Lent Day 31: When you're betrayed, denied, or deserted by those you trust ...

Jesus has just washed his disciples' feet. The dirty stinky task is over. He sits down at the table with his inner circle and makes an astonishing statement. He's preparing his friends for what is coming that night, including his betrayal by Judas. (John 13:18-38)

‘I am not referring to all of you; I know those I have chosen. But this is to fulfil this passage of Scripture: “He who shared my bread has turned against me.”

> Judas is about to go to the religious leaders and hand over his friend. Jesus will be arrested and sent to his death because of that betrayal. It's no surprise to Jesus but his heart is heavy. What lies ahead is spiritual and physical suffering that is almost unimaginable.
‘I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am who I am. Very truly I tell you, whoever accepts anyone I send accepts me; and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me.’

After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, ‘Very truly I tell you, one of you is going to betray me.’

His disciples stared at one another, at a loss to know which of them he meant. One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him. Simon Peter motioned to this disciple and said, ‘Ask him which one he means.’

Leaning back against Jesus, he asked him, ‘Lord, who is it?’

Jesus answered, ‘It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.’ Then, dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him.

> Judas has a choice at every point: he can follow through with his plans or beg forgiveness. His decisions mark him forever in history and have terrible consequences for him personally.
So Jesus told him, ‘What you are about to do, do quickly.’ But no one at the meal understood why Jesus said this to him. Since Judas had charge of the money, some thought Jesus was telling him to buy what was needed for the festival, or to give something to the poor. As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out. And it was night.

> Jesus reassures his disciples that God is in control. What will happen will change the world forever. His tender heart is apparent even in the face of their desertion. His final instructions include a mandate to love each other the way he loves them - without condition, without limits.

When [Judas] was gone, Jesus said, ‘Now the Son of Man is glorified and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him, God will glorify the Son in himself, and will glorify him at once.

‘My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: where I am going, you cannot come.

‘A new command I give you: love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.’

> Jesus' words are confusing. All the disciples are sure they would be loyal to Jesus, no matter what happens. But someone in Jesus' intimate circle of 3 disciples will deny that he knows Jesus. All but one of the others will desert him and run away.

> Before Jesus leads the disciples to the Garden of Gethsemane - before he is taken captive, before he is beaten, before he is crucified - Jesus assures them that this is no surprise. They must hold fast to what they know - that Jesus' love and forgiveness transcends their weaknesses.

Simon Peter asked him, ‘Lord, where are you going?’

Jesus replied, ‘Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later.’

Peter asked, ‘Lord, why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.’

Then Jesus answered, ‘Will you really lay down your life for me? Very truly I tell you, before the cock crows, you will disown me three times!

> I've thought about this many times. How great is his love for us! In John 14-16, Jesus offers them a Comforter, offers them the hope of eternal life, and offers a prayer to God for their protection (John 17).
> In what ways have you betrayed or denied a friend - or Jesus? Are you willing to come to God for forgiveness, as Peter will do? Or do you walk away as Judas does?

> Have you ever been betrayed by a friend? Jesus knows your pain, your disappointment, and your anger. He's right beside you.

Popular posts from this blog

Lent Day 39: Sentenced for your crimes and mine

Image
When the Pharisees and other national leaders take Jesus to the Roman governor, they are looking for the worst punishment they can inflict, a cruel and painful death . Here are the details, from  John 18:28-19:16: Then the Jewish leaders took Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor. By now it was early morning, and to avoid ceremonial uncleanness they did not enter the palace, because they wanted to be able to eat the Passover.  So Pilate came out to them and asked, ‘What charges are you bringing against this man?’ ‘If he were not a criminal,’ they replied, ‘we would not have handed him over to you.’ Pilate said, ‘Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.’ ‘But we have no right to execute anyone,’ they objected.  This took place to fulfil what Jesus had said about the kind of death he was going to die. > This is hardly a trial that seeks justice. Rather, it is a conspiracy to execute someone who threatens the power base and status quo. The reli...
Read more

Lent Day 2: The startling appearance of God

Image
Yesterday, we began Lent by considering God, who is beyond our own imaginations or preconceptions. He is God in whose image we are made - but whom we cannot and dare not remake in our own image. The account of Jesus written by his beloved disciple John (the Gospel of John) is fascinating. Though the other 3 gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) tell us much about what happened, John focuses on what Jesus says about himself. John starts the gospel story with " In the beginning ," similar to the start of the Old Testament (the Jewish scriptures). And who or what was in the beginning? It is the Living Word, who exists before time. Then John says, " the Word became flesh and lived among us ." How startling that idea must have been for the followers of Jesus. They're still trying to wrap their heads about that when Jesus is crucified and raised from the dead.  We're still trying to comprehend that divine mystery today, right? So what does John the disciple say about ...
Read more

Lent Day 1: God beyond our imagination

Image
If it were up to me to save the world, coming into humanity to live among us wouldn't be my plan. I wouldn't choose to experience the uncertainty of childhood, the hormones of the teen years, or the criticism of neighbors. And I certainly wouldn't choose a horrible painful death with the world's sins tearing my heart in two. But God's ways are not our ways. He says: " The heavens are  higher   than  the earth. And my ways are  higher   than  your ways. My thoughts are  higher   than  your thoughts. " (Isaiah 55:9) This year, I am approaching Lent, the 40 days of contemplation before Easter, with an open mind and a willing heart. I want to meditate on what Jesus accomplished. On what he suffered. On the price he paid to ransom you and me from sin and death and hell. I ponder this today: When the proper time came God sent his Son, born of a human mother and born under the jurisdiction of the Law, that he might redeem those who were under the au...
Read more