A Study of Matthew

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Matthew 26

By: Jim Crews 

 

Matthew 26: 1 - 2

When Jesus had finished teaching these things, He reminded His disciples that the Passover was in two days, and He would be delivered up to be crucified. 

 

Matthew 26: 3 - 5

The scribes and chief priests gathered at the palace of the High Priest. The High Priest that year was Caiaphas. They were plotting to arrest Jesus secretly and kill Him. They held off doing it during the feast because of their fear of the people. 

 

Matthew 26: 6 - 13

While Jesus was staying at the house of Simon the leper in Bethany, a woman came to Him with an alabaster flask of very expensive ointment. She poured it on His head as He sat at the table. The disciples were indignant at this, saying how it had been wasted. They claimed it could have been sold and the proceeds given to the poor. Jesus defended the woman, saying it was a wonderful thing she had done for Him. The poor will always be with us, but Jesus was about to return to His heavenly home. He told them she had prepared His body for burial. The act she did would forever be proclaimed in the world wherever the Gospel was taught. We do that very thing here today. 

 

Matthew 26: 14 - 16

Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went to the chief priests and asked how much they would give him to betray Jesus. They paid Judas 30 pieces of silver, and from that moment he sought the opportunity to betray our Lord. 

Zechariah 11: 12

 

Matthew 26: 17 - 19

On the first day of the Passover, the disciples came and asked Jesus where they would be eating the Passover meal. He told them to go into the city and they would find a man. They were to tell this man that the Lord wanted to celebrate the Passover with him. They did this and prepared the Passover meal. 

 

Matthew 26: 20 - 25

As they were reclining at table that evening, Jesus revealed that one of the twelve would betray Him. They were sorrowful and each one asked if they were the one. He told them that the one who dipped his hand in the dish with Him would betray Him. He also told them this was in fulfillment of prophecy. He proclaims woe to the betrayer, and says it would have been better had he not even been born. Judas asked Him if it were he who would betray Jesus. Jesus answered that it was. 

 

Matthew 26: 28 - 29

As they were eating, Jesus took the bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to the disciples. He told them to take and eat it, because this was His body. He took a cup and gave thanks for it. He told His disciples to drink, because this was the blood of the covenant which was poured out for many for forgiveness of sins. He would not drink of this again until He did so in the Father’s Kingdom. 

 

Matthew 26: 30 - 35

When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. Jesus told them that they would all fall away that night because of Him. He then quoted to them the prophecy of this event. 

Zechariah 13: 7

 

He then tells them that after He is risen, He will be going to Galilee. Peter boasted that he would not fall away even though all the rest would. Jesus told Peter that on that very night, he would deny knowing our Lord three times. 

 

Matthew 26: 36 - 46

Jesus went with them to Gethsemane and told the disciples to sit and wait while He prayed. He took Peter, James, and John with Him and began to be sorrowful and troubled. He knew the pain and anguish He was about to suffer. He asked those three to remain there with Him while He prayed. He went a little farther and prayed to God that the burden He must suffer be taken from Him. However, He also prayed that not His will but the Will of God be done. He came back to the three disciples and found them sleeping. He asked if they couldn’t watch just one hour? He then told them to watch and pray so that temptation would be removed from them, because the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. He did this two mores times, returning both times to find the disciples asleep. He then told them the time of His betrayal had arrived. 

 

Matthew 26: 47 - 56

While He was still speaking, Judas came with a crowd of Temple guards. He had told them that the one he kissed was Jesus. He came up to Jesus, greeted Him, and kissed Him. Jesus told them to do what they had come to do. They seized Him. One of the disciples took a sword and cut the ear off one of the guards. Another record tells us this was Peter and the guards name was Malchus. Jesus scolded Peter for his violent act and healed the ear of the guard. 

 

He asked them if they didn’t know that He could appeal for 12 legions of angels right then and God would send them. However, if He did that, then the prophecies would not be fulfilled and sin would remain in force upon the Earth. Jesus asked the guards why they had come to take Him at night, when they could have easily taken Him any day in the Temple? He told them it took place this way to fulfill the prophecies. The disciples then ran away. 

 

Matthew 26: 57 - 68

Jesus was taken before Caiaphas, where the scribes and elders had gathered. Peter followed along secretly to watch. The court was seeking false testimony against Jesus, but couldn’t find a single bit. Two finally came forward and said that Jesus had taught that He could destroy the Temple and rebuild it in three days. Caiaphas asked Jesus what He had to say in His defense, but Jesus remained silent. Caiaphas then asked Him straight out whether He was the Messiah, the Son of God. Jesus told Him that He is, and that they would soon see Him seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven. This prophecy was of the destruction of Jerusalem which occurred in 70. Caiaphas tore his clothes and proclaimed Jesus to be a blasphemer. The illegally constituted court then sentenced Him to death, earning their own destruction which was to come in a few short years at the hands of the Romans. 

 

Matthew 26: 69 - 75

Peter was still outside watching when a servant girl recognized him and said he was one of the disciples of Christ. Peter denied this, claiming he did not know the man. He moved on, but was recognized again. This time he denied his knowledge of Christ with an oath. He was recognized a third time, and he cursed, saying he did not know Jesus. Immediately the rooster crowed and Peter remembered the prophecy from Christ that he would deny Him three times before morning. He went out and wept bitterly. 

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Matthew 27

By: Jim Crews 

 

Matthew 27: 1 - 2

When morning came, the chief priest and elders bound Jesus and took Him to the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate. They were hoping that the Romans would sentence Jesus to death so that they wouldn’t have to do the deed. 

 

Matthew 27: 3 - 10

When Judas saw that Jesus was going to be executed, he relented of his deed and tried to return the money he had taken to betray Him. The rulers would not take the money back, so Judas threw it on the floor and left. He hanged himself because of his sorrow. The chief priests couldn’t put the money back into the treasury because it was blood money, so they used it to buy a field to bury strangers who died in their land. The field is known as the Field of Blood. This fulfilled a prophecy spoken by Jeremiah and repeated by Zechariah. 

Zechariah 11: 13

 

Matthew 27: 11 - 14

Jesus stood before the governor, who asked Him whether He was the King of the Jews. Jesus told Pilate that’s what he had said. He didn’t answer the Jews accusations at all. Pilate was amazed that Jesus stood silent against all the charges being leveled at Him. 

 

Matthew 27: 15 - 23

At the Passover, the governor would release a prisoner to the people in order to try to gain their good favor. There was a rebel and a murderer named Barabbas in prison there with Jesus. Pilate, thinking that the crowd would choose Jesus, asked them whether they wanted Him or Barabbas released. Pilate didn’t want anything done to Jesus, because his wife had been having dreams about Him. The chief priests and elders incited the crowd to call for the release of Barabbas. This they did, and when asked what to do with Jesus, the crowd cried out that Pilate should crucify Him. Pilate asked what evil Jesus had done, but the mob continued calling for His crucifixion. 

 

Matthew 27: 24 - 26

When Pilate saw that he was doing nothing but causing a riot to break out, he delivered Jesus over to his troops to be scourged and crucified. He washed his hands of the entire affair, telling the Jews that he was innocent of the blood of Christ. He then released Barabbas to them. 

 

Matthew 27: 27 - 31

The Roman soldiers took Jesus, stripped Him, and put a scarlet robe on Him. They twisted together a crown of thorns to put on His head, along with a reed in His right hand. They knelt before Him mockingly, saying Hail King of the Jews. The spit on Him and hit Him in the head with the reed. When they had finished mocking Him, they put His own clothes back on Him and led Him away to be crucified. 

 

Matthew 27: 32 - 44

They forced Simon of Cyrene to carry the cross Jesus would be crucified on. They came to Golgotha, called the Place of the Skull. They offered Him wine mixed with gall, but He refused to drink it. After they crucified Him, they gambled over His clothes, then sat down to watch for when He would die. Above His head, they put a sign which read “The King of the Jews”. Two thieves were crucified along with Him. The crowd passing by ridiculed and mocked Him. The scribes and elders mocked Him. The thieves crucified along with Him mocked Him, but we read in another account, one of them came to his senses. 

 

Matthew 27: 45- 50

There was darkness over the land for three hours. Following this, Jesus cried out with a loud voice, quoting a Psalm and bringing to the mind of everyone there the prophecy being fulfilled right in front of them. 

Psalm 22

 

The people, being ignorant of prophecy, thought He was calling for Elijah to come rescue Him. One took a sponge to give Him drink, while the rest decided to stay to see whether Elijah would show up. Jesus died.

 

Matthew 27: 51 - 54

The curtain of the Temple tore in two, casting open the Holy of Holies and symbolizing the end of the Mosaic Law. There was a great earthquake. Tombs were opened and many rose from the dead and went into the city to be seen by many. This fulfills a prophecy from Daniel. 

Daniel 12: 1 - 4

 

The centurion and his soldiers were filled with awe when all of this happened. They said that Jesus truly was the Son of God. 

 

Matthew 27: 55 - 56

There were many women there watching the crucifixion. 

 

Matthew 27: 57 - 61

At evening, Joseph of Arimathea, a rich man who was a disciple of Jesus, came to ask for His body. Pilate ordered that the body be given to Joseph, who prepared it and had it buried in his own tomb. He rolled a great stone over the door. 

 

Matthew 27: 62 - 66

The Jewish leaders, remembering that Jesus said He would rise from the dead after three days, wanted Pilate to place guards on the tomb. They thought His disciples would steal the body and claim He had risen. Pilate told them to place guards on the tomb, and they did. 

 

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Matthew 28

By: Jim Crews 

 

Matthew 28: 1 - 10

At dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to the tomb of Jesus. There was a great earthquake, because an angel of the Lord had come and rolled back the stone. The angel sat on the stone. His appearance was like lightning and his clothing white as snow. The guards feared the angel and passed out. The angel told the women not to be afraid. They were seeking out Jesus, but He was no longer there because He had risen from the dead. The angel showed the women the empty tomb and told them to go and tell the disciples that Jesus had risen from the dead and was going to Galilee. They would see Him there. The women left, fearful and joyful, and went and told the disciples what they had seen and heard. Jesus met and greeted them along the way. They came to Him and worshipped Him. He told them not to be afraid. He instructed the women to tell the disciples that He would meet with them in Galilee. 

 

Matthew 28: 11 - 15

Some of the guards went into Jerusalem and told the chief priests what had happened. They bribed the guards to tell the people that the disciples had come in the night and stolen the body while they were asleep. The elders would ease things for them with Pilate. The guards took the money and did as they were paid to do. That story circulated among the people, but it could not hold up for one reason. There was no body to be found to back their story up. 

 

Matthew 28: 16 - 20

The eleven went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had directed them to go. When they saw Him, they worshipped Him, but some had doubts. We read of Philip in another account. Jesus told them that all authority had been given to Him by the Father. They were to go and make disciples of all nations. They were to baptize believers in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. They were then to teach those converts to do all that He had commanded them. This can be read by us in the rest of the New Testament. He will be with all His disciples until the end of this current age, when Judgment Day will occur.