Jesus' Friend Betrays Him! Matthew 26:17-25

The Last Supper

17 On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do you want us to make preparations for you to eat the Passover?” 18 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.’” 19 So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover. 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.”

In Matthew's gospel his teaching ends here.  From this point on, commonly described as the "Passion of Christ", his actions will speak louder than his words. Now it was time to fulfill his work on the cross.  Judas had already put in a place a plot for the religious leaders to capture Jesus in exchange for a mere thirty pieces of silver, a very modest amount to betray the son of man. 

In preparation for the Passover meal, Jesus instructs the disciples to prepare for the meal.  The meal was a commemoration of the greatest act of deliverance and redemption of God for his people Israel.  This, of course, is deliverance from the Egyptians and King Pharaoh.  Since a new Jewish day begins at sundown, when evening came on Thursday, it was technically already the Day of Passover. Jesus ate the Passover meal sooner than most other Jews, which is why there was probably no lamb meat offered at the meal.  We know Jesus will be the Lamb of God sacrificed for the sins of the world on Friday, the day the lambs were prepared for sacrifice.

"However, it would be wrong to say that there was no Passover lamb at this last supper Jesus had with His disciples; He was the Passover lamb. Paul would later refer to Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us ."(1 Corinthians 5:7).  Guzik

When Jesus sits down for the meal he makes the startling announcement that one of the disciples would betray him.  We read this event knowing that it was Judas, but if we put ourselves in the disciples' shoes this must have been quite a terrifying moment.  All of them in shock say in turn that surely it was not one of them.  Jesus replies by telling them that  someone who dipped his hand in the bowl with him would betray him.  

Importantly this act of dipping the bread into the bowl with Jesus was an act and symbol of friendship and brotherhood.  "This idea is drawn from Psalm 41:9: Even my own familiar friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted up his heel against me. “My fellow-commoner, my familiar friend, Psalm 41:9. This greatly aggravated the indignity of the matter.” (Trapp)

The fact that the other disciples each asked if it was them shows that they were not accusing each other but first looking at themselves.  When Judas followed suit, Jesus called him on it.  Judas words betrayed his own guilt.  

"Jesus did not say this to condemn Judas, but to call him to repentance. It is fair to assume that He said it with love in His eyes, and Jesus showed Judas that He loved him, even knowing his treachery." Guzik

How would you have felt when Jesus announced that someone was going to betray him?  How do you think Jesus knew Judas was the one?  How do you think Judas felt when Jesus called him out?  If Jesus knew Judas' motive and intent, do  you think he knows ours as well?  Do you think we can ever betray Jesus without him knowing it?