A woman empties a year’s wages of perfume over His head six days before His death, one of His own twelve walks out of that same room to sell Him for the price of a slave, and by the time this single chapter ends, Jesus has instituted the ordinance His church would keep for two thousand years, sweat blood praying alone in a garden, been arrested by a kiss, condemned by a court that could not find one true witness against Him, and watched His own most confident disciple deny even knowing His name.
A study in Matthew 26 · Arthur Baldwin · StandUp4Jesus.Org · 39 min read
She Hath Wrought A Good Work Upon Me
This site’s own study of Matthew 25 closed the Olivet discourse. Chapter 26 opens with the priests already plotting and one final, quiet scene at Bethany before the arrests and trials begin.
“Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, There came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on his head, as he sat at meat. But when his disciples saw it, they had indignation, saying, To what purpose is this waste? For this ointment might have been sold for much, and given to the poor.”
Matthew 26:6-9
Matthew never names the woman, but John’s own account of this same evening identifies her as Mary of Bethany, sister of Lazarus and Martha.
“She had heard Jesus speak of His approaching death, and in her deep love and sorrow she had longed to show Him honor. At great personal sacrifice she had purchased an alabaster box of ‘ointment of spikenard, very costly,’ with which to anoint His body. … Breaking her box of ointment, she poured its contents upon the head and feet of Jesus; then, as she knelt weeping, moistening them with her tears, she wiped His feet with her long, flowing hair.”
Ellen G. White · The Desire of Ages, p. 558
Every disciple at the table saw only wasted money. Jesus saw a gift given at exactly the moment it could still be received.
“When Jesus understood it, he said unto them, Why trouble ye the woman? for she hath wrought a good work upon me. For ye have the poor always with you; but me ye have not always. For in that she hath poured this ointment on my body, she did it for my burial. Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this, that this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her.”
Matthew 26:10-13
“‘Verily I say unto you,’ Christ declared, ‘Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her.’ Looking into the future, the Saviour spoke with certainty concerning His gospel. It was to be preached throughout the world. And as far as the gospel extended, Mary’s gift would shed its fragrance, and hearts would be blessed through her unstudied act. Kingdoms would rise and fall; the names of monarchs and conquerors would be forgotten; but this woman’s deed would be immortalized upon the pages of sacred history.”
Ellen G. White · The Desire of Ages, p. 563
Judas led the murmuring against her, and Christ’s public commendation of Mary was, without a word aimed directly at him, the closest thing to a rebuke Judas had ever received.
“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.”
Matthew 26:14-16
“But the look which Jesus cast upon Judas convinced him that the Saviour penetrated his hypocrisy, and read his base, contemptible character. … Now the reproof rankled in his heart. He determined to be revenged. From the supper he went directly to the palace of the high priest, where he found the council assembled, and he offered to betray Jesus into their hands.”
Ellen G. White · The Desire of Ages, p. 563
Thirty pieces of silver was the legal price of a slave gored to death by an ox — the exact sum the priests offered, and Judas took it, for the Lord of glory.
This Is My Body; This Is My Blood
“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? And he said, Go into the city to such a man, and say unto him, The Master saith, My time is at hand; I will keep the passover at thy house with my disciples. And the disciples did as Jesus had appointed them; and they made ready the passover. Now when the even was come, he sat down with the twelve.”
Matthew 26:17-20
Judas himself is at this table, already committed to the priests, already carrying their money.
“And as they did eat, he said, Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me. And they were exceeding sorrowful, and began every one of them to say unto him, Lord, is it I? And he answered and said, He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me. The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born. Then Judas, which betrayed him, answered and said, Master, is it I? He said unto him, Thou hast said.”
Matthew 26:21-25
“As they ate in silence, Jesus said, ‘Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray Me.’ At these words amazement and consternation seized them. They could not comprehend how any one of them could deal treacherously with their divine Teacher. For what cause could they betray Him? and to whom? Whose heart could give birth to such a design? Surely not one of the favored twelve, who had been privileged above all others to hear His teachings, who had shared His wonderful love, and for whom He had shown such great regard by bringing them into close communion with Himself!”
Ellen G. White · The Desire of Ages, p. 654
In the middle of this scene of suspicion and sorrow, Jesus does something no Passover before it had ever included — He replaces the meal’s own meaning.
“And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”
Matthew 26:26-29
“Christ was standing at the point of transition between two economies and their two great festivals. He, the spotless Lamb of God, was about to present Himself as a sin offering, that He would thus bring to an end the system of types and ceremonies that for four thousand years had pointed to His death. As He ate the Passover with His disciples, He instituted in its place the service that was to be the memorial of His great sacrifice.”
Ellen G. White · The Desire of Ages, p. 652
Fourteen centuries of Passover lambs had pointed forward to this table; from this night forward, the bread and cup would point back to it. Judas receives the same bread and the same cup as the other eleven, then leaves to finish what he started.
“In surprise and confusion at the exposure of his purpose, Judas rose hastily to leave the room. … Night it was to the traitor as he turned away from Christ into the outer darkness. Until this step was taken, Judas had not passed beyond the possibility of repentance. But when he left the presence of his Lord and his fellow disciples, the final decision had been made. He had passed the boundary line.”
Ellen G. White · The Desire of Ages, p. 654
“And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives.”
Matthew 26:30
The last thing this chapter records the Eleven doing together, before everything else unravels, is singing.
Not As I Will, But As Thou Wilt
“Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad. But after I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee. Peter answered and said unto him, Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended. Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. Peter said unto him, Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee. Likewise also said all the disciples.”
Matthew 26:31-35
Every one of the Eleven means what he says in this moment; none of them yet knows what the next few hours will actually cost to keep such a promise.
“Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder. And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me. And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.”
Matthew 26:36-39
“He went a little distance from them—not so far but that they could both see and hear Him—and fell prostrate upon the ground. He felt that by sin He was being separated from His Father. The gulf was so broad, so black, so deep, that His spirit shuddered before it.”
Ellen G. White · The Desire of Ages, p. 686
“In His agony He clings to the cold ground, as if to prevent Himself from being drawn farther from God. … From His pale lips comes the bitter cry, ‘O My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me.’ Yet even now He adds, ‘Nevertheless not as I will, but as Thou wilt.’”
Ellen G. White · The Desire of Ages, p. 687
Three separate times Jesus returns to His three closest disciples for the simple comfort of finding them awake and praying; three separate times He finds them asleep instead.
“And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. 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, thy will be done. And he came and found them asleep again: for their eyes were heavy. And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.”
Matthew 26:40-44
“Three times has He uttered that prayer. Three times has humanity shrunk from the last, crowning sacrifice. … He will save man at any cost to Himself. He accepts His baptism of blood, that through Him perishing millions may gain everlasting life.”
Ellen G. White · The Desire of Ages, p. 690
The decision that would carry Him to the cross was not made on Calvary; it was made here, alone, on His face in the dirt of an olive garden, hours before anyone laid a hand on Him.
“Then cometh he to his disciples, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going: behold, he is at hand that doth betray me.”
Matthew 26:45-46
The struggle is over before the mob even arrives; Jesus walks out to meet His betrayer already resolved.
Then Came They, And Laid Hands On Jesus
“And while he yet spake, lo, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and elders of the people. Now he that betrayed him gave them a sign, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he: hold him fast. And forthwith he came to Jesus, and said, Hail, master; and kissed him. And Jesus said unto him, Friend, wherefore art thou come? Then came they, and laid hands on Jesus, and took him.”
Matthew 26:47-50
Before Judas’s kiss ever lands, Jesus has already stepped forward on His own and identified Himself, and the effect on the mob that came armed to take Him by force is nothing like what they expected.
“No traces of His recent agony were visible as Jesus stepped forth to meet His betrayer. Standing in advance of His disciples He said, ‘Whom seek ye?’ They answered, ‘Jesus of Nazareth.’ Jesus replied, ‘I am He.’”
Ellen G. White · The Desire of Ages, p. 694
One of the disciples reaches for a sword rather than accept what is happening.
“And, behold, one of them which were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck a servant of the high priest’s, and smote off his ear. Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword. Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?”
Matthew 26:51-54
“Peter in his anger rashly drew his sword and tried to defend his Master, but he only cut off an ear of the high priest’s servant. When Jesus saw what was done, He released His hands, though held firmly by the Roman soldiers, and saying, ‘Suffer ye thus far,’ He touched the wounded ear, and it was instantly made whole.”
Ellen G. White · The Desire of Ages, p. 696
Even bound and surrounded, Jesus performs one final miracle of healing for the very servant sent to arrest Him — and it is His last recorded miracle before the cross.
“In that same hour said Jesus to the multitudes, Are ye come out as against a thief with swords and staves for to take me? I sat daily with you teaching in the temple, and ye laid no hold on me. But all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled.”
Matthew 26:55-56
A night arrest by torchlight, against a man who had taught openly in the temple every day that week, exposes exactly what kind of confrontation the priests always intended this to be.
Hereafter Shall Ye See The Son Of Man
“And they that had laid hold on Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled. But Peter followed him afar off unto the high priest’s palace, and went in, and sat with the servants, to see the end. Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death; But found none: yea, though many false witnesses came, yet found they none. At the last came two false witnesses, And said, This fellow said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days.”
Matthew 26:57-61
“Early in His ministry Christ had said, ‘Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.’ In the figurative language of prophecy, He had thus foretold His own death and resurrection. ‘He spake of the temple of His body.’ … These words the Jews had understood in a literal sense, as referring to the temple at Jerusalem. Of all that Christ had said, the priests could find nothing to use against Him save this. By misstating these words they hoped to gain an advantage.”
Ellen G. White · The Desire of Ages, p. 705
A trial built on manufactured testimony was going nowhere until the high priest abandoned witnesses altogether and put the question to Jesus directly, under solemn oath.
“And the high priest arose, and said unto him, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee? But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God. Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.”
Matthew 26:62-64
“At last, Caiaphas, raising his right hand toward heaven, addressed Jesus in the form of a solemn oath: ‘I adjure Thee by the living God, that Thou tell us whether Thou be the Christ, the Son of God.’ To this appeal Christ could not remain silent. … Every ear was bent to listen, and every eye was fixed on His face as He answered, ‘Thou hast said.’”
Ellen G. White · The Desire of Ages, p. 706
Jesus had every reason to stay silent, since answering sealed His own death sentence — but an oath sworn in the name of the living God could not go unanswered, whatever the cost.
“Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy. What think ye? They answered and said, He is guilty of death. Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him; and others smote him with the palms of their hands, Saying, Prophesy unto us, thou Christ, Who is he that smote thee?”
Matthew 26:65-68
“Rending his robe, that the people might see his pretended horror, he demanded that without further preliminaries the prisoner be condemned for blasphemy. … Conviction mingled with passion led Caiaphas to do as he did. … He had pronounced upon himself the death sentence.”
Ellen G. White · The Desire of Ages, p. 708
By Israel’s own law, a high priest who tore his own garment disqualified himself from the priesthood in the very act of condemning someone else — Caiaphas pronounced two sentences that night, and only meant to pronounce one.
He Went Out, And Wept Bitterly
“Now Peter sat without in the palace: and a damsel came unto him, saying, Thou also wast with Jesus of Galilee. But he denied before them all, saying, I know not what thou sayest. And when he was gone out into the porch, another maid saw him, and said unto them that were there, This fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth. And again he denied with an oath, I do not know the man.”
Matthew 26:69-72
“She said to Peter, ‘Art not thou also one of this Man’s disciples?’ … Peter felt compelled to answer, and said angrily, ‘Woman, I know Him not.’ This was the first denial, and immediately the cock crew. O Peter, so soon ashamed of thy Master! so soon to deny thy Lord!”
Ellen G. White · The Desire of Ages, p. 710
Peter, who had promised to die before he would deny his Lord, breaks that promise three times within the space of a single hour, and the third time is the worst.
“And after a while came unto him they that stood by, and said to Peter, Surely thou also art one of them; for thy speech bewrayeth thee. Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew. And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly.”
Matthew 26:73-75
“While the degrading oaths were fresh upon Peter’s lips, and the shrill crowing of the cock was still ringing in his ears, the Saviour turned from the frowning judges, and looked full upon His poor disciple. At the same time Peter’s eyes were drawn to his Master. In that gentle countenance he read deep pity and sorrow, but there was no anger there. The sight of that pale, suffering face, those quivering lips, that look of compassion and forgiveness, pierced his heart like an arrow.”
Ellen G. White · The Desire of Ages, p. 712
Not one word of rebuke passed between them — only a look, and it did what no accusation could have done. The chapter that opened with a woman pouring out everything she had in love closes with a disciple who had promised everything and given, in the moment of testing, nothing at all. Both of them wept before it was over; only one of them had reason to weep for joy.
