Now he who betrayed him had given them a sign, saying, 'Whomever I will kiss, that is he. Seize him, and lead him away safely.' When he had come, immediately he came to him, and said, 'Rabbi! Rabbi!' and kissed him. They laid their hands on him, and seized him. Mark 14:44 WEBThe evening light had faded and it was now dark. Jesus and the unknowing disciples had finished their last supper on Earth. There had been a shadow of death and betrayal covering this otherwise lovely family meal. They sang a hymn together and then went out to pray in the Garden of Gethsemane as Jesus often did.
Judas Iscariot, who had just been with them at supper, where he had dipped his bread in the bowl at the same time as Jesus, now showed up with an armed group of men to arrest Him. Their friend, had suddenly became their enemy. Judas walked over and kissed Jesus on the cheek to let the guards know who they were to arrest. This really hurt.
One of His own, one of the twelve Apostles that He had picked out of thousands, had now betrayed Him. Jesus had a purpose, and Judas played an ugly part in bringing that about. It was not pretty, but like many things, it ended up accomplishing the will of God.
Jesus took our sin away on the cross and He suffered for it so that we would not have to, but other things that He went through while on Earth were an example for us. Betrayal is something that most of us will experience at some point in life, and it always hurts.
If this happens to you, do what Jesus did: Stay focused on your purpose and forgive the betrayer as quickly as possible. That does not mean that you have to trust them anymore. Trust is earned. Do not delay God's work and get sidetracked or filled with bitterness over the incident, even though it cuts you like a knife. God will take care of the betrayer in due course Himself, for we reap what we sow.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, I know that You have a plan and a purpose for me, and I choose to follow You today. Please help me see past the wrongs in my life and to focus on what You are doing instead. Give me the grace to get through this day, in the name of Jesus Christ I pray.Note: "And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people" (Ephesians 6:18). If you have a prayer need, we are here for you! We and the prayer team are ready to lift you up at our private prayer page:
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Praise God
Amen Lord
Forgiveness is extremely hard when someone betrays you as Judas did with Jesus. I have learned over the years that it takes a lot of praying and courage to forgive those who have wronged you; however as we all get older, we learn that life is far to short to hold a grudge; there are moments when I do feel angry when I have been betrayed, but Jesus has taught me to forgive and to move on because in due time that person will reap what they have sown and sometimes we live to see it and sometime we don't but no matter what, God takes care in the end, and that is all what really matters. Father in Heaven, thank you for your patience in allowing me to grow in my faith and to know that you will ALWAYS take care of any problem that I may come upon or any hurts that I may experience while on this earth. Thank you for your Son Jesus who continues to show me that Never will He leave or forsake us and his love overshadows any hurts that we may experience! In Jesus Name I pray, Amen!!
Yes!
amen
Yes it is hard! I forgave them but I would never trust them again.
Amen
Thank you God for teaching me how to forgive Amen
Amen!
Thank you Jesus for all that you are! Thank you for showing us the way
Amen Father!
Amen
Amen! A great message Pastor Dion !!!
Thank You, right on time.
Heavenly Father give me the strength and courage to forgive those whom have wronged me, that Your grace come upon us and lead us to follow Your word and designs. In Jesus name I pray, Amen. Praise the Lord.
Right on time Pastor, God bless you.
Amen
Amen!
Amen!
Amen and Amen!!!
Amen
AMEN