Introductory remarks:
Chapter twenty-six is the longest chapter in Matthew's Gospel. In this chapter we will be considering the plot to kill Jesus vs. 1-5; The anointing at Bethany, vs. 6-13; Judas' agreement to Betray Jesus, vs. 14-16; The Passover with the disciples, vs. 17-25; The institution of the Lord's Supper, vs. 26-30; Peter's denial foretold, vs. 31-35; The prayer in Gethsemane, vs. 36-46; The betrayal and arrest of Jesus, vs. 47-56; Jesus before the Council, vs. 57-68; Peter's denial of Jesus, vs. 69-75.
The Plot to Kill Jesus
(Mark 14:1-2; Luke 22:1-2; John 11:45-53)
Verse 1, "And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said unto his disciples,"
LGT "And it came to be that when Jesus had finished all these sayings, He said to His disciples,"
The Lord had finished His Olivet Discourse answering the disciples questions as to when the end of the age will be, He now centers on a new subject.
Verse 2, "Ye know that after two days is the feast of the Passover, and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified."
LGT "You know that after two days the Passover takes place, and the Son of Man is delivered up to be crucified."
Notice the present tense is delivered up setting the exact time when He would be crucified.
This is the sixth time Jesus predicts His death. Jesus sets the time of His death during the Passover Feast. The ones who will kill Him will say that they cannot crucify Him during the Passover; however, Jesus is the one in charge, for no one took His life from Him He gave it freely.
Verses 3, 4, "Then assembled together the chief priests, and scribes, and the elders of the people, unto the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, and consulted that they might take by subtlety, and kill him."
LGT "Then were gathered together the chief priests and the elders of the people into the court of the high priest who was called Caiaphas, and took counsel together in order that they might seize Jesus by guile and kill [Him]."
"A meeting of the Sanhedrin as these two groups indicate (cf. Matt. 21:23). Unto the court (eis ten aulen). The atrium or court, which the palace buildings were built. Here in this open court this informal meeting was held. Caiaphas was high priest A.D. 18 to 36. His father in-law Annas had been high priest A.D. 6 to 15 and was still called high priest by many" (Robertson).
The Sanhedrin sought to take Him by subtlety, and kill Him. The word 'subtlety' in the Greek is dolow meaning guile [craftiness]. "By guile, deceit, or in some secret manner, so that the people would not know it. Jesus was regarded by the people as a distinguished prophet, and by most of them, probably, as the Messiah; and the Sanhedrin did not dare to take him away openly, lest the people should rise and rescue him. They were probably aware that he had gone out to Bethany, or to some place adjacent to the city; and as he passed his nights there and not in the city, there was need of guile to ascertain the place to which he had retired, and to take him" (Barnes).
Verse 5, "But they said, Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar among the people."
LGT "But they said, Not during the feast, that there be not a tumult among the people."
"Not during the feast. The feast lasted seven days. A vast multitude attended from all parts of Judea. Jerusalem is said to have contained at such times three millions of people. Amid such a multitude there were frequent tumults and seditions, and the Sanhedrin was justly apprehensive there would be now, if, in open day and in the temple, they took away a teacher so popular as Jesus, and put him to death. They therefore sought how they might do it secretly and by guile" (Barnes).
The Anointing at Bethany
(Mark 14:3-9; John 12:1-8)
Verse 6, "Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper,"
LGT "Now Jesus being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper,"
After a trying day Jesus retires to Bethany in the house of Simon the leper. Simon had been a leper, but Jesus had healed him (See Matt. 8). It was unlawful for a Jew to eat with a leper, but because Jesus had healed him, He was able to come in and fellowship with Simon.
Verse 7, "There came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on his head, as he sat at meat."
LGT "There came to Him a woman having an alabaster flask of very precious ointment and poured [it] upon His head, as He reclined [at the table]."
John writes that she anointed His feet; there is no discrepancy however, she simply anointed both; the verb katecheen means to pour down.
"This flask of alabaster, a carbonate of lime or sulphate of lime, white or yellow stone, named alabaster from the town in Egypt where it was chiefly found. It was used for a phial employed for precious ointments in ancient writers, inscriptions and papyri just as we speak of a glass for the vessel made of glass. It had a cylindrical form at the top, as a rule, like a closed rosebud (Pliny). Matthew does not say what the ointment (murou) was, only saying that it was exceeding precious (barutimou), of weighty value, selling at a great price. Here only in the N.T." (Robertson).
Verse 8, "But when his disciples saw it, they had indignation, saying, To what purpose is this waste?"
LGT "But seeing [it] the disciples became indignant saying, For what this waste?"
In John 12:4 we read that it was Judas that came and made the complaint.
Verse 9, "For this ointment might have been sold for much, and given to the poor."
LGT "For this could have been sold for much and have been given to [the] poor."
The ointment had the worth of about a year's salary for a laborer. Their concern for the poor was really only a self-righteous condemnation of Mary's act, with a self-righteous concern for the poor; McGee makes a parallel to our rich politicians who mouth off about helping the poor, but in reality do nothing themselves, and do not use the money they tax us, for the poor.
Verse 10, "When Jesus understood it, he said unto them, Why trouble ye the woman? For she hath wrought a good work upon me."
LGT "But Jesus perceiving [it] said to them, Why do you cause this woman trouble? For a good work she produced toward Me."
The KJV translates When Jesus understood it, as if some time had passed; however, it is rightly translated But Jesus perceiving it, for He understood it immediately.
These disciples did not understand the person of our Lord Jesus Christ as Mary did, otherwise, they would have credited Mary for her good work.
Verse 11, "For ye have the poor always with you; but me ye have not always."
LGT "For the poor you always have with yourselves, but Me you do not always have."
This verse is not Jesus saying that it is good to neglect the poor, because there always will be the poor, only making the comparison that He is going away, and it will then be too late to do what Mary is doing.
Verse 12, "For in that she hath poured this ointment on my body, she did it for my burial."
LGT "For in pouring this ointment over My body, she did it for My burial."
Edersheim notes:
"Mary may have had that 'alabaster' of very costly ointment from the olden days, before she learned to serve Christ. Then, when she came to know Him, and must have learned how constantly that Decease, of which He ever spoke, was before His Mind, she may have put it aside, 'kept it', 'against the day of His burying.' And now the decisive hour had come. Jesus may have told her, as He had told the disciples, what was before Him in Jerusalem at the feast, and she would be far more quick to understand, even as she must have known far better than they, how great was the danger from the Sanhedrin. And it is this believing apprehension of the mystery of His death on her part, and this preparation of deepest love for it - this mixture of sorrow, faith, and devotion - which made her deed so precious, that, wherever in the future the Gospel would be preached, this also that she had done would be recorded for a memorial of her."
Verse 13, "Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this, that this woman has done, be told for a memorial of her."
LGT "Verily I say to you, wherever this Gospel shall be proclaimed in the whole world, also that which this [woman] has done shall be spoken, as a memorial to her."
What would be remembered about Mary is the fact that she agonized over the fact that Christ would soon go to the cross; the disciples, led by the greedy treasurer, Judas, saw only in the act of Mary foolishness; The Lord consoled Mary and rebuked the disciples; the disciples would abandoned Christ in His hour, while Mary grieved.
Judas' Agreement to Betray Jesus
(Mark 14:10-11; Luke 22:3-6)
Verse 14, "The one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests,"
LGT "Then one of the twelve, having gone out, the one called Judas Iscariot, to the chief priests,"
Judas Iscariot was chosen as a disciple because of his being thought of as a very prudent man, and this is born out by the fact that his mind was ever on money. Judas jumped at the first opportunity to make a profit by selling our Lord into the hands of the adversary. Whenever a man is motivated by money alone, only evil can result.
Verse 15, "And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver."
LGT "[He] said, What are you willing to give me, and I will deliver Him up to you? And they weighed out to him thirty pieces of silver."
What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you?"
This phrase is literally, What are you willing to give me? We see a very definite contrast in Mary willing to spend for His glory, and Judas selling the Lord for thirty pieces of silver.
And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver."
The word 'covenanted' in Greek is estesen meaning to weigh-out. "They placed the money in the balances or scales. Coined money was in use, but the shekels may have been weighed out in antique fashion by men careful to do an iniquitous thing in the most orthodox way" (Bruce).
Vincent notes on the thirty pieces of silver:
"Matthew refers to Zech. 11:12 in these thirty pieces of silver. These pieces were shekels of the sanctuary, of standard weight, and therefore heavier than the ordinary shekel. Reckoning the Jerusalem shekel at seventy-two cents, the sum would be twenty-one dollars and sixty cents. This was the price, which, by the Mosaic Law, a man was condemned to pay if his ox should gore a servant (Exod. 21:32). Our Lord, the sacrifice for men, was paid for out of the temple-money, destined for the purchase of sacrifices. He 'took on Him the form of a servant' was sold at the legal price of a slave."
Verse 16, "And from that time he sought opportunity to betray him."
LGT "And from that time he sought opportunity that he might deliver Him up."
The word 'betray' in the Greek is parado meaning to deliver up. Judas had to keep up the disguise as a friend of the Lord in order for him to be successful in delivering Jesus into the hands of the religious leaders.
Pentecost writes:
"In keeping with the previous decision (Matt. 26:5), Judas sought an opportunity to betray Christ secretly so as not to start a riot. Judas' unexpected offer changed the timetable by the Sanhedrin. They had thought it necessary to plan the death of Christ after the Passover. If it had not been for Judas' offer, the arrest of Jesus in all likelihood would have been postponed. But now that an accuser had presented himself, the Sanhedrin moved with haste. The thirty pieces of silver which Judas agreed to accept in payment (Matt. 26:15) was a small price for the Sanhedrin to pay in order to expedite their plot. In agreeing to betray Christ, Judas offered to do more than merely identify Him. Identification would have been unnecessary, for all the Sanhedrin were very familiar with Christ; all had seen and heard Him many times. Judas agreed to fulfill a point of Roman law, a necessary requirement if the Sanhedrin was to proceed with their plot to execute Christ. A person could not be brought to trial before a roman court until an indictment had been officially lodged against him, charging him with a crime. This indictment had to be signed by witnesses who, by signing the indictment, agreed to appear in order to give testimony for the prosecution against the accused. Thus Judas offered himself as a witness against Christ. He agreed to go before the roman courts when Christ was brought to trial on a yet undetermined charge. Judas' willingness to fulfill such a function laid bare the depth of his emotions - his bitterness, resentment, and disappointment with the Lord."
The Passover with the Disciples
(Mark 14:12-21; Luke 22:7-14; John 13:21-30)
Verse 17, "Now the first day of the feast of unleavened bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the Passover?"
LGT "Now on the first [day] of unleavened bread, the disciples came to Jesus saying, Where do you wish we should prepare for you to eat the Passover?"
Barnes writes on the Passover:
"The feast continued eight days, including the day on which the paschal lamb was killed and eaten, Exo. 12:15. That was the fourteenth day of the month Abib, answering to parts of our March and April. The term unleavened bread is called so because during the eight days no bread made with yeast or leaven was allowed to be eaten. Luke says, 'in which the Passover must be killed' - that is, in which the paschal lamb eaten on the occasion, was killed. The word in the original, translated Passover, commonly means, not the feast itself, but the lamb that was killed on the occasion, Exo. 12:43; Num. 9:11; John 18:28. See also 1 Cor. 5:7, where Christ our Passover, is said to be slain for us; that is, our paschal lamb, so called on account of his innocence, and his being offered as a victim or sacrifice for our sins."
Verse 18, "And he said, Go into the city to such a man, and say unto him, The Master saith, My time is at hand; I will keep the Passover at thy house with my disciples."
LGT "And He said, Go into the city to a certain man and say to him, The Teacher says, My time is near; with you I will keep the Passover, with My disciples."
"And he said, Go into the city to such a man, and say unto him,"
This man is not mentioned, however, Mark and Luke both say that he would be a man carrying a pitcher of water. Luke also says that only Peter and John went into the city. They were to follow this man into his house and then speak with him; the man's name and the name of the house are not named, probably as Barnes' notes; for security reasons.
"The Master saith, My time is at hand;"
This term 'Master is didaskalos meaning literally the Teacher. This is the title Jesus was known throughout the territory. Teacher was more fitting as He taught them truths not known before, whereas Master would indicate a position of the head of slaves. The phrase My time is near could only be referring to the cross. Some commentators write that My time is near is referring to His observing the Passover with His disciples, but the context seems to definitely point to Christ's going to the cross, which is a much more important subject. The Lord ate the Passover one day earlier than the rest of the Jews, for He would be crucified the next day.
"I will keep the Passover at thy house with my disciples."
Barnes notes:
"The foundation of the opinion that he anticipated the usual time of keeping the Passover is the following:1st. In John 18:28, it is said that on the day on which our Lord was crucified, and of course the day after he had eaten the Passover, the chief priests would not go into the judgment-hall lest they should be defiled, but that they might eat the Passover, evidently meaning that it was to be eaten that day. 2nd. In John 19:14, the day on which he was crucified is called the preparation of the Passover - that is, the day on which it was prepared to be eaten in the evening. 3rd. In John 19:31, the day in which our Lord lay in the grave was called the great day of the Sabbath - 'a high day;' that is, the day after the Passover was killed, the Sabbath occurring on the first of the feast properly, and therefore a day of peculiar solemnity; yet our Savior had partaken of it two days before, and therefore the day before the body of the people. If this opinion be true, then the phrase 'my time is at hand' means my time for keeping the Passover is near. Whether this opinion be true or not, there may be reference also to his death. The man with whom they were to go was probably a disciple of his, though perhaps a secret one. Jesus might purpose to keep the Passover at his house, that he might inform him more particularly respecting his death, and prepare him for it. He sent, therefore, to him and said, I will keep the Passover at thy house.
Mark and Luke add that he would show them 'a large upper room, furnished and prepared.' Ancient writers remark that, at the time of the great feasts, the houses in Jerusalem were all open to receive guests - that they were in a manner common to the people of Judea; and there is no doubt, therefore, that the master of a house would have it ready on such occasions for company. It is possible, also, that there might have been an agreement between this man and our Lord that he would prepare his house for him, though this was unknown to the disciples. The word rendered furnished means, literally, spread with carpets, and with couches on which to recline at the table, after the manner of the East."
Verse 19, And the disciples did as Jesus had appointed them; and they made ready the Passover."
LGT "And the disciples did as Jesus directed them, and prepared the Passover."
"On Thursday morning Peter and John, according to the custom, would go to the Temple and provide for the lamb, which they must purchase and take to the priests who had to pass upon it. Early in the afternoon the lamb would be killed in the Temple court, offered at the altar, and, after the blood was poured out at the altar and a certain part of the lamb was reserved for the sacrifice, the rest would be wrapped in the skin and taken home. Before sunset, the carcass would be roasted in barbeque fashion and made ready for the meal at the blasts of the trumpet just at sunset. The apostles must provide also for the wine, unleavened cakes, bitter herbs, and the charosheth or paste of crushed fruits moistened with vinegar - symbolic of the clay with which the Israelites made brick in Egypt" (Shepherd).
Verse 20, "Now when the even was come, he sat down with the twelve."
LGT "And evening being come, He reclined [at table] with the twelve."
The trumpet had sounded as it announced to all Israel that the Passover had begun. Jesus and His disciples were reclining at the table ready to partake of the evening meal.
"The KJV rendering He sat down, misses the force of the imperfect tense, which denotes something in progress. The Evangelist says He was sitting or reclining, introducing us to something which has been going on for some time" (Vincent).
Edersheim describes the details beginning the Passover meal:
"The period designated as 'between the two evenings,' when the Paschal Lamb was to be slain, was past. There can be no question that, in the time of Christ, it was understood to refer to the interval between the commencement of the sun's decline and what was reckoned as the hour of his final disappearance (about 6 P.M.). The first three stars had become visible, and the threefold blast of the Silver Trumpets from the Temple-Mount rang it out to Jerusalem and far away, that the Pascha had once more commenced."
Verse 21, "And as they did eat, he said, Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me."
LGT "And as they were eating, He said, Verily I say to you, that one of you will deliver Me up."
Eleven of the disciples were astonished at Christ's statement. Jesus foretells of his own betrayal, and He knew it was Judas that would be the culprit.
Verse 22, "And they were exceeding sorrowful, and began every one of them to say unto him, Lord, is it I?"
LGT "And being grieved exceedingly, they began to say to Him each [of them], Lord, am I he?"
Each one of the disciples were confused, not knowing if they were capable of such an act; however Judas had to bluff his way through. Each one of the disciples, according to John's account, looked on one another to see if they might perceive who it would be. What an incredible act Judas had to display. I like McGee's comment on these verses:
"Every one of those men knew that he had it within his heart to betray Christ. Have you discovered that in your own heart and life? My friend, you and I are just that low. You may say, 'Oh, I wouldn't do that!' Are you sure? I would betray Him within the next five minutes if He didn't keep His hand on me - and you would, too. That ought to keep us close to Him."
Verse 23, "And he answered and said, He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me."
LGT "But He answering said, the one who dipped with Me with [his] hand in the dish, he will deliver Me up."
"They all dipped their hands, having no knives, forks, or spoons. The aorist participle with the article simply means that the betrayer is the one who dips his hand in the dish (en toi trublioi) or platter with the broth of nuts and raisins and figs into which the bread was dipped before eating. It is plain that Judas was not recognized by the rest as indicated by what Jesus has said. This language means that one of those who had eaten bread with him had violated the rights of hospitality by betraying him. The Arabs today are punctilious on this point. Eating one's bread ties your hands and compels friendship. But Judas knew full well as is shown in verse 25 though the rest apparently did not grasp it" (A. T. Robertson).
Pentecost writes:
"The dipping of a piece of bread was a significant part of the Passover ritual. In the course of the paschal meal, the master of the feast would pick up some unleavened bread, which was a flat cake. He would put bits of lamb on the piece of bread, sprinkle some bitter herbs on it, and then roll it. Then he would dip the bread containing the meat and herbs into a bitter sauce. This bread would then be handed to a guest. The ritual would be repeated until a piece of bread had been provided for each guest. This was a highly significant part of the Paschal meal. The lamb anticipated God's Lamb, who would provide God's salvation for sinners. In preparing the bread with meat and herbs dipped in sauce, the master of the feast was reminding the participants of God's promise to provide salvation. In receiving the piece of bread, each participant acknowledged his sin. Each also reaffirmed his faith in God's promise that He would send a Messiah to take away sin by the sacrifice of Himself, and each professed his willingness to receive salvation, which Messiah would offer. The disciples were thus anticipating that Christ would prepare pieces of bread to give to each one. Since each one would receive a prepared piece of bread, the offer of this piece of bread to Judas would not have identified him to John or Peter. But it is significant that Christ gave the first piece of bread to Judas Iscariot (John 13:26). It was customary to offer the first piece of bread to the most honored guest at the feast. Judas had been placed on our Lord's left: therefore he shared with John the places of honor. In fact the place of the highest honor had been given to Judas. This was an evidence of the love and the grace of the Lord, who knew what was in Judas' heart before the seats were assigned around the table. Further it is to be noted that since the giving of the bread was in effect an offer of salvation, Christ was offering forgiveness to Judas if he would accept the offered salvation and put his faith in Him. This was grace exemplified. Perhaps no greater demonstration of the love and the grace of Christ can be found anywhere in Scripture than in this scene. For the One who would be betrayed was offering the betrayer forgiveness of sin if he would accept it. Judas took the bread, but there is no record that he ate it as a sign of his acceptance of the Messiah's offer of salvation. Rather it seems that the moment he took the bread 'Satan entered into him' (John 13:27). Judas left the bread untouched and went out from the Lord's presence. He rejected the gracious offer of salvation."
Verse 24, "The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto the man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! It had been good for that man if he had not been born."
LGT "The Son of Man indeed goes, just as it has been written concerning Him, but oouiee to that man by whom the Son of Man is delivered up: it were good for him if that man had not been born."
There are those who seek to lessen the crime of Judas by saying that they think that by his remorse, Judas actually repented, and became a believer; there is no such a suggestion in this verse.
"The Son of man goeth as it is written of Him:"
The Messiah was going to the cross just as it had been prophesied of Him in the Old Testament (See Psalm 41:9; Dan. 9:26, 27; Isa. 53:4-9).
"But woe unto the man by whom the Son of man is betrayed!"
Just as Christ pronounced His woe on the Scribes and Pharisees, He now pronounces this woe unto the one who was to betray Him. Satan entered Judas the moment He refused to eat bread, as the honored guest, with Christ.
"It had been good for that man if he had not been born."
This does not sound to me as if Judas had repented and was eventually saved.
Barnes notes:
"This last phrase, It had been good for that man if he had not been born, was a proverbial mode of speaking among the Jews in frequent use. In relation to Judas, it proves the following things:1st, that the crime which he was about to commit was exceedingly great; 2nd, that the misery or punishment due to it would certainly come upon him; 3rd, that he would certainly deserve that misery, or it would not have been threatened or inflicted; and, 4th, that his punishment would be eternal. If there should be any period when the sufferings of Judas should end, and he should be restored and raised to heaven, the blessings of that happiness without end would infinitely overbalance all the sufferings he could endure in a limited time, and consequently it would not be true that it would have been better for him not to have been born. Existence, to him, would, on the whole, be an infinite blessing. This passage proves farther that, in relation to one wicked man, the sufferings of hell will be eternal. If of one, then it is equally certain and proper that all the wicked will perish forever."
If it be asked how this crime of Judas could be so great, or could be a crime at all, when it was determined before hand that the Savior should be betrayed and die in this manner, it may be answered - 1st. that the crime was what it was in itself, apart from any determination of God. It was a violation of all the duties he owed to God to the Lord Jesus - awful ingratitude, detestable covetousness, and most base treachery. As such it deserved to be punished. 2nd. The previous purpose of God did not force Judas to do this. In it he acted freely. He did just what his wicked heart prompted him to do. 3rd. A previous knowledge of a thing, or a previous purpose to permit a thing, does not alter its nature, or cause it to be a different thing from what it is (just as in Salvation; God's knowledge of who will believe and who will reject, does not change the nature or determine the free-will). 4th. God, who is the best judge of the nature of crime, holds all that was done in crucifying the Savior, though it was by His determinate counsel and foreknowledge, to be by wicked hands, Acts 2:23. This punishment of Judas proves, also, that sinners cannot take shelter for their sins in the decrees of God, or plead them as an excuse. God will punish crimes for what they are in themselves. His own deep and inscrutable purposes in regard to human actions will not change the nature of those actions, or screen the sinner from the punishment which he deserves."
Verse 25, "Then Judas, which betrayed him, answered and said, Master, is it I? He said unto him, Thou hast said."
LGT "And answering, Judas, the one who delivered Him up [the betrayer], said, Am I he, Rabbi? He says to him, You have said."
Judas has to keep up the charade for fear of the other disciples; he could not, at this point, confess that it was he. Judas was not concerned with the future; his greed had driven him to betray the only friend in the world he had. Jesus' answer, Thou hast said, is saying that Judas has finally spoken the truth, even though it was not his intention. It is a Truth that our sins will find us out.
The Institution of the Lord's Supper
(Mark 14:22-26; Luke 22:15-20; 1 Cor. 11:23-25)
Verses 26-28, "And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; for this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins."
LGT "And as they were eating, Jesus took the bread and having blessed, broke and gave to the disciples, and said, Take, eat, this is My body. And having taken the cup, and having given thanks, He gave to them, saying, All [of you] drink of it, for this is My blood, that of the new covenant, which for many is being shed for the remission of sins."
There are several issues I hope we understand concerning the Lord's Supper. 1st. It was a meal. 2nd. It was prophetic in that it was a symbol of Christ's body offered, and shed blood for the remission of sins. 3rd. It was instituted for that generation that not only looked forward to the cross, but the following generation that would be looking back at His finished work on the cross; that is, the generation that were not availed of the Scriptures. 4th. It has no significance to us today in the age of grace because we have access to the completed Word of God, and there is no more use in symbols, anymore than for us to go around with a crucifix hanging around our necks. We are crucified with Christ, we are buried with Christ, and we are risen with Christ; now we should live the life as resurrected to this new life; we are joint heirs with the Lord Jesus Christ and we should live as such; we should not need a robe, a collar, or a crucifix, to prove that we are his Bride; our lives should speak this lesson.
Verse 29, "But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom."
LGT "But I say to you, I will not at all drink from now on of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I will drink it with you new, in the Kingdom of My Father."
The Lord says here that He will not be partaking of the Passover feast until they all observe it in the Millennium. Then they will be looking back at the finished work of His cross, remembering how they got there, that is, by faith in Christ as their Messiah. The Feast of the Passover is done away with; Christ is saying that the shadow or type of things about to be will be replaced by a new covenant after His death on the cross. The Jew no longer was to worship the Lord by types and symbols, but under the new covenant, they were to worship in Spirit and Truth of the grace of God. In this age of grace, that is, from the completion of the Word of God until the rapture of the church, all believers are one in Christ, and there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek; however, Christ will redeem Israel as a nation at the end of the Tribulation, and will celebrate with her in the Millennium.
Verse 30, "And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the Mount of Olives."
LGT "And having sung a hymn, they went out into the Mount of Olives."
"Having sung a hymn (humnesantes). The Hallel, part of Psalm 115-118. But apparently they did not go out at once to the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus tarried with them in the Upper Room for the wonderful discourse and prayer in John 14-17. They may have gone out to the street after John 14:31. It was no longer considered obligatory to remain in the house after the Passover meal till morning as at the start (Exo. 12:22). Jesus went out to Gethsemane, the garden of agony, outside of Jerusalem, toward the Mount of Olives" (A.T. Robertson).
Peter's Denial Foretold
(Mark 14:27-31; Luke 22:31-34; John 13:36-38)
Verse 31, "Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad."
LGT "Then Jesus says to them, All you will be made to stumble in Me during this night, for it has been written [and remains written], I will smite the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered abroad."
"All ye shall be offended because of me this night:"
Jesus is telling his disciples that they would be ashamed of Him this very night, and that they would forsake Him.
For it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad."
This is a quote from Zechariah 13:7: "Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man who is my fellow, saith the Lord of hosts; smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered; and I will turn my hand upon the little ones." Jesus viewed this denial of the disciples as a fulfillment of this prophecy, that is, when the shepherd would be killed, the sheep would be scattered.
Verse 32, "But after I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee."
LGT "But after My being raised, I will go before you into Galilee."
Christ had predicted that Judas was the betrayer, and then He predicted that the disciples would be ashamed of Him and leave Him, and amid all this gloom, He gives them a word of encouragement, that He would come back again from the dead and lead them. This is linked with the previous verse, that is, Christ is saying, I will go before you, as shepherd of My flock.
Verse 33, "Peter answered and said unto him, Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended."
LGT "And answering Peter said to Him, If all [disciples] will stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble."
"Though all men shall be offended because of thee,"
The word men was added by the translators; it should read If all the disciples are made to stumble.
"Yet will I never be offended."
What this phrase reveals about Peter is that he doesn't really know himself.
Barnes notes:
"Peter was ardent, sincere, and really attached to his Master. Yet this declaration was made evidently, 1st. From true love to Jesus. 2nd. From too much reliance on his own strength. 3rd. From ignorance of himself, and of the trials which he was soon to pass through. And it most impressively teaches us, 1st. That no strength of attachment to Jesus can justify such confident promises of fidelity, made without dependence on Him. 2nd. That all promises to adhere to Him should be made relying on Him for aid. 3rd. That we little know how feeble we are till we are tried. 4th. That Christians may be left to great and disgraceful sins to show them their wickedness."
Verse 34, "Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee. That this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice."
LGT "Jesus said to him, Verily I say to you. That during this night, before a cock crows, three [times] you will deny Me."
Jesus says to Peter that he would not only stumble with the other disciples, but that he would outright deny Him, not only once, but three times.
Verse 35, "Peter said unto him, Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee. Likewise also said all the disciples."
LGT "Peter says to Him, Even if it were needful for me together with You to die, in no way will I deny You."
Peter not only doesn't know His Savior, he doesn't even know himself. Peter is very sincere, but in this case, sincerity is the façade for stupidity. Peter use the double negative ou me, meaning in no way would what the Lord said happen, and that is, that he would deny Him.
The Prayer in Gethsemane
(Mark 14:32-42; Luke 22:39-46)
Verse 36, "Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder."
LGT "Then Jesus comes with them to a place called Gethsemane, and He says to the disciples, sit here, until having gone away, I shall pray there."
The Lord leads His disciples to the Garden of Gethsemane. "The word Gethsemane means oil-press in the Hebrew, or olive vat. The place (chorion) was an enclosed plot or estate, garden or orchard (kepos). It is called villa in the Vulgate according to John 18:1. It was beyond the torrent Kedron at the foot of the Mount of Olives about three-fourths of a mile from the eastern walls of Jerusalem. There are now eight old olive trees still standing in this enclosure. One cannot say that they are the very trees near which Jesus had His Agony, but they are very old. 'They will remain so long as their already protracted [lengthened] life is spared, the most venerable of their race on the surface of the earth. Their guarded trunks and scanty foliage will always be regarded as the most affecting of the sacred memorials in or about Jerusalem' (Stanley, Sinai and Palestine)" (Robertson).
"Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder."
Jesus points away from Himself and says, literally, I shall pray there (ekei), designating the spot He would be praying to His Father.
Verse 37, "And took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy."
LGT "And having taken Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, He began to be sorrowful and overwhelmed with anguish."
Jesus took the three disciples Peter, James and John, the same three He took with Him on the mount of Transfiguration; He asked them to remain back a ways and pray, lest they fall into temptation.
"And began to be sorrowful and very heavy."
In my translation I chose the words overwhelmed with anguish because it describes to me better the internal grief He felt as He communed with His Father about the coming of the cross.
Verse 38, "Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me."
LGT "Then He says to them, Very sorrowful is My soul, even to death; remain here and watch with Me."
Jesus left the other disciples at the gate of the Garden to watch for Judas and his cohorts; He took the three with Him to watch and pray. The description of being sorrowful even unto death is because He was looking forward to the cross. Human terms cannot describe the Agony Christ was going through as He contemplated being separated from His Father by taking upon Himself our sins. This is one of the reasons the making of a movie The Passion attempting to depict His agony disturbs me. The very best man can come up with is an appeal to the emotions in that silly Hollywood manner, and this galls me. The other reason is that what Hollywood nincompoop would have the gall to think He could get into the Character and play our Lord? Besides, the movie was taken more from the Catholic Apocrypha more than the true Word of God. Of course, I am making my judgment from the reviews and from friends who saw the movie, so you can say, aha, he didn't go see it, so how can he judge? Well, one thing I know, I have never been able to really understand the soul suffering our Savior experienced, nor have I read any of the commentators who were able; so how in the world can a Hollywood unbeliever depict Christ's suffering. The reason I say that Mel Gibson is an unbeliever is because he said to Diane Sawyer on 'Good Morning America' that a person doesn't have to be saved to get to heaven; this proves that Gibson made his film from a Catholic perspective, because most Catholics don't even know what the term 'saved' means.
Verse 39, "And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt."
LGT "And having gone forward a little, He fell on His face, praying and saying, My Father, if it is possible, take from Me this cup: nevertheless, not as I will but as You."
"O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me:"
What is 'this cup' that Christ prayed would pass from Him? Christ was praying that God would deliver Him from physical death; Christ was praying that God would deliver Him from spiritual death; Christ was praying that God would deliver Him from a premature physical death; Christ was praying that God would deliver Him from an eternal death that would separate Him from His Father for eternity. Allow me to explain: you see, Christ took our place by accepting our sins on Himself, and that would mean that He took our place as a sinner. The penalty for sin is eternal separation from God. We all were born into sin by Adams original sin, and therefore deserving of eternal death. Christ, in His humanity, prayed that the Father would resurrect Him from death and restore Him to His eternal position at His right hand. The shadow of death overcame Christ in the Garden, so He prayed that He might be delivered from a sinners death; Christ was resurrected the third day physically, and He was ascended forty days later to His eternal position at God's right hand.
"Nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt."
"All that was involved when Christ made His soul an offering for sin is so beyond human comprehension that it is possible to see features of all these explanations (1st. that He feared physical death. 2nd. That He feared premature physical death. And 3rd. that He feared spiritual death and separation from His Father) brought together in what Christ referred to as this cup. It did involve physical death, being made sin, being separated from the Father, and entering into the fullness of death, both physical and spiritual, for us. While we cannot comprehend all that was entailed, we can take note of the unquestioned and implicit obedience of the Son, who said three times to His Father, Not what I will, but what You will (Mark 14:36). Because of this Paul could say He became obedient to death - even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Phil. 2:8, 9)" (Pentecost).
Verse 40, "And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?"
LGT "And He comes to the disciples and finds them sleeping, and says to Peter, Are you thus not able to watch one hour with Me?"
Christ voiced great disappointment in the disciples that they could not muster up enough strength to stay awake and watch for Him as He had asked them in verse 38.
Verse 41, "Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."
LGT "Watch and pray, in order that you do not enter into temptation: the spirit [is] indeed ready but the flesh weak."
"Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation:"
Jesus repeats His exhortation of verse 38 with the addition of prayer; He is admonishing His disciples to pray lest they enter into the temptation of denying him. The disciples still expected Him to set up His kingdom while He lived, and they did not yet comprehend that He was to die first, before He would come back and set up His kingdom.
"The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."
The Lord assures them that the only way they would be able to conquer the flesh, that is, the sin nature, is by strength from above. Anytime we think we stand, and are able to withstand the fiery darts of the devil, we should take heed; we are only as strong as our faith; we must rely one hundred percent on the Holy Spirit for our strength.
Verse 42, "He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done."
LGT "Again having gone away a second time, He prayed, saying, My Father, if this [cup] cannot pass from Me unless I drink it, let Your will be done."
"If this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it,"
This 'if' is in the first class condition, that is, Christ assumed it to be true, and He was able to rise above this subtle temptation. Except I drink it is in the third class condition, that is, it is undetermined with the true possibility it will be determined (Robertson).
"Thy will be done."
Regardless of all that He felt, Jesus was determined to fulfill God's will. The Lord spent considerable time in prayer, however Matthew only records the substance of the prayer.
Verse 43, "And he came and found them asleep again: for their eyes were heavy."
LGT "And having come again He finds them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy."
The disciples were feeling sorry for themselves and they were very sad, and as the Expositors Greek Testament records, sadness is soporific [sleep-inducing].
Verse 44, "And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words."
LGT "And leaving them, having gone away again, He prayed a third time, saying the same thing."
Jesus leaves them a third time to pray in order to bolster Himself for the coming cross.
Verse 45, "Then cometh he to his disciples, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners."
LGT "Then He comes to His disciples and says to them, Sleep on now and take your rest: behold, the hour has drawn near, and the Son of Man is delivered into [the] hands of sinners."
"Sleep on now, and take your rest:"
The Lord says, probably under His breath, sleep now, for I no longer need your watchful eyes. One thing that must be made very clear, which I haven't read from any of the commentators I have searched, is that the reason the disciples could not stay awake, besides being wearied by the preceding events, is that they were unable to share in Christ's agony while He prayed, because they probably wouldn't have understood His suffering; this is similar to His agony on the cross during the three hours of darkness while He became sin for us; what He accomplished on the cross, He accomplished alone; there was no moral support, neither did He receive any in the Garden of Gethsemane.
"Behold the hour is at hand,"
This phrase is literally the hour has drawn near.
"And the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners."
Judas, the Romans, and the Jews are coming to take Jesus and crucify Him.
Verse 46, "Rise, let us be going: behold, he is at hand doth betray me."
LGT "Rise up, let us go: Behold, the one who is delivering me up has drawn near."
There is obviously some time between the last verse and this one, for Christ lets the sleepers have their rest. Now the time has come for the traitor and his group of sinners to take Jesus away.
The Betrayal and Arrest of Jesus
(Mark 14:43-50; Luke 22:47-53; John 18:3-12)
Verse 47, "And while he yet spake, lo, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and elders of the people."
LGT "And yet as He is speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a great crowd with swords and staves, from the chief priests and elders of the people."
"And while he yet spake,"
Judas and his band came while Christ is speaking to His disciples.
"Behold, Judas, one of the twelve, came,"
All three of the synoptic evangelists state the same thing about Judas, that he was one of the twelve. Judas knew where Jesus was because it was Christ's habit to go there with His disciples. Judas had some time to gather together this crowd and to plan with the Jews when they would take Jesus.
"And with him a great multitude with swords and staves,"
We might ask why Judas took such a great crowd of temple police and the rest of the Jews with him; it could be that He remembered what Jesus said to Peter that He was able to summon a legion of angels to His side if necessary, and Judas wasn't going to take any chances; of course, this is a simple suggestion.
"From the chief priests and elders of the people."
"Having left the company of the apostles, Judas had consorted with the priests. Even though the Jews had planned to defer the execution until after the Passover crowds had dissipated, they now decided to move ahead with the execution. A large detachment of soldiers was quickly rounded up. Judas led this band to the Garden of Gethsemane, knowing Jesus was spending the night there with the eleven" (Pentecost).
Shepherd in his book The Christ wrote:
"The arrest of Jesus was affected by the Sanhedrists through the Temple police, accompanied by a part of the cohort of Roman soldiers from the tower of Antonia. This cohort of some five hundred soldiers was kept in the tower to quell any tumult among the people and act as an emergency force. It is possible that these soldiers were granted the Sanhedrists by Pilate, in order to affect the arrest without a tumult among the people. The arrangement of this matter would account for the delay in the coming of Judas and the armed force to Gethsemane until after midnight. The Temple police were under direct orders as servant-officers from the chief priests and Pharisees."
Verse 48, "Now he that betrayed him gave them a sign, saying, whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he: hold him fast."
LGT "And the one who was delivering Him up, gave them a sign, saying, Who ever I shall kiss, He it is: seize Him."
"The traitor, as he approached the place where he shrewdly guessed Jesus would be, gave them a sign. His plan was not cut and dry from the first. It flashed upon him as he drew near and began to think how he would meet his Master. The old charm of the Master reasserts itself in his soul, and he feels he must salute Him affectionately. At the same instant it flashes upon him that the kiss which both smoldering love and cowardice compel may be utilized as such is human nature, especially in the Judas type: two-souled men, drawn opposite ways by the good and evil in themselves" (The Expositor's Greek Testament).
Verse 49, "And forthwith he came to Jesus, and said, Hail, master: and kissed him."
LGT "And immediately, having come up to Jesus, said, Hail, Rabbi, and pretentiously kissed Him."
The verb 'kissed katephilesen is a Compound verb that has the force of an emphatic [forceful] ostentatious [pretentious] salute. The kiss that Judas gave Christ was in form only, for he hated Christ.
Verse 50, "And Jesus said unto him, Friend, wherefore art thou come? Then came they, and laid hands on Jesus, and took him."
LGT "But Jesus said to him, Friend, that for which you are here, [be about it]. Then having come, they laid their hands upon Jesus and seized Him."
"Friend, wherefore art thou come?"
The Greek is literally that for which you are here, with the reader supplying be about it. It is not a question, but "that Jesus exposes the pretence of Judas and shows that he does not believe in his paraded affection [the kiss]" (Bruce). Vincent notes on this phrase "The Lord spurns the traitor's embrace, and says in effect, Enough of this hypocritical fawning. Do what you are here to do."
"Then came they, and laid hands on Jesus, and took him."
After Judas identifies Christ, the soldiers step up and seize Him.
Verse 51, "And, behold, one of them which were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck a servant of the high priest's, and smote off his ear."
LGT "And behold, one of those with Jesus having stretched out [his] hand drew his sword and smiting the servant of the high priest, took off his ear."
This of course we know that it was Peter who whacked off the centurion's ear. McGee wrote "that it was obvious that Peter was a fisherman and not a swordsman because Peter was aiming at the centurion's (Malchus by name: John 18:10) head not his ear." Peter was probably trying to prove himself to the Lord because of the Lord's prediction that he would deny Him that very night.
Verse 52, "Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword."
LGT "Then Jesus says to him, Return your sword into its place: for all the ones who take [the] sword, by [the] sword shall perish."
Put again thy sword into his place:"
As we can see by the literal Greek, Return your sword into its place, that Peter still had his sword out ready for more action when the Lord rebuked Him
"For all they that take the sword shall perish by the sword."
Jesus was giving Peter a fair warning that it would not be to his own safety or advantage to use the sword, not that at the proper time the sword could not be used for justice; this particular scene is that Christ did not need Peter's assistance. Those who came after Christ with swords and staves God would judge at the proper time.
Verse 53, "Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?"
LGT "Or do you think that I am not able to call upon My Father, and He will provide for Me even now more [than] twelve legions of angels?"
The Lord tells Peter that He was able to call twelve legions of angels, a legion for each of them, one for each of the eleven and one for Himself, and that He certainly didn't need Peters little knife. A Roman legion was 6100 foot 726 horse soldiers in the time of Augustus. Jesus says in effect that He did not come to fight the opposition, but to die for them.
Verse 54, "But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?"
LGT "How then should the Scriptures be fulfilled that thus it is necessary to be?"
In other words, it is necessary that what is about to take place in His arrest and crucifixion, must be. "Christ had just emerged from the garden where He had indicated His complete submission to the will of God. He would not be diverted from it. If His goal had been deliverance from arrest and death, He would not have needed to depend on impotent men" (Pentecost). What Christ had said in this verse about the fulfillment of Scriptures was designed to give comfort to His disciples.
Verse 55, "In that same hour said Jesus to the multitudes, Are ye come out as against a thief with swords and staves for to take me? I sat daily with you teaching in the temple, and ye laid no hold on me."
LGT "In that hour Jesus said to the crowds, As against a robber are you come out with swords and staves to take Me? Daily in the temple I sat teaching and you did not seize Me."
"Are you come out as against a thief with swords and staves for to take me?"
You come out unlawfully, for you have no legal charge to arrest me; you come out as if I were a common robber. In the Expositor's Greek Testament we read:
"A robber as distinct from a thief is one who uses violence to possess himself of others' property, and Christ's complaint is in the first place that they have treated Him as One who meant to offer resistance. But the reference to His past habit in the sequel seems to show that He has another complaint in His mind, viz., that they have regarded Him as one hiding from justice. The allusion is to the invasion of His privacy in the garden, and the implied suggestion that they have put a false construction on His presence there. They think He has been seeking escape from His fate when in fact He has been bracing Himself up for it!"
"I sat daily with you teaching in the temple, and ye laid no hold on Me."
The Lord tells them that they had plenty of opportunity to seize Him while He sat in the temple teaching them, why did they not take Him them then? The priests had not arrested him then in the daytime, they waited till it was night, and as Pentecost says, "They showed their cowardice."
Verse 56, "But all this was done, that the scriptures might be fulfilled. Then the disciples forsook him, and fled."
LGT "But this all came about, in order that the Writings of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples, forsaking Him, fled."
"But all this was done, that the scriptures might be fulfilled."
Not only the prophets of the Old Testament had predicted all this, Jesus Himself also predicted it. It once again reminds us that this bitter "cup" that Jesus had to drink, He had to drink alone.
"Then the disciples forsook Him, and fled."
All the disciples fled, including Peter. When Jesus did not resist arrest, the disciples fled.
Jesus Before the Council
(Mark 14:53-65; Luke 22:54-55; John 18:13-14, 19-24)
Verse 57, "And they that had laid hold on Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled."
LGT "But the ones who had seized Jesus, led [Him] away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were gathered together."
The actual order of things is that they first led Him to Annas (John 18:13), who was the instigator in all this, the father-in-law of Caiaphas, and then on to the palace of Caiaphas. (See my exposition on the Gospel of John for the details of the illegality of the arrest and trial)
Verse 58, "But Peter followed him afar off unto the high priest's palace, and went in, and sat with the servants, to see the end."
LGT "And Peter followed Him from afar, even to the court-yard of the high priest, and having entered within, sat with the officers to see the end."
It is not my intention to make a synopsis of the Gospel accounts here, for it would take too much time, and time with me is at a premium; so what I am trying to do is simply make an exposition of Matthew's account. Here we have Peter fallowing Christ, but afar off; He showed more courage than the other disciple, except John the beloved, who went in with Christ. Even at this Peter, as we will see, did not show enough courage.
Verse 59, "Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death;"
LGT "And the chief priests, and the whole Sanhedrin kept on seeking false evidence against Jesus, so that they might put Him to death."
The words 'sought false witness' are gr. exetoun pseudomarturian, an imperfect tense, and meaning, kept on seeking false evidence. "Judges have no right to be prosecutors and least of all after false witness and even to offer bribes to get it' (A.T. Robertson). These scoundrels were bound and determined to kill our Lord, and nothing would stand in their way.
Verse 60, "But found none: yea, though many false witnesses came, yet found they none. At the last came two false witnesses."
LGT "But many false witnesses, having come forward, they found not, but at last, two having come forward:"
The reason they found not a witness was that all these were false witnesses, and as such, they could not agree between themselves, and the Law required at least the agreement of two witnesses.
"They found not false witness that looked plausible and justified capital punishment - it was not for want of witnesses of a kind; many offered themselves and made statements, but they did not serve the purpose: either trivial or inconsistent; conceivable in the circumstances: coming forward on the spur of the moment from the crowd in answer to an invitation from the prejudiced judges eager for damnatory evidence. Those who responded deserved to be stigmatized as false. None but base, mean creatures would have borne evidence in such a case - only two had anything to say worth serious attention" (Expositor's Greek NT).
Verse 61, "And said, This fellow said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days."
LGT "This [Man] said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and in three days to build it."
The witnesses were in attendance when Jesus spoke these words, but they quoted Him incorrectly.
"What He had said (John 2:19) referred to the temple of His body which they were to destroy (and did) and which He would raise again in three days as He did. It was a pitiful perversion of what Jesus had said and even so these two witnesses disagreed in their misrepresentation (Mark 14:59)" (Robertson).
Verse 62, "And the high priest arose, and said unto him, Answerest thou nothing? What is it which these witness against thee?"
LGT "And having stood up, the high priest said to Him, Do You answer nothing what these witness against You?"
The high priest being baffled by the accusation of the two witnesses; he wants Christ to answer in order to clear things up in his mind, so that he could rightfully charge Christ.
Verse 63, "But Jesus held his peace. 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."
LGT "But Jesus was silent, and the high priest said to Him, I adjure You by the God, the Living One, in order that You tell [us] if You are the Christ, the Son of God."
"But Christ held his peace."
Christ knew that there was no substance in their accusations, so He remained silent.
"I adjure thee by the living God,"
The high priest was getting nowhere in his questioning Christ, so he now puts Christ under oath, so he could get Christ to incriminate Himself, "a thing" says Robertson, "that is against Jewish jurisprudence."
"That thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God."
The word 'that' gr. (hina) which introduces this clause, is literally translated, in order that, making this a purpose clause, "signifying the design with which the high priest adjured Christ" (Vincent).
Barnes notes on the high priest's question:
"The Jews uniformly expected that the Messiah would be the Son of God. In their view it denoted, also, that he would be divine, or equal to the Father, John 10:31-36. To claim that title was therefore, in their view, blasphemy; and as they had determined beforehand in their own minds that he was not the Messiah, they were ready at once to accuse him of blasphemy."
Verse 64, "Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven."
LGT "Jesus says to him, You have said: but even more, I say to you, After this you shall see the Son of Man sitting at [the] right hand of power, and coming upon the clouds of the heaven."
"Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said:"
When Jesus is put under oath, He answers Caiaphas, knowing the full extent the results. Jesus answers Caiaphas, You have finally spoken the truth.
Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven."
Jesus begins this sentence with a startling statement, not only am I the Son of Man, but even more than that, someday you and I are going to change places. Jesus claims that one day Caiaphas will see him coming back in the clouds, and then He will judge Caiaphas. This is all Caiaphas needed to convict Jesus, although, illegally.
Verse 65, "Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need we of witnesses? Behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy."
LGT "Then the high priest tore his clothes, saying, He has blasphemed: why do we have need yet of witnesses? Behold now you have heard the blasphemy."
"Then the high priest rent his clothes,"
"The Jews were accustomed to rend their clothes as a token of grief. This was done as a matter of form, and consisted in tearing a particular part of the garment reserved for this purpose. It was not lawful for the high priest to rend his clothes, Lev. 10:6; 21:10. By that was probably intended the robes of his priestly office. The garment, which he now rent, was probably his ordinary garment, or the garments, which he wore as president of the Sanhedrim - not those in which he officiated as high priest in the thing of religion. This was done on this occasion to denote the great grief of the high priest that so great a sin as blasphemy had been committed in his presence" (Barnes).
"Saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? Behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy."
"There was no need of witnesses now, for Jesus had incriminated himself by claiming under oath to be the Messiah, the Son of God. Now it would not be blasphemy for the real Messiah to make such a claim, but it was intolerable to admit that Jesus could be the Messiah of Jewish hope. At the beginning of Christ's ministry he occasionally used the word Messiah of himself, but he soon ceased, for it was plain that it would create trouble. The people would take it in the sense of a political revolutionist who would throw off the Roman yoke. If he declined that role, the Pharisees would have none of him for that was the kind of a Messiah that they desired. But the hour has now come. At the Triumphal Entry Jesus let the Galilean crowds hail him as Messiah, knowing what the effect would be. Now the hour has struck. He has made his claim and has defied the High Priest" (A.T. Robertson).
Verse 66, "What think ye? They answered and said, He is guilty of death."
LGT "What do you all think? And they answering said, He is deserving of death."
"What think ye?"
Caiaphas, as president of the Sanhedrin, turns to the Sanhedrin party to demand their judgment.
"They answered and said, He is guilty of death."
The penalty of blasphemy, Lev. 24:16, and of being a false prophet, Deut. 18:20, is death.
Verse 67, "Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him; and others smote him with the palms of their hands,"
LGT "Then they spit into His face and beat Him [with the fist], and some struck Him with [the] rod,"
The Greek word used for 'the palm of the hand' is erapisan from rapis, a rod, so the translation is literally, and some struck Him with the rod. The Sanhedrists were so indignant against the Christ that they must have thought that they were doing God a favor by silencing this Imposter. To spit in a man's face was the height of repulsion, and they beat Him about the face, and striking him with rods, as they would a rabid dog.
Verse 68, "Saying, Prophecy unto us, thou Christ, Who is he that smote thee?"
LGT "Saying, Prophecy to us, Christ, Who is the one that hit You."
Now they take sport in humiliating the Christ; how they must have hated Him. They blindfolded Him and then beat him and asked Him to identify the one; of course Christ wouldn't have said a thing, because He was thinking ahead to the cross, and He did not reveal to these scoundrels, these doctors of divinity, that He truly was the Christ; if they didn't accept His word, they were all condemned.
Peter's Denial of Jesus
(Mark 14:66-72; Luke 22:56-62; John 18:25-27)
Verse 69, "Now Peter sat without in the palace: and a damsel came unto him, saying, Thou also wast with Jesus of Galilee."
LGT "But Peter was without sitting in the court: and one maid came to him saying, You also were with Jesus of Galilee."
This maid (slave girl) must have seen Peter enter with John or perhaps she saw him with Christ on the streets of Jerusalem. "Matthew says 'one maid' came up to him because he has in mind another" (Vincent).
Verse 70, "But he denied before them all, saying, I know not what thou sayest."
LGT "But he denied before all saying, I know not what you are saying."
"Affectation [mannerism] of extreme ignorance [that fooled no one]. So far from knowing the Man I don't even know what you are talking about. This said before all, a first denial, entailing others to follow" (Expositor's Greek Testament).
Verse 71, "And when he was gone out into the porch, another maid saw him, and said unto them that were there, This fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth."
LGT "And he, having gone out into the porch, another [maid] saw him and said to those there, This [man] was with Jesus the Nazarene"
Jesus was not safe there, so he went outside into the outer porch, for fear of further questions; but was recognized by another young maid, who identified him to the others as a disciple of Jesus the Nazarene, by pointing to him.
Verse 72, "And again he denied with an oath, I do not know the man."
LGT "And again he denied with an oath, that I know not the Man."
This time Peter not only denies the Son of God, he denies by an oath made to God. Robertson points out "Peter showed contempt by referring to Christ as 'the Man' ton anthropon."
Verse 73, "And after a while came unto him they that stood by, and said to Peter, Surely thou art one of them; for thy speech betrayeth thee."
LGT "And after a little [while], those who stood by, having come to [him], said to Peter, Truly also you are of them, for even your speech, makes you evident."
Peter's speech gave him away. Luke discloses that the little while was about an hour. "The Galileans had difficulty with the gutturals and Peter's second denial had exposed him to the tormenting raillery of the loungers who continued to nag him" (A.T. Robertson).
Verse 74, "Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew."
LGT "Then he began to curse and to swear, I know not the Man. And immediately a cock crew."
First Peter swears by an oath that he does not know Christ, now he swears profanely calling down curses upon himself, to prove he doesn't know the Christ. Jesus' prediction, as all do, to Peter comes true when a cockcrows. Peter though he was strong, but he now must realize how really weak he is, when a man thinks he stands, take heed, lest he fall.
Verse 75, "And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly."
LGT "And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, who had said, before a cock crow, three [times] you will deny Me: and having gone out he wept bitterly."
"Luke has mentioned a beautiful and touching circumstance omitted by the other evangelists. That when the cock crew, Jesus turned and looked upon Peter, and that then he remembered his words. They were in the same room - Jesus at the upper end of the hall, elevated for a tribunal and Peter below with the servants, so that Jesus could look down upon Peter standing near the fire. By a tender and compassionate look - a single glance of His eye - the injured Savior brought to remembrance all Peter's promises, his own predictions, and the great guilt of the disciple; He overwhelmed him with the remembrance of his sin, and pierced his heart through with many sorrows. The consciousness of deep and awful guilt rushed over Peter's soul; he flew from the palace, he went where he might be alone in the darkness, and wept bitterly" (Barnes).
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