Matthew. Matthew 26:30-56 Betrayals and Trials ~ Part 2

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1 Matthew Matthew 26:30-56 Betrayals and Trials ~ Part 2 I know it s not Christmas yet, but this section of the Christmas Carol illustrates a sad truth we will see in this morning s passage. When Scrooge awoke, it was so dark, that looking out of bed, he could scarcely distinguish the transparent window from the opaque walls of his chamber. He was endeavouring to pierce the darkness with his ferret eyes, when the chimes of a neighbouring church struck the four quarters. So he listened for the hour. To his great astonishment the heavy bell went on from six to seven, and from seven to eight, and regularly up to twelve; then stopped. Twelve. It was past two when he went to bed. The clock was wrong. An icicle must have got into the works. Twelve. He touched the spring of his repeater, to correct this most preposterous clock. Its rapid little pulse beat twelve: and stopped. `Why, it isn't possible,' said Scrooge, `that I can have slept through a whole day and far into another night. It isn't possible that anything has happened to the sun, and this is twelve at noon.' The idea being an alarming one, he scrambled out of bed, and groped his way to the window. He was obliged to rub the frost off with the sleeve of his dressing gown before he could see anything; and could see very little then. All he could make out was, that it was still very foggy and extremely cold, and that there was no noise of people running to and with a deep, dull, hollow, melancholy One. Light flashed up in the room upon the instant, and the curtains of his bed were drawn. The curtains of his bed were drawn aside, I tell you, by a hand. Not the curtains at his feet, nor the curtains at his back, but those to which his face was addressed. The curtains of his bed were drawn aside; and Scrooge, starting up into a half recumbent attitude, found himself face to face with the unearthly visitor who drew them: as close to it as I am now to you, and I am standing in the spirit at your elbow. It was a strange figure like a child: yet not so like a child as like an old man, viewed through some supernatural medium, which gave him the appearance of having receded from the view, and being diminished to a child's proportions. Its hair, which hung about its neck and down its back, was white as if with age; and yet the face had not a wrinkle in it, and the tenderest bloom was on the skin. The arms were very long and muscular; the hands the same, as if its hold were of uncommon strength. Its legs and feet, most delicately formed, were, like those upper members, bare. It wore a tunic of the purest white, and round its waist was bound a lustrous belt, the sheen of which was beautiful. It held a branch of fresh green holly in its hand; and, in singular contradiction of that wintry emblem, had its dress trimmed with summer flowers. But the strangest thing about it was, that from the crown of its head there sprung a bright clear jet of light, by which all this was visible; and which was doubtless the occasion of its using, in its duller moments, a great extinguisher for a cap, which it now held under its arm. `Spirit.' said Scrooge in a broken voice,' remove me from this place.' `I told you these were shadows of the things that have been,' said the Ghost. `That they are what they are, do not blame me.' `Remove me.' Scrooge exclaimed,' I cannot bear it.' He turned upon the Ghost, and seeing that it looked upon him with a face, in which in some strange way there were fragments of all the faces it had shown him, wrestled with it. `Leave me. Take me back. Haunt me no longer.' In the struggle, if that can be called a struggle in which the Ghost with no visible resistance on its own part was undisturbed by any effort of its adversary, Scrooge observed that its light was burning

2 high and bright; and dimly connecting that with its influence over him, he seized the extinguisher cap, and by a sudden action pressed it down upon its head. The Spirit dropped beneath it, so that the extinguisher covered its whole form; but though Scrooge pressed it down with all his force, he could not hide the light, which streamed from under it, in an unbroken flood upon the ground. 1 Scrooge couldn t face having his sins exposed to the light and so he killed it. XI Jesus Passion and Resurrection 26:1-28:20 A. Jesus Betrayed and Arrested 26: The Last Supper Verses d. Singing Verses Jesus Prayer and Arrest at Gethsemane Verses a. In the Garden Verses b. The Arrest Verses Introduction: We are now entering the last events in the Messiah s 1 st coming. This is why I stopped in the middle of a section last time because I wanted to end with Jesus and the disciples as He finished with His prayers and called them to awake. Judas had arrived (vs. 36) Events where now about to move into high gear. But first, here s an outline of the trials that are to come, and the passages that cover them. As we did in the beginning of the series, while our focus is on Matthew s account, we ll read the parallel passages as well. The Arrest Matthew 26 Mark 14 Luke 22 John 18 The Religious Trial Annas Caiaphas the Sanhedrin The Civil Trial Pilate Herod Pilate As you can see while there are only two trials, but Jesus had six appearances. And as we go through them in the later sessions, we will also look into the illegality of their aspects. But keep in mind legal or illegal wasn t the issue. The issue was Christ had to go to the cross for our sin. But first we have to go back to look at Jesus arrest. Let me give you the parallel passages where there are differences from Mark, Luke, and John. I m looking at this in chronological order, so first to Luke. 1 Dickens, Charles, A Christmas Carol, public domain. ) 766 (

3 Then Jesus, knowing all that would happen to him, came forward and said to them, Whom do you seek? They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus said to them, I am he. Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them. When Jesus said to them, I am he, they drew back and fell to the ground. So he asked them again, Whom do you seek? And they said, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus answered, I told you that I am he. So, if you seek me, let these men go. This was to fulfill the word that he had spoken: Of those whom you gave me I have lost not one. (John 18:4-8). When Jesus followers saw what was going to happen, they said, Lord, should we strike with our swords? And one of them struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear. But Jesus answered, No more of this! And he touched the man s ear and healed him (Luke 22:49-51). A young man, wearing nothing but a linen garment, was following Jesus. When they seized him, he fled naked, leaving his garment behind (Mark 14:51-52). The Arrest: Verses 47-50a: The most obvious truth we see here is men hate the light, because the actions of Judas, the chief priests and the elders are those of despite men who are caught in the light and want to shut it off. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God. (John 3:20-21). And for these men, shutting out the light wasn t as simple as extinguishing the Spirit of Christmas Past. Here it meant extinguishing the life of the Son of God. And evil, as we ve see with Judas, becomes a tool of Satan in his plans for creating as much chaos as possible. But even Satan s best efforts, like Judas, like Joseph s brothers is used by God for His own glory. And so, we can walk in peace and security. Now as to why Judas had to identify Jesus here, Carson makes a very interesting point: he need for pointing out the right man was especially acute, not only because it was dark, but because, in a time long before photography, the faces of even great celebrities would not be nearly so widely known as today. 2 Judas comes in front of this troop of men, sent to take Jesus a prisoner. And Judas betrays Jesus with a kiss. Note, Matthew refers to Judas as one of the twelve, emphasizing his betrayal. The group would have included a detachment of Pilate s soldiers, carrying swords, assigned to the temple as well as Levitical temple police and personal security of the chief priests and Sanhedrin (elders), carrying clubs. 3 2 Carson, D. A., The Expositor s Bible Commentary, Matthew, Zondervan Publishing, Grand Rapids, MI, English Standard Version (ESV) Study Bible, Crossway Bibles, Wheaton, IL, ) 767 (

4 Judas greets Jesus as Rabbi. The ESV Study Bible makes an interesting point here. Rabbi. The larger group around the table address Jesus as Lord (v. 22), but Judas addresses him as Rabbi, or Teacher. There is no record of Judas ever calling Jesus Lord. 4 Jesus on the other hand calls Judas friend which is: Friend G2083 e tai roß hetairos 5 and this simply means an acquaintance or associate. It doesn t imply any kind of closeness, or friend as we would normally use the word. Another way of translating Jesus words to Judas is Why are you here? This reminds me God s words to Cain, Where is your brother Abel? Jesus is giving Judas one last chance to see, understand, and take responsibility for his actions. But we hear nothing from Judas. Verses 50b-52: Once again Peter reacts emotionally. He grabs one of the two swords the disciples had. He cuts off the ear of one of the guards. He may have done this for a number of reasons, hatred of Rome, a desire to prove he s stand up for Jesus For some reason Matthew doesn t give us the conclusion of the event which we already read in Luke. Jesus heals the man s ear. And He warns Peter against taking violent action. And goes on to make what should have an obvious statement. Verses 53-54: First, if Jesus really need to be saved, God would have sent an angel army. So Peter, or even one of the other disciples whipping out a sword really wasn t necessary. And Elisha prayed, O LORD, open his eyes so he may see. Then the LORD opened the servant s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha (2 Kings 6:17). A river of fire was flowing, coming out from before him. Thousands upon thousands attended him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. The court was seated, and the books were opened (Daniel 7:10). And as for the numbers of Angels Jesus could send for, He numbered as: 72,000. A Roman legion at full strength had 6,000 soldiers. 6 Second, and even more to the point. All these events were occurring according to God s program, and therefore Peter, et al would be interfering if they stepped in. What was coming was the fulfillment of much of scripture. Neither Jesus enemies, nor friends were going to be able to interfere with what was coming. But attempts could bring, for example, the death for the disciples. 4 Ibid. 5 Ibid. 6 Ibid. ) 768 (

5 Verses 55-56: What we find here is consistent with the behind the scenes plotting of the chief priests and elders. They only wanted to take action out of sight of the crowds because of fear of the consequences in taking Jesus in public. Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus (Mark 3:6). When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus parables, they knew he was talking about them. They looked for a way to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowd because the people held that he was a prophet (Matthew 21:45-46). Jesus point was they powers that be could have arrested Jesus during any of the times over the last week He was teaching in the temple. But instead they have come to Him as if He was a rebel against the Roman government. Keener states: Subversives (like the later assassins who slew Jewish aristocrats under cover of the crowds in the temple) did their acts secretly or in a way that would enable them to avoid capture; the Romans and their local agents were always concerned about such groups. Jesus supposed subversion had been public and unconcealed. 7 As we saw, in the John passage, there is a conversation between Jesus and the crowd. They ask if He is Jesus of Nazareth which He confirms. We are not sure why they reacted they way they did, but the men fall over backward. At lunch the other day, with a group of pastors, we were discussing being slain in the Spirit. One of the men noted that in scripture, the godly fall face down before the Lord, and the unrighteous fall backward, the same direction as those slain in the Spirit. Just an interesting sidelight. And so the mixed group, Jew and Gentile, are taking Jesus into custody. He said this was a fulfillment of prophecy. He isn t referring to a specific one but to scripture as a whole. And once recent prophecy came to pass, His disciples fled in all directions. They betrayed Him. Conclusion: Facing a Traitor When people hurt us, our first impulse is to strike back. At a minimum, we rescind friendship and regard the traitor as an enemy. But Jesus called Judas friend even here. In most betrayals, the traitor has surrendered integrity and commitment for short-term gain. Often, as in Judas s case, it s money. There s no long-term gain in betraying a friend, so the real victim is the traitor himself. In that sense, a traitor deserves our pity before our rebuke. If a colleague at work maneuvers at your expense, if a friend passes an unfounded rumor, try Jesus way: you cut all ties, offer a recovery of the bond that once existed between you. Perhaps by calling someone friend who no longer deserves it, you will save that person from a huge mistake. Judas could have changed his mind. He had the chance. Jesus didn t reject him but tried once more to help him see. 8 7 Keener, Craig S., IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament, Downers Grove, IL, Barton, Bruce B., Mark Fackler, Linda K. Taylor, and David R. Veerman, Life Application Bible Commentary, Matthew, Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, IL, ) 769 (

6 There are three truths I want to take from here. First, as we have previously discussed, we need to remember if we don t depend on the Spirit we too can end up fleeing from standing up for Christ. Second, we need to learn from Jesus example in dealing with Judas. We need to demonstrate His compassion even for those who may be our enemies. We need to be willing to forgive, to reach out to those who may be against us. Or even harder, we may need to reach out to those around us who are simply annoying, who we d just as soon have nothing to do with. Third we need to remember there are more people who don t want truth than those who do. And just as Jesus had those who wanted to put out His light then, there are many today who still want to put it out. We live in a society that seems committed to putting God s light on a dimmer, turning it down until it can be seen again. Have you seen any Scrooges around you, pushing snuffers down of God s light? They may be pushing, but we still need to give them an opportunity to see that light. And there is a way to tell where we are. Now this is the basis for judging: that the light has come into the world and people loved the darkness rather than the light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil deeds hates the light and does not come to the light, so that their deeds will not be exposed. But the one who practices the truth comes to the light, so that it may be plainly evident that his deeds have been done in God (John 3:19-21). Let us do all the work we can. If we can not be a light-house, let us be a candle. There used to be a period when people came to meeting bringing their candles with them. The first one, perhaps, would not make a great illumination, but when two or three got there, there would be more light. If the people of Boston should do that now, if each one should come here in this Tabernacle with a candle, don t you think there would be a little light? MOODY. 9 9 McClure, J. B., editor, Pearls from Many Seas, AGES Software Albany, OR, ) 770 (

7 Matthew Matthew 26:30-56 Betrayals and Trials ~ Part 2 XI Jesus Passion and Resurrection 26:1-28:20 A. Jesus Betrayed and Arrested 26: The Last Supper Verses d. Singing Verses Jesus Prayer and Arrest at Gethsemane Verses a. In the Garden Verses b. The Arrest Verses Introduction: (John 18:4-8; Luke 22:49-51; Mark 14:51-52) The Arrest: Verses 47-50a: (John 3:20-21) Verses 50b-52:

8 Verses 53-54: (2 Kings 6:17; Daniel 7:10) Verses 55-56: (Mark 3:6; Matthew 21:45-46) Conclusion: (John 3:19-21) Personal Application: This week meditate on God s light as pray for an opportunity to shine it in a dark corner. Prayer for the Week: Lord, help me walk in Your light, be a reflection of it before others, and have an opportunity to lead others, through Your Spirit, into it. In Jesus name, amen.