Matthew 26

Matthew 26:1-2

¹When Jesus had finished all these words, he said to his disciples, ²“You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified.”

Jesus announces that the Passover is near and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified.

Matthew 26:3-5

³Then the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders of the people were gathered together in the court of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas. ⁴They took counsel together that they might take Jesus by deceit and kill him. ⁵But they said, “Not during the feast, lest a riot occur among the people.”

Leaders plot to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill Him, but not during the feast.

Matthew 26:6-9

⁶Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, ⁷a woman came to him having an alabaster jar of very expensive ointment, and she poured it on his head as he sat at the table. ⁸But when his disciples saw this, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste? ⁹For this ointment might have been sold for much and given to the poor.”

A woman pours expensive ointment on Jesus; disciples call it waste.

Matthew 26:10-13

¹⁰However, knowing this, Jesus said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? She has done a good work for me. ¹¹For you always have the poor with you, but you don’t always have me. ¹²For in pouring this ointment on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. ¹³Most certainly I tell you, wherever this Good News is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of as a memorial of her.”

Jesus defends her as preparing Him for burial; her story will be told wherever the gospel goes.

Matthew 26:14-16

¹⁴Then one of the twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests ¹⁵and said, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver him to you?” So they weighed out for him thirty pieces of silver. ¹⁶From that time he sought opportunity to betray him.

Judas bargains to betray Jesus for thirty pieces of silver and seeks a chance.

Matthew 26:17

¹⁷Now on the first day of unleavened bread, the disciples came to Jesus, saying to him, “Where do you want us to prepare for you to eat the Passover?”

On the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples ask where to prepare the Passover.

Matthew 26:18

¹⁸He said, “Go into the city to a certain person, and tell him, ‘The Teacher says, “My time is at hand. I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.”’”

Jesus sends them to a certain man: My time is at hand; I will keep Passover at your house.

Matthew 26:19

¹⁹The disciples did as Jesus commanded them, and they prepared the Passover.

The disciples obey and prepare the Passover.

Matthew 26:20-21

²⁰Now when evening had come, he was reclining at the table with the twelve disciples. ²¹As they were eating, he said, “Most certainly I tell you that one of you will betray me.”

At evening with the Twelve, Jesus says one of them will betray Him.

Matthew 26:22

²²They were exceedingly sorrowful, and each began to ask him, “It isn’t me, is it, Lord?”

Sorrowful disciples each ask, Is it I, Lord?

Matthew 26:23-24

²³He answered, “He who dipped his hand with me in the dish will betray me. ²⁴The Son of Man goes even as it is written of him, but woe to that man through whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would be better for that man if he had not been born.”

The betrayer shares the dish; the Son of Man goes as written, but woe to the betrayer.

Matthew 26:25

²⁵Judas, who betrayed him, answered, “It isn’t me, is it, Rabbi?” He said to him, “You said it.”

Judas asks, Is it I, Rabbi? Jesus answers, You said it.

Matthew 26:26-29

²⁶As they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks for it, and broke it. He gave to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” ²⁷He took the cup, gave thanks, and gave to them, saying, “All of you drink it, ²⁸for this is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many for the remission of sins. ²⁹But I tell you that I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on, until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father’s Kingdom.”

Jesus gives bread as His body and cup as His blood of the covenant for many, and looks to the Kingdom feast.

Matthew 26:30

³⁰When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

After singing a hymn they go out to the Mount of Olives.

Matthew 26:31-32

³¹Then Jesus said to them, “All of you will be made to stumble because of me tonight, for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ ³²But after I am raised up, I will go before you into Galilee.”

All will stumble; Scripture says the shepherd struck and sheep scattered; after rising He will go before them to Galilee.

Matthew 26:33

³³But Peter answered him, “Even if all will be made to stumble because of you, I will never be made to stumble.”

Peter insists he will never stumble even if all others do.

Matthew 26:34

³⁴Jesus said to him, “Most certainly I tell you that tonight, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.”

Jesus says Peter will deny Him three times before the rooster crows.

Matthew 26:35

³⁵Peter said to him, “Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you.” All of the disciples also said likewise.

Peter and the others vow they would die rather than deny Him.

Matthew 26:36-38

³⁶Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go there and pray.” ³⁷He took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and severely troubled. ³⁸Then Jesus said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with me.”

In Gethsemane Jesus asks Peter, James, and John to watch; His soul is sorrowful to death.

Matthew 26:39

³⁹He went forward a little, fell on his face, and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass away from me; nevertheless, not what I desire, but what you desire.”

Jesus falls on His face: Father, let this cup pass; yet not as I will, but as You will.

Matthew 26:40-41

⁴⁰He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “What, couldn’t you watch with me for one hour? ⁴¹Watch and pray, that you don’t enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

He finds them sleeping; watch and pray lest you enter temptation; spirit willing, flesh weak.

Matthew 26:42

⁴²Again, a second time he went away and prayed, saying, “My Father, if this cup can’t pass away from me unless I drink it, your desire be done.”

A second time He prays: if the cup cannot pass, Your will be done.

Matthew 26:43-46

⁴³He came again and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. ⁴⁴He left them again, went away, and prayed a third time, saying the same words. ⁴⁵Then he came to his disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. ⁴⁶Arise, let’s be going. Behold, he who betrays me is at hand.”

He finds them sleeping again, prays a third time, then says the hour has come; the betrayer is near.

Matthew 26:47-49

⁴⁷While he was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a great multitude with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and elders of the people. ⁴⁸Now he who betrayed him had given them a sign, saying, “Whoever I kiss, he is the one. Seize him.” ⁴⁹Immediately he came to Jesus, and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed him.

Judas arrives with a crowd and kisses Jesus as the signal.

Matthew 26:50

⁵⁰Jesus said to him, “Friend, why are you here?” Then they came and laid hands on Jesus, and took him.

Jesus addresses Judas as Friend and asks why he has come.

Matthew 26:51

⁵¹Behold, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword, and struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear.

A disciple draws a sword and cuts off the high priest’s servant’s ear.

Matthew 26:52-54

⁵²Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place, for all those who take the sword will die by the sword. ⁵³Or do you think that I couldn’t ask my Father, and he would even now send me more than twelve legions of angels? ⁵⁴How then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that it must be so?”

Jesus forbids the sword, could call legions of angels, but Scripture must be fulfilled.

Matthew 26:55-56

⁵⁵In that hour Jesus said to the multitudes, “Have you come out as against a robber with swords and clubs to seize me? I sat daily in the temple teaching, and you didn’t arrest me. ⁵⁶But all this has happened that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples left him and fled.

Jesus notes their stealth; disciples forsake Him and flee as Scripture said.

Matthew 26:57-58

⁵⁷Those who had taken Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were gathered together. ⁵⁸But Peter followed him from a distance to the court of the high priest, and entered in and sat with the officers, to see the end.

Jesus is led to Caiaphas; Peter follows at a distance into the courtyard.

Matthew 26:59-61

⁵⁹Now the chief priests, the elders, and the whole council sought false testimony against Jesus, that they might put him to death, ⁶⁰and they found none. Even though many false witnesses came forward, they found none. But at last two false witnesses came forward ⁶¹and said, “This man said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days.’”

The council seeks false testimony; finally two claim He spoke of destroying the temple and rebuilding in three days.

Matthew 26:62-63

⁶²The high priest stood up and said to him, “Have you no answer? What is this that these testify against you?” ⁶³But Jesus stayed silent. The high priest answered him, “I adjure you by the living God that you tell us whether you are the Christ, the Son of God.”

The high priest adjures Jesus under oath to say if He is the Christ, the Son of God.

Matthew 26:64

⁶⁴Jesus said to him, “You have said so. Nevertheless, I tell you, after this you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of the sky.”

Jesus affirms it and speaks of the Son of Man at the right hand of Power coming on clouds.

Matthew 26:65-66

⁶⁵Then the high priest tore his clothing, saying, “He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Behold, now you have heard his blasphemy. ⁶⁶What do you think?” They answered, “He is worthy of death!”

The high priest tears robes; they condemn Jesus as deserving death for blasphemy.

Matthew 26:67-68

⁶⁷Then they spat in his face and beat him with their fists, and some slapped him, ⁶⁸saying, “Prophesy to us, you Christ! Who hit you?”

They spit, strike, and mock Him to prophesy who hit Him.

Matthew 26:69

⁶⁹Now Peter was sitting outside in the court, and a maid came to him, saying, “You were also with Jesus, the Galilean!”

A servant girl says Peter was with Jesus the Galilean.

Matthew 26:70

⁷⁰But he denied it before them all, saying, “I don’t know what you are talking about.”

Peter denies before them all: I don’t know what you mean.

Matthew 26:71

⁷¹When he had gone out onto the porch, someone else saw him and said to those who were there, “This man also was with Jesus of Nazareth.”

Another sees him and says he was with Jesus of Nazareth.

Matthew 26:72

⁷²Again he denied it with an oath, “I don’t know the man.”

Peter denies again with an oath: I don’t know the man.

Matthew 26:73

⁷³After a little while those who stood by came and said to Peter, “Surely you are also one of them, for your speech makes you known.”

Bystanders say his accent proves he is one of them.

Matthew 26:74

⁷⁴Then he began to curse and to swear, “I don’t know the man!” Immediately the rooster crowed.

Peter curses and swears he does not know Jesus.

Matthew 26:75

⁷⁵Peter remembered the word which Jesus had said to him, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” Then he went out and wept bitterly.

The rooster crows; Peter remembers Jesus’ word, goes out, and weeps bitterly.

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