What is the meaning of Matthew 26:23? Jesus answered - In the middle of anxious whispers around the table, “Jesus answered”. He is not guessing; He is speaking with perfect knowledge (John 2:25). - His calm reply shows authority—fulfilling what He said earlier, “The Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified” (Matthew 26:2). - This moment echoes John 13:10-11, where Jesus already “knew the one who would betray Him.” Nothing is hidden from Him (Hebrews 4:13). The one who has dipped his hand - The Lord pinpoints a specific gesture everyone at the Passover meal recognized. Sharing the same dish was a sign of closeness and friendship, not hostility. - Psalm 41:9 predicted this heartbreak centuries earlier: “Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted up his heel against me”. - By choosing a quiet symbol instead of naming Judas outright, Jesus offers a final moment for repentance, just as He had lovingly warned in Matthew 26:21. Into the bowl with Me - First-century Passover participants dipped unleavened bread into a common bowl of bitter herbs and sauce. Jesus invites His betrayer to share that very intimacy. - Ruth 2:14 shows the beauty of such an invitation: Boaz said, “Come over here… dip your bread in the vinegar”. To eat this way declared fellowship. - John 13:26 records how Jesus deepens the sign: “It is the one to whom I give this morsel after I have dipped it.” Even here, He offers grace before judgment. Will betray Me - The phrase lands like a thunderclap. It reveals Judas’s settled choice and confirms prophecy: Zechariah 11:12-13 foretold the thirty pieces of silver (Matthew 26:15). - Isaiah 53:3 predicted the Suffering Servant would be “despised and rejected by men.” Betrayal is part of the sovereign plan for redemption (Acts 2:23). - Jesus still speaks in the present tense—“will betray”—underscoring that His arrest is moments away, yet entirely under His control (Matthew 26:53-54). summary Matthew 26:23 shows Jesus calmly exposing His betrayer while extending one last gesture of friendship. By identifying Judas through a shared dip of bread, the Lord fulfills Scripture, demonstrates intimate knowledge of every heart, and moves purposefully toward the cross. Nothing here is accidental; every detail—foretold in the Psalms and Prophets—confirms that our redemption rests on God’s flawless plan carried out by His flawless Son. |
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