Seated around a large, long table – one evening – in a borrowed room called the Cenacle, the stage was being set for Jesus’ cruel crucifixion. He had traveled some 17 miles south-west from Jericho to Jerusalem – with a great entourage earlier in the week – riding on the back of a colt in the midst of massive commotion for the latter portion of His journey. That day, the people were jubilant, shouting: “Hosanna! Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord,” as Jesus entered the busy city.
He had come especially for the purpose of observing the Passover Festival with His disciples. But omniscient as He was, He knew exactly what would befall him. The hour would soon come when He would have to begin the ordeal of sacrificing Himself to purchase the redemption of the world. Before that could happen, though, He would be betrayed by one of his own followers and turned over to ruthless Roman soldiers.
Now, there inside the Cenacle or Upper Room, as the supper was in full swing, Jesus looks at His disciples and suddenly passes a most shocking remark: “One of you will betray me,” He predicts. To hear such a thing must have caused every one of the twelve to cringe with apprehension and wonder. More so, each of them, but one, became curious as to which one of them could be so unkind. Who could be so brazen? Who could show such selfish ingratitude to the Lord?
After all, they had witnessed the many miracles He had performed; He had taught them on the mountain and on the seashore while seated on a boat. They had witnessed a fruit tree dry up before their eyes as He pronounced on it a curse for its bareness. Otherwise, they had spent long hours of fellowship with Jesus. They regarded Him with such honor, and revered Him with such esteem. He was to them more than just Joseph’s son from Nazareth. They called Him Rabbi. It was always such a pride and pleasure for them to be in His company the company of their Master; their Teacher; their Lord; their Friend. He had even taught them how to pray. Now sorrow had dampened their spirits. To betray Him? No, impossible!
At the table, He had just broken bread and given them to eat, saying that it was His body. That must have been a morbid thing for them to hear. But as He passed around the cup, saying that it was His blood, His followers must have really thought He was “off His rockers”. Well, it was while they supped so contemplatively, that Jesus took the opportunity to break the news of His betrayal. “The hand of him who will betray me is on the table,” He said. But who would be that disloyal to the Lord? He was such a faithful friend, and He was supposed to be beyond such victimization. To let Him down would be a shameful crime. Anyway, they looked at each other intently to see if they could garner a clue. Scanning one another’s face, carefully, they tried to identify the deceiver.
But Judas’ heart was filled with guilt. See, a couple days before, he had devised a plan on making some money for himself. He had gone privately to the chief priests and inquired, “What are you willing you give me if I deliver Him to you?” he asked. It was agreed that the reward for being such a brave accomplice would be thirty pieces of silver. We could only imagine how uneasy Judas must have now felt at the “Lord’s table”.
While the others wondered who it could be, Jesus took a towel, wrapped it around His loins, and meditatively tied it around his waist. He then poured some water in a basin, and proceeded to wash His followers’ feet. After the washing – realizing how perplexed they all were about his demeaning announcement – He took His seat again at the table. Simon Peter, one of the most radical of the lot, signaled to John who was sitting closest to Jesus, beckoning him to ask the Lord exactly who He was referring to. Upon secretly inquiring, the Lord whispered: “The one to who I give the sop from the cup, he is the betrayer.” He then took a piece of bread, dipped it in the cup, and passed it to Judas. Just as Judas took the bread, Satan entered him. In just a few hours, he would be compelled by the devil to carry out the plot by the dark of night in the Garden of Gethsemane. Well, he had already made the arrangement, and the deal was done.
It is so amazing that Jesus knew how and by whom He would be betrayed. Being the Son of God, nothing would catch Him by surprise. And though human, He was divine in His outlook. He was endowed with the power to know all things.
By the way, it is amazing too, how Jesus came by that little colt upon which he triumphantly entered Jerusalem in the first place. It was as they stopped in Bethany on their way from Jericho, that He told two of His disciples to go into the village on the opposite side of them. Once they would reach the village, He told them that immediately they would find a colt tied with its mother. He instructed them to loose them both and bring them to Him.
The obedient pair of disciples did just as the Master bid them. They were not timid or afraid of being charged for stealing donkeys, because the Lord had told them, “If any man should ask you anything, just tell him that the Lord has need of them.” Thus the colt which Jesus chose to ride on provided Him with heightened pomp and ceremony for His “triumphant entry” into Jerusalem. On a donkey? Yes! A donkey in those days was considered a luxury ride for kings and princes. And it was predicted some 700 years prior by the prophet Zechariah who once summoned: “Rejoice O daughter of Zion, shout O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold your King is coming to you. He is just and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey – a colt – the foal of a donkey.”
Another remarkable example of Jesus’ omniscience in predicting the drama surrounding His death, was how he came to occupy the Upper Room itself. As mentioned prior, it was a borrowed room. Jesus and the disciples had never used it before but, as the Passover Feast drew near, they were discussing where would be a fine venue for them to observe the feast together.
Again, the all-knowing Jesus told two of His disciples, Peter and John, to go in the center of the city. He told them there they will find a man carrying a pitcher of water. “Follow him,” He said, “to the house that he enters, and say to the owner of the house, ‘The Lord asks: Where is the guest room, where He may eat the Passover with His disciples?’ He will show you a large room upstairs, all furnished. Make preparations there.” When they left and went on their way, Peter and John found it just as Jesus had predicted, so there in the Cenacle, they made preparations for the Passover.
Yes, but Jesus was no psychic. There was nothing magical or mystical about Him. As the Son of the all-knowing God, He foreknew the turn of events leading up to His sacrificial death. He had already told the Jews that they would destroy the temple, but in three days He would raise it up again. They thought He was referring to Herod’s magnificent temple, and so they jeered and laughed Him to scorn: “You mean it took us forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to put it back together in three days?” Well, little did they understand, He was speaking about them destroying His physical body but, as He boasted, He would be potent enough to resurrect in wholesome fitness on the third day.
“So said, so done!” Christians all over the world at this season pay tribute to the risen King. Judas had done his part and, enveloped by guilt and frustration, he was driven to swiftly take his life with a noose around his neck. But the Christ? Oh! He was arrested, beaten, spat upon, brutalized, forced to carry His cross, and made to endure the horrendous passion of crucifixion at the hand of Roman soldiers. He was then buried in a guarded tomb, but in three days He rose triumphantly over death and the grave.
Well… because he lives, we too will live when we identify with Him in His passionate sufferings. As He was glorified, we too shall be ultimately glorified as we seek to take on the attributes of His nature.
Happy Easter everyone, and may this resurrected Christ of the cross become your hope of the eternal redemption.
