Is It I? - Matthew 26:22

Matthew the apostle wrote, “Now when the even was come, he sat down with the twelve. And as they did eat, he said, Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me”, and in chapter twenty-six and verse twenty-two of his book, Matthew writes how Jesus' disciples asked, “Lord, is it I?” where we read:

And they were exceeding sorrowful, and began every one of them to say unto him, Lord, is it I?

The verse reads, “And they were exceeding sorrowful, ...” Matthew began words, “and they” which means “and the twelve disciples” “were exceeding sorrowful” or “were greatly and vehemently affected with sadness, grieved, offended and thrown into sorrow”. Matthew shared how the disciples were “greatly grieved” over Jesus' statement about one of them “betraying” Him. .

The verse goes on to say, “... and began every one of them to say unto him, Lord, is it I?” Matthew continued with the words, “and began” which means “ made a beginning and commenced” “every one of them” or “each, the whole, all and everyone of the disciples” “to say” which means “to utter, declare, proclaim and ask” “unto him” which refers to “to Jesus”, “Lord” or “One to whom a person or thing belongs about which he has power of deciding; master and the title given to God the Messiah”, “is it I” which means “am I the one who will betray you”? Matthew shared how each of Jesus' disciples began to ask Him whether or not they were the one who would “betray” Him.

When we think through Matthew's words in this verse, we see the reaction the twelve disciples had to Jesus' statement about one of them betraying Him. All of them recognized their own propensity to do so, and though they may have thought they never would, each of them wondered if they would be “guilty”. God desires “truth in the inward parts”, and to realize within the sinful nature of man there is the capacity to “betray” Jesus is one of the first steps in “repentance and salvation” through His Son Jesus. “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (See Romans 3:23) and “there is none righteous, no, not one” (See Romans 3:10). The way to keep from “betraying” Jesus is to have “faith and trust” in Him as a personal “Savior and Lord” who came to save all the world.

Next time Matthew shares how Jesus says, “he that dips his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.