Holy Wednesday - Betrayal Is at Hand

Listen now for this special devotional-style episode! We sing, pray and reflect on the readings of Holy Week in the gospel of John. Today we hear Jesus anticipate Judas' betrayal. But even in the face of betrayal Jesus maintains control over the sequence of events.

Scripture quotations from the COMMON ENGLISH BIBLE. © Copyright 2011 COMMON ENGLISH BIBLE. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

Music:
Jesus, Remember Me
Text: Luke 23:42 Taize Community
Music: Jacques Berthier (1923-1994)
Text and music copyright 1981 Les Presses de Taize. Admin GIA Publications, Inc  (Used under One License # A-724822)

We Remember
Text and Music: Marty Haugen (b. 1950) copyright 1980 GIA Publications, Inc (Used under One License # A-724822)

Learn more about St. John Lutheran Church at stjohnchurchmars.org or follow us on Facebook.

Scripture quotations from the COMMON ENGLISH BIBLE. © Copyright 2011 COMMON ENGLISH BIBLE. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:05

Welcome to Holy Wednesday. This is the day before Maundy Thursday, the day before we focus in on the Last Supper and Jesus' command to love one another as he has loved us. But before we get there, we fast forward a little bit and we focus in on Judas in the story. We focus in on Judas as the betrayer and what that means and how we respond to that story.

SPEAKER_01 0:31

Jesus remember me when you come into your kingdom. Jesus remember me when you come into your kingdom. Remember me when you come into your kingdom. Jesus remember me when you come into your kingdom.

SPEAKER_00 1:16

A reading from John chapter thirteen, verses twenty one through thirty two. After he said these things, Jesus was deeply disturbed and testified, I assure you, one of you will betray me. His disciples looked at each other, confused about which of them he was talking about. One of the disciples, the one whom Jesus loved, was at Jesus' side. Simon Peter nodded at him to get him to ask Jesus who he was talking about. Leaning back toward Jesus, this disciple asked, Lord, who is it? Jesus answered, It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread once I have dipped it into the bowl. Then he dipped the piece of bread and gave it to Judas, Simon Iscarius' son. After Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him. Jesus told him, What you are about to do, do quickly. No one sitting at the table understood why Jesus said this to him. Some thought that since Judas kept the money bag, Jesus told him, Go buy what we need for the feast, or that he should give something to the poor. So when Judas took the bread, he left immediately. And it was night. When Judas was gone, Jesus said, Now the human one has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify the human one in himself, and will glorify him immediately. Here ends the reading. So today's text begins with after he said these things. Like I mentioned earlier, this is taking place at the Last Supper. So Jesus and his closest disciples have gathered in a room to eat. In the other Gospels, this is happening on the day of preparation or on Friday night. But in the Gospel of John, we're actually looking at a Thursday evening meal here. So this is not the Passover Seder. This is just simply a meal amongst friends. And so Jesus looks at his friends as they're eating this meal, and he confesses or testifies, as it says in this translation, that one of his friends will betray him. So we often hear this word betray, and we assume that it means the handing over when Judas signifies to the soldiers and the priests who Jesus is so that they can arrest him. But for the Gospel of John, betrayal is not just that. Betrayal is not believing, betrayal is not being in relationship or removing oneself from relationship with Jesus. And that's exactly what Judas does at the end of today's reading. Judas leaves the room. He goes into the night. And that's not an insignificant detail for John. If you recall, earlier in the season of Lent, we heard about Nicodemus. And Nicodemus came to Jesus in the night. And at that conversation, we talked about how the night for the Gospel of John often represents unbelief. Because for the Gospel of John, Jesus is the light of the world. And so therefore, where there is no light, where there is no Jesus is night. And so therefore, in this betrayal, Judas is removing himself from relationship with Jesus. He's going into the night. And this is all happening just after Jesus had finished washing the feet of his disciples, after he had opened the space of that meal in a space of vulnerability and intimacy. So maybe Judas was struggling and could not bear the intimacy and vulnerability that relationship with Jesus requires. Maybe he was struggling with the extravagance that Mary had shown and the call of discipleship. We don't know, and we never will know, but we know that Judas chose to remove himself from this relationship. And this goes in direct contrast then with the beloved disciple. And the beloved disciple is going to make another entrance at the end of this story as we lean into the crucifixion, as Jesus hangs on the cross and he looks and he sees his mother and the disciple whom he loves. And he tells the disciple, here is your mother, and he tells his mother, here is your son. And the beloved disciple from then on takes Mary into his home. There are many theories as to who this beloved disciple is, but one of them is that this beloved disciple is left unnamed, specifically so that we can read ourselves into this position. The beloved disciple is someone who leans into relationship with Jesus. The beloved disciple is someone who believes and responds to Jesus' call in their lives. And while we are hearing the ways that this text can speak to our own experience of discipleship and relationship with Jesus, we hear again that struggle of Judas because there are many times when we also struggle with that level of intimacy and vulnerability that was requested or required of the disciples as Jesus washed their feet, as Jesus called them into this life of discipleship. And so it can be hard for us to identify with that beloved disciple who trusts in Jesus, who leans entirely in that relationship. And it can be easier than we might care to admit to relate to Judas in this case. And yet don't forget, in the middle of this story, as Judas takes the bread from Jesus, Jesus tells him what you are about to do, do quickly. Once again, John is showing us that Jesus is in control. Jesus knows what is about to come and is choosing to step forward each step along the way as he journeys to the cross. Because Jesus also knows that the cross is not the end. The cross is the glorification of God in Jesus. The cross is on the way to resurrection. Let us pray. Almighty God, your Son, our Savior, suffered at human hands and endured the shame of the cross. Grant that we may walk in the way of his cross and find it the way of life and peace through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

SPEAKER_02 8:02

We remember how you love us to your time, and still we celebrate for you with us.