Read Matthew 26:1–5
Questions from the Scripture text: What had Jesus finished (v1)? To whom does He speak? What do they know (v2)? What will happen to Whom at that time? What three groups meet, to initiate the fulfillment of this prophecy (v3)? Where? What do they plot to do (v4)? In what manner? When (v5)? Why that timing?
Upon what would Jesus have His disciples focus? Matthew 26:1–5 looks forward to the morning sermon in the holy assembly on the coming Lord’s Day. In these sixteen verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that Jesus would have His disciples focus upon His crucifixion for their sins.
Our Lord Jesus has answered their question about the destruction of the temple (cf. 24:2–3), Now, He redirects their attention, and our attention, to His imminent crucifixion (v2). He has warned them about the judgment (cf. 25:31ff), and now He calls their attention to when He will die under judgment, for our sins. If we thought it a wonder that the second person of the Godhead would hunger and thirst, how much more that He would be crucified!
The One Who will come in His glory and sit on His throne (cf. 25:31) is also the Passover Lamb (v2; cf. Ex 12:1–11, Isa 53:6, 1Cor 5:7). The way you survive the judgment of Jesus is by the blood of Jesus. The marvelous final fulfillment of the Passover is that the One Who killed all the firstborn in His sovereign, righteous, holy justice is ultimately also the One Whose blood is spilled for, and covers, those whom He is saving. He saves us because we deserve His wrath, not because we deserve to be saved. It's exactly the opposite—however much our foolish hearts may flatter us.
Jesus directs their attention to Him, and Him crucified. This is something that all of his disciples, even to this day, even you, should have as our great focus (cf. 1Cor 2:2). Jesus came to be crucified, but first e prophesies it—both, throughout history by means of all of the scripture, by means of the Passover; and here, He prophesies it again. He prophesies the timing and the meaning: two days and Passover. He prophesies the way in which he comes to be condemned: He will be delivered up, prophesying his betrayal. He prophesies the method of execution—and therefore the culprits, because only Rome could crucify. So, the Jews and the Romans had to conspire for that to be accomplished.
No one takes His life from Him. He has authority to lay it down. He has authority to take it up again (cf. Jn 10:18). This is exactly according to His plan and His intent for good (cf. Gen 50:20; Ac 4:27–28). Jesus intended it for good (v1–2), but the Jews intended it for evil. He is laying down His life. He is in sovereign control of it. And yet, they are wicked. Their desire is wicked. Their conspiring is wicked. Their intentions are wicked. This is the most wicked act that there has ever been.
So you have here the chief priests who preside over the formal religious life of the nation, the scribes who are the nation’s teachers, and the elders who govern (v3). Here is the combined, wicked, failure of their prophets, priests, kings. And here is the Anointed One, the Messiah, the Christ, the great Prophet, Priest, and King. They assemble in the palace of the high priest called Caiaphas. He has the office of priest, but he's really just the leader of the conspiracy to murder. Jesus is the real Priest here.
They have to take him by trickery (v4), and that's a reminder that Jesus is innocent, that this is the righteous One, Who is going to be condemned. He's not dying for His sin. He's dying for ours. They don't have grounds upon which to execute Jesus. By their own admission, they have no grounds; He is innocent, since they must kill him by trickery.
Finally, they are exposed as fearing man rather than God. It is sobering that fear of God is not factor for them, but fear of man alters their murder plans. What they feared was an uproar among the people (v5). How dreadful is the wickedness of those who fear man and fear not God. By such wickedness, they can fall even into murdering the Lord Jesus Christ.
But, what they intended for evil, we praise God that Jesus intended for good. And that He offered Himself as our Passover Lamb. And then He teaches us, here, to direct our attention to the cross and live always in light of the fact that it was the Lord Himself Who shed His blood to cover us with it.
How are you prepared to face the judgment? Upon what do you focus your spiritual thinking? What evil acts of men do you experience, and how are you helped by the other intentions involved?
Sample prayer: Lord, as You direct our attention to Your cross in this passage, we pray that Your Spirit would keep us mindful of You and Your crucifixion—so that everything we do, we would do as worship unto You, in response to the cross of Jesus Christ. On account of covering us by His shed blood, we pray that you would forgive us our sins, in His Name, AMEN!
Suggested Songs: ARP32AB “What Blessedness” or TPH98A “O Sing a New Song to the Lord”
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