Betrayed by a Kiss

While He was still speaking, suddenly a mob was there, and one of the Twelve named Judas was leading them. He came near Jesus to kiss Him, but Jesus said to him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?” When those around Him saw what was going to happen, they asked, “Lord, should we strike with the sword?” Then one of them struck the high priest’s slave and cut off his right ear. But Jesus responded, “No more of this!” And touching his ear, He healed him. Then Jesus said to the chief priests, temple police, and the elders who had come for Him, “Have you come out with swords and clubs as if I were a criminal? Every day while I was with you in the temple complex, you never laid a hand on Me. But this is your hour —and the dominion of darkness.”

Wickedness under the cloak of love 47-48

What does a kiss mean? July 6th is world kiss day and this started in Italy (Rome). Though the French have tried to steal the glamour of kissing we can thank the Roman Empire for bringing forth kiss and the meaning of each one.

Cheek Kiss: used as a greeting, it usually is a sign of affection of love or endearment.

Hand Kiss: indicates courtesy, politeness, respect, admiration, or devotion towards that person.

Forehead kiss: usually means that you’re just friends or a deep affection for that person.

Nose kiss: means that you’re the object of committed affection. This kiss is extremely sweet and can be a trigger in sparking instant romance.

Kiss of death: Mafia bosses would mark a person who needed to die with this kiss, they stole it from Judas.

Judas kiss” the kiss of betrayal from treacherous people who will kiss you while they are stabbing you in the back.

Jesus had not finished talking when Judas appeared. Judas would have known where to find Jesus because of the multiple times Jesus took them to the Garden. Judas did not lead them to the edge of the Garden he led them into the Garden and right to Christ. Listen to the words of Luke, “He came near Jesus to kiss Him.”

We should learn that the most wicked acts will be done under the pretense of love. Judas came near to hand over his Master into the hands of the Sanhedrin Court for thirty pieces of silver. With a kiss, Judas pretended to show respect and affection.

Jesus knew how His betrayer would hand him over, this had been foreordain before the foundations of the earth. Jesus asked Judas if this was what his intentions were. How many of us have betrayed someone? Could you imagine betraying our Lord and Savior with a kiss? We all have!

Judas is not the only person in the Bible to betray someone for their own selfish desire. Jezebel wanted Naboth killed Listen to her letter.

1 Kings 21:9–10 HCSB

In the letters, she wrote: Proclaim a fast and seat Naboth at the head of the people. Then seat two wicked men opposite him and have them testify against him, saying, “You have cursed God and the king!” Then take him out and stone him to death.

She is using the disguise of a fast and honor of seating him at the head of the table to kill him. Just as the Annas and Caiaphas would use wicked witness against the Lord so did Jezebel.

We can even look throughout history of men who used the disguise of Christ’s servants for wickedness.

When Count de Montfort led a crusade against the Albigensians, he ordered them to be murdered and pillaged as an act of service to Christ’s church. When the Spanish Inquisition tortured and burned suspected heretics, they justified their abominable practices by professing to be zealously carrying out God’s truth.

J. C. Ryle, Luke, Crossway Classic Commentaries (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 1997), .

Judas has never lacked any successors or imitators nor has Jezebel. Evil people will always have evil people follow in their footsteps. We live in a fallen world that is full of evil people.

Short-lived Zeal 49-50

Second, we need to learn from these verses that it is much easier to fight a little for Christ than to endure hardness and go to prison and death for His sake.

They ask but they do not wait for an answer. Too many of us have imitated the disciples in asking and acting instead of asking and waiting for the answer. This has led us into more trouble than anything else. We get into trouble and ask God why? His answer is plain, you did not wait for Me, therefore, it was you and your glory that you did these things.

Every time we do good things for the Lord we miss out on great things for the Lord.

We know Peter was the one who struck the ear and his zeal ended right after that. He denies Christ three times, what happen to his passion? It was lost in the Garden. It is easy to be bold and courageous in the Garden with like minded people, but when we go to the world we become timid and weak.

Luke: Crossway Classic Commentaries Christ Taken Prisoner (22:47–53)

The lesson here is deeply instructive. To suffer patiently for Christ is far more difficult than to work actively. To sit still and endure calmly is far harder than to fight a battle. Crusaders will always be found more numerous than martyrs. The passive graces of religion are far rarer and precious than the active graces. Work for Christ may be done from many spurious motives—from excitement, from emulation, from party spirit, or from love of praise. Suffering for Christ will seldom be endured from any but one motive, and that motive is the grace of God.

Evil will not last forever 51-53

Jesus does not want us to live by the sword but by His word with love in our hearts!

He also knew this is why He came and this was the plan to reconcile His people back to God the Father. Jesus’ response to those who came out is the way we should always approach our accusers. We are not the criminals but for those of the world we are the enemy. They love what we tell them about forgiveness, love, grace, and mercy but whenever we talk about sinful habits and hell we are judgmental and hatred is in our hearts.

How many of us have had someone use the scriptures but with the wrong interpretations? It is funny how many people have used the judging scriptures when someone is talking about sin. Now that the Sanhedrin had lost their influence over the people they wanted Christ to die. They came at Him as a violent criminal to try to influence the people that He was evil.

Jesus told them it is their hour of honor, but it will not be long lived. God is the only and absolute power over the earth. The enemy is limited in his scope of influence and power unlike our Lord Jesus, Christ.

Luke: Crossway Classic Commentaries Christ Taken Prisoner (22:47–53)

Let us take comfort from our Lord’s words as we look forward to our own futures. If we are followers of Christ, we will have an hour of trial, and it may be a long hour too; but we may rest assured that the darkness will not last one moment longer than God sees fit for us. In his good time it will vanish away.

Application:

Those who we believe that are friends are the one’s who Satan will use to hurt us.

If you live by the sword you will die by the sword. Take our lessons from

Our comfort does not come from us or the world but from Christ who has overcome everything.

The world will hate you because of Jesus Christ. Jesus told us they will hate us ,

John 15:24–25 HCSB

If I had not done the works among them that no one else has done, they would not have sin. Now they have seen and hated both Me and My Father. But this happened so that the statement written in their scripture might be fulfilled: They hated Me for no reason.

John 15:19 HCSB

If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own. However, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of it, the world hates you.