Imagine waking up one morning, grabbing your phone, and finding out your bank account has been drained, or your email and social media accounts have been hacked. What’s worse? You discover it wasn’t a random stranger across the world. It was someone you trusted…maybe even a friend or family member who knew your passwords, had your confidence, and used that closeness to take advantage of you.
That kind of betrayal feels different. It’s not just about the loss. It is about the broken trust! In Matthew 26, Jesus faces that same kind of pain. Judas, one of His own disciples, betrays Him with a kiss. And the rest of the disciples, who promised they would stay faithful, fell asleep when He needed them most.
Betrayal doesn’t only hurt; it exposes where our trust lies. Matthew 26 shows us that even when people fail, Jesus remains faithful. Although, with the faithfulness of Jesus comes the call for disciples of Jesus to expose and pull out the weeds of betrayal!
The context of this passage is jarring. This passage takes place during Passover. This was a feast that remembered God delivering Israel from Egypt through ten plagues. The final plague of that deliverance included the blood of a perfect lamb put on the doorways of the Jews’ front doors (Ex. 12:1-7) to save the first borns from death. In Matthew 26, the perfect lamb of God was preparing to shed His blood to save not just the first borns, but all creation from their sin! Let’s take a brief survey of Matthew 26:20-75.
BETRAYAL (Matt. 26:21-41)
v. 22 – Pursuing Innocence. The Lord accurately predicts the betrayal of Judas (Matt. 26:21-25) and later the denial of Peter (Matt. 26:31-35). Nothing escapes the foreknowledge of God. These are devastating events, but they happen within God’s sovereign plan for salvation!
We should also note the cultural context. Sharing a meal in the ancient Near East was a symbol of loyalty and friendship. To betray someone after “dipping bread” with Him (v. 23) would have been a shocking break from the cultural norms of loyalty and honor. We can be sure of two things because of this context. First, heavy guilt would weigh down on Judas for his disloyalty and dishonor for betraying Jesus. Second, the guilty party knows who he is, but yet he still asks the question, “Is it I?”
vv. 37-41 – Keeping Up Appearances. Even though betrayal has been predicted, Judas continues with the meal, attempting not to draw attention to himself as the guilty party. However, John 13:27-30 reveals that Judas left during the meal, after having received bread from the hand of Jesus. Jesus also tells Judas to do what he is going to do quickly.
A man was selling his house, and before putting it on the market, he spent days painting the outside, mowing the lawn, and making it look beautiful from the street. When buyers came to see it, though, they discovered the roof leaked, the plumbing was broken, and the foundation was cracked. The house looked great on the outside, but inside, it was falling apart.
We often treat our spiritual lives the same way as this homeowner treated his house. As long as others see us smiling, serving, or talking the right way, we think everything is fine. But God doesn’t just look at the paint job; He looks at the heart. This is what Jesus exposed in His disciples and what He warns us about, too. It’s not enough to look okay on the outside; God is after a heart that’s truly surrendered to Him.
As long as we look okay to others, we are often not concerned with the heart! The disciples were just told one would betray the Lord. They seem almost in disbelief that this would be possible. With these events still fresh in their minds, Jesus’ closest friends cannot even stay alert long enough to pray with Him in His time of great sorrow!
We will often have great sorrow if discovered, but little concern remains if the appearance is left untainted! In fact, if someone were to say we are denying God in our hearts and minds, many would say like the disciples, “Is it I?” When we know clear and plain that it is! We just want to see if the other person knows it is! In other words, we want to see if we have truly been caught.
Consider these 6 marks of betrayal seen in the disciples that are still true today!
Valued material gains over eternal relationship (26:14-16)…Judas got 30 pieces of silver to betray Jesus.
Harbored sin while pretending loyalty (26:20-25)…Judas ate with the disciples after his betrayal was announced.
Neglected Prayer revealing unpreparedness and failure (26:40-45)…The disciples slept instead of praying with Jesus in Him time of sorrow.
Betrayal covered with false affection (the kiss, 26:47-50)…Judas identifies Jesus to the soldiers with a kiss.
Deserting Christ because they feared consequences (26:56)…All the disciples scattered when Jesus was arrested.
Denying Association because relationship costs too much (26:69-75)…Peter denied knowing Jesus 3 times while watching the trial from a distance. Each denial came with greater intensity.
The disciples were the men who gave up their current lifestyles to follow Jesus. The disciples were the men who saw Jesus perform many miracles and hear Him preach firsthand. Where did they go wrong?! What can we learn from the disciples and Jesus to keep us, the modern-day church, off of road of betrayal? Go back to Matthew 26 and learn from the disciples.
26:41- Watch & Pray
The disciples were called to a time of prayer. The battle they were about to face was fierce and their need for God was great, but they slept instead. Church, stay spiritually awake and keep alert to neglect! Embrace a vibrant prayer life!
26:33-35; 69-75- Humility
Peter insisted he would never deny knowing Jesus, but Jesus knew he would do just that. But by the grace of God, we are all prone to fall. Live with this awareness, seek greater dependence on Jesus, and not on yourself.
26:39, 42, 44- Submit to God
While praying in the garden, Jesus repeated 3 times the surrender of His heart with “not my will, but Thy will be done.” Betrayal begins when we insist on our way. Continually surrender your life to God and the clarity of His Word.
26:56; 28:20- Stay Close to God
On the night Jesus was arrested in the garden, all the disciples scattered far from Jesus. The soldiers and the powerful religious leaders in front of them stirred up great fear. Personal preservation took over, and Christ was stripped of human support in that dark hour. After leaving Jesus, much confusion and fear followed the disciples for a time. Wandering from Jesus will bring fear and denial.
26:75- Forgiveness & Restoration
Peter wept bitterly over his denials, but brokenness led to repentance and restoration. Judas felt remorse but he did not return to Jesus. We all take our turn running from following Jesus, but the difference lies in choosing to return to Him. He is always ready to forgive (Ps. 86:5)!
Imagine a house with a tiny leak in the roof. If ignored, the water slowly ruins the walls, the floor, and the foundation. But if caught early and repaired, the damage is prevented.
Betrayal of Jesus often starts small: small compromises, small neglects, small sins of the heart. Prayer, humility, submitting to God, staying close to Him, and surrendering daily are like repairing the leak early. Stop betrayal in its tracks before it grows into something that leads to denial or distance from Christ!