Matthew 26:58 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And Peter was following him at a distance, as far as the courtyard of the high priest, and going inside he sat with the guards to see the end.

NIV: But Peter followed him at a distance, right up to the courtyard of the high priest. He entered and sat down with the guards to see the outcome.

NASB: But Peter was following Him at a distance, as far as the courtyard of the high priest, and he came inside and sat down with the officers to see the outcome.

CSB: Peter was following him at a distance right to the high priest's courtyard. He went in and was sitting with the servants to see the outcome.

NLT: Meanwhile, Peter followed him at a distance and came to the high priest’s courtyard. He went in and sat with the guards and waited to see how it would all end.

KJV: But Peter followed him afar off unto the high priest's palace, and went in, and sat with the servants, to see the end.

NKJV: But Peter followed Him at a distance to the high priest’s courtyard. And he went in and sat with the servants to see the end.

Peter acted with some degree of courage when Roman soldiers and Jewish temple officers came to arrest Jesus (John 18:10). Jesus, though, rebuked Peter for trying to defend Him with a sword (Matthew 26:51–53). Still, Peter has not fully abandoned Jesus. He and John have secretly followed the crowd escorting Jesus to the home of the high priest (John 18:15). This is not a wise move, especially since Jesus made efforts to keep the disciples away from His enemies (John 18:8).

Finally, as Jesus is appearing before Caiaphas and the gathered council in Caiaphas' mansion, Peter works his way inside and sits with the guards to see what will be done with Jesus. Again, John's account provides more details. Peter is only able to get inside after John, who knows the family of the high priest, and he convinces a servant girl to let Peter enter (John 18:15–16).

Matthew 26:57–68 describes Jesus' sham trial before members of the Jewish ruling body. False witnesses accuse Jesus of crimes worthy of a death sentence; their attempts are so transparently false that the effort fails. Finally, the high priest challenges Jesus to state that He is the Messiah and the Son of God. Jesus agrees, and even adds to the declaration. The high priest and council agree Jesus is guilty of blasphemy and condemn Him to death. Mark 14:53–65, Luke 22:63–71, John 18:12–14, and John 18:19–24 explain different perspectives on the same events.

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 5/3/2024 1:47:41 PM