Matthew 26:20-25 “Is it I, Rabbi?”

“Is it I, Rabbi?”  Jesus said to him, “You have said so.” Matthew 26:25

Betrayal “is a weapon found only in the hands of one you love.” (Max Lucado, And the Angels Were Silent, p. 152)

“We are more sinful and flawed in ourselves than we ever dared believe, yet at the very same time we are more loved and accepted in Jesus Christ than we ever dared hope.”  (Timothy Keller, Meaning of Marriage, p. 47)

The Lord is celebrating with His disciples the Thursday evening (v. 17) Passover meal. It is one last moment of community that the Lord has “earnestly desired” (Luke 22:15) before His appointed time of suffering.   In spite of His anticipation of this meal with His disciples, “Jesus was troubled in His spirit” (John 13:21). 

This Passover meal with Jesus and His disciples is known as the Last Supper. This scene is the subject of Da Vinci’s famous painting.   However Da Vinci missed a cultural clue.   Da Vinci has them all seated at a table (and all on the same side of the table).  Tables in those days were tricliniums, low to the ground, U-shaped, with cushions and not chairs, so the participants reclined at the table as Jesus did with the twelve (v. 20). 

And as they were eating, Jesus let it be known what was troubling Him.  He said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me,” (v. 21).  For years I believed that Peter’s sin of denial and Judas’ sin of betrayal were roughly the same.   But now I realize that is not true.  Peter’s denial, although predicted (see v. 34), was in the heat of the moment.  Judas’ betrayal was pre-meditated and took coordination with others to execute (see v. 14).   Judas’ betrayal was necessary to bring about Jesus’ arrest and crucifixion.     

The twelve were very sorrowful and began to say to him one after another, “Is it I, Lord?”    John adds detail of Peter probing for an answer even more intently than the others (see John 13:23-26).  He answered, “He who has dipped his hand in the dish with me will betray Me.” (vv. 22-23)  Jesus’ answer did not shed any new light on who would betray Him, for it is most certain that they all had dipped their hands into the dish.  

The Son of Man goes as it is written of Him,  (v. 24).   Isaiah 53:5-12 prophesies how Jesus will be “wounded for our transgressions,” “like a lamb that is led to the slaughter,” and how it is “the will of the LORD to crush Him.”   Daniel 9:26 speaks of how “an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing.”  The Son of Man will be delivered according to God’s plan but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed!  It would have been better for that man if he had not been born,” (vv. 24-25). 

By this time a spirit of conviction surely was overwhelming Judas.  But his own heart, given over to Satan (see John 13:27), would not allow him to take advantage of this last chance given by the Lord to repent.   He had to maintain the veneer of his own godly image so he mimics the other twelve:  “Is it I, Rabbi?”   Our Lord replies, “You have said so,” (v. 25).   In today’s colloquial talk, Jesus said, “Your words, not mine.”

Is your heart truly His?  Or are you only mimicking the faith of those around you?  Does your faith show fruit even when no one else is looking?   Many know how to play the game of Christianity and have church participation all mapped out.  But they cheat others in business, continually harbor secret sins, abuse their families and ignore the pleas of the less fortunate.   I have a Jewish friend who is far from Christianity because many who claim to be Christians have cheated him in business.  May we repent of any charade and may we give ourselves fully and unashamedly to the Lord.

Da Vinci's famous painting of the Lord's final Passover meal with His disciples.   The timing of this painting is probably right after Jesus declares, "One of your will betray Me," (Matthew 26:21).   Da Vinci misses at least one cultural cue but I think he intently captures the side conversation between Peter and John as recorded in John 13.