Mar 14:21 | KingComments | STEP | It is evening, the evening before the last night of the Lord Jesus’ life before His death. He is perfectly aware of all that will come on Him. He does not flee, but “came” with the twelve. Every step of Him is a conscious step toward His death. Then they recline and eat the Passover. While they are at rest and eating the Passover, they will have thought of the exodus from Egypt and the wondrous deliverance that God has worked. Suddenly their thoughts are startled by a remark of the Lord Jesus. He does not want them to be occupied now with a memory, with the past, but with the present, with the fulfillment of what the Passover refers to. He introduces His remark with “truly”, emphasizing the certainty of what He is about to say. Then He speaks of His being betrayed by one of them. He does so without mentioning a name. He wants everyone to test themselves ( ) and wonder if he is able to do so. It is also to ask oneself: Why am I here: Out of love or out of habit? His remark disturbs the festive character of the meal. The disciples are saddened and ask Him one by one: “Surely not I?” There is no spokesperson here to ask on behalf of the other disciples who it is. Each one comes personally with his question to the Lord about a possible involvement in this betrayal. That gives the question that each of the eleven disciples asks, something that is beautiful and striking. None of them, except Judas, thinks about betraying Him. His word, however, is true. Their hearts recognize this, and there is a great mistrust in each one of them in the presence of Christ’s words. There is no proud self-confidence in them that they will not do it, but their hearts bow down to these serious and terrible words. They have more confidence in the Lord’s words than in themselves. This is a beautiful testimony of their sincerity. The Lord does not mention a name, but makes it clear by an act who will do it. This act of affection, an expression of friendship, should strike the heart of Judas, if it were not yet completely hardened. The Lord says that He will go to the cross, a way that is in accordance with what is written about Him. However, that does not take away the responsibility of the human being who will deliver Him to that way. He declares that it would have been good for this man that he had not been born. What He says has to do with the responsibility of Judas. Judas is fully responsible for what he does. He too has had enough chances to repent, but he didn’t want to. The closer a person is to God’s blessings outwardly, the further away he becomes from them spiritually if he doesn’t take them in his heart.

‏ Mark 14:21

Celebrating the Passover

It is evening, the evening before the last night of the Lord Jesus’ life before His death. He is perfectly aware of all that will come on Him. He does not flee, but “came” with the twelve. Every step of Him is a conscious step toward His death.

Then they recline and eat the Passover. While they are at rest and eating the Passover, they will have thought of the exodus from Egypt and the wondrous deliverance that God has worked. Suddenly their thoughts are startled by a remark of the Lord Jesus. He does not want them to be occupied now with a memory, with the past, but with the present, with the fulfillment of what the Passover refers to.

He introduces His remark with “truly”, emphasizing the certainty of what He is about to say. Then He speaks of His being betrayed by one of them. He does so without mentioning a name. He wants everyone to test themselves (1Cor 11:28) and wonder if he is able to do so. It is also to ask oneself: Why am I here: Out of love or out of habit?

His remark disturbs the festive character of the meal. The disciples are saddened and ask Him one by one: “Surely not I?” There is no spokesperson here to ask on behalf of the other disciples who it is. Each one comes personally with his question to the Lord about a possible involvement in this betrayal.

That gives the question that each of the eleven disciples asks, something that is beautiful and striking. None of them, except Judas, thinks about betraying Him. His word, however, is true. Their hearts recognize this, and there is a great mistrust in each one of them in the presence of Christ’s words. There is no proud self-confidence in them that they will not do it, but their hearts bow down to these serious and terrible words. They have more confidence in the Lord’s words than in themselves. This is a beautiful testimony of their sincerity.

The Lord does not mention a name, but makes it clear by an act who will do it. This act of affection, an expression of friendship, should strike the heart of Judas, if it were not yet completely hardened.

The Lord says that He will go to the cross, a way that is in accordance with what is written about Him. However, that does not take away the responsibility of the human being who will deliver Him to that way. He declares that it would have been good for this man that he had not been born.

What He says has to do with the responsibility of Judas. Judas is fully responsible for what he does. He too has had enough chances to repent, but he didn’t want to. The closer a person is to God’s blessings outwardly, the further away he becomes from them spiritually if he doesn’t take them in his heart.