MATTHEW LESSON 57
We will begin this lesson in Matthew 26:47 "And while he yet
spake, lo, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a great
multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and elders of
the people."
In this lesson, we saw Jesus praying to the Father and then going
to the entrance of the garden of Gethsemane to be there when Judas
came. From these that came and the weapons that they brought, you would
think that they had came out for a criminal. Isn't it a shame that the
religious (chief priest and scribes) were involved in this?
Matthew 26:48 "Now he that betrayed him gave them a sign, saying,
Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he: hold him fast."
In this part of the world, it was not unusual to greet someone
that you had great respect for with a kiss. Whether Judas did this as
a cover up to the other disciples of what treacherous thing he had
planned, or not, we do not know. This kiss was the kiss of death. It
was dark, and they might not recognize Him at night. At any rate, even
if these who came to get Jesus had never seen Him before, Judas would
point Him out to them by kissing Him.
Matthew 26:49 "And forthwith he came to Jesus, and said, Hail,
master; and kissed him."
He had the audacity to call Him master and betray Him at the very same
moment.
Matthew 26:50 "And Jesus said unto him, Friend, wherefore art
thou come? Then came they, and laid hands on Jesus, and took him."
Jesus was fully aware of why Judas was there. This statement was
made for Judas. Jesus was saying, some friend you are. This was the
signal, and the soldiers took Jesus into custody.
Matthew 26:51 "And, behold, one of them which were with Jesus
stretched out [his] hand, and drew his sword, and struck a servant of
the high priest's, and smote off his ear."
This was Peter. He was rather impulsive, and he was ready to
fight to keep them from taking Jesus. The servant's name whose ear was
cut off was Malchus. Peter, probably, had not aimed for his ear, but his
head and missed. Jesus put his ear back on and healed it.
Matthew 26:52 "Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword
into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the
sword."
Violence and revenge were not what Jesus taught.
Matthew 26:53 "Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father,
and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?"
Matthew 26:54 "But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that
thus it must be?"
I sing a song called "Then Thousand Angels" which speaks of Jesus
willingly going to the cross, when any moment He could have called ten
thousand angels to destroy the world and set Him free. The truth
really is that Jesus was in control at all times. He did not even need
the angels. They did not really take Him, He went willingly. Jesus was
in control of His own destiny. He did not want to destroy the world.
He chose to save it instead. He would fulfill all the Scriptures by
dying on the cross for the sin of the world. They did not take His
life, He gave it.
Matthew 26:55 "In that same hour said Jesus to the multitudes,
Are ye come out as against a thief with swords and staves for to take
me? I sat daily with you teaching in the temple, and ye laid no hold
on me." Matthew 26:56 "But all this was done, that the scriptures of
the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook him,
and fled."
In this, Jesus was willing to go with them, but did not enjoy
being treated as a criminal. He said, if you wanted to arrest me, I
was in your temple everyday, why didn't you take me then? Of course,
Jesus knew why they did not take Him. It would not have filled the
Scriptures of Him being the Lamb. Jesus must be killed at passover
time. He must be buried and rise again on first fruits.
Matthew 26:57 "And they that had laid hold on Jesus led [him]
away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders
were assembled."
For political reasons, Caiaphas had asked the death of Jesus.
These scribes and Pharisees wanted His death, as well.
Matthew 26:58 "But Peter followed him afar off unto the high
priest's palace, and went in, and sat with the servants, to see the
end."
Peter had not completely run away. He was still nearby. He was in
the city to see what happened to Jesus. Peter was, possibly,
disappointed that Jesus would not let him fight for Him. John would
join Peter at Caiaphas' headquarters.
Matthew 26:59 "Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the
council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death;"
Matthew 26:60 "But found none: yea, though many false witnesses came,
[yet] found they none. At the last came two false witnesses,"
Matthew 26:61 "And said, This [fellow] said, I am able to destroy the
temple of God, and to build it in three days."
It seems that most of these chief priests and elders were really
not intrusted with the truth. They just wanted to get rid of Jesus.
They were even willing to hire false witnesses to produce enough false
evidence to get the Romans to pronounce sentence on Him. At first they
could not find witnesses to testify against Jesus, and then they
finally found two. By their law two witnesses were enough witnesses to
convict Him. The Bible, itself, says by two witnesses a thing can be
established. They did not understand that the temple that Jesus had
spoken of was His body.
Matthew 26:62 "And the high priest arose, and said unto him,
Answerest thou nothing? what [is it which] these witness against
thee?"
Caiaphas was trying to make Jesus say something that could be
used against Him. He was trying to get Jesus to accuse the witnesses of
lying.
Matthew 26:63 "But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest
answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou
tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God."
Here, the high priest changed to an entirely different subject.
This was the real reason Jesus had been brought before Caiaphas. Here,
if Jesus said He was the Christ the Son of God, then they would shout
blasphemy, and say that they should kill Him. If He said He wasn't, then
they would ask by what authority had He been preaching and healing.
Matthew 26:64 "Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless
I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the
right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven."
Jesus said to him, you said it. Jesus went even further and said
He would be sitting at the right hand of God. Jesus, also, told him that
He would come back in the clouds of heaven. This left no doubt. Jesus
had let Caiphas know beyond a shadow of a doubt that He (Jesus) was the
only begotten of the Father. The Messiah!
Matthew 26:65 "Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He
hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold,
now ye have heard his blasphemy." Matthew 26:66 "What think ye? They
answered and said, He is guilty of death." Matthew 26:67 "Then did
they spit in his face, and buffeted him; and others smote [him] with
the palms of their hands," Matthew 26:68 "Saying, Prophesy unto us,
thou Christ, Who is he that smote thee?"
The high priest, probably, thought he was right in turning against
Jesus. Maybe, he really did believe that this was blasphemy. They would
never have spit on Jesus and slapped Him, had they known that what He
said was true. "Christ" means the Anointed One. Someday they would rue
the day they did this.
Matthew 26:69 "Now Peter sat without in the palace: and a damsel
came unto him, saying, Thou also wast with Jesus of Galilee." Matthew
26:70 "But he denied before [them] all, saying, I know not what thou
sayest." Matthew 26:71 "And when he was gone out into the porch,
another [maid] saw him, and said unto them that were there, This
[fellow] was also with Jesus of Nazareth." Matthew 26:72 "And again
he denied with an oath, I do not know the man." Matthew 26:73 "And
after a while came unto [him] they that stood by, and said to Peter,
Surely thou also art [one] of them; for thy speech bewrayeth thee."
Matthew 26:74 "Then began he to curse and to swear, [saying], I know
not the man. And immediately the cock crew." Matthew 26:75 "And Peter
remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock
crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly."
These three denials that had been prophesied by Jesus were
progressive in nature. First Peter just denied, the second time he
added an oath, and the third time Peter added cursing. How sad when the
cock crows, and Peter realized what he had done; and worse, who Jesus
really was. God the Son, Christ, Messiah.
Matthew Questions 57
1. Who came with Judas to get Jesus?
2. Who sent them?
3. What did they bring with them?
4. What was the sign Judas had given them?
5. What did Judas call Jesus?
6. What did Jesus call Judas?
7. What did Peter do to Malchus?
8. What did Jesus say to Peter?
9. What miracle did Jesus do?
10. If Jesus prayed to the Father, how many angels would come?
11. Jesus could destroy the world, but what did He want to do instead?
12. Where was Jesus daily?
13. Why did they capture Him then?
14. What happened to the disciples?
15. What caused them to do this?
16. To fulfill the Scripture, when must Jesus die?
17. When must we rise again?
18. What was the name of the high priest?
19. Which disciple followed at a distance?
20. How many false witnesses did they finally get?
21. What did they say Jesus said?
22. What temple was Jesus speaking of?
23. By how many witnesses is something established?
24. The high priest asked Jesus to tell him if He was _____ _______
_______ _______ _______ ________ ________.
25. How did Jesus answer?
26. What did the high priest do after Jesus answered?
27. What three humiliating things did they do to Jesus?
28. How many accused Peter of knowing Jesus?
29. Explain how Peter's answers progressed into worse sin?
30. When the cock crew, what did Peter do?
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