Lord, Is It I?

“ONE OF YOU WILL BETRAY ME!” JESUS STUNNED EVERYONE. IT WAS LATE IN THE EVENING AND THEY HAD JUST STARTED EATING TO PREPARE FOR THE PASSOVER MEAL TOGETHER.

THE WORDS CUT THROUGH THE CELEBRATION AND CREATES A STRESSFUL ATMOSPHERE. VERSE 22 TELLS US THE DISCIPLES BECAME “GREATLY DISTRESSED” WHICH TRANSLATES BEST TO MEAN “VIOLENT EMOTION” OR “SHOCK.” THEY WERE SO SHAKEN BY WHAT JESUS SAID, THAT THEY FELT THE STING OF EXPOSURE.

THE SUDDEN STING OF GUILT RAGING THROUGH THEIR HEARTS IS THE ONE THING THAT HAS ALWAYS AMAZED ME ABOUT THE CONVERSATION IN THE UPPER ROOM. THE DECLARATION THAT A TRAITOR SITS AMONG THEM IS ENOUGH FOR ALL THE DISCIPLES TO ASK THEIR LORD THE EXACT SAME QUESTION.

THE DISCIPLES LOOKED AT ONE ANOTHER, WONDERING WHO THE TRAITOR MIGHT BE DESPITE KNOWING, FULL WELL, THAT THEY WERE EACH FULLY CAPABLE OF COMMITTING THE MOST DESPICABLE DEED OF ALL WHICH WAS TO BETRAY JESUS.

THE WORD “BETRAY” MEANS TO “DELIVER UP” OR TO “HAND OVER.”

TREASON! PRE-MEDITATED ACTS OF CONSPIRACY. THEY ALL KNEW THIS FORM OF BETRAYAL WAS NO ACCIDENT. THEY ALL HOPED IN THE DEPTH OF THEIR HEARTS THAT THEY WERE NOT THE ONE CAPABLE OF SUCH TREACHERY.

ONE BY ONE, THE DECIPLES LITERALLY ASKED, “YOU CAN’T POSSIBLY MEAN ME, CAN YOU?” FINALLY, THE LAST TO QUESTION IS JUDAS WHO STRANGELY IS THE ONLY ONE WHO DOESN’T ADDRESS JESUS AS HIS “LORD,” BUT AS “RABBI” WHICH IS SIMPLY “TEACHER.”

JESUS AFFIRMS THE STATEMENT OF JUDAS FULFILLING THE WORDS OF PSALM 41:9, “EVEN MY CLOSE FRIEND, SOMEONE I TRUSTED, ONE WHO SHARED MY BREAD, HAS TURNED AGAINST ME.”

IT WAS AN ACT OF FRIENDSHIP TO EAT BREAD TOGETHER, ESPECIALLY BREAD THAT HAD BEEN DIPPED INTO THE DISH OF HERBS. IT WAS ALSO AN HONOR TO BE GIVEN THE BREAD DIRECTLY FROM YOUR HOST. JESUS GAVE THE BREAD TO JUDAS AND SHARED IT WITH HIM BY DIPPING INTO THE BOWL TOGETHER.

THE LOVE OF JESUS IS AGAPE! IT HAS NO CONDITIONS. FOR JESUS, GIVING THE BREAD WAS A GRACIOUS ACT OF HOSPITALITY. THE LOVE OF JESUS HAS NO BOUNDARIES. MANY HISTORIANS THINK THAT JESUS ALLOWED JUDAS TO SIT AT HIS LEFT WHICH, TRADITIONALLY, IS THE HIGHEST PLACE OF HONOR FOR A DINNER.

THE GRACE OF GOD AND THE LOVE OF JESUS VALUED JUDAS. HOWEVER, JUDAS DID NOT PLACE ALL THAT MUCH WORTH IN CHRIST AND SOLD HIM OUT FOR 30 MEASLY PIECES OF SILVER.

THE PRICE OF 30 PIECES OF SILVER WAS THE USUAL PRICE FOR A SLAVE (EXODUS 21:32). TRADITIONALLY, THE SILVER REFERRED TO A PERSON WHO HAD SOLD OUT AND HAD TAKEN MONEY IN EXCHANGE FOR BETRAYING SOMEONE.

THE IMPORTANT FACT OF THE SILVER IS NOT ASKING “WHAT WOULD THAT BE WORTH IN TODAY’S MARKET,” BUT REALIZING THE TOTAL AMOUNT WAS NOT ONLY INTENTIONALLY INSULTING TO SHOW THEY SAW NO VALUE IN THE LIFE OF JESUS, BUT THAT THEY WERE WILLING TO GIVE UP JESUS FOR ALMOST NOTHING AT ALL. JESUS MEANT NOTHING TO THEM. JUDAS AGREED TO THE DEAL.

1 CORINTHIANS 10:12, “LET THOSE WHO THINK THEY CAN STAND BE CAREFUL LEST THEY FALL!” THESE ARE THE WORDS OUR LORD HAS WARNED US WITH. IS THERE SOMEONE AMONG US WHO REALLY NEEDS TO HEAR THAT WARNING? IS IT I, LORD?

LET US ALL HEAR THE GOOD NEWS AMONGST THE STILLNESS OF THIS EVEING IN EXODUS 34:6, “AND THE LORD PASSED BEFORE [MOSES] AND PROCLAIMED, “THE LORD, THE LORD GOD, MERCIFUL AND GRACIOUS, LONGSUFFERING, AND ABOUNDING IN GOODNESS AND TRUTH.” GOD GIVES US HIS UNMERITED FAVOR! WE CALL THAT GRACE! WHEN WE ARE GIVEN WHAT WE DON’T DESERVE AND DO NOT GET WHAT WE DO DESERVE IS GOD’S DIVINE GRACE.

GRACE: THE LESSON EVERY DISCIPLE OF JESUS NEEDS TO LEARN THIS SACRED NIGHT. GOD’S GRACE IS GREATER THAN ANY BETRAYAL. GOD’S GRACE OUTWEIGHS OUR FAILURES, OUR BLUNDERS, OUR WAYWARDNESS, OUR APATHY AND EVEN OUR PERFECT CONTENTMENT TO LOUNGE IN OUR SINFUL PLEASURES.

IT IS BECAUSE OF GRACE THAT WE HAVE HOPE. IT IS BECAUSE OF GRACE THAT WE HAVE SALVATION. IT IS BECAUSE OF GRACE THAT WE HAVE ETERNAL LIFE. IT IS BECAUSE OF GRACE THAT WE REALIZE ANY SITUATION CAN BE SALVAGED. IT IS BECAUSE OF GRACE THAT WE UNDERSTAND OUR LIFE IS NEVER “TOO FAR GONE.”

WE SHOULD THINK OF GRACE AS GOD CALLING US FRIENDS EVEN WHEN WE BETRAY HIM. GRACE IS THE GLUE THAT BINDS US TO JESUS. GRACE IS THE UNBREAKABLE BOND BETWEEN A FATHER AND HIS CHILDREN. GRACE IS THE POWER OF GOD TO REDEEM THE UNWORTHY, THE UNLOVING, AND THOSE WHOM WE’D SEE AS THE “UNREACHABLE” OR THE “UNWINNABLE.”

JUDAS TEACHES US THAT HE MAY HAVE BEEN ABLE TO CONCEAL HIS TRUE MOTIVES AND SINFULNESS FROM HIS FELLOW DISCIPLES, BUT HE HAD FAILED TO HIDE THEM FROM THE LOVING HEART OF JESUS. JUDAS FOOLED THE DISCIPLES AND WE, OURSELVES, CAN FOOL THOSE AROUND US. YET, GOD KNOWS.