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Matthew 26

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

What does Matthew 26:46 mean?

Explanation

Matthew 26:46 is a verse from the New Testament of the Bible that marks a pivotal moment in the Passion narrative, the arrest of Jesus Christ.

In this verse, Jesus is speaking to his disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane after a time of prayer.

He has just undergone intense emotional anguish, aware of the impending suffering He is about to endure.

He tells His disciples to rise and get ready to leave because His betrayer, Judas Iscariot, is near.

The literal interpretation of this passage is clear: Jesus is alerting His disciples that His arrest is imminent.

On a deeper level, it signifies Jesus's awareness of His destiny, His submission to the will of His Father, and His willingness to face what is coming.

It also marks the transition from a private moment of prayerful preparation to the public beginning of His path to the crucifixion.

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Historical Context

Matthew 26:46 is set during the time of the Passover Festival in Jerusalem, approximately 30-33 AD.

Jesus and His disciples had just shared the Last Supper, identified by Christians as the institution of the Eucharist or Holy Communion.

After the meal, Jesus went with His disciples to the Garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives to pray.

This was a moment of intense personal anguish for Jesus, as described in previous verses, where He prays to God to "let this cup pass from me" (Matthew 26:39).

During this time, Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples, had arranged to betray Jesus to the chief priests and elders for thirty pieces of silver.

Theological Insights

This verse has significant theological implications.

From an orthodox Christian perspective, Jesus's directive to "rise" implies a call to action and readiness, contrasting the earlier moment when He had found the disciples asleep during His time of prayer.

His acceptance of betrayal as the mechanism for His arrest reflects the Christian belief in Jesus's foreknowledge and complicity in God's redemptive plan.

Additionally, from a predestinarian standpoint, the verse reflects the idea that the events leading to Jesus's crucifixion were preordained, and Jesus's acceptance of them is a crucial aspect of salvation history.

From a more humanist Christian angle, this moment highlights Jesus's courage in facing His betrayer and the trials He knew would follow.

It's an example of Jesus's human vulnerability mixed with divine purpose.

Also, some theological interpretations may focus on the community's role in suffering, as Jesus involves His disciples in His final moments before arrest, emphasizing fellowship in times of trial.

Practical Applications

This verse encourages individuals to face difficult situations with courage and trust in God's plan, even when the outcome is known to be challenging.

It stresses preparedness and alertness, teaching believers to be spiritually awake and to take action when necessary, rather than remain passive.

Additionally, it suggests that there is a time for private preparation through prayer and a time to confront challenges head-on.

This verse can also be applied by inviting people to stand with others in their times of betrayal or suffering, providing support and solidarity as the disciples were called to do for Jesus.

Cross-References

Matthew 26:14-16: Describes Judas Iscariot's arrangement to betray Jesus.
Mark 14:42: Parallel account where Jesus also tells His disciples to get up and go because His betrayer is near.
John 18:1-3: Depicts the arrival of Judas and the arresting party in the Garden of Gethsemane.
Luke 22:47-48: Describes the moment of betrayal where Judas greets Jesus with a kiss.
[Matthew 26:39-41](/new-testament/matthew/26/39/what-does-matthew-26-39-mean): Shows Jesus praying in Gethsemane and finding the disciples asleep.

Language Study

The original Greek text includes key words such as:

"ἐγείρεσθε" (egeiresthe): Translated as "rise" or "get up," this is an imperative form, suggesting an immediate and urgent action.
"ἄγωμεν" (agōmen): Translated as "let us be going" or "let us go," this also denotes action and movement.
"παραδιδόντι" (paradidonti): Translated as "he is at hand that doth betray," from "παραδίδωμι" (paradidōmi), meaning to deliver or betray.

The present participle form indicates the imminence of the action of betrayal.

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

In comparing this passage with other ancient texts and religious traditions, it's notable that themes of betrayal and confrontation with destiny are common.

For example, in Greek mythology, figures like Oedipus cannot escape their prophesied fates despite their knowledge of it.

In many religious traditions, leaders or prophets often face opposition or betrayal, which tests their commitment to their cause or divine mission.

The acknowledgment of an approaching betrayer could also draw parallels with stories from other cultures where heroes confront their adversaries with a sense of destiny and courage.

Scientific Perspectives

Scientific perspectives would generally not provide insight into the interpretation of this verse, as it deals with historical, theological, and literary elements rather than empirical or testable hypotheses.

However, psychological studies on human behavior could potentially offer understanding on the dynamics of betrayal, group responses to crisis situations, and the psychological resilience displayed by individuals like Jesus in the face of extreme stress and adversity.

Commentaries

Various biblical scholars and theologians offer insights into this verse:

William Barclay notes that Jesus faced His betrayal with a composed serenity, demonstrating His authority even in the face of adversity.
John Calvin comments on the readiness of Christ to submit to the Father's will, interpreting "Rise, let us be going" as an expression of obedience to God’s plan and readiness to suffer.
Matthew Henry emphasizes the need for spiritual vigilance and preparedness, as illustrated by Jesus waking His disciples and preparing to confront His betrayer.
Theologically, scholars like N.T.

Wright focus on the Kingdom of God narrative, seeing Jesus's actions as deliberate steps towards the inauguration of a new covenant through His sacrifice.

Matthew 26

Matthew 26

What does Matthew 26:46 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Matthew Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?

What does Matthew 26:46 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Matthew Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?