Mark 14:17-21 17And when it was evening, he came with the twelve. 18And as they were reclining at table and eating, Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you that one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me.” 19They began to be grieved and to say to him one by one, “Surely not I?” 20But he said to them, “It is one of the twelve, the one who dips with me in the bowl. 21Because the Son of Man goes away as it is written about 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.”
Jesus and his disciples went to the prepared upper room to begin the Passover after the sun had set. Evening marked the beginning of the next day in Jewish timekeeping. The Passover meal would begin the longest in the disciples’ lives and marked the events that would fulfill God’s plan before creation. Passover meals were special occasions when families and friends would gather together to share in roasted lamb and other delicacies. Each part of the meal had symbolic meaning and helped the Jews recall the events surrounding their ancestors’ exodus from Egypt, described in Exodus 12. During the meal, the biblical story was retold with symbolic actions involving the members of the family.
Mark does not record many details about this special meal but focuses in on two parts. The first focuses on Jesus’ prediction of betrayal by someone in the gathered group who was eating the sacred bread with him. One of the symbolic actions in the Passover meal was to take the unleavened bread and dip it in the cup of wine. Jesus’ prediction about betrayal was a shock to the disciples, as verse 19 indicates.
Jesus notes in verse 21 that the betrayal was a fulfillment of Scripture. Psalm 41:9 states, “Even my own close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted up his heel against me.” Jesus did not give a name but allowed his statement to penetrate to the heart of each disciple, who then had to wonder, Surely not I? Each one had to look deep within his soul to see if he had any doubts about Jesus. All believed, but doubt and fear can overcome weak faith like it did with Judas. Dipping bread in a shared bowl showed that those closest to Jesus who knew him best were the potential betrayers.
Verse 21 offers a theological challenge of an issue found throughout the Bible. On the one hand, someone had to betray Jesus to fulfill the prophecy of Scripture and move the plot forward towards his arrest, trial, and crucifixion. The events had already been planned since eternity. On the other hand, the verse implies that this person was not simply a pawn in God’s grand chess game but made his own choice in the matter. Thus, we see God’s divine purpose in tension with the willful decision of a person.
Was Judas born just for this moment, thus, he has no say in the destiny of his life, or did he make his own decision that God knew and that was part of the fulfillment of the divine plan? If Judas was only a victim used in God’s plan, then he was innocent of what he did. But Jesus indicates a woe, a word used to pronounce guilt and doom. Judas made his own decision. God’s omniscience stands clearly behind these events, but God did not cause Judas to choose to betray Jesus. God’s sovereignty does not negate human free will and the responsibility that comes with it. It was a sad day in the life of Judas as he let the evil inclinations in his heart grow until they clouded his vision of Jesus.
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