Matthew 26:33 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Peter answered him, "Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away."

NIV: Peter replied, "Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will."

NASB: But Peter replied to Him, 'Even if they all fall away because of You, I will never fall away!'

CSB: Peter told him, "Even if everyone falls away because of you, I will never fall away."

NLT: Peter declared, 'Even if everyone else deserts you, I will never desert you.'

KJV: Peter answered and said unto him, Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended.

NKJV: Peter answered and said to Him, “Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble.”

Peter, as pictured in the Gospels, is ever brash and often wrong. That fearlessness, though, makes him a natural leader for the rest of the disciples. He often boldly says what they are all feeling. Earlier, Peter heard Jesus predict that one of the group would become a traitor (Matthew 26:21). He's taken in the more recent prediction that all the disciples would "fall away" that very night (Matthew 26:31). Jesus has not condemned them, rather promising they will be reunited after He is resurrected (Matthew 26:32). Peter, though, hears only the prediction of failure and disloyalty and cowardice on their part. He refuses to believe it.

This leads to a heartfelt, but foolish declaration from Peter: even if everyone else fails you, I never will! That probably sounded insulting to the other disciples. And yet, Jesus knows Peter's confidence in his own strength will not be enough in the coming hours (Matthew 26:56; 69–75). Peter will learn, eventually, that Jesus does not want followers who are strong in themselves but who rely on Him.

Matthew 26:17–35 begins with locating the room which will be used for the Passover meal. While they are eating, Jesus announces that one of His closest disciples will become a traitor. Judas discovers that Jesus knows it is him. Jesus introduces the concept of bread and wine as symbols of His sacrificial body and blood. After the meal, Jesus tells the disciples they will fall away that night and that Peter will deny Him three times. They insist that will not happen. Mark 14:10–31, Luke 22:3–23, Luke 22:31–34, and John 13:21–38 feature these events, as well.

The Jewish religious leaders further their plots to arrest and kill Jesus, finding a willing traitor in Judas Iscariot. A woman anoints Christ with oil during a dinner at Bethany. Next, Jesus and the disciples hold the Passover meal in an upper room where Jesus predicts His arrests and introduces the sacrament of communion. Then Jesus prays in unimaginable agony in the garden of Gethsemane before being betrayed by Judas and captured. The disciples scatter. Before the high priest, Jesus explicitly claims to be divine. They convict Him of blasphemy and sentence Him to death. As this happens, Peter denies knowing Jesus and runs away in shame.

After a long series of teaching (Matthew 24—25), Matthew 26 begins with Jesus saying He will be delivered up for death. Christ is anointed at a dinner in Bethany and Judas agrees to turn Him over to the chief priests. Jesus holds a Passover meal with the disciples, predicts an act of treachery, and introduces the sacrament of communion. He tells the disciples they will run in fear and that Peter will deny Him, which happens just as prophesied. Christ prays in great sorrow in a garden and is then arrested and taken away and unfairly sentenced to death. After this, Jesus will be taken to the Roman governor, where Jewish leadership will press for Him to be executed as an insurgent.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.

Accessed 11/21/2024 12:13:59 PM