FORGIVING SOMEONE WHO BETRAYED YOU

And he that betrayed him had given them a token, saying

Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he; take him,

And lead him away safely. And as soon as he was come,

he goeth straightway to him, and saith,

Master, master; and kissed him.

---Mark 14:44, 45---

            Have you ever been stabbed in the back by someone you thought was a true friend? You had walked with him and spent much time with him; you had shared your thoughts and even your secrets with him, thinking that everything you said would be held in confidence between the two of you. Then you discovered that the commitment you felt for that person was not what he felt for you. Can you recall any hurtful moments in your life like this?

            This is what happened to Jesus on the night Judas betrayed Him. It was no accidental betrayal, but one that was premeditated and meticulously implemented. Before Judas led the soldiers and temple police to the Garden of Gethsemane, he met with the religious leaders and negotiated a deal to Jesus’ capture. During these meetings, he disclosed information about where Jesus prayed and where He met with His disciples. Judas must have also told them about Jesus’ phenomenal power, which explains why so many troops came with weapons to arrest Jesus that night. It was in those meetings with the religious leaders that Judas agreed to receive a payment of thirty pieces of silver for delivering Jesus into their hands.

Greater Is He That Is In Me Than He That Is In The World

Judas then, having received band of men and officers

From the chief priests and Pharisees, cometh thither

With lanterns and torches  and weapons.

---John 18:3---

            Jesus has the greatest power in the whole universe! When He walked the earth, He healed teh sick, cast out demons, raised the dead, walked on water, changed water into wine, and multiplied loaves and fishes. In fact, Jesus performed so many miracles that the apostle John said, “And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written...” (John 21:25).

                Satan was terrified of Jesus. That’s why the enemy inspired Herod the Great to try to kill the infant Messiah by slaughtering all the babies in Bethlehem and the surrounding region (Matthew 2:16). When that failed, the devil tried to wipe out Jesus by attempting to seduce Him with temptations in the wilderness. And when that failed, the devil tried to kill Jesus on numerous occasions using angry religious people!

God’s Assistance in Time of Need

And there appeared an angel unto him

From heaven, strengthening him.

---Luke 22:43---

          Have you ever known a time when you felt alone in the challenge you were facing? On the night of Jesus’ betrayal, He must have felt that way. He asked His closest disciples--- Peter, James, and John--- to come apart and pray with Him in those last hours. But every time He came back to check on the three men, they were sleeping. Jesus was experiencing a great spiritual battle and extreme pressure that night; that’s why He wanted His closest disciples to assist Him in prayer. However, that night they were not found faithful.

            But when Jesus could find no one to stand with Him in His hour of need, God provided supernatural assistance! Luke 22:43 says, “And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.” This supernatural strength made up for any lack of support from His three closest disciples.

The Burden of Agony

And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven,

strengthening him. And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly:

and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood

falling down to the ground.

---Luke 22:43, 44---

             Have you ever wondered where all your friends were at a time when you really needed them? They pledged they would be faithful, but when you needed them, they were nowhere to be found! Did you feel abandoned in that moment of need? Jesus Himself was confronted with that same situation when He was in the Garden of Gethsemane on the night before His crucifixion.

                After Jesus was finished serving Communion to His disciples in the upper room, the Bible tells us that He went to the Garden of Gethsemane with His disciples. Knowing the Cross and the grave was before Him, Jesus felt a need to spend in intercession so He might have the strength needed to face what lay before Him. He also requested that Peter, James, and John come apart to pray with Him.

Be Aware! --From a Betrayer, to be a Betrayer

And supper being ended, the devil having now put

into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him.

--John 13:2—

            Have you ever felt betrayed by a friend or by someone you dearly loved? When it happened, were you shocked? Did it feel like that person put a knife in your back by violating your trust and u revealing thins that should have been kept in confidence? Did you marvel that such a trusted friend could turn out to be so disloyal? Did you wonder, How in the world could a person so dear and close be used so viciously by the devil to attack me in this way?

            It’s painful when a friend betrays you. It’s even worse when the person is your best friend or someone you’ve known and trusted for many years.