Matthew 26:20-30 (Part 1)
Jesus and the Disciples Share the Last Supper
There was an episode of How I Met Your Mother when Marshall and Lilly were broken up and Barney was trying to get Marshall back out in the dating world. As you know, Barney was the ultimate ladies’ man and forever single. He lived for the hunt. So, in all his dating wisdom, he was going to show Marshall who had been dating Lilly for years since their freshman year in college how it was done. So, Barney was instructing him how to spy out the girls at a bar and which ones to go after. However, in this episode, every girl Barney would help Marshall get introduced to Barney ended up stealing the girl and leaving the bar with that girl. Marshall became so angry at Barney that he finally just left. He would get his revenge later but ruining Barney’s date with twins. Marshall felt betrayed and let down by what he thought was his friend in Barney. However, Barney was self-seeking and looking out for himself. Marshall should have known the outcome. Barney was always a self-centered character. He should’ve seen it coming. When we are self-centered, we often betray even those friends that we care about because ultimately it is all about us. Barney was that way and Judas was that way too:
20 When evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the Twelve. 21 And while they were eating, he said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.”
22 They were very sad and began to say to him one after the other, “Surely you don’t mean me, Lord?”
23 Jesus replied, “The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me. 24 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.”
25 Then Judas, the one who would betray him, said, “Surely you don’t mean me, Rabbi?”
Jesus answered, “You have said so.”
26 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.”
27 Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. 28 This is my blood of the[a] covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29 I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”
30 When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
Today, we will focus on vv. 20-25 on the conversation about betrayal between Jesus and the disciples and particularly that part of the conversation that was specifically between Jesus and Judas. Tomorrow, we will look at the last half of the passage, vv. 26-30, the Lord’s Supper itself. But for today, there are two three things that I want us to look at.
First, each of the disciples other than the one who would actually betray Jesus questioned Jesus, “Surely, you do not mean me, Lord?” It is puzzling that each one suspected that they were the one even though they each knew that they had done nothing, as far as they knew, to betray Jesus. I think that it is interesting to note that each of us are just an inch away from betraying Jesus each day. We are bone and flesh and we have a sin nature. We sometimes sin without even realizing it. The only difference between us and those who are not saved is grace and the Holy Spirit. We still sin daily. We still disappoint the Lord daily with our behaviors that we sometimes don’t even realize that we are engaging in. Sometimes, our sins are not sins to us until the Holy Spirit points them out. It was the same with the disciples who did not betray Jesus. They surely began examining themselves for ways that they possibly could have betrayed Jesus in some way. Let us examine our own hearts and ask for Holy Spirit guidance in seeing the ways that we grieve Jesus’ heart. Help us to see those sins that we are blind to right now. Help us to see how those unrecognized sins are hurting our Savior’s heart.
Second, did you catch the difference between how the other disciples addressed Jesus and how Judas addressed Him. The other disciples recognize Jesus as Lord whereas Judas addresses him only as Rabbi. That was the thing here. Judas did not see Jesus as his Lord, his Savior. He did not see Jesus as the Son of God. He saw him just as a man, a teacher, another influential rabbi. He was so wrapped up in his own ambitions that he let that fact blind him to the true nature of Jesus Christ. While Jesus was Lord to the others, Jesus was simply a teacher, a rabbi, to Judas. To him, Jesus was the the ticket to a new world order and he wanted to be at the center of it and have a new position within it. How often do we treat Jesus in this way when we are at church? How often do we use church to satisfy some need we have and do not go there to get to know Jesus. Some claim to be saved and walk among us believers but have had no heart change because they really don’t know Jesus at the soul level. They don’t see him as their Savior. They are just at church because that’s what you do. You go to church. Such people are there to be at the cool church. They are there to get their ego stroked by being in positions of power at church. They are there to make connections and satisfy political ambitions but have no clue as to the true nature of Jesus Christ. They do not grasp the fact that we are nothing in the absence of Jesus but sinners condemned to hell. They see Jesus as just part of the pantheon of self-help gurus. They see Jesus as our wing man like Marshall was to Barney. They see themselves as almost equal to Jesus. Jesus is their buddy not their Savior.
Finally, Jesus knew that Judas was going to betray Him. He knew that from time eternal that the Messiah would be betrayed. It was all part of God’s plan to make the cross happen. Yet, Jesus still loved Judas. He was not angry with Him like Marshall was with Barney in the episode I was talking about earlier. Marshalll was really pissed and got his revenge at the end of the episode. Jesus however had foreknowledge of Judas betrayal but was saddened and disappointed for He knew of the judgment that awaits those who betray Him. Jesus knew the eternal fate of Judas for his blindess. Jesus was saddened. He was disappointed. He knew that by rejecting Jesus without seeking forgiveness, reconciliation and acceptance of Christ as His Savior, Judas was condemning himself to hell. That was of greater concern to Jesus that what Judas was to do to betray, because that was part of the grand plan of God, but rather than Judas would never seek forgiveness. Jesus knew that there is indeed eternal judgment for each one of us and it saddens Him when we do not see that. It saddens Him when we perceive Him as having no judgment in Him. It saddens Him when we make Him just an option among many. It saddens Him when we make Him optional. It saddens Him when we make Him just a man. It saddens Him when we do not see Him as the Son of God and our Savior. He wants all to be saved. He doesn’t want any of us to sentence ourselves to hell. It saddens Him that we do not see or care that our judgment day is coming and that judgment is real. He is not angry but profoundly saddened. He is not going to get revenge on us but rather is saddened by our inability to see who He really is because our our pride. Are you making Him sad today? There is time as long as you are breathing to seek forgiveness from the One who can provide it, Jesus Christ, Son of God, and Savior. Are you saddening His heart? He is not angry at you but rather profoundly saddened! Come to him. Put a smile on His face for it is His desire to see you come to accept His saving grace.
Amen and Amen.