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Matthew 26 · Berean Standard Bible

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¹When Jesus had finished saying all these things, He told His disciples, ²“You know that the Passover is two days away, and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.” ³At that time the chief priests and elders of the people assembled in the courtyard of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, ⁴and they conspired to arrest Jesus covertly and kill Him. ⁵“But not during the feast,” they said, “or there may be a riot among the people.” ⁶While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of Simon the Leper, ⁷a woman came to Him with an alabaster jar of expensive perfume, which she poured on His head as He reclined at the table. ⁸When the disciples saw this, they were indignant and asked, “Why this waste? ⁹This perfume could have been sold at a high price, and the money given to the poor.” ¹⁰Aware of this, Jesus asked, “Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful deed to Me. ¹¹The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have Me. ¹²By pouring this perfume on Me, she has prepared My body for burial. ¹³Truly I tell you, wherever this gospel is preached in all the world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.” ¹⁴Then one of the Twelve, the one called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests ¹⁵and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I hand Him over to you?” And they set out for him thirty pieces of silver. ¹⁶So from then on Judas looked for an opportunity to betray Jesus. ¹⁷On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?” ¹⁸He answered, “Go into the city to a certain man and tell him that the Teacher says, ‘My time is near. I will keep the Passover with My disciples at your house.’ ” ¹⁹So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover. ²⁰When evening came, Jesus was reclining with the twelve disciples. ²¹And while they were eating, He said to them, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray Me.” ²²They were deeply grieved and began to ask Him one after another, “Surely not I, Lord?” ²³Jesus answered, “The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with Me will betray Me. ²⁴The Son of Man will go just as it is written about Him, but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed. It would be better for him if he had not been born.” ²⁵Then Judas, who would betray Him, said, “Surely not I, Rabbi?” Jesus answered, “You have said it yourself.” ²⁶While they were eating, Jesus took bread, spoke a blessing and broke it, and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is My body.” ²⁷Then He took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. ²⁸This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. ²⁹I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in My Father’s kingdom.” ³⁰And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. ³¹Then Jesus said to them, “This very night you will all fall away on account of Me. For it is written: ‘I will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ ³²But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.” ³³Peter said to Him, “Even if all fall away on account of You, I never will.” ³⁴“Truly I tell you,” Jesus declared, “this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” ³⁵Peter replied, “Even if I have to die with You, I will never deny You.” And all the other disciples said the same thing. ³⁶At that time Jesus went with His disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and He told them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” ³⁷He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee and began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed. ³⁸Then He said to them, “My soul is consumed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with Me.” ³⁹Going a little farther, He fell facedown and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me. Yet not as I will, but as You will.” ⁴⁰Then Jesus returned to the disciples and found them sleeping. “Were you not able to keep watch with Me for one hour?” He asked Peter. ⁴¹“Watch and pray so that you will not enter into temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak.” ⁴²A second time He went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cup cannot pass unless I drink it, may Your will be done.” ⁴³And again Jesus returned and found them sleeping—for their eyes were heavy. ⁴⁴So He left them and went away once more and prayed a third time, saying the same thing. ⁴⁵Then He returned to the disciples and said, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour is near, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. ⁴⁶Rise, let us go! See, My betrayer is approaching!” ⁴⁷While Jesus was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived, accompanied by a large crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests and elders of the people. ⁴⁸Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: “The One I kiss is the man; arrest Him.” ⁴⁹Going directly to Jesus, he said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed Him. ⁵⁰“Friend,” Jesus replied, “do what you came for.” Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus, and arrested Him. ⁵¹At this, one of Jesus’ companions drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear. ⁵²“Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him. “For all who draw the sword will die by the sword. ⁵³Are you not aware that I can call on My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels? ⁵⁴But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen this way?” ⁵⁵At that time Jesus said to the crowd, “Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest Me as you would an outlaw? Every day I sat teaching in the temple courts, and you did not arrest Me. ⁵⁶But this has all happened so that the writings of the prophets would be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples deserted Him and fled. ⁵⁷Those who had arrested Jesus led Him away to the house of Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and elders had gathered. ⁵⁸But Peter followed Him at a distance, right up to the courtyard of the high priest. And he went in and sat down with the guards to see the outcome. ⁵⁹Now the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were seeking false testimony against Jesus in order to put Him to death. ⁶⁰But they did not find any, though many false witnesses came forward. Finally two came forward ⁶¹and declared, “This man said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’ ” ⁶²So the high priest stood up and asked Him, “Have You no answer? What are these men testifying against You?” ⁶³But Jesus remained silent. Then the high priest said to Him, “I charge You under oath by the living God: Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God.” ⁶⁴“You have said it yourself,” Jesus answered. “But I say to all of you, from now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.” ⁶⁵At this, the high priest tore his clothes and declared, “He has blasphemed! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy. ⁶⁶What do you think?” “He deserves to die,” they answered. ⁶⁷Then they spit in His face and struck Him. Others slapped Him ⁶⁸and said, “Prophesy to us, Christ! Who hit You?” ⁶⁹Meanwhile, Peter was sitting out in the courtyard, and a servant girl came up to him. “You also were with Jesus the Galilean,” she said. ⁷⁰But he denied it before them all: “I do not know what you are talking about.” ⁷¹When Peter had gone out to the gateway, another servant girl saw him and said to the people there, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.” ⁷²And again he denied it with an oath: “I do not know the man!” ⁷³After a little while, those standing nearby came up to Peter. “Surely you are one of them,” they said, “for your accent gives you away.” ⁷⁴At that he began to curse and swear to them, “I do not know the man!” And immediately a rooster crowed. ⁷⁵Then Peter remembered the word that Jesus had spoken: “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.

Berean Standard Bible · public domain. More versions and languages in the Reading Plan.

Matthew

Matthew 26

The Betrayal, Covenant, and Agony of the Son of Man

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Objective

To reveal the unfolding of Jesus’ passion through betrayal, the institution of the new covenant in His body and blood, the foretelling of denial and desertion, and His sorrowful prayer in Gethsemane—exposing the depths of divine love and human frailty.

Overview

Matthew 26 draws the reader into the final hours before the crucifixion. Jesus, knowing the hour of His betrayal and death is near, prepares His disciples and Himself for the coming trial. The chapter opens with the plotting of the chief priests, the anointing by a devoted woman, and Judas’ treacherous agreement. Jesus institutes the Lord’s Supper, forewarns of betrayal and denial, and then moves to Gethsemane where He wrestles with overwhelming sorrow. The chapter closes with His arrest, the disciples’ flight, and Peter’s denial, marking the beginning of the Passion narrative’s climax.

Detailed Analysis

Event Description

As Jesus concludes His teaching, the religious leaders conspire to seize Him by craftiness, wary of unrest during the Passover feast. Meanwhile, in Bethany, a woman pours costly ointment on Jesus’ head, an act of extravagant devotion misunderstood by the disciples but affirmed by Jesus as preparation for His burial. Judas Iscariot begins his betrayal by agreeing to deliver Jesus for thirty pieces of silver.

Central Themes

Divine sovereignty amid human conspiracy

Extravagant worship as preparation for sacrifice

Betrayal’s inception and human treachery

Cultural & Historical Context

The Passover feast commemorates Israel’s deliverance, yet here it becomes the backdrop for the Son of Man’s impending sacrifice. The anointing with precious ointment, a costly and rare act, symbolizes honor and foreshadows burial customs. Judas’ bargain echoes Old Testament betrayals and the price of a slave, highlighting the gravity of his treason (Zechariah 11:12-13).

Key Verse

Matthew 26:12

Vivid Artistic Descriptions

The Plot Against Jesus and the Anointing at Bethany

A shadowed council chamber where stern faces plot in whispered tones, contrasted with a quiet, fragrant room in Bethany where a woman pours fragrant ointment over Jesus’ head, the oil glistening like tears of devotion, light catching the costly perfume as a symbol of impending sacrifice.

The Institution of the Lord’s Supper and the Foretelling of Betrayal

A dimly lit upper room with a wooden table set for Passover; Jesus breaking bread with hands marked by love and sorrow, the cup raised as a glowing vessel of covenant blood, while shadowy figures around the table reflect sorrow, suspicion, and impending betrayal.

The Prediction of Denial and the Scattering of the Disciples

A stormy night scene with a shepherd struck down, sheep scattering into darkness, while Peter’s face is illuminated by a faint cock’s crow in the distance, his expression torn between courage and fear, embodying the tension of faith and failure.

The Agony in Gethsemane and the Arrest of Jesus

An olive grove under a heavy moon, Jesus kneeling in anguished prayer, sweat like drops of blood, while sleeping disciples lie nearby. Suddenly, a crowd with torches and weapons breaks the silence, Judas’ kiss sealing the fate, the scene charged with betrayal and divine submission.

Peter’s Denial and the Beginning of Jesus’ Trials

A cold courtyard where Peter, cloaked in shadow, denies Jesus thrice amidst accusing eyes and murmurs. The cock crows above as dawn breaks, and Peter’s face crumbles into tears, while in the background, Jesus stands silent before a hostile council, calm yet condemned.

Song

Matthew 26 Song

Verse 1

In whispered plots beneath the veil, The priests conspire with hearts so pale, Yet in the quiet Bethany air, A woman’s love pours out with care.

Verse 2

The bread is broken, the cup is passed, A sacred sign that will outlast, The shadowed kiss, the traitor’s hand, The Son of Man will take His stand.

Verse 3

Peter’s voice in fear denies, Beneath the cock’s awakening cries, Yet tears fall deep, repentance flows, Grace waits where brokenness grows.

Chorus

O Lamb of God, betrayed and known, Your body broken, Your blood outpoured, The covenant sealed in sacrifice, Our hope restored, our souls redeemed.

Bridge

In Gethsemane’s darkened night, The soul is crushed, yet wills the right, Watch and pray, the spirit’s plea, Though flesh is weak, Your will shall be.

Final Chorus

O Lamb of God, betrayed and known, Your body broken, Your blood outpoured, The covenant sealed in sacrifice, Our hope restored, our souls redeemed.

Practical Application

Personal Life

Embrace Jesus’ invitation to covenant through His body and blood, recognizing the depth of His sacrifice for your sins.

Reflect honestly on moments of weakness and betrayal in your own life, seeking repentance and restoration.

Cultivate watchfulness and prayer, especially in times of spiritual trial, following Jesus’ example in Gethsemane.

Community & Society

Foster forgiveness and understanding within the community, acknowledging human frailty and the need for grace.

Encourage sincere worship that honors Christ’s sacrifice, avoiding superficial or wasteful expressions.

Stand against betrayal and injustice, advocating for truth even when it is costly.

Global Perspective

Proclaim the gospel of the new covenant boldly, sharing the story of Christ’s passion and victory worldwide.

Support efforts to protect the vulnerable, remembering Jesus’ identification with the oppressed and betrayed.

Pray for the global church to remain faithful amid persecution and trials, inspired by the disciples’ journey.

Conclusion

Matthew 26 unveils the profound tension of divine love meeting human betrayal. Jesus, fully aware of the suffering to come, institutes a new covenant sealed in His body and blood, offering hope beyond despair. The disciples’ failures and Jesus’ submission in Gethsemane reveal the cost of redemption and the call to faithfulness amid weakness. This chapter beckons believers to enter deeply into the mystery of the Passion, embracing both grace and responsibility as followers of the crucified and risen Lord.