Betrayed But Not Surprised

Jesus was sharing the Passover supper with His disciples, but knew that one person in the room was about to betray Him. All the others had been chosen to build His church; Judas had been chosen to betray Him. What Judas would do was no surprise; Jesus knew his heart and would use that man’s wickedness to focus the hatred of the world on His head. But it was personally painful. By quoting Psalm 41:9, Jesus showed how David had described Judas' actions a thousand years previously, inspired by the Holy Spirit.
 
David prophesied again in Psalm 55:12-14, “If an enemy were insulting me, I could endure it; if a foe were raising himself against me, I could hide from him. But it is you, a man like myself, my companion, my close friend, with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship as we walked with the throng at the house of God.” No, Jesus was not at all surprised, but He was very sad. Judas might have looked right on the outside, even sharing in times of worship. But so much was wrong on the inside, because Judas loved himself more than Jesus. But the others needed to remember Jesus' words. God knew it all before it happened: the cross was not a tragic accident or political mistake. It was all part of God’s plan.
 
I sometimes wonder how many who worship in church have a Judas character. At times all of us have put our own interests before God’s. Yes, we sometimes fit the description in Psalms 41 and 55. And yet when we have recognised our betrayal, as Peter did (John 18:15-27 ), we have repented, because we love Jesus. But what about those whose hearts are hard and far away from Christ? In the same way that He longed for the repentance of Jerusalem (Matthew 23:37-39 ) Jesus is very sad at anyone’s refusal to be gathered to Him. One thing is clear; we are either gathered to Him or sent far away. Which do you want to be (www.crosscheck.org.uk )?