This chapter begins with Jesus telling His disciples that He will be betrayed and handed over to be crucified in two days. The high priest and religious leaders were already conspiring as to how they were going to carry out their plan.
I wonder if the disciples really grasped what Jesus said. Two days. That's all they had left with Him. What did they want to say? What did they want to do?
At Simon the Leper's house, a woman anointed Jesus with very expensive perfume. The disciples got upset with the woman, saying she should have sold the perfume and given the money to the poor. This woman anointed Jesus for His burial and the disciples had no idea. Seems they didn't grasp what was happening after all.
The things done for Jesus are the things that will be remembered.
The Betrayer: Judas. He went to the high priest and asked what they would give him for turning Jesus over to them. They agreed to 30 pieces of silver. After this arrangement was made, Judas sat around the table with Jesus and the other disciples. I wonder how anxious he was feeling? Did he even have an appetite, knowing what he was in the middle of doing?
Even with Judas at the table, Jesus still had communion with His disciples. They broke the bread, a representation of the body of Jesus, and shared wine, a representation of the blood of Jesus. Jesus ate with the man who was about to betray Him.
The Deny-er: Peter. Peter was adamant that he would never betray Jesus, even if he had to die with Him. Jesus told Peter he would deny Him three times, then a rooster would crow. A short time later, while Jesus was praying in the garden, Peter feel asleep instead of keeping watch. Not once, not twice, but three times.
As Jesus prayed, He said something that sums up His whole time on earth. He would have said this to the Father before He left Heaven, and here He is praying it again: My Father, if there is any way, get me out of this. But please, not what I want. You, what do You want?
Jesus was fully aware of what He was about to endure. He asked His Father one last time - Do I really have to do this? Then, He surrendered to the Father's will and walked forward in obedience.
In walked Judas with the high priests and religious leaders. Judas walked over to Jesus and kissed Him. A kiss was the sign of betrayal.
One of the disciples took matters into his own hands and cut off the ear of one of the Chief Priest's servants. Jesus said,
Put your sword back where it belongs. All who use swords are destroyed by swords. Don't you realize that I'm able to call to my Father, and twelve companies - more if I want them - of fighting angels would be here, battle-ready? But if I did that, how would the Scriptures come true that say this is the way it has to be?
Throughout the book of Matthew, it continuously referred to the OT and the prophecies that were written and being fulfilled. Again, in this moment of Jesus being arrested, He is still pointing people to God's plan. Jesus understands His role in the Father's plan, made before the beginning of time, to redeem His people.
Whatever we face, we can take comfort in knowing it is a part of God's much bigger plan.
Jesus got arrested and all the disciples ran away. Peter followed at a safe distance, mingling with the servants to see how things would turn out.
Jesus was brought before Caiaphas, the Chief Priest. After conspiring and many false accusations, Jesus agreed that He was the Son of Man. This enraged the Chief Priest, calling Jesus out on blasphemy. Jesus was sentenced to death. He was spit on, beaten, and mocked.
While Peter watched this from the courtyard, he was approached by three different people claiming they saw Peter with Jesus. All three times Peter denied He was ever with Jesus. Three denials and then the rooster crowed. Instantly Peter remembered what Jesus had said and Peter went away weeping.
Would you weep after realizing you denied Jesus? Would you feel the shame and guilt? After spending every day for three years with Jesus, to say that you don't know Him and have never been with Him? How would you feel when the rooster crowed?
How will someone who knows the Gospel and yet denies it, feel when they hear the sound of the trumpet? Will they weep? Will they realize what they've done?
Sadly, I think there will be a lot of Peter's on the day the trumpet sounds.