Jesus's Arrest and Peter's Denial of Him

Continuing a Bible study of the Gospels:

(John 18:1) When Jesus had spoken these words, He went forth with His disciples over the Brook Kidron where was a garden which He and His disciples entered.

In the last chapter, Jesus had prayed a beautiful and sublime prayer.  After that, He and His disciples crossed over the Brook Kidron which was a small stream that flowed to the east of Jerusalem and divided the city from the Mount of Olives.  They went into a garden which was called Gethsemane according to Matthew 26:36.

(2) And Judas also, who betrayed Him, knew the place, for Jesus often met there with His disciples.

Judas Iscariot who betrayed Jesus also knew about the garden as Jesus often met with His disciples there.  Jesus was not trying to hide from His fate.  He went straight into the lion's den, so to speak, knowing that Judas would come there.

(3) Judas then, having received a band of men and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, came there with lanterns and torches and weapons.

Indeed, Judas came there with a band of men and officers that had been given to him by the chief priests and Pharisees.  The men came carrying lanterns, torches, and weapons.  The lanterns and torches were probably to search Jesus out as if He would be hiding in the place He knew that Judas knew.  And as if they would need an army and weapons to take Jesus!

(4) Jesus therefore, knowing all things that would come upon Him, went forth and said to them, "Whom are you seeking?"

Jesus, knowing everything that was about to happen to Him, went straight to His captors and asked whom they were seeking.

(5) They answered Him, "Jesus of Nazareth." Jesus said to them, "I AM." And Judas also, who betrayed Him, stood with them. (6) As soon then as He had said to them, "I AM," they went backward and fell to the ground.

They answered that they were looking for Jesus of Nazareth and Judas stood with them.  Practically all of the Bible translations read that Jesus said, "I am He," but they indicate that they added "He" for better understanding.  Jesus did not say, "I am He."  He simply said, "I AM," and that is what made the men fall backward to the ground.  The power of that name and Jesus's very own infinite power knocked His captors down, proving that they could not take Him by their power, but that Jesus willingly let them take Him.  It's amazing that after being knocked down by sheer words, that some of the band didn't retreat.

(7) Then He asked them again, "Whom do you seek?" And they said, "Jesus of Nazareth." (8) Jesus answered, "I have told you I AM. Therefore if you seek Me, let these go their way."

Jesus asked them again whom they were seeking.  When they said again, "Jesus of Nazareth," Jesus answered that He had told them already that was Him, so if they were seeking Him, He asked that they let His disciples go.  There were probably only Peter, James, and John with Him according to Matthew 26:37.

(9) That the saying might be fulfilled which He spoke, "Of them whom You gave Me, I have lost none."

Jesus asked that His disciples go free which fulfilled what He had said in His prayer in chapter 17, that He had lost none of the ones His Father had given Him.  He protected them to His very end.

(10) Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant and cut off his right ear. The servant's name was Malchus.

At this point, Peter drew his sword and struck the high priest's servant, Malchus, and cut off his right ear.  

(11) Then Jesus said to Peter, "Put your sword into the sheath; the cup which My Father has given Me, shall I not drink it?"

Jesus told Peter to put his sword back into its sheath, and He asked him if He shouldn't do what His Father had willed be done.  Luke 22:51 told us that Jesus then healed the man's ear.

(12) Then the band and the captain and officers of the Jews took Jesus and bound Him, (13) And led Him away to Annas first, for he was father-in-law to Caiaphas who was the high priest that same year.

The band of soldiers and their captain and officers then took Jesus and bound Him and led Him away to Annas, who according to Luke 3:2 was himself a high priest, but at this point is mentioned as Caiaphas's father-in-law, Caiaphas being the high priest that year.

(14) Now Caiaphas was he who gave counsel to the Jews that it was expedient that one man should die for the people.

Caiaphas was the one in John 11:50 who gave counsel to the chief priests and Pharisees that it was expedient that one man should die for the people that the whole nation not perish.  He had spoken more Godly truth than he realized, as it was indeed expedient for Christ alone to die for the salvation of the world.

(15) And Simon Peter followed Jesus and another disciple; that disciple was known to the high priest and went in with Jesus into the palace of the high priest.

Peter followed Jesus and another disciple who was also following Jesus.  Many commentators have assumed that the other disciple was the gospel author himself, John, as John often spoke of himself in the third person, only he most often referred to himself as the disciple whom Jesus loved.  Nonnus, a 5th century Greek poet who wrote a paraphrase of the Gospel of John, said that John was known to the high priest because he carried fish to his house and sold it to him.  However, others say it is not likely that the seller of fish would have any sort of close relationship with the high priest.  They assume it was another disciple, apart from the twelve, who was better known by the high priest than any of the twelve.  That disciple went in with Jesus into the palace of the high priest.  The high priest that year was Caiaphas, so although the soldiers had taken Jesus to Annas first, he had evidently sent Him immediately to Caiaphas.  Both disciples continued to follow Jesus there.

(16) But Peter stood at the door outside. Then that other disciple who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to her who kept the door and brought in Peter.

Peter did not enter the palace when Jesus and the other disciple did; he stood outside the door.  However, the other disciple went and spoke to the doorkeeper who let the disciple bring Peter inside.

(17) Then said the damsel who kept the door to Peter, "Are you not also one of this man's disciples?" He said, "I am not."

The girl who was the doorkeeper asked Peter if he was one of Jesus's disciples.  He denied it.  By this, it seems unlikely that the other disciple was John, as she would have surely also recognized him as one of Jesus's disciples, too.

(18) And the servants and officers stood there, who had made a fire of coals for it was cold, and they warmed themselves, and Peter stood with them and warmed himself.

The servants and the officers stood in that area of the palace.  They made a fire because it was cold, and they stood by the fire warming themselves.  Peter stood with them, also warming himself.

(19) The high priest then asked Jesus about His disciples and His doctrine.

The high priest Caiaphas asked Jesus about His disciples and His doctrine.  The council wanted to prove sedition or rebellion against Caesar, so I'm sure they wanted to show that He had many disciples forming a dangerous faction.  He wanted to know about Jesus's teaching, as well.

(20) Jesus answered him, "I spoke openly to the world; I always taught in the synagogue and in the temple where the Jews always meet, and in secret, I have said nothing."

Jesus told Caiaphas that He had always spoken openly to the world.  He was constantly in the synagogues and in the temple at Jerusalem speaking openly to the Jews that always met there.  He had no secret agenda; what Caiaphas and his council had heard of what Jesus said, was all there was.  If He had been guilty of sedition, He would have preferred meeting in secret, planning an overthrow of the government, so as He most often spoke publicly with great crowds, they could see and hear that He was not planning a secret takeover.

(21) "Why do you ask Me? Ask them who heard Me what I have said to them; behold, they know what I said."

Jesus asked Caiaphas why he asked Him.  He would not have believed what Jesus said anyway.  He should ask the people who had heard Him, which were certainly at least some of them who stood there with Him.  Jesus had nothing to hide; He urged Caiaphas to ask them what He had said.

(22) And when He had thus spoken, one of the officers who stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, "Do You answer the high priest so?"

After Jesus had asked why Caiaphas asked Him, one of the officers who stood by them, slapped Jesus with the palm of his hand and rebuked Him for speaking to the high priest in that manner.

(23) Jesus answered him, "If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil, but if well, why do you strike Me?"

Jesus answered that if He had spoken anything evil or falsely, the officer should point that out and let Him receive fair punishment, but if He had said nothing untoward, then he had no reason to strike Him.  

(24) Now Annas had sent Him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.

This is where John explains that Annas had sent Jesus on to Caiaphas, and that was why He was now before him.

(25) And Simon Peter stood and warmed himself. They said therefore to him, "Aren't you also one of His disciples?" He denied it, and said, "I am not."

So there in the palace of the high priest Caiaphas, Peter stood and warmed himself by the fire among the servants and the officers.  They suspected that he was one of Jesus's disciples, but Peter denied it a second time.

(26) One of the servants of the high priest, being his kinsman whose ear Peter cut off, said, "Did I not see you in the garden with Him?"

However, one of the high priest's servants, who had apparently been with the band of soldiers who came and took Jesus from the garden and had seen him cut the ear off the soldier who was a kinsman of his, asked if it was true that he had seen him in the garden with Jesus.

(27) Peter then denied again, and immediately the cock crowed.

Peter again denied that he had been with Jesus.  The account in Matthew said that he even cursed and swore.  Immediately after he said it, the rooster crowed.  It was just as Jesus had said, that Peter would deny Him three times before the rooster crowed in the morning.  That account in Matthew said that Peter then remembered the words of Jesus and went out and wept bitterly.

(28) Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas to the hall of judgment, and it was early; and they themselves did not go into the judgment hall, lest they should be defiled, but that they might eat the Passover.

The council of Jews and the soldiers then led Jesus away from Caiaphas to the hall of judgment, or the Praetorium, as it was called, where the Roman governor heard and tried cases.  It was very early in the morning.  The Jews would not enter the house of a Gentile or they would be considered unclean and unable to eat of the Passover, so they did not go in, only the Roman soldiers.

(29) Pilate then went out to them, and said, "What accusation do you bring against this Man?"

Pontius Pilate, who was the Roman governor at that time, therefore went out to talk to the Jews and asked them what it was that they had accused Jesus of doing.

(30) They answered and said to him, "If He were not a malefactor, we would not have delivered Him up to you."

The Jews told Pilate if Jesus had not been a criminal, they would not have brought Him to him.  I believe their point was that they had no need for Pilate to try Jesus as they had already found Him guilty.  They brought Jesus to the Roman governor because he was the only one who could order Jesus executed.

(31) Then Pilate said to them, "Take Him and judge Him according to your law." The Jews therefore said to him, "It is not lawful for us to put any man to death."

If they hadn't brought Jesus to him to be tried, then Pilate told them to take Jesus back and judge Him according to their law as they saw fit.  However, they told him that it was not legal for them to put anyone to death, which was what they desired for Jesus.

(32) That the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled, which He spoke, signifying what death He should die.

They had to have Jesus condemned to death by the Roman governor.  That would fulfill Jesus's prophetic words that He would be crucified (Matthew 20:19), as only the Roman government crucified men.

(33) Then Pilate entered into the judgment hall again and called Jesus, and said to Him, "Are You the king of the Jews?"

So Pilate went back into the judgment hall where Jesus was being held, and he asked Him if He was indeed king of the Jews.  According to the account in Luke, the Jews had accused Jesus to Pilate of being a rebel and forbidding the people to pay tribute to Caesar, which was of course, a lie.  They told him that Jesus had said He was the king of the Jews.

(34) Jesus answered him, "Do you say this thing of yourself or did others tell you this of Me?"

Jesus replied, asking Pilate if that was a question he wanted an answer to himself, or had he asked it only because others had said that about Jesus.  I believe His point was, had Pilate seen anything in Jesus to make him suspicious that the things the Jews had said about Him were true with respect to Him being a seditious rebel trying to overthrow the Roman government.

(35) Pilate asked, "Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered You to me. What have You done?"

Pilate asked Jesus if Pilate himself was a Jew, meaning to ask why he would have cause to suggest that Jesus was king of the Jews.  He told Him that His own Jewish nation and the chief priests had been the ones to deliver Jesus to him, so he wondered what Jesus had done to make them do that.

(36) Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would fight that I should not be delivered to the Jews, but now My kingdom is not from here."

Jesus did not deny that He was the king of the Jews, but told Pilate that His kingdom was not a worldly one.  If His kingdom was of the world, then His servants would have risen up to save Him from being delivered to the Jews.  Actually, Jesus Himself could have prevented His being delivered to them.  However, His kingdom was not of the world.  It was a spiritual one, and He was choosing to be delivered up in order to save His people from the world.

(37) Pilate therefore said to Him, "Are You a king then?" Jesus answered, "You say that I am a king. To this end I was born and for this cause I came into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice."

Since Jesus had said He had a kingdom, Pilate surmised He must be a king then.  Jesus answered that he had said rightly that He was indeed a king.  His purpose for being born into this world was to bear witness to the truth of God.  He added that everyone who was of the truth could hear and receive Him and His words.

(38) Pilate said to Him, "What is truth?" And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews and said to them, "I find in Him no fault."

Pilate asked Jesus what he must have considered a rhetorical question, as he didn't wait for an answer, "What is truth?"  I believe he must have felt that it was not worth giving His life for, and he went out to the Jews and told them he had found no fault in Him.  He found Jesus to be an innocent man.

(39) "But you have a custom that I should release to you one at the Passover. Do you therefore want me to release to you the king of the Jews?"

Pilate had found no fault in Jesus, and besides, the Jews had a custom that Pilate should release one prisoner at Passover, so he assumed they would want him to release Jesus.

(40) Then they all cried again, saying, "Not this Man, but Barabbas!" Now Barabbas was a robber.

The fact that the people cried out again must mean that this was not the first time he had asked the people what they would have him do with Jesus.  The account in Mark does include more back and forth dialogue between Pilate and the people.  John, as was his custom, greatly abbreviated the events that had already been covered by the other Gospel authors.  The people cried out for Barabbas to be released to them, a robber and also a murderer according to the other Gospel accounts.  This part of the story always gets to me.  How could people who had such a short time ago lauded Jesus with praise and honor as He came into Jerusalem on the donkey, now be so anxious to have Him crucified?  The account in Mark said that the chief priests had incited the people to call for His crucifixion.

John the Baptist Preaches and Baptizes Jesus

Continuing a Bible study of the Gospels:

(Luke 3:1) Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate became governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, (2) Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.

As Luke sought to write a truly chronological record of Jesus, some time had passed from the end of chapter 2 that found Jesus as a twelve-year-old boy and the beginning of chapter 3.  He went to great lengths to record the leaders of the day.  It was in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, emperor of Rome, and the third of the Caesars, Julius being the first, then Augustus who was Caesar when Jesus was born, and Tiberius was the third, at this time having been ruler for fifteen years.  It was at that time that Pontius Pilate became governor of Judea.  Herod Antipas, the son of Herod the great, was tetrarch or district ruler of Galilee, and his brother Philip was tetrarch of Iturea and Trachonitis, two provinces of Syria, bordering Judea.  Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene, another province of Syria.  Annas and Caiaphas, Annas's son-in-law, were high priests.  It was at that time that the word of God came to John, the son of Zacharias, in the wilderness.

(3) And he came into all the country around Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins,

That word of God that came to John obviously filled him with the Holy Spirit and directed him to start his ministry.  He came out of the wilderness into the parts of the country that bordered the Jordan River and began preaching about repentance and baptism for the remission of sins.

(4) As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying, "The voice of one crying in the wilderness, 'Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight.'"

John's coming out of the wilderness to preach was prophesied in Isaiah 40:3, "The voice of him crying in the wilderness, 'Prepare the way of the Lord; Make straight in the desert a highway for our God.'"  John was to be about the business of preparing the way for Jesus, preparing hearts to receive Him when He appeared on the scene.

(5) "'Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight and the rough ways made smooth. (6) And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.'"

Luke continued quoting Isaiah 40:4-5, "Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low; and the crooked shall be made straight and the rough places smooth; And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see together.'"  In making straight the way of the Lord, every hindrance would be removed, and all people would be able to see the glory of the Lord and His salvation revealed in the form of Jesus Christ on earth.

(7) Then he said to the multitude that came forth to be baptized by him, "O generation of vipers, who has warned you to flee from the wrath to come?"

A multitude of people came out to see John and to be baptized by him.  According to the account in Matthew it was when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees among the people that he spoke to them, calling them a generation of vipers poisoning the people against God and against one another.  However, this could be the message to all who came to him, as all people are poisonous and poisoned by sin.  By the fact that they came out to him to be baptized was evidence that they had heeded his warning to repent and be baptized and be saved from the wrath to come.

(8) "Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say within yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father,' for I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones."

Fruits worthy of repentance would be those that showed a true and genuine desire to repent of sins before God.  The opposite of that would be a pride in that they descended from Abraham as if that alone was enough to save them.  John told them not to rely on that, as it was nothing special as the Lord could raise up stones as children of Abraham.

(9) "And now also the axe is laid to the root of the trees; every tree therefore which does not bring forth good fruit is cut down and cast into the fire."

Like when an axe is brought to the root of a tree to begin chopping, so had the time come for repentance; now that the kingdom of heaven was at hand and the gospel was being preached, it was more urgent than ever that sinners come to repentance.  Otherwise, those with no good fruits of true and genuine repentance would be cut down and cast into the fire as in hellfire.  

(10) And the people asked him, saying, "What shall we do then?"

More than just the fruits initially brought that showed a genuine desire to repent, there should be good fruits resulting from a changed heart, which is the meaning of a repentant heart.  The people should lead lives that showed their repentance was genuine.  These were probably the fruits the people were asking about when they asked what they should do to avoid being fruitless and worthy of nothing but being cast into the fire.

(11) He answered and said to them, "He who has two coats, let him impart to him who has none, and he who has food, let him do likewise."

John answered them by telling them to help others less fortunate than they were with all that was in their ability to do.  Basically, they were just to be kind and charitable with whatever they had.

(12) Then publicans also came to be baptized, and said to him, "Master, what shall we do?"

Tax collectors also came to John to be baptized, and they also asked him what they should do.

(13) And he said to them, "Exact no more than what is appointed you."

Note that John didn't tell them to quit their jobs.  As hated as they were, theirs was not a sinful or unlawful profession in and of itself.  However, it seems there were tax collectors who collected more than was required by law in order to pocket some extra for themselves.  John told them not to do that, but to do their work fairly and honestly.

(14) And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, "And what shall we do?" And he said to them, "Do violence to no man, nor accuse anyone falsely, and be content with your wages."

Again John's answer was basically to just do their jobs fairly and honestly, and not use their positions to do harm to anyone, either by violence or by false accusations, and to be content with their wages, not seeking to add to them through extortion or other evil means.

(15) And as the people were in expectation, and all men mused in their hearts about John, whether he was the Christ or not, (16) John answered, saying to all, "I indeed baptize you with water, but One mightier than I comes, the strap of whose shoes I am not worthy to loosen; He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire."

As the people were expecting their Messiah, men pondered in their hearts whether or not John was the expected Christ.  However, John told the people that while he baptized them with water, there was One coming mightier than he, dispelling their beliefs that he might be the Messiah.  This coming One was so great that John himself was not worthy to even loosen the straps of His sandals, intimating that He would be their long-awaited Messiah.  He added that the coming One would not baptize with mere water, but would baptize with the Holy Spirit to cleanse and purify the heart as with fire.  As water cleaned the outside, fire would purify the inside.

(17) "Whose fan is in His hand and He will thoroughly purge His floor, and will gather the wheat into His garner, but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire."

John went on to describe the coming One as having a winnowing fan, cleaning His threshing floor, as all the world was His, separating the wheat from the chaff.  The wheat He would gather to Himself, but the chaff would be burned with unquenchable fire.

(18) And many other things in his exhortations he preached to the people.

John preached many other things to the people regarding the Messiah and the good news and salvation He would bring.

(19) But Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by him for Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done, (20) Added also this, above all, that he shut up John in prison.

However, John was eventually imprisoned by Herod because he had reproved him for taking his own brother's wife, Herodias, as his own, not to mention all the other evil Herod had done.  Luke called it the most evil of all that Herod had shut John up in prison.

(21) Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, (22) And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, "You are My beloved Son, in You I am well pleased."

Obviously before John was imprisoned, when he had been preaching and baptizing all the people, Jesus came to him also to be baptized.  It seems that while Jesus was being baptized or very immediately afterward, He was praying, a fact not documented in the other accounts in Matthew and Mark, and the heavens opened up and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in the form of a dove.  A voice came from heaven saying that Jesus was His beloved Son in Whom He was well pleased.

(23) And Jesus Himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph who was the son of Eli,

The sense of the verse is that Jesus came to be, that is, He began His ministry, what He was sent to do, at about thirty years of age.  Dr. John Lightfoot, theologian and greatest Hebrew scholar in England in the 1600's, said that because of the way it was written in the Hebrew, that Jesus was a full twenty-nine years old, entering His thirtieth year.  His ministry was 3 1/2 years long, so He died at 32 1/2 years of age.  What was more amazing to me was the significance of 3 1/2 years that Dr. Lightfoot showed to be symbolic in the Bible.  The heavens were said to be shut up for 3 1/2 years in Elijah's time (Luke 4:25, James 5:17).  Prophesies in Revelation 11:2-3 speak of 42 months, and 1260 days, both equaling 3 1/2 years.  The prophesies in Daniel 12:7 and Revelation 12:14 speak of time, times, and half a time, which is thought to be a year, two years, and half a year, or 3 1/2 years.  Jesus was thought by the people to be the son of Joseph, who is said here to be the son of Eli.  He was actually the son-in-law of Eli, as Mary was the daughter of Eli, and Joseph, the son of Jacob.  Thus begins the genealogy of Jesus through Mary's line.

(24) Who was of Matthat, who was of Levi, who was of Melchi, who was of Janna, who was of Joseph, 

The genealogy of Jesus continues with Eli being the son of Matthat, who was the son of Levi, who was the son of Melchi, who was the son of Janna, who was the son of Joseph.  I will end this post here, as Blogger only allows twenty tags per post, and I feel anyone in Jesus's genealogy is worth a tag, at the very least.  Luke 3 and the genealogy of Jesus will continue in the next post.

Betrayal and Arrest of Jesus and Peter's Three Denials of Him

Continuing a Bible study of the gospel accounts:

(Matthew 26:30) And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

In the last post, Jesus had just instituted Communion at the end of the Last Supper.  Jesus and His disciples sang a hymn at the end of the supper, and then went out to the Mount of Olives.

(31) Then Jesus said to them, "All of you shall be offended because of Me this night; for it is written, 'I will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad.'"

Jesus spoke to His disciples, telling them they would all be offended because of Him that night.  The original word translated as "offended" was "skandalizo."  The similarity to our word "scandalize" is obvious.  The dictionary definition of scandalize is to "shock or horrify by something considered immoral or improper."  Just imagine that all of Jesus's disciples who had been side by side with Him through all His teachings and miracles, and had come to know Him as the Messiah, would that night be scandalized by Him because He was considered immoral or improper!  Jesus then quoted the prophecy from Zechariah 13:7 that said that the Shepherd would be struck and all the sheep scattered.

(32) "But after I am risen again, I will go before you to Galilee."

However, Jesus told His disciples that after He had risen again, He would once again go before them, as a shepherd leading his sheep, into Galilee.  Although they would forsake Him, He would not forsake them, but would be back to lead them again.  It should give them comfort to know that though they would be scattered sheep, they would be gathered together again.

(33) Peter answered and said to Him, "Though all shall be offended because of You, I will never be offended."

Peter said to Jesus that even if all others would be offended by Him, he would never be offended by His Lord.  Peter surely truly believed that in his heart.  As we've seen before, Peter was often rash and spoke or acted without thinking first.  He knew he loved his Lord, but as he often did, he relied on his own strength, having no idea of the trials to come.  We never know how truly feeble we are and how much we need the Lord until we are tried.  It can be a blessing to be shown our weaknesses so that we learn dependence on the Lord.  

(34) Jesus said to him, "Verily I say to you, that this night before the cock crows, you will deny Me three times."

Jesus told Peter that on the contrary, he would deny Jesus three times that night before the rooster crowed in the morning.

(35) Peter said to Him, "Though I should die with you, yet I will not deny You." Likewise also said all the disciples.

Indeed, Peter was so confident in himself, that He actually denied Jesus's statement that he would deny Him three times that night.  That clearly shows Peter's reliance on himself that he would actually deny what he should have known to be true because it had been prophesied by Jesus.  All the disciples agreed they would never deny their Lord.

(36) Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to His disciples, "Sit here while I go and pray yonder."

Jesus and His disciples came to a garden at the foot of Mount Olive, called Gethsemane, the name meaning "oil press," a lush place probably where the produce of Mount Olive was pressed and prepared for use.  Jesus asked His disciples to sit while He went to a yonder place to pray.

(37) And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very distressed.

Jesus took three of His disciples with Him, Peter, James, and John, to the yonder place He went to pray.  He began to be very sorrowful and deeply anguished.  We can somewhat understand all the physical torture Jesus went through for us, but we are not able to comprehend what it must have been like for a perfect soul, God in human flesh, to have to take on the entire sin of the world.  I'm sure that was the most distressing part, and probably a very hard thing to accomplish.  God, who could not be in the presence of sin, stooping to such a low level as to take upon Himself all the sin of the world!  That is something we humans cannot possibly understand.

(38) Then He said to them, "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me."

Jesus told the three disciples how anguished His soul was.  We've always been taught to understand that because Jesus was completely human, this showed His human weakness in that He was distressed by His coming torture and death.  We've been taught that as man, Jesus was tempted, but as God, He never sinned.  However, it was much larger than distress over physical abuse, again, I say something we cannot possibly understand.  Knowing what was soon coming, Jesus asked those three disciples to stay with Him and be watchful.  Whether this meant to watch for danger, be His eyes while He prayed, or be watchful for themselves, or probably a combination of all those things, Jesus exhorted His disciples to stay awake, be alert, and be vigilant while He prayed.

(39) And He went a little further, and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, "O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will."

Jesus went on a little further away from the three disciples, and fell down on His face and prayed to His Father in heaven.  Once again, we have been taught that this showed Jesus's human weakness in that He wished for "this cup" to pass from Him and not touch Him.  However, He quickly added that although His human body asked this, He would do according to God's will, not His own fleshly will.  That is all true, but what exactly is "this cup"?  We've always imagined it as the physical torture that was about to come, and I am sure that is true, but John Wesley, in his Notes on the Bible, had another thought.  He pointed out that the anguish in Jesus's human soul was the cup He asked to be passed from Him, and that God indeed took that anguish away quickly; and Jesus was willing to subject to the will of God.  Also, once again, we have to remember that what Jesus's fleshly soul anguished over was more than just physical torture, but the crushing sin of the world, and being completely separated from God and His place in heaven.  We cannot comprehend such anguish because we are sinners; sin abounds in us and around us.  However, the perfect God cannot be in the presence of sin.  He had to come to earth in a human form to be able to take our sin upon Him.  Jesus was man, but He was also God, and this perfect man who had no sin, this man who was actually God incarnate, had to endure the sin of the world and separation from His rightful place in heaven.

(40) And He came to the disciples and found them asleep, and said to Peter, "What? Could you not watch with Me one hour?"

After an hour of prayer, Jesus came back to the three disciples and found them asleep.  This shows their great human weakness in that they could not stand watch for one hour.  The account in Luke added that they were sleeping "for sorrow."  It's not that they didn't care; they cared deeply, and in their deep grief, sleep befell them.  Although all three were asleep, Jesus directed His question to Peter, because he was the one who stated confidently that he would never deny Jesus.  Yet he had denied one of Jesus's last requests to have him sit and watch with him.  Once again, it's not that Peter didn't care and that he meant to deny Jesus's request; it was human weakness and he should have known better than to trust in his own strength to dispute what Jesus had said about him denying Him three times.

(41) "Watch and pray that you enter not into temptation; the spirit is indeed willing, but the flesh is weak."

This time Jesus asked that they not only stay with Him and watch, but that they pray so that they might not enter into temptation.  Jesus indeed said that He knew their spirit was willing to do what He asked, but their flesh was weak.  If they had stayed awake and prayed for their own strength and resistance to any temptation, they may have been better able to stand with and perhaps even defend their Lord.

(42) He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, "O My Father, if this cup may not pass away from Me, except I drink it, Your will be done."

Jesus went a distance away from His disciples again to pray.  Again He prayed that if there was no other way within God's will to follow through with God's current plan for salvation than for Him to go through this way of suffering and death on the cross, and separation from God because of the world's sin upon Him, then He wanted to do God's will.  Jesus, the man, dreaded what was to come and asked for a different way if it were possible.  One might think that because Jesus was also God, that He would know it was the only way, and that He would have the divine strength to follow through.  Indeed, He did, but as all scripture is for our learning so that we may be "perfect" (2 Timothy 3:16-17), Jesus came not only to save us all from our sin, but also to give us the perfect example of a holy man.  He demonstrated that He was tempted, that He anguished over the right thing to do, but relinquished His will to the will of His Father.

(43) And He came and found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy.

Jesus returned again to the three disciples and found them asleep again.  Scripture says it was because their eyes were heavy; they just couldn't seem to keep them open.  The account in Mark added that they didn't know how to answer Him.  They knew not what to do or say for Jesus, and they were sleepy with emotional stress, and had fallen asleep again.

(44) And He left them and went away again, and prayed a third time, saying the same words.

This time Jesus did not rebuke His disciples, but went to pray a third time, praying the same thing as before.  I don't think the pertinent part is that He again prayed that that cup depart from Him, but if it wouldn't, then He was resigned to His Father's will.  It's that He continued in prayer all the while He waited for the ultimate outcome.  He prayed consistently for strength for His human body to do what He must do.

(45) Then He came to His disciples and said to them, "Sleep on now and take rest; behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners."

When taking into context the other gospel accounts of this event, Jesus probably meant the fact that they were sleeping at that point didn't matter because there was no more need to watch; the time for Him to be betrayed into the hands of the Roman soldiers was at that moment.

(46) "Rise, let us be going; behold, he is at hand who betrays Me."

Jesus then told the disciples to wake up and rise and go forth.  It was time for Him to go forth and meet His betrayer, Judas, and face what must happen.

(47) And while He yet spoke, lo, Judas, one of the twelve, came with a great multitude with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and elders of the people.

Just as Jesus was speaking those last words, indeed, there came Judas Iscariot, one of His own disciples, with a great many men with swords and clubs who had been sent by the chief priests and elders of the people.

(48) Now he who betrayed Him gave them a sign saying, "Whomever I kiss, that one is He; hold Him fast."

Judas had planned with the multitude with him a signal that would signify who it was they should seize.  He told them that the One he kissed was the One they were after, and they should immediately seize Him and hold Him.

(49) And immediately he came to Jesus and said, "Hail, Master," and kissed Him.

Judas went immediately to Jesus.  The account in Luke says that he went before the multitude.  He probably ran ahead to separate himself from the mob so it didn't look as though he came with them.  He greeted Jesus with "Hail, Master."  "Hail" was a common greeting wishing one to rejoice and be of good cheer, and he also called Him Master.  How hypocritical and diabolical was Judas in exhorting his Master to be of good cheer while he followed through with his plan that would lead to His destruction.

(50) And Jesus said to him, "Friend, why have you come?" Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and took Him.

Jesus spoke to Judas.  He called him "hetairos," which more accurately means "comrade, companion," rather than "friend."  Knowing full well why he had come, Jesus posed the question to Judas.  Rather than asking why he had come, the phrase that was originally translated as "wherefore," which NKJV translated as "why," meant more accurately "whom or what have you come for."  Surely, Jesus was letting Judas know that He knew he came for someone, and He knew that someone was Him.  Those who were with Judas came and took hold of Jesus.

The account in John greatly expounded on this.  Jesus asked for whom had the multitude come, and they answered, "Jesus of Nazareth."  Jesus answered, "I am," and they immediately fell backward to the ground.  Jesus said, "I AM," and that in itself made them fall to the ground!  In that statement, He said He was God, the Great I Am, and that fact knocked them to the ground!  

There are two parenthetical points I'd like to make here.  First, is to say why I think the King James Version of the Bible is the best translation.  This is one of the best examples.  Every translation of the Bible I have seen says that Jesus said, "I am He," meaning He was the one they sought.  Even the KJV says that.  However, what the KJV did that not all other translations did, was to italicize any word that they added to the original to make the statement clearer, or so they thought in this case.  They thought Jesus had answered that He was the one they sought.  But thanks to their method of italicizing any word they added, we know that Jesus actually said, "I AM."  That is the reason they all fell down.  It's been over eleven years since I wrote about different versions of the Bible and how some actually diminish the divinity of Christ.  For many examples of this and for links to those who have studied the issue more in-depth, please read:  Which Version of the Truth Will You Use?

The second point I wish to make is how much I'd like to encourage folks to at least once read a chronologically ordered Bible.  By reading all events recorded in the Bible in the order in which they occurred, one would get the entire picture of what happened when Judas and his band came to seize Jesus, for example.  I admit, right now I am not studying that version that I prefer.  I was challenged by someone to read the gospels to see what Jesus said.  I was at that time moving slowly through the Old Testament with my chronological study, and I was challenged by someone who suggested that the Old Testament was not relevant in our current culture, and that I needed to see what Jesus said.  I took the challenge, knowing that any part of the Bible, in any order, would provide me with spiritual insight, and I couldn't go wrong doing that.  I admit, I have learned some insight on judging others, BUT that doesn't mean all they do in this culture is right by God's moral law.  Jesus said He didn't come to do away with the law; that moral law still exists.  However, we are to act in love and live our lives as Christians with Jesus as the Lord of our lives, answering those who question how it is that we have such hope (1 Peter 3:15), especially during these troubled times.  Peter said we were to do that with meekness and fear.  And that is because we recognize that we are also sinners, and were once lost, but only through the grace of God and the remission of our sins through Jesus Christ are we saved.

Continuing the study of the 26th chapter of Matthew:  

(51) And behold, one of them who were with Jesus stretched out his hand, drew his sword, and struck a servant of the high priest's, and cut off his ear.

The account in John tells us it was Peter who drew his sword and cut off the ear of the servant of the high priest.  In his zealous love for his Lord, he sought to protect Him and to prevent the multitude from taking Him.  Commentators suggest, and probably likely so, that Peter was aiming to cut off the head of the one seizing Jesus, but perhaps divine intervention made him miss and merely cut his ear.

(52) Then Jesus said to him, "Put your sword back into its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword."

However, Jesus told Peter to put away his sword.  His reason was that all who fought by the sword would die by the sword.  There are times when God might make a call to fight, but in this instance in particular, Peter's action would have brought on a battle between His disciples and those taking Jesus, and men would have died.  That was not God's will.  The account in Luke states that Jesus touched and healed the man's ear.

(53) "Do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He would immediately give Me more than twelve legions of angels?"

Jesus's point to Peter was that it was completely unnecessary for him to take up a sword to defend Jesus, for didn't he realize that if Jesus had wanted to be defended from this multitude, He could have prayed to His Father in heaven and He would have provided more than twelve legions of angels to defend Him.

(54) "But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled that thus it must be?"

Jesus continued His point to Peter that if He had called for legions of angels to defend Himself, how would scripture be fulfilled that prophesied it must be that way, that the Messiah would be apprehended, made to suffer, and would die.

(55) In that same hour Jesus said to the multitudes, "Have you come out as against a thief, with swords and clubs to take Me? I sat daily with you, teaching in the temple, and you laid no hold on Me."

Jesus's point to His captors was to ask why they felt the need to hunt Him down like a robber or thief with swords and clubs.  They had been with Him daily in the temple and never saw Him as a thief.  Why now was all this necessary?  It certainly added to the humiliation to which Jesus consented, to be hunted down as a criminal.

(56) "But all this was done that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled." Then all the disciples forsook Him and fled.

After He asked why they came unnecessarily with swords, Jesus answered the question Himself that it was done to fulfill a prophecy in the scriptures of the prophets.  This appears to be the prophecy of Zechariah in 13:7, in which the Lord called for a sword to be awakened against His shepherd.  Then at that point, sadly, all of His disciples fled.

(57) And those who had laid hold of Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled.

Those who laid hold of Jesus first led Him away to Annas, so says the account in John.  Annas was the father-in-law of Caiaphas.  Jesus may have been led to him first out of honor and respect, but it seems He was very shortly led to Caiaphas where the scribes and elders were gathered together.

(58) But Peter followed Him afar off to the high priest's palace and went in and sat with the servants to see the end.

Although his fear had sent him fleeing, his love for his Lord sent him following Jesus into the high priest's palace where he sat among the servants of the palace to watch what was to become of Jesus.

(59) Now the chief priests, the elders, and all the council sought false witness against Jesus to put Him to death.

This council, the sanhedrin, first had Jesus seized, and then they looked for something of which they could accuse Him!  They had already determined to put Him to death, and willingly sought even false witnesses to do it.

(60) But found none; yea, though many false witnesses came, yet they found none.  At last two false witnesses came.

It appears many false witnesses came before the sanhedrin, but none were able to say anything incriminating against Jesus.  However, in the end, two false witnesses came before them.

(61) And said, "This man said, 'I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days.'"

The best those two false witnesses could come up with was that Jesus had said He was able to destroy the temple of God and could build it up again in three days.  That may be the way they interpreted it, or maybe they purposely tried to make it sound worse, but what Jesus had actually said in John 2:19 was, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up," and in that, He was referring to His own body, the human temple of God on earth.

(62) And the high priest arose and said to Him, "Do You answer nothing? What is it these men witness against You?"

The high priest then arose and addressed Jesus, asking if He had anything to say about what these men had said about Him.

(63) But Jesus held His peace. And the high priest answered and said to Him, "I adjure You by the living God, that You tell us whether You are the Christ, the Son of God."

Up to this point, Jesus said nothing.  There was really nothing that merited an answer.  He knew that they were determined to put Him to death and that His hour had come.  Now the high priest asked Him point blank, putting Him under oath, if He was the Christ, the Son of God.  The false witnesses had proved useless.  The high priest went straight to the point which he felt was sure to entrap Jesus.  If Jesus said He was the Christ, he would condemn Him for blasphemy.  If He said He was not the Christ, then he could condemn Him for lying and being an imposter.

(64) Jesus said to him, "You have said; nevertheless I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven."

Jesus then answered the high priest that it was as he had said.  Additionally, He added that they would afterward have full proof of it when they all saw the Messiah sitting at the right hand of the Father in heaven, and coming in the clouds of heaven to exact judgment.

(65) Then the high priest tore his clothes, saying, "He has spoken blasphemy! What further need have we of witnesses? Behold, now you have heard His blasphemy!"

The high priest had what he had wanted and that which he had plotted all along to get, his excuse to condemn Jesus.  To demonstrate his zeal for the honor of God, he tore his clothes in grief and abhorrence to what he called a blasphemy of God.  He declared to the members of the sanhedrin that there was no further need for any witnesses, that they had all witnessed what he called Jesus's blasphemy.

(66) "What do you think?" They answered and said, "He is guilty of death."

The high priest asked the members of the sanhedrin what they thought about what they heard, and they answered that they found Jesus to be guilty and deserving of death.

(67) Then they spit in His face, and struck Him with their fists, and others struck Him with the palms of their hands.

It is painful to think of these men spitting in the face of God, and beating and slapping Him.  It is even more painful to think that I myself cursed God when my father died way too young.  How could God ever forgive me for the awful things I said to Him?  But He does forgive; Jesus even asked the Father to forgive what the people did to Him in crucifying Him, "for they know not what they do."  What unfathomable love and mercy!  Indeed, I did not know, and these lost people did not know either.  It's so hard to compare oneself to these wicked men spitting in the face of God, but, there but by the grace of God, go I.  God's saving grace has saved me from the fate I deserve!

(68) Saying, "Prophesy to us, you Christ! Who is he who struck you?"

They also taunted Jesus.  The account in Mark tells us that they first blindfolded Him and then asked Him to tell who it was who struck Him, ridiculing His claim to be the Messiah.

(69) Now Peter sat outside the palace; and a damsel came to him, saying, "You also were with Jesus of Galilee."

The word that was translated as "palace" means more of an open air area of the palace.  Peter probably sat in the courtyard of the palace, where a young maidservant approached him, and declared that he had been with Jesus of Galilee.

(70) But he denied before them all, saying, "I do not know what you are saying."

Peter then denied in front of all those among them, probably other servants, and said that he did not know what she was talking about.

(71) And when he had gone out to the porch, another saw him and said to them who were there, "This man was also with Jesus of Nazareth."

Peter then moved to a porch, and another, probably another servant, saw him and told all who were among them that he had been with Jesus of Nazareth.

(72) And again he denied, with an oath, "I do not know the Man!"

A second time Peter denied Jesus, this time more forcefully and more directly denying knowing Jesus at all.  The first time might have been overlooked if it had been the only denial.  He had just said he didn't know what she was talking about and moved away.  He first denied knowing what she was talking about; this time he actually denied even knowing Jesus Himself.

(73) And after a while those who stood by came to him, and said to Peter, "Surely you also are one of them, for your speech betrays you."

The other servants and/or anyone else among them probably discussed among themselves what the first two servants had said.  After a while they came to Peter declaring to him that he surely was "one of them," one of Jesus's disciples who always traveled with Him.  They said his speech betrayed him.  This did not mean his spiritual speech as he was definitely not being spiritual in his denials of knowing Christ.  In Mark we learn that it was his Galilean accent that betrayed him and convinced them he was "one of them."

(74) Then he began to curse and swear, saying, "I do not know the Man!" And immediately the cock crowed.

Perhaps in an effort to convince them he was one of them, Peter began cursing and swore again that he did not know Jesus, his most forceful denial yet.  Immediately a rooster crowed, fulfilling Jesus's prophecy that Peter would deny Him three times before the cock crowed.

(75) And Peter remembered the word of Jesus who said to him, "Before the cock crows, you will deny Me three times." And he went out and wept bitterly.

When he heard the rooster crow immediately after his last denial, he remembered the words of Jesus that he would deny Him three times before the rooster crowed.  In his account, Luke added a touching detail.  Jesus, who from the upper end of the hall elevated for a tribunal, could look down and see Peter on the porch or in the lower hall if he had once again moved.  Luke added that when the rooster crowed, Jesus turned and looked at Peter, surely adding immensely to the guilt Peter felt for denying His Lord three times.  He went out from the palace and wept bitterly.  Just a little time before, Peter had been so self-confident that he would never deny Jesus.  The relevant point is that Peter was confident in himself.  The confidence must be in God, in His strength, and in His ability to keep us from temptation.  

There are more lessons we can learn from Peter's fall.  No matter how highly exalted a Christian, no matter how apparently favored by God, every one of us is perfectly capable of falling into sin; it is our nature.  It is only by the grace of God and His protection that we don't constantly fall.  God allows Christians to sin to show us our weaknesses, to show us our need for Him, and to increase our dependence on Him.  This means that even if we fail so miserably as to deny Christ (or curse God), we can come back to God with a contrite and repentant heart, and trust in the loving mercy, compassion, and forgiveness of Him.