_THE JEWS CONSPIRE AGAINST CHRIST: SATAN BY HIS TEMPTATIONS PREPARETH JUDAS TO BETRAY HIM. THE APOSTLES SENT TO PREPARE THE PASSOVER. CHRIST INSTITUTETH HIS HOLY SUPPER: COVERTLY FORETELLETH OF THE TRAITOR: DEHORTETH THE REST OF HIS APOSTLES FROM AMBITION: ASSURETH PETER THAT HE SHOULD DENY HIM THRI... [ Continue Reading ]
AND CAPTAINS— The _captains_ with whom Judas communed, are here and elsewhere called _captains of the temple,_ (see Luke 22:52.) and are joined with the priests as their companions; a circumstance, which proves that they were Jews, and not heathens. See Acts 4:1. From David's time the priests and Le... [ Continue Reading ]
THERE MAKE READY.— See the note on Mark 14:13.... [ Continue Reading ]
WITH DESIRE I HAVE DESIRED— This is a Hebraism, signifying a very fervent and longing desire: "I have longed greatly," said he, "to eat this passover with you before I suffer, because it is the last I shall ever celebrate with you, and because I desire, before my death, to give you the strongest pro... [ Continue Reading ]
UNTIL IT BE FULFILLED IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD.— That is, "until the deliverance of all the faithful saints from the bondage of sin, is accomplished in the gospel dispensation; a deliverance typified by that of our fathers from the Egyptian bondage, to keep up the memory of which the passover was insti... [ Continue Reading ]
THIS DO, &C.— From our Lord's words here recorded, and from those wherewith the apostle has concluded his account of the sacrament, 1 Corinthians 11:26. (—_for as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come,_— καταγγελλετε, ye _preach,_—ye _declare_ the L... [ Continue Reading ]
THE NEW TESTAMENT— _The new covenant._... [ Continue Reading ]
THE HAND OF HIM THAT BETRAYETH ME, &C.— Our Lord, after delivering the sacramental cup, and telling them that his blood was shed for them, mentions the treachery of Judas a second time; and this second declaration came in with peculiar propriety after the institution of the sacrament, which exhibits... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THERE WAS— _Now,_ &c.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE KINGS OF THE GENTILES EXERCISE LORDSHIP, &C.— "Among the Gentiles, they are reckoned the greatest men who have the greatest power, and who exercise it in the most absolute manner. Such, however, have at times affected the pompous title of _Benefactors,_ Ευεργετης, (a surname, which some of the k... [ Continue Reading ]
YE ARE THEY WHICH HAVE CONTINUED WITH ME IN MY TEMPTATIONS, &C.— _In my trials,_ or _afflictions._... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I APPOINT UNTO YOU, &C.— The _kingdom_ which the Father bestowed on Jesus, as the reward of his humiliations, was his mediatorial kingdom, Philippians 2:9 not the happiness of heaven, which he enjoyed from eternity; wherefore, the kingdom which he bestowed on his apostles as the peculiar reward... [ Continue Reading ]
SIMON! SIMON!— This repetition of the name of Simon, shews much earnestness in our Saviour, and intimates the great danger to which Peter was exposed. Our Lord speaks herein the plural,— υμας; "You, my apostles in general."—_That he may_ s_ift you as wheat,_ is an expression denoting the violent agi... [ Continue Reading ]
THE COCK SHALL NOT CROW THIS DAY, &C.— As it is plain from this passage, and from the event, that the cock actually crew before Peter's _third_ denial, we must certainly take the words of St. Luke and St. John for the common time of cock-crowing, which probably did not arrive till after the cock, wh... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT NOW HE THAT HATH A PURSE,— Our Lord, having finished what he had to say to Peter in particular, turned to the other disciples, and put them in mind how they had been prohibited when they were first sent out, to make any provision for their journey, and directed to rely wholly on God; and that th... [ Continue Reading ]
LORD, BEHOLD, HERE ARE TWO SWORDS.— Our Lord's disciples, mistaking his meaning about the _swords,_ replied, they had _two:_ the reason why they had any at all, probably, was, that they might defend themselves against robbers in their journey from Galilee and Perea, and from the beasts of prey which... [ Continue Reading ]
IF THOU BE WILLING, REMOVE THIS CUP, &C.— _Oh that thou wouldst,_—or, _that thou wert willing to remove this cup from me!_ &c. Blackwall. Our Lord spoke this, not as desirous to be excused from sufferings and death, but in reference to the terror and severity of the combat in which he was now actual... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THERE APPEARED AN ANGEL, &C.— As the sins of the world were laid upon Christ, and it pleased the Lord himself to bruise him, and to awaken the sword of justice against him (see Isaiah 53:5.Zechariah 13:7.); so, unless our great Lord had a present view and sensation of this, it is to me unaccount... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HIS SWEAT WAS AS IT WERE GREAT DROPS OF BLOOD— Some commentators have taken this expression in the metaphorical sense; fancying that as those who weep bitterly, are said to _weep blood,_ so they may be said to _sweat blood,_ who sweat excessively by reason of hard labour or acute pain. They expl... [ Continue Reading ]
JUDAS, BETRAYEST THOU THE SON OF MAN WITH A KISS?— "Dost thou betray him, whom thou canst not but know to be _the Son of man,_—'the Messiah,' by that which all men use as the symbol either of love or homage,—making it a signal of thy treachery? And dost thou think that he can be imposed upon by this... [ Continue Reading ]
SUFFER YE THUS FAR.— The sense which has been affixed to this passage is various. Some have understood it as a request from Jesus, that the persons who had apprehended him, would oblige him so far as to let him go to the wounded man; and the context seems to countenance this opinion, representing hi... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN I WAS DAILY WITH YOU IN THE TEMPLE,— This was a proof of our Saviour's innocence; for had he been conscious of any crime which could render him obnoxious to punishment, he would not have exposed himself in this public manner; and had the Jews either thought him guilty, or been able to bring any... [ Continue Reading ]
AND PETER FOLLOWED AFAR OFF.— His love to his Master was not extinguished, yet it was exceedingly weakened; he followed, but _afar off:_ he was here beginning to stagger; he had said that he would _follow Christ,_ and he persuades himself that he is fulfilling his promise by thus _following him afar... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE MEN THAT HELD JESUS, &C.— _And the men who had Jesus in custody._ Wynne. "Though St. Luke has told us how Jesus was insulted, before he describes his trial, contrary in appearance to the order observed by the other evangelists, who mention those insults as succeeding his being condemned, it... [ Continue Reading ]
MANY OTHER THINGS BLASPHEMOUSLY SPAKE THEY— There is something very remarkable in this expression. They charged him with blasphemy, Matthew 26:65 in asserting himself to be _the Son of God;_ but the evangelist here fixes that charge on them, because he really was so.... [ Continue Reading ]
AS SOON AS IT WAS DAY,— When the band of soldiers arrived at the high-priest's with Jesus, they found many of the chief-priests, and scribes, and elders assembled there. Some persons of distinction however may have been absent, for whose coming they would wait; wherefore, although the soldiers broug... [ Continue Reading ]
IF I ALSO ASK YOU, &C.— That is, "If I propose the proofs of my mission, and require you to give your opinion of them, you will overbear me with your renewed violence, and neither acquit nor release me." See on Matthew 26:64.... [ Continue Reading ]
YE SAY THAT I AM.— _Ye say true; for I am._ It follows; _we have heard of his own mouth._ See Mark 14:62.... [ Continue Reading ]
WE OURSELVES HAVE HEARD— It was customary for the Jews to suppress the word _blasphemy_ in their discourses relating to it. St. Luke retains this custom; but St. Matthew and St. Mark have added the word, for the sake of perspicuity. _Inferences_ drawn from our Saviour's agony in the garden. Luke 22... [ Continue Reading ]