An Encounter with a Betrayer
Text: _Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, “Very truly I tell you, one of you is going to betray me.”_ — John 13:21
Betrayal is when someone you trust or who knows your secret exposes you, lies to you, cheats on you, abuses you, or hurts you by putting their own self-interest first. Betrayal is probably the most devastating loss a person can experience. Jesus handpicked His disciples—including Judas the betrayer—for a three-year term of instruction on how God’s kingdom was coming through Christ. Loyalty to one’s rabbi (teacher) was expected without question. Yet Judas, who loved money, gave in to a temptation to betray Jesus to the religious leaders who wanted to kill Him (Mark 14:1-11; John 12:4-6). Midway through this Holy Week, as the Son of God journeyed from Sunday’s “Hosannas” to the inhumanity of the cross, Jesus hosted His last Passover Feast and warned His disciples that one of them would betray Him. Of course, Judas betrayed Jesus as planned.
You may say “I am not Judas” but if you check your history with the Lord, you would be humbled at your betrayals of Jesus, breaking even God’s fundamental commands to love Him above all and your neighbour as yourself. As humans, we have betrayed the Lord again and again. This is a call for repentance and gratitude to the Lord who was willing to die in your place. Also, in this week, Jesus is saying: “I was betrayed, so you wouldn’t need to be betrayed again”. Therefore, may the agenda of betrayers in your life come to naught in Jesus’ Name.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, we ask for Your forgiveness and grace to be more loyal disciples. We ask that the work of betrayers in our lives be disappointed in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Text: _Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, “Very truly I tell you, one of you is going to betray me.”_ — John 13:21
Betrayal is when someone you trust or who knows your secret exposes you, lies to you, cheats on you, abuses you, or hurts you by putting their own self-interest first. Betrayal is probably the most devastating loss a person can experience. Jesus handpicked His disciples—including Judas the betrayer—for a three-year term of instruction on how God’s kingdom was coming through Christ. Loyalty to one’s rabbi (teacher) was expected without question. Yet Judas, who loved money, gave in to a temptation to betray Jesus to the religious leaders who wanted to kill Him (Mark 14:1-11; John 12:4-6). Midway through this Holy Week, as the Son of God journeyed from Sunday’s “Hosannas” to the inhumanity of the cross, Jesus hosted His last Passover Feast and warned His disciples that one of them would betray Him. Of course, Judas betrayed Jesus as planned.
You may say “I am not Judas” but if you check your history with the Lord, you would be humbled at your betrayals of Jesus, breaking even God’s fundamental commands to love Him above all and your neighbour as yourself. As humans, we have betrayed the Lord again and again. This is a call for repentance and gratitude to the Lord who was willing to die in your place. Also, in this week, Jesus is saying: “I was betrayed, so you wouldn’t need to be betrayed again”. Therefore, may the agenda of betrayers in your life come to naught in Jesus’ Name.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, we ask for Your forgiveness and grace to be more loyal disciples. We ask that the work of betrayers in our lives be disappointed in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Comments
Be the first to add a comment
Log in to comment