hotcoffee
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Matthew 26:20 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.”
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.”
The easy english commentary explains these verses.
Verses 20-21 To share a meal was a mark of friendship. To hand over a friend to their enemies is especially wicked. Jesus probably remembered the words in Psalm 41:9. ‘Even my close friend has turned against me. He was the man that I trusted. He shared my food.’
Verse 22 The disciples could not believe that one of them would hand over Jesus like this. Nobody suspected that Judas would do such a thing. Their question to Jesus meant, ‘I cannot believe that I would hand you over to the enemy!’
Verse 23 There was a dish that contained the mixture of fruit and nuts. People usually put their bread into it to eat it.
Verses 24-25 Jesus’ words were a last appeal to Judas to change his decision. Jesus also warned them about the terrible fate that was waiting for his enemies. That fate would also happen to the person who handed him over to them. Jesus could have stopped Judas. The other disciples would have helped him at once, if they had known about Judas. But Jesus knew that his death was in God’s plan. At the same time, Judas was responsible for his own actions. God did not force him to help Jesus’ enemies. Jesus knew what Judas had planned. But Judas was free to make his own decisions. To know that something will happen does not make it happen.
Judas asked the same question as the other disciples asked Jesus. They would have noticed if he had said nothing. Jesus did not allow the other *disciples to suspect Judas. So Jesus probably replied quietly, so that only Judas could hear.
Verse 22 The disciples could not believe that one of them would hand over Jesus like this. Nobody suspected that Judas would do such a thing. Their question to Jesus meant, ‘I cannot believe that I would hand you over to the enemy!’
Verse 23 There was a dish that contained the mixture of fruit and nuts. People usually put their bread into it to eat it.
Verses 24-25 Jesus’ words were a last appeal to Judas to change his decision. Jesus also warned them about the terrible fate that was waiting for his enemies. That fate would also happen to the person who handed him over to them. Jesus could have stopped Judas. The other disciples would have helped him at once, if they had known about Judas. But Jesus knew that his death was in God’s plan. At the same time, Judas was responsible for his own actions. God did not force him to help Jesus’ enemies. Jesus knew what Judas had planned. But Judas was free to make his own decisions. To know that something will happen does not make it happen.
Judas asked the same question as the other disciples asked Jesus. They would have noticed if he had said nothing. Jesus did not allow the other *disciples to suspect Judas. So Jesus probably replied quietly, so that only Judas could hear.
Another commentary offers this.
As the Jews ate the passover a whole family together, it was not convenient for them all to dip their bread in the same dish; they therefore had several little dishes or plates, in which was the juice of the bitter herbs, mentioned Exod. xii. 8, on different parts of the table; and those who were nigh one of these, dipped their bread in it.
As Judas is represented as dipping in the same dish with Christ, it shows that he was either near or opposite to him. If this man's heart had not been hardened, and his conscience seared beyond all precedent, by the deceitfulness of his sin, would he have showed his face in this sacred assembly, or have thus put the seal to his own perdition, by eating of this sacrificial lamb? Is it possible that he could feel no compunction? Alas! having delivered himself up into the hands of the devil, he was capable of delivering up his Master into the hands of the chief priests; and thus, when men are completely hardened by the deceitfulness of sin, they can outwardly perform the most solemn acts of devotion, without feeling any sort of inward concern about the matter.
As Judas is represented as dipping in the same dish with Christ, it shows that he was either near or opposite to him. If this man's heart had not been hardened, and his conscience seared beyond all precedent, by the deceitfulness of his sin, would he have showed his face in this sacred assembly, or have thus put the seal to his own perdition, by eating of this sacrificial lamb? Is it possible that he could feel no compunction? Alas! having delivered himself up into the hands of the devil, he was capable of delivering up his Master into the hands of the chief priests; and thus, when men are completely hardened by the deceitfulness of sin, they can outwardly perform the most solemn acts of devotion, without feeling any sort of inward concern about the matter.
Judas knew that he had made the deal. Still he sat with Jesus, even shared from the same dishes.
I'm sure we've all been there, even if it were as children. We've all done something wrong and thought no one else knew about it because, after all, they hadn't witnessed it. When we do something wrong, it weighs heavy on the soul.
Jesus could read minds. We saw it in Matthew 9:4. He read the minds of the teachers of the law when He forgave the sins of the paralyzed man.
We also saw it when Jesus was at the well in John 4. He knew everything about her.
Jesus knew that Judas had done something wrong. He called Judas out. Judas betrayed Jesus again. Judas knew that he had to follow the others and ask "Is it I?". If Judas hadn't asked that question the others would have known that he was the one by his silence. But note.... Judas didn't call Jesus Lord as the others did. He called Jesus Rabbi, instead.
Still, Judas hadn't completed the deal. He had thought about it. He had made the deal. He had tried to cover it up. But Judas had not yet completed the deal. He could have stopped right there.
There are some who say that Judas didn't have a choice. I guess at this point Judas might have been thinking that too. I guess at this point Judas was rationalizing everything to make it seem that it was Jesus's fault that things had gotten this far out of hand.
Jesus is warning Judas not to go through with it. Verse 23 says that Jesus told Judas that it would be a horrible thing to do to himself. I'm sure Jesus didn't want Judas, one of His own disciples, to be the one that betrayed Him. I'm sure Jesus wanted Judas to repent and turn away from the deal. It wasn't too late yet.
Someone else could have betrayed Jesus.... someone other that one of the inner circle that walked with Jesus every day. Jesus had to be betrayed.... but it didn't have to be Judas at this point.
Jesus knew what was going to happen.
