A Passover Betrayed
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A Passover Betrayed
A Passover Betrayed
The timing of today’s text was not planned.
It is traditionally Palm Sunday, or CLOAK Sunday, whichever you prefer.
But we have already covered that!
Instead, we are nearer to what we would call Good Friday, the day that marks the PASSOVER meal, betrayal, beating, and crucifixion of Jesus.
What we will read today is the beginning of the CLIMAX to the crucifixion and resurrection.
Will they betray Jesus or believe?
Will they lust for Power or Love Jesus?
What would you do?
Think of all that has come before this moment:
Teaching about the poor
Teaching about riches
Teaching about the rule of Heaven
Miracles
Unclean spirits
Food out of nowhere
Calming the storms on the sea
Asked to leave everything behind
Your family will disagree with you
List goes on and on...
What would you do?
Let’s see what the disciples do...
Every day Jesus went to the Temple to teach, and each evening he returned to spend the night on the Mount of Olives. The crowds gathered at the Temple early each morning to hear him.
We did not address this last week.
It might seem like a throw away line, but it is important.
This is the first time that Jesus has been predictable.
Contrast this to when he was 12 years old and he stayed in Jerusalem at the Temple. He was in his Father’s house.
But now, at night, he distances himself from the Temple, from the crowds.
And he does this same thing each day.
If you are an enemy of Jesus, this would be good information to know.
The Festival of Unleavened Bread, which is also called Passover, was approaching. The leading priests and teachers of religious law were plotting how to kill Jesus, but they were afraid of the people’s reaction.
Then Satan entered into Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve disciples, and he went to the leading priests and captains of the Temple guard to discuss the best way to betray Jesus to them. They were delighted, and they promised to give him money. So he agreed and began looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus so they could arrest him when the crowds weren’t around.
Last week we saw the FINAL teaching between Jesus and the religious leaders.
They CANNOT argue with him
The CROWDS have turned to Jesus
They are losing their GRIP
They want him DEAD.
Who can they turn to for help?
*****THEN SATAN Entered into Judas Iscariot.
That last name…interesting…names mean things.
Man (ish) from Karioth (place) (could be qara, call, could be cara, bow down, could be carat, cut)
Could be zkr, memory or remember
Or, it could be from sechar, riches, deceit
And HE went…Who? Judas or the satan?
How otherwise would JUDAS be AWARE of the PLOT?
Who is working with who here?
The satan is working with the leading priests and teachers of religious law.
The priests and teachers are in ONE ACCORD with the satan and Judas.
When would be a good opportunity to get Jesus?
How will we know where he will be?
Well, every day he is in the Temple with the crowds, but every night he retreats with the twelve to the Mt. of Olives.
Now, what happens next, there are hundreds of thousands of pages of commentary.
It has been taught for 2,000 years.
But today, I want us to just watch what happens, as though we are observing what the author wants us to observe.
Now the Festival of Unleavened Bread arrived, when the Passover lamb is sacrificed. Jesus sent Peter and John ahead and said, “Go and prepare the Passover meal, so we can eat it together.”
“Where do you want us to prepare it?” they asked him.
He replied, “As soon as you enter Jerusalem, a man carrying a pitcher of water will meet you. Follow him. At the house he enters, say to the owner, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is the guest room where I can eat the Passover meal with my disciples?’ He will take you upstairs to a large room that is already set up. That is where you should prepare our meal.” They went off to the city and found everything just as Jesus had said, and they prepared the Passover meal there.
The significance of this mean and what Jesus teaches will not be apparent to them.
We will have to wait until after the resurrection and even then, we will have to wait until the NT authors explain it to us.
Suffice it to say, this is a key holiday for Israel.
The event of Passover, borne out of Egypt, is a central theme throughout the Hebrew Bible.
Jesus has clearly setup something with the homeowner in advance, and the disciples know nothing about it.
When the time came, Jesus and the apostles sat down together at the table. Jesus said, “I have been very eager to eat this Passover meal with you before my suffering begins. For I tell you now that I won’t eat this meal again until its meaning is fulfilled in the Kingdom of God.”
Then he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. Then he said, “Take this and share it among yourselves. For I will not drink wine again until the Kingdom of God has come.”
He took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
After supper he took another cup of wine and said, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood, which is poured out as a sacrifice for you.
When the time came...
3.5 years of ministry together...
All they have seen and done together...
The fights, arguments, miracles, fear, and joy...
Kingdom of God...
“But here at this table, sitting among us as a friend, is the man who will betray me. For it has been determined that the Son of Man must die. But what sorrow awaits the one who betrays him.” The disciples began to ask each other which of them would ever do such a thing.
Ah…nothing changes...
It has been determined that the Son of Man (Jesus) must die. God will make this happen, it has been ordained.
But Judas steps in to help the plan along, choosing his own way.
Listening to the VOICE of the satan. Listening to the VOICE of the priests and teachers.
And none of eleven know who it is. In other gospels Judas dips his bread with Jesus and Jesus tells him to go do what needs to be done, but that is of no concern to Luke. The sorrow for Judas will be real. We know his sorrow causes him to return the money and he eventually kills himself for what he did.
What Luke is CONCERNED WITH is how the disciples react...
The moment the leader says there is a traitor AMONG US, it all goes to crap. (THE GAME AMONG US)
Then they began to argue among themselves about who would be the greatest among them.
His comment that a traitor is among them launches into this argument, the same old argument, about who will be greatest.
None of them heard:
This is the last time I will drink with you until the Kingdom of God comes
His BODY, like the bread, WILL BE BROKEN…what does that mean?
They are to do something in REMEMBRANCE of HIM…what does that mean?
There is a new covenant coming…what does that mean?
Will they betray Jesus or believe?
Will they lust for Power or Love Jesus?
What would you do?
For the disciples, THEY LUST FOR POWER, they are not loyal to Jesus.
Judas will betray Jesus to the satan.
But…the OTHERS will betay Jesus to their own desires.
What would you do?
If you say you would be loyal, and not run, then you deceive yourself.
If you say you would run too, then you are honest, but a traitor.
But at least you are honest with yourself.
And that is the beginning of wisdom.