Matthew 26:14—27:66
Chapter 26
Judas’ Betrayal
‘How much will you give me if I hand him over to you?’
They promised to give him thirty pieces of silver,
and from that moment he kept looking for the best way to hand Jesus over to them.
Preparation of the Passover Meal
On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and said to him, “Where do you want us to prepare the Passover meal for you?”
Jesus answered, “Go into the city, to the house of a certain man, and tell him, ‘The Master says:
My hour is near and I will celebrate the Passover with my disciples in your house.’”
The disciples did as Jesus had ordered and prepared the Passover meal.
Announcement of the Betrayal
When evening came, Jesus sat at the table with the Twelve.
While they were eating, Jesus said:
“Truly, I say to you: one of you will betray me.”
They were deeply distressed and asked him, one after the other:
“You do not mean me, do you, Lord?”
He answered:
“The one who dips his bread with me will betray me.
The Son of Man is going as the Scriptures say he will. But alas for the one who betrays the Son of Man: it would have been better for him not to have been born.
Judas, the one who would betray him, also asked:
“You do not mean me, Master, do you?”
Jesus replied:
“You have said it.”
Institution of the Eucharist
While they were eating, Jesus took the bread, said a blessing, broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying:
“Take and eat: this is my body.”
Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and passed it to them, saying:
“Drink this, all of you,
for this is my blood, the blood of the Covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.
Yes, I tell you: From now on I will not taste the fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink new wine with you in my Father’s kingdom.”
After singing psalms of praise, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
He Announces the Abandonment of His Disciples
Then Jesus said to them:
“You will falter tonight because of me, and all of you will fall. For Scripture says:
I will strike the shepherd,
and the sheep will be scattered.
But after my resurrection, I will go ahead of you to Galilee.”
Peter responded:
“Even though everyone stumbles and falls, I will never fall away!”
Jesus replied:
“Truly I say to you: this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.”
Peter said:
“Even if I must die with you, I will never deny you!”
And all the disciples said the same thing.
Prayer in the Garden
Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he told his disciples:
“Sit here while I go over there to pray.”
He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee with him, and he began to feel overwhelmed by anguish and distress.
And he said to them:
“My soul is full of sorrow, even to death. Remain here and stay awake with me.”
He moved a little further and fell to the ground, with his face touching the earth, and prayed:
“Father, if it is possible, take this cup away from me. Yet, not what I will, but what you will.”
He returned to his disciples and found them asleep; then he said to Peter:
“Could you not stay awake with me for one hour?
Stay awake and pray so that you won’t fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
He went away again and prayed:
“Father, if this cup cannot be taken from me without me drinking it, your will must be done.”
When he returned to his disciples, he found them asleep again, for they couldn’t keep their eyes open.
So again, Jesus left them and went to pray for the third time, saying the same words.
Then he returned to his disciples and told them:
“You can sleep now and rest! The hour has come, and the Son of Man will be handed over to sinners.
Get up, let’s go! See, the betrayer is here!”
Arrest of Jesus
Jesus was still speaking when Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived. With him was a crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent by the chief priests and elders of the people.
The traitor had given them a sign: ‘The one I kiss; he is the man; arrest him!’
Judas went straight to Jesus and said:
“Greetings, Rabbi!”
Then kissed him.
Jesus said to him:
“Friend, do what you came to do.”
Then they laid hands on Jesus and arrested him.
One of those who was with Jesus drew his sword and struck the servant of the High Priest, cutting off his ear.
Then, Jesus told him:
“Put your sword back in its place! For everyone who takes hold of the sword will die by the sword.
Don’t you know that I could call on my Father, and he would immediately send me more than twelve legions of angels?
If Scripture says that these things must happen, shouldn’t Scripture be fulfilled?”
At that hour, Jesus said to the crowd:
“Why do you come to arrest me with swords and clubs, as if I were a robber? Day after day, I sat among you, teaching in the temple, yet you did not arrest me.
But all this happened in fulfillment of what the Prophets said.”
Then all his disciples deserted Jesus and fled.
Jesus Before the Council
Those who arrested Jesus took him to the house of High Priest Caiaphas, where the teachers of the law and the elders were gathered.
Peter followed Jesus from a distance, reaching as far as the High Priest’s courtyard; he went in and sat with the guards, waiting to see what would happen.
The chief priests and the entire Supreme Council needed some false evidence against Jesus so they could put him to death.
But they couldn’t find any, even though false witnesses came forward.
Finally, two men stepped forward and declared:
“This man said, ‘I am able to destroy the Temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’”
The High Priest stood up and asked Jesus:
“What is the evidence against you? Have you no answer to the things they testify against you?”
But Jesus remained silent.
So the High Priest said to him:
“In the name of the living God, I command you to tell us: Are you the Messiah, the Son of God?”
Jesus answered:
“You have said it yourself. But I tell you: from now on, you will see the Son of Man, seated at the right hand of God most powerful, and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
Then the High Priest tore his clothes, saying:
“He has blasphemed. What more evidence do we need? You have heard the blasphemy!
What is your decision?”
They answered:
“He must die!”
Then they spat in his face and slapped him, while others punched him with their fists,
saying:
“Messiah, prophesy! Who hit you?”
Peter’s Denials
Meanwhile, as Peter sat outside in the courtyard, a young servant-girl said to him, “You also were with Jesus of Galilee.”
But he denied it before everyone, saying, “I do not know what you are talking about.”
Later, as Peter was leaving through the gateway, another servant-girl saw him and told the bystanders:
“This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.”
Peter once again denied it under oath, saying:
“I do not know the man.”
After a short while, those standing there came up to Peter and said:
“Surely you are one of the Galileans: your accent gives you away.”
Peter began defending himself with curses and oaths, insisting that he did not know Jesus. Just then, a rooster crowed,
and Peter remembered Jesus’ words, ‘Before the cock crows, you will deny me three times.’ And he went out and wept bitterly.
Chapter 27
Brought Before Pilate
Early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people gathered to find ways to put Jesus to death.
They had him bound and handed him over to Pilate, the governor.
Death of Judas
When Judas, the traitor, realized that Jesus had been condemned, he was filled with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders:
saying:
“I have sinned by betraying an innocent man to death.”
They replied:
“What does it matter to us? That is your concern.”
So, after throwing down the money in the temple, he went away and hanged himself.
The chief priests gathered the money and said:
“This money cannot go into the temple treasury, for it is the price of blood.”
So they conferred together and decided to buy the potter’s field with the money to turn it into a cemetery for foreigners.
That is why, to this day, that place is called the Field of Blood.
What the prophet Jeremiah said was fulfilled:
They took the thirty pieces of silver, the price the Sons of Israel valued as his worth,
and they used them to buy the potter’s field, as the Lord commanded me.
Jesus Before Pilate
Jesus stood before the governor. Pilate asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” Jesus answered, “You say so.”
The chief priests and the elders of the people accused him, but he made no answer.
Pilate said to him, “Do you hear all the charges they bring against you?”
But he did not answer even one question, so that the governor wondered greatly.
Jesus’ Condemnation
During Passover, it was customary for the governor to release any prisoner the people requested.
Now, there was a famous prisoner named Barabbas.
When the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them:
“Whom do you want me to set free: Barabbas or Jesus called the Messiah?”
for he knew that Jesus had been handed over to him because of envy.
While Pilate was sitting in court, his wife sent him this message:
“Have nothing to do with that holy man. Because of him, I had a dream last night that disturbed me greatly.”
But the chief priests and the elders stirred up the crowd to ask for the release of Barabbas and the death of Jesus.
When the governor asked them again:
“Which of the two do you want me to set free?”
They replied:
“Barabbas!”
Pilate asked them:
“And what should I do with Jesus who is called the Messiah?”
All responded:
“Crucify him!”
Pilate asked:
“Why? What evil has he done?”
But they shouted even louder:
“Crucify him!”
Pilate saw he was getting nowhere and that a riot might occur. He asked for water, washed his hands in front of the people, and said:
“I am innocent of this man’s blood. Do what you want!”
And all the people answered:
“His blood be on our children and on us!”
Then Pilate set Barabbas free but had Jesus scourged and handed over to be crucified.
Mockery by the Soldiers
The Roman soldiers took Jesus into the governor’s palace, and the entire troop gathered around him.
They stripped him and put a purple cloak on him.
Then, weaving a crown of thorns, they forced it onto his head and placed a reed in his right hand. They knelt before Jesus and mocked him, saying:
“Hail, king of the Jews!”
They spat on him, took the reed from his hand, and hit him on the head with it.
After they finished mocking him, they removed the purple cloak, dressed him in his own clothes, and led him out to be crucified.
Crucifixion and Death of Jesus
On their journey, they met a man from Cyrene named Simon and forced him to carry Jesus’ cross.
When they arrived at the place called Golgotha, meaning the Skull,
they offered him wine mixed with gall. He tasted it but refused to drink.
They crucified him there and divided his clothes among themselves, casting lots to decide what each should get.
Then they sat down to watch over him.
The statement of his offense was displayed above his head, and it read, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.”
They also crucified two thieves with him, one on his right and one on his left.
The people passing by shook their heads and insulted him,
saying:
“Aha! You, who destroy the temple and in three days rebuild it, save yourself—if you are God’s Son—and come down from the cross!”
Similarly, the chief priests, the elders, and the teachers of the law mocked him.
They said:
“The man who saved others cannot save himself. Let the king of Israel come down from his cross and we will believe in him.
He trusted in God; let God rescue him if he wants to, for he himself said, ‘I am the Son of God.’”
Even the thieves crucified with him insulted him.
Darkness covered the entire land from midday until mid-afternoon.
At about three o’clock, Jesus cried out loudly:
“Eloi, Eloi, lamma sabbacthani?” which means: My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
As soon as they heard this, some of the bystanders said:
“He is calling for Elijah.”
One of them ran, took a sponge, soaked it in vinegar, and, placing it on a reed, gave it to him to drink.
Others said:
“Leave him alone; let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.”
Then Jesus cried out again in a loud voice and gave up his spirit.
At that very moment, the curtain of the temple sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom, the earth shook, rocks were split,
tombs were opened, and many holy people who had died were raised.
After his resurrection they came out of the tombs, entered the holy city, and appeared to many.
The captain and the soldiers guarding Jesus, upon seeing the earthquake and everything else that had happened, were greatly afraid and said:
“Truly, this was God’s Son.”
There were also many women there, watching from a distance; they had followed Jesus from Galilee and cared for his needs.
Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.
Burial of Jesus
When it was evening, there came a wealthy man from Arimathea named Joseph, who was himself a disciple of Jesus.
He approached Pilate and requested Jesus’ body, and the governor instructed that it be given to him.
So Joseph took Jesus’ body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth,
and laid it in his own new tomb that he had cut in the rock. Then he rolled a large stone across the tomb’s entrance and left.
Mary Magdalene and the other Mary stayed there, sitting in front of the tomb.
Guarding the Tomb
The next day, which is after the day of preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate
and said to him:
“Sir, we remember that when that impostor was still alive, he said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’
Therefore, have his tomb secured until the third day, lest his disciples come and steal the body and say to the people: He is risen from the dead. That would be a deception worse than the first.”
Pilate responded to them:
“You have soldiers, go and take all the necessary precautions.”
They went to the tomb, secured it by sealing the stone, and placed it under guard.
Commentaries
Judas’ Betrayal.
This may be the most troubling event described in the Gospels. It is hard to believe that Jesus was betrayed by someone close to him. Early Christians recognized this challenge and looked to the Scriptures to show that even in such a terrible act, God’s plan was still unfolding. Judas Iscariot’s reasons for betraying Jesus could have been a love of money, ambition, envy, or, more likely, disappointment.
Preparation of the Passover Meal – Announcement of the Betrayal – Institution of the Eucharist.
In Matthew’s account of the Passion, Jesus stays in control throughout and sets the pace. Jesus repeats the gestures of the Jewish Passover celebration, like breaking bread and passing the cup. However, he gives them new meaning through his words, which refer not to the Exodus event but to his own death: the bread broken and given is his body, and the wine is his blood shed for all. Jesus presents himself as the new Passover lamb through whom a new covenant will be established.
He Announces the Abandonment of His Disciples.
This is the second tragic announcement in which the disciples fail the great test (cf. 6:13) and scatter like sheep; however, their fall will not be final, for the shepherd will gather them again, already risen, in Galilee.
Matthew repeatedly indicates that Jesus is “with his disciples” (26:18, 20, 23, 29, 38, 40, 51). However, the disciples are not truly with Jesus. Judas will betray him to his enemies; Peter, James, and John will be unable to stay awake and watch with him even for an hour; those who had previously claimed their faith in him will abandon him and run away; Peter himself, who made a strong confession of loyalty (33-35), will deny him three times.
Prayer in the Garden.
Matthew reveals something about Jesus’ intimate spirituality: his sadness, the anguish he feels in the face of imminent death, his filial obedience to the Father’s will. In a word, the true humanity of the Son of God. Only the cry of abandonment on the cross will have a similar level of drama (27:46). During the struggle, complete and trusting surrender to the Father’s will prevails. Two petitions from the Lord’s Prayer echo here: “Thy will be done” and “Lead us not into temptation.” Jesus’ prayer serves as the model prayer for every believer in extreme situations where the meaning of life is lost and faith is challenged amid God’s silence.
Arrest of Jesus.
Jesus controls the situation, like the Servant of the Lord (Is 42:3f). He suppresses the violence, even the defensive violence, of one of his own; he accepts the traitor’s kiss; he condemns the unjustified violence of the mob without resisting. He is not a dangerous bandit, but a public and peaceful teacher. He could summon greater forces, but his strength lies in accepting the Father’s plan: this is how it is announced in Scripture, and this is how it must happen. Jesus urges his disciples not to resort to violence, even to defend a just cause. He has chosen the way of love and mercy, which breaks the endless cycle of violence. This teaching is compelling because it is spoken at the very moment when Jesus himself is the victim of violence.
Jesus Before the Council.
Jesus’ trial before the Council proceeds smoothly and logically. Ultimately, the goal is to justify Jesus’ death, which has already been planned. The main issue is Jesus’ transcendent messianism, not the political messianism some expect, nor the simple messianism of a king from David’s line. Instead, it involves someone who has a throne at God’s right hand (Ps 110:1) and receives ultimate, universal authority from the Most High (Dn 7:13). If Jesus claims such a title without basis, he is blasphemous and deserves death. But if he truly holds it, then he is the one who judges when he is judged.
Peter’s Denials.
The four Gospels openly recount Peter’s sin and repentance. They clearly view it as sorrow for Jesus and a lesson for the Church. The denial described here sharply contrasts with Jesus’ testimony. The apostle denies out of fear, not arrogance, and quickly repents. Peter, like the Church, is called and forgiven. What defines a Christian is “being with Jesus” (69). This dignity is lost when he is ignored and when he is denied recognition (72), but it is regained by remembering Jesus’ word, which is stronger than any human oath. The primary temptation—the only one worth mentioning—is to abandon the path of following Jesus. Peter weeps bitterly, and his tears reflect the grief of all the wavering disciples who deny Jesus during times of trial.
Brought Before Pilate.
It was within Roman jurisdiction to decide on an execution, which is why the Jewish authorities brought Jesus to Pilate. Pilate represents Rome’s military authority in the region.
Death of Judas.
Before recounting Jesus’ trial before Pilate, Matthew shifts to describe Judas’s tragic end. The phrase “seeing that they had condemned him” (3) shows that Judas had anxiously followed the proceedings. He possibly did not expect Jesus to be sentenced to death, and the gravity of his betrayal became clear when he learned of the Sanhedrin’s verdict. Before dying, Judas states his testimony to Jesus’ innocence. He admits his sin but despairs of forgiveness.
Jesus Before Pilate – Jesus’ Condemnation.
After the interruption of the previous episode, the trial before Pilate continues until its tragic end. Matthew continues to add testimonies about Jesus’ innocence: Pilate’s resistance and maneuvering, his ostentatious statement, and his wife’s dream. Similarly, he shifts some blame onto the Jewish authorities and “the crowd” gathered there (20). In the final plea, he calls them “the people” (25); this broadening of responsibility seems to reflect the complete break between Judaism and Christianity and the official exclusion of Christians by the Jewish authorities. What this shows is that, in Jesus—the righteous one, the Messiah—God’s will is fulfilled. The rejection of his people is part of God’s mysterious plan.
Mockery by the Soldiers.
The reason for their mockery is the accusation that the chief priests made against Jesus. It is a false charge, but it will lead to his condemnation. The episode is told with a certain irony (see 26:67f). Such is the unsettling nature of Jesus’ life, the kingdom, and the God he preached and trusted. The readers of the Gospel see Jesus as King, but they understand that he is not of this world. Watching these brutal acts draws them deeper into the mystery of why Jesus was misunderstood and rejected. It is at the moment of greatest shame that the mystery of Jesus, who came to shed his blood for all, is revealed.
Crucifixion and Death of Jesus.
This marks the climax of the passion narrative, consisting of seven distinct scenes.
1. Darkness (45). Evocation of Amos’s prophecy (Am 8:9f). The early Christians reread this passage as a prophetic prediction of the Son of God’s death.
2. Jesus’ prayer (46). Jesus feels God’s abandonment (Ps 22), but remains faithful until the end.
3. The evocation of Elijah (47-49). In the Aramaic word “Eli” (“My God”), some believe (or pretend) to hear the name of Elijah, who was considered the precursor of the triumphant coming of the Messiah.
4. The death of Jesus (50). The most significant moment in the entire Gospel is described with the utmost brevity.
5. Cosmic phenomena (51-53). The tearing of the veil signals that the Temple has lost its sacred significance and that the old order has ended. Jesus’ death not only destroys the old structures but also ushers in new ones. God is no longer to be sought in a temple built by human hands but in Jesus, who is truly God-with-us, the real Temple of God.
6. The faith of the pagans (54). Through the soldiers’ confession, Matthew demonstrates the revelatory power of Jesus’ death. The Jews reject him; the pagans confess him. The Messiah becomes the hope of the nations.
7. The women (55f). The news about the women acts as a bridge to the resurrection stories. Their presence until the end contrasts with the disciples’ cowardly absence. From the joyful beginning in Galilee to the painful conclusion, they have accompanied and served Him—another lesson for the community.
Burial of Jesus – Guarding the Tomb.
Burial was an important custom among the Israelites. Being denied a proper burial was seen as a disgrace. Two of the women mentioned earlier attend the burial as witnesses. The rest of the story’s statements are made with the final event in mind: the resurrection (62ff). They had to guard against later accusations that would deny the resurrection, so the Gospel seeks to explain the origin of the rumor of the body’s theft and to prove it false.