Tag Archives: betrayal

Visibly distressed (John 13:21-27), March 23, 2017

Today’s Podcast

Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
How much did it hurt when your friend hurt you by saying or doing something that you didn’t expect. Imagine what it would feel like if they did it and you knew it was going to happen.
Scripture
1. John 13:21-27
2. Jesus was becoming visibly distressed.

Jesus: I tell you the truth: one of you will betray Me.

The disciples began to stare at one another, wondering who was the unfaithful disciple. One disciple in particular, who was loved by Jesus, reclined next to Him at the table. Peter motioned to the disciple at Jesus’ side.

Peter (to the beloved disciple): Find out who the betrayer is.

Beloved Disciple (leaning in to Jesus): Lord, who is it?

Jesus: I will dip a piece of bread in My cup and give it to the one who will betray Me.

He dipped one piece in the cup and gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. After this occurred, Satan entered into Judas.

Jesus (to Judas): Make haste, and do what you are going to do.

Devotional
1. We’ve all been hurt by a friend at some time or other or we haven’t lived.
  1. It’s the way of relationships in a broken world
  2. Misinterpret actions or words
  3. See things from our broken past instead of God’s perfect lens even if Christian brothers and sisters
  4. Marred by the consequences of past sins and the brokenness of this world
2. Probably never expected the hurt or betrayal, though
  1. We expect our relationships to be good
  2. We expect encouragement and support from friends
  3. We expect our friends never to stab us in the back or give us up to our enemies
3. Now put yourself in Jesus’ place
  1. Betrayed by His friend and abandoned by the rest
  2. But knew about it ahead of time
  3. Inspired the prophets to write about it centuries before He came to earth
  4. Lived with the reality every day
  5. Had to eat this last meal with His betrayer knowing what would happen next
4. Jesus was becoming visibly distressed! No kidding!
  1. Had a human side
  2. We all need others to lean on
  3. They were about to desert Him and one would betray Him
  4. He knew it all and it was coming in just hours
  5. His physical, mental, and spiritual agony was about to begin
5. We cannot begin to understand the stress Jesus felt
  1. But we can thank Him for His sacrifice
  2. We can praise Him for what He did for us
  3. We can follow Him when He calls
  4. We can love Him because He loves us more than we can know
If you want to learn more about my church, you can find us at SAF.church. If you like the devotional, share it with someone. If you don’t, tell me. I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow for “A Little Walk with God.”

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved. In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Betrayal always carries bad consequences (John 13:12-20), March 22, 2017

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Today’s Podcast

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Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
Have you ever been the victim of betrayal? Have you ever betrayed someone? There are always consequences, you know.
Scripture
1. John 13:12-20
2. Jesus: Do you understand what I have done to you? You call Me Teacher and Lord, and truly, that is who I am. So if your Lord and Teacher washes your feet, then you should wash one another’s feet. I am your example; keep doing what I do. I tell you the truth: a servant is not greater than the master. Those who are sent are not greater than the one who sends them. If you know these things, and if you put them into practice, you will find happiness. I am not speaking about all of you. I know whom I have chosen, but let the Hebrew Scripture be fulfilled that says, “The very same man who eats My bread with Me will stab Me in the back.” Assuredly, I tell you these truths before they happen so that when it all transpires, you will believe that I am. I tell you the truth: anyone who accepts the ones I send accepts Me. In turn, the ones who accept Me also accept the One who sent Me.
Devotional
1. It’s been a lot of years and I won’t mention any names, but a fellow officer in one of the units to which I was assigned was a good friend…I thought.
  1. We often ate lunch together.
  2. We shared techniques in leading our units that worked and those that didn’t work so well so we helped each other.
  3. Families spent time together after work during our leisure hours.
  4. Thought we were good friends
2. One day things changed
  1. Had an inspection and some things were missing from his unit
  2. Accountable, but consumable
  3. Used up in training, but had to account for their use and replace because of alert status
  4. His soldiers got lazy and didn’t do the proper paperwork to account for the consumables after one training event and so there was a shortage
  5. I was accused of stealing
  6. Took less than an hour to show the paper trail to prove no one in my unit took any of his consumables. All mine were accounted for and a trail for when and where each came from
3. Pain came from the betrayal
  1. We were friends
  2. He knew my character
  3. He knew I wouldn’t tolerate such behavior from anyone under my authority
  4. Still he accused me to try to cover his soldiers’ failure
  5. “The one who ate bread with me, stabbed me in the back.”
  6. My friend left the service very soon after that event
4. Nothing of what Jesus felt
  1. Judas sat as His feet continually
  2. Listened to His teaching
  3. Said he believed what the Master taught
  4. Said he believed Jesus to be the Son of God
  5. Would soon betray Him to the high priest and the Sanhedrin
  6. He would die because Judas decided to betray his friend
5. You just don’t know the consequences that will come as a result of betrayal
  1. My friend ended his career
  2. Judas hung himself
  3. Jesus died on a cross
  4. Be careful of betraying your friends
If you want to learn more about my church, you can find us at SAF.church. If you like the devotional, share it with someone. If you don’t, tell me. I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow for “A Little Walk with God.”

Where will you meet Him? (Mark 14:48-49) September 14, 2016

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – -Psalms 108-110

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Mark 14:48-49
Jesus: Am I a thief or a bandit that you have to come armed with swords and clubs to capture Me? I sat teaching in the temple every day with you. You could have taken Me at any time, but you never did. Let the Scriptures be fulfilled.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

Jesus talks a lot about light and darkness in His messages. He talks about Himself as the light of the world in fact. He says God’s children live in the light. He tells us that Satan’s minions slither around in the dark, but that those true to God stay in the light. They are not afraid to have their actions seen by all. They do not worry about being seen by others because they know their actions are good, honest, righteous. They have nothing to worry about in terms of the rightness of their behavior.

Not so those who do their work in the dark. Those who hide their behavior, most often do so because they don’t want others to see it. And they don’t want others to see it because they know it is wrong. They try to cover their behavior with darkness. It seems the dark brings out the worst in people for some reason.

It’s why I gave my kids a curfew. Even when they were older teens. Even when they came home from college. I live by a simple rule and taught them the same rule. “Nothing good happens after midnight.” So even as twenty-something college kids, the rule was be home before midnight. Period. There is little reason for anyone to be out after midnight unless you must work one of those jobs that require those kinds of shifts.

But to be out partying, driving around, even just talking with friends, nothing good happens after midnight. Think about it. After midnight, when you’re tired, your resistance lowers. Your emotions get keyed up. More fights happen after midnight. More people lose control over their drinking and drug habits. More people lose control over their sexual drive. Bad things happen after midnight. So the kids had a midnight curfew.

Am I too strict? Am I an old fuddy-duddy that doesn’t understand the way of the world? Am I just old fashioned and behind the times? Maybe, but I don’t think so. I prefer to think I’ve learned a little about this thing called light and dark. I want to be able to operate in the light and let anyone see anything I might do without hesitation. I want my life to be an open book to others. There shouldn’t be anything I’m ashamed of in my life if I’m following Jesus. But when we sneak off in the night to try to cover our behavior, we’re just not acting like our Lord.

I think that’s the message He’s giving the priests and their guards in the garden that night. He has been praying and now they come after midnight to arrest Him. They come when most people are in their beds asleep. They want to make sure their actions are unobserved. They don’t want the populace to see what’s going on because they’ll be found out. And Jesus was too popular with the people to risk taking Him in front of them. So they capture Jesus in the middle of the night. Under the cover of darkness. When no one can see their actions.

But there is a problem with their plan. Light dispels darkness. Light isn’t the absence of darkness, but rather darkness is the absence of light. Have you ever thought about that? Just the tiniest spark of light dispels the dark. And Jesus is so much more than a spark. He is the light of creation. He is brighter than the noonday sun. He illuminates our every action. He uncovers our heart. Nothing stays hidden when He is around. So when the guards come in the middle of the night, their purpose is clear to Him. The wickedness in their heart is clear to Him. Their fall from God’s law is crystal clear to Him. He sees it all, because His light shines on them and they cannot hide.

Neither can we. We can attempt to cover our actions by participating in behaviors under the cover of darkness or behind closed doors or in places we think are secret, but they are not so secret. God knows everything. He knows our actions. He knows our thoughts. He knows our heart. He sees us in the light and in the dark. And what we think we hide from Him, He still sees. There is no where to hide. His light shines through the darkest places in our lives to show us where we stand in relation to Him.

So He poses the question to us that He posed to those who met Him in the garden. We can come to Him in the temple and the synagogues and the market places and meet Him in the daylight or we can be like those guards and try to sneak in to overtake Him in the garden. Only one problem with trying to overtake Him. As John describes the scene, when they tried to take Him, the guard fell to the ground. He cannot be taken, He gave Himself up to them. He gives Himself up to us too. Will you meet Him in the light or in the dark? It’s your choice.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

We are all betrayers (Mark 14:13-21) September 10, 2016

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – John 16-18

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Mark 14:18-21
Jesus: I tell you in absolute sincerity, one of you eating with Me tonight is going to betray Me.
The twelve were upset. They looked around at each other.
Disciples (one by one): Lord, it’s not I, is it?
Jesus: It is one of you, the twelve—one of you who is dipping your bread in the same dish that I am.
The Son of Man goes to His fate. That has already been predicted in the Scriptures. But still, it will be terrible for the one who betrays Him. It would have been better for him if he had never been born.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

How would you like to be sitting at the table when Jesus said those words? “One of you will betray Me.” Wow! Here they were just finishing the Seder and Jesus makes this announcement. He knew it a long time before this, but kept it to Himself. Of course, if the disciples understood scripture the way He did, they would know He would be betrayed, but they didn’t. No one put it together until after the fact. But here was the bombshell.

These guys had traveled with Him for over three years. They heard every message. They sat with Him for every lesson. They ate with Him. Slept where He slept. Went where He went. They were His constant companions throughout His ministry. How could one of them possibly fall away and betray Him after sitting under His teaching for three years?

But listen to the question from each of the disciples. Every one of them asked Him, “Is it me? Am I the one who will betray you? I’m not the one, am I?” Did you get that? Every one of the disciples had enough doubt in their mind about their individual loyalty that they asked Jesus if they were the one that would turn Him in to the authorities. Each of them had these hidden thoughts and secret spots in their heart they thought were deep enough that no one could see. But when Jesus made His announcement about His betrayal, every one of them felt those dark spots rise to the surface and questioned their own loyalty to Christ.

Of course, Judas already knew he was the one and asked the question in a way only the guilty can, but every single disciple felt in his heart that he might have the capacity to turn against his master. That’s an important point for all of us to see in the events that unfolded around the table that night. It’s an important point for all of us to realize as we listen to the words Jesus spoke and we should take them to heart.

Every one of us have the capacity to betray Him. No matter how solid we think we are in our faith, we have the capacity to turn against Him and betray Him. No matter how good we think we are or how long we have been following Him, we have the ability to go to His enemies and plot against Him for a few pieces of silver.

You might think you’d never do that to Jesus. He’s done so much for you. He may have healed you in the past. He might have healed your children or saved you lost loved ones. He might have salvaged your marriage or rescued you from financial ruin. Jesus may have intervened in broken relationships with family or friends. He may have worked incredible miracles on your behalf and you think you could never betray Him. But listen again to the question from the lips of every one of His closest disciples, even John, His most beloved. “Lord, is it me? Am I the one who will betray you?”

All of them, without exception, after walking with Jesus for three years and listening to His voice, knew that deep within every person, we have the capacity to choose to betray Him. Adam and Eve were sinless when they chose to turn against God, remember? But we are born with the seed of sin embedded in us. God’s word says it is passed down to us through Adam’s race. We cannot escape it. We have all sinned. And so we all carry within us the capacity to betray Him.

Judas is the one who sold the plan to identify Jesus to the guards in the garden. Peter took one swipe and a guard and then fled. The rest of the disciples just fled in terror. No one stood by His side when those horrible events of that night began to unfold. All of His disciples had the capacity to betray Him and they did. They left Him to endure His fate alone. We think of Judas as the betrayer, the one who sold Jesus to His enemies, but didn’t they all betray His friendship that night? Didn’t they all desert Him and leave Him to face His pain alone in the garden? Didn’t every one of them forget their promise to stand by Him to the end?

The difference between the rest of the disciples and Judas? Eleven repented. Judas hung himself. When you think about it, we have each betrayed Jesus, too? Which path will you take? I hope it’s the path to repentance.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Do what you’ve come to do (Matthew 26:50) June 27, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Leviticus 7-9

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 26:50
Jesus: My friend, do what you have come to do.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

We know the scene well. Judas’ name is more familiar than Hitler’s. He followed Jesus and was part of the inner circle, one of the twelve. He knew Jesus better than most as the Master shared intimate information with those twelve. But something went wrong. Judas let greed or idiology or something get to him and he sold out his loyalty to the Master for just thirty pieces of silver. Despite all he had seen and heard from this man he traveled side by side with for three years, Judas betrayed Jesus to the chief priest who wanted Him dead.

Jesus knew he would do it. He identified him as the one, though the other disiciples had no idea it was Judas until it was too late to stop him. Judas slipped out of the Passover supper with the Jesus and the other disciples thought he was going on some mission as the treasurer of the group. Instead, he headed to the chief priest and gave him the sign he would use to betray Jesus in the garden. A company of soldiers accompanied him to the garden where Jesus prayed. Judas approaches Jesus and places the kiss of betrayal on His cheek. The greeting between friends. The betrayal that would begin the most excruciating ordeal of Jesus short life.

Jesus greets Judas with just a few words, “My friend, do what you have come to do.”

There are a couple of things to notice in this very short exchange between Jesus and Judas. First, Jesus called Judas friend. Jesus knew what he did and why. He knew his heart. He knew all that was about to transpire because of that betrayal. Yet Jesus still called him My friend, and I’m sure Jesus meant the words. He counted Judas as His friend.

That tells me Jesus loves us all. Saint and sinner alike, Jesus loves us. He gave His life for all of us. If He calls Judas His friend, He calls all of us friend. We are part of His creation and so He cares for us. He loves us and would do anything for our good. In fact, He did. He gave Himself to pay the penalty we should pay for our sins. Jesus doesn’t count anyone as His enemy, only His friend.

So what does that say to us? How can we spew the vitriol that sometimes comes from the mouths of so-called Christians against this group or that group when Jesus taught us to love our enemies? Does that mean Jesus condoned their actions? Never. Does it mean we condone a sinner’s actions? Never. But how can you win someone to Jesus unless they understand that you see them as a friend, not an enemy? Jesus gave us the example to follow when Judas came to Him in the garden and placed the betrayal kiss on cheek.

Is it easy for us to call everyone friend or to treat everyone as a friend? No. It’s not something we can do in our own strength. We need something beyond ourselves to demonstrate that kind of love. We need God’s Spirit living in us to enable us to love like He loves. We can’t do it alone. We need the resurrection power of that first Easter morning helping us see others as God sees them before we can truly call every person our friend. But it’s possible to do so and Jesus teaches us by His example in the garden with Judas.

The other thing I see in this short exchange is Jesus’ desire that we not procrastinate in our business with Him. Judas was a betrayer and would give His identity to those who would carry Him away to be humiliated, flogged, and crucified. We would probably want to delay the betrayal. Buy ourselves time to avoid the pain and the cross. We would try to push away the agony that was coming. But Jesus just said, get on with it. Stop playing around. Quit trying to pretend things are okay. Stand up and be counted. You are either with Me or against Me. Just own up to who you are. See, it’s only then you can see yourself and let God change you. It’s only then you can truly repent and turn toward Him for forgiveness.

For those who have come to know Jesus as Savior and asked for forgiveness of sins past, for those who have given themselves to Him as Lord of life, His words still carry an important message. Don’t procrastinate in our business with Him. He gave us a mission to do. Go make disciples. Baptize them. Teach them. Don’t wait around for all the stars to align before you do something about it. Get to it. Do His work and don’t dawdle.

Remember His words, “My friend, do what you’ve come to do.” He’s talking to all of us.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Judas had a way out (Matthew 26:21-25) June19, 2016

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Ephesians 4-6

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 26:21-25
Jesus: I tell you this: one of you here will betray Me.
The disciples, of course, were horrified.
A Disciple: Not me!
Another Disciple: It’s not me, Master, is it?
Jesus: It’s the one who shared this dish of food with Me. That is the one who will betray Me. Just as our sacred Scripture has taught, the Son of Man is on His way. But there will be nothing but misery for he who hands Him over. That man will wish he had never been born.
At that, Judas, who was indeed planning to betray Him, said,
Judas Iscariot: It’s not me, Master, is it?
Jesus: I believe you’ve just answered your own question.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

There are two things about this last supper exchange that always intrigue me. Jesus had a lot to say to His disciples during the course of that evening and all of the gospels tell us aspects of His discourse in different ways. But Jesus’ words in Matthew cause me to stop and ponder His words every time I read them.

Jesus tells His disciples one of them will betray Him. But then it seems that almost without exception each of the disciples ask if he is the one that will make the deal with the devil and betray Jesus to His enemies. Has that ever seemed odd to you? Judas was the one who would betray Jesus. In fact, he already has the money in his pocket and has given the priests the signal he will use to show them who Jesus is so there is no mistake when the soldiers capture Him in the garden.

Yet all of the disciples question Jesus because each is afraid they will become the turncoat and give Jesus over to the authorities. Each of those in that room think they have the ability to fall away and give up all they learned from Him. Each think they can fulfill the role Jesus proclaims one of them will fill. Think about that for just a moment. All of them are gathered with Him for this Passover meal. Jesus shared with them some of His last and deepest thoughts. All of them feel especially close to Him as they know they could also be part of the crowd called traitor to the crown, rioters, rabble-rousers. Those are the names the priests give Jesus and want Him arrested.

Each has the question on his lips, “Jesus, will I be the one that betrays you?” See, I think any of those disciples and any of us could be His betrayers. We could be the one that whispers to the enemy. We could be the one that nails Jesus to the cross. In fact, we all do. It’s my sins that put Him there. He died for me, for my betrayal of God.

The second thing that always strikes me about this conversation between Jesus and His disciples is Judas’ question. Judas knows. He already betrayed Jesus. He already met with the priests and took the thirty pieces of silver. He already made the plans to point Jesus out from the rest of the followers. The deed was all but done except for the kiss, the final act. But Judas had the audacity to follow suit of all the other disciples and ask, “Jesus, is it me?”

What do I learn from this? We know when we are about to give the final kiss. We know when we are on the brink of stepping across the line and going to far. Jesus gives us every opportunity to stop before we cross the line. As Paul says, with every temptation, He makes a way of escape. Judas didn’t have to be the one to betray Jesus, but he did. Judas didn’t take the warning signs from Jesus and instead carried out the act after Jesus did everything He could to give him an opportunity to escape. Remember, every other disciple carried in their heart the means of betrayal. They all questioned their motives, their resolve to follow Jesus to the end. Judas failed to take the exit when Jesus offered it. Instead, he went out of the upper room, met with the priests and soldiers, came back and placed the kiss of betrayal on Jesus cheek.

So there are three things I learn from the disciples in these short exchanges. First, all of us are susceptible to temptation and can betray Jesus if we do not keep our faith strong and our eyes on Him. Second, all of us know our position with Him. We know if we are the one selling Him out to others. Third, there is always a way of escape if we will take it. And most of the time, God points us to it pretty clearly. He makes the exit sign pretty bright, but we have to move toward the sign to get out the door. Judas answered his own question, but he still had a way out if he had chosen it.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

So what’s a few days of discomfort? (Matthew 24:9-10) May 31, 2016

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – 1 Kings 1-4

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 24:9-10
Jesus: They will hand you over to your enemies, who will torture you and then kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of Me. And many who have followed Me and claimed to love Me and sought God’s kingdom will turn away—they will abandon the faith and betray and hate one another.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

The promise Jesus gives in these two verses doesn’t sound so good does it. You might wonder who “they” includes in Jesus’ comment. Go back to the previous description of the signs of the times and you find it’s the people that claim to come in His name as the Messiah. He says some who call themselves Christians will hand you over to your enemies. If you really follow Jesus, you will be tortured, killed, hated by all nations just because you obey what Jesus says.

We’re beginning to see that today around the world. Look at what’s happening. Read the papers. Listen to the news reports. We hear only a fraction of what is happening to Christians around the globe. We hear about ISIS beheading Christians probably because the goal of ISIS is to dismantle our country. Their aim isn’t just to oust us from the middle east. They want our whole way of life ended. And that means our tolerance of any religion but Islam. They want their Sharia Laws enforced across the globe even though they don’t follow them personally.

But that’s not the only place where our enemies torture and kill true believers in Christ. We’re just getting reports from Europe in the refugee camps from the middle east that Christians are beaten, robbed of their possessions and food and sometimes killed just because they are Christian. And what do those in charge of the refugee camps do about the injuries and wrongs done to Christians? Not much if anything. They don’t want to create riots within the mostly Muslim populations, so they ignore the problem.

Then there are the African countries whose populations are increasingly turning toward Islam. Systematic genocide of Christians takes place every day. Whether through execution, unfair distribution of vital supplies in famine plagued areas, refusal to provide medical care to sick and injured. Dozens of ways are created to just let Christians perish in developing and developed countries around the world.

Even here in America, the rights and privileges of Christians are eroding day by day. As you screen the legislation proposed by state and federal agencies, the language often points directly toward Christians. We have quietly allowed our government to quell freedom of religion for those that serve the risen Lord as we increase our tolerance for all other faiths. Soon we will find even the freedoms we have in this country taken away as the end draws nearer.

But is this a time to withdraw, hide in holes, fear those that might try to silence the faithful followers of Christ? Absolutely not. The signs of the end of time are increasing just as Jesus said they would. The time we have left to share the good news of His sacrifice for our sins is drawing to a close. We have a great task in front of us. We need to share with those who would see our harm to help them know that God still loves them, despite the sin they commit. His will is not their punishment, but they choose that if they continue on the path they are on.

Today we see many doing exactly what Jesus said they would do. They claim to be followers and some might have been at one time, but when it gets hard. When Jesus says we can’t go the way of the world. When we begin to stand out from the crowd because we refuse to participate in the debachery the world calls pleasure. Many fall away. He talked about those in His parable of the sower. Those seeds sown among thorns that grow up but are choked out by their desire for the things of the world instead of keeping their eyes on the important things of God’s kingdom.

It doesn’t take much to look around and see that Jesus’ prophecies are coming true. Our grandparents probably said the same thing as they were growing up and the world continues to get worse. I just know that as Jesus uses labor as the metaphor, those birth pangs are getting closer together and more intense. I’m not sure how much closer they need to get before the labor of the final days begin, but they just don’t seem like they can be far off when you read Jesus’ prophecies.

His words to us may not sound like the most pleasant prospect for us right now. But remember, these things usher in the best days. Jesus is coming soon. And when He does, those that remain faithful to Him will join Him in a party that never ends. We will worship around the banquet table of God rejoicing with Him forever. With that in mind, what are a few days of discomfort in exchange for an eternity with Him?

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Which road will you take? (Matthew 17:22-23) April 21, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Job 31-32

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 17:22-23
Jesus: The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill Him, and on the third day, He will be resurrected, vindicated, newly alive.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

What might we do with these comments if they were made to us today? Who might Jesus be talking about and what might that betrayal mean in the context of our 21st century civilized society? Certainly we wouldn’t crucify Him on a cross as a public spectacle. Certainly we wouldn’t flog Him and parade Him through the streets throwing garbage at Him, spitting on Him, cursing Him, as He made His way to the place of His execution. Certainly we would be much more civil than the barbaric behavior of the Romans as they went through their mock trial and crucified Jesus with no just cause and cruelly abused, tortured, and crucified Him on the hillside on that bleak and awful day.

But then again…

Think back to the scenario surrounding the last days of Jesus’ ministry on earth before His betrayal. His disciples continued to pledge their loyalty to Him. The crowds were flocking to Him in droves. Jesus could barely find time to sleep and eat because of the press of the crowds. Throngs of people came to Him to hear His teachings, receive His blessings, touch His garments. They brought their sick and injured to Him. They brought those no one else could heal to Him because they knew He could do something when no one else could.

If anyone could be said to have a loyal following, Jesus did.

It reminds me of the political games we play today. Trump is our man. No wait, it’s Cruz. Oops, I meant to say Clinton, except she’s not a man, she’s a woman, so let’s change our language. Clinton is our person. That’s not right. Sanders is the one we want. Well, maybe it’s really Kasich that should be in office. Soon the race will be down to two candidates and everyone who rooted for one of those out of the race will suddenly defect. Well, he (or she) wasn’t such a great candidate after all, I really want XYZ to win. I’ll put all my weight and effort behind him (or her).

We are so fickle. We don’t know what we want in this world. We are so sure of something and then suddenly the tides changes and we’re off on something else. That’s why car dealers and IT companies and clothing manufacturers and every other business keeps pitching those ads, you know. The thing that was perfect yesterday and had our undying devotion is suddenly obsolete. Anyone still have an Atari laying around? How about one of those TR 8080s? My first real computer was an Apple IIc. How long has it been since you’ve seen one of those? It had a whole 128 KB internal memory! That’s right for you youngster, I really did mean kilobyte and it was top of the line at the time.

What would I give for that Apple IIc now? Nothing. It’s just a paperweight or a museum piece I don’t have room for. And so it is with so many things in life. We let it take first place and then discard it like so much trash.

That’s what too many people do with Jesus, too.

As long as He was passing out bread, making the lame walk, giving sight to the blind, healing the sick, confounding the scribes and Pharisees, the people around Him praised Him and lifted Jesus up. As long as Jesus did things they agreed with and made them feel good, they went along with His plan. As long as they could sit around and listen to what He had to say without His interfering with their lives in too many ways, they followed.

But when the way got tough. When Jesus started talking about taking up your cross and following. When He began to talking about following the narrow, rugged path, those feint of heart began to fall away. In fact, it got worse. Some began to find ways to undermine His message. They sought for ways to destroy Him. They looked for ways to trap Him. They even schemed to kill Him.

He knew it was coming, though and reassured His disciples that He could not be defeated. His enemies would betray Him, kill Him, and think Him defeated. But the resurrection power of Almighty God would raise Him on the third day to demonstrate His victory of sin and death.

The question for us today is, “What side are we on?” Will we try to betray Him to try to hang on to the temporary pleasures we enjoy today? Or will we take up our cross and follow Him? Which is more important to us? The temporary baubles the world dangles in front of us or the eternal rewards that come for pleasing God and doing His will? There are only two paths we can follow. We choose the path we will take. Which road will you take?

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
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