What is the meaning of Matthew 26:2? You know - Jesus speaks to the Twelve as friends whose hearts He has already prepared. He has foretold His death more than once (Matthew 16:21; 17:22–23; 20:17–19), so by now they “know” even if they struggle to accept it. - The statement is a gentle reminder: “I have told you; hold on to it.” Just as He says in John 13:19, “I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it comes to pass, you will believe that I am He.” - He anchors their faith in His word, underscoring that every detail is unfolding by divine design, not by chance. that the Passover is two days away - Passover commemorates Israel’s deliverance through the blood of the lamb (Exodus 12:11–14). By tying His death to this feast, Jesus identifies Himself as the ultimate Passover Lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7). - The timing is precise: “two days away.” God’s plan has a calendar; Jesus’ life moves on a prophetic timetable (John 7:30; 13:1). - Later, on the day the lambs are slain, He will be lifted up (John 19:14). The shadows of the Exodus find their substance in Him. and the Son of Man - “Son of Man” is Jesus’ favorite self-title, drawn from Daniel 7:13–14 where the Messiah receives everlasting dominion. - By using it here, He blends majesty with humility: the glorious ruler will suffer. Compare Matthew 20:28—“the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” - The title reassures the disciples that His impending death is not weakness but mission. will be handed over - Betrayal and arrest are certain: Judas will “hand Him over” (Matthew 26:14–16, 47–49). Yet Acts 2:23 clarifies that Jesus is “delivered up by God’s set plan and foreknowledge.” - Human treachery serves God’s redemption. Like Joseph told his brothers, “You intended evil against me, but God intended it for good” (Genesis 50:20). - The passive “will be handed over” highlights submission; Jesus yields His life (John 10:18). to be crucified - Crucifixion is Rome’s cruelest punishment, prophesied centuries earlier: “They pierce My hands and feet” (Psalm 22:16). - Isaiah 53:5 foretells, “He was pierced for our transgressions.” Jesus willingly embraces that curse to redeem us from the law’s curse (Galatians 3:13). - John 3:14–15 links the lifted bronze serpent to Christ: “so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life.” summary Jesus calmly tells His disciples what they already know but still need to hear: in two days, at the very feast that celebrates deliverance by a lamb’s blood, the divine Son of Man will be betrayed into human hands and crucified. Every element—the timing, the title, the transfer, and the torture—fits God’s sovereign script. The literal fulfillment of these words assures us that our salvation rests on promises God keeps down to the very day. |
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