The One Year Bible Club with Teaching
Commentary by Nick Boork
February 9
Matthew 26:14-46
Commentary by Nick Boork
February 9
Matthew 26:14-46
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Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests 15 and said, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver Him to you?” And they counted out to him thirty pieces of silver. 16 So from that time he sought opportunity to betray Him. 17 Now on the first day of the Feast of the Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying to Him, “Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?” 18 And He said, “Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, “My time is at hand; I will keep the Passover at your house with My disciples.”’” 19 So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them; and they prepared the Passover. 20 When evening had come, He sat down with the twelve. 21 Now as they were eating, He said, “Assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me.” 22 And they were exceedingly sorrowful, and each of them began to say to Him, “Lord, is it I?” 23 He answered and said, “He who dipped his hand with Me in the dish will betray Me. 24 The Son of Man indeed goes just as it is written of Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born.” 25 Then Judas, who was betraying Him, answered and said, “Rabbi, is it I?” He said to him, “You have said it.” 26 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” 27 Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. 28 For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. 29 But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.” 30 And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
31 Then Jesus said to them, “All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written: ‘ I will strike the Shepherd, And the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ 32 But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee.” 33 Peter answered and said to Him, “Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble.” 34 Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you that this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” 35 Peter said to Him, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!” And so said all the disciples. 36 Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, “Sit here while I go and pray over there.” 37 And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed. 38 Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me.” 39 He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.” 40 Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “What! Could you not watch with Me one hour? 41 Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 42 Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless[d] I drink it, Your will be done.” 43 And He came and found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy. 44 So He left them, went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words. 45 Then He came to His disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 Rise, let us be going. See, My betrayer is at hand.”
OKAY, HERE'S MY TEACHING COMMENTARY
Today I want to cover:
Judas Iscariot was called by our Lord Jesus Christ to be one of the 12 apostle and experienced the anointing of the Holy Spirit that Jesus released upon his team. He was used in short-term missions trips preaching the gospel, healing the sick and casting out devils. The Bible says that Judas Iscariot was the Treasurer of the apostolic group, controlled the finances and that he used to steal money from Jesus ministry and spend it on himself. You see, Judas was sincere in the beginning when Christ called him. However, Judas had a weakness; he had a covetous heart for money. Judas yielded to this evil desire to steal and reasoned within his own mind justifying stealing money out of Jesus ministry. After all, didn't he forsake everything to follow Jesus?
Over the few years that Judas followed Jesus, God alone knows how much money he stole. When Judas understood that Jesus was going to be crucified he saw that the end of his moneymaking charade was going to come to an end. So he thought to himself Jesus is going to be crucified so I might as well take advantage of the inevitable because it's only a matter of time before the Chief Priests and the Scribes carry out what Jesus already said they're going to do. So Judas Iscariot decided to make as much money as possible by betraying Jesus Christ to the Chief Priests and Scribes. Judas knew they were envious of Jesus ministry and wanted to put them to death. The Bible reveals it was really Satan that put these thoughts into the heart of Judas to betray Jesus Christ. Luke 22:3 Then Satan entered Judas, Sur named Iscariot, who was numbered among the twelve.
The betrayal of Christ for 30 pieces of silver was prophesied in the Old Testament: Zechariah 11:12 Then I said to them, “If it is agreeable to you, give me my wages; and if not, refrain.” So they weighed out for my wages thirty pieces of silver.
So did Judas have any control of his destiny? Yes, Judas had many opportunities to do what was right but he chose to go down the wrong path again and again yielding to the evil one by stealing money from Jesus ministry and this was breaking one of the 10 Commandments God said “you shall not steal.” So, because of his own sin, Judas Iscariot opened the door for the devil to dominate his thinking and this played out in his actions ultimately betraying Jesus Christ for 30 pieces of silver! Most sincere Christian’s don’t just decide one day to backslide and stop serving the Lord. No, it typically happens gradually as in the case of Judas Iscariot by making many small compromises allowing sin into one's life. The Bible says the wages of sin is death. Ultimately, some believers turn away from Christ because like Judas Iscariot, they allow a covetous spirit for money, lust, drugs or some sin to enter into their lives. Tragically, if they don't repent and be restored to Christ they can be lose their salvation as Judas Iscariot lost his relationship to Christ, his ministry and ultimately his soul.
The new covenant that we now have in Jesus blood
Jesus taught us how to remember the redemption he purchased for us by breaking bread and passing it out to the disciples saying take eat this is my body which is broken for you. His body was broken so we could be healed. This is part of the redemption that Christ purchased for all of humanity. Next Jesus drank from the cup of wine and passed it around to his apostles instructing each of them to drink from it because it represented his blood of the new covenant that they would enter into by faith in Him for the remission of sins. Thank God the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin and restores us to a right relationship with God. Another thing to remember was that they were enjoying fellowship with Jesus Christ the Son of God in that moment in time. Jesus was with them both physically and spiritually but today, Christ is present with us when we gather in his name in the Fellowship of his salvation, commonly referred to as the Lord supper.
A funny story of how I learned to pray an hour a day.
Jesus told Peter and all his apostles to watch and pray with Him but they kept falling asleep. Jesus said to Peter could you not watch with me for one hour? I will never forget how I learned to pray for one hour each day. I was in a one-year training program with my wife Yngris to become a minister of the gospel and my senior pastor was my mentor. We had to meet with our pastor once a week and report several things like how we were doing with the different duties of sharing our faith, personal devotions and even reporting how long we were spending in prayer each day.
Now you have to understand, this was all on the honor system when it came to telling the truth to your mentor about how you are doing. So, when it came to reporting how long it was spending prayer I was brutally honest. 3 min, 5 min, 10 min was my limit. My wife Yngris was reporting that she was spending 20 min., 30 min. or more in prayer daily. My pastor looked at me and said Nick it looks like your wife is out praying you. That hurt! My ego was suffering as I heard his words! Suddenly, I made this bold declaration that I would commit to pray one hour every day from that day forward. Well, let me tell you, it was really hard in the beginning and I know that my motive was just competition to not allow my wife to out pray me and I wanted to look like the spiritual leader and gain the approval of my pastor.
As God is my witness when I first started to try to pray an hour I also begin to fall asleep on my knees like Peter and the rest of the disciples did. However, I figured out that if I walked around I couldn't fall asleep. So I began to walk and pray and praise the Lord! I asked God to help me pray an hour a day based on what Jesus said to Peter could you not watch with me one hour. God had mercy on me because I felt his power begin to flow through me as I prayed. I didn't just talk to the Lord, I praised him, I worshiped him, I prayed in the Holy Spirit, I claim the written promises of the word of God and I prayed for many people as they came to my mind.
The Lord transformed my motive from selfish ambition to spiritual zeal for more of God! I began praying an hour or more almost every day and then something began to happen in my life spiritually. I sensed great boldness come into my life to witness to people about Jesus and a prophetic anointing to preach and prophesy like I had never experienced before. Honestly, the pastor who was mentoring me was impressed by the change in my life that happened through extended times in prayer. I have since made it a habit to always spend an hour with God in prayer daily although I don’t always do it perfectly. This conviction has grown stronger and stronger over the years. If Jesus Christ the Son of the living God had to get away and spend extended time with his father in prayer how much more do we today living in the last days before the return of Jesus Christ.
I have a Scripture in a picture frame on my office wall that reminds me of the importance of prayer especially as a minister of Christ. Acts 6:4 “But we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”
But please remember, Christianity is a Relationship not a Religionship with the living God Who loves us and wants to spend eternity with us. I do believe that as you grow as a Christian the time you spend with God in prayer should increase but please don't become a mechanical praying robot. Jesus taught us it's not the amount of words we pray but it's the quality of prayer that we do pray. Take it from me and believe me that the longer you walk with Jesus the more time you will spend in prayer because you realize and are convinced that God is the source of your life, blessings ministry because you realize that God is your all in all.
WHAT'S THE BOTTOM LINE?
Make a decision to love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul with all your mind and with all your strength. If you do this, you won't love sin you will love God. Don't justify little compromises and allow sin into your life because if you do you may end up betraying the Lord like Judas Iscariot.
Receive the Lord's Supper or Communion and partake by faith of the benefits of his broken body, which is healing, and the cleansing by Jesus blood from all sin.
If there were only one piece of advice that I could leave with you all boiled down into one sentence it would be this:
“Learn to pray well!
31 Then Jesus said to them, “All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written: ‘ I will strike the Shepherd, And the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ 32 But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee.” 33 Peter answered and said to Him, “Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble.” 34 Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you that this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” 35 Peter said to Him, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!” And so said all the disciples. 36 Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, “Sit here while I go and pray over there.” 37 And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed. 38 Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me.” 39 He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.” 40 Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “What! Could you not watch with Me one hour? 41 Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 42 Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless[d] I drink it, Your will be done.” 43 And He came and found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy. 44 So He left them, went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words. 45 Then He came to His disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 Rise, let us be going. See, My betrayer is at hand.”
OKAY, HERE'S MY TEACHING COMMENTARY
Today I want to cover:
- The betrayal of our Lord by Judas Iscariot
- The new covenant that we now have in Jesus blood
- A funny story of how I learned to pray an hour a day
Judas Iscariot was called by our Lord Jesus Christ to be one of the 12 apostle and experienced the anointing of the Holy Spirit that Jesus released upon his team. He was used in short-term missions trips preaching the gospel, healing the sick and casting out devils. The Bible says that Judas Iscariot was the Treasurer of the apostolic group, controlled the finances and that he used to steal money from Jesus ministry and spend it on himself. You see, Judas was sincere in the beginning when Christ called him. However, Judas had a weakness; he had a covetous heart for money. Judas yielded to this evil desire to steal and reasoned within his own mind justifying stealing money out of Jesus ministry. After all, didn't he forsake everything to follow Jesus?
Over the few years that Judas followed Jesus, God alone knows how much money he stole. When Judas understood that Jesus was going to be crucified he saw that the end of his moneymaking charade was going to come to an end. So he thought to himself Jesus is going to be crucified so I might as well take advantage of the inevitable because it's only a matter of time before the Chief Priests and the Scribes carry out what Jesus already said they're going to do. So Judas Iscariot decided to make as much money as possible by betraying Jesus Christ to the Chief Priests and Scribes. Judas knew they were envious of Jesus ministry and wanted to put them to death. The Bible reveals it was really Satan that put these thoughts into the heart of Judas to betray Jesus Christ. Luke 22:3 Then Satan entered Judas, Sur named Iscariot, who was numbered among the twelve.
The betrayal of Christ for 30 pieces of silver was prophesied in the Old Testament: Zechariah 11:12 Then I said to them, “If it is agreeable to you, give me my wages; and if not, refrain.” So they weighed out for my wages thirty pieces of silver.
So did Judas have any control of his destiny? Yes, Judas had many opportunities to do what was right but he chose to go down the wrong path again and again yielding to the evil one by stealing money from Jesus ministry and this was breaking one of the 10 Commandments God said “you shall not steal.” So, because of his own sin, Judas Iscariot opened the door for the devil to dominate his thinking and this played out in his actions ultimately betraying Jesus Christ for 30 pieces of silver! Most sincere Christian’s don’t just decide one day to backslide and stop serving the Lord. No, it typically happens gradually as in the case of Judas Iscariot by making many small compromises allowing sin into one's life. The Bible says the wages of sin is death. Ultimately, some believers turn away from Christ because like Judas Iscariot, they allow a covetous spirit for money, lust, drugs or some sin to enter into their lives. Tragically, if they don't repent and be restored to Christ they can be lose their salvation as Judas Iscariot lost his relationship to Christ, his ministry and ultimately his soul.
The new covenant that we now have in Jesus blood
Jesus taught us how to remember the redemption he purchased for us by breaking bread and passing it out to the disciples saying take eat this is my body which is broken for you. His body was broken so we could be healed. This is part of the redemption that Christ purchased for all of humanity. Next Jesus drank from the cup of wine and passed it around to his apostles instructing each of them to drink from it because it represented his blood of the new covenant that they would enter into by faith in Him for the remission of sins. Thank God the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin and restores us to a right relationship with God. Another thing to remember was that they were enjoying fellowship with Jesus Christ the Son of God in that moment in time. Jesus was with them both physically and spiritually but today, Christ is present with us when we gather in his name in the Fellowship of his salvation, commonly referred to as the Lord supper.
A funny story of how I learned to pray an hour a day.
Jesus told Peter and all his apostles to watch and pray with Him but they kept falling asleep. Jesus said to Peter could you not watch with me for one hour? I will never forget how I learned to pray for one hour each day. I was in a one-year training program with my wife Yngris to become a minister of the gospel and my senior pastor was my mentor. We had to meet with our pastor once a week and report several things like how we were doing with the different duties of sharing our faith, personal devotions and even reporting how long we were spending in prayer each day.
Now you have to understand, this was all on the honor system when it came to telling the truth to your mentor about how you are doing. So, when it came to reporting how long it was spending prayer I was brutally honest. 3 min, 5 min, 10 min was my limit. My wife Yngris was reporting that she was spending 20 min., 30 min. or more in prayer daily. My pastor looked at me and said Nick it looks like your wife is out praying you. That hurt! My ego was suffering as I heard his words! Suddenly, I made this bold declaration that I would commit to pray one hour every day from that day forward. Well, let me tell you, it was really hard in the beginning and I know that my motive was just competition to not allow my wife to out pray me and I wanted to look like the spiritual leader and gain the approval of my pastor.
As God is my witness when I first started to try to pray an hour I also begin to fall asleep on my knees like Peter and the rest of the disciples did. However, I figured out that if I walked around I couldn't fall asleep. So I began to walk and pray and praise the Lord! I asked God to help me pray an hour a day based on what Jesus said to Peter could you not watch with me one hour. God had mercy on me because I felt his power begin to flow through me as I prayed. I didn't just talk to the Lord, I praised him, I worshiped him, I prayed in the Holy Spirit, I claim the written promises of the word of God and I prayed for many people as they came to my mind.
The Lord transformed my motive from selfish ambition to spiritual zeal for more of God! I began praying an hour or more almost every day and then something began to happen in my life spiritually. I sensed great boldness come into my life to witness to people about Jesus and a prophetic anointing to preach and prophesy like I had never experienced before. Honestly, the pastor who was mentoring me was impressed by the change in my life that happened through extended times in prayer. I have since made it a habit to always spend an hour with God in prayer daily although I don’t always do it perfectly. This conviction has grown stronger and stronger over the years. If Jesus Christ the Son of the living God had to get away and spend extended time with his father in prayer how much more do we today living in the last days before the return of Jesus Christ.
I have a Scripture in a picture frame on my office wall that reminds me of the importance of prayer especially as a minister of Christ. Acts 6:4 “But we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”
But please remember, Christianity is a Relationship not a Religionship with the living God Who loves us and wants to spend eternity with us. I do believe that as you grow as a Christian the time you spend with God in prayer should increase but please don't become a mechanical praying robot. Jesus taught us it's not the amount of words we pray but it's the quality of prayer that we do pray. Take it from me and believe me that the longer you walk with Jesus the more time you will spend in prayer because you realize and are convinced that God is the source of your life, blessings ministry because you realize that God is your all in all.
WHAT'S THE BOTTOM LINE?
Make a decision to love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul with all your mind and with all your strength. If you do this, you won't love sin you will love God. Don't justify little compromises and allow sin into your life because if you do you may end up betraying the Lord like Judas Iscariot.
Receive the Lord's Supper or Communion and partake by faith of the benefits of his broken body, which is healing, and the cleansing by Jesus blood from all sin.
If there were only one piece of advice that I could leave with you all boiled down into one sentence it would be this:
“Learn to pray well!
ORDINATION
We provide Ministry Credentials and Ordination through Diamond Ministerial Association. Click to learn more and apply! http://www.diamondinstitute.org/ordination
ONLINE COURSES
For Bible courses and ministry resources see our online school Diamond Institute. Enroll free today and get access to our free and pay as you go courses. http://www.diamondinstitute.org/enroll
We provide Ministry Credentials and Ordination through Diamond Ministerial Association. Click to learn more and apply! http://www.diamondinstitute.org/ordination
ONLINE COURSES
For Bible courses and ministry resources see our online school Diamond Institute. Enroll free today and get access to our free and pay as you go courses. http://www.diamondinstitute.org/enroll