Epaggelia

Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and elders of the people. Now His betrayer had given them a sign, saying, "Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him."  Immediately he went up to Jesus and said, "Greetings, Rabbi!" and kissed Him. (Mt. 26:47-49, Lesson Two, DVD C4, 9:15-11:15) 

The experience of betrayal for Jesus was first recorded, when his own physical brothers labelled him as ‘insane’ Jn. 7:5-10, Mk. 3:21. But when his own so-called disciple turns on him in front of Temple Security Forces, there must be a depth of hopelessness felt which is impossible to ignore. Jesus wasn’t the first King to be betrayed. King David’s life was filled with betrayal, he started his reign wrestling with it, he warns those who had deserted him for Saul: "the God of our fathers look thereon and judge" (1 Ch 12:17). Later still, the pain of betrayal was to come personally to him by his own son Absalom.  To feel the inward piercing of treacherous lies was the deep consequence of deception God warns us about in the Proverbs 25:9-10, and that Jesus felt before he was beaten, scourged & crucified. It’s worse to be tortured when you know that even a ‘friend’ is against you.

If we know the reasons for betrayal, we may avoid committing it ourselves. God pleads, do not grieve His Holy Spirit, Ephesians 4:30. In the betrayal, God’s Spirit in Jesus must have sunken to a depth unknown before. John 3:31-34.

Reputation: Judas was already known to be a thief. Why do people steal? Because they want to be something they are not, such as influential, richer or comfortable. Because Judas was chosen to be inside the circle of friends of Jesus, he may have wanted the leaders of religious society to recognize his advantageous position, and told them, whoever I “kiss”, He is the One. Consider this possibility, what if Judas believed that Jesus would use God’s power to overcome his captors? This would make Judas look more than knowledgeable. But Jesus would know Judas even better than Judas wanted to be known.

Money: 30 pieces of silver from the Priests would be shekels of the sanctuary, this would be equivalent to 120 denarius, which was the average of about three months wages. Today that would be appx. $12,000. Judas agreed to identify when and where Jesus was for the captivity in stealth. This would at first excite Judas enough to go through with what he thought was questionable. But afterwards of course, he realizes he betrayed an innocent ‘friend’(Mt. 27:4), and offers the money back, committing suicide. Jesus must have felt cheated and cheap, to know that Judas would just throw everything away, for what he had done. The idea of money was in Judas’ mind, but the exact amount was offered by the chief priests. What is amazing is that 30 pieces of silver is equivalent to the price of a slave, which is exactly what Jesus was to become, enslaved to the burden & consequence of sin, being prophesied of in Zec. 11:12-13, Ex. 21:32.  He certainly took on the form of a slave, Php. 2:7-8. So should we!

The pain of betrayal is felt in three ways by Jesus. Firstly from his own physical brothers calling him insane, Jn. 7:5-10, Mk. 3:21,31. Secondly by Judas capturing him for the Jews. Thirdly by the Chief Priests in encouraging the people to insist on crucifixion after Pilate had found no fault in him. It is asserted by Stephen that the “Jews” also betrayed Jesus, Ac. 7:52. Most of us would strike back when betrayed, but Jesus only said one remark recorded by Luke, “will you betray the Son of Man” (22:48), To the ears of Judas, the title Son of Man, must have smacked of the office of Royalty and Judge, see Daniel 7:13. This would have certainly got Judas’ attention, but what was the result?

The basic literal meaning of the word “Passion” is to experience excruciating pain. Suffering is a tool of Satan, which God allows to be used in our life, so that we may learn to choose to use suffering for His glory, and ultimately our benefit. The question we do not want to ask is: “Why me?”. Every time we feel pain, we might ought to think of a choice, or decision, as this: “What will I do with this?”  Jesus faced this question in Gethsemane. But his ‘passion’ really began when he was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted 40 days, Mt. 1-11, Mk.1:12-13, Lk. 4:1-13.  40 is a number connected with the consequences or the bearing of sin. 40 is in connection with sin and responsibility for strength to overcome it, Jesus wants us to know that he is  being tempted to the degree that he takes on the battle against our sinful state and puts himself in it. Moses (Ex.34:28) because of his leadership against sin in mediating the 10 commandments. 40 days Moses intercedes in prayer for sinning Israel, Dt 9:25. Elijah, (IKg19:1-8) because of his fight against sin & false prophets and trying to protect Israel, he ran from his enemy Jezebel and fasted 40 days and also appeared in the  transfiguration (Mt 17:3).  40 nights & days of rain because of sin, Ge 7:4,12.  40 years of wilderness wanderings for sin, Num.14:33.  40 stripes sinning offenders were to be beaten, Dt.25:3.  Even John’s unique gospel without the temptation record, still introduces Jesus as “rejected” by his own people he came to, 1:11, and later records both incidences of rejection in the Temple grounds after His rebuke at the beginning of his ministry and the end, 2:13-22 & Mt. 21:12-13. Jesus lived his whole life here as a “Man of Sorrows”, Isa. 53:3.

The suffering Christ endured through his 33 years of life on earth was as common as we all suffer, until he approached Gethsemane. There for the first time, he suffered emotional and physical trauma like he had never experienced in all eternity.  “He was pierced because of our transgressions, crushed because of our iniquities, punishment for our peace was on Him, and we are healed by His wounds” (Isa. 53:5.) None of us have felt this, but we all have dealt with agonizing pain.  Actually when anyone undergoes intense hurt, sorrow, grief, or burning torturous pain, FOR AN INTENDED PURPOSE, we have experienced ‘passion’. Athletes are notorious for willingly undergoing gruelling training where a victory is involved. Soldiers in battle certainly bear harrowing pain in war, but do we feel this for our faith?  He knew this pain was coming for a certainty since the moment Elijah & Moses addressed it in His transfiguration, (Lk. 9:29-32). Why did it begin in Gethsemane? Because that is where the decision was made. Jesus formed and sealed an inseparable bond with His Father by prayer. A bond which was threatened by Satan’s sinful presence. When His prayer in
Gethsemane was finished, the whole act of His agonizing death was as good as done. That is why there was blood in His sweat. “Then an angel from heaven appeared and strengthened him, for he was in such agony of spirit that he broke into a sweat of blood, with great drops falling to the ground as he prayed more and more earnestly. At last he stood up again and returned to the disciples-only to find them asleep, exhausted from grief”. Lk 22:41-45 (TLB)  It took intense physical and emotional pressure to overcome the terrifying consequence of His first personal acquaintance with sin. “He bore our sins” (Mt. 8:17 & 1^st Pt. 2:24).