Our Sermons

Bible Passage: Matthew 26:20-25
Pastor: Pastor Schlicht
Sermon Date:  February 22, 2023

In Old Testament times, God summoned his people to Jerusalem three times a year in pilgrimage. They were to appear before the Lord at the three high festivals—Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles. We know from the gospels that Jesus himself made that trip with his family many times starting at the age of 12. Today we begin our annual pilgrimage of sorts. Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of our 40-day trek through the Passion History of our Lord, visiting familiar places along the way and culminating with us gathered, in spirit, in the upper room, at the foot of the cross, and at the empty tomb. Our Lenten series this year takes us to all those familiar places, and does so by using little phrases—three words of truth each week—that focus our spiritual attention on what is important. Today, on Ash Wednesday, we begin by staring in a mirror at ourselves. We begin by making the three-word question of the disciples our own: “Surely, Not I?”

In that upper room on the night before his crucifixion, Jesus spoke many, many comforting things to his disciples as he prepared them for the fierce trial of faith that they would undergo the next day— watching him, their teacher and Lord, hang in agony on the cross. But Jesus also dropped a couple of bombshells on his disciples that night as well. One of them was this: While they were half-joking around about which one of them was the best of the disciples, Jesus, the Son of God, quietly got up and began to wash their feet, doing the work of a common household servant. I imagine it was pretty quiet all of a sudden. Perhaps all they heard was the gentle splash of water in the bowl as each awaited his turn in penitent silence. 

But then, a second, bigger, bombshell. As they began their last meal together, Jesus became visibly agitated and said: “Amen I tell you: One of you will betray me.”y me.” Boom! . . . And more silence. Then troubled voices filled with concern and shock: “Surely, not I, Lord? Surely, not I? Surely, not I? . . .” And Judas had to ask too, otherwise his silence would have been revealing. He had gotten used to lying and he knew how to cover his tracks: “Is it I, Rabbi?” 

I understand why Judas had to ask this question, but what’s interesting is that every single one of the eleven innocent disciples felt compelled to ask as well! Matthew says they were all filled with grief over Jesus’ words, so this question didn’t come from a place of confidence. None of them said, “Oh, I know it’s not me.” They all begged for some assurance, because all of them wondered if they might be the one to betray Jesus! The disciples knew that Jesus could read the thoughts of their hearts and minds, and they also knew from experience that Jesus’ words were never false. And that’s why asking the question “Surely, not I?”  is quite revealing. What does it reveal? It reveals what sin has done to us and what sin has the potential to do to us. 

Although none of us here today is the one who actually betrayed our Savior to his enemies, each of us at times perhaps felt the same fear and doubt the disciples felt that night in the upper room. We realize how powerful a force sin is in our own lives and what awful potential for self-destruction it brings along with it. We know how quickly we can doubt that which we have held dear, how many times we are often embarrassed to share our faith, how we sometimes betray Jesus in the way we compromise with sin and the world. If Jesus stood in this church tonight and said, “One of you will betray me.” Each one of us, if we are honest, would want to ask the question “Surely, not I?” We would understand how even from the lips of faithful disciples, these are three words of truth.

After Judas asked the question: “Surely, not I? Jesus said, “Yes, you are the one.” And I can’t imagine what the atmosphere in that room must have been like. Why do you think he did it?  Why did Judas betray Jesus? Most people think Judas did it for the money, but I disagree. I do not think that Judas joined the disciples with any false motives in the beginning. He wouldn’t have lived with those men, following Jesus in that vagabond lifestyle for three years just for thirty pieces of silver. 30 pieces wasn’t that much money. It was only about 4 months wages. Actually, perhaps the better comparison was that it was the usual price paid for a slave, according to Ex 21:32, which tells us more about the utter contempt the religious leaders had for Jesus and the shame of Judas in agreeing to that price. But, in any case, when Judas first started following Jesus there was no plot by Jewish leaders; there was no bribe money on the table at all. The root cause wasn’t the money. The question “Why?” remains.

Maybe it’s because I just had a new baby born and placed into my arms, but I can’t help but think about how the mother and father of Judas Iscariot must have felt when they first held him. You know that he wasn’t born a villain. He wasn’t some ill-fated spawn of hell nor did he wake up one day and decide to be evil. He was as warm-blooded as any of us. I imagine his parents thanked the Lord and cried tears of joy. Judas was raised in faith. Judas had days of joy and celebration, he had friends and loved ones. He had sought to worship the same God of grace as we do, who called him to follow and to serve.

That’s why the question “Surely, not I?” bothers me. Because the truth is that what happened to Judas is what can happen to any Christian who grows cold toward Christ. Why did he do it? He allowed sin to fester. He grew apathetic to Jesus’ mission and purpose. Over time he succumbed to the devil’s temptations. He began stealing from what little there was in the money box and ultimately decided to take thirty pieces of silver as compensation for what he thought of as wasted years. Day by day, little by little, he decided that following Jesus wasn’t worth it. And, at some point, he rejected God. That’s when the devil was allowed to enter him. It was a process; it was a descent. He had the same privilege to know Jesus as the rest of the disciples—the same privilege we have as well—and yet he fell.

This account is a solemn warning of how engaged the devil is in spiritual hypocrisy; how people, with every spiritual advantage, can descend to a place where they reject the grace of God. That for some the road to hell leads straight through the doors of the church. “Surely not I?” Do not be too proud to ask your Savior this question. As Paul writes: “If you think you are standing firm, be careful that you do not fall.” (1 Cor. 10:12)

But thank our God of faithful grace that Paul did not stop there! He continues: “God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” (1 Cor. 10:13) The comfort for us tonight is that each disciple in that upper room who asked the question honestly, received assurance from Jesus. Each of them watched Jesus institute the Lord’s Supper and received his body and blood for the forgiveness of their sins.Yes, anyone who asks, “Surely, not I?” to Jesus, receives his promise of faithfulness. We start Ash Wednesday by looking at our mortality and sin, but we only do so in order to look up at the cross of Christ which guarantees our forgiveness and eternal salvation.

I remember the first time I went whitewater river rafting. I was nervous and excited. It was a family vacation and I was quite young. We went with a guide who promised that no matter how bad the rapids got, he would get us back safely. His validation? He had never lost a single person in 15 years. A pretty good record! Well, about half-way through we hit a rock and I flew out of the tube. I found myself floating down the river. I don’t remember much besides the fact that the water was super cold! But all of a sudden a strong arm grabbed me by the back of my life jacket and hauled me back to the boat. The guide had jumped out of the boat, grabbed me, and brought me back! He was good to his word. It wasn’t my ability at rafting that guaranteed my safety. Trusting in Christ is the same. Our ability to stay in his kingdom is based on his faithfulness. The object of our faith is the strength of our certainty, not our personal grasp. We humbly confess that we do not cling to Christ as we should, but in the end it is Jesus who is holding us.

Remember: Nothing that sinful people or the devil can do will ever ruin the plans of God. Remember that Judas’ betrayal was the fulfillment of Scripture. God was still in control, even if it was hard to tell. Jesus’ crucifixion looked like a tragedy, but it was actually the triumph of our salvation! What looked like Satan’s victory was really his defeat! What looked like a sealed tomb was just setting the stage for a resurrection! My friends, Jesus is a certain Savior! No matter how sin affects your life, God has foreseen it before time began and it has not ruined his plan for you. Sin hits hard, but God’s purpose does not bend or break, it is not even scratched. Jesus has defeated sin; he has crushed the serpent’s head and he knows all that is to come. He will follow through on his promises as he always has. Jesus answers our self-doubt with the accomplished fact of his faithful love on Calvary, with his Almighty confidence that nothing can tear you away from his loving grasp.

In humility we ask, “Surely, not I?” But then in certainty we wonder “If God is for us, who can be against us?”(Rom 8:31) In honesty we ask “Surely, not I?” But in Christ we ponder, “Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus who died and, more than that, was raised to life, is the one who is at God’s right hand and who is also interceding for us!” (Rom 8:34) On this Ash Wednesday we begin by asking “Surely, notI?” But we finish by shouting, “What will separate us from the love of Christ? …No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” (Rom 8:35,37)

Amen.