Jesus knew that he would be betrayed because the scriptures had spoken of it beforehand. For example the Psalms, written one thousand years before the event, spoke of his betrayal Psalm 41:9.Waiting for response for Psalm 41:9 The very thoughts of Jesus and his anguish caused by his friend’s betrayal were written beforehand Psalm 55:12-14.Waiting for response for Psalm 55:12-14 The amount of the blood money was also foretold Zechariah 11:12.Waiting for response for Zechariah 11:12 Jesus identified the betrayer at his last supper.
Jesus instituted a feast to be kept by his disciples. This consists of bread and wine to represent his body broken and his blood shed for them, and he asked them to remember him during his absence by partaking of this feast regularly until he returns. Then, he said, he would once more eat and drink with them in the re-established kingdom of Israel which will be his Father’s kingdom.
Jesus knew from the scriptures that these actions would happen to him, culminating in his death by crucifixion, and he was understandably fearful when anticipating what was ahead of him. Therefore he prayed to his Father that he might be spared these agonies, but only if it was possible in accordance with God’s will because he knew that keeping this was imperative. The intensity of Jesus’ feeling is indicated by his expressing this same prayer three times, but then he determinedly did God’s will in laying down his life.
The Jews could not accept that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God, i.e. the one promised by the LORD who, born of a virgin, would be both God’s Son and the son of David, destined to sit on LORD’s throne in Jerusalem, reigning over Israel. When they asked him concerning this directly under oath, Jesus answered in the affirmative by the colloquialism of the day: “Thou hast said”, and assured them that in due course they would see him both coming in the clouds of heaven and sitting on the right hand of power.
This chapter records the fulfilment of many Old Testament prophecies concerning Jesus’ trial and death which were fulfilled exactly, including the specific actions of different people during this crisis: Judas Iscariot betraying Jesus; vs.14-15,47-49Waiting for response for Matthew 26:14-15,47-49 the rest of the disciples running away and forsaking him;v.56Waiting for response for Matthew 26:56 Peter denying him; vs.69-74Waiting for response for Matthew 26:69-74 the rulers of the Jews bringing false charges against him to condemn him to death; v.59Waiting for response for Matthew 26:59 false witnesses twisting his words to concoct a charge against him; vs.60-61Waiting for response for Matthew 26:60-61 and the Jewish judiciary spitting at and smiting him. v.67Waiting for response for Matthew 26:67