Woe to the One Who Betrays - Matthew 26:24

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 they were exceeding sorrowful, and began every one of them to say unto him, Lord, is it I? And he answered and said, He that dips his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me”, and in chapter twenty-six and verse twenty-four of his book, Matthew wrote how Jesus declared, “woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed” where we read:

The Son of man goes as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born.

The verse reads, “The Son of man goes as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed!” Matthew began with the words, “The Son of man” which means “the Son of God who is Jesus” “goes” or “leads and departs” “as it is written” which means “in the manner and likeness as it is delineated or formed in letters on a tablet, parchment, paper or other material” “of him” which refers to “Jesus who is the Messiah”: “but” or “however, nonetheless, moreover and” “woe” or “alas” which is “a primary exclamation of grief” “unto that man” which means “toward the man who betrays Jesus” “by whom” or “through that person” “the Son of man” which refers to “the Son of God who is Jesus” “is betrayed” or “is delivered up treacherously and committed to the chief priests”. Matthew shared how Jesus referred to Psalms 49:11, “Yes, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, has lifted up his heel against me” as He declared warning of great “woe” toward the man who “betrays” Him.

The verse goes on to say, “it had been good for that man if he had not been born.” Matthew continued with the words, “it had been good” which means “it would have been beautiful, excellent, eminent, choice, surpassing, precious, useful and suitable” “for that man” or “for the selfsame man who would betray Jesus” “if he” which refers to “whether the man who betrayed Jesus” “had not been born” or “would not have been engendered, brought forth and conceived”. Matthew shared how Jesus said the man who would “betray” Him would have been better off to have never been “born”.

When we meditate upon Matthew's words in this verse, we see how Jesus knew according to the scriptures that He would be “betrayed”, and it was to be one “close” to Him would would perpetrate the act. Jesus concluded that it would have been better if this man were never born, and one can only imagine where “Judas” is today. God desires people to have a relationship with Him through His Son Jesus, and rather than “betray” Him, they do best for themselves to yield their lives to Him. Everyone reading these words have been “born” physically, and Jesus desires for them to be “born again” spiritually so they might live with Him forever and ever. (See John 3:3)

Next time Matthew wrote how, “Judas” asks “is it I”?, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

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