One Of You Will Betray Me!

September 5, 2016

One Of You Will Betray Me!

Now Jesus was deeply troubled, and he exclaimed, “I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me!”

John 13: 21-30

Jesus had washed the feet of all twelve disciples. Now they were reclining at the dinner table partaking of their Passover meal. That they were reclining is a very important detail. Only those who were free reclined while eating; slaves and servants ate either standing or seated. Although the Israelites were living under Roman occupation and oppression, Passover celebrated God setting them free from slavery in Egypt, and every Jew would partake of the Passover meal while reclining at their table. Reclining people gathering around the table are actually touching one another; the Passover was a very intimate meal for Jesus and his disciples. The text includes the detail, “Jesus responded, “It is the one to whom I give the bread I dip in the bowl” (John 12:26a). In first-century Israel, sharing a meal together was yet another indication of intimacy and right-standing relationships.

As Jesus looks around the table at his disciples, his friends, he knows one will betray him to the religious authorities, one will publicly deny even knowing him, and all but one of the remaining men will scatter into hiding after he is arrested. Even so, Jesus reclined at the Passover table with his disciples; even so, Jesus washed the feet of all twelve.

I noted in the previous passage that Jesus had laid down a pattern for his disciples to follow. As you ponder Jesus’ interaction with his disciples, what do you hear God saying to you? Do you have an attitude toward someone that God wants you to adjust?

Sē’lah

<><  <><  <><  <><

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com. The BLOG is also available on Amazon Kindle, by subscription.

Publications by Alex M. Knight:

·        Seeking the Life in Christ, Meditations on the New Testament and Psalms has been published and is now available at Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle.

·        The second edition of  First Think – Then Pray is available on Amazon Kindle.

·        Meditations on The Story of My Life as told by Jesus Christ has been released as an e-book on Amazon Kindle.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.