Matthew 26:31-3531Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad. 32But after I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee. 33Peter answered and said unto him, Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended. 34Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. 35Peter said unto him, Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee. Likewise also said all the disciples. (Matthew 26:31‑35). “Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of Me this night; for it is written, I will smite the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad. But after I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee.” The smiting and the scattering must be, but He would again be with them when raised from the dead. (John 18:8-98Jesus answered, I have told you that I am he: if therefore ye seek me, let these go their way: 9That the saying might be fulfilled, which he spake, Of them which thou gavest me have I lost none. (John 18:8‑9)). Peter knew not his own weakness; means to be faithful, and says, “Though all men shall be offended because of Thee, yet will I never be offended.” This natural energy that carried him on made a fall further than the rest, but all forsook Him and fled. All had asserted their faithfulness. “Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, that this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny Me thrice. Peter said unto Him, Though I should die with Thee, yet will I not deny Thee. Likewise also said all the disciples.”
Matthew 26:36-4536Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder. 37And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. 38Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me. 39And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. 40And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour? 41Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. 42He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done. 43And he came and found them asleep again: for their eyes were heavy. 44And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words. 45Then cometh he to his disciples, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. (Matthew 26:36‑45) present the solemn scene of His interview with His Father about His atoning sufferings on the cross. It was on the cross alone that He was made sin for us. Here He isolates Himself to present to the Father in supplication the sufferings He was about to endure. Peter, James and John go on with Him. He began to be sorrowful and very heavy. Then saith He unto them, Tarry ye here, and watch with Me. And He went a little farther, and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, O My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I but as Thou wilt.” Luke 22:4444And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground. (Luke 22:44) and Hebrews 5:77Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared; (Hebrews 5:7), show us how great was His agony.
He comes to His disciples and finds them asleep, and says unto Peter, “What, could ye not watch with Me one hour? Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” The flesh profiteth nothing. Satan’s power is trying to overwhelm the Lord by this trial that is to be endured, and His holy soul desires to be relieved, but it must be the Father’s will. Three times He presents His petition; and then comes to His disciples, saving, `Sleep on now, and take your rest; behold, the hour at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hand of sinners.” The Lord’s submission is perfect. Ile was distressed and full of anguish, but His communion with His Father was not interrupted. It was love to His Father and obedience to His will that brought Him there. He takes it from the Father; the cross must be endured, death must be entered into to put away our sins, and to annul him who had the power of death lie knew what this meant in its sting, as the wages of sin, and the curse of God’s judgment. If God was to be glorified in Him who had come to undertake this work, and sinners were to be saved, He must drink this terrible cup. No creature could do it, only He who was Jehovah’s fellow, God manifest in the flesh.
“Sleep on now, and take your rest.” Now, it is all settled; in the purpose of His heart it is done; He will not draw back, but will yield Himself up to His enemies. Man and Satan are the instruments to nail Him to the cross, but it is the will of God, and He will not look at second causes. What a lesson for us is here!
Matthew 26:4646Rise, let us be going: behold, he is at hand that doth betray me. (Matthew 26:46). “Rise, let us be going; behold, he is at hand that doth betray Me.” He is ready to submit Himself to the suffering that awaits Him.
Matthew 26:47-5047And while he yet spake, lo, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and elders of the people. 48Now he that betrayed him gave them a sign, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he: hold him fast. 49And forthwith he came to Jesus, and said, Hail, master; and kissed him. 50And Jesus said unto him, Friend, wherefore art thou come? Then came they, and laid hands on Jesus, and took him. (Matthew 26:47‑50). Judas comes with the multitude with swords and staves to take Him, the unresisting Lamb, and is betrayed with kisses, the pretense of love. Judas salutes Him, “Hail, Master,” and kissed Him caressingly. This son of perdition, slave of Satan, will not be warned. Jesus replies, “Friend, wherefore art thou come?” A polished hypocrite, coming as a friend. The only one to own Jesus now was His betrayer.
Matthew 26:51-6851And, behold, one of them which were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck a servant of the high priest's, and smote off his ear. 52Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword. 53Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? 54But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be? 55In that same hour said Jesus to the multitudes, Are ye come out as against a thief with swords and staves for to take me? I sat daily with you teaching in the temple, and ye laid no hold on me. 56But all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled. 57And they that had laid hold on Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled. 58But Peter followed him afar off unto the high priest's palace, and went in, and sat with the servants, to see the end. 59Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death; 60But found none: yea, though many false witnesses came, yet found they none. At the last came two false witnesses, 61And said, This fellow said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days. 62And the high priest arose, and said unto him, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee? 63But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God. 64Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. 65Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy. 66What think ye? They answered and said, He is guilty of death. 67Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him; and others smote him with the palms of their hands, 68Saying, Prophesy unto us, thou Christ, Who is he that smote thee? (Matthew 26:51‑68). When the Lord was praying in the garden, Peter was sleeping; he could not watch one hour. Now the Lord is yielding Himself up; Peter is fighting. The Lord rebukes him, “Put up again thy sword into his place; for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.” It is not the path of those who belong to a suffering and rejected Christ to fight with carnal weapons, and if they do they will reap what they sow (Gal. 6:7-87Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 8For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. (Galatians 6:7‑8)).
The Lord could, have twelve legions of angels to succor Him, but then how could the Scriptures be fulfilled that thus it must be. And to the multitude He could say, “Are ye come out as against a thief with swords and staves for to take Me? I sat daily with you teaching in the temple, and ye laid no hold on Me.” It was the hour now for Him to be taken, that the Scriptures might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook Him and fled.
They led Him away to Caiaphas, the high priest, who with the scribes and elders were assembled, waiting for the victim.
But Peter followed Him afar off, and went in and sat with the servants to see the end.
They have Him now without any witness of evil against Him. They seek false witness, and many are willing to witness against Him, but they have nothing to say. At last two false witnesses think they have something against Him. It was but the witness of His power in resurrection (John 2:18-2218Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign showest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things? 19Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. 20Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? 21But he spake of the temple of his body. 22When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said. (John 2:18‑22)), and declared Him to be the Son of God with power (Rom. 1:44And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead: (Romans 1:4)). There is nothing to condemn Him by. The Lord is silent before them as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, till the high priest adjures Him by the living God to tell whether He is the Christ, the Son of God. Then He confesses the glory of His person, and declares that henceforth they shall see Him as Son of Man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. He will be Judge then. In pretended sanctity, the high priest declares He has spoken blasphemy, and all agree to put Him to death. Their malice breaks forth in insults, and they spit in His face and buffet Him. Others smite Him with the palms of their hands, saying, “Prophesy unto us, thou Christ, Who is he that smote Thee?” There is no justice for Him; they condemn and insult the one who came in grace to be their Savior, their own Messiah. He bore it all in meekness, and without a murmur. What a solemn moment for them!
Matthew 26:69-7569Now Peter sat without in the palace: and a damsel came unto him, saying, Thou also wast with Jesus of Galilee. 70But he denied before them all, saying, I know not what thou sayest. 71And when he was gone out into the porch, another maid saw him, and said unto them that were there, This fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth. 72And again he denied with an oath, I do not know the man. 73And after a while came unto him they that stood by, and said to Peter, Surely thou also art one of them; for thy speech bewrayeth thee. 74Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew. 75And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly. (Matthew 26:69‑75). Peter is now to learn his weakness. His failure is seen; the flesh could not stand; he lies and curses and swears that he did not know Jesus. O, how helpless we are, unless kept in dependence on the Lord for strength. The Lord’s word is fulfilled, “Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny Me thrice.”
(Continued from page 302).