BETRAY WITH A KISS
March 31, 2021
Prayer: Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner. When I am faithless, you are faithful.
Scripture: Judas came straight to Jesus.”Greetings,Teacher!” he exclaimed and gave him the kiss. Matthew 26:49 NLT
Passion week brings to mind many images from our reading of the Gospels about Jesus and betrayal. Judas was his friend, even-though a flawed man. Yet the Lord loved him. Jesus knew what Judas was doing and yet he welcomed Judas in love even as he was enacting the betrayer’s role. And with a kiss, Judas chose to betray the God of the universe.
How often are we betraying him with a kiss as well? We say we love him, we even commit in a public way to following him, yet when chips are down other events take priority. When pressure is on, we fall back on life long, self-serving habits. Our kiss may be no less painful to our loving Lord as was Judas’ kiss.
Jesus remarked “Judas, how can you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?!” Luke 22:48 NLT
As we prepare for Resurrection Celebration Day, perhaps you will want to search out your motives and refresh your relationship with God, our Creator and our Savior.
Copyright Dan Elliott. Email [email protected]
Thank you for this and other encouraging and challenging devotionals! I pray for my motives to be pure and right when teaching children, so that they may see Jesus in and through my words and actions which will lead to them coming to know Christ. Thank you for the work that CEAI does on behalf of teachers. May God bless your ministry!