The following are notes for our current Bible study:
Matthew 26:1-5 When Jesus had finished saying all these things, He told his disciples, 2 You know that the Passover will take place in two days, and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified. 3 Then the high priests and the elders of the people assembled in the courtyard of the high priest, who was named Caiaphas. 4 They conspired to arrest Jesus by treachery and to kill him. 5 But they kept saying, This must not happen during the festival. Otherwise, there ll be a riot among the people.
Son of Man is a fulfillment of prophecy. Jesus claim before the high priest to be the Son of Man was a reference to the prophecy of Daniel 7:13 14, I was watching in the night visions, And behold, One like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, And they brought Him near before Him. Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, Which shall not pass away, And His kingdom the one Which shall not be destroyed (NKJV). Daniel saw glory, worship, and an everlasting kingdom given to the Messiah here called the Son of Man and Jesus applied this prophecy to Himself. Jesus also spoke of His coming kingdom on other occasions (Matthew 13:41; 16:28). The author of Hebrews used a reference to the son of man in the Psalms to teach that Jesus, the true Son of Man, will be the ruler of all things (Hebrews 2:5 9; cf. Psalm 8:4 6). The Son of Man, in fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy, will be the King.
- Discuss Son of man . What does this say about Jesus, and why did He use it so often and openly? How might the disciples have heard it? The crowds? The priests and pharisees?
- What is the significance of the Passover, both in Jewish history and as it relates to Jesus?
- The high priests and elders of Israel conspired to arrest and kill Jesus. Why? Could God the Father or Jesus have stopped it? Why or why not?
- Why did the high priests and elders say not on the Passover (v. 5)? Why do you think it happened then anyway?
- The feared riot among the people (v. 5) did not happen. Why not?
- Why crucified (v. 2)? Wouldn t death by stoning have been an option? Discuss crucifixion and Psalm 22.
- CRUCIFIED! How do you think the disciples thought when they heard that? Do you think they believed it?
Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar: They didn’t want to put Jesus to death during Passover, but that is exactly how it happened. This is another subtle indication that Jesus was in control of events, as they in fact killed Him on the very day that they didn’t want to.
In Matthew s Gospel, the teaching of Jesus is finished here. In these last days leading up to His betrayal and crucifixion, He warned the multitudes about the corrupt religious leadership and He spoke to His disciples about things to come. Now, it was time for Jesus to fulfill His work on the cross.
Having instructed his disciples and the Jews by his discourses, edified them by his example, convinced them by his miracles, he now prepares to redeem them by his blood! (Clarke)
Perhaps after the triumphal descriptions of the coming kingdom, the disciples were strengthened in their idea that it was impossible that the Messiah should suffer. Jesus reminded them that this was not the case.
About two years after our Lord s crucifixion, Caiaphas and Pilate were both deposed by Vitellius, then governor of Syria, and afterwards emperor. Caiaphas, unable to bear this disgrace, and the stings of his conscience for the murder of Christ, killed himself about A.D. 35. See Joseph. Antiquities b. xviii. c. 2-4. (Clarke)
- Discuss the above bullet. Have you ever heard that Caiaphas regretted his role in killing Jesus, even to the point of suicide?
Luke 18:31-34 – And taking the twelve, he said to them, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished. For he will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon. And after flogging him, they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise.” But they understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said.
- What does the parallel passage from Luke add to that in Matthew?
- This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said . What do you think this meant?
Matthew 26:6-13 6 While Jesus was in Bethany at the home of Simon the leper, 7 a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume and poured it on his head while he sat at the table. 8 But when the disciples saw this, they became irritated and said, Why this waste? 9 Surely this perfume could ve been sold for a high price and the money given to the destitute. 10 But knowing this, Jesus asked them, Why are you bothering the woman? She has done a beautiful thing for me. 11 You ll always have the destitute with you, but you ll not always have me. 12 When she poured this perfume on my body, she was preparing me for burial. 13 I tell all of you with certainty, wherever this gospel is proclaimed throughout the whole world, what she has done will also be told as a memorial to her.
We know from John 12 that this woman was Mary, the sister of Lazarus and Martha. Mary, who sat at the feet of Jesus (Luke 10:39), made this extravagant display of love and devotion to Jesus.
Mary, the sister of both Lazarus and Martha, anointed Jesus feet with spikenard six days before His crucifixion. Spikenard is an expensive, perfumed ointment used for anointing the dead.
Judas Iscariot, a follower of Jesus, objected to what he called a waste of money , protesting that the jar of ointment should have been sold and the money given to the poor. Jesus replied that while the poor will always be with us, He would be crucified in just a few days time so the anointing was timely and appropriate. This anointing happened at the house where Mary, Lazarus, and Martha lived. This is the same Lazarus whom Jesus raised from the dead.
This was the first of two anointings of Jesus, both in the same week. Each time, a valuable jar of perfumed ointment was used. The second anointing next took place two days prior to the crucifixion. Mary knew that her friend Jesus was going to die on the cross, while those around her, who were listening to Jesus. did not believe, or understand, that this was going to happen.
Once the jar was used, it was thrown away. Each jar of ointment cost about a year s wages.
There is some measure of debate, and sometimes confusion, about this anointing of Jesus and those mentioned in Mark, Luke, and John. The best solution seems to be that Matthew, Mark, and John record one occasion of anointing in Bethany and Luke records a separate event in Galilee.
Morris on the alabaster flask: It had no handles and was furnished with a long neck which was broken off when the contents were needed We may fairly deduce that this perfume was costly. Jewish ladies commonly wore a perfume flask suspended from a cord round the neck, and it was so much a part of them that they were allowed to wear it on the sabbath.
- We know from John 12 that the critic was Judas. Why do you think Matthew says But when the disciples saw this, they became irritated and said, Why this waste? ? Were other disciples also feeling that the anointing was a waste?
- What was Judas motivation for saying it was a waste? Do you think he truly cared for the plight of the poor? Why or why not?
Is anything wasted which is all for Jesus? It might rather seem as if all would be wasted which was not given to him. (Spurgeon)
The beauty of this woman s act consisted in this, that it was all for Christ. All who were in the house could perceive and enjoy the perfume of the precious ointment; but the anointing was for Jesus only. (Spurgeon) - Jesus replied, 11 You ll always have the destitute (poor) with you, but you ll not always have me. Discuss. How does this make you feel? What does this say about Jesus view of the poor (consider Matthew 25:31-46)?
- Given that He was only days away from the cross, how do you think Jesus felt about the Disciples reaction?
Even if she did not understand the full significance of what she did, Mary s act said something that the disciples didn t say or do. She gave Jesus the love and attention He deserved before His great suffering. She understood more because she was in the place of greatest understanding being at the feet of Jesus.
She probably did not know all that her action meant when she anointed her Lord for his burial. The consequences of the simplest action done for Christ may be much greater than we think She thus showed that there was, at least, one heart in the world that thought nothing was too good for her Lord, and that the best of the very best ought to be given to him. (Spurgeon)
All those who have done wonders for Christ have always been called eccentric and fanatical. Why, when Whitfield first went on Bennington Common to preach, because he could not find a building large enough, it was quite an unheard of thing, to preach in the open air. How could you expect God to hear prayer, if there was not a roof over the top of the people s heads? How could souls be blessed, if the people had not seats, and regular high-backed pews to sit in! Whitfield was thought to be doing something outrageous, but he went and did it; he went and broke the alabaster box on the head of his Master, and in the midst of scoffs and jeers, he preached in the open air. And what came of it? A revival of godliness, and a mighty spread of religion. I wish we were all of us ready to do some extraordinary thing for Christ willing to be laughed at, to be called fanatics, to be hooted and scandallized because we went out of the common way, and were not content with doing what everybody else could do or approve to be done. (Spurgeon) - What Mary did has been memorialized throughout the ages. Why do you think that is?
- Listen to the lyrics of the song Alabaster jar . How do they make you feel?
This alabaster jar is all I have of worth
I break it at Your feet, Lord, it’s less than You deserve
You’re far more beautiful, more precious than the oil
The sum of my desires and the fullness of my joy
Like You spilled Your blood, I spill my heart
As an offering to my King
Here I am, take me as an offering
Here I am, giving every heartbeat for Your glory
Take me
This time that I have left is all I have of worth
I lay it at Your feet, Lord, it’s less than You deserve
And though I’ve little strength, and though my days are few
You gave Your life for me so I will live my life for You
Like You spilled Your blood, I spill my heart
As an offering to my King
Here I am, take me as an offering
Here I am, giving every heartbeat for Your glory
Here I am, take me as an offering
Here I am, giving every heartbeat for Your glory, take me
Worthy, worthy, You are worthy, worthy is the Lord
Worthy, worthy, You are worthy, worthy is the Lord
Here I am, take me as an offering
Here I am, giving every heartbeat for Your glory
Here I am, take me as an offering
Here I am, giving every heartbeat for Your glory
Take me
