The Most Tense Moment in the Entire Bible (Matthew 26:20-28)
"When it was evening, Jesus sat down at the table with the twelve disciples. While they were eating, he said, “I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me.” (Matthew 26:20-21 NLT)
This has to be one of the most tense moments in all of Scripture. Jesus is eating the Passover, the most sacred of meals, with His disciples, His closest companions. There is friendship, worship, and intimacy the likes of which most humanity will never know this side of eternity.
Then almost out of nowhere, in the middle of dinner, Jesus pauses. A distressed look crosses His face as He turns to His disciples and drops the bomb, "one of you is about to betray me". Suddenly the room grows silent. Every face turns pale. Nobody even flinches.
Enter the question, "so who is it?" This burning question instantly runs through the mind of everyone in the room; everyone except Judas that is.
You can cut the tension in the room with a knife as the disciples' eyes carefully lock on each potential suspect prompting anger in some and self-righteousness and deep hurt into others.
Finally Peter breaks the silence with the words, "Lord, is it me?" The passage doesn't say whether or not Jesus answered, but He probably remained silent given the fact that all of the disciples each felt it necessary to do the very same; all of them except Judas of course who is suspiciously avoiding eye contact.
To add to the already thick tension, Jesus responds in classic Messiah language giving an unclear answer, revealing nothing and yet everything all at once (vs. 23). If betrayal by a friend in this story wasn't bad enough, Jesus goes on to explain that the guilty party has also sentenced Him to death and themselves to an eternity of regret (vs. 24).
(On a side note, Jesus could have made this entire ordeal much less dramatic by simply saying to the group, "by the way guys, tonight Judas is going to betray me and have me killed". Instead He implicates all of His disciples by saying it's one of them who has shared the meal.)
Then the moment of truth. Judas has the nerve to ask Jesus if it was him, as if he had no idea what Jesus was talking about. Probably done both to save face and out of sheer humiliation, Judas admits to nothing and expresses no remorse for His secret act of treason.
(In this awkward turn of events nobody has spoken another word. Jesus then proceeds to continue the meal as if nothing had happened!)
Then comes one of the most beautiful, teachable moments anywhere in Scripture. Jesus uses His very betrayal that will soon result in His death and the Passover meal itself as an object lesson on God's forgiveness saying, "this is my body" and "this is my blood...poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many" (vs. 26-28).
No doubt only Jesus and Judas truly understood the significance of that statement in the moment. Yet the tragic irony is that Judas, knowing Jesus' offer of forgiveness had already been extended, never received it.
In the hours between his exit from dinner and his entrance into the Garden of Gethsemane, Judas could have changed course. However, instead of acknowledging His sin, he callously led the mob to Jesus and betrayed Him with a kiss.
Granted, in the hours that followed, all of the disciples turned their back on Jesus. In fact, even Judas himself regretted his actions (Matthew 27:3-5). But the gap between God's grace and our forgiveness cannot be crossed apart from repentance. Had Judas merely sought out God instead of the Pharisees he might have experienced the very forgiveness Jesus had offered only a few hours before.
This has to be one of the most tense moments in all of Scripture. Jesus is eating the Passover, the most sacred of meals, with His disciples, His closest companions. There is friendship, worship, and intimacy the likes of which most humanity will never know this side of eternity.
Then almost out of nowhere, in the middle of dinner, Jesus pauses. A distressed look crosses His face as He turns to His disciples and drops the bomb, "one of you is about to betray me". Suddenly the room grows silent. Every face turns pale. Nobody even flinches.
Enter the question, "so who is it?" This burning question instantly runs through the mind of everyone in the room; everyone except Judas that is.
You can cut the tension in the room with a knife as the disciples' eyes carefully lock on each potential suspect prompting anger in some and self-righteousness and deep hurt into others.
Finally Peter breaks the silence with the words, "Lord, is it me?" The passage doesn't say whether or not Jesus answered, but He probably remained silent given the fact that all of the disciples each felt it necessary to do the very same; all of them except Judas of course who is suspiciously avoiding eye contact.
To add to the already thick tension, Jesus responds in classic Messiah language giving an unclear answer, revealing nothing and yet everything all at once (vs. 23). If betrayal by a friend in this story wasn't bad enough, Jesus goes on to explain that the guilty party has also sentenced Him to death and themselves to an eternity of regret (vs. 24).
(On a side note, Jesus could have made this entire ordeal much less dramatic by simply saying to the group, "by the way guys, tonight Judas is going to betray me and have me killed". Instead He implicates all of His disciples by saying it's one of them who has shared the meal.)
Then the moment of truth. Judas has the nerve to ask Jesus if it was him, as if he had no idea what Jesus was talking about. Probably done both to save face and out of sheer humiliation, Judas admits to nothing and expresses no remorse for His secret act of treason.
(In this awkward turn of events nobody has spoken another word. Jesus then proceeds to continue the meal as if nothing had happened!)
Then comes one of the most beautiful, teachable moments anywhere in Scripture. Jesus uses His very betrayal that will soon result in His death and the Passover meal itself as an object lesson on God's forgiveness saying, "this is my body" and "this is my blood...poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many" (vs. 26-28).
No doubt only Jesus and Judas truly understood the significance of that statement in the moment. Yet the tragic irony is that Judas, knowing Jesus' offer of forgiveness had already been extended, never received it.
In the hours between his exit from dinner and his entrance into the Garden of Gethsemane, Judas could have changed course. However, instead of acknowledging His sin, he callously led the mob to Jesus and betrayed Him with a kiss.
Granted, in the hours that followed, all of the disciples turned their back on Jesus. In fact, even Judas himself regretted his actions (Matthew 27:3-5). But the gap between God's grace and our forgiveness cannot be crossed apart from repentance. Had Judas merely sought out God instead of the Pharisees he might have experienced the very forgiveness Jesus had offered only a few hours before.
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