The Arrest of Jesus

BIBLE STUDY- 04/01/2022 THE ARREST OF JESUS Read Matthew 26- Verses 1-5 The Plot Against Jesus The Sanhedrin- 71 members. The purpose was to act as a court of Justice in making decisions regarding the law. The Elders- Judges in civil matters. Chief Priests- High ranking members of the Sanhedrin. The High Priest- The president of the body. Caiphas at this time. The chief priest gathered with the elders in the palace of the High Priest, Caiphas. They were planning on how to arrest Jesus and secretly kill him but they did not want to do it during the Passover festival. ○ Why did they not want to do it during the festival? Because of the holiness of the day? Because it was a sacred holiday? -No it was because they did not want to cause a riot. ○ These are the religious leaders of Jerusalem who are supposed to show by example how important loving God is. Yet they are more concerned about their own personal agendas. ○ They did not want to cause a riot because then the Romans may get involved and could lead to the banishment of the Sanhedrin. This was a difficult task to accomplish ○ When Jesus was in public, he had followers and listeners at all times. Trying to arrest him in public would no doubt lead to a riot. ○ When Jesus was not in public, he was in a private place where the religious leaders could not find him. VERSES 14-16 - Judas agrees to betray Jesus ● Judas, on his own, went to seek the sanhedrin council members. ○ This enhances the betrayal. He was merely looking for profit, at the expense of a life, his friends life no less. ○ As a follower of Christ, one would imagine that an impulse to betray innocent blood would not exist but this shows that it is very much there. And this exemplifies how even so-called Christians can do horrible things. ○ Only someone close to Christ was going to be able to tell the Priest where Jesus was during his private time. Otherwise the leaders would have continued to struggle to find a way to arrest or kill Jesus. ○ This situation paints a clearer picture describing Judas' greed. ● Jesus treated him the same as all the other disciples. He never received hatred from him. There is no indication that Judas did not believe in Jesus nor that the gospel was false. It was purely the love of money that compelled Judas to betray his master. VERSES 36-46 - Gethsemane This is where Jesus agony began ○ He knew what was to occur, he spoke on it several times. But he put himself in this position, in this place because this was voluntary. It is important to note that Jesus' life was not taken by force, but he laid it down. 2 The Good Shepherd and His Sheep John 10:18 NIV No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father. This was emotional agony which was to be followed by physical agony. ○ He knew what was to come: ● The betrayal of his friend/student Judas, the unkindness of Peter, the malice of the Jews and of course all the physical pain that was to come as well. ● He knew he would have to carry all of humanity's sins on the cross as well which added to the burden. All the disciples, minus Judas, accompanied Jesus at the garden. ● When Jesus tells the disciples that his soul is overwhelmed with sorrow (a feeling of deep distress), it proves that Jesus had a true human soul for which he suffered. Not only did he physically suffer, but in his soul as well. And he described it as exceedingly painful. ○ It was sorrow in the highest degree, to the point of death, to where no mortal man could bear and live. ○ It was prophesied that Jesus was to be the man of suffering (Isaiah 53:3) Isaiah 53:3 NIV He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. When Jesus asked them to keep watch with him, it teaches us the benefit of having other followers of Christ to be nearby for assistance. For any time we are in agony, two are better than one. It is better not to be alone but to be surrounded by those who are in Christ as well. (Ecclesiastes 4:9) 3