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Matt 26 17-25 The Betrayal of Jesus CLICK TITLE FOR AUDIO

This meal that was served before the betrayal of Jesus took place in the evening of the same day that Jesus was crucified. Remember that the Jewish day begins at 6 pm. Therefore, this first day of the feast of unleavened bread, which is Passover, begins with a meal at supper and continues through to the killing of the Passover lamb the following afternoon of the same day (Mk 14:12; Lk 22:7). Thus, the night that the disciples ate the Passover with Jesus was part of the same day that Jesus was crucified, making Jesus truly our Passover sacrifice (1 Cor 5:7).

Here is the chronology of what happened that night.

When the disciples came to Jesus [Matt 26:17] he sent two of them [Mk 14:13], Peter and John [Lk 22:8], to the city to prepare the Passover. They asked where they should prepare it [Lk 22:9]. He sent them to a man bearing a pitcher of water and they followed him into the house [Lk 22:10]. They asked the man where the guest chamber was [Lk 22:11] and he showed them a large upper room furnished and prepared where they made ready [Mk 14:15-16].

In the evening, Jesus came with the twelve [Mk 14:17] and while eating, Jesus announced that one of them would betray him [Mk 14:18]. This caused great sorrow among the disciples who each began to ask, “Lord, is it I,” [Matt 26:22]? Jesus said that it was definitely one of the twelve and not someone else [Mk 14:20]. Peter was sitting next to John who happened to be sitting right next to Jesus. So, Peter asked John to ask Jesus, “Lord, who is it,” [Jn 13:21-25]? Jesus told John, “He it is, to whom I shall give a sop, when I have dipped it,” [Jn 13:26]. This was said to John only and not to the other disciples. Then Jesus pronounced the woe against the betrayer [Matt 26:24].

Following this, Judas asked the Lord, “Master, is it I,” [Matt 26:25]? Notice how the other disciples addressed Jesus as “Lord” (1 Cor 12:3), while Judas addressed him as “Master,” (Matt 26:49). And Jesus said to him, “Thou hast said.” Then Jesus handed him the sop and the devil entered into him [Jn 13:26-27]. Jesus then told him, “That thou doest, do quickly.” Judas left immediately to betray him, while the other disciples were left to wonder why Jesus had sent him out [Jn 13:28-30].

As a side note, the gospel of Judas has suddenly appeared to exonerate Judas of any malicious deed. Be sure that any attempt to clear Judas is nothing more than an effort to prepare the world to receive him when he shows up in the tribulation as the world ruler. Just check out these verses to see that the world’s infatuation with a good Judas is of the devil [Jn 17:12; 2 Thes 2:3-4; Rev 17:8, 11; Acts 1:15-25; Ps 109:1-19; Jn 6:70-71]