Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.

“Whether it means that the Son was not at that time in possession of the knowledge referred to, or simply that it was not among the things which He had received to communicate--has been matter of much controversy even among the firmest believers in the…”

It is like a man going on a journey who left his house, put each servant in charge of his own task, and instructed the doorkeeper to keep watch.

“For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, &c.--The idea thus far is similar to that in the opening part of the parable of the talents (Mt 25:14, 15). and commanded the porter--the gatekeeper.”

Now the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread were two days away, and the chief priests and scribes were looking for a covert way to arrest Jesus and kill…

“Accordingly, "by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, who is wonderful in counsel and excellent in working," it was so ordered that precisely at the passover season, "Christ our Passover should be sacrificed for us."”

“But not during the feast,” they said, “or there may be a riot among the people.”

“What plan, if any, these ecclesiastics fixed upon for seizing our Lord, does not appear. But the proposal of Judas being at once and eagerly gone into, it is probable they were till then at some loss for a plan sufficiently quiet and yet effectual.”

It could have been sold for over three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor.” And they scolded her.

“And they murmured against her--"This he said," remarks John (Joh 12:6), and the remark is of exceeding importance, "not that he cared for the poor but because he was a thief, and had the bag"--the scrip or treasure chest--"and bare what was put therein"--not "bare…”

But Jesus said, “Leave her alone; why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful deed to Me.

“And Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on me--It was good in itself, and so was acceptable to Christ; it was eminently seasonable, and so more acceptable still; and it was "what she could," and so…”

They were delighted to hear this, and they promised to give him money. So Judas began to look for an opportunity to betray Jesus.

“And when they heard it, they were glad, and promised to give him money--Matthew alone records the precise sum, because a remarkable and complicated prophecy, which he was afterwards to refer to, was fulfilled by it.”

For many bore false witness against Jesus, but their testimony was inconsistent.

“But at the very time when His enemies were saying, "God hath forsaken Him; persecute and take Him; for there is none to deliver Him" (Ps 71:11), He whose Witness He was and whose work He was doing was keeping Him as the apple of…”

Then some men stood up and testified falsely against Him:

“And there arose certain, and bare false witness against him--Matthew (Mt 26:60) is more precise here: "At the last came two false witnesses."”

While Peter was in the courtyard below, one of the servant girls of the high priest came down

“At the upper end of this court, probably, would be the memorable chamber in which the trial was held--open to the court, likely, and not far from the fire (as we gather from Lu 22:61), but on a higher level; for (as our verse says)…”

and saw him warming himself there. She looked at Peter and said, “You also were with Jesus the Nazarene.”

“The sense of this is given in John's report of it (Joh 18:17), "Art not thou also one of this man's disciples?"”

But he denied it. “I do not know or even understand what you are talking about,” he said. Then he went out to the gateway, and the rooster crowed.

“This, then, was the First Denial. Peter's SECOND DENIAL of His Lord (Mr 14:69, 70). There is here a verbal difference among the Evangelists, which without some information which has been withheld, cannot be quite extricated.”

There the servant girl saw him and again said to those standing nearby, “This man is one of them.”

“Accordingly, in Mt 26:71, she is expressly called "another [maid]." But in Luke (Lu 22:58) it is a male servant: "And after a little while [from the time of the first denial] another"--that is, as the word signifies, "another male" servant.”

But he denied it again. After a little while, those standing nearby said once more to Peter, “Surely you are one of them, for you too are a Galilean.”

“In Luke (Lu 22:59) it is, "Another confidently affirmed, saying, Of a truth this [fellow] also was with him: for he is a Galilean." The Galilean dialect had a more Syrian cast than that of Judea.”

But he denied it again. After a little while, those standing nearby said once more to Peter, “Surely you are one of them, for you too are a Galilean.”

“And he denied it again--In Luke (Lu 22:58), "Man, I am not." But worst of all in Matthew--"And again he denied with an oath, I do not know the man" (Mt 26:72). This was the Second Denial, more vehement, alas! than the first.”

But he began to curse and swear, “I do not know this man of whom you speak!”

“But he began to curse--"anathematize," or wish himself accursed if what he was now to say was not true. and to swear--or to take a solemn oath. saying, I know not this man of whom ye speak.”

When they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.

“And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man--In Mt 28:2 he is called "the angel of the Lord"; but here he is described as he appeared to the eye, in the bloom of a life that knows no decay.”

But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here!

“And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted--a stronger word than "Fear not" in Matthew (Mt 28:5). Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified!--"the Nazarene, the Crucified." he is risen; he is not here--(See on Lu 24:5, 6).”

And when they heard that Jesus was alive and she had seen Him, they did not believe it.

“And they, when they had heard that he was alive, and had been seen of her, believed not--This, which is once and again repeated of them all, is most important in its bearing on their subsequent testimony to His resurrection at the risk of life…”

And these signs will accompany those who believe: In My name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues;

“And these signs shall follow them that believe . . . They shall take up serpents--These two verses also are peculiar to Mark. The Ascension and Triumphant Proclamation of the Gospel Thereafter (Mr 16:19, 20).”

After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.

“So then after the Lord--an epithet applied to Jesus by this Evangelist only in Mr 16:19, 20, when He comes to His glorious Ascension and its subsequent fruits. It is most frequent in Luke.”

And they went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked through them, confirming His word by the signs that accompanied it.

“Amen--We have in this closing verse a most important link of connection with the Acts of the Apostles, where He who directed all the movements of the infant Church is perpetually styled "THE LORD"; thus illustrating His own promise for the rounding and building up…”