The stage is set

Jesus reminds His disciples of His coming suffering and crucifixion

1) When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he said to his disciples, 2) "As you know, the Passover is two days away--and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified."

Perhaps after the triumphal descriptions of the coming kingdom, the disciples were reinforced in their idea that it was impossible that the Messiah should suffer; Jesus reminds them that this is not the case.

Again, this was something that they quickly forgot, not understanding Jesus' own predictions of His death until after His resurrection.

Jesus is plotted against

3) Then the chief priests and the elders of the people assembled in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, 4) and they plotted to arrest Jesus in some sly way and kill him. 5) "But not during the Feast," they said, "or there may be a riot among the people."

Their desire is that Jesus would not be put to death during the Passover feast, but Jesus is the one in command, because they ended up killing Him on the very day that they didn't want to.

�Palace of the high priest�: What is a priest doing with a palace?

�Caiaphas�: A Roman appointee. Annas was actually the Aaronic heir to that role, but Romans had entrenched the politics of that day.

Caiaphas is the power figure on the Jewish side.

 Passover was one of the feast which was required for every able bodied male to celebrate it in Jerusalem. So Jerusalem at this time would be crowded with strangers, tourists from all over.

Jesus is anointed by Mary

6) While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, 7) a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table.
8) When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. "Why this waste?" they asked. 9) "This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor."
10) Aware of this, Jesus said to them, "Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me. 11) The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me. 12) When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. 13) I tell you the truth, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her."

Mary, the sister of Lazarus and Martha, understands Jesus' fate (even if Jesus' disciples don't), and she gives Jesus the love and attention He deserves before His great suffering. Those who sit at Jesus' feet gain the most understanding.

This lavish praise is criticized by the disciples (specifically, by Judas [John 12:4-6]), but Jesus defends her as an example of simple good works done for Jesus; her giving for Jesus (almost reckless, really), will be remembered always.

�Ointment� would presumably be myrrh (remember the three gifts that the wise men brought Jesus at His birth. Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh, each speaking of one of His offices (Gold: deity; Frankincense: priesthood; Myrrh: suffering and death). Myrrh was a burial ointment. This particular ointment could have been sold for 300 denari (a denari was a minimum day�s wage; therefore basically 300 man -day�s of labor), very expensive stuff.

(Myrrh)

This gift to Him makes us realize that she understood His prediction.

Somehow she assembled this enormous amount of savings to buy this unique and symbolic gift.

Here it notes that she anointed His head, in John it notes His feet; this is not contradictory, she did both. Matthew is emphasizing the Lord�s Kingship, so it�s His head; while John is emphasizing the Lord�s deity, so he emphasizes the fact that she anointed His feet. Complementary insights.

Bethany had the unique distinction of being within a Sabbath-day�s journey from Jerusalem. It appears to be Jesus� favorite place to stay.

Judas makes a sinister deal with the Jewish leaders

14) Then one of the Twelve--the one called Judas Iscariot--went to the chief priests 15) and asked, "What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?" So they counted out for him thirty silver coins. 16) From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over.

What was Judas' motive? Some have thought that he was, in a misguided by good way, forcing Jesus to show Himself as Messiah in a dramatic way, but the Bible gives no hint of any such honorable motive.

According to the Bible, his motive was simply money, and his price wasn't too high: thirty pieces of silver was worth perhaps $25.

�Iscariot� means �ish� (man) �carioth� (city in Judea). The only one of the twelve that was not a Galilean, he was a Judean.

The leaders are trying to find a way to take Jesus quietly so there is not a big public uproar.

Jesus' "Last Supper" with His disciples

Preparations for the Passover: a commemoration of redemption

17) On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Where do you want us to make preparations for you to eat the Passover?"
18) He replied, "Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, 'The Teacher says: My appointed time is near. I am going to celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your house.'" 19) So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover.
20) When evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the Twelve.

The Jewish day began at sundown; so Jesus eats the Passover and will be killed on the same day.

This must have been a very moving commemoration for Jesus; the Passover remembered the deliverance of Israel from Egypt, which was the central act of redemption in the Old Testament; now Jesus will provide a new center of redemption.

The undertones seem to imply a password, a prearranged setting.

14th of Nisan is when Passover is celebrated. The day starts at sundown. When is Jesus crucified? �Between the two evenings� (Exodus 12:6), meaning the next afternoon before sundown.

Passover commemorates the passing over of the angel of death during the last plague in Egypt. In Ex 12 it lays out the Passover commitments, also noting the change of the Hebrew calendar. Noah leaves the ark on the 17th day of the 7th month. When the 7th month becomes the first month, which means that Noah exited the ark on the same month that is now called �Nisan.� Jesus was crucified on the 14th of Nisan; He was resurrected 3 days later on the 17th of Nisan, the anniversary of Noah�s exit from the ark!

Jesus gives Judas a last chance to repent

21) And while they were eating, he said, "I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me."
22) they were very sad and began to say to him one after the other, "Surely not I, Lord?"
23) Jesus replied, "The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me. 24) The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born."
25) Then Judas, the one who would betray him, said, "Surely not I, Rabbi?"
Jesus answered, "Yes, it is you."

When Jesus says that His betrayer is he who dipped his hand with Me in the dish, He is not pointing out one specific disciple, because they all dipped with Him - instead, Jesus is identifying the betrayer as a friend.

Judas' hypocrisy is almost unbearable in this passage; to ask, Rabbi, is it I? While knowing the evil intent of his heart is the epitome of treachery.

Yet, Jesus' words You have said it were not meant to condemn Judas, but to call him to repentance; said with love in His eyes, Jesus was telling Judas that He loved him, even knowing his treachery.

The way that it was set up was relaxed. They all share the dip together.

Jesus notes that His death and betrayal were prophesied. Yet that does not release Judas from his sin (Psalms 49; Psalms 41; Psalms 69).

Complicated issue, couldn�t Judas argue that it was his destiny to betray Jesus? Was Judas accountable? Yes.

Notice that Judas does not call Him Lord, both here and in the garden later. At this point we infer that Judas leaves (Cf. John 13:30).

Jesus institutes the Lord's Supper

26) While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take and eat; this is my body."
27) Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. 28) This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29) I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father's kingdom."
30) When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

The bread and the wine were elements used in the Passover; Jesus fills them with new meaning, as tools meant to commemorate a new act of redemption, and to demonstrate our personal fellowship with Jesus Himself.

What is the nature of the bread and the wine? The Church of Rome holds the idea of transubstantiation, which teaches that the bread and the wine actually become the body and blood of Jesus. Martin Luther held the idea of consubstantiation, which teaches that the bread remains bread and the wine remains wine, but by faith they are the same as Jesus' actual body. John Calvin taught that Jesus presence in the bread and wine was real, but only spiritual, not physical. Zwingli taught that the bread and wine are mere symbols that represent the body and blood of Jesus.

They are used to saying �the body,� referring to the Passover Lamb, but Jesus is saying this is �my� body.

Grape juice or wine? Too early in the season for unfermented grapes.

The Passover meal has four cups: the cup of the bringing out; the cup of the delivery; the cup of blessing or redeeming; the cup of the taking. It is the third cup, the cup of blessing that Jesus does this with. This Passover is unfinished. Note verse 29.

(Cup of Blessing)

Scripturally, we can understand that the bread and the wine are not mere symbols, but they are powerful pictures to partake of, to enter in to, as we see the Lord's Table as the new Passover.

Give thanks in verse 27 is literally the word Eucharist; this is why the commemoration of the Lord's Table is sometimes called the Eucharist.

Right at the base of the Mount of Olives today there are Olive groves.

It is believed that these trees are from the same root system that very likely was Gethsemane.

Jesus predicts the desertion of the disciples

31) Then Jesus told them, "This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written:
   " 'I will strike the shepherd,
       and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.' 32) But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee."
33) Peter replied, "Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will."
34) "I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times."
35) But Peter declared, "Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you." And all the other disciples said the same.

Jesus says this not to condemn His disciples, but to show them that He really is in command of the situation, and to demonstrate that the Scriptures regarding the suffering of the Messiah must be fulfilled.

After I have been raised shows that Jesus is already looking beyond the cross; He has His eyes set on the joy set before Him (Hebrews 12:2).

Peter, despite his bold proclamation that he will never be made to stumble, will fail in what he thought was his strong area: courage and boldness; Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall (1 Corinthians 10:12).

The disciples must be confused. They don�t even realize that He is going to die; now He talks of being raised up. Mary is the only one that we have any evidence of that she understood that He was to die.

Jesus' prayer and arrest in the garden

Jesus' prayer in deep distress

36) Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, "Sit here while I go over there and pray." 37) He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38) Then he said to them, "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me."
39) Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will."

Of course, Jesus is disturbed from knowing the physical horror He must endure; as He came to Gethsemane, He crossed the Brook Kidron, and saw in the full moon of Passover the stream flowing red with sacrificial blood.

But more so, Jesus is distressed at the spiritual horror that awaits Him on the cross; at the prospect of Him who knew no sin to be sin for us (2 Corinthians 5:21).

It is hard for us to see Jesus depressed, we see Him as victorious. Why is He depressed? He understands what His mission in, what is coming, being separated from His Father. He was made sin for us, and sin can have no fellowship with the Father!

When Jesus prays if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me, we know that it was not possible, because He did drink the cup of the wrath of the Father on our behalf. Salvation by Jesus at the cross is the only possible way; if there is any other way to be made right before God, then Jesus died an unnecessary death.

Olive trees are grown for their oil. They would put the olives into a press, something that would crush the olives to squeeze the oil out of them. The press was called a �Gethsemane.� Oil is a symbol of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus wins the battle of prayer

40) Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?" he asked Peter. 41) "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."
42) He went away a second time and prayed, "My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done."
43) When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. 44) So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing.
45) Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour is near, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46) Rise, let us go! Here comes my betrayer!"

Jesus valued, and desired, the help of His friends in this battle; but even without them He would endure in prayer until the battle was won.

Rise, let us be going reminds us that Jesus goes to meet the challenge; His is in complete control of all events.

Perhaps if Peter had been praying, his flesh would not have stumbled later that evening.

Three times the Lord Jesus Christ begged the Father, if there is any other way for man to be saved, anything but the cross.

This proves that there is no other way for man to be saved except by the Lord Jesus Christ. Because if there was some other way for a man to get access to the throne of God in Heaven, then Jesus Christ�s prayer was not answered and His death was in vain! Acts 4:12; 13:38, 39.

Jesus' betrayal and arrest

47) While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived. With him was a large crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests and the elders of the people. 48) Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: "The one I kiss is the man; arrest him." 49) Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, "Greetings, Rabbi!" and kissed him.
50) Jesus replied, "Friend, do what you came for."
51) Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus and arrested him. With that, one of Jesus' companions reached for his sword, drew it out and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear.
52) "Put your sword back in its place," Jesus said to him, "for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. 53) Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? 54) But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?"
55) At that time Jesus said to the crowd, "Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me? Every day I sat in the temple courts teaching, and you did not arrest me. 56) But this has all taken place that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled." Then all the disciples deserted him and fled.

In the exchange between Judas and Jesus, Judas is as evil as Jesus is loving.

Jesus refuses the assistance offered by Peter (John 18:10) with the sword; if He had desired, Jesus could have had the assistance of more than twelve legions of angels (something in the area of 36,000 angels). The number is impressive, especially considering that one angel killed up to 185,000 soldiers in one night (2 Kings 19:35).

With all power at His disposal, Jesus is in total command; He is not the victim of circumstance, but He is managing circumstances for the fulfillment of prophecy.

The trial before the Sanhedrin

Jesus is placed on trial before the Sanhedrin, the high court among the Jews; but it is an illegal trial, according to Jewish law

57) Those who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas, the high priest, where the teachers of the law and the elders had assembled. 58) But Peter followed him at a distance, right up to the courtyard of the high priest. He entered and sat down with the guards to see the outcome.
59) The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death. 60) But they did not find any, though many false witnesses came forward.
61) Finally two came forward and declared, "This fellow said, 'I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.' "

In Jewish law, all criminal trials must begin and end in the daylight; this one was held at night.

Criminal cases could not be tried during the Passover season.

Only an acquittal could be issued on the day of the trial; guilty verdicts had to wait one night to allow for feelings of mercy to rise.

Only decisions made in the official meeting place were valid; this was a trial held at the home of Caiaphas, the high priest.

In Jewish law, all evidence had to be guaranteed by two witnesses, who were separately examined and could not have contact with each other.

In Jewish law, false witness was punishable by death; nothing is done to the many false witnesses in Jesus' trial.

In Jewish law, a trial always began by bringing forth evidence for the innocence of the accused, before the evidence of guilt was made; this was not the practice here.

Jesus' own testimony

62) Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, "Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?" 63) But Jesus remained silent.
The high priest said to him, "I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God."
64) "Yes, it is as you say," Jesus replied. "But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven."

Jesus sits silently until he is commanded by the office of the high priest to answer the accusations against Him: is He the Messiah, the Son of God?

Jesus makes a simple statement of agreement; but He adds the warning that though they sit in judgment of Him now, He will one day sit in judgment of them - and with a far more binding judgment.

The Sanhedrin reacts with horror and brutality

65) Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, "He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy. 66) What do you think?"
"He is worthy of death," they answered.
67) Then they spit in his face and struck him with their fists. Others slapped him 68) and said, "Prophesy to us, Christ. Who hit you?"

The accusation of blasphemy would have been correct, except that Jesus was whom He said He was.

In their summation He is deserving of death, they reveal the depths of man's depravity: God, in total perfection, come to earth, and lives among men, and this is man's reply to God.

Jesus could have mounted a magnificent defense, calling forth witnesses who would testify to both human and divine evidence of His deity; yet He endures the brutality and shame of these "religious leaders".

High Priest violated Lev 21:10, which states that the High Priest must never tear his clothes.

The High Priest understood that Jesus was claiming to be God. The problem with this logic is that it is self-incrimination, which is also in Jewish law that your testimony could not be used against you.

Peter's denial

Peter, fearing association with Jesus, denies his relationship with Jesus three times

69) Now Peter was sitting out in the courtyard and a servant girl came to him. "You also were with Jesus of Galilee," she said.
70) But he denied it before them all. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said.
71) Then he went out to the gateway, where another girl saw him and said to the people there, "This fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth."
72) He denied it again, with an oath: "I don't know the man!"
73) After a little while, those standing there went up to Peter and said, "Surely you are one of them, for your accent gives you away."
74) Then he began to call down curses on himself and he swore to them, "I don't know the man!"
75) Immediately a rooster crowed. Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: "Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times." And he went outside and wept bitterly.

He is not being grilled before a hostile court, or an angry mob; but fear makes a servant girl and another girl hostile monster's in Peter's eyes.

Peter's sin of denying his association with Jesus grows worse with each denial; first, he merely lies; then he takes an oath to the lie, then he began to curse and swear.

In Mark (traditionally, written under Peter's influence) this account is more detailed; Peter is even more clear as an example of the depths of God's forgiveness, and of the ability of the Holy Spirit to transform a life.

We see a significant contrast between Judas (showing apostasy) and Peter (showing backsliding).

Apostasy is when one gives up the truth, as Judas did; Judas was sorry about his sin, but it was not a sorrow leading to repentance.

Backsliding is a decline from a spiritual experience once enjoyed; Peter has slipped, but he will not fall; his bitter weeping will lead to repentance and restoration.  

CHAPTER 27

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