Matthew

Chapter 26 (Continued)
{Jesus' Prediction of Peter's Denial}
26:31~~Then Jesus said to them, "You will all fall away because of Me this night, for it is written {in Zechariah 13:7}: 'I will strike the Shepherd and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.' "

{Note: Jesus could see by their emotional singing that they needed to be brought back to the ground so He gave them doctrine.}

26:32~~"But after I am raised, I will walk ahead of you {while the disciples are dragging their feet} into Galilee."

{1st step in Peter's fall - He ignores the doctrine just taught! All emotional and no thinking at this point. 2nd step - Peter is operating under the mental attitude sin of Pride}
26:33~~Peter said to Him, "Though all fall away because of You, I will never fall away!"

26:34~~Jesus said to him {Peter}, "I tell you the truth/doctrine {point of doctrine} on this {Tuesday Night} night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times."

{Note: The Romans loved chicken, but because the chicken is an unclean animal the Jews detested them. Jesus makes it clear the Romans are there and are running the show not Peter. As a Jew, Peter is getting his nose rubbed in all this - lots of crow but no courage - well he does exhibit courage, but he is emotional,
sincere . . . and unstable - he is low on what really carries you through pressure - doctrine.}

26:35~~Peter said to Him, "Even if I must die with you, I will not deny You." And all the disciples said the same thing.

{Note: None of them remembered the doctrine Jesus just quoted - they all will fall apart under pressure. Peter's case is documented by Matthew. Ignoring the Word of God is Peter's first step in his failure to the Lord at this time.}

{Gethsemane}
26:36 Then Jesus went with them to a {private} place called Gethsemane, and He said to the disciples, "Sit here . . . having gone {for privacy} . . . I will pray."

{Note: Gethsemane is an isolated garden at the foot of the Mt. of Olives, at that time it was about ¾ of a mile from the eastern wall of Jerusalem. The Pharisees prayed in temples and on street corners where everyone could see the 'show'. Jesus goes to a private place where the most effective prayer is done.}

26:37~~Then He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee {John and James}, and {when He was alone} He Himself began to be anguished and distressed.

{Note: He was distressed with the idea of contemplating bearing our sins. He had not in His deity or His humanity ever had anything to do with sin and this was extremely repugnant to Him. He also knew for the first time EVER, He would be separated from God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. He knew what it would be like for Him on the cross and from His humanity, His free will/volition wanted to skip the cross.}

26:38~~Then He {Jesus} said to them, "My soul is deeply sorrowful {surrounded by grief - maximum pressure, maximum sorrow} . . . until {physical} death. Stay here and keep being vigilant {an order - gregoreuo}."

{Note: Gregoreuo is an imperative meaning this is an order. It had a military use meaning to be alert like on guard duty. Jesus is telling them to be alert . . . but is referring more to be contemplating on doctrine. Doctrine is what they will need to endure the next few days.}

26:39~~Going a little farther, He threw Himself down with His face to the ground and kept on praying, "My Father, if it is possible - and it is {first class condition - His humanity had free will to reject the Father's plan} - let this cup {Matthew 20:22 - containing the sins of the world - refers to the cross} pass from the ultimate source of Me! Nevertheless not what I {Jesus} will, but what You {God the Father} will."

26:40~~Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping {not very vigilant!}. He {Jesus} kept on saying to Peter {the apparent leader of the disciples at this time}, "What, you couldn't stay alert with Me for one hour?"

26:41~~"Keep on being vigilant and keep on praying {Jesus adds for Peter to pray also} so that you will not enter into temptation. The spirit . . . WILLING {to do the will of God}, but the flesh . . . WEAK."

{Note: Jesus did not solicit prayer on His behalf! Peter is to pray for himself! Peter is the weak one! Jesus had His temptations and Peter would also have His. One purpose of prayer is to bolster resistance to temptations of the flesh.}

26:42~~He {Jesus} went away a second time and kept on saying, "Oh My Father, if this {cup} can not pass from Me - and I know it can not {1st class condition} - unless I drink it . . . Your will {divine sovereignty} . . . must receive completion - and I am going to obey {ginomai}."

{Note: Ginomai here means to complete. It is in the passive tense and is an imperative or order. A passive imperative means it receives the action of the verb and will be obeyed.}

{Note: In circa April 30 AD, the cup passed from Him on the cross.}

{3rd step in Peter's fall - Failure in prayer}
26:43~~He {Jesus} came and found them sleeping again, because their eyes were weighted down in the past with the result that they kept on staying closed {heavy eyelids - they could not keep their eyes open}.

{Note: If you are interested in doctrine, your mind is stimulated and you can stay awake!}

26:44~~So He {Jesus} left them again and went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same thing once more.

26:45~~Then He {Jesus} came to the disciples and said to them, "Sleep on and rest now. Look, the hour is approaching, and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners."

26:46~~"GET UP {imperative mood - an order} . . . keep on going {subjective mood - 'up to you to obey or not' - their volition is recognized}. Look! My {Jesus} betrayer is here!"

{Note: In the Greek syntax, having an imperative mood followed by the subjectivity mood means that the order most likely will not be followed. The Lord knew the disciples did not have enough doctrine in their souls to sustain them in the very harsh days ahead - they were in for failures. The Lord knew this billions of years ago yet He choose these men. We all fail is the point. We are ordered by the Lord to 'GET UP and keep on going!' Take in doctrine today, tomorrow, and the next day, and the next . . .}

{Betrayal and Arrest}
26:47~~While He {Jesus} was still speaking, Judas (one of the twelve) came and with him a large crowd with swords and clubs {a MOB had been gathered} . . . from the chief priests and elders of the people {religion always tries to destroy Grace}.

{Note: Judas has brought with him an armed mob. All mobs are unthinking 'thugs'. They are collectively anti-establishment and Rome did not tolerate mobs. This is very unusual to have armed Jews where Rome rules.}

26:48~~(Now the betrayer {Judas} had given them a sign, saying, "The One I kiss is the Man. Hold Him tight {Judas knew the strength of the Lord and thought the Lord would seek reprisal again Judas}!")

26:49~~Immediately he came to Jesus and said, "Hail/Greetings, Master/Rabbi {not 'Lord', still not recognizing His deity}," and kissed Him.

26:50~~Jesus said to him {Judas}, "Associate/Friend {not 'brother' because Judas was not saved} . . . do that for which you have come." Then they came and seized Jesus violently and arrested Him.

{4th step in Peter's fall - Verses 51-56 - Still not understanding doctrine}
26:51~~But one of those with Jesus {this was Peter} grabbed his sword, drew it out and struck {Malchus} a soldier in the temple
guard . . . cutting off his ear.

{Note: Matthew omitted Peter's name because Peter was still alive when he wrote it in circa 68 AD. By the time John wrote his account in 96 AD (John 18: 10), Peter was already dead. Peter was big and he was brave. He truly intended to die with the Lord. He was relying on 'human good' (energy of the flesh - with a sword in this case) and had 'good intentions'. But he SHOULD have been relying on what was taught by the Word of God.}

26:52~~Then Jesus said to him {Peter}, "Put your sword back in its place! For all who take hold of the sword {and commit a crime/murder} will die by the sword {capital punishment - principal from Genesis 9:6}."

{Note: This has nothing to do with the military. This has to do with respect for privacy and respecting the rights of others under the Mosaic Code (do not murder, steal, mess with another man's wife, etc.). Peter with good intentions was now trying to kill one of the mob and you do not solve one wrong with another wrong.}

26:53~~"Or do you {Peter} think that I {Jesus} cannot call on My Father, and that He would send Me more than twelve legions of angels right now?"

26:54~~"For then, how would the scriptures receive fulfillment that say . . . it is necessary for it {the death of Christ on the cross} to come to pass?"

26:55~~At that hour Jesus said to the crowd, "Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest Me like you would a robber {an armed and dangerous criminal}? Day after day I sat teaching in the temple courts, yet you did not seize Me."

{Note: Example of Jesus' marvelous sense of humor. 'Am I so dangerous you need all these people and weapons to 'capture' big ol' dangerous Me?'}

26:56~~"But all this has happened so that the scriptures of the prophets would be fulfilled {like Isaiah 53}." Then all the disciples {the eleven} left Him and ran away.

{Condemned by the Sanhedran Counsel}
26:57~~Now the ones who had arrested Jesus took Him to Caiaphas, the high priest, where the experts in the law and the elders had gathered.

{Note: RBT says this is the 2nd trial. The 1st trial by Annas is recorded by John in John 18: 12-24. Annas was the political boss of Jerusalem and the former high priest.}

26:58~~But Peter kept on following Him from a distance, all the way to the courtyard of the high priest. After going in, he sat with the officers to see the outcome/end.

{Note: Peter is relying on emotion NOT doctrine. He ran away then returned. Now he is going into depression because 'all is lost'. Going to 'see the end' of Jesus. At this point, still had not metabolized the doctrines in his soul concerning the cross, resurrection, ascension, and cession of Christ in heaven today. He does get it later as verified by II Peter.}

26:59~~The chief priests and the whole Sanhedran were trying to find {two} false witnesses {according to the law} against Jesus so that they could put Him to death.

{Note: This trial was held at night, Jesus had no defense counsel, they proceeded illegally by attempting to procure perjury, the high priest attempts to get Jesus to incriminate Himself under oath, the judge and the jury are prejudiced, there is violence in the courtroom, and they pass sentence without proper indictment or proper trial-all of which are violations of Jewish jurisprudence.}

26:60-61~~But they did not find any, though many false witnesses came forward {could not get two of the liars to agree!}. Finally two {false witnesses} came forward 26:61~~ and said, "This man said, 'I can destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.' "

{Note: Jesus was referring to His body NOT the temple. But they misconstrued what He said and with close enough testimony, the religious leaders finally thought they could get Jesus on blasphemy against the temple.}

[Note: See more on the tabernacle joke God had with Satan in the note at I Corinthians 3:9.]

26:62~~So the high priest stood up and said to Him, "Do You have no answer? What is this that they are testifying against You?"

26:63~~But Jesus remained silent {Jesus knew He was condemned already and this was the Will of God the Father and from His humanity, it was His will to comply}. The high priest said to Him, "I charge you under oath by the living God {God Of Israel, Who IS Jesus Christ!} . . . tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God."

{Note: Under no legitimate system of justice, is a defendant obligated to testify against himself. Even Jewish law was being violated here. And, in other ways also: the trial was at night - against the law. No defense attorney - against the law. Mob violence to bring Him in - again the law. No objective and impartial judge or jury.}

26:64~~Jesus said to him, "Affirmative/'you have said it and it is true' {Jesus can NOT lie. He must tell the truth to go to the cross perfect and He does.}. Moreover, I tell you, from now on You will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand side of Power {of the Father} {Psalms 110:1} and coming on the clouds of heaven {2nd Advent}."

{Note: Jesus uses an idiom but does confirm that He is the Son of God. Next, He is not only talking to the crowd, but Satan and all the angels. Now Satan sees the position of honor that the humanity of Jesus Christ presently holds. In the future, we also will see Jesus seated at the right hand side of God.}

26:65~~Then the high priest tore his clothes {demonstrates that he lost his temper as NO judge should ever do} . . . saying, "He {Jesus} has spoken over and over . . . blasphemy! Why do we still need witnesses? Now you have heard the blasphemy!"

26:66~~"What is your verdict?" They answered, "He is guilty and deserves death."

26:67-68~~Then they spat in His {Jesus} face and punched Him. And some slapped Him, 26:68~~ saying, "Prophesy for us, You Messiah! Who hit you?"

{5th step in Peter's fall}
26:69~~Now Peter kept on sitting outside in the courtyard. A serving/slave girl {probably a teenage girl} came to Him and said, "You were with Jesus the Galilean too."

26:70~~But he {Peter} denied it in front of them all, saying, "I don't know what you are talking about!"

26:71~~When he went out to the gateway, another slave girl saw him and said to the people there, "This man was with Jesus of Nazareth."

26:72~~And he denied it again under an oath {'by his sainted grandmother' type thing}, "I do not know the man!"

26:73~~After a little while, those standing there came up to Peter and said, "You really are one of them too, because your accent shows it clearly {betrays you}."

26:74~~At that he began to curse {changing his speech}, "I do not know the man!" And immediately the rooster crowed.

26:75~~Then Peter remembered that Jesus had said, "Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times." And he {Peter} went outside and wept bitterly.

{Note: Peter and Judas have BOTH produced 'self-enduced' misery. Without doctrine there is no anchor! No relaxed mental attitude. The emotion of the body rules the body and there is no permanent happiness in a believer or unbeliever without doctrine metabolized in the soul. Peter did NOT lose his salvation.}

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