Charles Spurgeon Commentary Matthew 26:31-32

"Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended in 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 raised up, I will go before you into Galilee." — Matthew 26:31-32 (ASV)

Then said Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended 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.

Observe our Lord's habit of quoting Scripture. He was able to speak words of infallible truth, yet he fell back upon the Inspired Record in the Old Testament. His quotation from Zechariah does not seem to have been really necessary, but it was most appropriate to his prophecy to his disciples: All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad. Jesus was the Shepherd who was about to be smitten, but he foretold the scattering of the sheep.

Even those leaders of the flock that had been first chosen by Christ, and had been most with him, would stumble and fall away from him on that dread night, but the Shepherd would not lose them; there would be a reunion between him and his sheep: After I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee. Once again he would resume, for a little while, the character of their Shepherd-King, and with them he would revisit some of their old haunts in Galilee, before he ascended to his heavenly home.

I will go before you, suggests the idea of the good Shepherd leading his flock after the Eastern manner. Happy are his sheep in having such a Leader, and blessed are they in following him wherever he goes.

Observe our Lord’s habit of quoting Scripture. He was able to speak words of infallible truth, yet He fell back upon the inspired record in the Old Testament. His quotation from Zechariah does not seem to have been really necessary, but it was most appropriate to His prophecy to His disciples, “All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad.”

Jesus was the Shepherd who was about to be smitten, and He foretold the scattering of the sheep. Even those leaders of the flock who had been first chosen by Christ and had been most with Him, would stumble and fall away from Him on that dread night. However, the Shepherd would not lose them; there would be a reunion between Him and His sheep, “After I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee.”

Once again He would resume, for a little while, the character of their Shepherd-King and with them He would revisit some of their old haunts in Galilee before He ascended to His heavenly home. “I will go before you,” suggests the idea of the Good Shepherd leading His flock in the Eastern manner. Happy are His sheep in having such a Leader, and blessed are they in following Him wherever He goes.