Jesus Predicts His Betrayal

18 "I am not referring to all of you; I know those I have chosen. But this is to fulfill the scripture: 'He who shares my bread has lifted up his heel against me.'

19 "I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am He. 20 I tell you the truth, whoever accepts anyone I send accepts me; and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me."

21 After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, "I tell you the truth, one of you is going to betray me."

22 His disciples stared at one another, at a loss to know which of them he meant. 2324 Simon Peter motioned to this disciple and said, "Ask him which one he means." One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him.

25 Leaning back against Jesus, he asked him, "Lord, who is it?"

26 Jesus answered, "It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish." Then, dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, son of Simon. 27 As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him.

"What you are about to do, do quickly," Jesus told him, 28 but no one at the meal understood why Jesus said this to him. 29 Since Judas had charge of the money, some thought Jesus was telling him to buy what was needed for the Feast, or to give something to the poor. 30 As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out. And it was night.

Interesting in this passage of scripture that nobody suspected Judas, even when Jesus pointed him out. Judas was a well respected person in the inner circle. He was in charge of the money. He was a "church goer". But, deep inside was the devil. We tend to make many assumptions, I know I do, about people who go to church, hold positions of ministry, and show all the outward signs of being a Christian. There will come a day when the just judge of the universe will separate the wheat from the tares, the good fish from the bad, the wise from the foolish.

We can fool ourselves. We can fool others in church. But, we will not fool God. Many times Jesus warns us of this coming judgment. Please, before it is too late, examine yourself to make sure you are in the faith. Are you trusting in anything other than His grace for your salvation? Do you actually believe in the atonement provided by Jesus Christ? Is there any fruit coming forth from that belief? Are you concerned enough about others to get out there and tell them?