Jesus Calls Matthew and Teaches the Spirit of the Law

Continuing a Bible study of the Gospels:

(Mark 2:1) And again He entered into Capernaum after some days, and it was heard that He was in the house.

At the end of the last chapter, Mark said that the fame of Jesus had grown so much that He could no longer stay in the city, but had to stay in the wilderness.  It appears that after some days He did come back into the city of Capernaum.  Although I am sure He came privately, it was soon heard that He was back in the house, which would have been Peter's house.

(2) And immediately many were gathered together so that there was no room to receive them, no, not even at the door. And He preached the word to them.

As soon as word got out that Jesus was there, there gathered so many people that there was no room for them in the house, not even about the door.  Jesus preached to the people.

(3) And they came to Him, bringing one sick of the palsy, who was carried by four men.

Four men carrying a man sick of the palsy, or paralysis, on a mat or bed as told by Matthew in Matthew 9:2, attempted to come to Jesus in the house.

(4) And when they could not come near to Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was, and when they had broken through, they let down the bed where the paralytic lay.

When the men carrying the paralytic saw that they could not get near to Jesus because of the crowd of people, they uncovered the roof above where Jesus was preaching.  When they had uncovered a large enough area, they let the paralyzed man on his bed down through the opening.

(5) When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven you."

When Jesus saw the great faith of the men in that they would work so hard to get the paralyzed man to Him, knowing He could cure Him, He said to the paralytic that his sins were forgiven.

(6) But there were certain scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts, (7) "Why does this man thus speak blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God only?"

There were some scribes in the crowd who, upon hearing Jesus's words, began to reason and question within their hearts about why "this man" would speak such blasphemies; after all, only God could forgive sins!

(8) And immediately when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, He said to them, "Why do you reason about these things in your hearts?"

Jesus, demonstrating one of His Godly abilities, showing that He knew what they were thinking, asked the scribes why it was that they questioned within their hearts the things they heard Jesus say.

(9) "Which is easier to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Arise, and take up your bed, and walk'?"

Jesus continued to speak to the scribes questioning within their hearts, and asked them which was easier for Him to say to the paralytic, that his sins were forgiven, or telling him to get up, take up his bed, and walk, thus suggesting (actually proving) to them that He could do either, or both, for that matter.

(10) "But that you may know that the Son of man has power on earth to forgive sins," (He said to the paralytic), (11) "I say to you, arise, and take up your bed, and go your way to your house."

Then telling the scribes that He would show them that He indeed had the power on earth to forgive sins, and to heal the man, He told the paralytic to rise up, take up his bed, and go to his house.

(12) And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, "We never saw anything in this manner."

Indeed, the paralyzed man rose up, being completely healed from his paralysis, and took up his bed and walked out before all the people.  They were all amazed and glorified God, and said they had never witnessed anything like that before.

(13) And He went forth again by the seaside, and all the multitude came to Him, and He taught them.

Jesus then went out again by the seaside of the Sea of Galilee, or Tiberius, as it was called at Capernaum, and a multitude of people came to Him there, and He taught them.

(14) And as He passed by, He saw Levi, the son of Alphaeus, sitting at the receipt office of customs, and said to him, "Follow Me." And he arose and followed Him.

Jesus passed by the tax office, and saw Levi, the son of Alphaeus, sitting in the office.  Jesus called to him to follow Him, and he immediately did.  Levi was also called Matthew, as men often had two names in those days, and sometimes names were added to distinguish men with the same names from each other.  Interestingly, as I am noticing for the first time, Levi was called the son of Alphaeus.  In Matthew 10:2-4, the second James (not the son of Zebedee) was called the son of Alphaeus.  It would appear that Matthew and James were brothers.  However, as the scriptures often point out the sets of brothers, Simon Peter and Andrew, and James and John, it never pairs Matthew and James together, so these were probably sons of two different Alphaeuses.  These people known by only one name can be very confusing!  Nothing is as confusing as all the Marys!  

(15) And it came to pass that as Jesus sat at the meal in his house, many publicans and sinners also sat together with Jesus and His disciples for there were many, and they followed Him.

The account in Luke tells us that Matthew made a great feast in honor of Jesus, and that is where Jesus sat.  As Matthew had been a tax collector, it is reasonable to expect his friends also at the feast to be in the same line of work.  Therefore, Jesus and His disciples sat among many tax men and sinners for many had followed Him into the feast.

(16) And when the scribes and Pharisees saw Him eat with publicans and sinners, they said to His disciples, "How is it that He eats and drinks with publicans and sinners?"

When the scribes and Pharisees saw Jesus eating with publicans, whom they looked upon as lowlifes and sinners, and Gentiles whom all called sinners, they asked His disciples why He did such a thing.

(17) When Jesus heard it, He said to them, "They who are whole have no need of the physician, but they who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."

When Jesus heard what the scribes and Pharisees were asking His disciples, He told them that He was with the people who needed Him.  The righteous did not need His healing, but the sinners did.

(18) And the disciples of John and of the Pharisees were fasting, and they came and said to Him, "Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?"

At that time the disciples of John the Baptist and the Pharisees were fasting, and they came to Jesus and asked why it was that His disciples did not fast as they did.  In the beginning, all the questions of the Pharisees were not necessarily bad.  They had more knowledge so as to ask more questions.  It's what they did with the answers in their hearts that mattered and began to show later.

(19) And Jesus said to them, "Can the children of the bride chamber fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast."

Jesus said that the bride and bridesmaids of the bride chamber could not be expected to fast when the bridegroom and the time of the wedding had come.  That was a time of celebration, not fasting.  As Jesus was considered the bridegroom with the church as His bride, His analogy, of course, meant that while He was present with them, it was a time for celebration, not fasting.

(20) "But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days."

Jesus went on to say that there would come a time when He the bridegroom would be taken away, and then it would be a time for fasting.

(21) "No one also sews a piece of new cloth on an old garment, or else the new piece that filled it pulls away from the old, and the tear is made worse."

Sewing a new unwashed and unworn piece of cloth on an old garment would not work because the new piece would shrink and pull away from the old fabric and cause a bigger tear.  Jesus's point was that now that He was here, some rules did not fit.  Bringing the new for the people Messiah into the scene did not fit for the old ways of fasting, but for joy and celebration, a new thing now that their much anticipated Messiah was there.

(22) And no one puts new wine into old wineskins, or else the new wine bursts the wineskins and the wine is spilled and the wineskins will be ruined; but new wine must be put into new wineskins."

Likewise, Jesus said that new wine could not be put into an old wineskin for it would burst the old skin; it must be put into a new wineskin.  This new thing with Jesus now on earth among men called for a new way.  That is not to say that Jesus came to change the old law; He didn't, but He did come to teach the spirit of the law and to do away with the legalistic laws of man.  Another way to look at this is that Jesus bringing His message of repentance and salvation to the old scribes and Pharisees would only fill them with rage and fury to the point they burst, metaphorically.  This new testament was better received by sinners who would be new Christians.

(23) And it came to pass that when He went through the cornfields on the sabbath day, and His disciples began as they went to pluck the ears of corn, (24) The Pharisees said to Him, "Behold, why do they do on the sabbath day that which is not lawful?"

Then came the time when Jesus and His disciples walked through the cornfields on the sabbath day, and His disciples began to pluck ears of corn.  The Pharisees asked Jesus why it was that His disciples did that which was not lawful for them to do on the Sabbath.

(25) And He said to them, "Have you never read what David did when he had need and was hungry, he and those with him? (26) How he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the showbread which is not lawful to eat except for the priests, and also gave some to them who were with him?"

Jesus asked the Pharisees if they had ever read about David, the man after God's own heart, when he was hungry and in need of food, had no difficulty in eating the shewbread, which by law was meant only for the priests and their families.  He not only ate it, but gave some to those who accompanied him.  I like the way Matthew Henry put it, in his Commentary on the Whole Bible, "Ritual observances must give way to moral obligations; and that may be done in a case of necessity, which otherwise may not be done."  God is love, and His laws were made to teach us how to love God, our neighbors, and our parents and authority.  When we become so legalistic and strict about the letter of the law that we cease to love and actually hurt people because of it, then that law should give way to love and moral obligations.  

(27) And He said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath."

Jesus went on to tell them that the Sabbath was made for man, for his good and not for his hurt, a day of rest for both his body and his soul.  Man was not made for the Sabbath of which laws he must obey even at the cost of hurting himself and others.  I can't help but think of environmental laws we have on the books that would save a tiny reptile at the expense of denying people water.  There is a moral order to things, and people are more important than animals that God put on earth for man.  A baby's life is more important than the convenience of its mother.  Doctors and hospitals must work on the Sabbath in order to save lives.

(28) "Therefore, the Son of man is also Lord of the Sabbath."

Jesus the Messiah, God on earth, the Supreme lawgiver, who made all things, had the right to dispense with any law He had made.  In this case, it's not so much that He was dispensing with the law, but He taught the spirit of the law, and how it was meant for the good of man.  Therefore, plucking and eating a few ears of corn on the Sabbath when they were hungry, especially when you consider their jobs were ministry and not tending farms and preparing food, was not a sinful act.

Jesus Is Baptized and Begins His Ministry

Continuing a Bible study of the Gospels:

(Mark 1:1) The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

Mark began his retelling of the gospel, or good news, of Jesus Christ.  He acknowledged He was the Son of God.  Mark began by stating that what followed was the good news of Christ, not so much a life story, but the part that pertained to the salvation over death.

Mark was one of the extended group of disciples or followers of Jesus, a member of the early church.  The disciples met at his mother's home (Acts 12:12).  The early church leader Papias (c. 60-135 A.D.) wrote that Mark transcribed the teachings of Peter, so he had the eyewitness reports of Peter.  It is possible he witnessed the arrest of Jesus, as there is a veiled reference to that in his gospel account.  Called John Mark in references in the Bible, he probably wrote his account about 20 years after the death of Christ.

(2) As it is written in the prophets, "Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You."

Mark began his gospel account with the prophecies in Isaiah 40:3 and Malachi 3:1, that God would send a messenger before Jesus who would prepare the way for the Messiah.

(3) "The voice of one crying in the wilderness, 'Prepare the way of the Lord; make His paths straight.'"

The rest of the prophecy speaks of a voice crying in the wilderness to prepare the way of the Lord.  This was, of course, John the Baptist, who proclaimed the coming of the Messiah.  He did so in the wilderness that represented the lost world, and he made straight the crooked paths of false doctrine and faulty judgment.

(4) John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.

Mark went on to describe what John did in the wilderness, preparing the way of the Lord.  He preached repentance and performed baptisms as a sign of repentance for the remission of sins.

(5) And there went out to him all the land of Judea, and those of Jerusalem, and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.

People from Jerusalem and all the region of Judea came out to see and hear John and were baptized by him in the Jordan River, after confessing their sins.

(6) And John was clothed with camel's hair and with a leather belt about his loins, and he ate locusts and wild honey.

John came very plainly, not in royal pomp and circumstance, but he lived an austere life in the wilderness, wearing animal skins and eating only what was readily available to him.  His only purpose was to proclaim the coming Messiah and prepare the way for Him.

(7) And preached, saying, "There comes One after me who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and loosen."

John preached about One coming after him who was much greater than he was, meaning, of course, the Messiah.  He described himself as being totally unworthy to even unstrap His sandals.

(8) "I indeed have baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Ghost."

It was as if John was saying not to rest solely in his water baptism.  His external water baptism was just a sign of a repentant heart, but the greater One coming after him would baptize the inner man with the Holy Spirit.

(9) And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.

While John was preaching and baptizing in the wilderness, Jesus came to him for the expressed purpose of being baptized by him according to the account in Matthew (Matthew 3:13).  Jesus was indeed baptized by John in the Jordan River.

(10) And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon Him.

As Jesus came up out of the water of His baptism, the heavens opened up, and the Holy Spirit of God descended upon Him like a dove lighting on Him.

(11) And there came a voice from heaven, saying, "You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

Matthew described it as the voice saying "This is My beloved Son..."  Mark described the voice as speaking directly to Jesus.  The point is that the three distinct persons of the Holy Trinity were represented here and well pleasing to God:  God the Father in heaven above, His Holy Spirit, and His Son in human form on earth.

(12) And immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness.

Immediately after His baptism, Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit deeper into the wilderness.  Matthew added in Matthew 4:1 that this was for the purpose of being tempted by the devil.

(13) And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him.

Mark gave a very concise account of Jesus's temptations in the wilderness.  According to Matthew 4:2-11 Jesus was indeed there in the wilderness forty days and He was fasting, at which point Satan tempted our Lord when He was at His weakest as a human.  Of course, Jesus, having no sin in Him, did not give in to the temptations, and sent Satan packing, at which time the angels came and ministered to Him.

(14) Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God.

In the concise manner that Mark wrote this, it shows that when John's work was done and he was put into prison, then Jesus came into Galilee and began His ministry, preaching the good news of the kingdom of God.

(15) And saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe the gospel."

Jesus preached that the time of the Messiah, as foretold by the prophets, was at that time come.  He called the people to repent and believe His gospel.

(16) Now as He walked by the sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen.

As Jesus walked by the sea of Galilee, He saw Simon, who was also called Peter, and his brother Andrew, casting a net into the sea, as they were fishermen.

(17) And Jesus said to them, "Come after Me, and I will make you become fishers of men."

Jesus called to Simon Peter and Andrew to come follow Him and He would make them fishers of men, surely a more excellent employment.

(18) And immediately they left their nets and followed Him.

Immediately they left the tools of their livelihood behind to follow Jesus.  There must have been some Holy Spirit guidance to have them give up all at Jesus's first call.

(19) And when He had gone a little further from there, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who were also in the ship mending their nets.

Jesus went a little further from where He had called Peter and Andrew, and He saw James and John, the sons of Zebedee, also in the ship mending their nets.  Perhaps He had seen Peter and Andrew on one end of a ship casting their nets while James and John were mending their nets at the opposite end of the same ship, or perhaps also meant that they, too, were employed with nets for fishing.

(20) And immediately He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the ship with the hired servants, and went after Him.

Jesus called James and John immediately upon seeing them, as you can be sure that they had been called long before their births for that time.  They also left their livelihoods and their father to join Jesus and follow Him.

(21) And they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the sabbath day, He entered the synagogue and taught.

Jesus and His disciples went to Capernaum.  It seems it was on the Sabbath, and Jesus immediately entered the synagogue and taught.

(22) And they were astonished at His doctrine, for He taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes.

The people were astonished at Jesus's teaching, for He taught as one with authority, one who really knew God and His doctrine, not as the scribes who would merely read off the pages.

(23) And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, and he cried out, (24) Saying, "Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Are you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God!"

There was a man in the synagogue with an unclean spirit, or spirits, as it appears from what they said to Jesus.  Perhaps rather the spirit was talking for all the other demonic spirits that possessed people all over the region.  The evil spirit recognized Jesus right away, even though the man it possessed probably did not up to that point.  If that doesn't prove Ephesians 6:12, "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against...spiritual wickedness..," I don't know what does!  If only we could remember that!  The spirit asked Jesus to leave them, all evil spirits, alone, saying they had nothing to do with Him, which of course they didn't, but He certainly had something to do with them as they destroyed men's souls.  The evil spirit asked if Jesus had come to destroy them, recognizing Him as the Holy One of God, who was quite capable of doing just that.

(25) And Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Hold your peace and come out of him."

Jesus told the spirit to be quiet and commanded it to come out of the man it was possessing.

(26) And when the unclean spirit had convulsed him and cried with a loud voice, it came out of him.

The evil spirit had to obey Jesus's command, but on its way out of the man, it caused the man to convulse and cry out in a loud voice.

(27) And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, "What is this? What doctrine is this? For with authority He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey Him."

The people in the synagogue were amazed and began to talk among themselves, wondering what they were witnessing.  They were hearing a doctrine spoken by someone who seemed to have authority, and they had never heard anything like that from the scribes.  He also had authority over unclean spirits that had to obey Him, and they had certainly never witnessed anything like that!

(28) And immediately His fame spread abroad throughout all the region around Galilee.

Jesus's fame spread beyond Capernaum where He had taught in the synagogue and driven out the evil spirit, throughout all the region beyond Galilee, as people reported what they had witnessed.

(29) And immediately after they had come out of the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.

The sermon in the synagogue being over, Simon Peter and Andrew went home, and apparently invited Jesus, James, and John into their home, as well.

(30) But Simon's wife's mother lay sick with a fever, and at once they told Him about her.

There in Simon Peter's home was also his mother-in-law who was sick with a fever, and they told Jesus about her right away upon entering his house.

(31) And He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and immediately the fever left her, and she ministered to them.

Jesus came to the woman, took her by the hand, and lifted her up, and immediately the fever left her.  She was so completely recovered that she then began to serve the men.

(32) And at evening when the sun had set, they brought to Him all who were diseased and those who were possessed with devils.

In the evening, after the sun had set, and the Sabbath was over, when it was now seen as lawful to heal, they, either His disciples with Him at the time or more likely people hearing of his fame, brought to Jesus all manner of people who were diseased and those who were demon-possessed.

(33) And all the city was gathered together at the door.

All the inhabitants of the city of Capernaum were gathered at Peter's door to witness the healing of the people that had been brought to Jesus.

(34) And He healed many who were sick of diverse diseases, and cast out many devils, and did not allow the devils to speak because they knew Him.

Jesus healed many who were sick with various different diseases and He cast out many demons.  The verse does not mean to suggest He did not cure them all, but rather that the number who were cured was many.  The evil spirits who possessed people all knew Jesus, but He did not allow them to speak this time.  I believe the spirit was allowed to speak the first time to demonstrate to us that the spirit knew Jesus, but now it was not helpful to have all those demonic spirits testifying of Jesus, as it might seem to the people that He had a confederacy with them, as the Pharisees had suggested back in Matthew, that He worked miracles by the power of the devil.

(35) And in the morning, having risen a great while before day, He went out and departed to a solitary place and there prayed.

Very early the next morning Jesus left Peter's house and went to a solitary place to pray.  It is worthy to note how often Jesus prayed.  You would think as God, He didn't need to pray.  However, as man, He may have used prayer to strengthen Himself for the work at hand, or perhaps most importantly to teach us that we should pray about all things.

(36) And Simon and those with him followed after Him.

Simon Peter and probably just those who would have spent the night in Peter's house, certainly Andrew and perhaps James and John, followed after Jesus.

(37) And when they had found Him, they said to Him, "Everyone is looking for you."

It seems they may not have immediately followed after Jesus and seen where He had gone, but rather had to search for Him.  When they found Him, they told Him that everyone was looking for Him.

(38) And He said to them, "Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came."

Jesus was not concerned with the multitudes who were looking for Him, but rather suggested to His disciples that they go into other towns to also preach there, for that is the reason He had come into this world, to preach the Gospel.

(39) And He preached in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and cast out devils.

Jesus indeed preached in the synagogues of the towns throughout Galilee.  Jesus also cast out devils.  Mark doesn't say here that Jesus healed people, but that He cast out devils.  I'm sure He did both, but it makes one wonder if many diseases are demon-caused?  Perhaps Mark was just making the point that Jesus came to destroy Satan and death.

I had to wonder at this point if Jesus was preaching throughout Galilee with just the four disciples He had called up to that time.  The answer can be found in Papias's description of Mark's writing, "Mark became Peter's interpreter and wrote accurately all that he remembered, not, indeed, in order, of the things said and done by the Lord."  Although Mark was accurate, he did not write events in the order that they occurred, so it is very likely that the twelve disciples were with Jesus by the time He taught throughout Galilee.

Another point of interest regarding the writings of Mark, is that Luke, when beginning his gospel account, wrote in the first verse of the first chapter that he would "set forth in order" the events in the gospel, and then again in verse 3, "It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you in order..."  It really does seem that Luke is making the point that his gospel would be in order, whereas others, probably particularly Mark, had not written the events in order.  That is not to say that Luke disputed anything that Mark wrote, as he appears to have quoted Mark more often than any other source.  Luke 1:2 acknowledges that "...those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us."  However, Luke set out to write it in a more orderly fashion.

(40) And there came a leper to Him, beseeching Him, and kneeling down to Him, and saying to Him, "If You will, You can make me clean."

While Jesus was preaching in the towns throughout Galilee, there came to Him a leper on his knees begging Him to heal him.  The man had no doubt that Jesus could heal him, but he asked that He be willing to do it for him.

(41) And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth His hand and touched him, and said to him, "I will; be clean."

Jesus was moved with compassion for the man who had so humbly sought His help.  He reached out and touched the man, which was actually unlawful to do, to touch anything unclean.  He told the man He was willing to make him clean, and commanded so.

(42) And as soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was cleansed.

As soon as Jesus spoke the command to be clean, the leprosy left the man and he was cleansed.  It was not necessary that Jesus touch the unclean man; He could have just commanded he be healed.  I believe the reason is in the statement that Jesus was moved with compassion, with love for this poor man who had so long suffered, who had come to Him humbly, having faith He could cure him if He wanted.  Jesus loves all us poor sinners, and He came to be in the midst of our filthy sinful world to rescue us all.  I believe with His gesture, Jesus showed us that no sin is too unclean or too bad that He cannot forgive and heal us.  Another way to look at this is that Jesus saw the man as he was, as God created him to be.  He was not unclean; he was a victim of sin in a sinful world.  As Jesus touched him, he indeed was made clean.

(43) And He sternly charged him, and sent him away at once, (44) And said to him, "See that you say nothing to anyone, but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing those things which Moses commanded, as a testimony to them."

Jesus sternly warned the man to say nothing about Jesus's healing of him, but to go immediately to the priest, make his offering as commanded by Moses in the law, and be pronounced clean by the priest as the law required, and that would be his public testimony.  Although he was completely cleansed by Jesus, at that time, Jesus wanted to have him obey the law and not bring unwanted attention too soon to Jesus's ministry.  It was not the time yet.  Besides, another reason might have been that people would not have judged him to be truly clean if they knew it came from Jesus and not from the priest's proclamation that he was genuinely cured.

(45) But he went out and began to publish it much and blaze the matter abroad, so much that Jesus could no longer openly enter the city, but was outside in deserted places; and they came to Him from every quarter.

Despite Jesus's stern charge, the man went out spreading the good news of his healing far and wide.  I'm sure it was not with any bad intention to disobey Jesus, but he was so overjoyed, he could not contain himself.  However, the result was that Jesus could no longer openly enter the city, but He stayed out in more deserted places, but still the people came to him from all over.

In this first chapter of Mark, he tells how Jesus began His ministry.  He did not write about Jesus's birth and early years, as some of the other gospel writers did, but began with what he called from the beginning, "the gospel of Jesus Christ," His message and ministry.

Christ's Resurrection and Great Commission

Continuing a Bible study of the Gospels:

(Matthew 28:1) In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the sepulchre. 

At the end of the last chapter, Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of James and Joseph, had witnessed the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and His burial in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathaea.  They came back to see the sepulchre at dawn "in the end of the sabbath."  The Jews numbered their days from sunset to sunset, so this must be the Roman calculation of time to be early in the morning.  However, according to the Jewish counting of days, Jesus would have then been in the tomb three days, or parts of three days, the evening of the first, the following day, and at this time, the first part of the third day.

(2) And behold, there was a great earthquake, for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it.

There was a great earthquake at that time as the angel of the Lord descended from heaven and rolled back the stone from the entrance of Jesus's tomb.  The angel then sat on the stone as the women came.

(3) His countenance was like lightning and his clothing as white as snow, (4) And for fear of him, the keepers did shake and became as dead.

The appearance of the angel was as lightning radiating from him, and his clothing was pure white.  The guards at the tomb were so frightened at the sight that they trembled with fear and may have even fainted, as they "became as dead."

(5) And the angel answered and said to the women, "Fear not, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified."

The angel who had been such a terror to the guards spoke reassuringly to the women, and told them not to be afraid; he knew they came seeking Jesus in the tomb.

(6) "He is not here, for He has risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay."

The angel told the women, after saying he knew they had come to see Jesus, that Jesus was not there.  He had risen just as He had said He would.  The angel then encouraged the women to go inside the tomb and see where Jesus had lain.

(7) "And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and behold, He goes before you into Galilee; there you shall see Him; lo, I have told you."

The angel then told the women to go quickly and tell Jesus's disciples that He had risen from the dead.  Not only that, but He was going before them into Galilee and He would meet them there, as He had promised in Matthew 26:32.  The angel added a confirmation that he, the angel of the Lord, told them this.  They could depend on it as truth.

(8) And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word.

The women departed quickly from the sepulchre as the angel had told them.  They had fear because of the awesome miraculous sight they had seen, but they had great joy because of what it all meant.  They ran to bring His disciples the news.

(9) And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, "All hail!" And they came and held Him by the feet and worshipped Him.

As the women ran to tell the disciples the news, Jesus met them and greeted them verbally.  They apparently recognized Him right away and fell on His feet and worshipped Him.  Once again, isn't it amazing that Jesus made His first appearance after His resurrection to women, and not His disciples?  The women had shown more love and devotion by staying by the cross while Jesus was crucified, then being across from the tomb witnessing Jesus's burial, and now at this time, coming back to see Him in His tomb.  They were rewarded for their faith and devotion by being the first to know Jesus had risen!

(10) Then Jesus said to them, "Don't be afraid; go tell My brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see Me."

The women were surely afraid as they saw this divine Being risen from the dead, and realizing His deity and their unworthiness to be in His presence.  He spoke to them as the same Jesus He had always been to them, and told them not to be afraid, but to go tell His disciples to go to Galilee, and He would meet them there.  It was just as the angel had told them.

(11) Now when they were going, behold, some of the watch came into the city and reported to the chief priests all the things that were done.

While the women were on their way to tell the disciples the news and to give them the message from Jesus, some of the guards who had been guarding the tomb of Jesus went into the city to tell the chief priests what had happened.

(12) And when they were assembled with the elders and had consulted together, they gave large money to the soldiers, (13) Saying, "You say, 'His disciples came by night and stole Him away while we slept.'"

The chief priests then assembled together with the elders to discuss what should be done.  They decided to give the soldiers hush money, telling them to say that Jesus's disciples had come in the night and stolen Jesus's body away while the guards slept.

(14) "And if this comes to the governor's ears, we will persuade him and secure you."

They promised the soldiers that if the news reached Pontius Pilate, they would persuade him that it was true and they would protect them from any guilt or punishment.

(15) So they took the money and did as they were instructed, and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day.

The soldiers agreed to the terms and took the money and did as the chief priests and elders had instructed them to do.  At the time that Matthew was writing, he reported that some of the Jews still reported that that was the way it happened.

(16) Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to a mountain where Jesus had appointed them.

All eleven disciples, one less because of the dead betrayer Judas Iscariot, went to Galilee and to a mountain to which Jesus had instructed they go.  This was not the first time they would see Jesus after His resurrection.  The account in John tells us He saw them later in the same day He had greeted the women.  At some point, Jesus had directed them to meet at a particular mountain.

(17) And when they saw Him, they worshipped Him; but some doubted.

When the disciples saw Jesus, they worshipped Him.  I don't believe any doubted at this point.  Matthew, the tax collector, the numbers guy, in his manner of brevity and just the facts, added that some had doubted.  Doubting Thomas had surely doubted (John 20:24-25), and the disciples didn't believe the women's "idle tales" (Luke 24:11) when they had told them Jesus had risen.  But after so many appearances that will be revealed in the other gospel accounts, we can be sure they all believed now as they all agreed to meet Jesus and they worshipped Him.

(18) And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All power is given to Me in heaven and on earth."

Of course, as God, the Word from the beginning with God, He had always had all power, but as Jesus in the human form before them, He asserted He as mediator between God and man had been given all authority in heaven and on earth.

(19) "Go therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost."

With the power given to Him on earth, Jesus commissioned His disciples to go forth into the world, teaching all nations.  The primary definition of the original word "matheteuo" that was translated as "teach" was actually "to disciple."  Not only were they to teach the nations about the wonderful news of Jesus, but they were to baptize them and make them disciples of Jesus and His Gospel.

(20) "Teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the world." Amen.

Jesus further directed His disciples to teach the nations all things that He had taught and commanded them.  He promised He would be with them always, and that would mean in the form of the Holy Spirit, always, even to the end of the world.  The disciples wouldn't live to see the end of the world, so that promise was extended to us Christians now and throughout the ages; we can always depend on the Holy Spirit being with us.  Some Biblical scholars have suggested that the word "aion" rather than "world" meant "age;" perhaps because of the similarity to our word "eon."  They believe Jesus and the Holy Spirit would just be there for a particular age as needed.  For those of us who have witnessed the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives, there can be no doubt Jesus is with us always!  In astronomy an eon is a billion years!  Considering Jesus gave this commission not quite 2000 years ago, I think we can assume a billion years will be enough time to have Him with us on earth. 

The word "Amen" is not in the oldest manuscripts.  The meaning of "amen" is "firm" or "so be it."  Jesus would have no need to ask that a thing be made true; it was true when He spoke it.  Neither would Matthew have to pray that it be so, especially since we know the word "Amen" was not found in the earliest manuscripts.  It was undoubtedly added by a later transcriber, who probably meant it more emphatically, "So it is."  Additionally, it meant the end of the Gospel according to Matthew.  Other such subscriptions added to the end of the book of Matthew include some varying details about the writing of the Gospel, but most generally tend to say, "The end of the copy of the Gospel of Matthew the Apostle. He wrote it in the land of Palestine, by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, in the Hebrew tongue, eight years after the bodily ascension of Jesus the Messiah into heaven."

Jesus's Death and Burial

Continuing a Bible study of the gospels:

(Matthew 27:33) And when they had come to a place called Golgotha, that is to say, a place of a skull,

In the last post, Jesus had begun His journey to His crucifixion site, with Simon, a man of Cyrene, carrying His cross.  They came to a place called Golgotha, which literally meant "skull."  It is believed that it was a place of unburied skulls and bones of criminals.  

(34) They gave Him vinegar to drink mingled with gall; and when He had tasted it, He would not drink.

They gave Jesus a sour wine mixed with something bitter, and He tasted it, but then would not drink it.  By tasting it, it seems He would have drunk it if it was good to ease thirst.  The account in Mark said they offered Him wine mingled with myrrh, which would have been bitter, too.  The significance of that is that wine mixed with myrrh was given to prisoners to intoxicate them to make them less sensible to pain.  Jesus apparently refused anything to dull His senses and thus the pain, preferring to drink the "cup" His Father gave Him.

(35) And they crucified Him, and parted His garments, casting lots, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, "They parted My garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots."

The Roman soldiers then crucified Christ, meaning they went through the actions of nailing Him to the cross and lifting it up and fixing it into the earth.  They had stripped Him of His garments before nailing Him to the cross, and then cast lots, sort of like throwing dice, to divide His clothing among them.  This fulfilled a prophecy of David in Psalms 22:18, "They part My garments among them, and cast lots for My clothing."

(36) And sitting down, they watched Him there.

The soldiers then sat down and watched Jesus on the cross, probably making sure no one attempted to take Him down.

(37) And set over His head His accusation written, "THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS."

The soldiers set above His head a sign that labeled His crime, as was customary, "THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS."  Matthew made it known that this was the accusation against Him, not that He was guilty of that crime.

(38) Then there were two thieves crucified with Him, one on the right hand, and the other on the left.

The Roman soldiers also crucified two thieves, placing one on His right side, and one on His left.  Dr. John Gill, in his Exposition of the Bible, wrote that according to one of their canons, this was not done, "They do not judge two in one day," unless they were partners in the same crime and suffered the same death.  However, this was done to fulfill prophecy in Isaiah 53:12, "...He was numbered with the transgressors..."  This could have been done by Pilate and the soldiers to take the emphasis off Jesus, and the fact Pilate may have condemned an innocent man.  It could have been He was placed between two thieves for appearance's sake, to make Jesus look like a ringleader of malefactors.

(39) And they who passed by reviled Him, wagging their heads.

Those who passed by the cross spoke abusively about Jesus and shook their heads in contempt.

(40) And saying, "You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save Yourself.  If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross."

The passersby ridiculed Jesus saying that if He could destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, then He could certainly save Himself and come down from that cross.  Jesus never actually said that He could destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days; He was talking about His body.  Additionally, He was the Son of God and could have saved Himself, but it was not in God's plan to do so.

(41) Likewise also the chief priests, mocking with the scribes and elders, said, (42) "He saved others; Himself He cannot save. If He is the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him."

The chief priests, scribes, and elders, also mocked Jesus, saying He had saved others, but He couldn't even save Himself!  They actually said that if He was truly the King of Israel, then He should come down off that cross, and then they would believe Him!  As if they had not seen miracles enough!  They didn't want to believe Him; He was a threat to them, and they wanted Him gone.  Even if He had, they would have said it was by Satan that He did it, as they had accused before.  Besides, once again, it was not in God's plan for Him to do so.

(43) "He trusted in God; let Him deliver Him now if He will have Him, for He said, 'I am the Son of God.'"

They continued mocking, saying if He was truly the Son of God, then let God deliver Him, if He would have Him.  Such utter disdain for the One who was allowing all these things to save the likes of them, if they would have Him!

(44) The thieves also who were crucified with Him reviled Him in the same way.

The thieves on the crosses with Him also reviled Him in the same way, at least in the beginning, they might both have; but the account in Luke states that one of the thieves, probably after witnessing Jesus's patient suffering, reproved the other thief and repented.  It could also be that in Mattew's usual form of brevity, he used what is called a synecdoche, a figure of speech in which a part is used for a whole; at least one of the thieves did revile Him, and Matthew just lumped both thieves together to say they also reviled Him.

(45) Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land to the ninth hour.

As the Jews began counting their day at sunrise, the sixth to the ninth hour would have been from noon to 3:00 in the afternoon.  This could not have been a natural eclipse, for it was the time of the full moon, and it continued for three straight hours.  Whether this was a sign of God's abhorrence of the wickedness taking place, or a symbol of the whole darkness of the world descending upon Christ, you would think it would have those who mocked Jesus falling on their faces before Him.  The event was recorded by even Pagan historians.  Phlegon, a Roman astronomer, said, "...the greatest eclipse of the sun that was ever known happened then, for the day was so turned into night that the stars appeared."  Dr. John Gill wrote, "It is asserted by Suidas, that Dionysius the Areopagite, then an Heathen, saw it in Egypt; and said, 'Either the, divine being suffers, or suffers with him that suffers, or the frame of the world is dissolving.'"

(46) And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" That is, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?"

About 3:00 in the afternoon, after three hours of darkness, Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?"  We know that God did not completely forsake or abandon Christ, but He did for a time leave the human temple of Jesus who had taken upon Himself the whole sin of the world; He was made a curse (Galatians 3:13); He was made to be sin for us (2 Corinthians 5:21); He was for a time a cursed thing, sin that the holy God could not bear in His presence.  The cry of Jesus was prophesied by David in Psalm 22:1, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?..."

(47) Some of them who stood there, when they heard that, said, "This Man calls for Elijah!"

It may be that some truly misunderstood Jesus's words, and thought He was calling for Elijah.  The people long expected Elijah to be a forerunner of their anticipated Messiah.  Malachi 4:5 prophesied that, and in Matthew 17:12, Jesus said that Elijah had already come in the form of John the Baptist.  It could also be that some purposely twisted the words of Jesus as a taunt to say that He was calling for Elijah because neither He Himself nor God could help Him.

(48) And immediately one of them ran, took a sponge and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave it to Him to drink.

This seems to be the action of someone who was not deriding Jesus, but actually sought to help Him.  This vinegar was a sour wine and the usual drink of the Roman soldiers.  The account in John states that Jesus Himself had said He was thirsty and someone gave Him the wine which He received.

(49) The rest said, "Let Him be; let us see whether Elijah will come to save Him."

It appears the rest of them standing before Christ would deny Him a drink in order to deride Him further, pretending to see if Elijah would indeed come and save Him.

(50) Jesus, when He had cried out again with a loud voice, yielded up His spirit.

Jesus cried out again in a loud voice, demonstrating He was still very much alive.  However, when He was ready, He Himself let His spirit go and He died.  In John 10:18, Jesus said that no man could take His life from Him, but He would lay it down Himself; He had the power to lay it down, and He had the power to take it up again.  Jesus, the Author of life, died by a voluntary act of His own.

(51) And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from the top to the bottom, and the earth did quake, and the rocks split.

Immediately after Jesus died, the veil of the temple, which separated the holy place from the holiest of all, was torn in two from top to bottom.  This must have been an awesome sight!  This was no thin curtain that separated the holiest of all from the people.  It is written that, "the thickness of the vail is an hand's breadth, and it is woven of seventy two threads, and every thread has twenty four threads in it: it is forty cubits long, and twenty broad, and is made of eighty two myriads..."  As terrifying a sight as it may have been, it actually represented something very beautiful.  In Jesus's act of dying for our salvation, the veil between God and common sinful man was torn in two, and man was then allowed to come to God.  As the veil was torn in two, the earth quaked and rocks were split apart.  Apparently, rocks are still seen torn asunder at Mount Calvary today.

(52) And the graves were opened, and many bodies of the saints who slept arose.

That was probably the purpose of the earth shaking and rocks splitting, to open the graves of the saints, holy men who had believed in Christ.

(53) And came out of the graves after His resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared to many.

The tombs and sepulchres were opened when Jesus died, but the saints didn't come out of the graves until after His resurrection, demonstrating that Christ had conquered death and would raise all saints.  Those bodies went into Jerusalem and appeared to many in the city, proving the resurrection of bodies after death.

(54) Now when the centurion, and those who were with him watching Jesus, saw the earthquake and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, "Truly this was the Son of God!"

When the centurion, the commander of the Roman soldiers, and those who were with him watching Jesus, witnessed the earthquake, the splitting apart of the rocks, and the opening of the graves of the saints, not to mention the darkening of the sun that had occurred prior to the earthquake, they feared greatly.  They had reason to be very afraid as they realized they had just crucified the Son of God!

(55) And many women were there looking from afar, who followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to Him.

Jesus's very own disciples had scattered, but there were women who had been followers of Jesus and had ministered to Him, who had been at Jesus's crucifixion, watching from a distance.  As a side note, this has been used to prove the truth about Jesus Christ and the Bible.  What men, who were fabricating a story, would admit they were afraid and ran, while the weaker sex stayed and watched what happened to their Lord?

(56) Among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's children.

Among the women observing from a small distance was Mary Magdalene, who in Luke 8:2 was said to have been delivered by Jesus from seven devils.  There was also Mary, the mother of James and Joseph, who in John 19:25, was said to be the sister of Jesus's mother Mary.  There was also the mother of Jesus's disciples James and John, Zebedee's sons.

(57) When the evening was come, there came a rich man of Arimathaea named Joseph, who himself was also Jesus's disciple.

Evening for the Jews was considered to be between 3:00 in the afternoon until 6:00, about sundown.  Sundown began a new day.  Jesus had died about 3:00 in the afternoon, so sometime after that, Joseph of Arimathaea came.  He had been one of Jesus's broader number of disciples.  He was considered a rich man, but he must have been one of the few willing to give all for Jesus, in order to have been a disciple of Jesus, for Jesus had said it was extremely difficult for a rich man to be saved (Matthew 19:24).

(58) He went to Pilate and begged for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body be delivered to him.

Joseph went to Pontius Pilate, the governor, whose consent was needed in order to take a body down after crucifixion.  He asked for the body of Christ in order to give Him a proper burial and Pilate granted his wish.

(59) And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, (60) And laid it in his own new tomb which he had hewn out of the rock, and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed.

Joseph took the body of Jesus, wrapped it in clean linen cloth and laid it in his own tomb that he had hewn out of rock for himself.  He then rolled a large heavy stone into the doorway of the tomb, and then left.  As He was in life, so He was in death; Jesus had said He had nowhere to lay His head (Matthew 8:20), and He also had no tomb of His own.  Jesus did not live for Himself, but only for others, and He died for all of us.

(61) And there was Mary Magdalene and the other Mary sitting opposite the sepulchre.

Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of James and Joseph, were still there, witnessing all that had happened to Jesus's body.

(62) Now the next day which followed the day of preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together to Pilate, (63) Saying, "We remember that that deceiver said, while He was still alive, 'After three days, I will rise again.'"

The day of preparation was the day before the sabbath when everything was prepared for the sabbath, so that no work had to be done on it.  The day which followed the day of preparation would have been the sabbath day.  The chief priests and Pharisees went to Pilate telling him that they remembered that Jesus had said He would rise after three days.

(64) "Command therefore that the sepulchre be made secure until the third day, lest His disciples come by night and steal Him away, and say to the people, 'He is risen from the dead.' So the last deception shall be worse than the first."

The chief priests and Pharisees therefore asked Pilate to guard Jesus's tomb.  They speculated that His disciples might come and take His body away, and then falsely claim that He had risen from the dead.  They felt that final deception, as they called it, would be worse than any claimed while He was living.

(65) Pilate said to them, "You have a watch; go your way, make it as secure as you can."

Pilate told them to take one of the groups that guarded the temple to act as watch over the tomb, and told them to go quickly and make it as secure as possible.

(66) So they went and made the sepulchre secure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch.

The chief priests and Pharisees went to the tomb of Jesus and made it secure.  They sealed the stone that acted as a door, and then set a guard to watch it.  Little did they know they were acting perfectly in God's will.  All those precautions would make the resurrection of Jesus all the more miraculous and beyond reproach.

Jesus Before Pontius Pilate

Continuing a Bible study of the gospel accounts:

(Matthew 27:1) When the morning had come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put Him to death.

At the end of the last chapter, Jesus had just been betrayed by the kiss of Judas and apprehended and brought before Caiaphas the high priest.  He was found guilty of blasphemy in a mock trial and sentenced to death.  The next morning the chief priests and elders plotted on how they would put Jesus to death.

(2) And when they had bound Him, they led Him away and delivered Him to Pontius Pilate the governor.

They bound Jesus again and took Him to Pontius Pilate, the governor appointed by the Romans over Judea.  It is written that the sanhedrin had the power of life and death themselves in everything that concerned religion.  Perhaps their case against Him was not strong enough, or more likely they wanted it taken out of their hands, perhaps because they feared the reaction of the people.  Whatever the reason, they put Him in the hands of a Gentile magistrate, fulfilling Jesus's prophecy in Matthew 20:19 that He would be delivered to the Gentiles.

(3) Then Judas who had betrayed Him, when he saw that He was condemned, repented himself, and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders.

When Judas saw that Christ was condemned to death, he began to feel remorse and brought the thirty pieces of silver back to the chief priests and elders.  Perhaps Judas thought Jesus would have freed Himself through some miracle, and he had just seen a chance to make some money.  Now Judas "repented himself."  It is important to note there is a difference in the original word used here, "metamellomai" and the word more commonly used for repent, "metanoia."  Judas's type of repenting was more of a changing of his mind, perhaps some remorse caused by fear of the consequences of his actions.  It was a self-centered repentance like when we say that a person was not really sorry, only sorry he got caught.  A true godly repentance, "metanoia," represents a changed heart and behavior, a turning from sin to God.

(4) Saying, "I have sinned in that I have betrayed innocent blood." And they said, "What is that to us? You see to it."

In changing his mind about his actions, Judas took the money back to the chief priests and elders, telling them he had sinned and betrayed innocent blood.  Once again, there is no evidence that Judas truly repented before God, falling on his face before Almighty God, humbling himself, asking for forgiveness in the realization of what he had done to His Lord.  Remember that God sees the heart and He is always just and righteous, but under inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Matthew wrote that Judas was only sorry for himself.  The chief priests and elders declared that was of no concern of theirs.  If he felt he had sinned, he should go take care of that himself.  They had what they wanted, Jesus, and they had condemned Him for blasphemy; they didn't care about Judas's guilt or that he considered Jesus to be innocent of their charges.

(5) And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.

Judas then threw down the pieces of silver and went out and hanged himself.  There has been much discussion about how Judas actually died, because Peter later stated in Acts 1:18, that "falling headlong, he burst open in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out."  Surely both statements are true.  If Judas had hung himself on a tree near a precipitous valley or something like that, the limb could have broken causing him to fall and tumble headfirst and his body dashed to pieces on the sharp rocks.  Matthew stated Judas hanged himself; he didn't say whether or not he actually died at that point.  He may have died, and then fallen; or a limb could have broken before he died and he died grotesquely upon the rocks.

(6) And the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, "It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood."

The chief priests picked up the pieces of silver Judas had thrown down, but said it was not lawful to put them in the temple treasury because it was blood money.  It is remarkable that they were so scrupulous about the source of the money in their treasury, but not so when condemning innocent blood, as Judas had told them.

(7) And they took counsel, and bought with them the potter's field in which to bury strangers.

They consulted together and decided to use the pieces of silver to buy the potter's field, which was probably so called because the earth had been dug for pottery, and it was probably now used up and good for nothing.  They were able to buy it for just thirty pieces of silver and used it as a cemetery for strangers.

(8) Therefore that field was called the Field of Blood to this day.

Matthew declared that that potter's field had been called the Field of Blood, because it had been purchased by the price of blood, ever since then and up to the day he wrote that scripture.

(9) Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying, "And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of Him who was valued by the people of Israel, (10) And gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord appointed me."

That prophecy was actually spoken by Zechariah:

And I said to them, "If you think it good, give me my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed out for my price thirty pieces of silver. And the Lord said to me, "Cast it to the potter, a goodly price at which I was priced by them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver and cast them to the potter in the house of the Lord. (Zechariah 11:12-13)

It is believed by the older commentators I study that a subsequent copyist probably mistakenly added the name of the prophet, as Matthew's usual mode of writing was to say only, "by the prophet" (Matthew 1:22, Matthew 2:5, Matthew 2:15, Matthew 13:35, and Matthew 21:4).  Many early manuscripts omitted the name, and that is most likely how Matthew wrote it.  Matthew's point was not about who made the prophecy, but that prophecy had been fulfilled.

(11) And Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked Him, "Are You the King of the Jews?" And Jesus said to him, "You say."

Probably thinking their claim of blasphemy would not matter to Pilate, the chief priests and elders most likely had told him that Jesus professed to be king to incite anger and judgment by the government.  Therefore, Pilate asked Jesus point blank if He was the King of the Jews.  Jesus answered only, "You say," which was not really an admission or a denial.  The account in John 18:36 went on to say that Jesus said His kingdom was not of this world, so He admitted that He had a kingdom, but not a worldly kingdom that would have rivaled Caesar.

(12) And when He was accused by the chief priests and elders, He answered nothing.

Evidently, the chief priests and elders then had their turn to spout all their accusations before Pilate and in front of Jesus, but He said nothing.  There was really no use.  They were false claims, but He knew they intended to kill Him regardless, so He did not try to answer.  This fulfilled another prophecy by Isaiah, in Isaiah 53:7, "He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He didn't open His mouth; He was brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He did not open His mouth."

(13) Then Pilate said to Him, "Do You not hear how many things they witness against You?" (14) And He answered him not a word, so that the governor marveled greatly.

Pilate, pressing Jesus to defend Himself, asked Him if He had heard all the things of which the chief priests and scribes had accused Him.  Jesus did not answer him, and that amazed Pilate.  It was at this point that Luke added that Pilate asked Jesus if He was a Galilean.  Probably wanting an excuse to free Him, Pilate was likely relieved that being a Galilean made Jesus under Herod's jurisdiction.  He sent Him to Herod, who saw no cause for death in Him, and sent Him back to Pilate.

(15) Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to releasing to the people a prisoner, whomever they wished.

It appears that at the Passover Feast the governor had a custom of releasing one prisoner of the people's choosing.  It was not law, but a custom that may have originated in an effort for the Romans to show some bit of respect for the Jews.

(16) And they had then a notable prisoner called Barabbas.

At that time Pilate had an infamous prisoner named Barabbas imprisoned.  Being notable, he was a known criminal; he was either a repeat offender or had done a horrific thing to be so well known.  The account in Luke states that he had been guilty of sedition and murder.

(17) Therefore when they were gathered together, Pilate said to them, "Who do you want me to release to you? Barabbas or Jesus who is called Christ?" (18) For he knew that out of envy they had delivered Him.

When the people were gathered together, Pilate asked them who they wanted released to them, Barabbas, the notable criminal, or Jesus whose only "crime" was that He was called the Christ.  The account in Luke states that Pilate found Jesus to be innocent and not worthy of death and had planned to release Him at the feast.  He was most likely certain the people would choose to release Jesus rather than the infamous Barabbas.  Pilate knew it could only be envy that made the chief priests and elders want to kill Jesus, for there was no fault in Him.

(19) When he was sat down on the judgment seat, his wife sent to him, saying, "Have nothing to do with that just Man, for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of Him."

While Pilate was on his judgment seat, his wife sent a message to him asking him not to involve himself with condemning whom she called a just Man.  She had had dreams about Him, and was convinced of His innocence or perhaps feared the judgment that might come upon her family if Pilate condemned Jesus.

(20) But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus.

Now that the decision to kill Jesus was out of their hands, the chief priests and elders urged the people to ask for Barabbas.  They probably incited a riot of excitement in the people, for how else could people who had so recently led a procession for Him, crying "Hosannah!" now be persuaded to call for His death?

(21) The governor answered and said to them, "Which of the two do you want me to release to you?" They said, "Barabbas!"

The governor responded to the crowd by asking which of the two prisoners they wanted released to them.  Unbelievably, the crowd answered Barabbas.  This was surely done because of the instigation of the chief priests and elders.  It shows the danger of wicked church elders who can easily persuade their flocks, and the danger of a mob mentality.

(22) Pilate said to them, "What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?" All said to him, "Let Him be crucified!"

Pilate, probably incredulous, asked the people what then would they have him do with Jesus, a Man he had judged as innocent.  The crowd shouted to crucify Jesus!  Pilate, if he had indeed found Jesus innocent and not worthy of death, should have released Him after his finding.  However, it was God's will that Jesus die on the cross.  

(23) And the governor said, "Why? What evil has He done?" But they cried out all the more, "Let Him be crucified!"

Pilate asked the multitude why they should call for Jesus's crucifixion; what evil had He done?  Instead of answering his question, the crowd just shouted all the more to crucify Him.

(24) When Pilate saw that he could not prevail, but rather a tumult had developed, he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, "I am innocent of the blood of this just person; you see to it."

Pilate had lost control of the mob, and therefore took water and washed his hands before the crowd declaring his innocence of the blood of this just Jesus.  If the crowd wanted Him crucified, then it was up to them to have it done.

(25) Then all the people answered and said, "His blood be on us and our children."

The people declared it would be their responsibility, and they even decided for their children!  They had no idea what they were asking for, nor what a prophetic statement they had made.

(26) Then he released Barabbas to them, and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered Him to be crucified.

Pilate did what the people asked and delivered free Barabbas to them.  He then scourged Jesus.  If he considered Him innocent, why did he have to do that?  He then delivered Jesus to be crucified.  Why?  Because he had no power over the people?  I have long pondered over Pilate's actions.  Was he innocent or not?  At the very least, he was a very weak ruler, letting the people rule over him.  It seems he found Jesus innocent from the beginning, but was happy to have someone else make the decision when he sent Jesus to Herod.  When it came time to release a prisoner, he again pushed off the decision to the people.  Since he was the governor, and he had found Him innocent, and even Herod had found no fault in Him, it seems it would have been his duty to release Him.  He apparently feared going against the chief priests and elders.  I'm sure he thought the people would call for Jesus's release opposite such a wicked prisoner as Barabbas, but he should have been man enough to make the decision himself.  He wanted to pass the decision to someone else and he would bear no responsibility to anyone.

Pilate had even received confirmation from his wife's dreams that he should not condemn Jesus, but he allowed the chief priests and elders to stir up the crowd against Jesus, even knowing that they did it out of envy.  He repeatedly put the question to the people (Luke states three times), indicating his desire to free Jesus, but being the weak ruler he was, he allowed the people to make the decision.  When the people asked that Barabbas be released, he could have released him and then dealt with Jesus as a just ruler should have, but he asked the people what he should do about Jesus!  When they said they wanted Him crucified, he asked why, what evil had He done to deserve crucifixion.  Weak and fearful as he surely was, he gave in to the people.  He said he washed his hands and declared his innocence from that decision, but he really was not innocent.  He failed miserably in his duty as a governor of the people, being so weak.  However, we know that it was God's will that Jesus be crucified.  I don't believe that God forced Pilate to make decisions against his will; I believe Pilate was chosen to allow this because he was a weak man.  Since he had washed his hands of it all, why then did he scourge Jesus?  Only God knows the heart of a man and he will judge Pilate righteously.  This incident proved to be a perfect illustration of what was taking place.  Jesus, judged as innocent, was condemned by the same judge, just the same.  Jesus, the perfect soul having no sin in Him, was nonetheless willed by God to be condemned to die on a cross.

(27) Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered to Him the whole band of soldiers.

The soldiers of the governor then took Jesus into the praetorium, which is actually the original word used.  It means the common judgment hall of the governor, or his court room.  They gathered an entire band of soldiers around Him, as if they really needed that!

(28) And they stripped Him and put on Him a scarlet robe.

The soldiers stripped Jesus and put a scarlet robe on Him.  They did it to mock Him, but by their actions, they were representing prophecy.  In Isaiah 1:18 it says, "...though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow..."  Jesus took on the world's scarlet sins to make them white as snow.

(29) And when they had plaited a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand; and they bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him, saying, "Hail! King of the Jews!"

The soldiers braided a crown of thorns and put it on Jesus's head to mock Him, but also to torture Him.  They put a reed in His hand to act as a staff and then bowed before Him in mockery, calling out, "Hail, King of the Jews!"  It gives me chills to think these men mocked God Himself!

(30) And they spit on Him and took the reed and struck Him on the head.

Again, it is chilling to think of these men spitting in the face of God and beating Him about the head!  Little did they know He could have struck them all dead with one word, but He allowed Himself to be mocked and tortured for all us lowly sinners, including those soldiers who did this, if we only accept His gift of salvation.

(31) And after they had mocked Him, they took the robe off Him and put His own clothes on Him, and led Him away to be crucified.

After the soldiers had had their vicious fun, they took the robe off Him and put His clothes back on Him.  They then led Him away to be crucified.

(32) And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name; they compelled Him to bear His cross.

The account in John tells us that Jesus did bear His cross for a while until His tortured and beaten body could do it no more.  The soldiers then found a man of Cyrene, a city in Libya, Africa, named Simon, and forced him to carry Jesus's cross.

As this is another very long chapter, I will end the post here.  This first half of the chapter dealt with the events leading up to Jesus's crucifixion after His apprehension and mock trial in chapter 26.  The actual crucifixion takes place in the second half of this chapter.

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.