They
began to be sorrowful, and to ask him one by one, “Surely not I?” And another said, “Surely not I?”
Mark 14:19
Mark 14 [17.] When it was evening he came with the twelve. As they sat and were eating, Jesus said, “Most certainly I tell you, one of you will betray me—he who eats with me.”
Mark 14 [19.] They began to be sorrowful, and to ask him one by one, “Surely not I?” And another said, “Surely not I?”
Mark 14 [20.] He answered them, “It is one of the twelve, he who dips with me in the dish. For the Son of Man goes, even as it is written about him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would be better for that man if he had not been born.”
Meaning:
At the Passover table Jesus had just said, “Most certainly I tell you, one of you will betray me—he who eats with me” (Mark 14:17-18). This verse records the disciples’ response. They did not turn on one another or point to a likely suspect. Each one, in sorrow, asked whether he might be the one.
- “They began to be sorrowful”
The mood in the upper room changed in a moment. The Passover was a feast of joy and thanksgiving, full of songs and memories of God’s great deliverance. Now the disciples were grieved. They were sad that their Master would be betrayed, and troubled that the betrayer would come from their own circle. Jesus had often spoken of his coming suffering, but this was the first time he had said so plainly that one of them would be the cause.
- “To ask him one by one, “Surely not I?””
In the original language the question is framed so as to expect the answer “no”: “It isn’t me, is it?” Each disciple hoped and believed that he was not the traitor, yet none was completely sure. They had learned enough about their own hearts to know that they were capable of failure. Jeremiah had said, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and it is exceedingly corrupt: who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9).
It is striking that no one suspected Judas. He had kept up appearances so well that even those closest to him did not see what was in his heart. He was trusted with the group’s money (John 12:6). Only Jesus knew.
- “And another said, “Surely not I?””
The question went around the table, one after another. There is honesty and humility in this. Rather than defending themselves or accusing others, they brought the question to Jesus and left the answer with him.
This humility did not last long. Later that night Peter would boldly declare, “Although all will be offended, yet I will not” (Mark 14:29), and all the others said the same (Mark 14:31). Within hours “They all left him, and fled” (Mark 14:50). The sorrowful question at the table was nearer the truth than their later confident promises.
The Significance of Mark 14:19
- Examine your own heart
The disciples’ question is a healthy one for every believer. The psalmist prayed, “Search me, God, and know my heart. Try me, and know my thoughts” (Psalm 139:23). Before the Lord’s Supper, Paul urges, “But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread, and drink of the cup” (1 Corinthians 11:28).
- Humility guards against falling
Those who think they could never fall are in the greatest danger. “Therefore let him who thinks he stands be careful that he doesn’t fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12).
- Bring the question to Jesus
The disciples asked Jesus, not each other. When conscience is troubled, the right place to go is to the Lord, who knows the heart fully and is ready to forgive and restore.
Cross-References:
Jeremiah 17:9: "The heart is deceitful above all things, and it is exceedingly corrupt: who can know it?" Why the disciples could not be sure.
Psalm 139:23: "Search me, God, and know my heart. Try me, and know my thoughts." A prayer for self-examination.
1 Corinthians 11:28: "But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread, and drink of the cup." Self-examination at the Lord’s table.
1 Corinthians 10:12: "Therefore let him who thinks he stands be careful that he doesn’t fall." A warning against self-confidence.
Conclusion: When Jesus announced that one of the twelve would betray him, the disciples were filled with sorrow and asked him one by one, “Surely not I?” They knew enough about their own weakness not to be certain, and none of them suspected Judas. Their humble question invites every believer to examine his or her own heart honestly before the Lord.
PIB Scriptures are derived from the World English Bible