26:47, 48
The Greek language indicates an embrace and a kiss.
Much more than the kiss that was a customary greeting.
Literally– Tenderly kissed him over and over.
This was a seemingly more impassioned display of love.
What was Judas feeling?
- Deep seated hatred? Were these kisses cynical?
- Disappointment in Jesus not remove the Romans? Pity?… and this was the best option: get rid of Jesus?
- Was this the beginning of doubt in Judas that he was doing the wrong thing, but he had to follow through? These are kisses that are saying, “I’m sorry?”
Why the kiss to identify Jesus?
Jesus needed to be identified in the crowd. Apparently, Jesus didn’t stand out in a crowd.
26:49, 50
John 18:4-9 4Jesus therefore, knowing all things that would come upon Him, went forward and said to them, “Whom are you seeking?” 5They answered Him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I am He.” And Judas, who betrayed Him, also stood with them. 6Now when He said to them, “I am He,” they drew back and fell to the ground. 7Then He asked them again, “Whom are you seeking?” And they said, “Jesus of Nazareth.” 8Jesus answered, “I have told you that I am He. Therefore, if you seek Me, let these go their way,” 9that the saying might be fulfilled which He spoke, “Of those whom You gave Me I have lost none.”
In John 18:6- The word “he” is added by the translators. Jesus literally said, “I Am”.
John 8:58, 59 58Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.”
59Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple,£ going through the midst of them, and so passed by.
Exodus 3:13, 14 13Then Moses said to God, “Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they say to me, ‘What is His name?’ what shall I say to them?” 14And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”
26:51, 52
John 18:10 tells us that it was Peter who tried to defend Jesus.
Earlier, Peter had claimed that he would never forsake Jesus.
Here he is trying to defend Jesus, but his good intentions are not in God’s will.
Jesus came to die. Peter should not try to stop that.
In his good intentions, Peter wasn’t rightly representing Jesus.
In fact, it could be said that he was wrongly representing Jesus, and creating more work for Him.
The work of Jesus could didn’t need to be defended by the sword of man…
Nor would it be defeated by the sword of man.
Luke 22:49-51 49When those around Him saw what was going to happen, they said to Him, “Lord, shall we strike with the sword?” 50And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear. 51But Jesus answered and said, “Permit even this.” And He touched his ear and healed him.
Here is Jesus, proving His divinity by both word and deed, and yet surrendering Himself to men who think they could capture Him with weapons and ropes.
Isaiah 53:7 He was led as a lamb to the slaughter…
Jesus willingly put Himself in the “Lamb” mode, holding back the power of angels and God.
The Bible calls Jesus “The Lion Of The Tribe Of Judah”.
Here we see Jesus denying the Lion in Himself, and choosing to walk as a Lamb.
26:53
Legion = 6,000. 12 Legions = 72,000
In 2 Kings 19:35, one angel killed 185,000 soldiers in one night.
Jesus could have been defended against 13,320,000,000 people. Twice the Earth’s present population.
26:54
There was more help available for Jesus than could ever be realized.
Jesus was in total control, and submitted to the Father’s will.
Jesus was not a victim, but was a willing sacrifice, called by the Father to die for the sins of mankind.
Hebrews 10:7 Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come— In the volume of the book it is written of Me—To do Your will, O God.’”
26:55, 56
The “scriptures” speak of the prophecies regarding Jesus as Redeemer of man.
It speaks of the will of the Father.
All this was done that “the will of the Father might be fulfilled”.
26:57
On the night of His betrayal, and the day of His crucifixion, Jesus actually stood in trial several times, before different judges. It will be helpful to fill in the gaps provided by the other gospel accounts.
1. Before Jesus came to the home of Caiaphas (the official high priest) He was led to the home of Annas, (Caiaphas’ father-in-law) who was the ex-high priest and the “power behind the throne” of the high priest (John 18:12-14, John 19-23). Probably done to honor Annas
2. As recorded here in Matthew 26, Jesus was then led to the home of Caiaphas, the sitting high priest. He was tried before an ad-hoc gathering of the Sanhedrin that met during the night.
3. After the break of dawn, the Sanhedrin gathered again, this time “officially,” and they conducted the trial described in Luke 22:66-71.
Where the scribes and the elders were assembled: This nighttime trial was illegal according to the Sanhedrin’s own laws and regulations.
- According to Jewish law, all criminal trials must begin and end in the daylight.
- Therefore, though the decision to condemn Jesus was already made, they conducted a second trial in daylight (Luke 22:66-71), because they knew the first one – the real trial – had no legal standing.
This was only one of many illegalities made in the trial of Jesus.
Other illegal aspects of the trial of Jesus
1. According to Jewish law, only decisions made in the official meeting place were valid. The first trial was held at the home of Caiaphas, the high priest.
2. According to Jewish law, criminal cases could not be tried during the Passover season.
3. According to Jewish law, only an acquittal could be issued on the day of the trial. Guilty verdicts had to wait one night to allow for feelings of mercy to rise.
4. According to Jewish law, all evidence had to be guaranteed by two witnesses, who were separately examined and could not have contact with each other.
5. According to Jewish law, false witness was punishable by death. Nothing was done to the many false witnesses in Jesus’ trial.
6. According to Jewish law, a trial always began by bringing forth evidence for the innocence of the accused, before the evidence of guilt was offered. This was not the practice here.
26:58
Peter is in an in-between state.
His affection for Jesus keeps him following…
But his fear has him following at a distance, and warming himself at the enemy’s fire.
Those servants that he sat with will provoke him to deny Jesus.
26:59-61
They had already decided that Jesus was worthy of death.
Their minds were already made up.
Now they needed to justify they decision and find some charge worthy of death to put on Jesus.
They did not seek truth, but they sought false witnesses.
Apparently, some false witnesses came forward, but their testimonies were not in agreement.
They will find their false witnesses, and in their mockery of wanting truth, will twist the procedure to support their sinful desires.
NOTE– Even in their efforts to have a just trial, they had to invent charges against Jesus.
In their efforts to invent charges against Jesus, they failed repeatedly.
But it was the Father’s will that Jesus be condemned.
Therefore, might we say, that the Father finally arranged to lying witness that could present a consistent story.
I am able to destroy the temple of God—
1st. These words were not fairly quoted. Jesus had said, John 2:19, Destroy this temple, and I will build it again in three days.
2dly. The innuendo which they produce, applying these words to a pretended design to destroy the temple at Jerusalem, was utterly unfair; for these words he spoke of the temple of his body.
It is very easy, by means of a few small alterations, to render the most holy things and innocent persons as despicable to the world, and even to take away the life of the innocent.
26:62-64
a. Do You answer nothing? Jesus sat silently until He was commanded by the office of the high priest to answer the accusations against Him. Finally, the high priest demanded to know if Jesus was the Messiah, the Christ, the Son of God.
When Jesus was put under oath in the name of His Father re. His Messiahship, THEN it was time to answer
b. It is as you said: Jesus isn’t at this trial to defend Himself. We think of the amazing defense He could have made. Jesus could have called witness after witness, and pointed to irrefutable evidence that He was indeed the Christ, the Son of God. But He knows that these hardened hearts care nothing for the facts of this case, so He simply testifies to the truth: It is as you said.
c. You will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven: Jesus did add this one word of warning. He warned them that though they sit in judgment of Him now, He will one day sit in judgment of them – and with a far more binding judgment.
26:65, 66
In their quest to murder Jesus, they break their own rules of law, and break the Laws of God in finding liars to witness against Jesus.
They then feign zeal FOR God.
26:67, 68
Mark 14:65 65Then some began to spit on Him, and to blindfold Him, and to beat Him, and to say to Him, “Prophesy!” And the officers struck Him with the palms of their hands.
Isaiah 50:4-6 4 “The Lord GOD has given Me The tongue of the learned, That I should know how to speak A word in season to him who is weary. He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear To hear as the learned.
5 The Lord GOD has opened My ear; And I was not rebellious, Nor did I turn away.
6 I gave My back to those who struck Me, And My cheeks to those who plucked out the beard; I did not hide My face from shame and spitting.
Revelation 20:11 1Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them.
The face they spat upon and struck is the face from which heaven and earth will one day flee from when God makes all things new.
26:69-74
Peter began to call down curses upon himself.
May such and such happen to me if I am not telling the truth.
NOTE– Thank God that God did not hold Peter accountable to the curses he called down upon himself.
Instead, the simple look of Jesus, and the truth of His words were all that was needed.
How gracious and merciful God is to us who fail promise to never fail, but do.
26:75
The faithful prediction of Jesus comes to pass.
How much further might Peter have gone if the rooster had not crowed?
Thank God for the small ways that He rescues us from further failures.
Luke 22:60-62 60But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are saying!” Immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. 61And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” 62So Peter went out and wept bitterly.
Peter’s Denying led to Lying, & Lying led to Cursings, & Cursings led to Swearings, & who knows how far He would have fell if he had not been Divinely arrested in his sinful career?
Peter swore he would never do what he finally did do.
Peter stumbled by the pressure from a servant girl.
Peter stopped and repented at the crowing of a rooster.
What seemingly small things can make us stumble.
What seemingly insignificant things can rescue us from our stumblings.
Jesus went on to restore Peter, and make him a pastor and leader in His church.
APPLICATIONS
1. The necessity of the cross. No other provision for sin.
Acts 4:12 12Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
2. The love of Jesus for us.
His willingness to go to the cross to redeem & heal us.
Romans 8:31, 32 31What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?
3. Jesus is our example of dying to self that others may be blessed.
John 3:15 5For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you.
Turn to 1 Peter 2:21-25