HOLY WEEK 2025 – TUESDAY
CONFUSION AND REASSURANCE
Good morning and welcome. We are continuing our Holy Week readings as we read the next section in Matthew’s gospel: Matthew 26: 17-35
The Last Supper
17 On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do you want us to make preparations for you to eat the Passover?”
18 He replied, “Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, ‘The Teacher says: My appointed time is near. I am going to celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your house.’” 19 So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover.
20 When evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the Twelve. 21 And while they were eating, he said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.”
22 They were very sad and began to say to him one after the other, “Surely you don’t mean me, Lord?”
23 Jesus replied, “The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me. 24 The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.”
25 Then Judas, the one who would betray him, said, “Surely you don’t mean me, Rabbi?”
Jesus answered, “You have said so.”
26 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.”
27 Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. 28 This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29 I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”
30 When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial
31 Then Jesus told them, “This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written:
“‘I will strike the shepherd and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’
32 But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.”
33 Peter replied, “Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.”
34 “Truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.”
35 But Peter declared, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” And all the other disciples said the same.
Place yourself at the table. It’s Passover. You know Passover. You know what will be said and done. And this looks like it will be much the same as usual. And after the triumphal entry earlier in the week all that talk Jesus had of being delivered over to the chief priests and teachers of the law and being crucified now has gone to the back of your mind (Matthew 20: 17-19).
Then it is as if a lever is pulled and everything changes. And from this point, everything seems to accelerate and there is nothing anyone can do to stop the inexorable journey to the cross.
The point it all seems to change is when Jesus says these words to the shocked disciples: “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.”
They were eating when Jesus said this. Can you imagine the sudden quiet. No one utters a word. Mouths stop moving. Food is then nervously swallowed as the stunned disciples look at each other. Then one by one, with pounding hearts, seeking reassurance they nervously ask Jesus: “Surely you don’t mean me, Lord?” Apart that is from Judas. Note what he says in verse 25: “Surely you don’t mean me, Rabbi?”
Why do you think Judas did not say “Lord”?
How do you imagine he would have said those words?
So Judas would have left leaving the aghast and bewildered disciples with Jesus.
Re-read verses 26-35 – imagining you were a disciple, and how you would feel in the light of Judas’s sickening betrayal of Jesus.
