Daily Devotional For Saturday, March 7, 2026
Hello Southside, we are making our way through the Gospel of Matthew. Today, we are picking up where we left off yesterday beginning in Matthew 26:20-25:
“Now when evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the twelve disciples. (21) As they were eating, He said, ‘Truly I say to you that one of you will betray Me.’ (22) Being deeply grieved, they each one began to say to Him, ‘Surely not I, Lord?’ (23) And He answered, ‘He who dipped his hand with Me in the bowl is the one who will betray Me. (24) The Son of Man is to go, just as it is written of Him; but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born.’ (25) And Judas, who was betraying Him, said, ‘Surely it is not I, Rabbi?’ Jesus said to him, ‘You have said it yourself’” (NASB).
As we read these verses it makes you wonder, “What in the world was Judas thinking when Jesus told everyone there that He knew one of them was going to betray Him?” Jesus let Judas know that He knew what Judas was planning to do. Awkward is an understatement! Jesus had the perfect time to expose Judas here but He did not. As each disciple went around the room with shock on the faces and voices asking, “Lord, is it I?,” it shows you the amount of love Jesus had for Judas. It is almost as if Jesus and Judas were the only two in the room. While Judas had hidden his plans from the other disciples, he could not hide them from Jesus.
Right here Jesus could have used His power to blast Judas into non-existence or Jesus could have sent Judas immediately to hell right there. This is one of the greatest mysteries to me in the Bible: how God has so much patience for us when in our own free will we choose to betray Him and sin against Him. Jesus could have attempted to stop Judas. When we look at Scripture, when God decides to stop someone, two realities are apparent:
- God confronts the person with his/her sin as God used Nathan the prophet to confront David with his sin (see 2 Sam. 12:1-14). Jesus’ response to Judas in verse 25 appears to me to be as if Jesus was saying to Judas, “Judas, you need to think about this before you go through with this. Is this really something you want to do against Me after the last 3 years?”
- God often confronts the person Himself. Jesus, God in human flesh, to me looked at Judas and said, “Judas, look Me in the eye, not them, but Me. Are you really going to go through with this?” In this way, Jesus was showing the horror to Judas of what he was about to do, as well as the potential horror that could come from doing it.
Instead of Jesus’ appeal of love, Judas still chose to betray Jesus. Even when Judas knew Jesus knew and was confronting him with his sin and attempting to give him a way out, he would not change his mind. His decision to sin would be solely on him and him alone. Judas contemplated this just as a cold-blooded murderer kills someone without shedding a tear or feeling any remorse.
After sundown on Thursday, all the preparations for the Passover are ready and Jesus is ready to lead His disciples in it. Unfortunately, many Christians view of this has been distorted by the Leonardo de Vinci’ painting called, “The Last Supper.” It has Jesus sitting in the middle with His disciples evenly split on either side. This long rectangular table appears to be like ours today, but that is not how it was back then. People did not sit in chairs, but reclined on the floor. The table was called a “triclinium.” This was a square-cornered, U-shaped combination of three cushions, on which people would recline, lying on their left sides with their bodies perpendicular to the cushions and stretched outward away from the center of the room. This way they could eat with their right hands. Meaning their feet were stretched behind them from the table. The food was placed in the middle of the “U,” in between the couches.
Up to this point Jesus had not mentioned anything about anyone, and especially one of His disciples, betraying Him once they got to Jerusalem. This had to come as a huge shock to them. Each disciples’ question of, “Is it I Lord?,” is designed to elicit a “NO” answer from Jesus. In John 17:12, Jesus refers to Judas as “son of perdition.” This refers to one who is doomed to destruction no matter what. Jesus meant in the next life, Judas would have some kind of horrible punishment for his betrayal.
To say that it would have been better if Judas had not ever been born (annihilationism), then Judas would have returned so to speak to the non-existence of non-birth. Before conception, there is no life and there is no memory in the womb. In fact, after birth to later preschool years we do not remember much. Had Jesus done this to Judas he would not have had any memory of his sin at all.
If you notice in Judas’ reaction, he never calls Jesus “Lord” as the other disciples do, but simply “Rabbi” – teacher. He is not going to acknowledge Jesus as Lord or Messiah. In the Greek text, when Jesus responded to Judas with, “You have said it yourself,” it was Jesus’ way of saying, “Judas, these are your words, not Mine!” Matthew does not tell us exactly when Judas left, but he did in order to put into motion the finalization of his betrayal. Up to the moment Judas left the room, he still had a choice. God did not force him against his free will to betray Jesus just like God does not force us.
At this Passover meal, Jews had their own versions to celebrate it depending on their wealth and status. But it was common for Jewish families to sing psalms they had put to music, specifically Psalm 113-118. Matthew does not give us these details. His emphasis is not on what is being served or celebrated, but the one Who is serving the Passover Seder and His changes to it that the church has adopted ever since.
The Passover meal included lamb, a visible reminder of how the Hebrews had to kill a lamb and put its blood on their doorposts so the Death Angel would pass over them and not kill their firstborn (see Exodus 12). Matthew never mentions the sacrificial Passover lamb here and my personal opinion is the sacrificial Lamb of God, was about to shed His blood for the atonement of sin. We know from all 4 Gospels, no one suspected Judas.
Reflection Assignment: Think back over your own life. When have been the worst times you have betrayed the Lord. Like Judas sold out with 30 pieces of silver to betray Jesus, what did you sell out to and why? The Bible never tells us why Judas betrayed Jesus. Have you ever shared with anyone why in the past you have betrayed the Lord? The good news is this: right up to the point you are about to betray the Lord, He is still trying to win you over with His love. He will not violate your free will. What does this tell you about the Lord?
Scripture To Meditate On: Matthew 10:21-22, “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. (22) You will be hated by all because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved” (NASB).
Prayer To Pray: “Dear Lord, I have no excuse for betraying you. It has been my own free will and choice. I am overwhelmed at Your continued love to attempt to stop me, forgive me when I do and then reconcile me to You. I do not deserve such grace. Thank You. I love You Lord. In Jesus’ name, Amen!”
I love you Southside! – Pastor Kelly