Is It I, Lord?
Sermon
Together In Christ
Sermons and Prayers For the Christian Year
"Is it I, Lord; is it I?" That's the haunting question the disciples asked on that Maundy Thursday night so long ago and the question searches the human heart this evening. Jesus said to them, "One of you will betray Me," and immediately the room was filled with the sound of excited voices talking all at once: "Is it I, Lord; is it I?"
A well-known preacher of the last century (Phillips Brooks) remarked that the disciples showed real virtue in asking that question. They didn't try to blame one another. Peter didn't ask, "Is it Phillip?" Andrew didn't ask, "Is it Matthew?" No one asked, "Is it Judas?" When Jesus said that one of His disciples would be a traitor, they first looked at themselves and not at their neighbor: "Is it I, Lord; is it I?"
Indeed, maybe they all asked about themselves because they all suspected that deep down, any one of them could have done it. Any one of them could have been the Judas.
It might have been James or John, the sons of Zebedee. They had asked to be the greatest disciples and Jesus had given them a lesson in humility. "You don't know what you are asking," He had said, and "Whoever would be greatest among you must be your servant" (cf. Matthew 20:20-28). Maybe James and John said, "Is it I, Lord?" because they feared that they would be the traitors. After all, if they had missed the point about greatness and betrayed Jesus' teachings so badly, maybe they would misunderstand and betray Jesus again, perhaps without knowing it.
Maybe Thomas thought the same thing as he said, "Is it I, Lord?" Thomas, the doubter, the one who had to see in order to believe - maybe Thomas would be the one. Maybe a soldier or a high priest would play on Thomas' doubts and get him to betray Jesus, the doubter wanting to be on the safe side, turning his Master over to the authorities for the greater good of Israel.
How about Simon, the Zealot? Couldn't he also have been the one? Simon was a committed revolutionary and a fierce patriot who might have had a political motive for betraying Jesus. Perhaps he would force the Messiah's hand, force Jesus to free Himself from captivity and lead Israel to victory against the hated Romans.
And what about Peter? Jesus would soon say that Peter would deny knowing Him. When the pressure was on and the moment of truth had come, couldn't Peter have betrayed his Lord in order to save his own skin?
The disciples asked, "Is it I, Lord?" because it could have been any one of them. This is a fact of human nature. Any one of the twelve could have been the Judas.
And any one of us, too. If the disciples were able to say, "Is it I, Lord?" - disciples who had given so much to follow Jesus - if the disciples weren't too proud to ask that question about themselves, shouldn't we be able to ask it tonight? "Is it I, Lord; is it I?"
Somewhere tonight, Christians are lukewarm in their faith. Their lives and witness are "neither hot nor cold" (Revelation 3:15). They like Jesus but have decided that He was a bit too extreme in certain respects, that ideas like loving one's enemies and living for God instead of mammon are not terribly useful in the "real world." They have decided that Jesus' words must be kept in perspective; after all, one does have to be practical in a world which doesn't tolerate dreamers very well. They are committed to not taking this religion business too seriously, to not letting it disrupt the values and convictions they presently live by. "One of you will betray Me." Is it I, Lord; is it I?
Somewhere tonight, Christians are leading such frantic, fragmented lives that they are losing the sense of purpose and peace, the unifying focus which faith alone can bring. They have overscheduled and overcommitted themselves to so many things that they wonder where they have been, where they are going and what they are living for. Faith in Christ and involvement with His church is just one item on a long list of priorities rather than a central and sacred project in life, a sacred project undertaken with others as a community in the Body of Christ. "One of you will betray Me." Is it I, Lord, is it I?
Somewhere tonight, Christians are facing loss and grief and the tragedies of life without the faith which Jesus Christ can give. They are rejecting His company and trying to face their trials alone. They are rejecting His suffering and disbelieving His sacrifice because they can't imagine that He has died and risen again for them. Somewhere tonight, Christians are turning from Christ at the very moment they should be seeking Him out. "One of you will betray Me." Is it I, Lord; is it I?
Somewhere tonight, Christians are at odds with their neighbors and even their loved ones. They are not forgiving those who have wronged them, nor are they blessing those who hurt them. They are feeding old grudges and feasting on old resentments. Somewhere tonight, Christians are arguing and gossiping and abusing one another, when they should be pouring upon each other the love of God in Jesus Christ. "One of you will betray Me." Is it I, Lord; is it I?
And somewhere tonight, there are Christians who are using the name of Christ to bless every manner of injustice and wickedness in the world. They are rich while others starve and they call it God's will. They urge us to hate our enemies and despise the things that make for peace. Their consciences are hardly stirred as the innocent are tortured and the guiltless are imprisoned. Somewhere tonight, there are Christians who do violence to the cause of Christ by the evil they do in His name. "One of you will betray me." Is it I, Lord; is it I?
Mind you, I'm not worried about Jesus tonight. He is strong and true. His will endures forever and His love will never die. Even tonight, Jesus is singing a hymn as He leaves the Upper Room, and tomorrow, He will forgive those who put Him to death.
No, I'm more worried about you and me tonight. I'm more concerned that we live with the question the disciples asked so long ago. We have come to the time of shadows, the night of darkness. This is no time for easy promises or selfcongratulation or glib claims of glory. It is a time for soul searching. "One of you will betray me." Is it I, Lord; is it I? Amen
A well-known preacher of the last century (Phillips Brooks) remarked that the disciples showed real virtue in asking that question. They didn't try to blame one another. Peter didn't ask, "Is it Phillip?" Andrew didn't ask, "Is it Matthew?" No one asked, "Is it Judas?" When Jesus said that one of His disciples would be a traitor, they first looked at themselves and not at their neighbor: "Is it I, Lord; is it I?"
Indeed, maybe they all asked about themselves because they all suspected that deep down, any one of them could have done it. Any one of them could have been the Judas.
It might have been James or John, the sons of Zebedee. They had asked to be the greatest disciples and Jesus had given them a lesson in humility. "You don't know what you are asking," He had said, and "Whoever would be greatest among you must be your servant" (cf. Matthew 20:20-28). Maybe James and John said, "Is it I, Lord?" because they feared that they would be the traitors. After all, if they had missed the point about greatness and betrayed Jesus' teachings so badly, maybe they would misunderstand and betray Jesus again, perhaps without knowing it.
Maybe Thomas thought the same thing as he said, "Is it I, Lord?" Thomas, the doubter, the one who had to see in order to believe - maybe Thomas would be the one. Maybe a soldier or a high priest would play on Thomas' doubts and get him to betray Jesus, the doubter wanting to be on the safe side, turning his Master over to the authorities for the greater good of Israel.
How about Simon, the Zealot? Couldn't he also have been the one? Simon was a committed revolutionary and a fierce patriot who might have had a political motive for betraying Jesus. Perhaps he would force the Messiah's hand, force Jesus to free Himself from captivity and lead Israel to victory against the hated Romans.
And what about Peter? Jesus would soon say that Peter would deny knowing Him. When the pressure was on and the moment of truth had come, couldn't Peter have betrayed his Lord in order to save his own skin?
The disciples asked, "Is it I, Lord?" because it could have been any one of them. This is a fact of human nature. Any one of the twelve could have been the Judas.
And any one of us, too. If the disciples were able to say, "Is it I, Lord?" - disciples who had given so much to follow Jesus - if the disciples weren't too proud to ask that question about themselves, shouldn't we be able to ask it tonight? "Is it I, Lord; is it I?"
Somewhere tonight, Christians are lukewarm in their faith. Their lives and witness are "neither hot nor cold" (Revelation 3:15). They like Jesus but have decided that He was a bit too extreme in certain respects, that ideas like loving one's enemies and living for God instead of mammon are not terribly useful in the "real world." They have decided that Jesus' words must be kept in perspective; after all, one does have to be practical in a world which doesn't tolerate dreamers very well. They are committed to not taking this religion business too seriously, to not letting it disrupt the values and convictions they presently live by. "One of you will betray Me." Is it I, Lord; is it I?
Somewhere tonight, Christians are leading such frantic, fragmented lives that they are losing the sense of purpose and peace, the unifying focus which faith alone can bring. They have overscheduled and overcommitted themselves to so many things that they wonder where they have been, where they are going and what they are living for. Faith in Christ and involvement with His church is just one item on a long list of priorities rather than a central and sacred project in life, a sacred project undertaken with others as a community in the Body of Christ. "One of you will betray Me." Is it I, Lord, is it I?
Somewhere tonight, Christians are facing loss and grief and the tragedies of life without the faith which Jesus Christ can give. They are rejecting His company and trying to face their trials alone. They are rejecting His suffering and disbelieving His sacrifice because they can't imagine that He has died and risen again for them. Somewhere tonight, Christians are turning from Christ at the very moment they should be seeking Him out. "One of you will betray Me." Is it I, Lord; is it I?
Somewhere tonight, Christians are at odds with their neighbors and even their loved ones. They are not forgiving those who have wronged them, nor are they blessing those who hurt them. They are feeding old grudges and feasting on old resentments. Somewhere tonight, Christians are arguing and gossiping and abusing one another, when they should be pouring upon each other the love of God in Jesus Christ. "One of you will betray Me." Is it I, Lord; is it I?
And somewhere tonight, there are Christians who are using the name of Christ to bless every manner of injustice and wickedness in the world. They are rich while others starve and they call it God's will. They urge us to hate our enemies and despise the things that make for peace. Their consciences are hardly stirred as the innocent are tortured and the guiltless are imprisoned. Somewhere tonight, there are Christians who do violence to the cause of Christ by the evil they do in His name. "One of you will betray me." Is it I, Lord; is it I?
Mind you, I'm not worried about Jesus tonight. He is strong and true. His will endures forever and His love will never die. Even tonight, Jesus is singing a hymn as He leaves the Upper Room, and tomorrow, He will forgive those who put Him to death.
No, I'm more worried about you and me tonight. I'm more concerned that we live with the question the disciples asked so long ago. We have come to the time of shadows, the night of darkness. This is no time for easy promises or selfcongratulation or glib claims of glory. It is a time for soul searching. "One of you will betray me." Is it I, Lord; is it I? Amen
