Verses 1-9
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Man's idea of a good work and God's idea of a good work are different.
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A good work is anything that is done for the benefit of Christ and His kingdom, and out of love for Him.
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This woman did this to love and honor Christ, and the cost was well worth it.
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Spend your life and resources to do what serves God and His kingdom best, not merely to serve the poor through common charity.
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See teaching on Matthew 26 for more details.
Verses 10-11
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Judas Iscariot, even one who was one of a twelve and walked with Jesus like the others, betrayed Jesus.
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Judas was he who had notedly criticized the woman who anointed Jesus' head (which was Mary the sister of Martha (John 12:4-6). He was greedy and a thief throughout his entire time with Jesus, and it seems he was never truly repentant.
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Understand that anyone can be deceived and led astray, and there are some in churches that have never been true believers. Stay focused, be careful, and watch out for your fellow believers! Make sure everyone is saved!
Verses 12-16
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Verse 16. Know that what the Lord or the Spirit tell you will always be found to be true. God does not lie, and the Spirit does not make mistakes.
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Have confidence in God's Word! If you grow in hearing from the Spirit you can be guided with instructions like these, for important situations in your life.
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Verses 17-21
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To betray Jesus, after having already followed Him for a time, is a terrible way.
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Turning away from Christ and denying one's salvation, after having been saved, makes for a very bad end—one that's worse than if you had never been saved at all (2 Peter 2:20-21).
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Watch out for your fellow believers! You do not want a brother to fall away.
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Verses 22-26
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Understand that you have a new relationship with God, where your sins are forgiven by God's grace, because of Jesus' blood.
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Remember Jesus' sacrifice and His grace to you when you eat and drink.
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Make a practice of thinking like this every time you eat (1 Corinthians 11:25).
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It is good to use bread and grape juice if you have them. Otherwise, use any food/drink you have.
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Verses 27-31
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The disciples were very sure of themselves. But they didn't realize that when their Shepherd would go to His death, they would be weakened.
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Without Jesus, we can do nothing (John 15:5).
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So, don't be overconfident in your own devotion. Remember that only God keeps you strong.
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Verses 32-42
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Prayer helps to keep you focused and strong (Colossians 4:2).
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Grow your prayer life if you want to be stronger!
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From Jesus' example, the greatest obedience to God is submitting your will to Him even when obedience will lead you to death.
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It is good for obedience to be hard. You will only truly learn to obey God fully when doing so is uncomfortable (Hebrews 5:7-8).
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So, welcome situations where doing what is right is uncomfortable, and pray diligently to help yourself remain strong and willing to obey.
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Verse 38. The flesh will always be weak, but the more that you continue to repent, the easier it will get to resist any and all forms of temptation.
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Learn to walk in the Spirit, and you will have strength to resist the temptations of the flesh (Galatians 5:16-17, Romans 8:5).
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Walking in the Spirit begins with meditating on the Word.
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Verses 43-52
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Verses 48-49. Even in His death, Jesus made it clear that He was not delivered to death before this because it had not yet been the will of God for Him to die. Everything that happened to Jesus was to fulfill the Scriptures.
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Even in His death, Jesus knew that He was no victim to man; He knew that God was in control of His life.
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All actions on the planet are for a reason, and everything is in the will of God (Ephesians 1:11).
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Think like Jesus. Even in the worst of circumstances, remember that your life is in God's hands. Trust the will of God!
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Verses 53-65
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See with Isaiah 53:7 and 1 Peter 2:21-23.
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Like Jesus, do not threaten of insult people who mistreat or persecute you.
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Let God be the judge!
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See teaching on Matthew 26 for more details.
Verses 66-72
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We cannot stop what God says will happen. Even certain sins/offenses must be committed (Matthew 18:7).
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Fear of proclaiming your faith will be forgiven (as Peter was forgiven). Just make sure that you repent and do not stay in fear.