Mat 26:21-22 | KingComments | STEP | In the evening the Lord joins them with the ten other disciples. There He reclines with the twelve disciples, among whom is also Judas. The Passover is a meal for disciples, for students of the Teacher, for followers of the rejected King. Food is a picture of fellowship. In that fellowship is an element that does not belong there. Among the twelve disciples is one who will hand the Lord over. The Lord here shows not only that He knows who will betray Him. He already knew this when He called Judas as an apostle. He says: “One of you.” That is what has an impact on His heart and He wants it to have an impact on the others. The disciples are all saddened. One by one, they wonder and ask Him this as a question: “Surely not I, Lord?” This shows a beautiful character trait that is present in all of them. None of them feels above it. No one says, ‘It could be another, but not me, Lord!’ The Lord does not answer by naming Judas. He answers that He will show who will betray Him with a gesture. With this He appeals to their spiritual insight. It presents two sides that are present throughout the Bible. On the one hand He says that He, as the Son of Man, fulfils what God has determined, as it is written about Him. On the other hand He makes the man who makes himself available as an instrument of the evil one fully responsible for that deed. No one but He knows better how terrible the deed is that Judas is going to perform. As the Creator He has given Judas life. As a dependent Man, He says it would have been better for Judas if he had never been born. God gives life to man and tells him how to use it. He leaves it to man to do what he does with it. Never will a man be able to blame God for the deeds he has done himself. How much Judas’ heart is hardened is shown by his reaction. He also asks: “Surely it is not I?” However, he does not call the Lord ‘Lord’, but “Rabbi”. It indicates that he has never bowed to the authority of Christ as Lord. The Lord answers his question in the affirmative. According to the Gospel according to John, Judas leaves the room at this point ( ). Judas indeed did not participate in the Lord’s Supper which the Lord institutes after this.

‏ Matthew 26:21-22

Passover Celebration

In the evening the Lord joins them with the ten other disciples. There He reclines with the twelve disciples, among whom is also Judas. The Passover is a meal for disciples, for students of the Teacher, for followers of the rejected King.

Food is a picture of fellowship. In that fellowship is an element that does not belong there. Among the twelve disciples is one who will hand the Lord over. The Lord here shows not only that He knows who will betray Him. He already knew this when He called Judas as an apostle. He says: “One of you.” That is what has an impact on His heart and He wants it to have an impact on the others.

The disciples are all saddened. One by one, they wonder and ask Him this as a question: “Surely not I, Lord?” This shows a beautiful character trait that is present in all of them. None of them feels above it. No one says, ‘It could be another, but not me, Lord!’ The Lord does not answer by naming Judas. He answers that He will show who will betray Him with a gesture. With this He appeals to their spiritual insight.

It presents two sides that are present throughout the Bible. On the one hand He says that He, as the Son of Man, fulfils what God has determined, as it is written about Him. On the other hand He makes the man who makes himself available as an instrument of the evil one fully responsible for that deed.

No one but He knows better how terrible the deed is that Judas is going to perform. As the Creator He has given Judas life. As a dependent Man, He says it would have been better for Judas if he had never been born. God gives life to man and tells him how to use it. He leaves it to man to do what he does with it. Never will a man be able to blame God for the deeds he has done himself.

How much Judas’ heart is hardened is shown by his reaction. He also asks: “Surely it is not I?” However, he does not call the Lord ‘Lord’, but “Rabbi”. It indicates that he has never bowed to the authority of Christ as Lord. The Lord answers his question in the affirmative.

According to the Gospel according to John, Judas leaves the room at this point (Jn 13:30). Judas indeed did not participate in the Lord’s Supper which the Lord institutes after this.