And while they were eating, Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.” They were deeply grieved and began to ask him, “Surely not I, Lord?” – Matthew 26:21-22

How did you wake up today? Jesus woke up betrayed.
Yesterday Judas went and made a deal with the temple leaders to deliver Jesus to their hands. He got good money for it. 

Today is the beginning of the passover, one of the holiest feasts. A time to celebrate and rejoice, a time to remember freedom and God’s delivery to the Jews. 

Not only Judas was preoccupied with how to silence Jesus, instead of being festive, but also so were a bunch of religious leaders who were supposed to lead their people in worship and thanksgiving. 

But wait a second. There is more. 

What about the rest of the Twelve? Yes. They are all about to do the same. 

“One [of] you will betray me,” might be the biggest understatement of Holy Week. Jesus doesn’t mention which disciple he has in mind. He doesn’t have to. He’s talking about all of them. The betrayal didn’t only come when Judas handed Jesus over to the authorities with a kiss, it happened when the disciples denied they would ever betray Jesus. Their denials flew in the face of Jesus’ teaching that humility and repentance are more blessed than boasting and self-righteousness.” (I quoted Matthew Laney on https://www.ucc.org/daily_devotional_you_will_betray_me?utm_campaign=dd_apr08_20&utm_medium=email&utm_source=unitedchurchofchrist)

You see what was supposed to be the holiest time, turned into a knife stabbing Jesus’s heart. The closest people to him are to forget all he’d been teaching them about standing up for others, and turn away from him to save their lives. It was a Thursday.

In my country we call this day “Thursday of the Sacraments,” a word that also means “secrets.” Growing up I used to think there were big secrets revealed on this day. Turns out I was right. 

Despite the hurt and the betrayal, Jesus spends a holy and intimate night with the twelve disciples, one last night, one last meal! And from that night was born history’s most celebrated ritual: Holy Communion. 

The secret of God’s love and grace was revealed that night: Jesus is the lamb of God who is to bear the sin of the world: the sin of betrayal, the sin of denial, the sin of being left alone to face the monsters of injustice. That’s it; the sin of the world; it’s injustice and we are all participants in it.

But God’s secret of great love was revealed to us in a love meal: modeling after Jesus, we can also participate in removing the injustice of the world… one meal at a time.