Matthew Chapter 26

This chapter is full of familiar occurrences in the bible. Peter's denial is here. Judas's betrayal is here. And, Jesus's  communion  with the disciples is here. 
I want to make sure that you have your bible out as you start to read this. You will need it to look up the  additional scriptures that we will use for this study

We  start this study as Jesus is winding down the last week of His earthly life. In verse 26:2, He tells the disciples that He only has 2 days until He is crucified. We find out in the next 2 verses that the chief priests, together with the elders and the high priests, were plotting to kill Him. They feared the crowds so they  were going to have to be creative.

In verses 26:6-13, we have the account of Jesus having dinner at the home of Simon the leper. If you want to read John 12, you will see that a similar dinner takes place. Some people believe that these are the same dinner, but I do not. They both take place in Bethany. We know that Lazarus and his sisters lived in Bethany (John 11) but apparently so did Simon the leper. We know that Jesus was using Bethany as a place to stay the week before His crucifixion (Matt. 21:17). The dinner in John 12, takes place 6 days before passover, while the dinner at Simon's house takes place 2 days before. In John 12, Mary pours the pure nard on His feet and is very demonstrative in wiping His feet with her hair. In Matthew 26, we read that the woman just pours the perfume on His head with no further explanation. It is probable that Matthew was an eye witness of this dinner and would not have confused Mary (Lazarus's sister) with a stranger.Some thing else that is interesting about this is, in verse 26:13, Jesus says that the woman is anointing His body for burial. It was actually Nicodemus (John 3) and Joseph of Arimathea who anointed Jesus's body for burial (John 19:38). Some time between Jesus telling Nicodemus that he must be born again (John 3) and Jesus being anointed for burial (John19:38), Nicodemus was born again!!!

We now move on to 3 short verses that explain one of the greatest events in history, Judas betrays Jesus. We don't know a lot about Judas, but we do know that He was motivated by money. In John 12:6 we are told that he protested the anointing of Jesus's feet with the costly oil, not because he cared for the poor, but because He was in charge of the groups money box and He was stealing from it.

Notice that Judas had already taken the 30 pieces of silver from the chief priests when Jesus said in, Matt. 26:24, that it would be better for the man who betrays Him to "never have been born". Imagine how that felt.

For more on 30 pieces of silver, read these verses**** Exodus 21:32...(it was the cost of replacing a SLAVE gored by an ox)
                                                   Zechariah 11:12-13 ( The Lord said "Throw it to the potter, that magnificent price at which "I" was valued")..."I" hmmm... was Jesus talking to Zechariah?

Starting with Matthew 26:26, we have the account of the last supper with His disciples. Jesus breaks the bread and says " take this and eat, this is My body". After taking a cup and giving thanks He says, " Drink from it, all of you; for this is My  blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many, for the forgiveness of sins"(Matt. 26:27). (it is in Luke 22:19 that He says "do this in remembrance of Me")

IT IS THIS VERSE THAT I WANT TO USE TO REMEMBER THIS CHAPTER***
** MATTHEW26:26  ***" TAKE EAT THIS IS MY BODY"***

I want to use this verse because I believe that if the Lord is going to use you to lead other women to grow stronger in their faith, you need to know where the verses are that speak of communion. I have had communion with  small groups of women at bible study, in the room of a lady who lives at a rest home and large groups of women at retreats. It is necessary to know this. This is not the only place where we find the account of this precious dinner, but this is a good starting place..This will get you through if something unexpected comes up. You will know where to find  scriptures for communion.

ONE MORE SMALL INTERESTING THING. IN VERSE 26:29, JESUS SAYS THAT HE WILL NOT DRINK OF THE FRUIT OF THE VINE AGAIN UNTIL HE DRINKS IT WITH HIS DISCIPLES IN HIS FATHERS KINGDOM. THIS IS ONE OF THOSE VERSES THAT IS A GLIMPSE INTO THE ETERNAL. WE WILL EAT AND DRINK WITH HIM! 

***More of the Lord's supper ** Mark 14:22, Luke 22:17, ** 

The next 10 verses (Matt. 26:36-46)  are so sad and hard to read. Jesus takes ,Peter, James and John with Him, and begins to be grieved and distressed. He then tells them that His soul was grieved to the point of death. He told them to keep watch. In verse  26:39, we are told that he goes a little beyond them, falls on His face and begins to pray.    Luke 22:44 says that He was sweating great drops of blood....Hebrews 5:7-8.. says, He offered up prays with loud crying and tears... (please read it)..

This information makes this passage in Matthew all the more sad and hard to read. He was in GREAT distress and the disciples were sleeping.  He was literally asking them to pray, and they were sleeping.  I believe that the Lord is still asking His disciples to pray and we are still sleeping.

In verses 26:47-56 we have the betrayal and arrest of Jesus. Judas kisses Him and he is taken into custody. In verse 26:51 we learn that one of the disciples cuts off the ear of a slave who was present. Luke 22:50 tells us that Jesus put His ear back on. Luke is the only one to give us that information. Maybe because Luke was a doctor?..John is the only gospel that tells us that it was Peter who did the cutting (John 18:10).. 

In verses 26:52-54, Jesus makes it clear that He goes willingly with them into custody and to the cross.  Read John 10:17-18.... we sometimes get confused and think that this was something that Jesus had no control over... not so.

Then ALL the disciples left Him and fled... Matt. 26:56.  

In verse 26:31, Jesus is taken to the high priest, Caiaphas. That was actually his last name, his first name was Joseph (according to Josephus) but, he was addressed and referred to as Caiaphas. He was the son-in -law of Annas (Acts 4:6).

We read about Caiaphas in John 11:49-57. This is the same time period as Matthew 26. It gives us more  about what was happening during the last couple of days of Jesus's earthly life.

The most interesting thing about this passage in scripture is that Peter went to the courtyard of the high priest with Jesus and sat by the fire to keep warm,(luke 14:54), denied Jesus to the servant girl, swore he never knew Jesus, then began to literally curse and swear that He didn't know the Lord before the rooster crowed and he would run from the place weeping at his betrayal of the Lord.(Matt.26:75)
 He got a second chance. In Acts 3 and 4, we see Peter and John entering the temple in Jerusalem. Peter says to a beggar that he has "neither silver or gold". (some of us can relate to that) He grabs the lame beggar by the hand and raises him up healed and whole. (this is the guy who jumps and leaps and praises God, you know, the song!! and as another side note.
This happened at Solomon's Portico (Acts 3:11). The same place where Jesus told the  man to take up his palate and walk (John 5:2-8).Probably less than a year later, Peter heals a  lame man  in the same place that Jesus had healed a lame man less than a year later. Maybe some of the same people were there to witness the same kind of miracle in the same place. Acts 3:11 says all the people ran together to Peter and John and the healed beggar, who was now clinging to peter's leg.  At this point Peter is given the chance to share the good news of Jesus's death and resurrection. The bible says that about 5,000 people came to faith that day.
 But, that wasn't his second chance. As Peter was preaching to the crowd, the priests, the Sadducees and the temple guard came and arrested Peter and John, and took them to the same place that Jesus had stood . The same cast of characters were assembled , the elders, rulers and scribes, Annas (John 18:13-18) and Caiaphas. (Matt. 26) . In Acts 4, Peter boldly stands and addresses his accusers and Jesus's murderers. He tells them that "there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved" (acts 4:12). When Peter is given his second chance he is no longer denying Jesus. He is filled with the Holy Spirit and can now face his accusers with power and confidence in the Lord! 

We can clearly see the growth and change in Peter.The Lord wants to work that same way in our lives! Ask Him for a filling of the Holy Spirit like Peter had! We want that kind of change and confidence in our lives and the lives of our husbands and children! The Lord wants that for us too. 

AGAIN, TO REMEMBER THIS CHAPTER, WE WILL USE MATTHEW 26:26 "TAKE AND EAT, THIS IS MY BODY"******

We are getting very close to finishing this book! God is so faithful! Start reading Chapter 27 if you haven't already. Keep reading it if you have. The more you read the more you will know! 
Blessings, blessings and more blessings to all of you ladies! I wish that I could know every one of you personally on this earth but I will have to settle for knowing you in heaven. Know that I am praying for every one of you. God Bless.
Love
Nancy