watch and pray Matthew 26:31-75

Transcription

1 watch and pray Matthew 26:31-75 PETER S FAILURE PREDICTED (26:31-35) ` The disciples assume they are on their way back to Bethany. Along the way Jesus shocks the disciples with a fearful prediction. Strike the shepherd (31) Earlier Jesus has foretold that one of the Twelve would betray him. Now he predicts all will be uncourageous and flee and one will purposefully deny Jesus Peter. An huge test is coming that all of them will fail. Jesus knows he is about to be all alone. Zech 13:7 emphasizes the closeness of the Shepherd to Yahweh. After I have risen I will meet you Galilee (32) Jesus has predicted his arrest and crucifixion four times (16:21; 17:22-23; 20:17-19; 26:2). In the first three he also predicted his resurrection. Here is the fourth prediction of his resurrection. The Galilee meeting was important to Jesus. Perhaps because it was home. Peter s failure predicted (33-35) Peter as usual has a lot of hot air egocentric bravado. Peter has played a prominent role both positively and negatively (14:28-31; 15:15; 16:17-19; 17:24-27; 18:21). Peter s destiny is in the balance. Jesus has prayed for him (Luk 22:32). He may emerge as an incredible leader. Or may retreat to a big mouth, smoke screen. He is imperfect in development but he could go either way. Here Peter fails to heed the caution and listen humbly to Jesus. Jesus foreknowledge is incredible. He knows Peter better than Peter knows himself. Peter thinks his loyalty is more powerful than his fear of man. The difference between Judas and Peter initially is not that great. One is active betrayal, the other is passive, cowardly, But the end result is the same. Both are damning and both are forgivable with repentance ( change of heart). Matt. 10:33 But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven. Poetic way of saying before dawn, but this poem is literal about the rooster. PRAYING IN GETHSEMANE (26:36-46) Jesus prepares to pray (36-38) Gethsemane is Hebrew/Aramaic and means oil press. John calls it a garden (Jn 18:1). A small portion of the grove remains to this day. Some the trees still alive saw Jesus pray and weep. Jesus is feeling sorrow and anxious. Jesus needs prayer and presence (support) from his friends. He is feeling alone, the fear of death and the dread of the wrath of the Father. If possible, may this cup be take from me (39) The cup is the full amount of pain and punishment he is about the experience.

2 The separation and wrath of the Father due to the sins of the world is upon him. Rev 14:10; 16:19; Isa 51:17, 22 He s been tempted before to avoid the cross but nothing like this test. (Mat 4:8-9; 16:21-23). (2 Cor 5:21). But Jesus like a baseball batter keeps his eye on the will of God. In prayer he must pray through the final test to disobey the Father s will. Rather than avoiding the Father as is the temptation when we are being tempted, he turns to the Father with his thoughts of disobedience. So must we. With brutal honesty He comes to the Father, until full surrender is found. It may seem that the Father did not hear the Sons prayer, but in fact he answers the Son giving Him strength for His will. With trials and victories we have to keep our eye on the heart of God. He found them sleeping... watch and pray (40-41) Jesus contrasts their human spirit that longs for God with their physical side. that longs to sleep, eat, and care for itself. The disciplines in our lives help make the flesh subservient to the spiritual. (prayer, fasting, solitude, giving) help to remind our flesh who is boss, We don t understand the power of persistent prayer. A second time he prayed (42) Jesus through the night is embracing the Father s will. He again found them sleeping (43-33) Jesus was all-alone. The patience of Jesus toward the weak disciples is amazing in the face of death. Here comes my betrayer (45-46) The human and divine clock are ticking and the alarm has gone off. it is time. He probably saw the torches approaching him across the Kidron valley. Jesus is ready. He s been up all night praying for grace and strength. JESUS ARRESTED (26:47-56) Judas leads the armed temple guards (26:47) Judas knew exactly where to find Jesus. his favorite prayer spot on his way back to Bethany. The Garden is perfect with no crowds to protect Jesus or riot. There are a few people camping up the face of the Mount of Olives but they are dispersed and it is dark. To underscore the treachery, Matthew again calls Judas one of the Twelve. The mob consisted of Roman soldiers and Temple guards. assigned by Pilate for temple security. They would be the most heavily armed carrying the short double-edged swords (machairai), used in hand to hand combat (26:51; Eph 6:17). The largest part of the crowd were the Levitical temple police and personal security guard of the chief priests and Sanhedrin carrying clubs. These are not sticks off the ground but sophisticated, carved clubs for crowd control. They report directly to the chief priests. Judas betrays his friend with a kiss (26:48-49) Greeting one another with a kiss was and is common in the Middle East. The greeting would have seemed normal to the other disciples. Rabbi, not Lord is emphasized again to show he didn t truly believe. But remember, neither did Thomas, and perhaps others. ` 2

3 Faith at this point is fuzzy. Friend, do what you came for. (50) The Greek can be interpreted Why are you here? But the NIV grabs the alternate interpretation correctly, emphasizing Jesus control of the situation. Peter s brief resistance (51) At the kiss the armed guards step forward to apprehend Jesus. Peter (John 18:10-11) attempts to defend Jesus with the machaira he s carrying. He only succeeds in making things messy, cutting off the ear of the servant. John tells us the servant s name was Malchus (John 18:10). Luke alone tells us Jesus quickly healed the man s ear (Lk 22:51). A lasting lesson about violence (52-54) The way of man (and animals) is to go head to head with force: will for will, power for power, violence for violence, blood for blood. This is not a blanket endorsement for pacifism. Jesus does rejects the method of advancing the Kingdom of God through methods that are counter to the Kingdom (hate, violence, etc). That s why the church needs to be careful in every way not to pick up the sword, the lie, the yelling, the mean spirit of the opponent in public debate and election. Jesus is still in control and God is still on His throne (53-54). Jesus has already said that angels will come with him in his return. A Roman legion was 6000 men. So 72,000 angels stand ready at Jesus bidding. Jesus is marching forward, gaining ground, and accomplishing God s will. Down is up (Phil 2). Jesus mocks the mobs forceful approach (55) Jesus challenges their forceful method of arrest: Swords, clubs and at night. He has been peacefully teaching in the temple courts daily. Before Jesus can finish talking the disciples are gone (56) The disciples fear they too will be arrested and so run away. But to show God, not them, is in charge he points to Scripture (Zech 13:7). BEFORE THE SANHEDRIN (26:57-68) They take Jesus to Caiaphas palatial mansion (57) Archeology has revealed a huge mansion owned by a man named Caiaphas. (Wilkens). See Arthur Rupprecht, The House of Annas-Caiaphas, Archeology in the Biblical World 1/1 (Spring 1991); See also Rousseau and Arav, Jerusalem, Caiaphas s House, Jesus and his World, ). Peter follows at a distance. John 18:5-6 tells us another disciple was with Peter, presumably John, who had some connection with the family of the high priest. A hasty fraudulent trial begins (57-60). The Romans controlled the judicial world, but allowed local people to officiate over their internal affairs. The death penalty, however, was reserved for the Romans. The irregularities of this legal preceding are contrary to the Mishna: recorded 200 years later. How much was orally established we can t be sure, but it would seem that many things were highly irregular if not illegal. It was held at night Held in the High Priest s home, instead of the temple courts. It was on the eve of a festival day. ` 3

4 It begins with reasons of conviction not acquittal. The witnesses disagree and are false. The verdict of conviction is done on the same day instead of waiting until the next day. The teachers and elders have already assembled fraudulently before the arrest. Waiting for a hurried verdict. However, the Mishnah was primarily Pharisaic and the Sadducean priesthood would not necessarily be controlled by these standards. The order of the trial: John 18:24 adds the detail, that Annas the former high priest interviewed Jesus first, then sent him to his son-n-law Caiaphas. Caiaphas wanted this order perhaps to protect himself if something about Jesus brought a halt to the proceedings. This would save him any embarrassment. Then a partial Sanhedrin assembly in front of Caiaphas (26:57-58). Then the Sanhedrin (at lease 23). The Sanhedrin gets what they re looking for and more (60-68) Finally two witnesses who obviously are against Jesus testify that Jesus declared that he would destroy and rebuild the temple in three days (60-61). The temple was considered sacred, so to speak against it was to speak against God. They are apparently referring to something Jesus said near the beginning of his ministry (John 2:19). When asked for a sign as to why he was cleansing the temple. This apparently circulated and was remembered at this 2 nd cleansing. The high priest considers this a serious charge and wants Jesus answer (62-63). The priest sees Jesus as exalting himself above the temple of God. Perhaps he is still upset with Jesus cleansing the temple. He sees this as worthy of death as in Stephan s case (Acts 6: Now he goes for the jugular (63). Now that he has his evidence against the Jews he goes for insurrection evidence against Rome. Son of God is not a divine or Trinitarian concept in the Jews mind but the human representative for God as his king (2 Sam 7:14; Psa 2:7; 89:26-27). Jesus answer puts the ball out of the park (64). The NIV has rightly translated the Greek Yes, it is as you say. The lit. You yourself have said is an indirect way of affirming the question but it places the responsibility on the shoulders of the one asking the question. Jesus clarifies his incomplete conception of who He is: He will judge Caiaphas. He is the divine Son of Man spoken of in Daniel 7:13-14 and the divine figure depicted in Psa 110:1-2. All of this was part of earlier debates (Mt 22:41-46). He is the everlasting King who will reign forever who is equal to God and will judge those who are judging Him. Blasphemy (26:65-68). The verdict is found guilty. He is worthy of death. The Jews will have to paint him as a insurrectionist to make this stick with Rome. Now the abuse begins (spitting, slugging him in the face) (67-68) Attempting the humiliate this arrogant, self-appointed Messiah. Attempting to show powerless he was. PETER DISOWNS JESUS (26:69-75) Peter starts in the inner courtyard of this all night, lengthy, three-part trial (69a). The first accusation and denial (69-70) This was a servant girl on duty at the entryway (John 18:16) to the courtyard. ` 4

5 This is the least threatening. Peter has courageously stayed but now he saves his own skin. He does not directly deny the charge but denies any knowledge of what she is talking about. He misses his first chance strike one. The second denial (71-72) He now leaves the warmth of the fire and retreats to the cold, shadows of the gateway. But he s confronted again. The confrontation escalates with the girl speaking out loud so that others could hear. Peter matches her volume with his own escalated denial. With an oath does not mean he was vulgar but swore by the temple or by God to intimidate the person. Jesus has already taught against this type behavior (5:33-37). The third denial (73-75) Luke 22:59 says about another hour passed. This final denial may have happened at or near the time of Jesus confession. These are simply others standing nearby and they approach Peter. Now they point to his Galilean accent. This time he begins to call down curses on himself if he is a disciple and denies Jesus again. Sincerity is a well-known tactic of flagrant liars (Wilkins). Immediately he hear the rooster crow. Luke 22:61 The Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered His failure is overwhelming and he leaves heaving with tears. ` 5 THINKING IT THROUGH Read quickly through Mat 26: What observations stand out to you? Write them down. Relive the story as best you can. Pick one of those observations and think about what that means? If you are focused on the betrayal, court trial, the failure of the disciples to watch and pray, the loneliness of Jesus, the failure of Peter, write down your thoughts. Pick one of those same thoughts and now apply it to your life. What are your feelings and what do you want to do different based on your study. Pray for God to strengthen you and reveal his love to you.