What Jesus Did : Matthew 26:17-21 - Mutiny!
by Phil Ware
Mutiny! - Matthew 26:17-21
On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the followers came to Jesus. The followers said, "We will prepare everything for you to eat the Passover meal. Where do you want us to have the meal?" Jesus answered, "Go into the city. Go to a man I know. Tell him that the teacher says, 'The chosen time is near. I will have the Passover meal with my followers at your house.'" The followers obeyed and did the thing Jesus told them to do. They prepared the Passover meal. In the evening Jesus was at the table with the twelve followers. They were all eating. Then Jesus said, "I tell you the truth. One of you twelve here will soon give me to my enemies." (ERV) Full TextKey Thought
It's such an ugly word. It's such an ugly action. MUTINY! Betrayal and rebellion against Jesus by one of his very own. We've heard hints and warnings, but now Jesus makes it clear during the celebration of Israel's great deliverance from Egypt. He will be handed over to the enemy by one of his most trusted and closest friends.
The warning stands in such stark contrast to the phrase "the disciples did what Jesus told them to do."
Disciples, dedicated followers, do what their master tells them to do. They don't go sell him out for a few coins—or for many coins. They surely don't have the audacity to share in the most intimate and private moments of worship and leave to go betray him. But this is precisely Jesus' point. One of his very own will sell him out. In the very moment of joy, Jesus reminds them (and us as well), we can find it easy to play the game and then leave the room and become someone very different, someone despicable. It's a lot to think about. On this night, the disciples will do just that! Maybe when we take the Lord's Supper, it would be good for us to do the same!Today's Prayer
O Great God and Shepherd of my soul, it is hard for me to be as honest with my heart and know my motives in the way you do. But there is a deep stirring in my heart that reminds me that I could possibly do what Judas is about to do: to honor you in the presence of those who love you, but betray you into the hands of those who hate you and your work. Please forgive me for those times that I have done that, and please help strengthen my resolve and courage so that it will never happen again. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Today's Verses in Context
On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the followers came to Jesus. The followers said, "We will prepare everything for you to eat the Passover meal. Where do you want us to have the meal?" Jesus answered, "Go into the city. Go to a man I know. Tell him that the teacher says, 'The chosen time is near. I will have the Passover meal with my followers at your house.'" The followers obeyed and did the thing Jesus told them to do. They prepared the Passover meal. In the evening Jesus was at the table with the twelve followers. They were all eating. Then Jesus said, "I tell you the truth. One of you twelve here will soon give me to my enemies." The followers were very sad to hear this. Each follower said to Jesus, "Lord, surely I am not the one!" Jesus answered, "The man that has dipped his hand into the same bowl with me is the person that will be against me. The Son of Man will go {and die}. The Scriptures say this will happen. But it will be very bad for the person that gives the Son of Man {to be killed}. It would be better for that person if he were never born." Then Judas said to Jesus, "Teacher, surely I will not be against you!" (Judas is the one that would give Jesus to his enemies.) Jesus answered, "Yes, it is you." While they were eating, Jesus took some bread. Jesus thanked God for the bread and divided it. He gave the bread to his followers. Jesus said, "Take this bread and eat it. This bread is my body." Then Jesus took a cup of wine. Jesus thanked God for it and gave it to the followers. Jesus said, "Every one of you drink this. This wine is my blood. My blood (death) begins the new agreement {from God to his people}. This blood is given for many people to forgive their sins. I tell you this: I will not drink this wine again until that day when we are together in my Father's kingdom and the wine is new. Then I will drink it again with you." All the followers sang a song. Then they went out to the Mount of Olives. Jesus told the followers,"Tonight you will lose your faith because of me. It is written {in the Scriptures }: 'I will kill the shepherd, and the sheep will run away.' But {after I die}, I will rise from death. Then I will go into Galilee. I will be there before you go there." Peter answered, "All the other followers may lose their faith because of you. But I will never lose my faith." Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth. Tonight you will say you don't know me. You will say this three times before the rooster crows." But Peter answered, "I will never say that I don't know you! I will even die with you!" And all the other followers said the same thing.-- Matthew 26:17-35 (ERV)
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