Scripture to Read: John 13:26
After John asked Jesus who would betray Him, Jesus responded in John 13:26, Jesus then *answered, “That is the one for whom I shall dip the morsel and give it to him.” So when He had dipped the morsel, He *took and *gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. For us reading this Scripture, we would think that it was obvious that Judas was the traitor, and we’d wonder how the eleven disciples missed this obvious clue, but the problem is that we would be reading this Scripture at face value with no historical context. We must understand that the disciples would have reclined at a U-shaped table, and a disciple would have been at each side of Jesus. The one on Jesus’ right was John, and the one on Jesus’ left was Judas. Charles Spurgeon wrote, “One of them was the seer of the Apocalypse, the other was the son of perdition.” In Jesus’ day, the place of honor was to the host's left, and Jesus was the Host. The second place was to the right of the host, this guest would have his head on the breast of the host. Often the host would offer to an honored guest a dipped morsel, something like a toast at a banquet—it was a mark of courtesy and esteem. Jesus revealed His incredible love for Judas by offering him the dipped bread, therefore offering him a chance to repent without revealing him as the traitor. God’s love never stops, even for those who refuse Him completely.
Challenge & Application
• What did you learn of God’s love today?
• How has the love of Christ changed your love for others, even for those who refuse to love you back?
Don’t forget to pray using the A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) method!