The Gospel of Matthew Study Help (Matthew 26:55-63)

The Passion of Christ

Questions to be answered in this study

1. How could our familiarity of the death burial and resurrection of Christ be a hindrance?
2. How do you answer the question Jesus asked the multitude following the Roman soldiers: Why didn’t you arrest me when I sat teaching in the temple daily?
3. Why did the High Priest choose to have Jesus arrested outside of the temple when they could have easily arrested Him any day when He taught there?
4. There is another reason that the events happened as they did, which lead up to the arrest of Jesus; what is it?
5. How do the events of the passion of Christ validate the authenticity of Scripture?
6. How do we know that Satan had a part in the crucifixion of Jesus?
7. How do we know that the crucifixion was God’s plan dating back thousands of years?
8.  How is the seed of the woman an oblique reference to the virgin birth of the Lord since women don’t have seed?
9. What guarantee do we have that Satan won’t tempt us beyond our capacity to handle it?
10. What was the answer that Jesus gave the High Priest that ended the religious trial?
11. Why did God permit the physical abuse of Jesus during His religious trial and later by the Roman soldiers?

Introduction

In today’s study of the passion of Jesus, His trial leading to crucifixion are becoming intense. This part of the study of Matthew is familiar to most, since there have been a lot of sermons, articles, and movies based on the text, which are mostly accurate; the effect of that is, our knowledge of the subject may hinder learning details that are not so familiar.

Details are essential in our understanding of the death and resurrection of Jesus. Therefore, I encourage you to put aside what you know already or think you know and try to learn some new things that will enhance your knowledge of this significant event.

Let’s let the Bible speak to us as we move into this next phase of the passion of Christ as Jesus confronts the religious leaders and is falsely accused. As we saw in the previous study, the Roman soldiers and the crowd of Roman cohorts, led by Judas, have entered the Garden of Gethsemane carrying torches and weapons to arrest Jesus, Jesus turns to the multitude rather than the Roman soldiers, which includes the religious leaders:

Matthew 26:55-56, “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. 56But all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled.”

As Jesus asked the religious leaders why they came with such a force to arrest Him when they could have done so as He sat in the temple teaching, the disciples departed from Him to leave Him alone to face His enemies.

In the introduction, I mentioned details concerning the crucifixion and resurrection that might not be commonly known; here is one of them. What is the answer to the statement that Jesus made to the religious leaders in verse 55? Though not stated as a question, that is what it implies: Why didn’t you arrest me when I sat teaching in the temple daily?

Mathew does not give the answer to the question that Jesus asked. So, to answer it, we need to understand the background and the relationship between Rome and Israel. Israel was under two systems of law. First, they were governed by the religious Mosaic law, and secondly, they were governed by Roman civil law. Israel’s political leaders and judges were Pharisaic rabbis who sat on the Sanhedrin council, and the local Jewish leaders were priests. Their book of the law was the Mishnah, which was a book of rules handed down over hundreds of years and were a heavy Burdon on Israel.  Unlike the United States, there was no separation of church and state; in Israel, the church ruled the state. Now that Israel was also under Roman law, beginning in 66 BC, they, as all conquered nations, were expected to speak Latin, the official Roman language, accept Rome’s Hellenistic culture, and observe Rome’s pagan worship. However, the Romans discovered that the Jews were different from any other nation they had conquered and could not be ruled similarly. The Jews resisted the culture, the language, and especially the worship of the idols of the Romans. Israel learned their lesson well concerning idols during 70 years of Babylonian captivity when they were inundated with idols on every side. The Romans realized that they could not force the Jews to abide by their ways when they were willing to die rather than change. So, the Romans discovered the only way to have peace and stability in Judea was to allow them to remain in their culture, which was an exception they allowed no other people.

           Every person in the empire was required to worship the Roman gods, but the Jews were the only exception. The Jewish temple was sovereign territory, controlled and policed by the Jews. In the temple area, the Jews were allowed to conduct business and use their currency. The Jews were also allowed to govern under the Mosaic Law, although they were still responsible to obey Roman Law. They could conduct trials and punish offenders within the temple area, but they had to have Rome’s approval outside that area, especially to exercise capital punishment. So, outside the temple area, they did not have the right to arrest, try and convict, and execute criminals; that raises the question as to why the high priests didn’t stop Jesus and execute Him when He taught inside the temple without Roman intervention. That was the essence of the question Jesus asked the religious leaders.

           There was good reason for arresting Jesus outside the temple. The Priests knew they had no case against Jesus, and the people would have rebelled against them had they tried to arrest Him and try Him inside the temple area. Therefore, they waited to arrest Jesus outside the temple and at night so the Romans would be responsible taking the pressure off the Sanhedrin and the high priests. Another point is that they would have probably lost the trial if they conducted it themselves without evidence against Jesus.

           Essentially, there is another reason for the events leading up to the arrest of Jesus; He said in verse 56, “But all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. In other words, it was already determined by Scripture how the events would unfold; this is further evidence of the authenticity of Scripture. The apostles did not make up the gospel’s account as some have proposed. Had they done so, they would not have represented themselves so poorly as being weak, foolish, and ignorant, but instead, they would have made themselves out to have been heroes.

In Mark’s account of the events that took place in the Garden, he describes his action this way: “And there followed him a certain young man, having a linen cloth cast about his naked body; and the young men laid hold on him: 52And he left the linen cloth and fled from them naked.” Mark 14:51-52. Verse 56b reveals how the disciples reacted to Jesus’ arrest: “Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled.”

Luke’s gospel gives us some additional information showing Satan’s part in the events in the Garden: Jesus said, “but this is your hour, and the power of darkness,” Luke 22:53. Once again, Satan had no idea that he was defeating his purpose once and for all by aiding in the death of Jesus. According to Genesis, God’s plan is now taking effect after thousands of years: “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel,” Genesis 3:15.

After Satan tempted Eve in the Garden, and Adam and Eve fell to Satan’s temptation to sin, sin entered the human race. Then God told Satan He would put enmity, or a conflict, between the forces of Satan and the forces of God. In Genesis 3:15, God uses the terms the seed of Satan and the seed of the woman; the seed of the woman is the reference to the virgin birth of the Lord since women don’t have seed. So, this is an oblique reference to the virgin birth of Christ without the seed of man. He, the Lord, shall bruise the head of Satan, which means the defeat of Satan’s assault on humanity. However, it bruises the heal of the Lord, which refers to His death on the cross to pay the penalty for man’s sin. Therefore, the seed of Woman is Jesus, and those who by faith in Christ are born again receive forgiveness for their sins and awarded eternal life. 

           Just as Jesus suffered persecution because of Satan, so will we in the form of temptation to sin against the will of God. We face a battle with Satan, but we have the Lord on our side, so we shall persevere. Job is a Biblical example of someone who suffered severe persecution from Satan, yet Satan’s hope of winning Job and causing him to curse God failed. Job said, “Though he slays me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him,” Job 13:15. 

In our case, just as in Job’s, we mature spiritually due to Satan’s temptation. We have God’s guarantee that He will not allow Satan to tempt us beyond our capacity to handle it: “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it,” 1 Corinthians 10:13.

           We are in a spiritual battle along with God and the angels of heaven in the name of Jesus and for His glory. As long as we keep our eyes on the Lord, we shall triumph over Satan. When the going gets hard, God will give us a way out and guide us along the path of His will.

           Now we come to the beginning of the trial of Jesus:

Matthew 26:57-64, “And they that had laid hold on Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the high Priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled. 58But Peter followed him afar off unto the high Priest’s palace, and went in, and sat with the servants, to see the end. 59Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death; 60But found none: yea, though many false witnesses came, yet found they none. At the last came two false witnesses, 61And said, This fellow said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days. 62And the high Priest arose, and said unto him, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee? 63But 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. 64Jesus 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.”

There were two separate trials of Jesus that took place in four locations. Two High Priests conducted the Jewish religious trial on this day at the home of Annas, the High Priest who had been the High Priest in Israel for 30 years but was disposed of by Rome because he would not cooperate with them. Rome installed Caiaphas, their choice for High Priest to take his place, but the people still honored Annas as their High Priest. Therefore, there were two that claimed the position of High Priest. So, the trial was split between the two homes of these men, first at the home of Annas and then at the house of Caiaphas. Matthew only gives the record of the portion of the trial at the home of Caiaphas. Jewish laws were broken in both trials, including the physical abuse of Jesus and witnesses falsely accusing Him.

In verse 58, Matthew tells us that Peter’s curiosity causes him to move into the courtyard, and John assisted Peter in going past the guard into the courtyard. So, according to Mark, Peter sits down by some temple officers who may have been in the crowd who arrested Jesus. At first, they do not recognize Peter.

At this time, in the house, Jesus is being interrogated by the High Priest and accused by the false witnesses. In verse 60, Matthew says many false witnesses were called to testify against Jesus. Many false witnesses were called in the attempt to find two that agreed, which was the requirement of Jewish law before there could be a conviction. In verse 60, Matthew says they finally were able to find two witnesses with somewhat matching testimonies.

Two witnesses said that Jesus had said that He could destroy the temple and raise it again in three days. One of these witnesses is noted in Matthew’s account and the other in Mark’s gospel. When you compare the testimony of these two witnesses, you will find that they are not the same, but the Priest judged that they were close enough to Convict Jesus. In verse 62, the Priest tries to force Jesus to defend Himself, and making an incriminating statement. 

Jesus held His peace and remained silent until the Priest says in verse 63, “I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God. With this statement, Jesus was placed under oath, and a person under oath must answer the question according to Jewish law. Jesus answers in verse 64, “you have said it,” meaning that it was true, and Jesus adds in Mark’s Gospel, “I am.” Jesus is saying in essence, “I am God the Messiah.” Then He continues in verse 64, saying, “Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.” That contradicts those critics who say that Jesus never said He was the Messiah.

After Jesus answered the Priest’s question, it was enough, and the religious trial ended. Jesus was sent to the Romans to pronounce the death sentence since the Jews weren’t allowed to do so under Roman law. Still, they took advantage of Jesus physically abusing Him until He was barely recognizable. You may wonder why God permitted it. God wanted us to learn from the suffering of Jesus, His courage, perseverance, godliness, and His submission to the Father’s will is a model for us. We can draw from the example of Jesus the strength to face anything that comes our way in life. We may sometimes forget the power that is available to us.

Jesus prepared His disciples for the suffering ahead: “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,” John 16:33.

Today, more than ever, we are faced with extreme circumstances threatening our very existence. The Apostle Paul faced extreme events, and his response reveals something to which we also relate: “Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content,” Philippians 4:11. When we place our faith in Jesus, the temporal events of life no longer defeat and stress us out. We, along with Paul, can say, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me,” Philippians 4:13.