“Is It I?”

“Is It I?”

And they began to be sorrowful, and to say to Him one by one,“ Is it I?” And another said,“ Is it I?”

Mark 14:19

Christ had just made a startling and disturbing revelation to the gathered group of disciples.  He had declared, “Verily I say unto you, one of you which eateth with me shall betray me.”  This revelation struck the disciples with hammer-like force.  What is very significant to notice is that their immediate response was not “Is it he?”  They did not go on a “witch hunt” for someone else.  Rather, their first question was “Is it I?”  Without descending into what amounts to an orbit of unhealthy introspection, it is appropriate for us to consider this question in the light of such a verse as II Corinthians 13:5; “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith. . . .”  As the disciples were concerned lest anyone of them should betray Christ, so we also ought to be concerned lest we prove to be His betrayer as well.

Theirs was a sorrowful question.  They were sorrowful that anyone would betray this One who was so “holy, harmless and undefiled.”  What made the situation even more sorrowful was that one who was a professed disciple would be the vile betrayer.  It would be one who had heard His words, observed His deeds, and basked in His aura who would betray Him for gain.  Theirs was also a searching question.  Each man was concerned about himself.  All but one asked as those who really wanted to know.  Theirs was a spiritual question.  They perhaps realized, at least to some degree, the inveterate deceptiveness of the human heart.  They were appealing to the Lord to reveal it, lest they should be self-deceived.  Do we not have as equal a cause as they to appeal to the Lord?  Ought we not to be as careful so that we are not in any way self-deceived?  Can we also ask that the Lord would enable us to know the veracity of our own profession?  Is it I?

Gracious Lord,

deliver us

from being self-deceived.

Give us

pure and holy faith.

Where the Bush is Burning

Tomm Tice