Betrayer, denier and thief...

A betrayer, a denier and a thief… I am all of those and Jesus knows it! Still he loves me. Wow.

John 18 begins with Judas betraying his friend, Jesus. In the middle of the chapter, Peter denies his Lord Jesus 3 different times! And then ends with the crowd choosing Barabbas, a thief, over Jesus, the Lord. All in one chapter. If you live long enough, and it won’t take long, a good friend will betray you. Sometimes the betrayal will be for money or prestige or some other currency such as fame or control. Judas gained 30 pieces of silver and no longer had to listen Jesus speaking grace and tru

th. Whatever the trade, betrayal happens and it stings.

Part way through JN 18, Peter, one of the inner circle of the disciples, denies he even knows Jesus. He cares more for personal comfort than he does for Jesus. I hear stories of people being betrayed and rejected day after day. And just like everyone else, I’ve experienced both. And it stings deep.

The end of the chapter paints the crowd evil as he they scream for the freedom of the thief Barabbas and condemn the Savior Jesus to death. Doesn’t make sense, does it? And yet, experience life enough and you will experience someone that prefers a scoundrel or a thief over you. I’ve experienced that also. And yes, it really does sting way down deep.

All of that is bad news but here is some really bad news. In the same way I have been betrayed and denied and had friends choose something evil over a faithful friendship, I have done likewise. Every time I have chosen the voice of fear over the faithfulness of Jesus, I have betrayed him and denied knowing him. I’ve preferred the voice of a thief or liar over the voice of God every time I have chosen to listen to the world over Jesus or tried to recreate God in my image. I have chosen comfort or the approval of people over the love of my friend and king, Jesus. The really really bad news is that… so have you. We all have. We have all experienced it and all have likely treated others the same way. And we have all traded in Jesus for fame, popularity, peace, money, sex and ambition.

But that’s what makes the gospel, the good news, so utterly amazingly beautiful - Jesus knows all that and loves me anyway…. And loves you anyway. He became the thief, the denier, the betrayer when he took up the cross. He cried out as he hung there, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me!” Jesus knows well the sting of our betrayal and preferences. Listen my friend, it isn’t just that Jesus forgives you and me, though he does that to the uttermost. He takes our sin and puts it as far as the east is from the west. He doesn’t stop with forgiveness but continues with restoration. He restores us to a right relationship with him… an intimate relationship of friendship. He is the Lord of all, King of Kings yet he calls you and me friends. He walks, sits, loves, aches with us. He feels the sting with us. And somehow, as we join in the sting of suffering with Jesus, we become more like him. And know a deeper joy and peace. To be known and still loved?

“To be loved but not known is comforting but superficial. To be known and not loved is our greatest fear. But to be fully known and truly loved is, well, a lot like being loved by God. It is what we need more than anything. It liberates us from pretense, humbles us out of our self-righteousness, and fortifies us for any difficulty life can throw at us.”  Keller, Meaning of Marriage

Grace for the Journey.

Harrison