The Word Made Fresh
1When Jesus finished saying all these things he told his disciples, 2“You know that Passover is coming in three days. And then the Son of Man will be arrested and crucified.”
3Then the chief priests and elders of the people gathered in the home of the high priest, Caiaphas. 4They made plans to arrest Jesus quietly and put him to death. 5They decided, “Not during the Passover festival; it might cause a riot.”
6Meanwhile, Jesus was at the home of Simon the leper, 7and a woman came with an alabaster jar of expensive ointment. She poured it over his head as he was sitting at the table. 8But when the disciples saw this they were angry. They said, “Why is she wasting this? 9She could sell the ointment for a lot of money, and then give the money to the poor.”
10But Jesus heard them complaining and said, “Why question this woman? She has done a good thing for me. 11You will always have the poor with you, but you won’t always have me. 12Anointing me with this ointment prepares my body for burial. 13The truth is that wherever this good deed is remembered around the world, she will be remembered for what she has done.”
14Then one of the twelve, Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests. 15“What will you give me,” he asked, “if I arrange to have Jesus handed over to you?” They paid him thirty pieces of silver, 16and from that moment Judas began to look for an opportunity to betray Jesus.
17On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do you want us to make arrangements for the Passover meal?”
18Jesus said, “Go into the city to a certain man. Tell him, ‘The Teacher says, my time is near. I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.’” 19The disciples followed Jesus’ instructions, and prepared the Passover meal.
20At evening he joined his twelve disciples, 21and while they were eating he said, “Here is the truth; one of you is going to betray me.”
22They were deeply distressed, and one at a time they asked Jesus, “Surely it isn’t I, Lord?”
23Jesus answered them, saying, “One who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me. 24The Son of Man will have happen to him what has been written of him, but too bad for the one who betrays him. It would have been better for him if he had never have been born.”
25Then Judas (the one who betrayed him) said, “Rabbi, surely it is not I?”
Jesus answered, “So you have said.”
26While they ate Jesus took a loaf of bread. He blessed it and broke it, then gave it to his disciples and said, “Take this and eat; this is my body.” 27Then he took a cup, gave thanks over it, and gave it to them, saying, “All of you drink from this. 28It is my blood of the promise. It is being poured out for many that their sins may be forgiven. 29I tell you, I will not drink the fruit of the vine again until the day when I can drink it new with you in my father’s kingdom.”
30They sang a hymn, then left the house and went to the Mount of Olives.
31Jesus said, “All of you will desert me this night, for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd and the sheep will be scattered.’ 32But after I am raised up I will go ahead of you to Galilee.”
33Peter told him, “All the others might desert you, but not me!”
34Jesus replied, “The truth is that during this very night, before the rooster crows at daybreak, you will deny me three times.”
35Peter said, “I won’t deny you even if I have to die with you.” All the disciples all said the same.
36Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane. He said, “Sit here while I go and pray over there.” 37He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee with him, and began to grieve. He was very agitated. 38He told them, “I am deeply troubled, even to the point of death. Stay here and keep awake with me.”
39Then he went a little further and fell to the ground, praying, “Father, if it is possible, take this cup from me! Even so, it is not what I want that matters but what you want.”
40He returned to the disciples and found them sound asleep. He said to Peter, “Couldn’t you stay awake with me for a single hour?” 41Wake up now, and pray that you won’t be tempted further, for even though the spirit may be willing, the flesh is weak.”
42He went off alone a second time and prayed, “Father, if I must drink this cup, let it be done according to your will.” 43He returned to his disciples and found them sleeping, their eyes too heavy to stay awake. 44He left them again to go and pray the same prayer for the third time. 45Then he returned to his disciples and said, “Are you still asleep? Look, the time is at hand, and the Son of Man has been betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46Get up, and let’s be going. Look, my betrayer has arrived!”
47While he was speaking, Judas arrived with a large crowd carrying swords and clubs, accompanied by the chief priests and elders. 48The betrayer had told them, “The man I kiss is the one for you to arrest.” 49He came to Jesus and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed him.
50Jesus said, “Do what you’ve come here to do, friend.”
They grabbed Jesus and arrested him. 51Then one of his companions drew his sword and cut off the ear of the high priest’s servant. 52Jesus told him to put his sword away. “All who use the sword will die by the sword. 53Do you think I can’t call on my Father, and he will immediately send more than twelve legions of angels? 54But, then how would the scriptures be fulfilled, which say it must happen like this?”
55A crowd of people had formed, and Jesus said to them, “Have you come out here with weapons to arrest me as though I were a thief? Day after day I was in the temple teaching, and you didn’t arrest me. 56But all this has happened to fulfill what the prophets have said in the scriptures.”
Then all the disciples deserted Jesus and ran away.
57Those who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas the High Priest. The legal experts and elders had gathered there. 58Peter had followed him at a distance to the High Priest’s courtyard and had gone inside. He sat with the guards to see what would happen. 59The chief priests and the council were looking for evidence against Jesus so that they might sentence him to death, 60but they hadn’t found it even though a lot of false witnesses had spoken out against him.
Finally, two men came forward 61and said, “This man said, ‘I can destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’”
62The High Priest stood up then, and asked Jesus, “Aren’t you going to answer? What are they testifying against you?”
63Jesus remained silent.
Then the High Priest said, “I am putting you under oath before the living God; tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.”
64“You have said so, but I tell you that from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Most High, coming on the clouds of heaven.”
65Then the High Priest tore his robe open and declared, “He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need witnesses? You yourselves heard what he said. 66So, what is your verdict?”
They answered, “He deserves to die!” 67and they spat in his face and beat him and some slapped him, 68saying, “Prophesy to us, ‘Christ!’ Who struck you that time?”
69Meanwhile, Peter had been sitting outside in the courtyard. A servant girl came to him and said, “You were also with Jesus the Galilean, weren’t you?”
70Peter denied it loudly enough for everyone around him to hear. He said, “I don’t know what you’re talking about!”
71He went out to the entrance, and another servant girl saw him. She said to those who were standing around, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.”
72He denied it again with an oath, “I don’t know the man!”
73A little later some of the bystanders approached him. “Of course, you’re one of them. Your accent gives you away.”
74Peter began to swear, and cried out, “I don’t know the man!” At that moment a rooster crowed, 75and Peter remembered that Jesus had said, “Before the rooster crows you will deny me three times.”
He went outside then, and wept bitterly.
Commentary
1-2: This is the fourth time Jesus has told his disciples that he will be crucified (see 16:21, 17:22-23, and 20:19), but this time he does not mention his resurrection.
3-5: The chief priests and elders have a meeting to plan the assassination of Jesus. This is probably the Jerusalem Sanhedrin. The Pharisees have considered killing Jesus before (12:14), but now it has become official policy.
6-13: Mark reports this story (Mark 14:3-9), but Luke does not, recording instead a similar but earlier incident in Galilee in which a woman “who was a sinner” anointed Jesus’ feet. In Matthew and Mark, the anointing is clearly part of the passion narrative in which all the related events lead to the cross. In Matthew’s account there are no aspersions cast on her character, and we have to wonder if the woman’s actions were prearranged by Jesus as a vivid demonstration of what he has been telling them, that he will be put to death. For the second time there is no mention of his being raised on the third day. There is another underlying current running through the story, for anointing the head was an act related to the coronation of a king.
14-16: The chief priests and elders have been looking for an opportunity. Judas provides it. John tells us that Judas was the keeper of the purse for the disciples (John 13:29). The placement of the story of his betrayal immediately following the anointing at Bethany is curious, as though there was something about that incident that persuaded Judas to act. Many have speculated that he was motivated by Jesus continuing to emphasize his impending death, and began to assume that Jesus wanted him to play a role in making that happen. Others say the “waste” of the ointment turned him. No one can say for certain why Judas did what he did; strange forces are at work here.
17-19: Several incidents hint that Jesus has made some advance plans for his last trip to Jerusalem; the donkey on which he rode into the city (21:2-3), the crowds that heralded his arrival (21:8-11), the anointing at Bethany, and now the pre-arranged location for the Passover meal.
20-25: The account of the “Last Supper” is reported in each gospel (Mark 14:12-25, Luke 22:14-38, and John 13:1-17:25). Matthew and Mark are very much alike; Luke and John have additional material to add. When Jesus announces that one of them will betray him, eleven of the disciples react, saying, “Surely not I, Lord!” Judas says, “Surely not I, Rabbi.”
26-30: The institution of the sacrament of communion, the principal ritual of the Christian religion, is recorded in 4 short verses. It is the final lesson Jesus gives his disciples before his crucifixion.
31-35: On the Mount of Olives Jesus tells them they will desert him. He quotes Zechariah 13:7. He tells them he will go to Galilee after he is raised. Peter, ever impetuous, doesn’t hear that part, but objects to the very idea that he might desert Jesus. Jesus tells him exactly what will happen, but he still denies it is possible and is echoed by all the rest of them. Judas is missing. He’ll reappear at verse 47.
36-46: On the Mount of Olives, they enter Gethsemane, an olive arbor. Jesus is separated from the others in stages, finally coming to a place by himself where his distress is expressed more deeply than anywhere else in the gospel. He returns to Peter, James, and John, finds them asleep, then goes back to pray a second time. He returns to them again, finds them asleep, and goes back a third time. Notice how the number three crops up in Matthew’s narrative: Peter is to betray him three times, three of them accompany him to a place of prayer in the garden, he leaves them to pray alone three times, Peter will deny him three times, Jesus will be at the mercy of three sets of authorities, he will be crucified in a group of three, and on the third day he will rise.
47-56: The scene in Gethsemane is confused. It is dark, things are happening quickly, someone starts a brief skirmish that results in the loss of an ear, and toward the end of the scene “the crowds” are suddenly present. One of the most telling points is the presence of the high priest’s servant. Jesus’ arrest has a widespread backing.
57-68: Jesus is taken to the house of Caiaphas the high priest and a “trial” ensues. It is another confusing scene. The trial is conducted at night. It is conducted by an unruly group of council members who solicit obviously invented evidence and who treat the accused disreputably, slapping him and spitting on him and taunting him.
69-75: Outside, Peter tries to observe incognito, but is identified by a pair of servant girls and some bystanders, and proceeds to deny three times that he knows Jesus. The rooster crows; morning has arrived. Peter is devastated by his own cowardice.
Takeaway
Sometimes being a follower of Jesus leads us into difficult, even threatening, situations. But we never have to go there alone.