204 Matthew 26A The Anointing - Head or Feet

As we unpack this chapter we note that Jesus references his imminent death seven times in this chapter and three times in the book of Matthew and yet because it went against their narrative they miss this entirely and his death catches them totally by surprise. One wonders what Jesus could have shared with them if they had come to believe what he was wanting them to understand. Then in Bethany Jesus is anointed by a woman while at a meal in Simeon's home. After this event Judas agrees to betray Jesus into the hands of the pharisees. We conclude this episode with the story of the Last Supper.

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SHOW NOTES

Matthew 26 NLT Anointing, Betrayal, Passover, Denial, Gethsemane, Arrest, Trial

The Plot to Kill Jesus

26:1 When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he said to his disciples, 2 “As you know, Passover begins in two days, and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.”

Here are the references in Matthew where Jesus tells his disciples about his imminent death.

1. Matthew 16:21 Jesus would be killed

2. Matthew 17:22-23 Son of Man will be betrayed and killed

3. Matthew 20:17-19 Romans will crucify me

4. Matthew 26:2 Son of Man will be crucified

5. Matthew 26:12 Perfume prepares my body for burial

6. Matthew 26:18 My time has come

7. Matthew 26:24 Son of Man must die

8. Matthew 26:26 Bread is his broken body

9. Matthew 26:27-28 Wine is his spilled blood

10. Matthew 26:31 Shepard will be stricken

11. Mark:

a. Mark 8:31-33 Jesus would be killed and rise in 3 days

b. Mark 9:30-32 S of M will be killed. Disciples afraid to ask what he meant

c. Mark 10:32-34 S of M will be killed and rise after 3 days

12. Luke:

a. Luke 9:22-27 S of Man will be killed and rise after 3 days

b. Luke 18:31-33 S of M will be killed and rise after 3 days

13. John:

a.John 2:19 Destroy this temple and I will raise it up in 3 days

b. John 12:23-33 And when I am lifted up I will draw all to myself

The disciples did not comprehend what Jesus was telling them. As a result they would experience the greatest disappointment of their lives when he was tortured and executed. The only person who seems to have grasped that Jesus would die is John the Baptist when he declares that Jesus is the Lamb of God.

3 At that same time the leading priests and elders were meeting at the residence of Caiaphas, the high priest, 4 plotting how to capture Jesus secretly and kill him. 5 “But not during the Passover celebration,” they agreed, “or the people may riot.”

Notice who is involved in the plot. The Leading Priests and Elders, and The High Priest. It is the highest echelon of religious leadership. They have no ethical qualms about using violence to do away with this human threat to their leadership. Their only consideration is the political fallout.

Jesus Anointed at Bethany

6 Meanwhile, Jesus was in Bethany at the home of Simon, a man who had previously had

leprosy. 7 While he was eating, a woman came in with a beautiful alabaster jar of expensive perfume and poured it over his head.

John 12 has a parallel story which occurs in Bethany and Lazarus, Martha and Mary are there. Mary pours expensive perfume over Jesus’ feet and wipes them with her hair. This could be the same event. In the story in Luke 7 the woman who perfumes Jesus’ feet is an immoral woman and scandalously keeps kissing Jesus’ feet. To compound the scandal, Jesus announces in verse 50 that her sins are forgiven. This story appears in all four gospels. It is not clear if we can conflate them into one story or leave them as at

least two different events.

No Jew had ever been cured of leprosy prior to Jesus’ ministry apart from Miriam. This implied Jesus must have healed Simon. Lepers were ostracized from society in Jesus’ day and Simon had much to thank Jesus for. This is probably the reason Simon invited Jesus to the party at his home.

Men lounged on their left side with their heads close to a low table when eating. The waiters would have had to thread their way through the bodies to replenish the food on the table. The woman would been taken for a waiter but she had more than food to deliver. Notice the emphasis on the value of her gift: beautiful alabaster jar, expensive perfume and Jesus’ head. She was anointing Jesus as her king or prophet. She was so focused on her mission of gratitude that she forgot about the aroma of the perfume

which immediately removed her anonymity.

8 The disciples were indignant when they saw this. “What a waste!” they said. 9 “It could have been sold for a high price and the money given to the poor.” John informs us that it was Judas who objected to the waste.

Their words betray their motives. They are stingy, hard-hearted and self-serving. They cover these self- serving motives with an apparent regard for the poor.

10 But Jesus, aware of this, replied, “Why criticize this woman for doing such a good thing to me?

11 You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me. 12 She has poured this perfume on me to prepare my body for burial. 13 I tell you the truth, wherever the Good News is preached throughout the world, this woman’s deed will be remembered and discussed.”

The woman did not know her perfume was a preparation for Jesus’s burial. No one comprehended that Jesus was to die and resurrect as was pointed out in the comments on verse two. Jesus honours this woman by giving her action immortality.

Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus

14 Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples, went to the leading priests 15 and asked, “How much will you pay me to betray Jesus to you?” And they gave him thirty pieces of silver. 16 From that time on, Judas began looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus.

We cannot be certain of the motive of Judas in this betrayal. Here are a few possible options.

1.Since Jesus seemed to be invincible Judas could have thought he was forcing Jesus’ hand to reveal himself as Israel’s liberator from the Romans. In this way he was doing God’s will.

2. It could have been that Judas was in it for the money. John 12:6 identifies this motive in Judas.

3. If could also be that he felt he was a better leader than Jesus. Since he had experienced the power to heal the sick and cast out demons, he could have thought that if he rallied the other 11 disciples, they could stage the revolt against the Romans that their country men were hoping for. Jesus would be there to feed the zealots and heal the wounded or raise the dead as necessary.

4. Perhaps, since Jesus had reprimanded Judas and he was out for revenge.

The Last Supper

17 On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do you want us to prepare the Passover meal for you?”

The Feast of Unleavened Bread (Exodus 12:15–20;.Exodus 13:6–7; 2 Chronicles 7:14; Exodus 12:1–20) is one of the seven feasts of the Lord and is called Chag HaMatzot. It lasts for seven days and follows the celebration of Passover (Exodus 12:1-20), commemorating the swift departure of the Israelites from Egypt. Unleavened bread, symbolizing the haste with which the Israelites left Egypt and the required removal of all leaven (or yeast) from the household which represented the removal of sin and impurity

from one’s life (see 1 Corinthians 5:7).

18 “As you go into the city,” he told them, “You will see a certain man. Tell him, ‘The Teacher says: My time has come, and I will eat the Passover meal with my disciples at your house.’”

Mark 14 adds more detail.

13 So Jesus sent two of them into Jerusalem with these instructions: “As you go into the city, a man carrying a pitcher of water will meet you. Follow him. 14 At the house he enters, say to the owner,

‘The Teacher asks: Where is the guest room where I can eat the Passover meal with my

disciples?’ 15 He will take you upstairs to a large room that is already set up. That is where you should prepare our meal.”

The information Jesus gave is detailed. How he knew all this is puzzling. We can with certainty say that he was Spirit led and the Spirit was the source of Jesus’ information but there might be more to the narrative than we know about.

19 So the disciples did as Jesus told them and prepared the Passover meal there.

In Matthew, Mark and Luke, this meal is on the first day of Unleavened Bread. In John it is on the night before Passover (John 13:1). Mark 14 adds. 16 So the two disciples (Peter and John Luke 22) went into the city and found everything

just as Jesus had said, and they prepared the Passover meal there.

John 13 also includes the Jesus washing the disciple’s feet.

1 Before the Passover celebration, Jesus knew that his hour had come to leave this world and return to his Father. He had loved his disciples during his ministry on earth, and now he loved them to the very end.

2 It was time for supper, and the devil had already prompted Judas, son of

Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over

everything and that he had come from God and would return to God. 4 So he got up from thetable, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, 5 and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him.

6 When Jesus came to Simon Peter, Peter said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”

7 Jesus replied, “You don’t understand now what I am doing, but someday you will.”

Peter is jockeying for the top spot among the disciples. He knew foot washing had been omitted but he had not lowered himself to such a menial task. He did not yet understand the Kingdom of Heaven is the kingdom of service to others.

8 “No,” Peter protested, “you will never ever wash my feet!”

Peter is embarrassed by Jesus’ humility, his willingness to serve the disciples.

Jesus replied, “Unless I wash you, you won’t belong to me.”

Jesus is speaking spiritually through the literal. We are not part of him if he has not washed away our shame and sin. This can only be true of we refuse his cleansing, which Peter has just modelled.

9 Simon Peter exclaimed, “Then wash my hands and head as well, Lord, not just my feet!”

10 Jesus replied, “A person who has bathed all over does not need to wash, except for the feet, to be entirely clean. And you disciples are clean, but not all of you.” 11 For Jesus knew who would betray him. That is what he meant when he said, “Not all of you are clean.

Jesus washed the feet of Judas knowing his cruel intent. Jesus also knew the probable end of Judas and had compassion on him. Some disciples in our day avoid foot washing as it is an embarrassment to participate for different reasons. This necessary ordinance calls us to heart felt humility and forgiveness for with all and reconciliation where possible.

12 After washing their feet, he put on his robe again and sat down and asked, “Do you understand what I was doing? 13 You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right, because that’s what I am. 14 And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. 15 I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you. 16 I tell you the truth, slaves are not greater than their master. Nor is the messenger more important than the one who sends the message. 17 Now that you know these things, God will bless you for doing them.

The “them” refers to lowly service for others. Some denominations practice literal foot washing and this is to be lauded but contextually “them” includes much more. The washing of the feet of the disciples was needed literally but it is symbolic of baptism and more essentially, a life of service to others.