Bible Commentaries

Christ predicts his being betrayed and crucified, Matthew 26:1, Matthew 26:2. The chief priests, scribes, and elders consult about his death, Matthew 26:3-5. A woman anoints his head at Bethany, at which the disciples are offended, but Christ vindicates her conduct, Matthew 26:6-13. Judas, for thirty pieces of silver, engages with the chief priests to betray him, Matthew 26:14-16. He eats a passover with his disciples, and assures them of his approaching death, and that one of them would betray him, Matthew 26:17-21. On each asking, Is it I? Christ asserts that Judas is the traitor, Matthew 26:22-25. Having eaten his last supper, he institutes the eucharist, to be observed in his Church as a memorial of his sacrificial death, Matthew 26:26-29. They sing a hymn, go to the mount of Olives, and he again announces his approaching death and resurrection, Matthew 26:30-32. Peter asserts his resolution to be faithful to his Master, and Christ foretells his denial and apostasy, Matthew 26:33-35. He goes to Gethsemane; the transactions there, Matthew 26:36-46. Judas comes with the high priest's mob and betrays him with a kiss, Matthew 26:47-50. Peter cuts off the ear of the high priest's servant; Christ discourses with the multitude, Matthew 26:51-55. The disciples flee, and he is led to Caiaphas, Matthew 26:56, Matthew 26:57. Peter follows at a distance, Matthew 26:58. They seek false witnesses, and question our Lord, who declares himself to be the Christ, Matthew 26:59-64. They accuse him of blasphemy, and abuse him, Matthew 26:65-68. Peter's denial and repentance, Matthew 26:69-75.

When Jesus had finished all these sayings - He began these sayings on Mount Olivet, Matthew 24:1, and continued them till be entered into Bethany, whither he was going.

The passover - A feast instituted in Egypt, to commemorate the destroying angel's passing over the houses of the Israelites, when he slew the firstborn of the Egyptians. See the whole of this business largely explained in the Notes on Exodus 12:1-27 (note). This feast began on the fourteenth day of the first moon, in the first month, Nisan, and it lasted only one day; but it was immediately followed by the days of unleavened bread, which were seven, so that the whole lasted eight days, and all the eight days are sometimes called the feast of the passover, and sometimes the feast or days of unleavened bread. See Luke 22:1-7. The three most signal benefits vouchsafed to the Israelites were,

1. The deliverance from the slavery of Egypt; to commemorate which they kept the feast of unleavened bread, and the passover.

2. The giving of the law; to commemorate which, they kept the feast of weeks.

3. Their sojourning in the wilderness, and entrance into the promised land; to commemorate which, they kept the feast of tabernacles.

See these largely explained, Exodus 23:14 (note); Leviticus 23:2-40 (note).

The Son of man is betrayed, (rather delivered up), to be crucified - With what amazing calmness and precision does our blessed Lord speak of this awful event! What a proof does he here give of his prescience in so correctly predicting it; and of his love in so cheerfully undergoing it! Having instructed his disciples and the Jews by his discourses, edified them by his example, convinced them by his miracles, he now prepares to redeem them by his blood! These two verses have no proper connection with this chapter, and should be joined to the preceding.

Then assembled together the chief priests - That is, during the two days that preceded the passover.

The high priest, who was called Caiaphas - Caiaphas succeeded Simon, son of Camith, about a.d. 16, or, as Calmet thinks, 25. He married the daughter of Annas, who was joined with him in the priesthood. About two years after our Lord's crucifixion, Caiaphas and Pilate were both deposed by Vitellius, then governor of Syria, and afterwards emperor. Caiaphas, unable to bear this disgrace, and the stings of his conscience for the murder of Christ, killed himself about a.d. 35. See Joseph. Ant. b. xviii. c. 2-4.

And consulted that they might take Jesus by subtilty - The providence of God frustrated their artful machinations; and that event which they wished to conduct with the greatest privacy and silence was transacted with all possible celebrity, amidst the thousands who resorted to Jerusalem, at this season, for the keeping of the passover. It was, doubtless, of the very first importance that the crucifixion of Christ, which was preparatory to the most essential achievement of Christianity, viz. his resurrection from the grave, should be exhibited before many witnesses, and in the most open manner, that infidelity might not attempt, in future, to invalidate the evidences of the Christian religion, by alleging that these things were done in a corner. See Wakefield in loco.

Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar - It was usual for the Jews to punish criminals at the public festivals; but in this case they were afraid of an insurrection, as our Lord had become very popular. The providence of God directed it thus, for the reason given in the preceding note.

He who observes a festival on motives purely human violates it in his heart, and is a hypocrite before God. It is likely they feared the Galileans, as being the countrymen of our Lord, more than they feared the people of Jerusalem.

In Bethany - For a solution of the difficulties in this verse, about the time of the anointing, see the observations at the end of this chapter.

Simon the Leper - This was probably no more than a surname, as Simon the Canaanite, Matthew 10:4, and Barsabas Justus, Acts 1:23, and several others. Yet it might have been some person that Christ had healed of this disease. See Matthew 11:5.

There came unto him a woman - There is much contention among commentators about the transaction mentioned here, and in John 12:3; some supposing them to be different, others to be the same. Bishop Newcome's view of the subject I have placed at the end of the chapter.

Some think that the woman mentioned here was Mary, the sister of Lazarus; others Mary Magdalene; but against the former opinion it is argued that it is not likely, had this been Mary the sister of Lazarus, that Matthew and Mark would have suppressed her name. Besides, say they, we should not confound the repast which is mentioned here, with that mentioned by John, John 12:3. This one was made only two days before the passover, and that one six days before: the one was made at the house of Simon the leper, the other at the house of Lazarus, John 12:1, John 12:2. At this, the woman poured the oil on the head of Christ; at the other, Mary anointed Christ's feet with it. See on Mark 14:3 (note), and see the notes at the end of this chapter, (Bishop Newcome's Account of the Anointing).