205 Matthew 26 B The Misery of God

Jesus predicts his Betrayal again as they are at the Last Supper. It is so amazing that even though Jesus knows Judas' heart He still washes his feet and includes him in this last meal together. It is just a matter of hours and Judas will betray Jesus. Jesus then predicts Peter's denial of Jesus. And then Matthew takes us with them into the garden of Gethsemane where Jesus prays with the Father for the cup to be taken away. He invites three of the disciples to join him in prayer but they fall asleep repeatedly. Jesus is then betrayed and to everyone's amazement he allows himself to be arrested. Jesus is taken to the council and Peter denies Jesus three times as Jesus had predicted.

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SHOW NOTES

Jesus Predicts His Betrayal again.

18 “I am not saying these things to all of you; I know the ones I have chosen. But this fulfills the Scripture that says, ‘The one who eats my food has turned against me.”

“not saying these things” because the teacher can only come to the students are ready to be of service to those around them.

“I know the ones I have chosen” suggests that Judas had attached himself rather than been called by Jesus since Jesus is excluding at least one person in the group of disciples.

19 I tell you this beforehand, so that when it happens you will believe that I am the Messiah.

The disciples have not yet concluded that Jesus is the Messiah as foretold in the scriptures. If he is Messiah, then they do not believe he will die. They also do not believe he is divine. They are shockingly ignorant from our point of view, which raises the question of how much are we ignorant of?

20 I tell you the truth, anyone who welcomes my messenger is welcoming me, and anyone who welcomes me is welcoming the Father who sent me.”

John the Baptist was Jesus’ messenger, but then so were the prophets which preceded him. Now he has his disciples, who are his messengers. However, his greatest messenger is the Spirit. There is a difference between convicting and condemning by the Spirit. The treatment of all these messengers are indicative of our treatment of Jesus and his Father.

20 When it was evening, Jesus sat down at the table with the Twelve. 21 While they were eating, he said, “I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me.”

Jesus was not sharing this information to demonize Judas. He explains his motivation in verse 19. Jesus is identifying the one who will betray him to confirm that he is the Messiah. No one else suspected Judas and this insight from Jesus would later convince the disciples that he was divine.

22 Greatly distressed, each one asked in turn, “Am I the one, Lord?”

This was unthinkable for the disciples that one of them could betray him but Jesus knew the heart of every man (John 2:25). This knowledge was because Jesus was not blinded by the desire for power and position.

23 He replied, “One of you who has just eaten from this bowl with me will betray me. 24 For the Son of Man must die, as the Scriptures declared long ago. But how terrible it will be for the one who betrays him. It would be far better for that man if he had never been born!”

How terrible this would be is illustrated by the self-death of Judas.

25 Judas, the one who would betray him, also asked, “Rabbi, am I the one?”

And Jesus told him, “You have said it.”

This must have been a private conversation in public between Jesus and Judas.

26 As they were eating, Jesus took some bread and blessed it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take this and eat it, for this is my body.”

Jesus, the bread of life must be eaten by all those who understand the meaning of this symbolic language.

We become what we eat. We emulate whatever we worship. The disciples had no idea what Jesus was talking about as they could not conceive that he would die as noted in the comments under verse 1.

27 And he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them and said, “Each of you drink from it, 28 for this is my blood, which confirms the covenant between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many.

Jesus is giving his disciples the living water he promised the Samaritan woman. It symbolizes his blood, which represents the eternal life he had in himself (John 1:3). This is the difference between Jesus’s death and a martyr’s death. A martyr did not give up his life, it was taken from him. Jesus had to lay down his life in public to dispel the illusion that we could take it from him. This is one of the reasons he was publicly tortured beyond human endurance. It had to be seen we could not take his life from him since he

had eternal life in him.

When he because a man he started to lay down his life which would culminate in his crucifixion. Jesus did not die because of his torture and dehydration and asphyxia and hematidrosis (sweating blood) but from the emotional pain of our cruelty toward him and our rejection of him. This rejection by his creation—which he had created so he could love each one—literally broke his heart. Again these words would not have meaning for the disciples who did not believe he could or would die. He had already evaded death at least 8 times (27:11-14)

29 Mark my words—I will not drink wine again until the day I drink it new with you in my Father’s Kingdom.”

Wine is a symbol of teaching or joy depending on the context. Jesus is pouring out his longing to be joyfully together with his disciples again in the Kingdom of heaven.

30 Then they sang a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives.

Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial

This is the second rejection prediction. He had already predicted the betrayal of Judas.

31 On the way, Jesus told them, “Tonight all of you will desert me. For the Scriptures say,

‘God will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ 32 But after I have been raised from the dead, I will go ahead of you to Galilee and meet you there.”

33 Peter declared, “Even if everyone else deserts you, I will never desert you.”

34 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, Peter—this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny three times that you even know me.”

35 “No!” Peter insisted. “Even if I have to die with you, I will never deny you!” And all the other disciples vowed the same.

Overconfident, naïve, ignorant disciples who did not know themselves. How do we predict our future?

Jesus Prays in Gethsemane

36 Then Jesus went with them to the olive grove called Gethsemane, and he said, “Sit here while I go over there to pray.” 37 He took Peter and Zebedee’s two sons, James and John, and he became anguished and distressed. 38 He told them, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”

All through his ministry Jesus had been caring for the 12. Now he needed to be cared for. He takes his three best friends with him, hoping for encouragement and emotional support. These were the same three men he had taken up the mountain of Transfiguration. How he hoped for empathy and understanding but it was not to be. They slept. They had nothing to offer their LORD and Master who was dying emotionally before their very eyes. Get the importance of the last two sentences above.

“My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”

This is as bad as it can get. This is depression at its deepest level. It is going to kill him.

39 He went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”

40 Then he returned to the disciples and found them asleep. He said to Peter, “Couldn’t you watch with me even one hour? 41 Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!”

42 Then Jesus left them a second time and prayed, “My Father! If this cup cannot be taken away unless I drink it, your will be done.” 43 When he returned to them again, he found them sleeping, for they couldn’t keep their eyes open.

44 So he went to pray a third time, saying the same things again.

It is at this point in the drama that Luke 22 inserts this event.

42 “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” 43 An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. 44 And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. 45 When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow.

We resume the story from Matthew 26.

45 Then he came to the disciples and said, “Go ahead and sleep. Have your rest. But look—the time has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 Up, let’s be going. Look, my betrayer is here!”

Up to this point Jesus’ time had not come. Now it had. The crisis of his life had come, the crisis of God’s reputation was at hand. Now it was to be seen if God was unselfish as he claimed he was.

Jesus Is Betrayed and Arrested

47 And even as Jesus said this, Judas, one of the twelve disciples, arrived with a crowd of men armed with swords and clubs. They had been sent by the leading priests and elders of the people. 48 The traitor, Judas, had given them a prearranged signal: “You will know which one to arrest when I greet him with a kiss.” 49 So Judas came straight to Jesus. “Greetings, Rabbi!” he exclaimed and gave him the kiss.50 Jesus said, “My friend, go ahead and do what you have come for.” Then the others grabbed Jesus and arrested him. 51 But one of the men with Jesus pulled out his sword and struck the high priest’s slave, slashing off his ear.

52 “Put away your sword,” Jesus told him. “Those who use the sword will die by the sword.

The “him” is Peter according to John 18:10. Jesus is teaching that violence only begets more violence. This is why it is not possible for God to solve the problem of sin with violence. This teaching of Jesus seems to escape most Christians.

53 Don’t you realize that I could ask my Father for thousands of angels to protect us, and he would send them instantly? 54 But if I did, how would the Scriptures be fulfilled that describe what must happen now?”

Prophecy or prediction is not causation. We cannot say this often enough because the writers of the New Testament appear to say the opposite. The reason the writers do this is because the doubt about Jesus’ authenticity is dispelled if it can be demonstrated that the Old Testament predicted the event. Jesus’ society was an authoritarian society based on the revelation of their sacred writings.

In this brief statement Jesus confirms the existence of large numbers of angels loyal to him. He also reveals that he has a larger agenda than what the angels have. They would be prepared to rescue him but he does not want to be rescued. He must first deal with the prince of this world and his rebellious angels.

55 Then Jesus said to the crowd, “Am I some dangerous revolutionary, that you come with swords and clubs to arrest me? Why didn’t you arrest me in the Temple? I was there teaching every day. 56 But this is all happening to fulfill the words of the prophets as recorded in the Scriptures.” At that point, all the disciples deserted him and fled.

Jesus emphasizes this is a moral contest not a physical one. He was deserted by every human being. He had to face the crisis alone at this point. Did he remember Mary’s anointing to strengthen himself? Hewill turn to God for certainty at the end of his ordeal. It is the rejection, betrayal, abandonment, denial and mockery of mankind that literally broke the heart of Jesus.

Jesus before the Council

57 Then the people who had arrested Jesus led him to the home of Caiaphas, the high priest, where the teachers of religious law and the elders had gathered. 58 Meanwhile, Peter followed him at a distance and came to the high priest’s courtyard. He went in and sat with the guards and waited to see how it would all end.

59 Inside, the leading priests and the entire high council were trying to find witnesses who would lie about Jesus, so they could put him to death. 60 But even though they found many who agreed to give false witness, they could not use anyone’s testimony. Finally, two men came forward 61 who declared, “This man said, ‘I am able to destroy the Temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’”

Jesus metaphorical or symbolic statement is used against him. The leaders are desperate to have him executed and are willing to be dishonest to accomplish their murderous desires.

62 Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, “Well, aren’t you going to answer these charges? What do you have to say for yourself?” 63 But Jesus remained silent. Then the high priest said to him, “I demand in the name of the living God—tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.”

The high priest is goading Jesus. Jesus breaks the impasse by admitting and confirming that he is the Messiah

64 Jesus replied, “You have said it. And in the future, you will see the Son of Man seated in the place of power at God’s right hand and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

Jesus also confirms he is Messiah by claiming that he will be at God’s right hand and coming in the clouds.

65 Then the high priest tore his clothing to show his horror and said, “Blasphemy! Why do we need other witnesses? You have all heard his blasphemy. 66 What is your verdict?”

Blasphemy means to pretend you are God or to attribute the work of God to demons. Jesus was, as an example, accused of healing people by the power of Beelzebub (12:22-24). “Guilty!” they shouted. “He deserves to die!”

This is a kangaroo court. It is not due process it is a lynching, an execution by public opinion.

67 Then they began to spit in Jesus’ face and beat him with their fists. And some slapped

him, 68 jeering, “Prophesy to us, you Messiah! Who hit you that time?”

These verbs reveal the thoughts of those participating. Jesus has no protection from the leaders because they were thinking the same way. How embarrassing that we treated our creator and Saviour in this shameful way. When we are cruel to others we are being cruel to Jesus for they are his brothers and sisters.

Peter Denies Jesus

69 Meanwhile, Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. A servant girl came over and said to him, “You were one of those with Jesus the Galilean.” 70 But Peter denied it in front of everyone. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said.

71 Later, out by the gate, another servant girl noticed him and said to those standing around, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.”

72 Again Peter denied it, this time with an oath. “I don’t even know the man,” he said.

What sort of a coward are you Peter? You know you are lying. Is it your shame because you are a Galilean among Judeans that you feel this cowardly?

73 A little later some of the other bystanders came over to Peter and said, “You must be one of them; we can tell by your Galilean accent.”74 Peter swore, “A curse on me if I’m lying—I don’t know the man!” And immediately the rooster crowed.

Peter reverts to profanities to cover his cowardice. It is a common practice to counter the pressure by changing the problem or using a shocking profanity

75 Suddenly, Jesus’ words flashed through Peter’s mind: “Before the rooster crows, you will deny three times that you even know me.” And he went away, weeping bitterly.

Peter is profoundly guilty in his own mind and heart. He left, embarrassed to death. It is a miracle that he did not take his own life in his discouragement.

Ian Hartley, April 2025