A Morning Cup of Tea: The Betrayal of Jesus

Chapter 26 begins with Jesus telling his disciples that in two days is the feast of the passover  and he will be betrayed and crucified.  During this time, the chief priests, and the scribes and the elders of the people gathered together at the palace of Caiaphas, the high priest. They wanted to catch Jesus and put him to death. They wouldn't do it on the feast day, because the people would get angry over that. 
  Meanwhile, Jesus was in Bethany, at the home of Simon the leper, having a meal. While he ate, a woman came in carrying an alabaster box full of precious ointment. She poured it on his head while he ate. This made the disciples angry. How dare she waste something so precious? It could have been sold for much money and the proceeds given to the poor!  Jesus told his disciples, leave the woman alone. She has done a good thing.  The poor you will always have with you. I won't always be with you. She did it to prepare me for burial.
  Can you imagine how sobering that conversation must have been? All along he's been telling his disciples that he is going to die, but I don't think they were ready to understand it, much less want to hear it. 
 Judas Iscariot found time to find his way to the chief priests and he conspired to deliver Jesus to them for the sum of thirty pieces of silver.  
  On the first day of the Passover  Jesus told his disciples to go into the city to a certain man and tell him the master says his time is at hand and he wants to have the passover at his house with his disciples. The disciples did as they were asked and prepared for the passover dinner.
  As they ate, Jesus told them that one of them would betray him. Most of them, of course, couldn't imagine that any of them would do such a thing, and certainly not themselves. They kept asking, Is it I? 
  Jesus had some pretty harsh words for the betrayer:
23. And he answered and said, he that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me.
24. The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed!  it had been good for the man if he had not been born.  I think he was warning Judas that his life was not going to be easy once the deed was done. It was his choice to do this but this was not something he would be able to put behind him.
  Judas asked him, Master, is it I? and of course Jesus said, You said it.
  During the dinner, Jesus took unleavened bread, blessed it, and broke it and gave it to the disciples. This represented his body.  He took a cup of the fruit of the vine and blessed it, and gave it to them also. This was a representation of his blood.
  26. And as they were eating, Jesus too bread and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to them, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.
27. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; 
28. For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
29. But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine , until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.   

Chapter 26 begins with Jesus telling his disciples that in two days is the feast of the passover  and he will be betrayed and crucified.  During this time, the chief priests, and the scribes and the elders of the people gathered together at the palace of Caiaphas, the high priest. They wanted to catch Jesus and put him to death. They wouldn't do it on the feast day, because the people would get angry over that. 
  Meanwhile, Jesus was in Bethany, at the home of Simon the leper, having a meal. While he ate, a woman came in carrying an alabaster box full of precious ointment. She poured it on his head while he ate. This made the disciples angry. How dare she waste something so precious? It could have been sold for much money and the proceeds given to the poor!  Jesus told his disciples, leave the woman alone. She has done a good thing.  The poor you will always have with you. I won't always be with you. She did it to prepare me for burial.
  Can you imagine how sobering that conversation must have been? All along he's been telling his disciples that he is going to die, but I don't think they were ready to understand it, much less want to hear it. 
 Judas Iscariot found time to find his way to the chief priests and he conspired to deliver Jesus to them for the sum of thirty pieces of silver.  
  On the first day of the Passover  Jesus told his disciples to go into the city to a certain man and tell him the master says his time is at hand and he wants to have the passover at his house with his disciples. The disciples did as they were asked and prepared for the passover dinner.
  As they ate, Jesus told them that one of them would betray him. Most of them, of course, couldn't imagine that any of them would do such a thing, and certainly not themselves. They kept asking, Is it I? 
  Jesus had some pretty harsh words for the betrayer:
23. And he answered and said, he that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me.
24. The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed!  it had been good for the man if he had not been born.  I think he was warning Judas that his life was not going to be easy once the deed was done. It was his choice to do this but this was not something he would be able to put behind him.
  Judas asked him, Master, is it I? and of course Jesus said, You said it.
  During the dinner, Jesus took unleavened bread, blessed it, and broke it and gave it to the disciples. This represented his body.  He took a cup of the fruit of the vine and blessed it, and gave it to them also. This was a representation of his blood.
  26. And as they were eating, Jesus too bread and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to them, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.
27. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; 
28. For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
29. But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine , until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.