Matthew 26: The Last Supper and the Arrest of Jesus
The Plot to Kill Jesus
Chapter with Audio
26 When Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said to his disciples, 2 “You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified.”
3 Then the chief priests and the elders of the people gathered in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, 4 and plotted together in order to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him. 5 But they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar among the people.”
Jesus Anointed at Bethany
6 Now when Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, 7 a woman came up to him with an alabaster flask of very expensive ointment, and she poured it on his head as he reclined at table. 8 And when the disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste? 9 For this could have been sold for a large sum and given to the poor.” 10 But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a beautiful thing to me. 11 For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me. 12 In pouring this ointment on my body, she has done it to prepare me for burial. 13 Truly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.”
Judas to Betray Jesus
14 Then one of the twelve, whose name was Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests 15 and said, “What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?” And they paid him thirty pieces of silver. 16 And from that moment he sought an opportunity to betray him.
The Passover with the Disciples
17 Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Where will you have us prepare for you to eat the Passover?” 18 He said, “Go into the city to a certain man and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, My time is at hand. I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.’” 19 And the disciples did as Jesus had directed them, and they prepared the Passover.
20 When it was evening, he reclined at table with the twelve. 21 And as they were eating, he said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” 22 And they were very sorrowful and began to say to him one after another, “Is it I, Lord?” 23 He answered, “He who has dipped his hand in the dish with me will betray me. 24 The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.” 25 Judas, who would betray him, answered, “Is it I, Rabbi?” He said to him, “You have said so.”
Institution of the Lord's Supper
26 Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” 27 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, 28 for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29 I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.”
Jesus Foretells Peter's Denial
30 And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. 31 Then Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away because of me this night. For it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ 32 But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.” 33 Peter answered him, “Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away.” 34 Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” 35 Peter said to him, “Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you!” And all the disciples said the same.
Jesus Prays in Gethsemane
36 Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.” 37 And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38 Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.” 39 And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” 40 And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour? 41 Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 42 Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.” 43 And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. 44 So, leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words again. 45 Then he came to the disciples and said to them, “Sleep and take your rest later on. See, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.”
Betrayal and Arrest of Jesus
47 While he was still speaking, Judas came, one of the twelve, and with him a great crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the elders of the people. 48 Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I will kiss is the man; seize him.” 49 And he came up to Jesus at once and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” And he kissed him. 50 Jesus said to him, “Friend, do what you came to do.” Then they came up and laid hands on Jesus and seized him. 51 And behold, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear. 52 Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword. 53 Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? 54 But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?” 55 At that hour Jesus said to the crowds, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me? Day after day I sat in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me. 56 But all this has taken place that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples left him and fled.
Jesus Before Caiaphas and the Council
57 Then those who had seized Jesus led him to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders had gathered. 58 And Peter was following him at a distance, as far as the courtyard of the high priest, and going inside he sat with the guards to see the end. 59 Now the chief priests and the whole council were seeking false testimony against Jesus that they might put him to death, 60 but they found none, though many false witnesses came forward. At last two came forward 61 and said, “This man said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to rebuild it in three days.’” 62 And the high priest stood up and said, “Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you?” 63 But Jesus remained silent. And the high priest said to him, “I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.” 64 Jesus said to him, “You have said so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.” 65 Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “He has uttered blasphemy. What further witnesses do we need? You have now heard his blasphemy. 66 What is your judgment?” They answered, “He deserves death.” 67 Then they spit in his face and struck him. And some slapped him, 68 saying, “Prophesy to us, you Christ! Who is it that struck you?”
Peter Denies Jesus
69 Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came up to him and said, “You also were with Jesus the Galilean.” 70 But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you mean.” 71 And when he went out to the entrance, another servant girl saw him, and she said to the bystanders, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.” 72 And again he denied it with an oath: “I do not know the man.” 73 After a little while the bystanders came up and said to Peter, “Certainly you too are one of them, for your accent betrays you.” 74 Then he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, “I do not know the man.” And immediately the rooster crowed. 75 And Peter remembered the saying of Jesus, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.
Chapter Analysis
Matthew 26: The Betrayal, Passover, And Arrest Of Jesus
Jesus Foretells His Crucifixion
📖 Matthew 26:1–5
¹ When Jesus finished all these sayings, He told His disciples
² that after two days the Passover would come, and the Son of Man would be delivered up to be crucified.
³ Then the chief priests, scribes, and elders gathered at the palace of the high priest, Caiaphas.
⁴ They plotted to take Jesus by trickery and kill Him.
⁵ But they said not during the feast, lest there be an uproar among the people.
🔹 The Truth
Jesus knew the exact direction of His mission.
The leaders plotted secretly to kill Him.
The crucifixion was not an accident; Jesus foretold it before it happened.
🔹 The Promise
God’s saving purpose would be fulfilled even through the evil plans of men.
✅ Conclusion
Jesus went toward the cross knowingly. Human plotting could not overthrow God’s plan.
Mary Anoints Jesus At Bethany
📖 Matthew 26:6–13
⁶ When Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper,
⁷ a woman came to Him with an alabaster flask of very costly fragrant oil and poured it on His head as He sat at the table.
⁸ When His disciples saw it, they were indignant, asking why this waste was made.
⁹ They said the oil could have been sold for much and given to the poor.
¹⁰ But Jesus knew this and asked why they troubled the woman, saying she had done a good work for Him.
¹¹ The poor would always be with them, but they would not always have Him.
¹² In pouring the fragrant oil on His body, she did it for His burial.
¹³ Jesus said that wherever the gospel was preached in the whole world, what she had done would be told as a memorial to her.
🔹 The Truth
Mary honored Jesus with costly devotion.
The disciples misunderstood her worship as waste.
Jesus received her act as preparation for His burial.
🔹 The Promise
Devotion to Christ is never wasted.
✅ Conclusion
Mary’s act teaches that Christ is worthy of costly love and worship.
Judas Agrees To Betray Jesus
📖 Matthew 26:14–16
¹⁴ One of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests
¹⁵ and asked what they were willing to give him if he delivered Jesus to them. They counted out thirty pieces of silver for him.
¹⁶ From that time, Judas sought opportunity to betray Him.
🔹 The Truth
Judas betrayed Jesus for money.
His closeness to Jesus outwardly did not mean loyalty inwardly.
Sin looks for opportunity when the heart has already turned away.
🔹 The Promise
Even betrayal could not stop the saving purpose of God.
✅ Conclusion
Judas shows the danger of being near holy things while loving sin more than Christ.
Jesus Institutes The New Covenant
📖 Matthew 26:17–30
¹⁷ On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked where He wanted them to prepare the Passover.
¹⁸ He told them to go into the city to a certain man and say the Teacher’s time was at hand, and He would keep the Passover at his house with His disciples.
¹⁹ The disciples did as Jesus directed and prepared the Passover.
²⁰ When evening came, He sat down with the twelve.
²¹ As they ate, He said that one of them would betray Him.
²² They were exceedingly sorrowful, and each asked, “Lord, is it I?”
²³ Jesus answered that the one who dipped his hand with Him in the dish would betray Him.
²⁴ The Son of Man would go as it was written of Him, but woe to that man by whom He was betrayed. It would have been good for that man if he had not been born.
²⁵ Judas, who was betraying Him, asked, “Rabbi, is it I?” Jesus answered, “You have said it.”
²⁶ As they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.”
²⁷ Then He took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you,
²⁸ for this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
²⁹ I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.”
³⁰ When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
🔹 The Truth
Jesus fulfilled the meaning of Passover in Himself.
His blood is the blood of the new covenant, shed for many for the remission of sins.
The new covenant is established through His death.
🔹 The Promise
Through the blood of Jesus, sins are forgiven.
✅ Conclusion
This is the heart of the chapter: Jesus gives His body and sheds His blood to establish the new covenant and bring forgiveness of sins.
Peter’s Denial Foretold
📖 Matthew 26:31–35
³¹ Jesus told them that all of them would stumble because of Him that night, because it was written that the Shepherd would be struck and the sheep of the flock scattered.
³² But after He was raised, He would go before them to Galilee.
³³ Peter answered that even if all stumbled because of Jesus, he would never stumble.
³⁴ Jesus told him that before the rooster crowed that night, Peter would deny Him three times.
³⁵ Peter insisted that even if he had to die with Jesus, he would not deny Him. All the disciples said the same.
🔹 The Truth
Jesus knew His disciples would stumble.
Peter was confident in himself, but Jesus knew his weakness.
Even their failure had been written beforehand.
🔹 The Promise
Jesus promised resurrection and restoration before their failure even happened.
✅ Conclusion
Peter’s confidence was in himself, but Jesus’ word revealed the truth. The disciples needed grace more than self-confidence.
Jesus Prays In Gethsemane
📖 Matthew 26:36–46
³⁶ Jesus came with them to Gethsemane and told His disciples to sit while He went and prayed.
³⁷ He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee with Him and began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed.
³⁸ He told them His soul was exceedingly sorrowful, even to death, and asked them to stay and watch with Him.
³⁹ He went a little farther, fell on His face, and prayed, asking His Father that if possible, the cup might pass from Him; nevertheless, not as He willed, but as the Father willed.
⁴⁰ He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and asked Peter if they could not watch with Him one hour.
⁴¹ He told them to watch and pray lest they enter into temptation. The spirit was willing, but the flesh was weak.
⁴² Again He went away a second time and prayed that if the cup could not pass unless He drank it, the Father’s will be done.
⁴³ He came and found them asleep again, because their eyes were heavy.
⁴⁴ He left them, went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.
⁴⁵ Then He came to His disciples and told them to sleep on and take their rest. The hour was at hand, and the Son of Man was being betrayed into the hands of sinners.
⁴⁶ He told them to rise and go, because His betrayer was at hand.
🔹 The Truth
Jesus faced the cross with deep sorrow and perfect submission.
The cup points to the suffering and judgment He would bear.
The disciples were weak and needed to watch and pray.
🔹 The Promise
Jesus submitted fully to the Father’s will in order to accomplish salvation.
✅ Conclusion
In Gethsemane, Jesus shows perfect obedience: “Not as I will, but as You will.”
Jesus Is Betrayed And Arrested
📖 Matthew 26:47–56
⁴⁷ While Jesus was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, came with a great multitude armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests and elders.
⁴⁸ His betrayer had given them a sign, saying the one he kissed was Jesus, and they should seize Him.
⁴⁹ Immediately Judas came to Jesus, greeted Him as Rabbi, and kissed Him.
⁵⁰ Jesus called him friend and asked why he had come. Then they laid hands on Jesus and took Him.
⁵¹ One of those with Jesus stretched out his hand, drew his sword, struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear.
⁵² Jesus told him to put his sword in its place, because all who take the sword will perish by the sword.
⁵³ He said He could pray to His Father, and He would provide more than twelve legions of angels.
⁵⁴ But then how would the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen this way?
⁵⁵ Jesus asked the multitudes if they had come out against a robber with swords and clubs to take Him. He sat daily with them teaching in the temple, and they did not seize Him.
⁵⁶ But all this happened so the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook Him and fled.
🔹 The Truth
Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss.
Jesus was not powerless; He could have called legions of angels.
He allowed Himself to be taken so the Scriptures would be fulfilled.
🔹 The Promise
God’s written Word was fulfilled even through betrayal and arrest.
✅ Conclusion
Jesus was not captured because He lacked power. He surrendered because He came to fulfill Scripture and save sinners.
Jesus Before The Council And Peter’s Denial
📖 Matthew 26:57–75
⁵⁷ Those who had arrested Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and elders were gathered.
⁵⁸ Peter followed Him at a distance to the high priest’s courtyard and sat with the servants to see the end.
⁵⁹ The chief priests, elders, and council sought false testimony against Jesus to put Him to death,
⁶⁰ but found none, though many false witnesses came forward. Finally two false witnesses came
⁶¹ and said Jesus had claimed He was able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.
⁶² The high priest stood and asked Jesus why He answered nothing to what they testified against Him.
⁶³ Jesus kept silent. The high priest charged Him under oath by the living God to tell whether He was the Christ, the Son of God.
⁶⁴ Jesus said he had said it, and they would see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.
⁶⁵ The high priest tore his clothes and said Jesus had spoken blasphemy. They said He was deserving of death.
⁶⁶ Then they spat in His face, beat Him, and struck Him with the palms of their hands,
⁶⁷ saying, “Prophesy to us, Christ! Who is the one who struck You?”
⁶⁸ Peter sat outside in the courtyard. A servant girl came and said he also was with Jesus of Galilee.
⁶⁹ But Peter denied it before them all, saying he did not know what she was saying.
⁷⁰ When he went out to the gateway, another girl saw him and told those there that he was with Jesus of Nazareth.
⁷¹ Again Peter denied with an oath, saying he did not know the Man.
⁷² A little later, those who stood by came and told Peter that surely he was one of them, because his speech gave him away.
⁷³ Then he began to curse and swear, saying he did not know the Man. Immediately a rooster crowed.
⁷⁴ Peter remembered Jesus’ word that before the rooster crowed, he would deny Him three times. He went out and wept bitterly.
🔹 The Truth
The council sought false testimony because they had already decided to kill Jesus.
Jesus openly affirmed His identity as the Christ, the Son of God, and the Son of Man.
Peter denied Jesus three times, just as Jesus had said.
🔹 The Promise
Even when disciples fail deeply, Jesus’ word remains true and His grace is greater than their weakness.
✅ Conclusion
Matthew 26 ends with Jesus faithful before His enemies and Peter broken by his denial. The contrast is clear: Christ stands firm while His disciples fail, yet His saving mission continues.
Summary Conclusion
Matthew 26 brings Jesus to the night before the cross. He foretells His crucifixion, receives Mary’s costly anointing, is betrayed by Judas, institutes the new covenant in His blood, prays in Gethsemane, submits to arrest, stands before the council, and is denied by Peter. The chapter reveals Jesus’ obedience, His sorrow, His authority, and His willingness to suffer so that sins may be forgiven through His blood.
Final Questions For You
- Why is Matthew 26:28 so important for understanding the new covenant?
- What does Gethsemane teach about Jesus’ obedience to the Father?
- How does Peter’s denial warn us against trusting in our own strength?