Matthew the apostle wrote how Jesus found His disciples, Peter, James and John” asleep while He prayed in the garden of Gethsemane, and after allowing them to continue sleeping for a while said, “Rise, let us be going: behold, he is at hand that does betray me. And while he yet spoke, lo, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and elders of the people. Now he that betrayed him gave them a sign, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he: hold him fast. And forthwith he came to Jesus, and said, Hail, master; and kissed him.”, and in chapter twenty-six and verse fifty of his book, Matthew writes how Jesus asked Judas, “Friend, why are you come?” where we read:
And Jesus said unto him, Friend, why are you come?
Then came they, and laid hands on Jesus, and took him.
The verse reads, “And Jesus said unto him, Friend, why are you come?” Matthew began words, “and Jesus said” which means “and the Son of God, the Savior of mankind and God incarnate whose name means Jehovah is Salvation uttered, declared and proclaimed” “unto him” or “to Judas”, “Friend” which means “comrade, mate, partner, fellow and my good friend”, “why are you come” or “for what reason and cause do you approach and come forth to Jesus”? Matthew shared how Jesus called Judas His “comrade and good friend” as He questioned the reason that Judas approached Him.
The verse continues, “Then came they, and laid hands on Jesus, and took him.” Matthew added the word, “then” or “at that time and moment” “came they” or “approached and came forth the chief priests, elders and multitude”, “and laid hands” which means “and seized and took hold” “on Jesus” or “upon the Son of God, the Savior of mankind and God incarnate whose name means Jehovah is Salvation”, “and took him” or “held fast, in check and restrained Jesus”. Matthew shared how the religious leaders and multitude came forward and “seized” Jesus.
When we think through Matthew's words in this verse, we see how Jesus not only questioned the reason Judas came to Him, but He also called him, “friend”. Jesus knew Judas came to “betray” Him, and yet, He called him “comrade, mate, partner and my good friend”. Only afterward did the “religious leaders” and “multitude” come to arrest Jesus to take Him away. Jesus as “God in the flesh” could have eliminated this group including Judas at any time, but He allowed this process from the “kiss” of “betrayal” to the capture to occur because He desired to have a personal relationship with every person in the world. The “sin” within people separated them from this relationship, and Jesus was to pay the price of death so their “sin” could be removed. A Holy God desires to “cleanse” people from their “sins” so they might live with Him eternally, and those who are wise shall carefully consider to what extent Jesus allowed Himself to be “betrayed” and captured by His opposition and submit their lives to Him as their personal “Savior and Lord”.
Next time Matthew shares how, “one of them which were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew His sword”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book
“Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the
marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the
Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms
Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County"
in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com
; http://www.barnesandnobles.com
; download to e-books, and find it locally at
www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
No comments:
Post a Comment