Matthew 26: Arrested (7)

Pray Psalm 22.29.
All the prosperous of the earth
Shall eat and worship;
All those who go down to the dust
Shall bow before Him,
Even he who cannot keep himself alive.

Sing Psalm 22.29.
(Dix: For the Beauty of the Earth)
All the prosp’rous of the earth shall before His mercy fall;
bending low before His worth, hear them humbly on Him call.
Even those low in the grave He will by His mercy save.

Read and meditate on Matthew 26.1-75.

Prepare.
1. What did Jesus teach us about submitting to Scripture in this chapter?

2. How did the disciples respond to Jesus’ being arrested?

Meditate.
The events of this chapter are familiar to all who know, love, and serve Jesus Christ. They fill us with sadness. We feel a certain shame in reading about the disciples’ betrayal and Jesus’ arrest and trial, because we seem to understand that, had we been there with Him, we’d have run away like all the others.

We perhaps think of the events of this and the next chapter in Matthew’s gospel as Jesus’ darkest hour. If we read Psalm 88 along with these two chapters, and see Jesus sweating drops of blood in prayer, and hear Him crying to His Father from the cross, we can believe that His suffering was infinitely great.

But there is a glimmer of hope in this chapter, and it affords a glimpse into the mind of Christ as He entered into the full measure of His suffering: “But I say to you, 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” (v. 29). Jesus is looking ahead to the coming of the Kingdom, which God will give Him as the prize of His great victory, and which He will bestow on His saints for the reconciliation and restoration of the world (cf. Dan. 7.13-18; 2 Cor. 5.17-21).

In Psalm 22, the suffering Servant is looking through the gloom and pain to the bright morn into which His Spirit will spring like a deer of the dawn. Psalm 22.1-21 graphically depicts the sufferings of Jesus on the cross. But then verses 21-31 spread out what the writer of Hebrews referred to as “the joy that was set before Him” which by envisioning, He was able to “endure the cross, despising the shame” (Heb. 12.2).

Submitting to God’s Word does not mean only submitting to the disciplines and difficulties that come with following Jesus. It also means submitting to the vision of His Father’s Kingdom, the Kingdom which Jesus secured by His death and resurrection, and which He bestows on us from His throne at the right hand of God. See Jesus seeing this Kingdom coming in glory. It is a vision of joy unspeakable, power for righteous living, and peace that nothing can disrupt. Submit to God’s Word concerning our calling to seek His Kingdom and glory (1 Thess. 2.12). If you do, you will find strength to bear up through whatever this sinful world may throw at you today.

Reflect.
1. What is involved in seeing through the present to the coming of the Kingdom?

2. What does it mean to pray for the coming of the Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven?

3. How should living with a Kingdom persepctive affect the way we conduct our lives in our Personal Mission Field?

“Till that day when I shall drink it new with you.” It is plain from these words that he promises to them a glory which they will share with himself.  John Calvin (1509-1564), Commentary on Matthew 26.29

Lead me in Your Kingdom path today, O Lord, so that I…

Pray Psalm 22.30, 31.
As Jesus entered into His suffering, He saw His Kingdom coming on earth. He saw you in it. Talk with Him about how you should serve Him today.

Sing Psalm 22.30, 31.
Psalm 22.30, 31 (Dix: For the Beauty of the Earth)
Let the generations all witness to His saving grace;
let them to all nations call, “Bow before His holy face!”
Let the children of the earth hear of Jesus’ saving worth!

T. M. Moore

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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. All psalms for singing adapted from The Ailbe Psalter. All quotations from Church Fathers from Ancient Christian Commentary Series, General Editor Thomas C. Oden (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2006). All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter (available by clicking here).