12 And on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the Passover lamb, his disciples said to him, “Where will you have us go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?” 13 And he sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him, 14 and wherever he enters, say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says, Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ 15 And he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready; there prepare for us.” 16 And the disciples set out and went to the city and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover.
17 And when it was evening, he came with the twelve. 18 And as they were reclining at table and eating, Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me.” 19 They began to be sorrowful and to say to him one after another, “Is it I?” 20 He said to them, “It is one of the twelve, one who is dipping bread into the dish with me. 21 For 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.”
(ESV)
STOP! Think a little 🤔 What is God saying to you?
- What is the writer saying?
- How do I apply this to my life?
On the day of Passover and the beginning of the week-long celebration of the Feast of Unleavened bread, the disciples asked Jesus where they should prepare for them to eat the Passover. Jesus sent two of the disciples to what appears to have been a prearranged venue. A man carrying water was a sign easily seen because women would usually carry water.
That night Jesus ate the Passover meal with His disciples and while they were reclining at the table (the traditional way of eating at a table) He told them that one of the twelve eating with Him would betray Him. They couldn’t believe it and each one of them, Judas included, asked, “Is it I?” Jesus said that it was one who was eating with Him in fellowship—Jesus was going to be betrayed by a friend (Psalm 41:9). Then He told them that He would go through what had been prophesied about Him (Isaiah 53 being a key passage). Jesus would do the Father’s will. But woe to Judas, who was doing Satan’s will (Luke 22:3). Jesus chose to give up His life for us. Judas chose to give up another’s life for his own. Jesus’ choice resulted in Him being glorified and honoured. Judas’s choice led him to face God’s judgement, therefore, it would have been better if he had not been born. Even though Judas was used by God to accomplish what God intended, it was still Judas’s choice and he was responsible for his choice. Even as believers, our choices are not free from consequence. What corrective action do you need to take on choices you’ve made that you shouldn’t have?
This passage honestly made me a bit worried about the sins I may commit in the future acting on anger or worry or stupid decisions, but if I pray daily asking God to help me identify my sins then I can become aware of them and work on them with God’s help.