Betrayal cuts deep. It shakes us to our core, leaving wounds that take time to heal. Yet as Jesus prepares to be betrayed by one of his closest friends, he shows us a different way – a way of love in the face of evil, of hope in the midst of suffering.
What begins as the darkest moment in history holds lessons that can transform our lives for good. If we but lean close and listen, we can discover not only the depth of Jesus’ love for us, but also the intimacy he longs to share.
- We can identify with Jesus as sufferers who have experienced betrayal. Jesus understands the pain of betrayal.
- We are more like Judas than we want to admit. We sin and betray God by serving other gods like sex, money and power. Our sin nature is similar to Judas’.
- Through God’s grace, we are also like John who had special intimacy and access to Jesus. As saints, God loves us and has devoted us to his purposes.
- We should see ourselves less as dogs begging for scraps and more as sons and daughters who can lean into God’s intimate embrace.
- Even as sinners and betrayers, Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross allows us to have that closeness with God through repentance.
Judas betrayed Jesus for a mere pittance, yet how often do we betray Jesus for far less? Only grace can change our hearts – grace that marked Calvary and guides our steps today. The arms that welcomed John still beckon to us: arms that love without reservation, that embrace without condition, that long to hold us close as beloved children.
Will we lay down our pride and lean into them? Will we abandon our attempts to earn favor and instead accept the grace that is already ours in Christ? The choice is ours. Let us choose this day to lay our wounded hearts on the chest of the One who bore far greater wounds for us, and find there the embrace we’ve always longed for.