During the Passover meal with his disciples, Jesus makes an extraordinary announcement. For the disciples, to be openly in Jerusalem with Jesus meant that the fulfillment of all their dreams was at hand.

Soon Jesus would announce himself as the promised Messiah-King, defeat his enemies, and then, when Jesus finally sat on the throne of David, they would all have their reward. But the announcement that Jesus makes suddenly and dramatically changes the mood in the room.

When evening came, Jesus arrived with the Twelve. 18 While they were reclining at the table eating, he said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me—one who is eating with me.” 19 They were saddened, and one by one, they said to him, “Surely you don’t mean me?” Mark 14:17–19

It’s an intimate setting. As was common in that culture, they didn’t sit on chairs at a table to eat. Instead, Jesus and his disciples reclined on cushions on the floor, shoulder to shoulder.

At the start of the meal, Jesus drops a bomb-shell. He tells his disciples that one of them will betray him. The disciples are shocked and incredulous. They simply cannot imagine such a thing. One by one, they deny that it could ever be them. Even Judas, the betrayer, denies it.

Perhaps only one of them will actually betray him, yet within a few hours, they will all have abandoned him and run away.

How you respond when your life takes a drastic detour shows your true character. The disciples were all sure that they were strong and that they would never betray Jesus, but he knew that they were about to get the shock of their lives.

We all have shocks and detours coming up in our lives. How are you preparing for when they come?

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