Matthew 26:14-30
14 Then one of the Twelve—the one called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests 15 and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver him over to you?” So they counted out for him thirty pieces of silver. 16 From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over.
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.”
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 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.
One of the most painful experiences we may ever face is betrayal. We have been betrayed; it is a fact of life that if you have never been betrayed, count yourself blessed and keep saying good morning.
There are some infamous traitors in history. Many of these are political spies, and in the United States, this list includes Benedict Arnold, Aldrich Ames, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, Robert Hanssen, and others.
The betrayal of Julius Caesar by his friend Brutus still shocks history students. Other infamous names have emerged more recently, such as Alfred Redl, an Austrian military officer who, during World War I, sold sensitive information about the Austrian army to Czarist Russia. Or, Harold Cole, a British soldier who betrayed the French resistance and is considered one of the worst traitors of World War II.
Since betrayal is a central human theme, the so-called classic literature is full of it. Such as Iago from Othello, who was Othello's trusted advisor but hated him and made him think his wife was having an affair. In The Count of Monte Cristo, Fernand Mondego falsely accuses his best friend Edmond of treason before having him imprisoned for 14 years. He also steals Edmond's fiancée, Mercédès, and marries her.
Peter Pettigrew, a.k.a. Wormtail, of the Harry Potter books, betrayed Harry Potter's parents to Lord Voldemort and then framed Professor Snape for their deaths. In The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, Edmund, the youngest Pevensie brother, betrays his siblings and all of Narnia for a bag of Turkish Delight. And in the Godfather movies, Fredo betrayed his brother, Michael Corleone, almost getting him killed.
There was betrayal before historical figures and fictional characters, and we see betrayal throughout the Bible. Abraham betrays Sarah by telling people she is his sister because he is scared he would get killed. Jacob betrayed Esau for his birthright, then Jacob's Uncle Laban by tricking him into marrying his older daughter Leah before Rachel. Joseph's brothers betrayed him and sold him into slavery. David's son Absalom betrayed him in an attempt to take the throne. Delilah betrayed Samson, the list goes on.
In Matthew 26:14-27:66, we witness the ultimate betrayal of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who was sold out for 30 pieces of silver by one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot. Judas was not the only person to betray Jesus; Peter and Pilate did too. Judas betrayed Jesus for what seemed to be greed, Peter betrayed Jesus for what appeared to be cowardice, and Pilate betrayed Jesus for what seemed to be political gain. Judas got 30 pieces of silver; Peter got away from a crowd that figured out Peter was with the man they were crucifying, and Pilate could have stopped the kangaroo court but did not get involved to keep his political ambitions intact.
At the Passover meal, Jesus knew someone would betray him, and he said so; he told the disciples that one of them would surely betray him. All the disciples asked Lord, is it me? The only one who did not say Lord is it me was Judas; he said Rabbi instead of Lord in the text. Rabbi instead of Lord is a slight difference to some but a big one when you realize that Lord in the text means personal relationship, and Rabbi in the text means professional title. Judas was using outsider language in an insider meeting. When someone wants to distance themself from you, the language will give it away first. Later in the text, Peter is repeatedly asked if he knows Jesus, and he lies three times before the rooster crows. Pilate washes his hands of a situation he knows is not right.
People will change how they talk to you and how they talk about you, and then they will stand by while other people do you wrong. Jesus willingly gave himself even though he knew what would happen and continued his mission.
We must look backward to Christ's sacrifice on the cross. Jesus endured the ultimate betrayal, yet He did not respond with anger or retaliation. Instead, He willingly sacrificed Himself to pay the price for our sins. When we face betrayal, we can find comfort in knowing that Christ understands our pain and that His sacrifice has given us the hope of eternal life.
We must look forward to the fulfillment of the Kingdom of God. In Revelation 21:4, we are promised that in the new heaven and new earth, there will be no more pain, no more tears, and no more sorrow. While we may face betrayal in this life, we can take comfort in knowing that all things will be made right one day.
We must look inward and do self-reflection. It is easy to focus on the other person's wrongdoing and ignore our faults when betrayed. However, we must remember that we are all sinners needing God's grace. We must examine our hearts and ask God to reveal any areas where we must repent and seek forgiveness.
We must look upward toward heaven. In times of betrayal, we may feel alone and abandoned. However, we must remember that God is always with us and will never leave or forsake us. We can find comfort in knowing that our Heavenly Father loves us unconditionally and will guide us through even the darkest valleys.
Finally, we must look outward to the whole church and the rest of the world. We may be tempted to withdraw and isolate ourselves when betrayed. However, we must remember that we are part of a larger community of believers and are called to love and serve others, even during our pain. As we extend grace and forgiveness to others, we reflect the love of Christ to a world that desperately needs it. Forgiveness is not a free pass; we still operate wisely; we just understand that we don't have a heaven or hell to put anyone in ourselves.
As we consider how to respond to betrayal, remember that we do not walk alone. We have a Savior who understands our pain, offers us hope, and calls us to love and serve others. May we respond to betrayal with grace, forgiveness, and steadfast faith in the One who was betrayed for us.
Jesus knew that he would be betrayed and pressed forward anyway. Our sins are forgiven, and we are all welcome at the table.
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