Marked | Week 7: Am I The One?
In the evening Jesus arrived with the Twelve. As they were at the table eating, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, one of you eating with me here will betray me.”Greatly distressed, each one asked in turn, “Am I the one?” He replied, “It is one of you twelve who is eating from this bowl with me. For the Son of Man must die, as the Scriptures declared long ago. But how terrible it will be for the one who betrays him. It would be far better for that man if he had never been born!” —Mark 14:17–21 (NLT)
⇒ God sees our best
but still gives us the power of choice. “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last” —John 15:16 (NIV)
⇒ When our motive is different from Jesus’ we will be in a constant state of
.
Question: Why do you follow Jesus?
Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.” —John 6:53 (NIV)
“You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the twelve. Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.” Then Jesus replied, “Have I not chosen you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil!” (He meant Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, who, though one of the Twelve, was later to betray him.) —John 6:67–71 (NIV)
Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it. “Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.” —John 12:3–8 (NIV)
⇒ If left unchecked, resentment and
will lead us all down the road of betrayal. Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, “I tell you the truth, one of you is going to betray me.” —John 13:21 (NIV)
Judas, the one who would betray him, said, “Surely you don’t mean me, Rabbi?” Jesus answered, “You have said so.” —Matthew 26:25 (NIV)
Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.” Then, dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, son of Simon. —John 13:26 (NIV)
As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him. “What you are about to do, do quickly.” —John 13:27-28 (NIV)
Judas says to them “The one I kiss is the man; arrest him.” Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed him. Jesus replied, “Do what you came for, friend.” —Matthew 26:48b–50 (NIV)
⇒ It’s never too late to receive Jesus’ gesture of
.
Question: What am I holding back from Jesus’ invitation of friendship?
Theme: Keep Your Friends Close and Your Enemies Closer
Reflect Together: What impacted you the most from Sunday’s Message and the Marked Growth guide?
Share Together: Are you friends still with anyone you grew up with? If not, why? If so, how did you keep that friendship alive?
Read Together: Mark 14:17–21
Discuss Together:
- Picture yourself at the Last Supper encounter, and Jesus saying, “one of you is going to betray me”. What would you be thinking and feeling?
- What is your take on verse 21? What do you imagine his motive was in making such a dramatic statement?
- As you reflect on the account of Judas, what led him to do what he did? Why would Jesus select Judas, knowing he would do what he did?
- Knowing we have the potential to deny him, how do you relate with Jesus choosing us to follow him?
- How can you relate with the wrong expectations Judas had of Jesus?
- How can our disappointment lead us to resent God?
- How did Jesus model his commitment to us through cross?
- How do we overcome disappointment and resentment, so that we can grow closer to Jesus in friendship?
Pray Together: As we experience this Holy Week, how can we pray for one another and those invited and impacted by our Easter services?