Matthew 26:45–49 (ESV) — 45 Then he came to the disciples and said to them, “Sleep and take your rest later on. See, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.” 47 While he was still speaking, Judas came, one of the twelve, and with him a great crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the elders of the people. 48 Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I will kiss is the man; seize him.” 49 And he came up to Jesus at once and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” And he kissed him.
NOTE: Jesus knows even before Judas arrives who is coming and what is happening. Originally the Jewish leaders decided not to arrest Jesus during the festival in order to avoid a riot. But the timing is God's time and not man's time -- the "hour" that God the Father has chosen has come. Jesus does not run or hide, although one of the disciples draws a sword which Jesus immediately rebukes. Jesus is betrayed by a friend and a kiss, the final act of rebellion. Man pretends to serve God, but only in formality, not from the heart. Judas' actions are the actions of every human being throughout history. We don't want God as our Lord. We want to rule our own lives and throw God a fake kiss of obedience from time to time. In our age, some are even more overt. They curse the name of God as their Lord. They care not to obey his rules and openly flaunt his power. The day of judgment is coming.
PONDER:
- Is Jesus truly my Lord or am I my true master?
PRAYER: Lord forgive us for the rebellion that started in the garden. Forgive us for believing Satan's lie that "we could be like God." The pains and failures of life are a constant reminder of the rebellion from you that we chose in the garden. Forgive us our rebellion. Bring us back to you and the original rule in the garden.
No comments:
Post a Comment