Matteo 26:31 Commento

And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings,.... Meaning either all that are recorded by this evangelist, all the sermons and discourses of Christ, delivered both to the people of the Jews, and to his disciples; his conversation with the former, and his divine instructions and prudent advice to the latter, together with all his excellent parables, which are largely related in this book; or else what is said in the two preceding chapters, concerning the destruction of Jerusalem, and the end of the world, the state of the church, and conduct of his servants to the end of time, expressed in the parables of the virgins and talents, and concerning the last judgment and final state of all men: he said unto his disciples; who now were alone with him: having finished his prophetic, and being about to enter on his priestly office, he gives his disciples some intimations of its near approach.

But after I am risen again,.... This he says for their comfort, that though he, their shepherd, should be apprehended, condemned, and crucified, should be smitten with death, and be laid in the grave, yet he should rise again; and though they should be scattered abroad, yet should be gathered together again by him, their good shepherd; who would after his resurrection, appear to them, be at the head of them, and go before them, as a shepherd goes before his sheep: for it follows, I will go before you into Galilee; the native place of most, if not all of them. This the women that came to the sepulchre after Christ's resurrection, were bid, both by the angel, and Christ himself, to remind the disciples of, and ordered them to go into Galilee, where they might expect to see him: accordingly they did go thither, and saw and worshipped him; see Mat 28:7.

Also He foretels this to them, that they who now were somewhat dispersed in consequence of the offence, should be after gathered together by Christ rising again, and going before them into Galilee of the Gentiles. Whence the other disciples were offended in Jesus, but Peter was not only offended, but what is much more, was suffered to deny Him thrice.

They didn’t fall away in the daytime but at night, and it was on the night in which Jesus was betrayed. Peter also denied Christ at night, not during the day. Moreover, it was still in the middle of the night, since the cock had not yet crowed. Anyone who questions how the disciples could have fallen away after seeing such great signs and wonders and after hearing words of equal power (for the signs and wonders were performed by his words) should realize that Christ wanted to demonstrate through this warning that just as “no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit,” so also no one is able to keep from falling away except by the Holy Spirit. When what Jesus had foretold came to pass, “You will all fall away from me this night,” it was still true that “the Holy Spirit had not yet been given because Jesus had not yet been glorified.” If we … who have already professed Jesus to be Lord by the Holy Spirit (for “all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God”), then fall away or deny him, we will not have an excuse like those who fell away or denied him without the Holy Spirit.

The credit of this prediction is supported by the authority of old prophecy; It is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall he scattered abroad.

Then "He saith unto them, All ye shall be offended in me." After this He mentions also a prophecy, "For it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered abroad:" at once persuading them ever to give heed to the things that are written, and at same time making it plain that He was crucified, according to God's purpose; and by everything showing He was no alien from the old covenant, nor from the God preached therein, but that what is done is a dispensation, and that the prophets all proclaimed all things beforehand from the beginning that are comprised in the matter, so that they be quite confident about the better things also. And He teaches us to know what the disciples were before the crucifixion, what after the crucifixion. For indeed they who, when He was crucified, were not able so much as to stand their ground, these after His death were mighty, and stronger than adamant. And this self-same thing is a demonstration of His death, the fright and cowardice, I mean, of His disciples. For if when so many things have been both done and said, still some are shameless, and say that He was not crucified; if none of these things had come to pass, to what pitch of wickedness would they not have proceeded? So for this reason, not by His own sufferings only, but by what took place with respect to the disciples, He confirms the word concerning His death, and by the mysteries also, in every way confounding those that are diseased with the pest of Marcion. For this reason He suffers even the chief apostle to deny Him. But if He was not bound nor crucified, whence sprung the fear to Peter, and to the rest of the apostles.

“For it is written, ‘I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ ” Zechariah the prophet says the same thing, only differently; and if I am not mistaken, God is addressed in the person of the prophet: “Strike the shepherd that the sheep may be scattered.” In harmony with these words is the psalm, which is recited in its entirety to the Lord: “For they persecute him whom you have struck.” The good shepherd is struck, however, that he may lay down his life for his sheep and that out of many flocks of wandering sheep there may be one flock and one shepherd.

(Verse 31.) Then Jesus said to them: All of you will be scandalized by me in this night. He predicts that they will suffer, so that when they have suffered, they will not despair of salvation, but by repenting, they will be freed. And he specifically added, in this night you will be scandalized; for just as those who get drunk, get drunk at night: likewise those who are scandalized, endure in the night and in darkness (I Thess. 5). But let us say: The night has passed, and the day is at hand (Rom. 13:12).

He foretels what they should suffer, that they might not after it had befallen them despair of salvation; but doing penitence might be set free. And He adds emphatically this night, (1 These. 5:7.) because as they that are drunken are drunken by night, so they that are scandalized are scandalized by night, and in the dark. This is found in Zacharias in words different; it is said to God in the person of the Prophet, Smite the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered abroad. (Zech. 13:7.) The good Shepherd is smitten, that He may lay down His life for His sheep, and that of many flocks of divers errors should be made one flock, and one Shepherd.

The disciples were not merely confused; rather the matter greatly disturbed them, and the knowledge of this mystery was hard to grasp. How could one be raised from the dead, or one with countless signs done on behalf of the people be handed over to death and dishonor? Yet this agrees with what the prophet said: “Strike the shepherd.” David also says to the Father, “Therefore those whom you struck, they will persecute.” However, not all this occurred at the will of the Father; he did not desire for him [the Son] to suffer, if only the Jews would have accepted him. So one cannot say he willed a murder. The Father consented with the Son’s choice to suffer this. So it is written that the Father struck “the shepherd.” He permitted him to suffer yet had the power to prevent the suffering. Something like this is at work in the passage that says Pilate was “over” Christ. “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above,” that is, “if the Father had not permitted me to suffer.”

Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall stumble and fall because of Me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad. But after I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee. As God He foretells what will be. To avoid offending them by seeming to accuse them, He says, "It is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered abroad" (Zechariah 13:7), thus implying, It is I Who have held you together and My departure from you will scatter you. The Father is said to "smite" the Son, in that the Jews crucified the Lord in accordance with the Father's plan of salvation, hence, with His consent. It is said that the Father smote, because He was able to prevent it, yet did not. Then Jesus takes away their grief by announcing to them the good tidings, saying, "I shall rise and go before you, that is, precede you, into Galilee." By this He shows that He will leave Jerusalem and go to the Gentiles, for Gentiles dwelt in Galilee.

Then he saith (...) all you shall be scandalized in me. Here the scandal is set forth. And first in general; second in particular, at and Peter answering. Concerning the first he does two things. First, he foretells; second, lest it seem accidental, he brings in an authority, at for it is written: I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep shall be dispersed. And in this saying the sin of the disciples is aggravated from many things. First, from its universality, all you; Isa. 1:6: from the sole of the foot unto the top of the head, there is no soundness therein etc. Likewise, the matter is indicated: you shall be scandalized in me; 1 Cor. 1:23: we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews indeed a stumbling block. The Jews, because they sought only the weakness of the flesh, suffered scandal. Likewise, the sin is aggravated by the nearness of the time, because after so many warnings, after the reception of the sacrament. Hence they had already forgotten what he had done for them; hence they are well compared to a man beholding the countenance of his birth in a mirror: for he beheld himself, and went his way, and presently forgot what manner of man he was, James 1:24. Likewise, because it was at night, because they who are drunk, and they who sleep, sleep in the night, 1 Thess. 5:7: so also those who are scandalized. Then he adds the authority: for it is written: I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be dispersed. And it is written in Zech. 13:7, and it says there: strike the shepherd, namely Christ, and the sheep shall be scattered; but here it says I will strike, and fittingly so, because the prophet desired that this should happen, and therefore said strike the shepherd; but Christ speaks in his own person; and on this day he first foretells the passion of Christ; second, the scandal, when he says I will strike the shepherd. This shepherd is Christ; John 10:11: I am the good shepherd. And 1 Pet. 2:25: you are now converted to the shepherd and bishop of your souls. And he was struck, because God delivered him up, because he spared not his own Son, Rom. 8:32: and this on account of our sins; Isa. 53:8: for the wickedness of my people have I struck him. Likewise, he foretells the scandal: and the sheep of the flock shall be dispersed. The sheep are the faithful; John 10:27: my sheep hear my voice. And so God permitted that they be dispersed, so that afterwards he might gather them together; Ps. 146:2: he will gather together the dispersed of Israel. John 10:16: other sheep I have that are not of this fold, and them also I must bring.

GLORIOUS ANGELIC ANNOUNCEMENT ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK, THAT CHRIST IS RISEN--HIS APPEARANCE TO THE WOMEN--THE GUARDS BRIBED TO GIVE A FALSE ACCOUNT OF THE RESURRECTION. ( = Mar 16:1-8; Luk 24:1-8; Joh 20:1). (Mat 28:1-15) In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn--after the Sabbath, as it grew toward daylight. toward the first day of the week--Luke (Luk 24:1) has it, "very early in the morning"--properly, "at the first appearance of daybreak"; and corresponding with this, John (Joh 20:1) says, "when it was yet dark." See on Mar 16:2. Not an hour, it would seem, was lost by those dear lovers of the Lord Jesus. came Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary--"the mother of James and Joses" (see on Mat 27:56; Mat 27:61). to see the sepulchre--with a view to the anointing of the body, for which they had made all their preparations. (See on Mar 16:1-2). And, behold, there was--that is, there had been, before the arrival of the women. a great earthquake; for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, &c.--And this was the state of things when the women drew near. Some judicious critics think all this was transacted while the women were approaching; but the view we have given, which is the prevalent one, seems the more natural. All this august preparation--recorded by Matthew alone--bespoke the grandeur of the exit which was to follow. The angel sat upon the huge stone, to overawe, with the lightning--luster that darted from him, the Roman guard, and do honor to his rising Lord.