In my fourth grade Sunday school class each week we acted out the gospel story for the day. Without realizing it I assigned “Ryan” the role of the villains in the stories. One day he spoke up and said, “I’m tired of being the “bad guy” each week; give me one of the good parts.”
The fact is, whether we realize it or not, we are all participants in the gospel stories, not mere spectators. As we walk through the events of Holy Week, we are not just recalling the story of Jesus’ passion and death, we are playing our parts in that story.
Today we are introduced to the “players” gathered at the Last Supper table (John 13: 21-33, 36-38).
“Reclining at table with his disciples, Jesus was deeply troubled and testified, ‘Amen, amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me.’ The disciples looked at one another, at a loss as to whom he meant.”
Enter the first “players”—the disciples. They acted as bystanders.
“One of his disciples, the one whom Jesus loved, was reclining at Jesus’ side. So, Simon Peter nodded to him to find out whom he meant. He leaned back against Jesus’ chest and said to him, ‘Master, who is it?’”
Enter the disciple nearest Jesus (presumably John) and Peter. When John received Peter’s signal, he leaned back against Jesus’ chest and asked quietly who the betrayer was.
“Jesus answered, ‘It is the one to whom I hand the morsel after I have dipped it.’ So, he dipped the morsel and handed it to Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot. After Judas took the morsel, Satan entered him…So Judas took the morsel and left at once.”
The final character, Judas, gets special attention. After he received a morsel from Jesus, Judas was invaded by Satan himself. He became the one who helped lead Jesus to the death chamber.
We see the contrast. John is intimately connected with Jesus. It is with him that Jesus shares the secret. Peter, the take charge guy, wants to know what’s going on. And Judas opts out of the picture with the intent of turning Jesus in to the authorities.
Jesus then began to share with the group.
“Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him…My children, I will be with you only a little while longer…Where I go you cannot come…Simon Peter said to him, ‘Master where are you going?’”
Still trying to figure out Jesus’ plans, Peter continued to ask questions. He challenged Jesus’ assertion that he could not go with him.
“Master, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.”
It is after these words, that Jesus foretold Peter’s betrayal.
Where do we see ourselves in this scene? All of us are gathered with Jesus at the table. Hopefully we are not playing Judas, planning to turn away from Jesus when trouble arises. Maybe we are Peter—interested in what’s going on and pledging our loyalty to Jesus. We may be part of the group of disciples who were just going along for the ride. Ideally, we are “John” sitting as close to Jesus as possible and listening to his voice.
What will Holy Week be for us? How will we participate? Will we just go through the motions? Will we make promises but not follow through with them? Will we seek to lean against Jesus? How will we respond to grace?
“God did not spare his own Son but handed him over for us all” (Romans 8:32).
