Matthew 26:17-25 Dipping in the Dish
Format for Your Devotions
Instructions: Do not read my example devotion until you have completed your own devotional time in the scriptures. Reading my thoughts first may limit your own understanding. Let the Holy Spirit speak to you alone before looking to see what anyone else has to say, whether it is me, a Bible commentary, or a friend. Let God speak to you before you let another person speak to you. I have provided a format, but modify it to fit your needs. For example, I usually combine my application and prayer together talking to God about the application to my own life. You can go through this devotion process mentally, speaking out loud, or in writing as you wish. Don’t worry if you are not following this process exactly. Sometimes, I add extra information and sometimes I emphasize one part more than others. However, you should always think about what you learn about God from this passage.
Step 1: Pray–Ask for the Holy Spirit’s guidance first of all and that God may reveal the lessons that He wants you to have that day. Request that God protect you from Satan’s distractions (and the devil will try to distract you whether it is pinching the baby or putting you to sleep). Ask to see God more clearly as you read and think about the passage.
Step 2: Read the passage–Read to get an overview of the information first. Then start looking at specific parts after the first reading. You may read a larger or smaller section than I have here because you do not have to follow my organization at all.
Step 3: Understand the passage–You can summarize, ask and answer your own questions about the passage, visualize the story, analyze the characters, and relate this passage to other scriptures and personal experiences.
Step 4: What does this reveal about God?–What do you learn about the Father, Son, and/or Holy Spirit from this passage?
Step 5: Apply this to your own life.
Step 6: Prayer
My Example Devotion: August 27, 2019 Matthew 26:17-25
Note: In the devotion examples, I leave my questions and thought processes in the text because I am trying to demonstrate that a devotional time is a dialogue with God about what you are reading from His word. As such, any questions or ideas that you have should be explored by talking it out with God. These example devotions are not my attempts to teach you what the meaning of a particular scripture is. They are an attempt to teach you the process of devotions, which is a combination of prayer and Bible study where you explore ideas with God as you read His word.
Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Where will you have us prepare for you to eat the Passover?” He said, “Go into the city to a certain man and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, My time is at hand. I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.’” And the disciples did as Jesus had directed them, and they prepared the Passover.
When it was evening, he reclined at table with the twelve. And as they were eating, he said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” And they were very sorrowful and began to say to him one after another, “Is it I, Lord?” He answered, “He who has dipped his hand in the dish with me will betray me. The Son of Man goes as it is written of 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.” Judas, who would betray him, answered, “Is it I, Rabbi?” He said to him, “You have said so.”
(Understanding the Text) Matthew is again summarizing. Jesus sent John and Peter out with a pre-arranged signal to find a man with a jar of water and to follow him to the house where they were to have the last supper. It had all been secretly arranged ahead of time to guarantee that their privacy would not be interrupted as Jesus needed the time alone with His disciples to institute a new service and to give final instructions. Mark describes this. “And on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the Passover lamb, his disciples said to him, “Where will you have us go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?” And he sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him, and wherever he enters, say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says, Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ And he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready; there prepare for us.” And the disciples set out and went to the city and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover” (Mark 14:12-16). Luke gives more details. “Then came the day of Unleavened Bread, on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. So Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat it.” They said to him, “Where will you have us prepare it?” He said to them, “Behold, when you have entered the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him into the house that he enters and tell the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says to you, Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ And he will show you a large upper room furnished; prepare it there.” And they went and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover” (Luke 22:7-13).
Matthew is still focused only on the events that led to Jesus’ death. Of all the things that he could focus on in the Last Supper, he focuses only on Jesus’ foreknowledge of who would betray Him. He tells of how Jesus told the disciples that one of them would betray Him. All the disciples asked if it was themselves. Jesus didn’t answer them directly but instead said that it was someone who dipped bread with Him. Matthew makes a point that when Judas asked if he was to betray Jesus that Jesus answered that Judas had said it. However, the other gospels make it clear that the rest of the disciples either did not hear this comment or did not understand the exchange to mean that Judas would betray Jesus. Thus, Matthew is speaking of hindsight knowledge that came with discussing what had happened among the eleven remaining disciples afterwards. John and Peter probably heard the exchange, but not all.
(Revelation of God) Jesus makes the point that His death was inevitable and necessary, but His betrayal was not. Judas did not have to make the choices that he did. Judas could have remained loyal. Judas’ choice put him into a position of condemnation that hurt him. Jesus was not pronouncing judgment. Instead, He was trying to reach Judas to stop him before he made a final irrevocable choice.
(Application) My application for myself is that there are many things going on around me that I am not aware of. People are making choices for and against God all the time. My responsibility is to remain ready to go where God wants me to go and stand there and to make choices in every situation according to the guidance of the scriptures and the Spirit. I need to live according to the principles of the kingdom of heaven. Most of all, in every case, I need to choose Jesus above everything and everyone else.
(Prayer) Help me to keep my focus on You and what I should be doing in Your service. Give me encouragement when I feel discouraged so that I am assured that I am doing the work that You set before me, and I am doing it the way You want me to even if I do not see results. Teach me from Your word and transform me to be more like You.