Now the Festival of Unleavened Bread, called the Passover, was approaching, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some way to get rid of Jesus, for they were afraid of the people. Then Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, one of the Twelve. And Judas went to the chief priests and the officers of the temple guard and discussed with them how he might betray Jesus.

Luke 22:1-4, New International Version

 

Though Luke does not provide a clear reason for Judas' actions, he does tell us that Satan had entered Judas' heart to persuade him to betray Jesus. Judas could have resisted Satan's temptation, but he didn't, and as a result, he went from being a dear friend to a deadly foe.

Jesus is a great example of how to deal with betrayal.

Our Lord never stopped loving Judas, and He demonstrated that love on the night of his betrayal by washing his feet and sharing a piece of bread with him. Knowing what was in Judas' heart must have grieved Jesus, and seeing Judas reject His attempt to reclaim the friendship must have further grieved Him. The tragic thing is that by betraying Jesus, Judas killed himself.

Jesus was betrayed by a kiss. (Matthew 26:48)

In biblical times, kissing was a common form of greeting. It expresses honour, respect, and reverence. On the other hand, the devil perverts an intimate gesture of deep love into something devoid of affection and filled with resentment. However, instead of returning evil for evil, Jesus responded with grace and kindness to Judas and those who came to arrest him.

The truth is that none of Jesus' chosen disciples lived up to expectations, and they all proved to be disappointments. Even though Jesus deserved better friends, he chose these flawed and frail people to follow him. This is because Jesus was not calling the perfect or the faultless, but rather those who are willing to trust Him and be transformed by His unfailing grace.

When a friend or loved one betrays you, the hurt and pain can be devastating. A betrayal changes how you see the other person and brings the awful realisation that the relationship was a lie and is coming to an end. Because you don't want to be a victim again, you find it difficult to love and trust people the next time. Although a betrayal is painful and heart-breaking, focus on God's unwavering love and draw grace to help you rise above the pain.

We have all disappointed our friends and have been disappointed by them, but we still need friends. Learn from Jesus how to be a true friend and be courageous enough to love and trust once more.