Matthew 26:1,2 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

When Jesus had finished, &c.— See Luke 21:37-38. When our Lord sat down on the mount of Olives to foretel the destruction of the city, and to deliver the parables which represent the method of the general judgment, he was far on his way to Bethany. After the parables were pronounced, and before he departed, he thought fit to add a word or two concerning his own death. The greatest trial which his disciples were ever to meet with was now approaching in their Master's sufferings; wherefore, to prepare them, he foretold those sufferings, together with the particular time and manner of them; and by so doing proved that he knew perfectly whatever was to befal him, and that his sufferings were all voluntary and necessary. The preceding discourses were most likely deliveredon the Tuesday of the week in which our Lord suffered; and he probably delivered what we have here, that evening, which was just two days before the Paschal Lamb was eaten. We do not find that any of the transactions of Wednesday are recorded, besides the general account given in the place of St. Luke above referred to. This being the last of our Lord's public teaching, (Tuesday,) it was more full of action than any other mentioned in the history, as will appear from the following induction of particulars. He came to Bethany six days before the passover, probably about sun-setting. He rode into the city surrounded by the multitude the next afternoon; for when he had looked round on all things in the temple, after his entry, it was evening: Mark 11:11. This happened five days before the passover. He went thither again from Bethany the day following; namelyfour days before the passover, and by the way blasted the fig-tree, and after that drove the buyers and sellers out of the temple. Next morning, namely, three days before the passover, and the last of his public teaching, being on his way to the city, he spake concerning the efficacy of faith, on occasion of the disciples expressing great astonishment at seeing the fig-tree withered from the roots. When he appeared in the temple, the deputies, who were sent by the council, came and asked him concerning his authority; he answered themwith a question concerning the baptism of John; then spake the parable of the two sons, and after that the parables of the vineyard and the husbandmen, and of the marriage-supper. Then he avoided the snare which was laid for him in the question concerning the tribute-money; confuted the doctrine of the Sadducees concerning the resurrection; shewed the scribe which was the greatest commandment in the law; asked the Pharisees whose Son the Christ is; cautioned his disciples to beware of the Scribes and Pharisees, against whom he denounced many grievous woes: when the woes were finished, he observed the peoplethrow their gifts into the treasury,—probably as they worshipped at the evening sacrifice, and commended the poor widow for her charity. After the service was over, he left the temple, and went to the mount of Olives, where he foretold the downfal of the nation, and spake three parables representing the procedure at the general judgment. Last of all, he concluded the work of the day with predicting his own sufferings. By this time it must have been about sun-setting. He went away therefore with his disciples to Bethany, intending to pass the night there, at a distance from his enemies the Scribes and Pharisees, who were now gathered together at the high-priest's palace to deliberate how they might take him, and put him to death. There was a tradition among the Jews, (still extant in the cabalistic books) that the people should be redeemed in the days of the Messiah, the same day upon which they went out of Egypt; for though their departure from Egypt was on the fifteenth day of the month, yet they prepared for it on the fourteenth, and ate the passover, standing, on that very day: consequently, on the very day that the paschal lamb, the type of the great Deliverer of mankind, was eaten by the Jews, the Saviour typified by that lamb was sacrificed for the sins of mankind. See Macknight, Grotius, and Calmet.