St John 13:21-30
The tension is there- Jesus has been teaching in the Temple precincts, the place is buzzing with stories, rumours and conspiracy theories and he cannot have been impervious to it all.
Judas is favoured at this meal, he had to be, for he was so close that Jesus could whisper in his ear. Try doing that at a dinner. John lets us know Jesus is aware that one of his closest, dearest friends is going to
betray him. I don’t think I have ever been betrayed but I imagine it is worse than horrible yet Jesus sends him on his way (almost with a blessing -v.27, “Do quickly what you are going to do”).
John is telling us Jesus was no naïve participant in this drama – he was fully aware of what was going on and where it would lead. It still wasn’t easy for Jesus but it was the way it had to be. John cleverly uses the motif of darkness versus light again by informing us in verse 30, “It was night”. Darkness and light – the threads that run through this entire gospel.
Consider: how have we betrayed Jesus in our living as we have failed to love and live in the light of his life.
The tension is there- Jesus has been teaching in the Temple precincts, the place is buzzing with stories, rumours and conspiracy theories and he cannot have been impervious to it all.
Judas is favoured at this meal, he had to be, for he was so close that Jesus could whisper in his ear. Try doing that at a dinner. John lets us know Jesus is aware that one of his closest, dearest friends is going to
betray him. I don’t think I have ever been betrayed but I imagine it is worse than horrible yet Jesus sends him on his way (almost with a blessing -v.27, “Do quickly what you are going to do”).
John is telling us Jesus was no naïve participant in this drama – he was fully aware of what was going on and where it would lead. It still wasn’t easy for Jesus but it was the way it had to be. John cleverly uses the motif of darkness versus light again by informing us in verse 30, “It was night”. Darkness and light – the threads that run through this entire gospel.
Consider: how have we betrayed Jesus in our living as we have failed to love and live in the light of his life.