92nd Week, Matthew Chapter 26

 Click on the Title for Video Introduction

                                                                                

Monday, Matthew Chapter 26A (Verses 1-30)

Matthew 26A

Verse 24

Bart Strayer

Verse 24:  “The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him.  But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.”

THOUGHT

The older I get the more I understand the power of conviction.  Remember all the time we spent in our education years cramming things into memory, and sometimes it would stick and sometimes it would never stick?  When the Holy Spirit brings about conviction, do you have trouble understanding or

remembering?  No way Jose!  Conviction is a highly underestimated power that God uses on us during strategic times in our lives.  Jesus’s prophecy in verse 24 would come true.  Conviction in Judas’s life would be so powerful that he would kill himself in disgust.  Don’t underestimate the power of conviction.  When you see it happening in your life, let it take its course. It will change your life for good.

PRAYER

Lord, we ask that You would bring about conviction in the areas of our lives that need it most.  Help change us for Your glory.  Let us be a living testimony to the power of the Holy Spirit in the lives of men and women.  AMEN

Tuesday, Jesus prepares the Last Supper 

Jesus eagerly anticipated the opportunity to be with His disciples, even though He knew one would betray Him, one would deny Him, and all would forsake Him.  He sought to help and prepare them for the trial before them.  Our Lord prepared the Last Supper.  

Each name we use for this sacrament brings out a different dimension to it.  It is the Lord's Supper because it commemorates the Passover meal Jesus ate with His disciples; it is the Eucharist (Thanksgiving) because in it we thank God for Christ's work for us; it is Communion because through it we commune with God and with other believers.  As we eat the bread and drink the wine, we should be quietly reflective as we recall Jesus' death and His promise to come again, grateful for God's wonderful gift to us, and joyful as we meet with Christ and the body of believers.  

Wednesday, Matthew 26B (Verses 31- 46)

Matthew 26B

Verse 39

Bart Strayer

Verse 39:  Going a little further, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me.  Yet not as I will, but as you will.”

THOUGHT 

I liked what some of the commentators said on this verse so much, that I thought I would mention it again.  Would knowing your future make your life any better or worse?  Knowing the future without knowing the context of events or my spiritual growth, would seem worse for me.  

Here is the easy answer: Let’s do as Jesus did, and let God’s will be done. Thus, we will then know for certain that our future will be good (heavenly good, not humanly good, there is big difference).  However, it takes strong faith to trust God’s plans for our future.  The obedience of prayer will help us along the way.  AND let’s not forget; faith is the one thing that we can do that pleases God.

PRAYER 

Dear God, we thank You for the gift of Your Son.  Reading the account of  His last days helps us again gain our perspective as to the scope of Your love for us.  Let us never forget that.  Help us to follow You even in the days that hope seems to be lost and sorrow sets in.  Be our strength in those times of weakness.  Thank You, Jesus, for Your suffering for us.  AMEN

Thursday, Matthew 26C (Verses 47-75)

Matthew 26C

Verse 75

Matt Strayer

Verse 75:  Immediately a rooster crowed.  Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken, “Before the roaster crows, you will disown me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.

THOUGHT

In verses 47-75 of chapter 26 we can see that Peter is the disciple that stands out.  At the arrest of Jesus, Peter is the one who reached for his sword, drew it out and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear.  After the arrest Jesus was taken to Caiaphas where the teachers of the law and the elders had assembled.  But Peter followed him at a distance, right up to the courtyard of the high priest.  He even entered and sat down with the guards to see the outcome.  Where were all the other disciples at this point??  Peter also became a leader among the early church and did great things following Jesus’ death on the cross.  He wrote 1st and 2nd Peter which are great books in the Bible from which we learn.

I guess I chose the verse above because in the past when I thought of Peter, I remembered his denial of Jesus.  However, I guess I just wanted to encourage all of us to look beyond that to all the other great things that Peter did.  My study Bible stated it in this way, “It is better to be a follower who fails, than one who fails to follow.”  Peter was human as we all are.  He wept bitterly because of the mistake, but let’s not forget the strengths of this courageous follower of our Lord Jesus.

PRAYER

Dear God, thanks for giving us Peter and his stories in the Bible to learn from.  We are all human and make mistakes like Peter, however, help us to be as courageous as he was in many instances to be great followers of Jesus.  AMEN

Friday, Peter, The Disciple

Peter missed his opportunities to become strong and be a victor.  He boasted when he should have listened (vv.32-35), slept when he should have prayed (vv.36-46), fought when he should have fled for safety (vv. 57-75). But when the opportunity came for him to repent, he  wept.

Jesus' first worlds to Simon Peter were "Come, follow me."  His last words to him were, "You must follow me."  Every step of the way between those two challenges, Peter never failed to follow - even though he often stumbled.  

When Jesus entered Peter's life, this plain fisherman became a new person with new goals and new priorities.  He did not become a perfect person, however, and he never stopped being himself.  We may wonder what Jesus saw in Peter.  However, when Jesus chose his followers, he wasn't looking for models; He was looking for real people.  Jesus knew Peter was The Rock that He could build His church on.  

Peter became the recognized leader among Jesus' disciples - one of the inner group of three and was the first great voice of the gospel during and after Pentecost.  He learned that his enthusiasm had to be backed up by faith and understanding and that God's faithfulness can compensate for our greatest unfaithfulness.  

We may wonder what Jesus sees in us when He calls us to follow Him.  But we know Jesus accepted Peter, and in spite of his failures, Peter went on to do great things for God.  We must be willing to keep following even when we fail.