Friday, March 15, 2019

Matthew 26:20-25

 20 When evening had come, He sat down with the twelve. 21 Now as they were eating, He said, “Assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me.” 22 And they were exceedingly sorrowful, and each of them began to say to Him, “Lord, is it I?” 23 He answered and said, “He who dipped his hand with Me in the dish will betray Me. 24 The Son of Man indeed goes just as it is written of Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born.” 25 Then Judas, who was betraying Him, answered and said, “Rabbi, is it I?” He said to him, “You have said it.”

Commentary
Vs. 20When evening had come, He sat down with the twelve.”

Matthew now picks up the scene in the prepared room where the Lord Jesus and the disciples are reclining and eating the Passover meal, enjoying both it and each others company. It is poignant scene of intimate fellowship and joy as the disciples are still unaware that this meal will be their last with the Lord before His Crucifixion death.

Vs. 21 Now as they were eating, He said, “Assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me.”

Now during this the Lord reveals to the disciples that He will be betrayed. Given the mood in the upper room at that time this news must have completely stunned the disciples, like being hit with tragic news during Christmas at a family meal.

Vs. 22 And they were exceedingly sorrowful, and each of them began to say to Him, “Lord, is it I?”

The disciples then being floored by this revelation from the Lord, become exceedingly sorrowful, and so each one begins to ask Jesus, “Lord, is it I”. No pretense then, no thoughts of being above such things, each disciple knowing his own heart, knows that anyone is possible of such a thing.

Vs. 23-25 23 He answered and said, “He who dipped his hand with Me in the dish will betray Me. 24 The Son of Man indeed goes just as it is written of Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born.” 25 Then Judas, who was betraying Him, answered and said, “Rabbi, is it I?” He said to him, “You have said it.”

The Lord Jesus though also knows the disciples intimately, (far more than we even know ourselves) and He already knows who it is who will betray Him, and who will lead the conspirators to Him to take Him away. Therefore, the Lord Jesus will now take a piece of bread and dip it in the dish and give it to Judas Iscariot (John 13:26), Judas then reaching out his hand to the Lord to receive the bread from Him reveals his own treachery, that it is he who will be our Lord and Saviors betrayer. Having done so the Lord Jesus Christ now says to all the disciples, The Son of Man indeed goes just as it is written of Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born.” Now in Johns Gospel the Scripture also says that Satan enters Judas (John 13:27), then the Lord Jesus Christ looking directly at him says to him, “What you do, do quickly”. And with that Word from the Lord Jesus, Judas goes out into the night to betray Him. Judas’ then in saying “Rabbi, is it I?”, in trying to play innocent before the other disciples, is exposed before he goes out as the Lord Jesus will answer him saying, “You have said it.”

Scripture Quotations: 
The New King James Version. (1982). Nashville: Thomas Nelson

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