Matthew 26:17-25 (NIV) On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do you want us to make preparations for you to eat the Passover?”
He replied, “Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, ‘The Teacher says: My appointed time is near. I am going to celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your house.'” So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover.
When evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the Twelve. And while they were eating, he said, “I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me.”
They were very sad and began to say to him one after the other, “Surely not I, Lord?”
Jesus replied, “The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me. The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.”
Then Judas, the one who would betray him, said, “Surely not I, Rabbi?”
Jesus answered, “Yes, it is you.”
This is the third Passover the closest disciples had shared with Jesus, so those charged with preparing it knew how He preferred to do things. Despite all of the predictions Jesus had made, His closest followers were blissfully unaware that the terrible things that Jesus had been describing were now upon them all.
A big part of their unwillingness to believe was understandable. Jesus was riding a wave of popularity just then, having been swept into town a mere four days earlier by adoring throngs. He had shamed His opponents in debate at the temple, sending them slinking away in disgrace. And He had always shown an uncanny ability to foresee danger and to sidestep every trap laid for Him.
So that night, as they walked through the 1500-year-old ritual of the Passover celebration, any thoughts of disaster were far from their minds. That is, right up to the moment that Jesus suddenly declared, “I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me.” Then everything just stopped. One of them, His closest followers, would betray Him? How was that even possible? As far as they could see, Jesus had no more loyal supporters than those who were seated around the table.
One by one they protested their own innocence. “It couldn’t be me, Lord…” and then a timorous, “Could it?” Each one sure of their own faithfulness, but afraid that something might happen, or a moment of weakness seize them that could cause a misstep, that in turn could lead to a betrayal. Though it was unthinkable to them that anyone there could intentionally betray Jesus, they were all aware of their many failures in the past.
But Jesus was insistent that it would happen, just the way that He said. Not only that, He said that the whole thing was prophesied in the Scriptures. Psalm 41:9 (NIV) came to their minds: “Even my close friend, whom I trusted, he who shared my bread, has lifted up his heel against me.” And His statement that, for one who would turn against Him, it would be better for that one if he had never been born, struck fear into all of their hearts.
Judas was the last to protest his innocence, his eyes never quite meeting those of the Master. Jesus’ answer, whether in Greek or Aramaic, “You have said so,” was actually a strong affirmative, similar to the modern English, “You said it!” The traitor had been identified. Everything he did after that moment would be done with the clear knowledge that Jesus had looked deeply into his heart, and saw there a betrayal of the foulest kind.
Father, I am reminded of the Michael Card lyrics, “Why did it have to be a friend who chose to betray the Lord? Why did he use a kiss to show them? That’s not what a kiss is for! Only a friend can betray a friend, a stranger has nothing to gain. And only a friend comes close enough to ever cause so much pain.” Jesus let Judas come all the way into His heart, to experience His real love and friendship, knowing full well that he would ultimately turn that intimacy against Him in betrayal. And, at the same time, I am amazed at the hardness of some hearts, impervious to the softening effects of Your love. Help my heart to always stay soft and pliable in Your hands, so that there is no place for the enemy to gain a toehold, no place for any betrayal of You, no matter how small or subtle, to ever take root there. Amen.