_THE DISCIPLESHIP OF LOVE_ ‘Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, there came unto Him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on His head.’ Matthew 26:6 This incident of the anointing by Mary represents the type of discipleship which show... [ Continue Reading ]
_THE BEST IS NOT TOO GOOD_ ‘To what purpose is this waste?’ Matthew 26:8 I. THE ORIGIN OF THE QUESTION.—How do these words emerge again and again from the deep of men’s hearts and find utterance more or less distinct from their lips! Sometimes they are words of disciples spoken in simplicity and... [ Continue Reading ]
_IS IT I?_ ‘And as they did eat, He said, Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray Me. And they were exceeding sorrowful, and began every one of them to say unto Him, Lord, is it I?’ Matthew 26:21 It was a moment of dismay among the disciples of Jesus. Each man’s anxiety is turned towa... [ Continue Reading ]
_OVER-CONFIDENCE_ ‘Peter answered and said unto Him, Though all men shall be offended because of Thee, yet will I never be offended.’ Matthew 26:33 No other apostle makes us feel so much at home with him as St. Peter. He is one of the three or four of whom we know most. We know his sad history as... [ Continue Reading ]
_FELLOWSHIP WITH CHRIST_ ‘Then saith He unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with Me.’ Matthew 26:38 The subject of our thoughts is our Lord’s appeal to the sympathy of His disciples in this the hour of His soul-sorrow. I. FELLOWSHIP WITH CHRIST.—... [ Continue Reading ]
_THE AGONY IN THE GARDEN_ ‘And He went a little farther, and fell on His face, and prayed.… let this cup pass from Me.’ Matthew 26:39 Why was our Blessed Lord in such distress? It is not sufficient to say that it was because of physical fear. What was it that caused Him such anguish of heart and... [ Continue Reading ]
_WATCH AND PRAY_ ‘Watch and pray.’ Matthew 26:41 Here are two great safeguards against temptation—watchfulness and prayer. I. WATCHFULNESS.—‘Watch!’—for the great enemy is ever watching you. _ (a) Against the devil_. You have to wrestle even against the very hosts of hell (Ephesians 6:2). _ ... [ Continue Reading ]
_TO STAND WHEN FLESH IS WEAK_ ‘The spirit … is willing.’ Matthew 26:41 Appreciate St. Peter’s willing and fervent spirit. In Christ’s presence brave; miscalculated powers for the conflict. To stand when flesh is weak, we must— I. REALISE WHAT WE ARE.—Are we ‘willing’ ones on Christ’s side? Our... [ Continue Reading ]
_THE HIGH PRIEST’S QUESTION_ ‘And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure Thee by the living God, that Thou tell us whether Thou be the Christ, the Son of God.’ Matthew 26:63 It was quite in keeping with the character of Caiaphas, that he would ignore all the decencies of a judicial... [ Continue Reading ]
_THE ADVENTS OF CHRIST_ ‘Henceforth ye shall see the Son of man sitting at the right hand of power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.’ Matthew 26:64, R.V ‘Henceforward’—you lose everything if you are content to read vaguely ‘hereafter’—nay, but from this dark hour of the scourging and the cross... [ Continue Reading ]