A Hitman at the Table

Luke 22:1-23

We have come to the last few days of earthly life for Jesus, and our gentle Savior has fulfilled prophecy by riding into Jerusalem on a donkey to the praises of the people. The Pharisees, who believe Him to be an imposter, tell Him to rebuke His disciples and make them be quiet. He responds by saying, “if these be silent, the stones will cry out!” When Jesus arrives in Jerusalem He weeps for the city that has rejected Him.

And then the gentle Savior shows a fierce side in response to sin and deception. He overthrows tables and refuses to answer the Pharisees who challenge His authority. He tells a parable about wicked tenants who kill the Master’s servants and even His own Son. The scribes and chief priests recognize themselves in the story and send duplicitous spies to catch Him in something that would allow for Him to be arrested. He straightens out the Sadducees on the truth of the resurrection and heaven and He quotes a Psalm of David, giving them a riddle about His eternal existence. Jesus speaks to them about the last days and reminds them to be watchful. “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.”

I have often wondered if I knew my time on earth was short, would I have the courage to speak more boldly to others about examining their lives and laying aside sin and finding truth in Christ alone? I hope I would do as Christ did, and spend my last hours with those I hold most dear.

Have you ever been betrayed by a friend? I have. It was very painful and it broke my heart. But my story is not as heinous a betrayal as our text describes. One would think that it would be the Pharisees or Sadducees or scribes who would trap Jesus, but it was one He called friend.

Passover was approaching and Luke 22:2 says that the “chief priests and scribes were seeking how they might put Him to death.” These were the religious leaders of the day who should have been leading people to God and celebrating the time in Israel’s history where the death angel passed over them and they were saved because the blood was applied. Instead, they were consumed by how they might destroy a man they didn’t understand, the one they didn’t recognize as the Messiah. Judas Iscariot made it easy for them. Judas was there when the Pharisees, Sadducees, scribes and priests asked Jesus questions to mock and discredit the Lord. So now he sees his opportunity. Scripture says Judas gave in to Satan and went to the chief priests and officers and discussed how he might betray Jesus. Verse 5 says, “and they were glad and agreed to give him money.” They delighted in the unjust death of Jesus, and Judas was satisfied to take 30 pieces of silver to lead them to Him.

Judas was one of the twelve. He had seen the miracles and the compassion, he had participated in gathering baskets at the feeding of the 5,000 and had been sent out with the other disciples with power over demons and sickness. He saw the lame walk and the blind receive their sight, and he saw Lazarus walk out of the tomb. He sat under the teaching of Jesus and ate with Him and followed Him on all His travels. He saw Him walk on the water and calm the wind and waves. Yet, Judas gave in to Satan and his love of money and betrayed the Savior. Maybe he followed Jesus for the extra baskets of food, or the notoriety, or the money he was pilfering. Whatever the reason, Judas never committed his life to Jesus.

John’s gospel tells us that Judas gave himself away even before the Passover meal. When Mary of Bethany anointed the feet of Jesus with expensive perfume, Judas said the perfume should have been sold and the money given to the poor. Some of that money would have, no doubt, ended up in his own pocket.

It is my opinion that it broke the heart of Jesus to lose Judas. It wasn’t a surprise to the Lord and it was foretold in Psalms. John’s gospel relates how Jesus washed the feet of the disciples at the Passover meal. This included Judas. It then says in John 13:21 that he became very troubled in spirit and told them that one of them at the table would betray Him and He discreetly sends Judas away to do his dirty deed. By the end of the meal the disciples were arguing who might be the one to betray Jesus...and then who would be regarded as the greatest among them. On that dark day as Jesus hung between two thieves it was only John who stood at the foot of the cross as Jesus died. It shows me that we all have the capability of running away, giving in to fear and greed, and must constantly examine ourselves for sincerity in our devotion to Christ.

When they move on to the Garden of Gethsemane, Judas has already been told by Jesus to quickly do what he has planned. As the soldiers approach Jesus after his heart wrenching prayer time, He says to Judas, “Friend, do what you came to do. Judas steps up and calls Him “Teacher” and betrays Him with a kiss. Jesus does not react with anger or hatred but calls him “friend.” How do we react when someone betrays us? How many who call Jesus Teacher, Savior, and Lord, are actually betraying Him through repeated disobedience? Later, Jesus would remind His captors that He willingly would lay down His life. No one took it from Him.

Before all of this, Jesus describes the symbolism of the cup and the bread at the Last Supper. It is a new covenant of grace and salvation through the sacrifice of Jesus. They are told to continue this in remembrance of Jesus until He comes. He is the only Way, the only Truth and the only Life.

The betrayal of Jesus is a hard truth, but it is not what we dwell upon. We are thankful for His sacrifice, for His grace and love, and for the Spirit that dwells within us affording us all the wonderful works of Christ. Thankfully we attend a church that is faithful and obedient to remember the sacrifice of our Lord through communion. I hope that we would never take it lightly or treat it as some ceremonial act we do every other week. It is a sacred memorial of the greatest sacrifice made for us.

“Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down His life for His friends.”

John 15:13

Remembering His sacrifice for us,

Jo