Matthew 26:1-19 - Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

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Bible Comments

Preparation For What Lies Ahead (26:1-19).

In this subsection we see Jesus' (and God's) preparations for what lies ahead which are interspersed with indications of the activities of the Chief Priests concerning Him.

This first subsection may be analysed as follows:

a JESUS tells His disciples that at the coming Passover the Son of Man will be delivered up to be CRUCIFIED (Matthew 26:1-2).

b The CHIEF PRIESTS and Elders conspire to have Him PUT TO DEATH (Matthew 26:3-5).

c The woman with the flask of perfumed oil anoints JESUS in preparation for His BURIAL (Matthew 26:6-13).

b Judas negotiates with the CHIEF PRIESTS to betray Jesus TO HIS DEATH for money (Matthew 26:14-16)

a JESUS arranges with His disciples for the preparation of the Passover meal which will act out what He will accomplish ON THE CROSS through shedding His blood (Matthew 26:17-19).

Note that in ‘a' Jesus speaks of the coming Passover and proclaims that He will then be handed over to be crucified, while in the parallel He prepares for the proclamation of His death at the Passover meal. In ‘b' the Chief Priests and Elders conspire against Jesus, and in the parallel the Chief Priests and Judas conspire together against Jesus. Centrally in ‘c' Jesus is anointed by the woman for His burial as she reveals her great love for Him, in total contrast to the hostility of the Chief Priests and the perfidy of Judas. Note how all are preparing for His death in different ways. His Father by arranging for Him to be anointed, the woman by revealing her spiritual love and anointing Him, Judas by betraying Him, and the Chief Priests by plotting against Him.

Related Commentaries of Matthew 26:1

Matthew 26:1-19

1 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.

3 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.

6 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.

10 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.

14 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.

17 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.