¹⁴ Then one of the Twelve—the one called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests ¹⁵ and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver him over to you?” So they counted out for him thirty pieces of silver. ¹⁶ From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over.

¹⁷ On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do you want us to make preparations for you to eat the Passover?”

¹⁸ He replied, “Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, ‘The Teacher says: My appointed time is near. I am going to celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your house.’” ¹⁹ So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover.

²⁰ When evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the Twelve. ²¹ And while they were eating, he said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.”

²² They were very sad and began to say to him one after the other, “Surely you don’t mean me, Lord?”

²³ Jesus replied, “The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me. ²⁴ The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.”

²⁵ Then Judas, the one who would betray him, said, “Surely you don’t mean me, Rabbi?”

Jesus answered, “You have said so.”

Betrayed

Jesus, we don’t know why he did it, but I think we see the lack of commitment in our own day and age.  People turn on friends and causes quite frequently.  What do we do with that?  I guess we can come to you.  You had developed twelve trusted friends.  You shared all you had with them.  One of those who shared everything with you accepted money so that you would be killed.  I have had people say harsh things about me or turn their back on me.  I have even had ex-girlfriends cheat on me, but I have not had anyone turn me over to be killed.  It seems so abstract in the plain retelling of the familiar story.  However, I feel closer to is when I remember seeing someone in my own life betray me.

I do not want to betray you. I want to know you and be known by you.  I want you to know me as weak and confused, but as faithful.  I want to be loyal.  Help me to deal healthily with anything that leads astray.

Questions

1. How did Jesus identify his betrayer?
2. What did Judas receive?
3. What do you think might have been his real motive?
4. What would cause you to betray the cause of Jesus?
5. How have you been hurt by betrayal?  What does it mean to you that Jesus was betrayed?