Rabbi, is it I?

Now on the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying to him, "Where do you want us to prepare for you to eat the Passover?" And 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." ' " So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them; and they prepared the Passover.

When evening had come, he sat down with the twelve. Now as they were eating, he said, "Assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray me." And they were exceedingly sorrowful, and each of them began to say to him, "Lord, is it I?" He answered and said, "He who dipped his hand with me in the dish will betray me. The Son of Man indeed goes just as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born." Then Judas, who was betraying him, answered and said, "Rabbi, is it I?" He said to him, "You have said it."

- Matthew 26:17-25

In yesterday's reading, Jesus once again foretold his crucifixion to his disciples. We read of the woman who anointed his head with oil in Bethany, preparing him, in this sense, for burial. (See Why do you trouble the woman?) Today, we read about the Passover meal.

Now on the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying to him, "Where do you want us to prepare for you to eat the Passover?" And 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." ' " So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them; and they prepared the Passover. My study bible notes: "The Passover commemorates God's deliverance of Israel from slavery in Egypt to the Land of Promise. It prefigures the Passion of Christ, the new Passover, God's redemption of all humanity from sin and death to the promised Kingdom. The first day of the Feast is Thursday of Holy Week. Whether this was Passover or the day before Passover is debated. What is certain is that Jesus regarded the Thursday evening meal as the Passover meal for himself and his disciples." We begin the events of Jesus' Passion with this meal, for which we have so much scriptural literature (see especially John's gospel). In the first Passover, the Lord "passed over" the homes of the Jews, which were marked with the blood of a spring lamb. In this Passover, our "spring lamb" is the Lord himself.

When evening had come, he sat down with the twelve. Now as they were eating, he said, "Assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray me." And they were exceedingly sorrowful, and each of them began to say to him, "Lord, is it I?" He answered and said, "He who dipped his hand with me in the dish will betray me. The Son of Man indeed goes just as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born." Then Judas, who was betraying him, answered and said, "Rabbi, is it I?" He said to him, "You have said it." My study bible notes here: "It is written of him does not cancel Judas' responsibility. God foresees, but does not cause, the evil actions of humans, who always have free will. Jesus does not expressly accuse Judas, but he does let Judas disclose his own guilt. Not even this, however, brings Judas to his senses." Jesus' response to Judas, "You have said it," reminds me of the response he will make to the charges which will be laid against him by the temple leadership and Pilate. Judas clearly has an opportunity for repentance, but he fails to take it. And everything will proceed as we know it. Free will is everything.

All that is about to unfold is done with Jesus' consent; in a sense, through his consent. He has come into the world, teaching, loving, giving, healing. He has faithful disciples, and his gospel will go to all the world. But what is happening in this passage, the betrayal by one of his own, will happen without an attempt to prevent it by force. The choices of Judas will have their effect - as will those of the temple leadership and of Pilate. In a sense, we can see a kind of a battleground that is not what we usually think of with the word "battleground." Although the state will have its weapons of force and its means of crucifixion, the real battleground is within the persons who are involved here - in the hearts and minds of those who choose. This is, in a sense, inviolable ground: we are responsible for what we choose, although we are given many opportunities to change, to repent. Prophecy is that which is foreseen; it is not the cause. What does it mean that our spring lamb, without blemish, is Christ himself? The Church has declared that Christ himself is our Passover. The Passover was the means whereby the nation of Israel, the People of God, was delivered into its own destiny. Christ, we say, is the new Passover. His only sacrifice will be himself. He is the man of peace, who teaches us about our choices, and how important they are. He elevates us to that place where we share with him what happens in this world, and we participate in salvation. We are as much a part of this work for the world as he is - he shares that with us. Today, let us think about this Passover and what it means for us. How do you make your choices? You always have a chance to repent.