1 Corinthians 11:23-25 NASB [23] For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread; [24] and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” [25] In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
Luke 22:21-22 NASB [21] But behold, the hand of the one betraying Me is with Mine on the table. [22] For indeed, the Son of Man is going as it has been determined; but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed!” …
1 Thessalonians 5:18 says that we are to “give thanks in all things,” and Ephesians 5:20 says we are to “give thanks for all things.” Having a thankful heart is so foundational to living a daily life of faith. As a matter of fact, at the heart of any expression of faith is thanksgiving. Notice what Paul said about the disposition of thankfulness in the heart of Jesus, particularly in the midst of a very difficult circumstance. It says in verse 24 that Jesus gave thanks on the night in which He was betrayed. I don’t know if there is anything more painful than betrayal, especially if it is someone who is a part of your close inner circle. It is in that context of having experienced betrayal that Jesus is giving thanks to His Father. If, in the midst of pain, you are able to stand and praise God for His unchanging nature and are able to give him thanks for the fact that even though He may not have sent the evil, He is still able to use it for good, then you have entered the portal of personal victory, and that postured yourself for divine intervention. It is impossible to be truly thankful in any given situation and, at the same time, give entrance to complaining, resentment, and bitterness. We give thanks in all things because of the joy of his presence and his glory. His glory is his unchanging nature. We give thanks because no matter what is happening to us, God is still good, holy, full of wisdom, etc. We must determine that no matter what pain we may go through, God’s character is never to be on trial. In the testing, we also give him thanks for all things because even though we never blame Him for evil or for the evil behavior of others towards us, we can thank him that He will even use evil for good. This is what Joseph told his brothers in the Old Testament: even though they may have meant it for evil toward him, God meant it for good. A thankful heart transcends seeing things with just natural eyes and sees reality with the eyes of our spirit. God is good, and though He doesn’t cause everything, He does cause everything to work together for good; therefore, we can always, and in all things, give Him thanks. Jesus was the author and the perfecter of faith, and in giving thanks on the night in which He was betrayed, He modeled to us the foundation of a life lived by faith. I added those two verses from Luke 22 because I wanted you to see that regardless of the circumstances or the behavior of the people around him, Jesus was convinced that the Father’s determined purposes for him always transcended the enemy’s evil intentions.