Matthew 26:1-75
THE BETRAYAL. THE LAST SUPPER. ARREST OF JESUS, AND TRIAL BEFORE THE HIGH PRIEST 1-5. A Council is held against Jesus (Mark 14:1; Luke 22:1 : cp. John 13:1).... [ Continue Reading ]
THE BETRAYAL. THE LAST SUPPER. ARREST OF JESUS, AND TRIAL BEFORE THE HIGH PRIEST 1-5. A Council is held against Jesus (Mark 14:1; Luke 22:1 : cp. John 13:1).... [ Continue Reading ]
AFTER TWO DAYS] This fixes the date as Tuesday, if the Passover was on Thursday night; or Wednesday, if, as is more probable, it was on Friday night. IS BETRAYED] This clear prediction is peculiar to St. Matthew.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE SCRIBES] RV omits. THE PALACE] RV 'the court,' i.e. the central quadrangle, the house being built round a square plot of ground, like a college. From the place of meeting it may be inferred, but not with certainty, that this was not a formal meeting of the Sanhedrin. CAIAPHAS] in full, Josep... [ Continue Reading ]
NOT ON THE FEAST _day_] RV 'Not during the feast.' This strongly favours the view that the Jewish Passover that year took place on Friday night. If the Passover took place on Thursday night, as many maintain, Jesus was crucified on the feast day itself, which extended from the Passover evening till... [ Continue Reading ]
SIMON THE LEPER] His leprosy must have been healed, or he could not have entertained guests. The incurable character of leprosy renders it a sure conjecture that he owed his healing to Jesus. It is probably no more than a coincidence, yet it is a very singular one, that in the very similar incident... [ Continue Reading ]
JESUS IS ANOINTED IN THE HOUSE OF SIMON THE LEPER (Mark 14:3; John 12:1 : see further on Jn). This incident seems in St. Matthew and St. Mark to take place on Tuesday or Wednesday evening, but the true chronology is probably given by St. John, who places it six days before the Passover. It is insert... [ Continue Reading ]
A WOMAN] i.e. Mary, sister of Lazarus (Jn). A quite untrustworthy but widelyspread tradition identifies her with the 'sinner' of Luke 7:37, who is (also without any sufficient reason) often identified with Mary Magdalene. ALABASTER BOX.. POURED IT ON HIS HEAD] see on Luke 7:37; Luke 7:38. HIS HEAD]... [ Continue Reading ]
HIS DISCIPLES] St. John mentions especially Judas.... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR MUCH] for 300 denarii (Mk, Jn).... [ Continue Reading ]
YE HAVE THE POOR] cp. Deuteronomy 15:11; Mark 14:7.... [ Continue Reading ]
MY BURIAL] Another prediction of His death, followed in the next v. by a remarkable prophecy of the universal extension of His religion.... [ Continue Reading ]
JUDAS BETRAYS JESUS (Mark 14:10; Luke 22:3). The exact date cannot be fixed. It may have been as early as Sunday night, or Monday. Matthew 26:16 implies a considerable interval between the betrayal and the arrest. The paltry sum for which Jesus was betrayed (the price of a slave, Exodus 21:32) has r... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY COVENANTED WITH HIM] RV 'they weighed unto him,' in accordance with ancient custom (Genesis 23:16), but money was probably at this period always coin, not bullion.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE FIRST _day_ OF.. UNLEAVENED BREAD] As, according to St. Mark and St. Luke, this was the day on which the Passover lambs were slaughtered, it must mean the day before the Passover (Jewish reckoning), i.e. from sunset on Thursday to sunset on Friday. The last supper was held on Thursday evening, a... [ Continue Reading ]
THE LAST SUPPER (Mark 14:12; Luke 22:7; John 13:1). For the order of events see on Jn, and intro. to Matthew 21. The question whether the Last Supper was the Jewish Passover or not, is discussed in a note on John 18:28, where it is argued that Jesus, knowing that He would be crucified on Friday, cel... [ Continue Reading ]
THE MASTER SAITH] It is clear that the man was a disciple, so that here is another synoptic proof of a previous ministry of Jesus at Jerusalem. St. Mark and St. Luke here add additional details to the narrative, implying a miraculous gift of foresight on our Lord's part. MY TIME IS AT HAND] The disc... [ Continue Reading ]
HE SAT DOWN] RV 'He was sitting at meat,' or, rather, 'reclining.' For the attitude at table, see on John 13:23. The Law (Exodus 12:11) required the Passover to be eaten standing, but this was no longer observed. The Talmud says, 'It is the custom of slaves to eat standing, but now let them eat recl... [ Continue Reading ]
HE THAT DIPPETH] RV 'He that dipped' (Psalms 41:9). St. John describes this incident in much fuller detail.... [ Continue Reading ]
IT HAD BEEN GOOD] A popular expression. The rabbis said, 'Whoever knows the Law and does it not, it were better for him never to have been born.' 'If a man does not attend to the honour of his Creator, it were better if he had not come into the world.' The justice of Judas's punishment, seeing that... [ Continue Reading ]
MASTER] RV 'Rabbi.' THOU HAST SAID] i.e. Yes: a rabbinical idiom never found in the OT. After Matthew 26:25 the evangelist probably (though not certainly) intends it to be understood that Judas at once withdrew (see Matthew 26:47), thus agreeing with St. John, who also represents the traitor as lea... [ Continue Reading ]
AS THEY WERE EATING, JESUS TOOK BREAD] This may correspond with No. 7, but it seems more probable that both the bread and the wine were consecrated together at the close of the meal, the bread when it was.almost, and the cup when it was quite, finished. The Jewish ritual of breaking the Passover br... [ Continue Reading ]
INSTITUTION OF THE LORD'S SUPPER (Mark 14:22; Luke 22:19; 1 Corinthians 11:23). It is not certain how far Jesus at the Last Supper followed the customary Passover ritual, but it is clear that He did so to some extent. The following gives the usual order of proceedings, omitting a few details: (1) Th... [ Continue Reading ]
THE CUP] RV 'a cup.' Since it was taken after supper (St. Luke and St. Paul), and is expressly called by the latter the 'cup of blessing' (1 Corinthians 10:16), it was clearly the third cup of the paschal supper, called by the rabbis the 'cup of blessing' (No. 9). The ritual was as follows: (1) It w... [ Continue Reading ]
MY BLOOD OF THE NEW TESTAMENT] RV 'my blood of the covenant.' This is a clear proof that Jesus regarded His death as an atoning sacrifice for the sins of the world, and, therefore, as altering the relation of the whole human race to God. As Moses had once made a covenant with God by the blood of vic... [ Continue Reading ]
I WILL NOT DRINK HENCEFORTH, etc.] (Mark 14:25; Luke 22:18). These mysterious and beautiful words are a well-known 'crux' of interpreters. It seems clear, however, that they are to be taken as referring to the whole rite of the Lord's Supper, and not simply to the 'fruit of the vine,' or cup. This i... [ Continue Reading ]
SUNG AN HYMN] i.e. the second part of the Hallel (Psalms 115-118) which accompanied the fourth Passover-cup: see No. 10 above. _ADDITIONAL NOTES ON THE LAST SUPPER_ (_a_) ITS THEOLOGICAL AND APOLOGETIC IMPORTANCE. On the night of the Last Supper the fortunes of Jesus were at their lowest ebb. There... [ Continue Reading ]
I WILL SMITE] freely adapted from Zechariah 13:7, a strictly Messianic passage. The quotation is intended to alleviate the scandal of the disciples' conduct, by showing that it was foretold.... [ Continue Reading ]
PETER ANSWERED] 'He ought rather to have besought Christ, and begged for aid (against the coming temptation). But he sinned in three ways at once: (1) in contradicting the Prophet and the Christ, (2) in placing himself above the rest, (3) in trusting in himself alone, and not in the help of God. Whe... [ Continue Reading ]
BEFORE THE COCK CROW] i.e. before the day begins to dawn. There is practically no difference of meaning between this and 'before the cock crow twice' (Mk), for when the cock once begins to crow in the morning, he does so at frequent intervals. The rabbis say, 'They do not keep cocks at Jerusalem on... [ Continue Reading ]
THE AGONY IN THE GARDEN (Mark 14:32; Luke 22:40). The peculiar intensity of Christ's agony at Gethsemane presents a difficult problem. It cannot have been due to fear of death, for He came to Jerusalem expressly to die, and never faltered in His resolve, nor is the foreseen flight of the disciples,... [ Continue Reading ]
GETHSEMANE] lit. 'oil-press.' On the W. slope of Olivet, near the foot. 'It is now '(says Sir chapter W. Wilson) 'a small enclosure surrounded by a high wall. The ground is laid out in flower-beds, which are carefully tended by a Franciscan monk; but the most interesting objects are the venerable ol... [ Continue Reading ]
PETER, etc.] In this hour of agony He clung to the companionship of His closest friends, to whom also, as spectators of the glory of the Transfiguration, His present humiliation would be less of a stumblingblock. AND VERY HEAVY] RV 'and sore troubled.'... [ Continue Reading ]
LET THIS CUP] i.e. not merely His death, but all that was implied in bearing the sins of the world in His own body on the tree: cp. Matthew 20:22. The prayer, 'Let this cup pass,' was not sinful, because it was accompanied by the resolution to submit to the divine will, whatever it was. NOT AS I WIL... [ Continue Reading ]
TEMPTATION] i.e. the temptation to forsake and deny Christ.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE THIRD TIME] not a 'vain repetition,' but a repetition of intense earnestness. In great agony men do not frame many words, but say the same words many times.... [ Continue Reading ]
SLEEP ON NOW] spoken with reproachful irony, 'Tou have slept through My agony. Sleep also through My betrayal and capture.'... [ Continue Reading ]
LET US BE GOING] i.e. not to escape, but to meet the betrayer.... [ Continue Reading ]
FROM THE CHIEF PRIESTS] These were the Temple guard of Levites, sent by the Sanhedrin. St. John mentions that Roman soldiers were also present.... [ Continue Reading ]
JESUS IS TAKEN (Mark 14:43; Luke 22:47; John 18:2): see further on Jn.... [ Continue Reading ]
KISS] 'It was not unusual for a master to kiss his disciple; but for a disciple to kiss his master was more rare' (J. Lightfoot).... [ Continue Reading ]
HAIL, MASTER] RV 'Hail, Rabbi.' KISSED] a different word: 'Kissed and embraced him effusively.' Jesus received the kiss, (1) to soften the heart of Judas by His gentleness, if that were possible; (2) in the words of St. Hilary, 'to teach us to love our enemies, and those whom we know to be bitter ag... [ Continue Reading ]
FRIEND, WHEREFORE ART THOU COME?] RV 'Friend, do that for which thou art come.' Lk adds, 'Betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss? 'Here follows in St. John a dialogue between Jesus and those who came to seize Him; after which they all fell to the ground.... [ Continue Reading ]
ONE OF THEM] The synoptic tradition suppresses the name, probably to ensure the safety of Peter. St. John alone mentions that it was Peter, with whose character the act fully accords. HIS SWORD] see Luke 22:38. A SERVANT] RV 'the servant' ('slave'). His name was Malchus (Jn). St. Luke alone mention... [ Continue Reading ]
ALL THEY THAT TAKE THE SWORD, etc.] cp. Revelation 13:10. This incident is a practical commentary on the third Beatitude (Matthew 5:5). It discourages resort to violence on the part of Christ's followers, and recommends instead the meek endurance of injuries. Peace, not war, is their mission. Anothe... [ Continue Reading ]
I SAT DAILY] This cannot merely refer to the two, or at most three days' ministry during Holy Week, but indicates a more extended ministry at Jerusalem at an earlier period, as the Fourth Gospel relates.... [ Continue Reading ]
TRIAL BEFORE CAIAPHAS (Mark 14:58; Luke 22:54). The synoptists omit the preliminary examination before Annas recorded by Jn, because it led to nothing. St. John omits the trial before Caiaphas, because it had already been recorded. From St. Matthew and St. Mark it might be thought that the trial too... [ Continue Reading ]
UNTO THE.. PALACE] RV 'unto the court' (i.e. quadrangle) 'of the high priest': see on V. 3. THE SERVANTS] RV 'the officers.'... [ Continue Reading ]
SOUGHT FALSE WITNESS] That the judges sought witnesses at all, much less false witnesses, is enough to condemn them to perpetual infamy.... [ Continue Reading ]
I AM ABLE TO DESTROY] At the worst this was a boastful remark, and could not be made the basis of a capital charge. This incident strikingly confirms the accuracy of the discourses recorded in the Fourth Gospel, which alone records this saying of Christ (John 2:19). The false witnesses distorted the... [ Continue Reading ]
I ADJURE THEE BY THE LIVING GOD] Jesus consents to be put on His oath, thus declaring oaths before a magistrate to be lawful. THE CHRIST, THE SON OF GOD] The high priest asks not merely whether He is the Messiah, but whether He is a _divine_ Messiah. To claim to be the Messiah whom all good Israelit... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU HAST SAID] Christ's exact words which St. Mark and St. Luke render by 'I am' (see Matthew 26:25). NEVERTHELESS] better, 'moreover.' HEREAFTER (RV 'Henceforth') ye shall see, etc.] Jesus here makes two distinct statements: (1) That henceforth, i.e. from the Ascension onwards, His enemies will be... [ Continue Reading ]
RENT HIS CLOTHES] The Jewish law was: 'They that judge a blasphemer first ask the witness, and bid him speak out plainly what he hath heard; and when he speaks it, the judges, standing on their feet, rend their garments and do not sew them up again.'... [ Continue Reading ]
HE IS GUILTY (RV 'worthy') OF DEATH. To condemn Jesus at once, was contrary to the law, which was, 'Judgment in capital causes is passed the same day if it be for acquitting; but if it be for condemning, it is passed the day after.' The reason is, 'He delays his judgment, and lets it rest all night,... [ Continue Reading ]
Fulfilment of Isaiah 50:6... [ Continue Reading ]
PROPHESY] Christ was blindfolded at the time. The mockery was carried out by the 'officers' of the Sanhedrin. _ADDITIONAL NOTE ON THE TEIAL_ The synoptists all agree that Jesus was condemned for blasphemy, i.e. for claiming more than human powers and attributes. This is inconsistent with the conte... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THE PALACE] RV 'in the court,' i.e. in the quadrangle.... [ Continue Reading ]
WEPT BITTERLY] 'Thou hast seen Peter's sin, see also his repentance. For to this very end were the sins and the repentances of the saints written, that whenever we sin, we may imitate their repentance. And Peter was allowed to fall not only for the reasons mentioned before, but also that he might le... [ Continue Reading ]