Jesus was sharing the Passover supper with His disciples (Matthew 26:20), but knew that one person in the room was about to betray Him (Matthew 26:21-25).  All the others had been chosen to build His church; Judas had been chosen to betray Him (John 6:70).  What Judas would do was no surprise to Jesus, because He knew Judas’ heart.  Although Jesus knew that the betrayer’s wickedness would focus the hatred of the world on His head, it was personally painful.  By quoting Psalm 41:9, Jesus showed how King David (a thousand years previously) described the soul-wrenching destruction of fellowship that He would experience by Judas' evil intent and actions.

‘Sharing bread’ in a meal with friends and family was an Eastern way of expressing a shared life.  To then betray your host or guest was the worst possible insult.  We see the contrast in Christian communion – a picture of those, who have insulted the Lord by our sin and betrayal of His love, being brought close again by the blood of Christ and accepted as members of His family (1 Corinthians 10:16-17).  And as His family, He sends us out into a wicked world, so that those who accept our message can be confident that they are accepted by God Himself (John 17:20-21).
 
David prophesied again in Psalm 55:12-14, “If an enemy were insulting me, I could endure it; if a foe were rising against me, I could hide.  But it is you, a man like myself, my companion, my close friend, with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship at the house of God. As we walked among the worshippers.”   No, Jesus was not at all surprised, but He was very sad.  Judas might have looked right on the outside, even sharing in times of worship.  But so much was wrong on the inside because Judas loved himself more than Jesus.  But the other disciples needed to remember Jesus' words to know that the cross was not a tragic accident or political mistake.  It was all part of God’s plan.
 
How many who worship in church have a Judas character?  At times, all of us have put our own interests before God’s. Yes, we sometimes fit the description in the verses in Psalms 41 and 55.  And yet when we have recognised our betrayal, as Peter did (John 18:15-27), we have repented because we love Jesus. But what about those whose hearts are hard and far away from Christ?  In the same way that He longed for the repentance of Jerusalem (Matthew 23:37-39) Jesus is very sad at anyone’s refusal to be gathered to Him.  One thing is clear: we are either gathered to Him or sent far away.  Which do you want to be (www.crosscheck.org.uk)?