Matthew 26:20-25 (ESV)
When it was evening, he reclined at table with the twelve. And as they were eating, he said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” And they were very sorrowful and began to say to him one after another, “Is it I, Lord?” He answered, “He who has dipped his hand in the dish with me will betray me. The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, 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.” Judas, who would betray him, answered, “Is it I, Rabbi?” He said to him, “You have said so.”
Before we can fully understand the above we have to read what happened just before this moment:
Matthew 26:14-16 (ESV)
Then one of the twelve, whose name was Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, “What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?” And they paid him thirty pieces of silver. And from that moment he sought an opportunity to betray him.
Judas has already put in motion this entire betrayal. But it was not him who put it in motion since it was prophesied about centuries earlier:
Zechariah 11:13-14 (ESV)
Then the LORD said to me, “Throw it to the potter”—the lordly price at which I was priced by them. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the LORD, to the potter. Then I broke my second staff Union, annulling the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.
God knew before, Jesus knew before, yet Judas acted as though he was still in the dark. He had already gone ahead with a plan. When Jesus told the disciples, Judas had already committed the action in his heart. We could think that Judas came under conviction at Christ’s words about the betrayal. That is a plausible way to interpret what he stated. Based upon what we know about his heart, however, we would be wiser to consider he was simply playing dumb for his audience. He obviously didn’t think Jesus was the Son of God. You can’t believe that AND agree to betray Him. You can’t believe that AND not know you are the one Jesus is talking about.
Jesus knows both our hearts and our actions. Note:
Psalms 139:1-6 (ESV)
TO THE CHOIRMASTER. A PSALM OF DAVID.
O LORD, you have searched me and known me!
You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
you discern my thoughts from afar.
You search out my path and my lying down
and are acquainted with all my ways.
Even before a word is on my tongue,
behold, O LORD, you know it altogether.
You hem me in, behind and before,
and lay your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
it is high; I cannot attain it.
When we confess our sins to God it is not to reveal to Him something He doesn’t know. Confession is our admittance it was sin and we are in agreement with God about it. Judas had a moment to confess. Jesus washed his feet just before this. He could have confessed. Jesus would give him a piece of bread. He could have confessed. Jesus gave him a drink of wine. He could have confessed. Jesus plainly stated someone would betray Him. Judas could have confessed. That was four opportunities to do so. He did not. Pride and sin are dangerous in our lives when we fail to believe Jesus is truly the Son of God.
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