Then Jesus said, "I chose the twelve of you, but one is a devil." He was speaking of Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, one of the Twelve, who would later betray him.
—John 6:70-71 NLT
Key Thought
We know the story before we read it. Lurking in the shadows is the traitor. Treachery is afoot. While we can speculate on why Judas would do such a terrible thing, Scripture doesn't tell us. The Holy Spirit tells us only that he did betray Jesus — and already, Jesus knows that Judas will betray him. Quite remarkably, Jesus will do the heart of his ministry and offer his deepest and most genuine service to his disciples knowing all the while that one of them will hand him over to be tortured and crucified. I don't know about you, but that is a bittersweet comfort to me. Bitter, because I hate that the Lord Jesus, who created all that is in our world, had to face such a heartbreaking breach of trust. Sweet, because I know he knows what betrayal and suffering are like — not just as God, but also as a brokenhearted friend who has been betrayed for inexplicable reasons. Sounds like my world. Sounds even more like my Savior!
Today's Prayer
Holy God, Creator and Sustainer of all that is, thank you. Thank you for not being a god who is far off. Thank you for living in my world and bearing the brunt of its brokenness. Please bless me with confidence as I approach you and may I always remember that you know the deepest pains of my heart from experience and not just omniscience. Thank you for revealing yourself in Jesus, in whose name I pray. Amen.
Related Scripture Readings
Ⓒ 1996-2018 Heartlight, Inc. This material may not be reproduced in part or whole for commercial use without written consent. What Jesus Did! is written by Phil Ware. Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
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—John 6:70-71 NLT
Key Thought
We know the story before we read it. Lurking in the shadows is the traitor. Treachery is afoot. While we can speculate on why Judas would do such a terrible thing, Scripture doesn't tell us. The Holy Spirit tells us only that he did betray Jesus — and already, Jesus knows that Judas will betray him. Quite remarkably, Jesus will do the heart of his ministry and offer his deepest and most genuine service to his disciples knowing all the while that one of them will hand him over to be tortured and crucified. I don't know about you, but that is a bittersweet comfort to me. Bitter, because I hate that the Lord Jesus, who created all that is in our world, had to face such a heartbreaking breach of trust. Sweet, because I know he knows what betrayal and suffering are like — not just as God, but also as a brokenhearted friend who has been betrayed for inexplicable reasons. Sounds like my world. Sounds even more like my Savior!
Today's Prayer
Holy God, Creator and Sustainer of all that is, thank you. Thank you for not being a god who is far off. Thank you for living in my world and bearing the brunt of its brokenness. Please bless me with confidence as I approach you and may I always remember that you know the deepest pains of my heart from experience and not just omniscience. Thank you for revealing yourself in Jesus, in whose name I pray. Amen.
Related Scripture Readings
Ⓒ 1996-2018 Heartlight, Inc. This material may not be reproduced in part or whole for commercial use without written consent. What Jesus Did! is written by Phil Ware. Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Continue reading...
