John 18: 3-4
3So Judas came to the grove, guiding a detachment of soldiers and some officials from the chief priests and Pharisees. They were carrying torches, lanterns and weapons. 4Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, "Who is it you want?"
The betrayal of Christ, it is a story that we can all relate to can’t we? We all have at least one Judas in our lives, and it seems that the more successful you are in the field that God has placed you in, the more people like Judas seem to be around you. We all know Judas, maybe some of us have been Judas at some point in our life. What I want you to notice is how Christ handles the betrayal. Who is it that you want? One of the things I love about Christ is He was a guy who knew the answer to the questions before He asked them. Put yourself in His place for a moment, you see a close friend, someone you have counted as your own, standing next to the ones who are about to arrest you…..does Christ give the “ye too Brutus “ speech? Does he fall on the ground and question, Judas, His friends, or His Father as to why this is happening? Does He run for the hills or point to some one else and say yep, that is him…that is the guy you want……No of course not….”who is it you want?” Jesus? Well that would be me, let’s get it on! Jesus was not the kind of guy you would want to play “flinch” with….something tells me He would always win! How would you react? What course would you take? Would you run, or would you stand? When we look at this story we see how we should live our lives as Christians. Unapologetically, boldly, and fearlessly. The Judas’ in our lives are plotting and planning now, looking for a chance to betray us. It might be on a spiritual front, a family front, or a work related front, but no matter, Just like Christ being betrayed, our betrayal is part of the plan. There is something to learn form it, there is a chance to show the glory of God, there is the opportunity to show the world the true strength of the Lord. Let us all find the strength of Christ in our times of betrayal, and hardship. Let us too stand, and boldly ask who is it that you want? Then let us take up the challenge of overcoming that hardship, if Christ can so calmly accept the arrest that would lead to His death, I know that any hardship, that my Judas might bring will be an easy challenge for the Lord; and that is the key, as Christ believed in His Father, let us believe in Christ. Alone, we might want to run in fear, but with Christ….well let Judas bring his best, …he does not stand a chance!
God Bless,
Brian Thetford
The New
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