Matthew 26

Wow, already we are to the part of the gospel where Jesus is being arrested and being put on trial. In this chapter we have:

Mary's anointing Jesus with perfume
Judas accepting the money to betray Jesus
The Last Supper
Jesus' prayers in Gethsemane
His betrayal and arrest
and
Peter's three denials.

All very known stories, I guess, if you've ever had any church at all. This is a long chapter and though beloved to me, difficult to find something to say.

I noted that at the Last Supper they were singing a hymn, and the commentary in my Bible says that it was mostly likely Psalm 118 because "the Talmud designated Pss 113-118 at the Halel (praise psalms) of Egypt. They were sung at Passover." I don't know, I just thought it was kind of cool to think of Jesus singing the same Psalms that we read and that we sing. =)

Also, Jesus prayers (3) in Gethsemane also struck me. The fact that Jesus prays when He is part of the Trinity seems to be an anomaly - for lack of a better word. Why does He pray when He already is God? The bottom line is the fact that He does...and often. The New Testament does not show Him reading the Scriptures - though He knows them well and sights them often - The Bible is forever recording His prayers and the fact that He prays. The intimate relationship that He has with His Father is something I would like to grasp. I've talked about this before, but praying is the last thing that I do and I don't do it well or for any length of time. I totally believe that prayer changes things and the lack of it is a great way for Satan to get a foothold - because if he can keep you from praying, from that intimate relationship with God, then how much more he gains! For that reason alone I should hit my knees, regularly!! I love this: "My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death" v38, Jesus says on his way to prayer. He was going to God for the reassurance that what was about to take place, truly needed to take place...and I thought, you know, it is only in prayer that we can get those kinds of answers. And if we have answers then we will know what to do and can gladly do what the Father has in mind for us.

There, easy. LOL

Enjoy: