John 13:21
21 After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, "I tell you the truth, one of you is going to betray me."
NIV
On the night Jesus was betrayed...Jesus was troubled in spirit. He knew it was coming. Presumably he understood this from the Holy Spirit's revelation I can't image what that feels like- to look your betrayor in the eyes, and love them in spite of what he was about to do. We have all been affected by those who turn their back on Jesus- whether by disobeying, denouncing, or denying Him. The results are tragic- and we see their failure and the disloyalty to the Savior. We are filled with distain, with disappointment, we even distance ourselves from these people. Jesus- amazingly sops bread with Judas Iscariot.
The sop was an action of some intimacy. It showed closeness and proximity and honor. Jesus was honoring Judas by giving him the choicest morsel. It is simply breath-taking. The betrayal came after the extended hand of intimacy and friendship. Betrayal always comes when intimacy with the Lord is taken for granted. Betrayal always comes when the Lord's extended hand is slapped, his love spurned, his grace spat upon, and his kindness rejected.
Satan entered him at that moment (v27. It seems the kindness of God leads us either to repentance or, if we harden our heart, it leads us to become the habitation of demons. This is the danger of our hearts getting further and further away from the Lord. This is the danger of my taking his loving kindness for granted, or choosing intimacy with the world over intimacy with him.
Yet Christ's love never changes for the betrayor. And all of us who have betrayed him should be glad that the hand of friendship, the sop of intimacy, the love once spurned can be embraced in a moment. This is truly- Amazing Grace!
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