Matthew 26 Devotional Bible Study

 

A Waste, or Necessary?

Mary anoints Jesus, and the disciples think it's a waste, saying the cost of the perfume could have been spent on more practical matters. While not denigrating the need to care for the poor, Jesus upholds Mary's action of worship.

 

Many people today see religion and worship as a waste of time, saying that your offering can be better spent elsewhere other than the church. Your time can be better spent elsewhere than in church or reading your Bible or doing whatever else religious people do. Religion isn't practical, they say.

 

But Jesus holds Mary up as an example. It is important to simply spend time in adoration of Christ. This time spent with Him, and meditating on Him, is what fuels and charges us and gives us direction for our daily, "practical" tasks.

 

 

What’s Your Price?

Judas betrays Jesus for thirty pieces of silver. How much could thirty pieces of silver really buy? Was it worth giving up His relationship with Christ? Was it worth not inheriting eternal life? Of course, we know that Judas himself very soon realized that it was not.

 

But what about our betrayals? Maybe we don't hand Jesus over like Judas did, but we always seem to be looking for things to sell our relationship with Him for. Maybe we decide to watch a little more TV instead of spending time in prayer and Bible reading. By doing so, we are accepting television instead of Christ, thirty minutes of entertainment in exchange for time better spent with the Savior.

 

We don't have to spend time in religious activity constantly, but keep in mind that everything we do, every choice we make, shows how much we value our relationship with Jesus.

 

 

Question Appropriately

The disciples ask Jesus where He wants to eat the Passover, and He gives them a rather detailed answer. Then, during the supper, Jesus reveals that He knows Judas is going to betray Him.

 

This passage shows us two things. One, Jesus knows everything. Two, we need to ask Him questions.

 

How many times do we assume we know what Christ wants us to do only to find out later that we've gone off half-cocked? Make a habit of humbling yourself, acknowledging that you don't know everything but that Jesus does, and ask Him what He'd like you to do.

 

 

He'll Be Waiting

Jesus tells the disciples that they're all going to abandon Him, and then tells them He'll be in Galilee waiting for them.

 

Jesus tells Peter that Peter is going to deny Him but doesn't dismiss Peter from being His disciple.

 

Jesus knew the disciples were going to mess up, and He would be waiting for them when it was all over. Jesus is the same with us. He knows we're going to make mistakes, but He never sends us away from Him or tells us we can't be His disciples anymore. He just waits for us to come back to Him and try again. How amazing He is!

 

 

The Flesh Is Weak, but That Doesn’t Have to Stop Us

Jesus wants His disciple to pray with Him, to take part in something important with Him, but they can't because they keep falling asleep!

 

Has your body ever kept you from accomplishing spiritual things? Has some bodily weakness or temptation ever kept you from being all that you can be spiritually?

 

Christians focus quite a bit on the spirit, but we need to remember that God also created and cares about our body. He made us as whole persons and will eventually raise us back to life as whole persons, body and soul.

 

When we keep our bodies fit, eat right, and perform spiritual practices that keep our bodily temptations in check, we are honoring God.

 

Paul says he beats his body and makes it his slave (1st Corinthians 9:27). Jesus told us to fast (Matthew 6:16-18), one of the purposes of which is to learn to control our bodily urges.

 

 

Jesus’ Love for His Enemies

Here's what I love about Jesus: Did you notice what He called Judas? Did you see what He told Peter to do?

 

Judas comes to betray, and Jesus calls him "friend"! He tells Peter not to attack those who came to arrest Him!

 

Jesus bears no ill will toward His enemies. He doesn't want them to come to harm. Even though they are acting against Him, He still loves and cares for them.

 

I've heard people say that what they've done is too bad for even God to forgive. I think this passage shows that Jesus never cuts anyone off from His love, not even His most infamous betrayer.