Matthew 26:47-68
While he was still speaking, Judas came, one of the twelve, and with him a great crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the elders of the people. 48 Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I will kiss is the man; seize him.” 49 And he came up to Jesus at once and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” And he kissed him. 50 Jesus said to him, “Friend, do what you came to do.” Then they came up and laid hands on Jesus and seized him. 51 And behold, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off 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. 53 Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? 54 But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?” 55 At that hour Jesus said to the crowds, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me? Day after day I sat in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me. 56 But all this has taken place that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples left him and fled. 57 Then those who had seized Jesus led him to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders had gathered. 58 And Peter was following him at a distance, as far as the courtyard of the high priest, and going inside he sat with the guards to see the end. 59 Now the chief priests and the whole council were seeking false testimony against Jesus that they might put him to death, 60 but they found none, though many false witnesses came forward. At last two came forward 61 and said, “This man said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to rebuild it in three days.’” 62 And the high priest stood up and said, “Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you?” 63 But Jesus remained silent. And the high priest said to him, “I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.” 64 Jesus said to him, “You have said so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.” 65 Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “He has uttered blasphemy. What further witnesses do we need? You have now heard his blasphemy. 66 What is your judgment?” They answered, “He deserves death.” 67 Then they spit in his face and struck him. And some slapped him, 68 saying, “Prophesy to us, you Christ! Who is it that struck you?”
Tell me this, do you see yourself in this passage of Scripture? No? Okay, well, read the
passage one more time just to make sure. Pay close attention to the human interactions
that Jesus is faced with.
The more we peer over this passage, the more we take notice of the brutal and head-
turning moments it captures. The circumstances may be different, but if we put our daily
practices up to the ones we see the people in these verses practicing, we can find a lot of
similarities. The sinful, selfish, and broken actions from their humanity correlate pretty
well to our own.
These realizations exposing who we are as people.
This is the beauty of the Gospel.
In our side of the Gospel story, we fall short. But then check out the other side, Jesus’
side. Where we fall short, Jesus gives us an image of perfection, a life that’s lived in the ways
we’ve proved we can never achieve. Jesus didn’t deserve what He received here, but in
obedient surrender to God’s plan and from the reservoir of love within Him. Jesus
took on the death sentence for crimes committed by us, all to finish
this mission He was sent for.
To save us from the life we see lived by those in these Scriptures. Jesus opened the door to
salvation, but this door is more than just something to claim outwardly. It’s a new way of
life empowered by Jesus working within us. Not only did Jesus endure our sin *literally,
He rose above that sin even before his physical death came into the picture. Look at
Jesus’ example here in this passage, look throughout the Gospel accounts of His life.
Jesus gave us new life, not to be merely acknowledged but to be lived. Jesus’ death and
resurrection wasn’t a one-time event; it was a daily act of obedience He displayed for us
to see, to learn from, and to Follow. You know who you’ve been. Jesus has shown you
who He’s died for you to become. The only way to get there is to follow.
