◄ Matthew 26 Devotional Commentary ►
Matthew 26:4
Jesus gave His disciples an in-depth teaching session on the Mount of Olives, two days before He was crucified. The men were curious to know about the end of the age, when Christ would bring in the promised time of peace and prosperity and set up His Messianic kingdom. No doubt, they were all anticipating places of honour in the coming kingdom, but Jesus needed to prepare them for events in the near future, as well as giving signs to read more...
Matthew 26:28
Christ's life and ministry had been journeying towards the appointed time when He would become Israel's final Passover sacrifice. Every year since their escape from Egypt, Jews and Jewish proselytes celebrated the Passover, which looked back to their salvation from Egyptian slavery and forward to the promised Messiah Whom John the Baptist identified as Jesus, the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world.
Passover took place read more...
Matthew 26:40
Jesus ate His final Passover meal with His disciples, and they sang a hymn together on the night that He was betrayed. He told them that His body was broken for them and that His shed blood inaugurated the New Covenant, for the forgiveness of sin. He predicted that Peter would deny Him before the cock crowed the next morning, and together they walked to the garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus prayed in great agony of soul.
Was it read more...
Matthew 26:41
The accelerating events leading up to Christ's sacrifice on the Cross, are witnessed in these final chapters of Matthew's gospel as multiple prophecies of His passion spill onto the pages of holy writ.
Mary of Bethany had anointed Jesus with precious perfume from her alabaster box, in readiness for His fast approaching crucifixion. Judas had left to betray his Master, and Jesus had instituted the Lord Supper, following that final read more...
Matthew 26:59
There were many reasons that Christ's trial was illegal. Not only were the charges against Jesus false and the Mosaic law broken repeatedly, the hearing that took place before the high priest, and members of the Sanhedrin, was riddled with inconsistencies and illegalities. The trial of Jesus was a travesty of justice.
Indeed, the innocence of Christ and the way He conducted Himself in spirit and in truth, stood in stark read more...