We return to our study of Mark 14 where the Lord Jesus had just noticed a large crowd coming up the Mount of Olives toward Him. The large crowd was led by someone familiar with the nightly habits of the Lord Jesus. Knowing that His hour to be arrested, falsely accused, illegally put on trial, sentenced, and crucified, the Lord Jesus braced Himself and His disciples for the one who had decided to betray Him for 30 pieces of silver.
In v.43 of today's passage we read, "Just as he was speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, appeared. With him was a crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests, the teachers of the law, and the elders."
While the Lord Jesus was speaking with His disciples, Judas led a large crowd up the hill toward the Lord Jesus. Included in the crowd were those sent from the religious leaders of Israel who all wanted the Lord Jesus dead. They were so jealous of His power to heal the sick and to raise the dead and to give sight to the blind that they wanted Him eliminated.
According to John's Gospel, "a detachment of troops" were also with Judas to assist in the arrest of the Lord Jesus. A detachment included 200 soldiers. In all of this, it is obvious even though Judas had spent three years with the Lord Jesus, watching His miracles and hearing His teachings, he really didn't know the Lord Jesus for himself. Judas' story teaches us that even the the best example, the most compelling evidence, and the finest teaching, the ultimate environment for incubating faith cannot, in and of themselves, change the human heart. We must have an encounter that brings us to the end of self and to an eternity with the Lord.
In v.44 of today's passage we read, "Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: 'The one I kiss is the man; arrest him and lead him away under guard.'"
We read in Proverbs 27, "Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful."
Ironically, the name Judas means "praise."
In Gethsemane, the Lord Jesus told His disciples to watch and to pray. The design of these two commands was to get His followers to look for hope. I have found that this hope often appears in my life in the form of an intrusion or an anomaly, something that looks as if it doesn’t belong. I have found that those moments of greatest pain and anxiety have served me best in coming to know the heart of my Savior. In fact, when I was seventeen years old my earthly father died, and, through that horrific experience I became a believer in the Lord Jesus. When trained in the culture of the Lord, we begin to see that many of these intrusions into our lives are signs of hope from the LORD. We must be formed by His word, so that when these intruders come, we view them through the lens of His Word.
The challenge to our faith is to believe this promise when we find ourselves in a place where darkness closes in. Perhaps, at times, we need something that reassures us that the story doesn’t end in a place like Golgotha. At such times, if we need the subtle sign, God gives it to us: a glimmer of hope in the darkness. The world needs glimmers of hope and people with eyes to see them. If we do not see Him in the midst of our darkest times, we will never be in the position to help others in their darkest times.
In v.45-46 of today's passage we read, "45 Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, 'Rabbi!' and kissed him. 46 The men seized Jesus and arrested him."
It was with a kiss along with a strong embrace that Judas betrayed the Lord Jesus. Slaves kiss feet. Inferiors kiss hands. Equals kiss cheeks. Judas saw himself as an equal to the Lord Jesus and that is what makes his betrayal of the Lord most repulsive. And, Judas did not hesitate to do his dirty work.
Judas was included in the group of disciples, yet, he was not a believer. Proximity to the teachings and miracles of the Lord Jesus did not change Judas’ heart or secure his salvation, nor did his occasional good works. The offer of grace had been extended to Judas for over three years. Sadly, the opportunity for Judas to inherit the kingdom of heaven and walk with the Lord Jesus in eternity he rejected. Rather than embracing the Lord Jesus from the inside out, Judas feigned love on the outside. Judas did this for three years, sealing his fate with a final kiss.
There are those who blame God for Judas' actions, but, God cannot be held accountable for the choice Judas made. It is not that God told us that He determined that Judas would do such an evil deed. No, God knew in advance that Judas would make that choice in advance, and then, He told us he would do it. The point is this: we all have the choice to believe in the Lord Jesus or not. And, that was the choice Judas had and he chose to not believe.
