This message tonight could not in any way be called a “sermon.” By my definition a “sermon” should be a progression of thought with several distinct points reaching toward one or two logical objectives. There are thousands of preachers whose sermons are nothing more than rambling dissertations. There are expositions, which are designed to bring out, or expose, a specific passage of scripture. Then there are lessons with any number of points – or perhaps none at all – but they are dealing with a specific theme. I don’t really know how to classify what I hope to accomplish this evening.
But here is my goal – let’s take what Matthew tells us in chapters 26 and 27, adding to it what Mark, Luke and John tell us about the few days leading up to the arrest and crucifixion of Christ. I have taken my cue from what the Lord says in verse 2 – “And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said unto his disciples, Ye know that after two days is the feast of the passover, and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified.” There is a some mystery – and a lot of confusion about Jesus’ last few days. I’m not going to tell you that I have all the answers or that I have no questions. But I’m hoping that I might be able to help you understand some of these events. And perhaps you might have some insight into things that I don’t quite grasp.
I am calling this “Jesus’ last week on earth” – but that isn’t quite accurate. I am referring to “Jesus” in the way that He called Himself “the Son of man” – speaking of His humanity. But of course, after His death He remained upon the earth for forty more days. For the sake of this message, I’m thinking about His earthly life as we have come to know it.
As an anchor for my thoughts, I begin at the NEW beginning – Jesus’ resurrection – an appropriate subject for the day most Christians call “Easter.” I begin at the new beginning and work my way backward. Most of Christendom says that Jesus arose from the grave at about 6 AM on Sunday morning. If that is true and he was in the grave three days and three nights – 72 hours – then it means that He died at 6 AM on Thursday. That does not fit the facts. And if you argued that Christ meant two days and part of another, plus 2 nights and part of a third, there is still no way what Jesus died in the late afternoon of Friday. One full day and night would be Saturday at 6 AM. The second full day and full night would be Friday at 6 AM. And then you still have part of a day and part of a night for which to account.
Here is what I believe – Jesus arose from the grave ten or twelve hours before dawn on Sunday morning. Because I take Jesus’ statement literally that He would be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth, I conclude that He must have died on Wednesday and that He arose shortly after sunset on Saturday night. Hopefully that will become plain as we continue to the end of Matthew. This means that all the Palm Sundays and Good Fridays are inventions of man and his fallen religion. Taking Wednesday as the day of the crucifixion, as we begin tonight, Matthew 26:1-2 took place on Sunday or Monday.
While Christ and His disciples were at Bethany, the leaders of Israel were plotting Jesus’ death.
“Then assembled together the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders of the people, unto the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, And consulted that they might take Jesus by subtilty, and kill him. But they said, Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar among the people.”
Mark and Luke add very little to Matthew, but there are a couple of points. Mark says that they wanted to avoid a tumult among the people. And Luke boldly says that “they feared the people.” At this point, it was the leadership of Israel that hated Christ – not the common citizen. The priests “consulted” – they put their heads together – looking for the best way, the easiest way to arrest and do away with Christ.
Then, as Matthew tells us, came the dinner at Simon’s house. Matthew, Mark and Luke are called the “Synoptic Gospels,” because they give a synopsis or general outline of the life of Christ. The Gospel of John, however, is quite different, taking only selected, special events to prove that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God. When it comes to this feast at the house of a former leper, Luke says nothing, but John adds much. To my way of thinking, this meal took place either Sunday or Monday, but probably Monday. At this feast, there was a woman who came to Christ anointing His feet with very expensive ointment. The Synoptic Gospels tell us that the disciples were surprised at this misuse of limited Christian finances. But it is John who tells us that Judas was especially angry about the value of the ointment
“wasted” upon Jesus. “Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, which should betray him, Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor?” I personally think that Jesus’ answer is kind and considerate, but it appears that Judas really took exception.
It seems that at this point that Judas decided to betray our Saviour. Verse 14 – “Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver. And from that time he sought opportunity to betray him.” A day after the Jewish leadership began looking for an easy way to take Christ, Judas decided that he would give them what they sought.
The day after the dinner at Simon’s, Jesus spoke to His disciples about the Passover feast.
“Now the first day of the feast of unleavened bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the passover?” – verse 17. The first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread was the day of the Passover. Now here is where the experts start debating among themselves, getting me confused. Did Christ die at the time when the Passover was to be slain, or was it earlier, or later, so that the Jews could celebrate their feast with a slightly clearer conscience? Is it necessary that our Passover die on 14th of Nissan, in order to be our Saviour? If so, did Jesus eat His final Passover meal in the evening of the preceding day? Or is there another explanation?
A.T. Robertson, the great Baptist Greek expert wrote, “There is a famous controversy on the apparent disagreement between the Synoptic Gospels and the Fourth Gospel on the date of this last passover meal. My view is that … Jesus ate the passover meal at the regular time about 6 p.m. beginning of 15 Nisan. The passover lamb was slain on the afternoon of 14 Nisan and the meal eaten at sunset the beginning of 15 Nisan. According to this view Jesus ate the passover meal at the regular time and died on the cross the afternoon of 15 Nisan.” In other words, this man believes that Jesus died on a day other than when the Passover lamb was slain. Then there is the added comment of Mark in regard to an event which took place after the crucifixion – “And …when the even was come, because it was the preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath,” Joseph of Arimathaea, came and took down the body of Christ – Mark 15:42-43. Most Catholics and Protestants take the word “sabbath” to refer to the common weekly sabbath of the Jews. Proving to themselves that Jesus died on Friday, but again the number of days and hours do not fit. It must be that this particular “sabbath” was something special for the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
Whatever the date in Nissan might have been, I think that this meal took place on our Tuesday evening. And if the Christ ate the Passover after sunset on Tuesday, that would have been considered Wednesday according to the Jewish calendar. Isn’t it possible that Christ ate the Passover and became the Passover on the same day, although the usual order was reversed – the meal came first? Matthew 26:20 – “Now when the even was come, he sat down with the twelve. And as they did eat.”
All four gospels tell us about different aspects of the Lord’s Passover meal.
Luke tells us that Jesus said, “With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer: For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” After that followed yet another discussion among the disciples about who would be the greatest in the Kingdom of God. And of course there was Jesus’ washing of His disciple’s feet, but only John talks about that. Then before the meal ended, the disciples asked, and Jesus revealed, who it would be that betrayed Him – Matthew 26:21-25. John 13 then tells us that after Judas left the table, Christ warned the rest of the men that they were in danger of desertion.
Then all four Gospels tell us about the Lord’s Supper. As we shall point out later, this was not actually the Passover supper, but it did follow and was at the same table. Obviously, it was not to feed empty bellies, and Judas was not present. Then follows verse 30 – “And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives.” But was there anything which came between the Lord’s Supper and the singing of this hymn?
Either before the singing of their final hymn together, or perhaps on their way out of the city, the Lord gave to us the tremendous blessings of John 14, 15 and 16. “In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.” “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you.” “I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.” “I tell you the truth, it is expedient for you that I go away; for if I got not away, the Comforter will not come unto you, but if I depart, I will send him unto you.” “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”
One might think that Jesus’ great prayer in John 17 would have been uttered in Gethsemane, but if John 18 is to be taken chronologically, it was after the prayer that the Lord and His disciples entered the garden. One logical explanation, but contrary to what I have been taught and, admittedly, what I have taught is that Matthew 26:30 follows several hours of instruction and prayer. After John 14-17 – “And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives.”.
Matthew 26:36-40, together with the other three Gospels tell us about Gethsemane. And when the Lord concluded His devotions, he said, “Rise, let us be going: behold, he is at hand that doeth betray me.” And with that, Judas appeared, and the rest of the events in Jesus’ life pretty much flow along in logical order. I’ll save our study of the trials and crucifixion for a later date.
But to summarize things for this evening:
Matthew 24 and 25 – which we concluded his morning – probably took place on Sunday. The dinner at the leper’s house probably took place on Monday. Jesus and the disciples celebrated the Passover meal in the evening of our Tuesday, but according to Jewish time-keeping it may have taken place after the beginning of Wednesday – sun down. Christ was betrayed during our Tuesday evening; and His trial took place during our Tuesday night. Then by noon on Wednesday He was hanging on the Cross, dying about sun down that evening.
Christ Jesus, our Saviour, then spent three days and three nights in the tomb – Wednesday night, Thursday, Thursday night, Friday, Friday night and Saturday. He arose from the grave at the beginning of the fourth night – that is about sundown on our Saturday. No wonder on the first day of the week the women found the tomb empty. They were 8, 10 or 12 hours late.