On the Way to the Cross: the betrayal

In the process of this website, God has been teaching me the most heartbreakingly beautiful things. I want you to take a little journey with me. It won’t take very long. A couple of weeks at the most. I want you to be able to experience these things that I am experiencing right now. So, come with me as we take a journey in a new light, On the Way to the Cross.

Let’s start in the Garden, the place that Jesus is so earnestly praying. A place where His heart is breaking, a place where He is crying out to His Father. I think we often overlook a crucial part in the garden scene. I think we overlook something that we shouldn’t.

    In the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus Christ, the Holy Son of God, was a BROKEN man.

You see, He knew what the next day held for Him. He knew what the night held for Him, and He knew that it would be painful, that it would be a struggle to continue on, and here He was praying to Holy Abba God to let this cup pass from Him. There came a point where Jesus, as much man as He was God, wanted to give up. There was a time when He was ready to toss in the towel. But I love the words He uttered next. Not my will, but thine. Something switched on inside of Jesus. I honestly believe that He looked at the individual faces of each person who would come to know Him. Who would love Him. I believe that He saw me. And suddenly He was ready again, and He stood, awaiting Judas’ entrance.

Now for just 30 silver coins, Judas betrays Jesus with a kiss. That stuns me still. Judas, the disciple of Jesus, the man who has witnessed countless miracles, and faithful, devoted, friendship, sold Jesus out. And He did so with a kiss. And you know what I think is so crazy overflowing in love? Even as Judas betrayed the only man who loved him dearly, in the midst of this ever so personal attack. Jesus does something remarkable. And if you’re not carefully reading, you’ll miss it. I did so many times. In the very midst of this attack,

                                       Jesus calls Judas FRIEND.

That makes my heart skip beats frantically. Because Jesus, the SON of MAN overlooked this betrayal. He overlooked all of this, and addressed His friend. Jesus still looked at Judas as a friend. How many of us would have been chewing Judas out? I know I would have.  How many times do we betray Jesus with a kiss? How many times do we pause between right and wrong and still choose wrong anyway? But Jesus still looks at us, and sees us not as an enemy, but as a friend.

Relish in the joy of that Holy friendship you have today (:

Honored to be His Friend,

Emily

*ps. Next time, we’ll be continuing our journey with.

          On the Way to the Cross: The Centurion’s Ear