The pt 5

The last time all of the original 12 disciples were together one betrayed Him and one was told they would deny Him.

I had never really thought about that until this week. In that upper room, the disciples were all united for a final moment- and then Judas left them to sell Jesus out.

And on the heels of that betrayal, Peter is left protesting by Jesus telling him, that he would deny that he even knew Jesus.

How heavy must this night have been for Jesus, even before the Garden and the fake trials to come?

Come with me to Matthew 26:17-35.

We open this passage with another moment of preparation. Similar to the Triumphal Entry- Jesus sends the disciples to a stranger for a place He has already known was ready.

Jesus anticipates their needs and requests and already has a plan to fulfill them.

Matthew 1. Passion and Crucifixion (26:1–27:66)

As with finding the donkey in 21:1–3, vv. 18–19 present tantalizing ambiguities. Is this careful planning or supernatural insight on Jesus’ part—or some of each? Matthew abbreviates the story and refers simply “to a certain man.” The Greek reads, literally, pros ton deina (to such-and-such a man). The additional information of

The entire Gospel story is summed up in moments like that.

God knew we would fall. He knew He would need to save us from our sin. He knew what that would take.

And He had a plan from before the beginning of time to handle all of that.

Jesus.

And when they are all gathered together, Jesus drops the first bomb of the evening. There is a traitor in their midst. (verses 20-25)

There are several points I want to grab onto here:

First- everyone thought they were capable of this act

Matthew 1. Passion and Crucifixion (26:1–27:66)

The disciples recognize that Jesus may well have prophetic insight into their own shortcomings. So each one wonders if he himself will somehow succumb and become the perpetrator (v. 22). Yet the question “surely not I?” is phrased so as hopefully to elicit a negative response. Matthew uses the identical language as in 17:23 (a form of lypeō + sphodra) to highlight their intense grief. Only Matthew adds the address “Lord,” heightening the irony of betrayal.

One thing about the disciples, they may not have been able to fully comprehend who Jesus was, yet, but they knew they were all capable of falling short.

That is the kind of humility we all need.

Any time I start to think I have arrived as a follower of Jesus, God has the tendency to hit me between the eyes with my own inadequacy.

Want to know why? He loves me.

He loves you too. And in loving all of us, He wants to remind us that our best lives are lived dependent on Him, not on us.

Pride destroys faith.

Second- the realization that someone who they were close to could betray Jesus makes them sad.

The end goal is we all follow Jesus. All of us. Those we like and get along with and those who we don’t. The end goal is we all go together.

I know we live in a time where a lot of people in the church can demonize people they disagree with and mock those who fall, but that was not what Jesus’ followers modeled- even in this the very worst of moments. It broke their hearts.

Church, what if we had the same compassion? That’s one of the things that hit me between the eyes this week. When is the last time someone falling away moved me to tears?

Third- this was all planned- Jesus knew from the beginning of time that Judas would betray Him.

If you ever wonder if God wants all people to have a chance to know who He is- no matter their response- look at Judas. Three years and every day Jesus knowing who he was- yet he never made Judas feel unloved or unwanted. He was there for every moment, miracle, and ministry- yet he chose to betray Jesus.

Salvation is not up to you being perfect- it is the responsibility of the person to respond to what God shows them. Our responsibility is obedience.

So Judas leaves and the Eleven remain.

Matthew 1. Passion and Crucifixion (26:1–27:66)

Although Matthew does not explicitly mention his departure, Judas obviously had to leave at some point in order to reappear with the crowds in v. 47. But he does so with full knowledge that Jesus knows what he is plotting. He proceeds anyway.

And Jesus once again does something new- He takes the familiar and remakes it in His image. (verses 26-29)

Bread and wine are central to the Passover. They have eaten this meal so many times the ritual is most likely engrained in their memories.

Yet this time, the ritual is interrupted by the Savior.

Bread becomes not a reminder of bondage but a harbinger of freedom- the broken Body of Jesus

Matthew 1. Passion and Crucifixion (26:1–27:66)

Jesus now invests the bread with new meaning. It foreshadows his body figuratively broken and literally killed in his upcoming death.

Matthew 1. Passion and Crucifixion (26:1–27:66)

in Aramaic these sentences would have been spoken without a linking verb (“is”), as simply, this, my body and this, my blood. As frequently elsewhere, Jesus is creating a vivid object lesson. The bread symbolizes (represents, stands for, or points to) his crucifixion in some otherwise unspecified sense.

Wine becomes not a reminder of salvation future, but a present day moment when the whole course of humanity’s relationship with God will be altered.

Matthew 1. Passion and Crucifixion (26:1–27:66)

again Jesus adds new meaning. As they all drink (the “all” refers to all the disciples, not to all of the wine!), he proclaims that the cup stands for his blood about to be shed in his death on the cross. The “blood of the covenant” harks back to

Matthew 1. Passion and Crucifixion (26:1–27:66)

This is the third of four cups of wine drunk at various stages throughout the evening festivities. It was probably a common cup passed around for all to drink. “Offered” is the same verb as “gave” in v. 27 and does not imply that drinking was optional. Each of the four cups was linked to one line of Exod 6:6–7a. This one tied in with God’s promise, “I will redeem you,”

When we take Communion at our Good Friday service- these are the things we have in mind. Jesus death becomes the fulfillment of what Passover only symbolized.

Matthew 1. Passion and Crucifixion (26:1–27:66)

The covenant language implies the creation of a community, now to be constituted of those who in their eating and drinking identify with the benefits of Jesus’ sacrificial death. This “true Israel” stands over against the natural Israel of the old covenant

Death literally no longer has a hold on those who follow Jesus.

But there is one final moment here after they leave the upper room.

Peter. (verses 30-35)

Jesus tells the disciples they are all going to leave Him. And Peter, big, loud mouthed Peter, once again tells Jesus He does not know what He is talking about.

Church can I tell you something. We look at Peter in these moments like he is foolish- but we do the same thing.

Jesus gives us clear instructions in His word and we debate Him.

He lays out consequences for disobedience and we act surprised when they occur.

He gives us the way to the best life and we go wandering off on our own.

We are all like Peter- the only difference is we can see his foolishness from this side of the cross because it is history. Our story is still being told.

And can I tell you this- it was not too late for Peter. And it is not too late for you.

Yes Peter would deny Jesus. And run away. And hide. And weep. And be ashamed. and afraid.

But Jesus redeemed Him.

And He can redeem you too.

Matthew 1. Passion and Crucifixion (26:1–27:66)

Peter’s impulsive denial of Jesus is obviously not as treacherous as Judas’s premeditated betrayal, but Jesus has already said that any who disown him “before men” he will disown before his Heavenly Father (10:33). So the difference between Peter and Judas lies primarily in their subsequent behavior. One may either deny or betray Christ and be forgiven if one genuinely repents

In fact, your moment of greatest failure can become the start of the comeback.

Jesus knew Peter. He knows you. He chose you in spite of your failures. And He will keep choosing you.

He only asks that you repent and believe.