Matthew 26(31–35)

Introduction

We spent our time last week on the first 30 verses of chapter 26, which began with the Lord predicting that he would be handed over to be crucified at the time of the Passover Feast. And Matthew went on to record that the chief priests and elders were plotting to arrest him and to kill him; and that Judas agreed to help them. And there was also the story of the woman who anointed the Lord with expensive perfume. We learn from John’s gospel that the woman was Mary, whose sister was Martha and whose brother was Lazarus. And the Lord explained that she anointed him with the perfume to prepare his body for burial.

And then, on the night he was betrayed, he and his disciples gathered together to eat the Passover meal, which had been instituted by God to enable his people to remember and to give thanks to God for the night when the Lord passed over their homes and spared their firstborn sons in the days of Moses, when they were slaves in Egypt. Their sons were spared, whereas the sons of the Egyptians were killed. And their sons were spared, because a Passover lamb had been killed and its blood was painted on their doors. And whenever the Lord saw the blood of the lamb, he passed over that house. And afterwards, the people were set free from their slavery and they began the journey through the wilderness to the Promised Land.

But the Lord Jesus changed the meaning of the meal. No longer was it to remember that night in Egypt, because from that time on God’s people were to take the bread and cup to remember and give thanks to God for the night when the Lord Jesus, the true Passover Lamb, died on the cross, giving up his life to pay for our sins and shedding his blood to cleanse us of our guilt. And because he died for us, all who believe in him are rescued from sin and we are now pilgrims, on our way to the Promised Land of Eternal Life.

Once the meal was over, Matthew tells us in verse 30 that they sang a hymn. Apparently it was the custom to sing Psalms 115 to 118 at the end of the Passover meal. And so, perhaps the Lord and his disciples sang those psalms at the end of their time together, before leaving the house to go to the Mount of Olives.

In the verses which follow, the Lord predicts that his disciples will fall away because of him; and Peter will deny him. Then Matthew tells us how the Lord prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane. And after that, Judas, the betrayer, arrived with guards who had come to arrest the Lord. We’ll focus this evening on the Lord’s prediction that his disciples will fall away because of him and Peter will deny him.

Verses 31 and 32

Matthew tells us in verse 31 that the Lord told them that this very night they will all fall away on his account. He says this will take place ‘this very night’. The night is almost over, because the Passover meal had to be eaten in the evening. And so, this will take place in a very little while. In the next few hours, every one of them will fall away.

The word translated ‘fall away’ was used in Matthew 13 in the parable of the sower and the seed. The Lord said that the seed on the rocky ground stands for those who quickly fall away whenever trouble and persecution comes. And that’s exactly what will happen with his disciples. When the guards come to arrest the Lord Jesus, the disciples will fall away from him. Rather than suffer with him, they will run for their lives. And he predicts that all of them will fall away. So, not just one or two or a few of them, but all of them.

Then the Lord quotes from the Old Testament book of Zechariah, where God said that he will strike the shepherd and the sheep of the flock will be scattered. The Lord Jesus is the shepherd. And the Lord announced through Zechariah that he — God — will strike the Lord Jesus. This again makes clear that what happened to the Lord Jesus was all part of God’s plan for our salvation. Yes, the guards arrested the Lord and the Roman soldiers beat him and whipped him and nailed him to the cross. But they were, in a sense, the weapon God used to strike his Son. Their actions were the sinful actions of sinful men. But the Lord God Almighty was able to use their sins for his own good purposes. The soldiers intended to do him evil, but God intended it for good, because he was pierced for our transgressions and he was crushed for our iniquities and the punishment we deserved for our sins was laid on him when God the Father struck him.

So, the Lord Jesus is the shepherd who was about to be struck. And his disciples are the sheep who will be scattered as a result. The Lord Jesus knew how his disciples would respond to his arrest. He knew it, because God has announced it beforehand in the days of Zechariah the prophet. And yet, even though he knew they would fall away from him, he still loved them. The Lord knows all about our shortcomings. He knows the things we have done in the past which were wrong. And he knows the things we will do in the future which will be wrong. He knows our past and future sins, and yet he still loves us. In fact, the reason he was struck was because he loved us and was willing to give up his life for us. He is indeed the Good Shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep.

And he goes on to say in verse 32 that after he has risen, he will go ahead of them into Galilee. So, the Lord has announced that he will be struck. He will be killed. But he also announces that he will be raised. Notice that he says ‘after I have risen’ and not ‘after I rise’. Just as the Father struck him, so the Father will also raise him from the dead. And as I’ve said before, he was raised from the dead to make clear that our sins have been paid for in full. Once a criminal has paid for his crime, he’s released from prison. And since the Lord Jesus has paid for our sins in full, then he could be released from the prison of death. And because he died and was raised, so all who believe in him will be raised to live with him forever.

And once the Lord has risen, he will go before his disciples to Galilee. Whereas shepherds in Northern Ireland go behind the sheep and drive them forward, shepherds in Israel went ahead of them. And so, the Lord will gather his scattered sheep and lead them to Galilee. And there in Galilee, he commissioned them to go and make disciples in his name and then he ascended to heaven.

Verses 33 to 35

The Lord’s message in verses 31 and 32 is overall a positive one. Yes, he will be struck and his disciples will be scattered. However, afterwards he will be raised and he will gather them and lead them. Overall it’s a positive message. However, from what we read next, it’s clear that Peter only focussed on the negative part of his message. And it seems that Peter is offended by the suggestion that he will fall away from the Lord. He says to the Lord in verse 33 that even if all fall away, I never will. The others might fall away, but I won’t. You may not be able to rely on them, but you can always rely on me.

And this seems typical of Peter, doesn’t it? It was Peter who rebuked the Lord for suggesting that he might suffer and die. It was Peter who spoke up at the time of the Lord’s transfiguration and offered to make shelters for Moses and Elijah. And after the Lord spoke to the rich, young ruler about giving up his wealth in order to receive eternal life, it was Peter who asked the Lord what there will be for them since they have left everything to follow him. It seems that it’s always Peter who speaks first. He seems to be the impulsive one. And he’s also the one who seems to be sure of himself. The others may fall away, but not me, Lord.

And the Lord replies by telling him that that very night, before the cock crows, Peter will disown the Lord not just once, not just twice, but three times. Three times he will deny knowing the Lord.

How does the Lord Jesus know that this will happen? We might want to say that he knows it because he is God and God knows everything. However, since he had come to earth as one of us, then I think we need to say that he knew this about Peter because, as a man, he received the Holy Spirit without limit or measure; and the Spirit is the Spirit of wisdom and understanding and of knowledge. And so, the Holy Spirit imparted this supernatural knowledge to him so that he knew in advance what Peter would do.

And Peter insists that even if he has to die with the Lord, he will never disown him. And the other disciples all said the same thing. And this is interesting, because do you know what they were saying? They were saying that the Lord Jesus was wrong. He’s mistaken. He’s wrong about them. And we’re often tempted to think that God is wrong. We read his word: the things he has commanded and the promises he has made. And we think that what he has said perhaps applies to other people, but not to me. Or we think that what he has said applied to people in the past, but things are different now. We think we know better than the Lord. We’re wiser than him. He’s wrong and we’re right.

But that’s never the case, is it? God is never wrong. Everything he says is true, because he is infinitely and eternally and unchangeably true. He knows all things perfectly. And so, we must never think we’re wiser than God. We must never think that what he says is wrong. Instead we must receive and believe all that he has said in his word.

And the Lord Jesus was right about Peter, because that very night, before the cock crowed, he denied knowing the Lord three times. And yet the Lord is gracious and merciful and slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. Even though Peter denied him, and even though all the disciples fell away, the Lord did not hold their sins against them. In fact, even though they fell away from him, and Peter denied knowing him, the Lord still went to the cross and gave up his life for them. And he not only gave up his life for them, but he gave up his life for you and for all who believe. And instead of holding our sins against us, he’s willing to pardon us for all that we have done wrong.

And so, we should never be afraid to go to the Lord in prayer to confess our sins and shortcomings. We should never be afraid, because he knows your sins already. And he was prepared to give up his life for your sins. And he’s willing to pardon all who come to him, confessing their sins and asking for forgiveness.