Matthew 26:1-28:20 Summary

As the religious leaders plotted to have Jesus killed, a woman publicly anointed Jesus with expensive perfume and Judas decided to betray Jesus. Jesus ate the Passover meal with his disciples, said his death would fulfill the Scriptures, and instituted a table ritual of bread and wine by which his disciples would remember him. He said they would soon deny him, but Peter was convinced he wouldn’t. In the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus offered anguished prayers, but the disciples fell asleep. Judas arrived and had Jesus arrested while the disciples fled. Jesus was convicted of blasphemy by the Sanhedrin who planned to have him killed. When Peter was recognized, he denied Jesus three times (26). Judas was filled with remorse and hanged himself. When Jesus was brought to Pilate, the Roman governor capitulated to the crowds and ordered that Jesus be crucified. Jesus was placed on a cross and was ridiculed by many while his female followers watched from a distance. When Jesus died, there was a great earthquake, many dead were raised, and the curtain in the sanctuary was torn in two. A terrified Roman officer exclaimed, “This man truly was the Son of God!” Joseph of Arimathea placed Jesus’ body in a tomb as Mary Magdalene and the other Mary watched (27). On Sunday morning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary visited the tomb and discovered that Jesus had been raised from the dead and would meet the disciples in Galilee. The eleven disciples went to Galilee and met Jesus on a mountain. He told them to go and make disciples by baptizing them and teaching them in the way, and he promised that he would be with them always (28).