Notice on a slight format change:

Except for July 2012, these are mostly a collection of current devotional notes.

July 2012 is a re-write of old quiet times. My second child was born Nov 11, 1987 with multiple birth defects. I've been re-reading my QT notes from that time in my life, and have included them here. They cover the time before the birth and the few years immediately after the birth. They are tagged "historical." I added new insights and labeled them: ((TODAY, dd mmm yy)).

Monday, January 29, 2024

QT 1/29/2024 Mark 14:43-50, He is our friend now

Mark 14:43–50 (ESV) —

43 And immediately, while he was still speaking, Judas came, one of the twelve, and with him a crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders. 44 Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I will kiss is the man. Seize him and lead him away under guard.” 45 And when he came, he went up to him at once and said, “Rabbi!” And he kissed him. 46 And they laid hands on him and seized him. 47 But one of those who stood by drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear. 48 And Jesus said to them, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me? 49 Day after day I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me. But let the Scriptures be fulfilled.” 50 And they all left him and fled.

 

NOTE: In the Michael Card song, Why, the lyrics highlight this passage. It is hard when your enemies attack you, but when a friend turns against you, it is incredibly defeating. You feel used and abused. Of course, Jesus knew of his duplicity, but it is hard to say when Judas made the decision to betray Jesus. And so for some time, he was a good close friend as the other eleven were.

 

Why did it have to be a friend

Who chose to betray the Lord?

And why did he use a kiss to show them

That's not what a kiss is for?

 

Only a friend can betray a friend

A stranger has nothing to gain

And only a friend comes close enough

To ever cause so much pain

 

Not only is he betrayed by a friend, but he is abandoned by his other friends. As the commercial displayed yesterday, "Jesus gets us." He knows the pain of life. It is not the world he created. The rebellion destroyed creation's beauty and promise. Jesus came to restore paradise, and he will. The days are coming, very soon.

 

PONDER:

  1. What kind of friend am I?
  2. Would anyone consider me their best friend or a friend that they could count on in the worst of times?

 

PRAYER: Father, thank you for Jesus' sacrifice for me. He is my best friend. He has never let go of me despite my frailties and failures. Thank you.

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