Matthew 26:17-29

17 Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Where will you have us prepare for you to eat the Passover?” 18 He said, “Go into the city to a certain man and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, My time is at hand. I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.’ ” 19 And the disciples did as Jesus had directed them, and they prepared the Passover. 20 When it was evening, he reclined at table with the twelve. 21 And as they were eating, he said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” 22 And they were very sorrowful and began to say to him one after another, “Is it I, Lord?” 23 He answered, “He who has dipped his hand in the dish with me will betray me. 24 The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.” 25 Judas, who would betray him, answered, “Is it I, Rabbi?” He said to him, “You have said so.”

26 Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” 27 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, 28 for 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 again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”

I find it fascinating that, when Jesus says at the Last Supper that one of the disciples will betray him, each of them asks in response, "Surely you don’t mean me, Lord?"

I wrote yesterday that if even Jesus can be betrayed by someone he loves, then it can happen to any of us.

But it's also true that any of us could be the betrayer. If we think we are the kind of people who would never betray someone we love, then we need to be careful, lest like Peter, we end up doing the very thing we swore we would never do. (That's in tomorrow's reading.)

There is the potential in each one of us to be Judas. In fact, I think the more we humble ourselves and admit that we're not better than anyone else, the less likely it is that we become the kind of people who sell their friends for 30 pieces of silver.

Pride goes before a fall. So, help us, Lord, become faithful people.

Note how Jesus explains that Judas’s betrayal is both part of God’s plan—

See Psalm 41:9,

Even my close friend in whom I trusted,
who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me.—

and at the same time an act of human evil that will bring consequences upon the betrayer.

Then Jesus explains that the Passover was always about him. Jesus will, through his death on the cross, lead his people out of slavery to sin and death and into the promised land of forgiveness and freedom—it’s the ultimate exodus moment.