Homiletics Matthew 26:1-46

written 3 April 2014

Contents (not sentence, direct verbiage from Scripture):  Where?                  Bethany, Jerusalem, Mt. of Olives, Gethsemane  Who?  Jesus, Disciples, Chief Priests, Scribes, Elders, Caiaphas, (Simon the Leper), woman, Judas, Peter

1	26:1-2	J: 2 days – Passover, Son of man betrayed/crucified.
2	26:3-5	Chief priests, scribes, elders to palace of Caiaphas; consulted take Jesus by subtilty/kill; not on feast day, lest there be uproar.
3	26:6-9	J Bethany, house of Simon (leper); came woman/alabaster box precious ointment, poured on His head; Disc saw, indignation: what purpose this waste; ointment might have sold for much, given to poor.
4	26:10-13	When J understood: why trouble woman, she wrought good work upon me; ye have poor always, me not always; she poured ointment for my burial; where gospel preached in whole world, that this woman done told for memorial of her.
5	26:14-16	Then Judas Iscariot to chief priests:  what ye give me I deliver Him, they covenanted w/him – 30 pieces silver; he sought opportunity to betray.
6	26:17-19	1st day feast unleavened bread, Disc to J: where eat Passover; J: go city to man – Master saith My time at hand, I keep Passover @ thy house w/disciples; Disc. did as appointed, made ready Passover.
7	26:20-25	When even come, He sat w/12; as they eat, He: one of you betray me; they exceeding sorrowful: it is I; J: he that dippeth with me shall betray me; Son of man goeth as is written, but woe unto man by whom Son betrayed, good if he not been born; Judas: Master is it I, J: thou hast said.
8	26:26-30	J took bread/blessed/brake/gave to Disc: take/eat this my body; took cup/gave thanks/gave them: drink, this my blood of new testament, shed for many for remission of sins;  I not drink henceforth this until I drink w/you in My Father’s kingdom; when they sung hymn, they went Mt of Olives.
9	26:31-35	J: all ye be offended bec. of me this night, written: I smite shepherd/sheep scattered; After I risen, I go before you Galilee; P: though all offended, I never offended; J: this night before cock crow, thou deny me thrice; P: though I die w/thee, I not deny, likewise said all Disc.
10	26:36-37	Gethsemane, J: sit here, I go pray; took P/two sons Zebedee, began be sorrowful/very heavy.
11	26:38-39	J (to them): my soul exceeding sorrowful, unto death, tarry here, watch with me; He went further, fell on face, prayed: Father, if possible, let cup pass, not as I will, but as thou.
12	26:40-41	He cometh Disc, findeth them asleep (unto P): could ye not watch 1 hour; watch/pray, ye not enter temptation, spirit willing/flesh weak.
13	26:43-44	Went away 2nd time, prayed: Father, if cup not pass except I drink, they will be done; came/found them asleep again, their eyes heavy; He left/went away, prayed 3rd time same words.
14	26:45-46	Cometh He to Disc: sleep on now, take rest, hour at hand, Son of man betrayed; rise, he at hand that doth betray me.

 

Divisions (run-on sentence OK, direct verbiage from Scripture):

1	26:1-16	Jesus says He will be betrayed/crucified; Chief Priests, Scribes, Elders, Caiaphas consult to take Jesus and kill Him NOT on the feast day; woman pours ointment/prepares Jesus for burial; Judas Iscariot covenants with Chief Priests to betray Jesus for 30 pieces of silver.
Principle:		God controlled the timing of the crucifixion, not those plotting against Him. Our plans are futile when they are in opposition to God’s plans. When we pour out our best for Jesus’ sake, we will be rewarded. Greed causes sinful behavior. We should do our best for Jesus while we have the opportunity.
2	26:17-35	Disciples prepare Passover, they eat, Jesus speaks of betrayal, took bread and cup, warned of offense/denial.
Principle:		Obedient behavior leads to treasured time with our Savior. Celebration meals should be opportunities to eat and interact with others, teach important principles, and come to incredible revelations. The Lord knows what our future behavior will be and whether or not we will be restored to Him.
3	26:36-46	Gethsemane, Jesus took Peter, sons of Zebedee to pray, they slept, He prayed 3 times, Son of man betrayed.
Principle:		Jesus sees prayer as preparation for tough times ahead. If Jesus needed friends to watch and pray with Him, how much more do we need this? Just like Jesus, we may need to pray more than once or twice about the same thing until we truly release it to God’s will and control.

 

Subject Sentence (10-word sentence with proper structure):

Jesus prepares for betrayal during Passover through prayer.

 

Aim (Christian and Non-Christian):

TCMAT see prayer as a powerful preparation for life’s circumstances and to engage in this practice on a regular basis and experience a real, growing relationship with Jesus through this practice.

 

Application:

1	In what way were the plans of the Chief Priests thwarted by God in this passage? What plans have you made that have proved futile against the Lord’s plans? What are your most valuable possessions that you have yet to pour out for Christ? How will you pour out your best for Christ? What may have motivated Judas Iscariot to seek to betray Jesus at this time?  How will you guard your heart from similar behavior? How might you advise a friend to release thoughts of greed that might lead to sinful behavior? Where are you serving Jesus since you have the opportunity to do so?
2	What instruction from the Lord have you obeyed this week?  How has your obedience affected your relationship with Christ? What purpose might Christ have had for warning the disciples about betrayal and denial? What would your reaction be to Christ if He warned you about an upcoming happening? Describe a time when the Lord restored you to relationship with Him after you exhibited some disappointing behavior.
3	What is your attitude toward prayer? What does your prayer “schedule” look like? Who are your prayer partners?  For whom do you act as a prayer partner? What do you look for in a prayer partner? What qualities do you exhibit that you look for in a prayer partner? What qualities do you need to develop to be a more productive prayer partner? How will you develop those qualities? Describe your prayer “patterns”: how often do you pray about a particular thing before you quit praying about it? Why do you think the disciples fell asleep at this time? Would you be more inclined to sleep or pray if you found yourself in similar circumstances?  Why?