ASLC Devotions - Wednesday

Wednesday, April 20

John 13: 25-27

So while reclining next to Jesus, he asked him, ‘Lord, who is it?’ Jesus answered, ‘It is the one to whom I give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.’ So when he had dipped the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas son of Simon Iscariot. After he received the piece of bread, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, ‘Do quickly what you are going to do.’

This is the part of the story that confuses me the most. Jesus knows he is going to be betrayed. Jesus tells his disciples that one of them will betray him, and with the bread even shows them who it is going to be.

There is part of me that thinks “Run, Jesus, RUN!” everytime I read this. “Don’t let the bad guys get you! RUN!”

But then I realize, if Jesus wasn’t betrayed, he would not have been captured, sentenced to death, and crucified. If Jesus wasn’t crucified, he would not have risen from the dead. There would be no Easter. No Easter eggs. No chocolate bunnies. No eternal life. No forgiveness. No Holy Communion; no wine; no bread. No Bread.

Jesus knew what was going to happen, and he knew the ultimate meaning and importance in it. Isn’t it interesting, though, that Jesus gave bread to Judas to indicate his future betrayal—bread, the sign of his body given for us, the sign of God’s ultimate forgiveness.

Karen Goodlow