Matthew 26:50

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. For the exposition, see the notes at John 18:1....

50._Friend, for what purpose comest thou? _Luke expresses it more fully: _Judeas, betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss? _except that there is greater force in this reproof, that the benevolence of his Master, and the very high honor conferred on him, are wickedly abused for the purpose of the basest treachery. For Christ does not employ an ironical address when he calls him _friend, _but charges him with ingratitude, that, from being an intimate _friend, _who sat at his table, he had become a traitor, as had been predicted in the psalm: _If a stranger had done this, I could have endured it; but now my private and familiar friend, with whom I took food pleasantly, who accompanied me to the temple of the Lord, hath prepared snares against me. _(214) This shows clearly—what I hinted a little ago—that, whatever may be the artifices by which hypocrites conceal themselves, and whatever ma...

47-56 No enemies are so much to be abhorred as those professed disciples that betray Christ with a kiss. God has no need of our services, much less of our sins, to bring about his purposes. Though Christ was crucified through weakness, it was voluntary weakness; he submitted to death. If he had not been willing to suffer, they could not conquer him. It was a great sin for those who had left all to follow Jesus; now to leave him for they knew not what. What folly, for fear of death to flee from Him, whom they knew and acknowledged to be the Fountain of life!...

Verse 50. _JESUS SAID - FRIEND_] Rather, _companion_, εταιρε, (_not_ FRIEND,) _wherefore_, rather, _against whom_ (εφ' ὃ, the reading of all the best MSS.) _art thou come_? How must these words have cut his very soul, if he had any sensibility left! Surely, thou, who hast so long been my _companion_, art not come against _me_, thy Lord, Teacher and Friend! What is the human heart not capable of, when abandoned by God, and influenced by Satan and the love of money! _LAID HANDS ON JESUS_] But not before they had felt that proof of his sovereign power by which they had all been struck down to the earth, John 18:6. It is strange that, after this, they should dare to approach him; but the Scriptures must be fulfilled....

The account of Jesus’ being betrayed by Judas is recorded by all the evangelists. See Mark 14:43; Luke 22:47; John 18:2. Matthew 26:47 JUDAS, ONE OF THE TWELVE, CAME - This was done while Jesus was addressing his disciples. John informs us that Judas knew the place, because Jesus was in the habit of going there with his disciples. Judas had passed the time, after he left Jesus and the other disciples at the Passover, in arranging matters with the Jews, collecting the band, and preparing to go. Perhaps, also, on this occasion they gav

EXPOSITION Ch. 26-28:20 THUS JESUS ENTERS UPON HIS KINGDOM. Before attempting to expound this most momentous section of the gospel history, we must make up our minds concerning the solution of the difficulties which are involved in some details in the account of the Supper. The supposed discrepancy between the narrative of the synoptists and that of St. John has exercised the minds of commentators from the earliest times unto the present, and enormous ingenuity has been expended in endeavouring to harmonize what are regarded as conflicting statements. The two chief difficulties are these: According to the synoptists, as generally understood, our Lord and his apostles ate the Passover, _i.e. _the Paschal lamb, when he instituted the Holy Communion; according to St. John, the death of Christ took place before the Passover was celebrated. Hence

AND JESUS SAID UNTO HIM, FRIEND,.... Not in an ironical and sarcastic way, but because he pretended to be his friend, by saluting and kissing him, in the manner he had done; or rather, because Christ had always used him as his friend, his familiar friend, who had been of his councils, and had ate at his table; and therefore this carried in it something very cutting, had Judas had any conscience, or sense of gratitude: WHEREFORE ART THOU COME? The Ethiopic version reads, "my friend, art thou not come?" that is, art thou come as my friend? is thy coming as a friend, or as an enemy? if as a friend, what means this company with swords and staves? if as an enemy, why this salutation and kiss? or what is thine end in coming at this time of night? what is thy business here? thou hast left my company, and my disciples, what dost thou do here? The Syriac version reads it, "to that"; and the Arab...

The story of Peter's denial of his Master is recorded in all four of the Gospels. There are some differences of expression in each version, so it will not be tautology if we read all four of them; and if we read them attentively, we shall get a clear view of the whole incident. Matthew 26:31. _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._ This was a very presumptuous speech, not only because of the self-confidence which it displayed, but also because it was a flat contradiction of what the Master had just said «All ye shall be offended because of me this nig

FRIEND Greek, "Hetaire," means "comrade." Perhaps the most touching thing in the Bible. The Lord does not disown Judas....

13. THE PASSION OF THE KING. Chapter s 26-27. CHAPTER 26 1. His Death Planned. (Matthew 26:1 .) 2. Mary of Bethany Anointing the King.(Matthew 26:6 .) 3. The Betrayal. (Matthew 26:14 .) 4. The Last Passover.(Matthew 26:17 .) 5. The Lord's Supper Instituted.(Matthew 26:26 .) 6. Peter's Denial Announced and the Scattered Sheep.(Matthew 26:30 .) 7. In Gethsemane. ...