Friday 30/01/2026
Matthew 26
Reading through this chapter this week we must surely be aware of the severity of what Jesus faced: he goes to pray in Gethsemane where he is sorrowful and troubled by all that he will face, checking if possible whether there was any other way. There is no other way to bring about our salvation, and all the way through this chapter Jesus clearly remains in control: he tells his disciples he is going to be crucified; he tells them the woman has prepared him for his burial; he tells Judas he knows he will betray him; he tells Peter he knows he will deny him, and at the point of his arrest the disciples desert him and flee. Jesus faces the authorities on his own, but still he is focused and in control. Jesus weaves his fulfilment of the plan for our salvation in amongst all the mixed and weak and diverted intentions around him: praise the Lord.
The Revd. David Hildred
