When Christ was Betrayed, He Felt What We Would Feel

Christ Triumphant - A Devotional by E.G. White

When Christ was Betrayed, He Felt What We Would Feel

Today's Text: Rise up, let us go; lo, he that betrayeth me is at hand. Mark 14:42

The Message:      And now they hear the heavy tramp of soldiers in the garden.... "And he that betrayed him had given them a token, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he; take him, and lead him away safely. And as soon as he was come, he goeth straightway to him, and saith, Master; master; and kissed him." "But Jesus said unto him, Judas, betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss?"...      To the multitude Jesus said, "Are ye come out, as against a thief, with swords and with staves to take me? I was daily with you in the temple teaching, and ye took me not: but the scriptures must be fulfilled."      John's record of this event is "Judas then, having received a band of men and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, cometh thither with lanterns and torches and weapons. Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth, and said unto them, Whom seek ye? They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am he. And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them. As soon then as he had said unto them, I am he, they went backward, and fell to the ground.... Then Simon Peter having a sword drew it, and smote the high priest's servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant's name was Malchus. Then said Jesus unto Peter, Put up thy sword into the sheath: the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?"      At this saying terror seized upon the disciples. They were now all together again, surrounding their Lord; but at the proposition of Peter, they "all ... forsook him, and fled."      The human nature of Christ was like unto ours. And suffering was really more keenly felt by Him, for His spiritual nature was free from every taint of sin. The aversion to suffering was in proportion to its severity. His desire for the removal of suffering was just as strong as human beings experience....      How intense was the desire of the humanity of Christ to escape the displeasure of an offended God; how His soul longed for relief is shown in the words of the Sufferer, "Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt."... All the accumulated sin of the world was laid upon the Sinbearer, the One who was innocent of all sin, the One who alone could be the propitiation for sin, because He Himself was obedient. His life was one with God. Not a taint of corruption was upon Him.-Manuscript 42, 1897.

Commentary: My friend, the grief that our Savior felt when He was betrayed by one of His disciples, we as keen as it would have been if it happened to one of us.  Though He knew of it before it happened, it was no less painful to Him.  The sacrifice that He was about to make was not just for the people of God, but it was for all of humanity.  "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8).  The promise to us in John 3:16 is "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."  How sad it is that the gift of God is for everyone that has ever lived, and yet there are so many that will choose not to be saved. In the last day there will be many Judases who will betray their fellow brothers and sister in Christ to be persecuted and killed.  Jesus said in Matthew 24:10 "And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another." and in Matthew 10:21 "And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death."  Those who betray and persecute their brethren will do so thinking that they are doing good because they are not surrendered to the One True God through His Son Jesus Christ. When we go through persecution for righteousness sake are comforted that Christ felt what we feel, and is with us unto the very end for He promised us saying "lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." (Matthew 28:10). God bless,

Video of the Week The Seal of God - Allen Stump This presentation from the 2018 West Virginia camp meeting studies the seal of God from Ezekiel 9 and the chapter on the seal of God from volume 5 of Testimonies for the Church by Ellen White.

Tomorrow: Our Place in History Will be Determined by our Characters