July 01 2025

Tuesday July 01

Luke 22:47-48

Betrayed With a Kiss

47 And while He was still speaking, behold, a multitude; and he who was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them and drew near to Jesus to kiss Him. 48 But Jesus said to him, "Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?"

Welcome to Pastor's Chat. Today we continue to look at Luke chapter 22. At this point, we're with Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. He's been praying with three of His disciples—Peter, James, and John. They've been sleeping while He's been praying. Then we come to verse 47, and while He was still speaking to Peter, James, and John, waking them up, He says, as recorded in the Gospel of Matthew, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going. See, My betrayer is at hand."

Interestingly, one version says that Jesus said, “Then cometh he to his disciples, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going: behold, he is at hand that doth betray me.” (Matthew 26:45-46, KJV).  I always wondered why Jesus would say, "Sleep on now, rise, let us be going." One of my devotionals pointed out that Jesus is saying, "Okay, wake up. Let it rest. You've been sleeping when you should have been praying. You can't reverse that. You should have been seeking the face of God, watching for the temptation that was going to come. Now it's too late to do that, so leave it behind you. Rise up, let's be going."

We have many failures in our lives. We need to let them sleep on, forgetting the things which are behind and reaching for those things which are before. While He was still speaking to the disciples and encouraging them to get up, Luke tells us, "Behold, a multitude, and he who was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them and drew near to Jesus to kiss Him." But Jesus said to him, "Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?"

I've entitled this devotional "Betrayed with a Kiss." It makes me think about the fact that here is Judas, one of the twelve disciples. Psalms 41:9, tells us that the Psalmist is referring to Jesus when He says, "My own familiar friend who ate bread with Me has lifted up his heel against Me." So here is Jesus, a friend of Judas. In fact, one of the Gospels tells us that He actually called him friend when he came to betray Him (Matthew 26:57). Jesus has given Judas every opportunity to repent. Yet Judas, with a deceitful heart, with a hypocritical kiss—a sign of affection, love, and respect, which was how a student would greet their rabbi to show honor—comes and betrays Him.

The Gospel of Matthew tells us that Judas had told the group of soldiers and the chief priest, that he would give them a sign saying, “Whomsoever I shall kiss, the same is he, hold him fast" (Matthew 26:48).  He planned on betraying Jesus with a kiss. How hypocritical is that? He would look like the friend and disciple of Jesus. "Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful" (Proverbs 27:6).

Jesus says, "Are you going to betray Me with a kiss?" Don't you think the Lord says that to you and me today in many ways? We go to church, sing the songs, lift up our hands, praise the Lord, worship with other believers, and maybe even go to the altar and pray. But then we leave the church and live for self, the world, or the devil. We are betraying the Lord with a kiss.

When Judas went and asked the chief priest, "How can I betray Jesus?" they offered thirty pieces of silver. It was as if he sold his soul to the devil. We know that at the supper with Jesus, Satan entered into him. He sold his soul to the devil. When we make a choice to exchange Jesus for the world, you become servants to whom you yield yourselves to obey (Romans 6:16). Jesus on an earlier occasion had said, “This people draw nigh to me with their mouths, and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me” (Matthew 15:8).

So, my friend, we don't want to be in the position of a Judas. Make sure that our kiss for Jesus is truly genuine from our hearts, honoring Him. Let's cling to Jesus, just as Ruth did to Naomi. Orpah kissed her and went the other way, back to her gods in Moab, but Ruth clung to Naomi (Ruth 1:14-18). May we cling to Jesus today and show Him our love with our life every moment of every day.

Is your heart close to Jesus today or is it far away?

God bless!