The (Unexpected) Guest of Honor

The Jewish calendar was built around seven festivals.

What we know as the Last Supper was actually shared on the first of those festivals –Passover.

As Jesus celebrated Passover with His disciples, an argument broke out.

Then they began to argue among themselves about who would be the greatest among them. (Luke 22:24, NLT)

This certainly wasn’t the first time the disciples had jockeyed for a position of honor. But why now? Why here?

See, at this time, the host would seat people according to their rank and status. Everyone knew what each seat meant.

Here’s what it would have looked like:

Jesus, as the host, would have chosen who sat where. The Bible doesn’t explicitly say how the disciples were arranged, but it does offer us a couple of clues.

One of his disciples, whom Jesus loved, was reclining at the table at Jesus' side, so Simon Peter motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking. So that disciple, leaning back against Jesus, said to him, “Lord, who is it?” (John 13:23-24, ESV).

We know the disciple spoken of here – the one whom Jesus loved – is John. John refers to himself this way all throughout his book.

Since they reclined at the table on their left arm, in order to lean back on Jesus, John had to be in front of Him – in the place of His right-hand man.

What about the guest of honor?

And as they were eating, he said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” And they were very sorrowful and began to say to him one after another, “Is it I, Lord?” He answered, “He who has dipped his hand in the dish with me will betray me.” (Matthew 26:20-23, NLT)

Three people would share a dish. So, if John is in the right-hand man’s seat and Jesus is in the host’s seat…

Judas was the guest of honor.

Judas has already taken a bribe from the chief priests.

Judas plans to betray Jesus.

Judas intends to instigate His arrest.

And Jesus knows it.

So, why on earth would Jesus give Judas the seat of honor?

Because this is what it means to love your enemies. This is what it means to do good to those that mean you harm. This is what it means to extend mercy and grace.

This is how Jesus has loved us.

God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. (Romans 5:8, NLT)

We are His betrayers. We are accomplices to His arrest.

Yet while we were still sinners – while we were still enemies – He went to the cross for us.

If this is how Jesus treats His enemies, how then shall we treat ours?