What Jesus Did! 'One of You!' — Mark 14:20

Friday, October 18, 2024

[Jesus] replied, "[The one who will betray me] is one of you twelve who is eating from this bowl with me."
— Mark 14:20 NLT

Key Thought

How sad Jesus' words must have been to the apostles when they first heard them. How sad these words must also have been later as they remembered them. What a powerful reminder to us of our ability to falter and to let our Lord down. Our church, our fellowship of believers, will often have a "Judas" in our midst — someone who betrays Jesus and his disciples for some kind of personal gain. While we may not view our sins as being as bad as Judas', we have all let the Lord down and betrayed him at some point in our lives, [1] and sin is sin. Thank God that he is forgiving. Thank the Lord Jesus that he paid the price to ransom us back from our weakness, hypocrisy, betrayal, and failure. Let's use our time at the Lord's Table to remind us of the price for our forgiveness, of our vulnerability to letting the Lord down, and of the opportunity we have to live passionately for him. Most of all, let's remember that we can begin again, fresh and forgiven, and we must not let Satan win the battle when we falter. Let's get back up, ask for the Lord's forgiveness, receive his cleansing, and faithfully live for his glory in the future.

[1] Romans 3:23.

Today's Prayer

Lord of all heaven and earth, my Abba Father, please help me to trust in your forgiveness and the Holy Spirit's power so that I will not be crushed by my failures and sins. Instead, as I repent and you cleanse me, please empower me to live vibrantly and faithfully for you. This is my heart's desire. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

Related Scripture Readings

  • 1 John 1:5-10, 2:1-2
  • 2 Corinthians 13:5
  • Galatians 6:1

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Illustration

Illustration of Mark 14:20 NLT — [Jesus] replied, "[The one who will betray me] is one of you twelve who is eating from this bowl with me."

About This Devotional

What Jesus Did! is a series of one-year devotional guides through each gospel, using one short scripture passage each day and following the Gospel in sequential order. Each devotional consists of a scripture passage and a reflection and a prayer which open up the day's scripture and show how it challenges you to live for Jesus.

What Jesus Did! is written by Phil Ware and is available in book form.

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.