WOE
TO THE BETRAYER
LUKE
22:21-23
(See
also Matthew 26, Mark 14,
and
John 13)
Luke
22:21 But, behold, the hand of him that betrayeth me is with me on the table.
Susie: Each
of the gospels gives slightly different details of how Jesus delivered the news
that His betrayer was in their midst at the Passover Meal, meaning he had to be
one of them, one of Jesus’s twelve closest disciples.
Susan: It
seemed to be simply beyond the comprehension of the disciples that the betrayer
could be one of their own. They were probably thinking, “Did Jesus just say
what I think He said?!”
Matthew
26:21-23 And as they did eat, he said, Verily I say unto you, that one of you
shall betray me. And they were exceeding sorrowful, and began every one of them
to say unto him, Lord, is it I? And he answered and said, He that dippeth his
hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me.
Mark
14:18 And as they sat and did eat, Jesus said, Verily I say unto you, One of
you which eateth with me shall betray me.
John
13:26 Jesus answered, He it is, to whom I shall give a sop, when I have dipped
it. And when he had dipped the sop, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of
Simon.
Susan: Jesus,
as the host of the Passover Seder, would dip a small piece of matza cracker
into the charoseth and hand one to each of His guests. Charoseth is a fruit and
nut mixture that may include wine that was to remind the Israelites of the
bricks and mortar they used in their forced labor building monuments for their
Egyptian captors. It usually consists of diced apples, spices, walnuts, wine
and maybe sugar or honey. We found a demonstration of how to make charoseth
here:
Of course, Susie and I would
substitute sweet grape juice for the wine because we are both teetotalers. LOL
Susie: The
first person that Jesus handed this treat to after His statement that the one
He shared it with was the betrayer was Judas Iscariot.
Susan: However,
as we will see, this flew right over the rest of the disciples’ heads. They did
not have a clue.
Luke
22:22 And truly the Son of man goeth, as it was determined: but woe unto that
man by whom he is betrayed!
Susan: Jesus
shares that His death on the cross was predetermined by the Father. In fact, in
Revelation, we are told this was planned even before the creation of the earth!
The sacrifice of Jesus as the final Passover Lamb was His determined purpose
for being born as a human being all along. It was the only way that our
redemption could become a reality.
Acts
2:23 Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God,
ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:
Revelation
13:8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not
written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
Susie: The
gospels agree that Jesus pronounced “woe” or condemnation upon the man who
would betray Him.
Matthew
26:24 The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by
whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not
been born.
Mark
14:21 The Son of man indeed goeth, as it is written of him: but woe to that man
by whom the Son of man is betrayed! good were it for that man if he had never
been born.
Susie: In
fact, Jesus says it would have been better for His betrayer if he had never
been born. MacArthur points out that Judas was labeled “the son of perdition”
which he could not have been had he truly ever believed Jesus to be the Messiah
and surrendered his life to Him. It is difficult to conceive that a man could
walk with Jesus for three years, experience the miracles He performed in
person, and listen to the Lord teach, and never trust Him as God incarnate. However,
the Bible tells us just that regarding Judas Iscariot.
Acts
1:17 For he was numbered with us, and had obtained part of this ministry.
MacArthur
Study Bible:
Acts
1:17 obtained a part in this ministry. Judas Iscariot was a member
of the 12, but was never truly saved which is why he was called “the son of
perdition” (John 17:12). See Matt. 26:24; John 6:64, 70, 71; cf. 2:23; Luke
22:22.
John
17:12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that
thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition;
that the scripture might be fulfilled.
Susan: Only one soul
of the twelve was lost, Judas Iscariot, who did not believe and repent. Judas
could have had the same forgiveness as the thief on the cross if he would
have come to Jesus in repentance and asked for it.
Susie:
As Jesus protected the disciples, the Father continues to
keep us in His care while Jesus intercedes on our behalf.
Luke
22:23 And they began to enquire among themselves, which of them it was that
should do this thing.
Susan: Even
though the other eleven had to have seen to whom Jesus handed the sop, it still
was beyond any of their comprehension that it could be any one of them.
Susie: Therefore,
they were asking each other and each one asking himself who it could be. That
is, everyone but Judas. John’s gospel makes it clear that Judas understood and
at some point, left the scene:
John
13:27 & 30 And after the sop Satan entered into him. Then said Jesus unto
him, That thou doest, do quickly. . . He then having received the sop went
immediately out: and it was night.
Ponder
this and Apply it: There is not a direct application here since
the role of Judas was already fulfilled. However, there is a caution that it is
possible for someone to be among believers, appearing to be a legitimate child
of God on the surface, but still lost in their sin and unbelief. Jesus tells us,
“By their fruits ye shall know them” (Matthew 7:20). We need to pray for
discernment, not that we can expel them but that we can share the Lord Jesus
with them. Only the Lord truly knows what is in a man’s heart, but if we are not
seeing fruit, we need to pray for and share truth with the person.
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