Verses 1-2 And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said unto his disciples, 2 Ye know that after two days is the feast of the passover, and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified.
Jesus did not hide from His disciples the fact that He was going to die at the hand of the Jewish government and that He was going to physically leave them. He openly told them on many occasions that this would be the outcome of the end of His earthly ministry. Yet, as seen in the recordings of the four Gospel books (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John), His persecution, arrest, torture and death through crucifixion seemed to surprise them. Perhaps when living with God in the flesh and seeing all the miracles being performed on a daily basis, it was difficult for them to accept this teaching and perhaps they were in denial. Regardless, their verbal response to this statement by Jesus is not recorded here to let the reader know what the disciples were thinking or feeling.
Application: Denial is one of the steps described in the grief process. If you, the reader, have ever received the terrible news that your loved one has a terminal disease such as cancer and that death is imminent, you know that denial or disbelief is one of the first responses to such news. As time goes by and your loved one continues to live, the tendency is to believe that death is way off in the future somewhere. So it is easy to understand the disciples’ apparent lack of concern over Jesus’ announcement that he was shortly to be betrayed and killed.
The sayings Jesus had finished were those recorded in Matthew chapter 25 in which He told parables representing those Christian believers who were obedient and serving Him and ready to go into eternity to be with Him, and those Christian believers who were not obedient and serving Him and who were not going to go to Heaven but to Hell. One cannot wonder it the timing of these two parables was for the benefit of Judas Iscariot. Jesus knew He would be betrayed by this disciple in just two days time, yet it appears He was giving him another opportunity to repent of his sin and to become a profitable, obedient servant. Judas Iscariot had been called by Jesus and had been given the same gifts of salvation and the same power to heal and cast out devils. He had been active in the ministry of the LORD Jesus and he had been taught all the doctrines and principles of the Kingdom of God. He had been treated fairly and equally and he knew Jesus was God, very God, and yet his greed for financial gain in this world was his downfall. The Apostle Peter stated in Acts 20:17 and 20, “For he was numbered with us, and had obtained part of this ministry. For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein: and his bishoprick let another take.” The Greek word translated as “bishoprick” is “episkope” from which comes the English word, episcopal, and it means a bishop, an overseer, or an elder. So Judas Iscariot was a leader in what would become the Church of Jesus Christ, and he had power and the position of a bishop within this group of disciples.
Application: The thought to take away from the discussion above is that there will be people in the Church who are Christian believers in that they have been called by God, they have been gifted with salvation and eternal life, and they may have positions of authority, and yet their heart is not right and they are not serving their Master, Jesus Christ in a righteous manner. A careful look at the “fruits” of people claiming to be Christians helps to let others know where these people are in their spiritual walk. They need to be corrected and the believers doing the correcting need to keep themselves faithful to the Master, Jesus Christ. “But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And of some have compassion, making a difference: and others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating ever the garment spotted by the flesh.” Jude 20-23
Verses 3-5 Then assembled together the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders of the people, unto the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, 4 And consulted that they might take Jesus by subtilty, and kill him. 5 But they said, Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar among the people.
Caiaphas was the high priest in the days of the ministry of Jesus, being appointed to that position or office around A.D. 18 by Valerius Gratus, the governor of Judaea who preceded Pontius Pilot. Notice that the Jewish system of governance was no longer that as established by Moses. The high priest was a position inherited by the descendants of Aaron, Moses’ brother and the first high priest in the theocracy (a system of government in which priests rule in the name of God) set up by God for the Hebrew people. They were not appointed by secular rulers.
The Jewish leaders knew that Jesus would make an appearance in Jerusalem for the Passover and so they wanted to come up with a plan to capture and execute the One who was embarrassing them and becoming a rival to their position and political/religious power.
Application: This was a conspiracy which is what all governments and corporations engage in in order to keep their stranglehold on the people, in order to line their pockets at the expense of the people, and in order to crush any resistance from the people to their leadership and power. Notice, however, that these leaders were afraid of the people so they did not want to do anything unlawfully on the feast day that might cause a riot or opposition to their plan.
Verses 6-9 Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, 7 There came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on his head, as he sat at meat. 8 But when his disciples saw it, they had indignation, saying, To what purpose is this waste? 9 For this ointment might have been sold for much, and given to the poor.
Bethany was a village about two miles from Jerusalem. The name means “house of misery”. It was the home of Lazarus who Jesus raised from the dead, and his sisters, Mary and Martha. See John chapter 11. The woman with the alabaster box of ointment is also mentioned in the Gospels of Mark and Luke, but her name is not recorded anywhere so it is not known who she was. Alabaster was considered to be the best type of container to keep expensive ointments preserved. To be sitting at meat means to be dining or eating together. So this woman interrupted the meal to pour the expensive ointment onto Jesus’ head. This would have been frowned upon in the culture of the day as women did not hold positions of respect amongst the men and were usually not allowed in to a dinner except for the purpose of serving the food. Notice that the text says “disciples”, plural. So it was not just Judas Iscariot who disapproved of the woman’s actions.
Application: In the book of Exodus, Moses recorded God’s instructions that a special anointing oil should be made for the purpose of anointing the tabernacle and the priests. “And Moses took the anointing oil, and anointed the tabernacle and all that was therein, and sanctified them.” Exodus 8:2 “Then shalt thou take the anointing oil and pour it upon his head and anoint him. And thou shalt bring his sons and put coats upon them. And thou shalt gird them with girdles, Aaron and his sons and put the bonnets on them: and the priest’s office shall be theirs for a perpetual statue: and thou shalt consecrate Aaron and his sons.” Exodus 29:7-9 This anointing of Jesus by the woman with the alabaster box was a visual and recorded event making it clear that the LORD Jesus Christ is the Christian believer’s priest for ever. The office is His for perpetuity. He is the High Priest. There is no other in both the physical and the spiritual realms that is or can be the High Priest. That includes the Pope and all the priests in the institution of Catholicism.
Application: The disciples made the determination that pouring the expensive oil onto Jesus’ head was a waste, knowing that He would soon no longer be with them. What constitutes a waste? Was it not the woman’s right or prerogative to do what she wanted with her possession? Often, Christian believers see others spending resources on stuff or spending time in pursuits that seem wasteful. It is silly to worry about or to judge someone else’s finances or choices as what they do with the resources God gives to them only they have to be accountable for. The woman with the alabaster box did what God wanted her to do regardless of the opinions of others. As a result, as declared by Jesus in verse 13 below, she established a memorial of her down through time to this very day.
Verses 10-13 When Jesus understood it, he said unto them, Why trouble ye the woman? for she hath wrought a good work upon me. 11 For ye have the poor always with you; but me ye have not always. 12 For in that she hath poured this ointment on my body, she did it for my burial. 13 Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this, that this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her.
The disciples’ words and attitudes were upsetting this woman. She was being judged and condemned for doing what she felt was right at the time. Jesus understood her actions and clearly praised her.
Application: There is always an attempt by societies and governments to abolish poverty. Jesus said there would always be poor people. The Church should obviously try and help those less fortunate financially and materially who live in their communities, but massive programs by governments that take resources away from those that have resources and then give those resources to those who do not have resources will not fix the problem. The problem is usually spiritual. When a person who is financially poor gives control of their life to Jesus, He will aid them to find appropriate work and help them with their physical needs. He promised to and He will. He may use people in the Church to help or He may not. But the LORD takes care of His children and He does a much better job of it than any man-made government programs. The true Church of God is there to help, is commanded to help, but to do so wisely with the ultimate goal of sharing the Gospel with the poor as well as assisting them with their physical/financial needs.
Verses 14-16 Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, 15 And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver. 16 And from that time he sought opportunity to betray him.
Judas planned his betrayal of Jesus before they arrived in Jerusalem for the Passover celebration. His god was money, so he sold the trust Jesus had put in him by choosing him as His disciple and he sold his salvation and eternal life in Heaven for that money. This act by Judas Iscariot was a fulfillment of the prophecy in Zechariah 11:13. “And the LORD said unto me, Cast it unto the potter: a goodly price that I was prised at of them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them to the potter in the house of the LORD.” As seen later, Judas threw the money back into the Temple, and the priests declared that, as it was blood money, they could not accept it back as an offering. They then bought a potter’s field with the thirty pieces of silver where the poor could be buried. The irony was that Judas Iscariot was against the ointment being poured onto Jesus’s head as he claimed it could be sold and the money given to the poor. Here, through his act of treason towards Jesus, Judas ended up paying for a burial place for the poor with his reward for his betrayal of his LORD and Savior.
Notice the numbering of the verse from Zechariah as both the numbers 11 and 13 are important to witches and those people involved with the occult which is one of Satan’s religious systems. As stated before, the chapters and verses were placed in the Bible long after the books were written and then compiled into one volume. It is no accident or coincidence that some of the chapter and verse numbers represent spiritual truths. So pay attention to the numbers as often they are very informative.
Verses 17-19 Now the first day of the feast of unleavened bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the passover? 18 And he said, Go into the city to such a man, and say unto him, The Master saith, My time is at hand; I will keep the passover at thy house with my disciples. 19 And the disciples did as Jesus had appointed them; and they made ready the passover.
The feast of unleavened bread is the same event as the Passover. During the seven day celebration commemorating the deliverance of the Hebrew people from Egyptian slavery leaven was not to be used, eaten or to be found in the Hebrew houses. Hence the name of the feast of unleavened bread.
No detail was too small or unimportant in regards to the ministry of the LORD Jesus Christ. A place had already been provided for the Passover celebration before the disciples even asked about it, and the owner of the house already knew that Jesus and His disciples were coming. Review Exodus chapter 12 for the history of the first Passover. It was held on the fourteenth day of the first month in the Hebrew year which was Nisan. So it is known that Jesus was crucified in the month of Nisan which corresponds to the months of March and April in the Gregorian calendar used today.
Verses 20-22 Now when the even was come, he sat down with the twelve. 21 And as they did eat, he said, Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me. 22 And they were exceeding sorrowful, and began every one of them to say unto him, Lord, is it I?
The disciples could not believe that one of their group would betray Jesus, and so their question was a valid one. A person can be resolute about a particular belief, position, doctrine or political ideology until persecution comes, and then give in to the persecution and do that which they never thought they would do. Remember that the Jewish government had been trying to kill Jesus, and the disciples knew that they could also be targets of this very powerful political/religious system.
Verses 23-25 And he answered and said, He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me. 24 The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born. 25 Then Judas, which betrayed him, answered and said, Master, is it I? He said unto him, Thou hast said.
Not a lot of information is given in the Scripture about the man, Judas Iscariot. He is only mentioned 10 times in the four Gospel books and he was reported to be the son of a man named Simon. So his character and personality is not really visible until now. The hypocrisy and deceitfulness of Judas Iscariot can be seen here as he asked this question when he had already contracted with the Jewish priests to deliver Jesus to them. He knew Jesus was referring to him, but he did not want the other disciples to know what he had done, so he acted in the same manner as they did by asking Jesus “is it I.”
Verses 26-30 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. 27 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; 28 For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. 29 But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom. 30 And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives.
Mark reports in his Gospel book that when Jesus was hanging on the cross in terrible pain and anguish and slowly dying, “And they gave him to drink wine mingled with myrrh: but he received it not.” Mark 15:23 Why did Jesus not take this? Because of verse 29 above. Jesus was still in His physical, earthly body and not yet in His spiritual body in His Father’s kingdom.
Verses 31-32 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. 32 But after I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee.
Jesus never failed to completely explain to His disciples what would happen to Him and that He would rise from the dead and meet them in Galilee. It will be seen in the various Gospel book writings that the disciples failed to have faith in the words of Jesus. When women came and told them that they had seen Jesus after His death and burial, they did not believe them. Neither did they believe that they would be offended. The Greek word translated as “offended” is “skandalizo” and it means several things, the main one that applies in these verses is to cause a person to begin to distrust and desert one whom he ought to trust and obey, or to cause to fall away.
Verses 33-35 Peter answered and said unto him, Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended. 34 Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. 35 Peter said unto him, Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee. Likewise also said all the disciples.
The Apostle Peter is often criticized because of his rash comments and actions. But Peter was the one disciple to whom was given the keys of the kingdom. “And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Matthew 16:19 It was Peter who preached to first the Jews, then the Samaritans and then to the Gentiles. Jesus entrusted Peter to get the churches going to all the different people groups in the region around Jerusalem, and then the other Apostles, particularly the Apostle Paul went forward from there. Jesus knew it was that eager, action oriented character of this disciple that He could trust to spread the Gospel and establish the Church. Remember that Peter and the other disciples were young men, most without a formal education and lacking the experience in life that older men would have had. Also, Peter was a fisherman used to dealing with the elements and with fish. Dealing with people and all their emotions and problems and dealing with the religious and political elite in the time of Jesus’ ministry was not the normal for a young man with a background in fishing. He had a lot to learn, and the biggest lesson was to come in the days following this Passover meal.
Much has been argued about the cock that crowed. Most commentators insist that it was a rooster that crowed. It may have been, but chickens usually do not cluck and roosters usually do not crow in the middle of the night, but they are the rural alarm clocks letting people know that the sun is coming up every morning. This writer’s rooster lived to be 13 years old and he never uttered a sound until it was daylight. And then he did not restrict his crowing to one episode, but crowed over and over until the hens and everyone else was wide awake. So perhaps Jesus provided a miracle and had a rooster crow one time in the night to fulfill prophecy. This is very possible. However, one does have to wonder if the high priest, Caiaphas, had roosters running around in his palace or courtyard. Another theory is that there was the equivalent of a town crier that went around and sounded the time verbally approximately every three hours or at the changes of the watches. This calling of the change of watch is reported to have been referred to as a cock crowing. This is also a plausible explanation. The Greek word translated as “crew” in verse 74 below is “phoneo” and it means to sound, to speak, for a cock to crow, for men to cry, cry out, cry aloud, or speak with a loud voice. So you decide. Regardless, Peter was given a time frame by Jesus in which he was to deny his LORD and Peter did not think that he would ever do such a thing.
Application: It is common to all people to declare something to be true, but when enough pressure is upon them, they do not do that which they declared. An example could be a person stating that he/she would never take financial assistance from their government, family, or any other institution and then that person goes through hard times and has to humble himself/herself and accept food stamps or go to a food bank in order to feed himself/herself and dependent family members. Scripture is clear that no one knows what tomorrow will bring and so it is unwise to declare that which is not under a person’s total control. The Apostle Peter declared publicly that he would die with Jesus and that he would never deny Him only to have fear cause him to do that which he said he would not do.
Verses 36-38 Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder. 37 And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. 38 Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.
The name, “Gethsemane”, means an oil press. A great amount of pressure is needed to press oil out of olives or any other oil producing plant. This was the place where Jesus would feel the most pressure as He awaited arrest, ridicule, torture and death.
Jesus took his disciples to this location, which was at the foot of the Mount of Olives, after their meal for the purpose of praying. But they fell asleep, possibly because of the food that they had just consumed. Peter, James, and John were those disciple that were with Jesus in the mountain when He was transfigured, and they held a special place of leadership amongst the twelve. Jesus confided in them the fact that He was in intense emotional anguish, but they still failed to stay awake and watch with Him. The Greek word translated as “sorrowful” is “perilupos” and it means overcome with sorrow so much as to cause one’s death. What did Jesus want his disciples to watch for? The soldiers that would come to arrest him.
Verses 39-41 And 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. 40 And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour? 41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
Notice that Jesus spoke specifically to Peter, the one who a short time before had declared that he was willing to die for Jesus and that he would never deny Him, but who now could not simply stay awake and keep Jesus company in His time of sorrow. Notice also that Jesus was understanding of Peter’s failure as He stated Peter had a willing spirit but his physical body got in the way.
Verses 42-44 He 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. 43 And he came and found them asleep again: for their eyes were heavy. 44 And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.
Application: Confusion continues in today’s churches regarding Jesus’ prayers to the Father. The confusion is that, if Jesus is indeed God, how can He pray to a Father as He is the Father? Is He praying to Himself? The answer to this confusion is that Jesus was/is fully man and fully God. It was the “man” Christ Jesus who was praying to the Spirit which is God, very God. God manifests Himself to mankind in three ways: as the Spirit called Father, as a man called Jesus, and as the Holy Ghost or Comforter which was/is the Spirit of God dwelling in the fleshly body of Jesus. After the ascension of Jesus into Heaven, the Holy Ghost/Spirit then freely dwelt in the fleshly bodies of those followers of Jesus and He continues to do so today. A ghost has to have a body or it is a spirit only. When that spirit leaves a fleshly body, it is then a ghost. However, the Holy Ghost is also referred to as the Holy Spirit, the capital letters differentiating Him from other spirits. So, Jesus, the man who experienced pain and all the other emotions and feelings common to mankind, was asking the Father if it was possible to have another plan of salvation. Of course it was not, and so the man Jesus accepted what He knew to have been the plan all along as He was present before the world was created. “Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you.” 1 Peter 1:20
Verses 45-47 Then 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. 46 Rise, let us be going: behold, he is at hand that doth betray me. 47 And 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.
The Gospel book of John records that Judas Iscariot left the Passover meal and then, as recorded in John chapter 18, he went and got officers from the priests and Pharisees and came with them to the garden. So Judas did not just betray Jesus for money, but he was actively part of the arresting officers. Perhaps he also carried a weapon. Nothing is said in this Gospel account as to why the remaining 11 disciples did not question Judas’ absence when they went to the garden. However, John’s gospel clears this up in chapter 13, verses 28-29 which records that they thought Jesus had sent Judas on an errand.
Verses 48-50 Now he that betrayed him gave them a sign, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he: hold him fast. 49 And forthwith he came to Jesus, and said, Hail, master; and kissed him. 50 And Jesus said unto him, Friend, wherefore art thou come? Then came they, and laid hands on Jesus, and took him.
In Biblical times and in Jewish culture it was customary to kiss someone as a greeting. This is not to be confused with the kiss a mother or father gives a child or that which is given by a man to his wife, etc. So it would not be unusual for Judas to use this greeting as a way of identifying Jesus. It must be wondered, however, how anyone living in Jerusalem or the surrounding countryside would not be able to recognize Jesus as He was in the center of everything for more than three years. He was hated by the power elite and religious leaders, he was loved by His followers, and He was sought after by the masses for whatever benefits they thought they could acquire from Him such as healing of their physical diseases and handicaps. He was well known. “And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them.” Matthew 4:24 “And the fame of him went out into every place of the country round about.” Luke 4:37
The Greek word translated as “master” is “rhabbi” and it means rabbi, my great one, honorable sir, and is always a title used by the Jews to address their teachers. So here is another insight into the character of Judas Iscariot. In his hypocrisy, he continued to show respect for Jesus while he was betraying Him to the Satanic Jewish leadership, and ultimately sending Him to His death.
Verses 51-54 And, 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. 52 Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword. 53 Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? 54 But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?
The disciple who drew his sword was non other than impulsive Peter. “Then Simon Peter having a sword drew it, and smote the high priest’s servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malcus.” John 18:10 Peter wasn’t aiming for this man’s ear, but for his head. Peter was ready to do battle to defend Jesus from the enemy. Jesus did not rebuke Peter and publicly embarrass him, but simply commanded him to put the sword away and to let things be as this was all part of prophecy and that He, Jesus, was still in control. A legion was a body of soldiers, or in this case angels, the exact number not really known, but thought to exceed 1,000.
Verses 55-56 In 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. 56 But all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled.
The arresting officers were much like military people today. They were given an order and they had to obey it or they could be punished and even executed. They must have seen the truth in Jesus’ words, but they had a job to do whether they liked it or not.
Verses 57-58 And they that had laid hold on Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled. 58 But Peter followed him afar off unto the high priest’s palace, and went in, and sat with the servants, to see the end.
For all the Apostle Peter’s faults (although this writer does not agree with other people’s criticisms of Peter and his actions, but can relate to his honesty, loyalty, enthusiasm and transparency) he was the only disciple with the courage to at least get near the palace and observe the unlawful proceedings. Peter was just a young, uneducated fisherman and the occupants of the palace were the rich and famous of his time. Because Peter had been with Jesus for over three years, he was also a target for this political body of evil men. To be anywhere near Jesus and his captors was a dangerous place to be.
Verses 59-66 Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death; 60 But found none: yea, though many false witnesses came, yet found they none. At the last came two false witnesses, 61 And said, This fellow said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days. 62 And the high priest arose, and said unto him, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee? 63 But 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. 64 Jesus 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. 65 Then 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. 66 What think ye? They answered and said, He is guilty of death.
As stated above, what Caiaphas and the Pharisees were doing was unlawful. Under Jewish law, there had to be a crime in which someone was injured before there could be an arrest. Jesus injured no one. Under Jewish law, there had to be at least two witnesses to the crime. There were no witnesses. Under Jewish law, there had to be a stated accusation. There was no stated accusation, but the accusations were made up as Caiaphas and his evil cohorts went along. Under Jewish law, a trial could not be held in the middle of the night and it had to be public. The wicked Jewish leadership held Jesus’ trial in the middle of the night, secretly because they knew the people would not tolerate what they were doing and they were afraid of the people. Under Jewish law, there had to be an accuser presenting the argument against Jesus and this accuser had to be the injured party. Then the accused, Jesus, had to present a defense. There was no specific accuser and when Jesus did not speak on his behalf, the case against him should have been thrown out. But prophesy had to be fulfilled and the events of this night provided a permanent record of the conspiratorial and wicked actions of a governmental system, a system that exists today in every nation as it is Satan’s system and Satan’s servants carrying out Satan’s wishes to be like God.
Application: The Greek word translated as “adjure” is “exorkizo” and it means to extract an oath or to force an oath. Jesus said nothing until Caiaphas made the statement, “I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God.” The ridiculousness of this is that Caiaphas was demanding by the God that he was supposed to be serving that the man Jesus, who was/is the God he was supposed to be serving answer and tell him who He really was. Now Caiaphas may have been the high priest, but he did not serve God, and even though Jesus never hid His identity and the priests had all the prophetic Scripture to be able to recognize the Messiah when He came, they rejected their promised Messiah and planned to get rid of their God. How do you get rid of God? But power and riches were these Jewish religious leaders real god. And now Caiaphas was talking to “the Christ, the Son of God” and yet Caiaphas was demanding God/Jesus answer a stupid question from a mortal man that was created by Jesus, a truthful answer leading to an undeserved and unlawful death sentence and an untruthful answer not possible because God/Jesus does not lie. “God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?” Numbers 23:19
Verses 67-68 Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him; and others smote him with the palms of their hands, 68 Saying, Prophesy unto us, thou Christ, Who is he that smote thee?
The physical torture that the LORD Jesus Christ endured to provide a plan of salvation and redemption for all living men and living women who are willing to accept it was unlawful. These same tactics have been used by world leaders, law enforcement and military personnel throughout the world. Remember the “water boarding” revelations a few years ago? Are these unlawful treatments of political and non political detainees or prisoners occurring today? You think about it and decide.
Verses 69-75 Now Peter sat without in the palace: and a damsel came unto him, saying, Thou also wast with Jesus of Galilee. 70 But he denied before them all, saying, I know not what thou sayest. 71 And 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. 72 And again he denied with an oath, I do not know the man. 73 And 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. 74 Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew. 75 And 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)
Application: Jesus’ prophecy to Peter that had been given this night just a short time before Jesus’ arrest came true. Put yourself, the reader, in Peter’s place and try to imagine how he felt. Then think about how strong your Christian faith is and how you might react to such danger and pressure. Then pray for the Christian believers that are being persecuted right now all over the world.