Mt 26:1
26:1 And {1} it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these
sayings, he said unto his disciples,
(1) Christ witnesses by his going to death voluntarily, that he
will make full satisfaction for the sin of Adam by his
obedience.
Mt 26:2
26:2 {2} Ye know that after two days is [the feast of] the
passover, and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified.
(2) God himself and not man appoints the time that Christ
should be crucified.
Mt 26:5
26:5 But they said, Not on the {a} feast [day], lest there be an
uproar among the people.
(a) By the word "feast" is meant the whole feast of
unleavened bread: the first and eighth day of which
were so holy that they were not allowed to do any work
on it, though the whole company of the Sanhedrin
determined otherwise: And yet it came to pass through
God's providence, that Christ suffered at that time, so
that all the people of Israel might be witnesses of his
everlasting sacrifice.
Mt 26:6
26:6 {3} Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon
the leper,
(3) By this sudden work of a sinful woman, Christ helps the
guests to understand about his death and burial which was
near: the gracious result of which will bring life to all
sinners who flee unto him. But Judas takes an occasion
here to accomplish his wicked purpose and plan.
Mt 26:7
26:7 {b} There came unto him a woman having an alabaster {c} box
of very precious ointment, and poured it on his head, as he
sat [at meat].
(b) For these things were done before Christ came to
Jerusalem: and yet some think that the evangelists have
two differing accounts.
(c) These boxes were of alabaster, which in ancient times
men made hollow to put in ointments: for some write
that alabaster keeps ointment without changing it in
any way; Pliny, book 13, chap. 1.
Mt 26:8
26:8 But when his {d} disciples saw [it], they had indignation,
saying, To what purpose [is] this {e} waste?
(d) This is a figure of speech called synecdoche: for it is
said that only Judas was moved at this; Joh 12:4.
(e) Unprofitable spending.
Mt 26:10
26:10 {4} When Jesus understood [it], he said unto them, Why
trouble ye the woman? for she hath wrought a good work
upon me.
(4) We ought not to rashly condemn that which is not orderly
done.
Mt 26:11
26:11 {5} For ye have the poor always with you; but me ye have
not always.
(5) Christ, who was once anointed in his own person, must
always be anointed in the poor.
Mt 26:12
26:12 For {f} in that she hath poured this ointment on my body,
she did [it] for my burial.
(f) In that she poured this ointment upon my body, she did
it to bury me.
Mt 26:17
26:17 {6} Now {g} 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?
(6) Christ purposing to bring us into our country without delay
and so, to pay the penalty of the law, truly fulfils the
law, omitting the contrary tradition and custom of the
Jews: and thus shows that all things will so come to pass
by the ministry of men as governed by the secret plan of God.
(g) This was the fourteenth day of the first month: now the
first day of unleavened bread should have been the
fifteenth, but because the evening of this day (which
after the manner of the Romans was referred to the day
before) belonged by the Jews' manner to the day
following, therefore it is called the first day of
unleavened bread.
Mt 26:20
26:20 Now when the even was come, he {h} sat down with the
twelve.
(h) Because the Law appointed them to be wearing footwear,
and to have their staffs in their hands, as though
they were is haste, therefore it is to be gathered
that they did not sit down when they ate the Passover,
but stood, for normally when they went to eat they
took off their shoes: therefore he speaks here in this
place, not of the Passover, but of the supper which
was celebrated after the Passover was solemnly done.
Mt 26:23
26:23 And he answered and said, He that {i} dippeth [his] hand
with me in the dish, the same shall betray me.
(i) That is to say, he whom I invited to come to my table,
alluding in this to Ps 41:9, which is not to be
understood as though just as the Lord spoke these
words Judas had his hand in the dish (for that would
have been an undoubted sign) but it refers to his
tabling and eating with him.
Mt 26:25
26:25 Then Judas, {k} which betrayed him, answered and said,
Master, is it I? He said unto him, Thou hast said.
(k) Who was thinking of nothing else but to betray him.
Mt 26:26
26:26 {7} And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and {l}
blessed [it], and brake [it], and gave [it] to the
disciples, and said, Take, eat; {m} this is my body.
(7) Christ who will without delay fulfil the promises of the old
covenant, institutes a new covenant with new signs.
(l) Mark says, "Had given thanks": and therefore blessing
is not a consecrating with a conjuring type of
murmuring and power of words: and yet the bread and the
wine are changed, not in nature but in quality, for
without doubt they become tokens of the body and blood
of Christ, not of their own nature or force of words,
but by Christ his institution, which must be recited
and laid forth, that faith may find what to lay hold
on, both in the word and in the elements.
(m) This is a figure of speech which is called metonymy:
that is to say, the giving of one name for another: so
he calls the bread his body, which is the sign and
sacrament of his body: and yet nonetheless, it is a
figurative and changed kind of speech meaning that the
faithful do indeed receive Christ with all his gifts
(though by a spiritual means) and become one with him.
Mt 26:27
26:27 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave [it] to
them, saying, Drink ye {n} all of it;
(n) Therefore they who took away the cup from the people,
disobeyed the instruction of Christ.
Mt 26:28
26:28 {o} For this is my blood of the {p} new testament, which
is shed for many for the remission of sins.
(o) That is, this cup or wine is my blood sacramentally,
as in \\Geneva "Lu 22:20"\\.
(p) Or covenant, that is to say, by which the new league
and covenant is made, for in the making of leagues
they used the pouring of wine and shedding of blood.
Mt 26:30
26:30 And when they had sung {q} an hymn, they went out into the
mount of Olives.
(q) When they had made an end of their solemn singing,
which some think was six Psalms, Ps 112:1 - 117:2.
Mt 26:31
26:31 {8} 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.
(8) Christ, here taking more care of his disciples than of
himself, forewarns them of their falling away, and provides
them with some comfort.
Mt 26:36
26:36 {9} Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called
Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here,
while I go and pray yonder.
(9) Christ having regard to the weakness of his disciples,
leaves all the rest in safety, and takes with him but three
to be witnesses of his anguish, and goes on purpose into
the place where he would be betrayed.
Mt 26:37
26:37 And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee,
and began to be sorrowful and {r} very heavy.
(r) The word which he uses signifies great sorrow, and
tremendous and deadly grief: this thing, as it
indicates man's true nature, which shuns death as a
thing that entered in against nature, shows that
though Christ was void of sin, yet he sustained this
horrible punishment, because he felt the wrath of God
kindled against us for sins, which he revenged and
punished in his person.
Mt 26:38
26:38 {10} Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding
sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with
me.
(10) Christ, a true man, who is about to suffer the
punishment which we should have suffered for
forsaking God, is forsaken by his own: he has a
terrible conflict with the horror and fear of the
curse of God: out of which he, since he escaped as a
conqueror, causes us not to be afraid of death
any more.
Mt 26:39
26:39 And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and
prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, {s} let
this {t} cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but
as thou [wilt].
(s) Let it pass me, and not touch me.
(t) That is, which is at hand, and is offered and prepared
for me: an idiom which the Hebrews use for the wrath
of God, and the punishment he sends.
\\See Geneva "Mt 20:22"\\.
Mt 26:40
26:40 {11} And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them
asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch
with me one hour?
(11) An example of the carelessness of man.
Mt 26:46
26:46 {12} Rise, let us be going: behold, he is at hand that
doth betray me.
(12) Christ offers himself willingly to be taken, that in
so obeying willingly he might make satisfaction for
the wilful fall of man.
Mt 26:47
26:47 And while he yet spake, lo, Judas, one of the twelve,
came, and with him a great multitude with swords and
staves, {u} from the chief priests and elders of the
people.
(u) Sent from the high Priests.
Mt 26:50
26:50 {13} And Jesus said unto him, {x} Friend, wherefore art
thou come? Then came they, and laid hands on Jesus, and
took him.
(13) Christ is taken, that we might be delivered.
(x) Christ reprehends Judas tauntingly, and rebukes him
sharply, for he knew well enough why he came.
Mt 26:52
26:52 (14) Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into
his place: for all they that {y} take the sword shall
perish with the sword.
(14) Our vocation must govern our zeal.
(y) They take the sword to whom the Lord has not given it,
that is to say, they who use the sword and are not
called to it.
Mt 26:53
26:53 {15} Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father,
and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of
angels?
(15) Christ was taken because he was willing to be taken.
Mt 26:54
26:54 {z} But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that
thus it must be?
(z) By this questioning he answers a sly objection, for
they might have asked him why he did not in this his
great extremity of danger call to his Father for aid:
but to this objection he answers by this question.
Mt 26:57
26:57 {16} And they that had laid hold on Jesus led [him] away
to {a} Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the
elders were assembled.
(16) Christ being innocent is condemned by the high Priest for
that wickedness of which we are guilty.
(a) From Annas to Caiaphas, before whom the multitude was
assembled; Joh 18:13.
Mt 26:58
26:58 But Peter followed him afar off unto the high priest's {b}
palace, and went in, and sat with the servants, to see the
end.
(b) The word used here properly denotes an open large room
in the front of a house, as we see in kings' palaces
and noblemen's houses: we call it a court, for it is
open to the air, and by the use of synecdoche, is
understood to mean the house itself.
Mt 26:62
26:62 And the high priest arose, and said unto him, Answerest
thou nothing? {c} what [is it which] these witness
against thee?
(c) How does it come to pass that these men witness
against thee?
Mt 26:64
26:64 Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say
unto you, {d} Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man
sitting {e} on the right hand of power, and coming in the
{f} clouds of heaven.
(d) This word distinguishes his first coming from the
latter.
(e) Sitting with God in like and equal honour at the right
hand of his power, that is, in greatest power: for the
right hand signifies among the Hebrews that which is
mighty and of great power.
(f) Clouds of heaven; see above in Mt 24:30.
Mt 26:65
26:65 Then the high priest {g} rent his clothes, saying, He hath
spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses?
behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy.
(g) This was a peculiar custom among the Jews: for so
were they bound to do when they heard any Israelite
blaspheme God, and it was a tradition of their talmud
in the book of the magistrates, in the title, of the
four kinds of death.
Mt 26:69
26:69 {17} Now Peter {h} sat without in the palace: and a damsel
came unto him, saying, Thou also wast with Jesus of
Galilee.
(17) Peter by the wonderful providence of God, in being
appointed to be a witness of all these things, is prepared
to be an example of outstanding faithfulness through
this experience of unbelief.
(h) That is, outside the place where the bishop sat, but
not outside of the house, for afterward he went from
there into the porch.
Mt 26:74
26:74 Then began he to {i} curse and to swear, [saying], I know
not the man. And immediately the cock crew.
(i) He swore and cursed himself.