was the Lord Jesus who had silenced the religious leaders as He taught in the temple. He had communicated the truth with such authority that many feared confronting Him, and those who did were silenced. Yet, at this moment before Pilate He was silent because He was defined by the Scriptures. The Lord Jesus never contradicted the Word of God. Any kind of defense would have prevented the crucifixion and would have prevented our salvation. So, the Lord Jesus remained silent through it all so that He would fulfill His calling as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

In v.13 of today's passage we read, "Then Pilate said to Him, 'Do You not hear how many things they testify against You?'"

Pilate privately interrogated the Lord Jesus about His kingship because, for him, that was the crucial issue, and he concluded that the Lord Jesus was guilty of no crime. Three times Pilate clearly affirmed Him innocent before His accusers. In fact, Pilate publicly washed his hands as a sign that he believed in the innocence of the Lord Jesus. The Lord Jesus wasn't a criminal but you and I are and we could not handle the weight of the penalty for our criminal status before God. It was not only the religious leaders of Israel who testified against the Lord Jesus, it was our sin.

In v.14 of today's passage we read, "But He answered him not one word, so that the governor marveled greatly."

As Pilate looked down upon the Lord Jesus who was in peasant clothes spattered with blood, he concluded that He didn't look like someone who was a threat to his kingdom. Pilate marveled greatly which means he was absolutely amazed. Pilate was taken aback that the Lord Jesus didn't even try to defend Himself. Pilate had long seem criminals who were quick to save themselves by accusing others. But, the Lord Jesus remained silent and He didn't even cry out for mercy. Amazingly, the Lord Jesus never offered a single word of defense.

His mercy and grace had to precede the Lord Jesus. He came as the gracious king who suffered the punishment that mankind rightfully deserved. And, in order to accomplish this Herculean task, He had to conquer not only sin and death, He had to conquer the stubborn and fearful human heart. It is only through His grace and mercy that the stubborn human heart is changed. He did this through His cross and His resurrection. It was through His cross that He drove a nail into sin and death, and, it was through His resurrection that He brought life to those made dead to God by their sin.

Standing before Pilate was the only One who could die for the sin of mankind because He was the only sinless One. The Lord Jesus was not a political king, He is a spiritual king. The Lord Jesus is the type king men and women invite to rule and reign in our hearts. He died the cruelest of death so that we would trust in Him enough to allow His kingdom to come into our hearts. We who have come to the end of ourselves and our own resources have turned to the Lord Jesus and we have invited Him to call the shots in our lives. The Lord Jesus is no King of any country in this world, He is the King over the hearts of humbled men and women, boys and girls. It was Martin Luther who once asked, "Is it not wonderful news to know that salvation lies outside ourselves?"

Matthew 27:3-10

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3 Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, 4 saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” And they said, “What is that to us? You see to it!” 5 Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself. 6 But the chief priests took the silver pieces and said, “It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, because they are the price of blood.” 7 And they consulted together and bought with them the potter’s field, to bury strangers in. 8 Therefore that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day. 9 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying, “And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the value of Him who was priced, whom they of the children of Israel priced, 10 and gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord directed me.” ~ Matthew 27:3-10

Today, we return to our study of Matthew 27 where the Lord Jesus has just been taken by the religious leaders of Israel to the governor of the region, Pontius Pilate. This chapter is full of contrast. All of these contrasts point to the ultimate contrast between the God of the Bible and the god of this world, the God of truth and of purpose and of sacrifice, and, the god of lies and of chaos and of suicide.

In v.3-5 of today's passage we read, "3 Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, 4 saying, 'I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.' And they said, 'What is that to us? You see to it!' 5 Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself."

Here, we are provided another contrast between guilt and innocence. When Judas saw the Lord Jesus taken to the place of Pilate and condemned, his tears flowed from the deepest part of his being. He felt deep and severe pain. His pain was so agonizing and excruciating, he no longer was driven by greed. Much like Peter, Judas was devastated deeply. His choice to betray the Lord Jesus made him aware of the essential wrongness of what he had done. God has built into all of us this sense of wrong that sets off an alarm system that alerts us of the uncharted water we have entered. This is a gift from God to man in order to hold us back from evil and its ultimate end, eternal hell. 

The Greek word translated "remorseful" means to wish it had never happened. The depth of Judas' remorse was an indication that he had failed to love the Lord Jesus. Perhaps, Judas didn't experience the godly kind of sorrow that according to 2 Corinthians 7:8-10 leads to repentance. The only thing Judas knew to do was to undo what he had done. So, he went to the chief priests and the elders and threw his 30 pieces of silver at their feet. Where he failed was not seeking the Savior. In so doing, Judas sought relief within himself. He was anxious to rid himself of his pain. He knew he had betrayed the innocent Savior of sinful man. This is why he returned the money which he had before pursued. This only underscores the fact that money will never satisfy us. This is true of all sin. That which we think will satisfy us and is not allowed by God will only lead us down the rabbit hole to greater dissatisfaction. This is the narrative of sin. It looks good and then we take it and it stings us with a poison that only brings death to us.

Judas knew, according to Deuteronomy 16, that a false witness who witnesses against a person unto death is required to pay for his sin with his own life. This explains why he took his life. Most people believe Judas went to Hell and he very well may have. I only know that the difference between Judas and me is the grace of God. It is clear that Judas, just like all the other disciples, expected the Lord Jesus to set up His political kingdom. And, just like the other disciples, Judas identified the Lord Jesus as an innocent man. Could it be that he from his heart felt guilt and remorse turned back to the Lord? Maybe we will be shocked to see Judas in heaven. I hope so. I'm sure many will be surprised that I will get there.

In response to Judas' remorse the Jewish religious leaders showed no guilt or any remorse. They were hard hearted and indifferent toward Judas when they said, "What is that to us? You see to it!" They were indifferent toward Judas which is a clear sign that they knew not for themselves the heart of the Father who is in heaven. Loved people love people.

In v.6-10 of today's passage we read, "6 But the chief priests took the silver pieces and said, “It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, because they are the price of blood.” 7 And they consulted together and bought with them the potter’s field, to bury strangers in. 8 Therefore that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day. 9 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying, “And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the value of Him who was priced, whom they of the children of Israel priced, 10 and gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord directed me."

The chief priests took the money which had come from the temple treasury and concluded it was not lawful to put it back into the treasury because it had become "blood money." Blood money was money illegitimately paid to someone to get someone else killed. Here we have the testimony for all time and for all the world to see right out of the mouths of the chief priests themselves that the money they gave to Judas was "blood money." These sanctimonious hypocrites didn’t mind taking it out of the treasury to be used illegally, but they were too pious to put it back where it came from, because they didn't want anyone to know that they were just as guilty a Judas. Out of their own mouths, they confirmed their guilt.

So, the religious leaders of Israel took the 30 pieces of silver to purchase the potter’s field which was a place where you pick up clay. Potters mold clay. So, the potter’s field was the place that potters collected clay. The religious leaders purchased the field so that they would have a place to bury the strangers. They used polluted money to buy a polluted field to bury polluted people. It was sort of a good will gesture toward those who didn’t have enough money to pay for their own burial. 

In v.8 we are given another contrast: The hypocrisy of men and the prophecy of God. Thirty years later Matthew wrote of this field as "the field of blood to this day." It went from the Potter's field to the field of blood because it was bought with blood money. The people of Jerusalem nicknamed this field "the field of blood." This means their testimony was that the money Judas received and gave back was "blood money" underscoring the veracity of this story. The testimony of the whole population of Jerusalem 30 years later was that the field was "the field of blood" because of bribery. The religious leaders thought they were doing their work but all the while they were fulfilling God’s plan. This was the fulfillment of prophecy found in the Old Testament.

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.