Ep. 115: Betrayal!
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MATTHEW 26:21-24, MARK 14:18-21, LUKE 22:21-23, JOHN 13: 21-26
Then follows the account of what happened during Supper, beginning with Judas. Thankfully, we feel that the heart of man was not capable of originating the betrayal of Christ; humanity had fallen, but not so low. It was the Devil who had ‘cast’ it into Judas’ heart, with force and overwhelming power. We come here upon these words of deepest mystery, I know those I chose; but that the Scripture may be fulfilled. He that eats my bread lifts up his heel against me! We must understand it as meaning that Jesus had, from the first, known the inmost thoughts of those he had chosen to be his Apostles; but that by this treachery of one of their number, the terrible prediction of the worst enmity, that of ingratitude, true in all ages of the Church, would receive its complete fulfilment.
In the meantime, the Supper was proceeding. After the ‘washing’ the dishes were to be brought to the table immediately. Then the head of the company would dip some of the bitter herbs into the saltwater or vinegar, speak a blessing, and partake of them, then hand them to each in the company. Next. He would break one of the unleavened cakes, of which half was put aside for after supper. This is called the Aphiqomon, or after-dish and as we believe that ‘the bread’ of the Holy Eucharist was the Aphiqomon, some particulars may here be of interest. The dish in which the broken cake lies (not the Aphiqomon), is elevated and these words are spoken: ‘This is the bread of misery which our fathers ate in the land of Egypt. All that are hungry, come and eat; all that are needy, come, keep the Passover.’
On this, the second cup is filled and the youngest child present asks for the meaning of all the observances of that night and the liturgy provides full answers about the festival, its occasion and ritual. We do not suppose that the ritual has remained exactly the same over the centuries, even so, there wouldn’t have been a major deviation from that followed at the Last Supper. So much stress is laid in Jewish writings on the duty of fully rehearsing at the Supper the circumstances of the first Passover and the deliverance connected with it, that we can assume that the Last Supper followed this pattern.
After this, the cup is elevated and then the service proceeds somewhat lengthily, the cup being raised a second time and certain prayers are spoken. This part of the service concludes with the first two Psalms in the series called ‘the Hallel,’ when the cup is raised a third time, a prayer spoken, and the cup drunk. This ends the first part of the service. And now the meal begins by all washing their hands.
It was, we believe, during this time that Jesus became ‘troubled in spirit’. His Soul could not but have been troubled as he fully knew what was ahead of him. But he saw more than even this. He saw Judas about to take the last fatal step and his soul yearned in pity over him. Jesus also saw how the terrible tempest of fierce temptation would that night sweep over them; how it would lay low and almost uproot one of them and scatter all. It was the beginning of the time of Christ’s utmost loneliness, of which the climax was reached in Gethsemane.
This is an extract from the book, Jesus : Life and Times, available for £10 here (Finalist for Academic Book of the year at 2023 CRT awards)