March 15, 2020 The Weekend that Changed the World

Betrayed with a Kiss, Denied by an Oath Mark 14:43-54, 66-72

Sometime between 1 and 3 o’clock in the morning a group of soldiers, some officials selected by the chief priest, and Judas headed out of Jerusalem, across the Kidron Valley and into the Garden of Gethsemane at the base of the Mount of Olives. Carrying torches and lanterns, clubs and swords, they stole out in the middle of the night so as not to awaken the crowds who had come to celebrate the feast, many of whom had heard Jesus teaching in the Temple, and start a riot. Mark tells the story this way (Read Mark 14:43-54).

Jesus knew they would be coming; he knew Judas would betray him. Still, I wonder what

Jesus must have felt when he saw his hand chosen disciple coming toward him. To this day, two thousand years later, the name “Judas” is still associated with “traitor.” Why did Judas betray

Jesus? Some believe Judas, a zealot, was trying to force Jesus’ hand, anticipating he would raise an army and lead a revolution against the Romans. Others think he was disillusioned with Jesus.

Still others figure he was all about the money. Whatever the motive, the Gospel writers tell us he was so filled with remorse for what he had done he tried to undo his actions by returning the silver.

Think for a moment how conflicted Judas must have been during the course of that night.

The sign he used to identify Jesus was a kiss; the Greek meaning of the word for kiss suggests a true affection for another. Judas loved Jesus, but was willing to betray him. He loved him, but resented him. He loved him, but was frustrated by him. He loved him but sold him out for 30 pieces of silver. After learning Jesus had been condemned to death by the Sanhedrin, Judas was so filled with guilt and grief he didn’t feel he could be forgiven and took his own life.

Such a tragic figure, but haven’t each of us been a Judas to Jesus and to others? Haven’t we betrayed Jesus while seeking to get what we want, to accomplish our own goals? Haven’t

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there been times we sold out our friends, coworkers, and even family members, for a few extra bucks, a promotion, better position, prestige, or a better reputation? We truly love them and may have convinced ourselves we are doing it for them; but if we will be honest with ourselves we are really only doing it for ourselves. When we realize this there can be only guilt and grief. And though we may not take our own lives (nor should we), doesn’t a part of us die just a bit when we do?

Some have suggested that Jesus forgave Judas in the end and that Judas is in heaven as an ultimate sign of grace. The Bible gives us no indication. But this much I do know, had Judas asked Jesus for mercy and forgiveness, Jesus would have given it. That’s the reason he came and suffered and died. I also know this, Jesus can and will forgive you.

As the arrest unfolded, Peter grabbed a sword and struck Malchus, the High Priest’s servant, cutting off his ear. Luke, the physician, tells us that Jesus touched his ear and healed him. On the eve of his own torture and death, Jesus paused to heal a man who had been sent to arrest him. What a wonderful sign of the greatness of Jesus’ love!

As Jesus is shackled, the soldiers were about to arrest the disciples as well, and they all take off. One young man, not one of the 12, is grabbed by his robe, which he leaves behind, running into the darkness naked as a jay-bird. Many assume this was Mark, the author. Jesus stood watching. He’d been betrayed with a kiss by one of his own. Now all his disciples are deserting him. He is alone.

A couple of them, Peter and John, followed along in the shadows as Jesus is taken to

Caiaphas’ house. When they got there John goes into the room where Jesus is being interrogated while Peter slips into the courtyard to see what was happening. That took guts! Would you have walked into the courtyard knowing that you could be arrested at any point for being a disciple of

Jesus? Still, Peter’s courage only lasted a short while (Read Mark 14:66-72).

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This incident is one of the few that is mentioned in all 4 Gospels. As all the Gospels were written after Peter was crucified upside down for his faith, as tradition holds, because he did not feel worthy to die in the same way his Lord had died, Peter’s denial must have been considered important for future believers to know. I would also venture that the Gospel writers all knew the story well because Peter had regularly shared the awful truth of that episode himself, as none of the other disciples were there to witness the scene, except possibly John who would have been paying attention to Jesus’ trial. Was it out of shame that the story is told? Would you share that kind of story often?

I did something once that effectively denied Jesus and it still haunts me at times. We had need of repair service and called the individual who had initially set us up, thinking he would be the best person to perform the repair. We worked out our schedules around his, but he didn’t show, nor did he call. We waited over an hour past the time allotted to do the job and our appointments kept us from staying.

The next day Debbi phoned to determine whether we had misunderstood the appointment only to be told that he showed up later in the day and because we were not home he could not perform the needed repairs, but because he showed up we would be required to pay a service call. I was not happy. As a former business man I knew how to build and keep the customer base, so I decided to help this young man learn how. I called, expressed my irritation at how we had been treated, and was hung up on. So I bee-lined it to his place of employment to continue my teaching, only to be met with further un-business-like behavior. My response was not good. I left in anger and vowed never to return to the business that would employ such a person.

As I replayed the scene, the cock crowed, as it were, and I realized how much I had betrayed Jesus by my actions and denied him by my words. It was a very humbling time. Not

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only am I a Christian, I am also a pastor in Christ’s church. In love Jesus restored me and gave me opportunity to give witness to his love and grace.

We deny Jesus when we say and do things we know are not keeping with his will and character, when we engage in thoughts and deeds that are counter to our faith, when we are more concerned with what others think of us than with what Jesus thinks of us, and when we are too chicken to stand up and be counted as one of his disciples.

Peter would say to us, “I know you have denied Jesus. I denied him myself. I denied him in a way that I am deeply ashamed of, and yet you need to know this: I betrayed the Lord, but he gave me grace! He took me back. And if he took me back, he will take you back, too.” In fact,

Jesus not only forgave Peter, but established him firmly as leader of the church (Jn.21). Peter wanted to reassure his listeners and us that despite the fact that there are times when we all deny the Lord Jesus he will continue to take us back and use us to accomplish his work.

Peter’s denial is a reminder to us all that no matter how we betray Jesus, no matter how intensely we deny him, and we will be tempted to deny that we even know him. Still Jesus would count us not only to be among his followers, but also to be his disciples and closest friends. Jesus can and will forgive you. That is the greatness of Jesus’ love!

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