Read: Matthew 26
DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT: Chapters 26 and 27 of Matthew's Gospel are lengthy, packed with details and emotion. It is difficult to address every conversation, incident, and activity in these chapters within the confines of a daily devotional guide. Suffice it to say these chapters illustrate the rejection of Jesus and its final result. Chapter 26 reveals His rejection by the highest religious authorities of His people, along with His rejection by those closest to Him: Judas' betrayal of Him for money, and Peter's denial of Him for self-protection. Chapter 27 will reveal His rejection by the crowds, by the judicial system, and, through Romans in the story, by the world itself.
Chapter 26 presents us with a continuous narrative that leads to Jesus' indictment for heresy and the beginning of His physical torture. However, there are two "interruptions" in the narrative's flow, which signal to us their importance. First, a woman anoints Jesus' head with costly perfume while He was dining in Bethany (within close proximity of Jerusalem) two nights before the Passover. The jars in which perfume was kept at that time were often made of alabaster, and they were usually carved with a long, thin neck in order to allow ease of pouring. It was not unusual for a guest in a home to be anointed with perfume as a gesture of welcome and honor; in this case, the woman apparently poured the entire jar of very expensive perfume on Jesus' head (which may well have amounted to a significant portion of her financial resources, give the economy of the day). It was an extravagant act and expression of devotion, although Jesus' disciples thought it was a "waste," since "this perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor" (verse 26.9). Jesus upbraids them in His response, calling her action a beautiful thing to do and a prophetic act of preparation for what would ultimately take place. Jesus declares that "wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her” (verse 26.13), perhaps prompting Matthew to take special care to include this incident in the narrative. One thing is clear: at his particular moment in time, this woman had greater insight into who Jesus was and what He was about to experience than His disciples, who were preoccupied with far more mundane matters. Preoccupation that prevents recognition of and extravagant devotion to the Savior is no virtue.
The second "interruption" to the narrative's flow occurs in verses 26.17-30, when Jesus celebrates the Jewish Passover with His disciples. The meal was designed to remember and celebrate the first "Passover," when God delivered the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt (see the Old Testament Book of Exodus, chapter 12). The meal would include roast lamb, bitter herbs, unleavened bread, a nut and fruit mixture, a raw vegetable, and four cups of wine. As the meal was eaten, the host would interpret the symbolism of each aspect of the meal. Jesus transformed the meal for His disciples into a time of remembrance and celebration of the salvation God was about to deliver: "Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, 'Take and eat; this is my body.' Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, 'Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins'"(verses 26.26-28). This meal of remembrance has come to be known as the Lord's Supper among the followers of Jesus, and it continues to serve as a reminder of the passion and pain Jesus experienced in order to deliver a world from slavery to sin.
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