Matthew 26, Part One

The plot to kill Jesus (vs. 1-5)—One more time, in verses 1-2, Christ tells His apostles that He will be crucified. And, at the same time, “the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders of the people assembled at the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, and plotted to take Jesus by trickery and kill Him” (vs. 3-4). Their plan was to wait until after the Passover, which was only two days off. But, an opportunity presented itself, and they will take it and crucify Him on Passover night.

Mary anoints Jesus for his burial (vs. 6-13)—Matthew doesn’t give us the name of the woman, but in John’s account (John 12), he tells us it was Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus. There are some commentators who think two different incidents are involved, but the similarities seem conclusive for the same event. John includes that Mary also anointed Jesus’ feet (Matthew only mentions the anointing of His head) and wiped them with her hair. The oil was expensive—300 denarii (John 12:5), which is close to a year’s wage for an average worker (see Matthew 20). Some of the apostles—notably Judas (John 12:4)--complained about the cost, arguing that "this fragrant oil might have been sold for much and given to the poor” (Matthew 26:9), but the beloved John also tells us that Judas was a thief and often stole from the store of cash he kept for the group. But Jesus commends Mary: “For she has done a good work for me” (v. 10), “for in pouring this fragrant oil on My body, she did it for my burial” (v. 12). It’s really doubtful that Mary understood that last point; if she believed that Jesus was going to die and be buried and resurrected, then she was far ahead of just about anybody else in her faith and understanding. But Jesus praised her and that is sufficient, and His final words on the matter are certainly true because I am writing about her right now: “Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her" (v. 13).

Judas sells out Jesus (vs. 14-16)—Judas went to the chief priests and asked what they would give him to “deliver Him to you”. Thirty pieces of silver. The chief priests knew what Jesus looked like, of course, but they needed to know where He might be so that they could seize Him at an opportune time. That’s what Judas provided for them—information about His whereabouts.

Christ and His apostles eat the Passover (vs. 17-30)—The disciples weren’t sure where they were going to eat the Passover, so Jesus directs them to the appropriate place (vs. 17-19). When evening had come, they sat down together to observe the memorial. The first thing Jesus does is announce that one of them is going to betray Him. “And they were exceedingly sorrowful and each of them began to say to Him, ‘Lord, is it I?” (v. 22). Judas asked Him the question, surely just to find out if the Lord knew, and Jesus indicated that He did. The phrase “You have said it” (NKJV) or “Thou hast said” (KJV, ASV) is simply a Hebrew way of saying “yes.”

Jesus then explained the memorial feast to them as they ate it: “And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, 'Take, eat; this is My body.' Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, 'Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins'” (vs. 26-28). The Passover feast, instituted nearly 1500 years previous, right before the Israelites left Egypt, pointed to this night, and the body and blood of the Savior. God does nothing arbitrarily. Certainly no one in Moses’ day understood the ultimate meaning of the Passover. But Jesus now explains it, and as Paul said in I Corinthians 5:7, “For Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.” This memorial was remembered each week by the early church, and is the meaning of Jesus’ next statement, “I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father's kingdom” (v. 29).

Incidentally, Jesus’ statement in verse 28, “For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins,” tells us that His blood was shed “for the remission of sins,” something we all know, of course, and no one disputes. The phrase, “for the remission of sins,” in the original Greek is “eis aphesin amartion” and is the exact same phrase, word for word, that Peter uses in Acts 2:38, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” So for whatever purpose Jesus shed His blood, baptism has the exact same purpose—the “remission of sins”—and for those who deny that baptism is unto that end, they must explain why the phrase in Matt. 26:28 means Jesus’ blood was shed in order to obtain our forgiveness, but the exact same phrase in Acts 2:38 means something completely different.  Salvation is not at the point of faith alone.  Repentance and baptism “eis aphesin amartion” are also necessary.