THE PASSOVER, THE NEW TESTAMENT, AND THE BETRAYAL #54

THE PASSOVER, THE NEW TESTAMENT, AND THE BETRAYAL #54

Matthew 26:17-75

The time had come for the Son of Man to be betrayed into the hands of sinners. The betrayer sat at the table with Jesus and His disciples. Jesus kept the Passover in order to teach His disciples, and to keep the Law of Moses.

• Dake says, “Preparation for the passover (Mt. 26:18-19). Peter and John, who represented the company of disciples, went, as was customary, to the temple with the paschal lamb. There, taking turns with others who thronged the temple on the same errand, they killed the lamb. The nearest priest caught the blood in a gold or silver bowl and passed it down the row of priests to the one nearest the altar, who instantly sprinkled it toward the altar’s base. The lamb was then flayed and the entrails removed, to be burnt with incense on the altar. This was done in the afternoon. When evening came the lamb was roasted with great care. Unleavened bread, wine, bitter herbs, and sauce were also provided for the supper.” Dake’s Annotated Reference Bible.

 At the table, Jesus stated that one of them would betray Him. They were sorrowful at that saying and began to ask “is it I?” Judas dared not keep silent, so he ask the same question. Sometimes silence cries guilty as loudly as confession. Jesus said it was one to whom He gave the sop. He then gave it to Judas. Judas left immediately. The others thought he was leaving to purchase something. So much for spiritual discernment. 

Jesus blesses the bread and brake it. He then gave it to His disciples, saying, “This is my body.” Then He took the cup and said “This is my blood of the new testament.” He stated that He would not drink it again until He drank it with them in the Kingdom of Heaven.

One thing was evident, it was not His body or His blood. He was in His flesh at the table. Any amount of understanding and common sense will understand that the bread and wine were symbols of His body and blood which He would give on the cross.

Concerning the New Testament, it must be understood that a testament is not a covenant. A covenant is made between two or more people, and does not require blood. One example is in Geneses 6:18 where God made a covenant with Noah. Another, is the covenant between God and Abram in Geneses 15:18. There are too many examples for us to list. None required blood. However, a testament requires blood. See Hebrews 7:22; 9:15-20. A testament was provided in the shed blood of Christ. However, the covenant between God and Israel was not fulfilled because they rejected the testament and the covenant when they rejected the One who would provide both. The events have nothing to do withe the “Lord’s supper, or the church of this dispensation. This is a Jewish Passover and all is Jewish. 

It must be understood that there are no covenants given to the church of this dispensation. The covenants were given to Israel. “For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh: Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.” Romans 9:3-5. “Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers:” Romans 15:8. The following is the promise of the new covenant made to Israel. “Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD: But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” Jeremiah 31:31-34. This will become a reality for Israel in the Kingdom of Heaven; the Millennium. All believers can be saved because of the blood which was the testament, and not because of any covenant. 

Peter was confident that he was ready to die for Christ, and later he would. But, not at this time. The Shepherd would be killed and the sheep would be scattered.

Jesus prayed the same prayer three times. This is a familiar reoccurrence in Matthew. Jesus was not praying that He would not die. His overwhelming burden was taking on the sin of the world. While the Lord agonized, one disciple sold Him for the price of a slave, while the others slept.

Judas gave those who came to apprehend Jesus a sign. It was a kiss. “Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.” Proverbs 27:6 . Peter attempted to defend Jesus with his sword. The Lord told him to put it away. He could call, and more than twelve legions of angels would be sent. Again, we note Dake’s comment on this.

• “A legion was 6,000 so 12 legions would be 72,000 for Himself and the eleven apostles, or 6,000 for each of them. Each angel could slay 185,000 in a night, as one did in Isa. 37:36. On this basis, over 13 billion men could easily have been killed.” Dake’s Annotated Reference Bible:

Although many accusations were brought against Jesus, none could agree on their testimony. Finally the priest, no doubt in frustration said, ” 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…” In other words, yes. He also told him that he would see Him sitting on God’s right hand, and coming will clouds. The clouds could be a host of angels. This was enough to demand His 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?”

Peter learned the truth about Jesus, and himself. When faced with three charges that he was one of Jesus disciples, he denied it all three times. It is one thing to say what we would do while setting in the safety of others. It is quite another when faced with reality.