Matthew 26:50 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Jesus said to him, “Friend, do what you came to do.” Then they came up and laid hands on Jesus and seized him.

NIV: Jesus replied, 'Do what you came for, friend.' Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus and arrested him.

NASB: But Jesus said to him, 'Friend, do what you have come for.' Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and arrested Him.

CSB: "Friend," Jesus asked him, "why have you come? "Then they came up, took hold of Jesus, and arrested him.

NLT: Jesus said, 'My friend, go ahead and do what you have come for.' Then the others grabbed Jesus and arrested him.

KJV: And Jesus said unto him, Friend, wherefore art thou come? Then came they, and laid hands on Jesus, and took him.

NKJV: But Jesus said to him, “Friend, why have you come?” Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and took Him.

The traitor Judas Iscariot (Matthew 26:14–16, 48) has done his work. He has led the crowd of soldiers and temple police to Jesus and has identified the One to be arrested with a kiss. Jesus does not resist. He calls Judas "friend," an especially cutting remark, since Judas is using pretended friendship to betray Jesus to His death. Rather than resist, Jesus simply tells Judas to go about his business.

Judas may have expected a fight, and not necessarily from Jesus. The disciples are armed (Luke 22:38) and Peter has declared his willingness to die for Christ (Luke 22:33). Jesus, for His part, makes no effort whatsoever to resist. Other gospel writers add details to the scene. John, especially, notes that Jesus is making a deliberate choice to make this an easy arrest. When they identified their target, He replied, "I am he" (John 18:4–6). They all fell to the ground, either out of fear or in response to some power that Jesus released in that moment.

Still, Jesus did not resist or run. He once more identified Himself and told the crowd of arresters to let those who were with Him go (John 18:8). Ignoring that advice is Peter (John 18:10), who will react with violence (Matthew 26:51).

Matthew 26:47–56 paints the scene of Jesus' betrayal and arrest in the garden of Gethsemane. Judas arrives leading an armed crowd of soldiers, temple guards, and others. Judas identifies Jesus to the arresting crowd using a friend's kiss. Peter (John 18:10) wildly swings a sword and cuts a man's ear off in a misguided effort to defend Jesus. Jesus tells him to put the sword away. If He wanted saving, He could ask the Father and 12 legions of angels would arrive. He will not resist. The Scriptures of the prophets must be fulfilled. This passage parallels Mark 14:43–50, Luke 22:47–53, and John 18:1–11.

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.