At the Cross  163

Betrayed!

Blest be the Tie 350





Luke 22:21  "But behold, the hand of My betrayer is with Me on
the table.

22  "And truly the Son of Man goes as it has been determined,
but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed!"

Who betrayed Jesus?

I want you to go back with me to the time of Christ.  In your
mind I want you to be one of the disciples as they are walking
along the road towards that terrible weekend in Jerusalem.  we
read about it in Luke Chapters 17-19.  Luke emphasizes several
actions of Jesus in these last days of His ministry. 

First, we find Jesus is continually reminding the disciples that
He will not be with them much longer.  His actions and His
teachings are an effort to emphasize that point.  

Then His actions and words try to prepare them for this event. 
The parable of the unjust judge exhorted the disciples to be
faithful and persistant in prayer.  In the parable of the
publican and the pharasee, Jesus attempted to tear down the
barriers of self righteousness that plagued the disciples.  

When the mothers brought their little children to be blessed,
Jesus took the opportunity to teach the disciples that
discipleship is not earned by degrees and position, but by
faith.  He taught that riches were useless in God's kingdom.

As the little group passed through Jericho, Jesus took the
opportunity to restore sight to a blind man.  Then to restore
worth to a short man. A tax collector no less, named Zacchious.  

Then came the event we call the triumphal entry.  It seemed to
the disciples that finally their master was going to receive the
glory that he deserved.  He taught that day and in His teaching
He warned over and over that the day of tribulation would come
on them as a surprise.  

Little did they know.

How hopelessly unprepared they were.

They just seemed to be unable to grasp what Jesus was trying to
tell them.

Luke 9:43  And they were all amazed at the majesty of God. But
while everyone marveled at all the things which Jesus did, He
said to His disciples,

44  "Let these words sink down into your ears, for the Son of
Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men."

45  But they did not understand this saying, and it was hidden
from them so that they did not perceive it; and they were afraid
to ask Him about this saying.

46  Then a dispute arose among them as to which of them would be
greatest.

47  And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a
little child and set him by Him,

48  and said to them, "Whoever receives this little child in My
name receives Me; and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent
Me. For he who is least among you all will be great."

This is fairly early in Jesus' ministry .  After seeing the
power and Glory of God at work, they immediately turned their
minds to how they would personally profit from it.  Jesus, just
as immediately tries to turn their throughts back towards a
faith relationship.

Then, wanting to make their fellowship more important than that
of others, the disciple John, probably reflection the thoughts
of the other disciples said:

John 9:9  Now John answered and said, "Master, we saw someone
casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he
does not follow with us."

50  But Jesus said to him, "Do not forbid him, for he who is not
against us is on our side."

51  Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be
received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to
Jerusalem, 

He was going towards that last supper.

Mark corroborates:

Mark 9:31  For He taught His disciples and said to them, "The
Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they
will kill Him. And after He is killed, He will rise the third
day."

32  But they did not understand this saying, and were afraid to
ask Him.

33  Then He came to Capernaum. And when He was in the house He
asked them, "What was it you disputed among yourselves on the
road?"

34  But they kept silent, for on the road they had disputed
among themselves who would be the greatest.

Who betrayed Jesus?

Which would be the greatest?  Would it be James and John the
sons of thunder who had their mother go appeal to Jesus on their
behalf for special privileges?  These two who would call down
lightning on those who did not agree with them or silence those
preaching truth but not part of their group.

Then there was Thomas. The disciple who could not maintain his
faith in his Lord. Who insisted that he would not believe until
he could put his hand in Jesus' side.

Then there was Mark.  When the crowd came to get Jesus in the
garden, someone grabbed at him and he shucked his clothes and
ran away naked.  

Oh yes, one of the disciples, Simon, was a zealot.  From the
zealots came asassins who believed in righteousness by knife --
or else.

A disciple but not one of the 12, Cleopus with a friend left
Jerusalem in despair heading back home. 

What about Judas?  The brightest and quickest of all. Whose
every move was calculated to bring him to the top of the heap in
one way or the other.  And some of the disciples probably felt
that he belonged there.

And then there was Peter.  Who kept himself and others in
trouble.  Speaking for Jesus without considering the
consequences.  Coarse, gruff, probably not really appreciated by
the other disciples most of the time.  Quick to act and slow to
think. Many of us can relate to him. 

Who betrayed Jesus?

And after 3 1/2 years of following Jesus, after seeing and
performing miracles, after teaching the gospel to others, these
disciples come up to the last moments of their Savior on the
earth and we read the following:

Luke 22:15  Then He said to them, "With fervent desire I have
desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer;

16  "for I say to you, I will no longer eat of it until it is
fulfilled in the kingdom of God."

17  Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, "Take this
and divide it among yourselves;

18  "for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine
until the kingdom of God comes."

19  And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to
them, saying, "This is My body which is given for you; do this
in remembrance of Me."

20  Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This
cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.

21  "But behold, the hand of My betrayer is with Me on the table.

22  "And truly the Son of Man goes as it has been determined,
but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed!"

23  Then they began to question among themselves, which of them
it was who would do this thing.

24  Now there was also a dispute among them, as to which of them
should be considered the greatest.

Jesus is agnozing over the events just around the corner, about
his disciples eternal future, and they are STILL divvying up the
kingdom of God. 

Who betrayed Jesus?

In 2000 years what have we learned?

The passage that we read in 1 Corinthians 11 for most of our
communion services is never read in it's entirity:

Let:s read some of the context

1 Corinthians 11:18  For first of all, when you come together as
a church, I hear that there are divisions among you, and in part
I believe it.

19  For there must also be factions among you, that those who
are approved may be recognized among you.

20  Therefore when you come together in one place, it is not to
eat the Lord's Supper.

21  For in eating, each one takes his own supper ahead of
others; and one is hungry and another is drunk.

22  What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you
despise the church of God and shame those who have nothing? What
shall I say to you? Shall I praise you in this? I do not praise
you.

23  For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to
you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was
betrayed took bread;

24  and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "Take,
eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in
remembrance of Me."

25  In the same manner He also took the cup after supper,
saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as
often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me."

26  For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you
proclaim the Lord's death till He comes.

27  Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the
Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood
of the Lord.

28  But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the
bread and drink of the cup.

29  For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and
drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.

30  For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many
sleep.

Who betrays Jesus?

Brothers and sisters, do we see our church reflected in the
disciples and the Coronthian church?  Are there disputes among
us?  Is their striving to be on top of the heap no matter who is
hurt?  Are there factions struggling to control others or the
church?  Are there some of us whose mouths are causing trouble
for the church and for our brothers and sisters?  Are some weak
in the faith?  Are some assissins?  

Who betrays Jesus?

The communion service suggests a better way.  Jesus teaches by
example in a way that the disciples found mind-boggling and
almost unacceptable.  He takes the form of a servant.  Without
complaining.  Without telling them how it should be done. 
Washing dirty, dusty feet and touching soiled hearts.  

We have little to compare it to.  Those of us that have
participated in this service for years may have lost the impact
of what was happening.  God, having taken on the form of a
fallen man, stoops on his knees to serve those who would betray
him.  For they all betrayed Christ in one way or the other that
night.

Have we betrayed Christ? 

Jesus made it clear over and over in his ministry that the
person who could not care for, serve, and love his brothers and
sisters, yea his neighbor and the strangers around him, was not
serving God.  

So Jesus instituted the footwashing service to remind us that
God himself once stooped to forgive man.  And He still does. 
And he asks us to do the same.

Where do we stand with each other?  Are we ready now to take of
the symbols representing the body and blood that was sacrificed
that we might have forgiveness? 

Today, I want us to take some time before we proceed any further
to give us a chance to examine our lives before go to
footwashing.  Is there someone here we need to forgive?  Now is
the time.  Is there someone we need to mend fences with?  Now is
the time.  We will take 5 minutes before we leave this room for
meditation and reconciliation before we go to our usual places
for the ordinance of humility.