Betrayed

"But Jesus said unto him, Judas, betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss? Luke 22:48

Have you ever been betrayed?

A dear friend in my Bible Study Group recently shared with me how God had sustained her through a betrayal. She did not go into detail, and she did not share who her betrayer was, only that after reading Psalm 55:22, "Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved," that she realized how God had sustained her through the betrayal, that she had forgiven her betrayer, and that now she can actually pray for her betrayer.

Webster defines betrayed as, 'treacherously abandoned, deserted, or mistreated. 

Betrayal hurts!  Especially if it's by someone you trust.

Betrayal is a hard thing to get over and to forgive.  

Jesus was betrayed, and He already knew He would be betrayed, who would betray Him, when He would be betrayed and the why.

He knew Peter would deny Him during His darkest hour. Luke 22:54-62.  In fact, Jesus told Peter that he would deny Him.  "And he said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me." Luke 22:34

Jesus also knew that Judas would betray Him.  A man He had called by name to follow Him, learn of Him and was loved by Him.  "And he answered and said, He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me." Matthew 22:23

Jesus knew that a man He called friend, would betray Him.

"And Jesus said unto him, Friend, wherefore art thou come?" Matthew 26:50a

Jesus knew the exact moment of His betrayal: "Rise, let us be going: behold, he is at hand that doth betray me." Matthew 26:46

And Jesus knew why: "And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again."

Mark 8:31

Jesus warned us, that we would also be betrayed by those who love us most. Mark 13:12

After listening to my friend tell me about her betrayal, and then reading about Jesus' betrayal, I began to wonder what would be worse? Knowing when I will be betrayed, or taken off guard?  Would the hurt of the betrayal be easier to bear if I saw it coming, knew who would betray me and to understand why, or is it just best to be surprised?

Jesus knew those who would betray Him, when and why, and yet He was kind towards them, loved them unconditionally, and even called them His friend.

What an example...

    What a Saviour...

        But that's just me!

"Reproaches from those who have been intimate with us, and trusted by us, cut us to the quick; and they are usually so well acquainted with our peculiar weaknesses that they know how to touch us where we are most sensitive, and to speak so as to do us most damage.  Let me be on my guard when the world puts on a loving face, for it will, if possible, betray me as it did my master, with a kiss." 

Charles Spurgeon