Quote from Forum Archives on April 17, 2018, 12:13 pm

Posted by: balderman <balderman@...>

These are expanded notes, and I did not use them all.  Focused primarily on how others hurt us and how we can look to Jesus for help dealing with rotten folks

 

4 – 15 – 2018       Luke 22:47 – 53

 

Luke 22:47-53 "But even as he said this, a mob approached, led by Judas, one of his twelve disciples. Judas walked over to Jesus and greeted him with a kiss.  But Jesus said, "Judas, how can you betray me, the Son of Man, with a kiss?"  When the other disciples saw what was about to happen, they exclaimed, "Lord, should we fight? We brought the swords!"  And one of them slashed at the high priest's servant and cut off his right ear.  But Jesus said, "Don't resist anymore." And he touched the place where the man's ear had been and healed him.  Then Jesus spoke to the leading priests and captains of the Temple guard and the other leaders who headed the mob. "Am I some dangerous criminal," he asked, "that you have come armed with swords and clubs to arrest me?   Why didn't you arrest me in the Temple? I was there every day. But this is your moment, the time when the power of darkness reigns."     NLT

 

When Relationships Hurt

 

How do you feel deep inside when someone close to you turns out to be against you?

 

When someone close betrays you?

 

Athletes certainly know the disappointment of a crowd roaring their name when they make a great play but instantly turning against them when they make a mistake or just have a bad game.

 

The closer Jesus was to the cross the worse the people around Him became.  Rebellion and betrayal is in almost every scene as we read this horrible account.  Judas, Temple Elite, Simon, the crowd; it seems everyone betrayed our Savior.

 

Three Ways we are betrayed

 

1. With a Kiss
1. From someone so close they were part of the "inner circle"
2. Very personal and individual
3. With someone you spent a great deal of time with and had invested into their life.
2. By your friends, family or co-workers
1. We would expect the Preachers, Pastors and Church leadership to be on Jesus' side!

                                                 i.      But here they were

1. LEADING the revolt
1. It is certainly painful when those you should be able to count on disappoint you
2. With a crowd
1. The Temple Elite had stirred up the people and gathered their soldiers to go arrest Jesus
2. The community had been stirred up into a single angry mob by the Temple Elite
3. Now they were crying out to ARREST the ONE whose miracles they sought just a few days before.
3. How Jesus responded
1. Called them to accountability

                                                 i.      This is perfectly acceptable!

                                               ii.      We don't have to "just take it"

                                            iii.      We don't have to shrink away feeling rejected and defeated

                                             iv.      There is no reason for someone else's poor judgment be hurtful to us

1. Stand up for yourself!

                                               v.      "Judas, how can you betray me, the Son of Man, with a kiss?"

1. How can you pretend to be so close to me yet betray me so easily?
2. How can you use our relationship against me?

                                             vi.      "Am I some dangerous criminal," he asked, "that you have come armed with swords and clubs to arrest me?   Why didn't you arrest me in the Temple? I was there every day

1. I work with y'all every day, but you plot against me…
2. We all play on the same team but you are say/do this?
1. Showed who they truly were

                                                 i.      But this is your moment, the time when the power of darkness reigns."

1. It is ok to tell them they are wrong
2. It is ok to tell them you deserve better
3. It is ok to tell them that you need to go a BETTER way
2. How could Jesus so boldly stand strong and hold His bullies accountable?

                                                 i.      He knew exactly who He is.

1. He was THE Child of the King

                                               ii.      He knew exactly what His purpose was

1. He was on track and doing what God had sent Him to do
2. He PLEASED God

                                            iii.      He knew His Daddy had His back!

                                             iv.      He understood that there were BIGGER FISH TO FRY!

1. He did not allow His disappointment in others to DERAIL His FAITH and OBEDIENCE to God

                                               v.      Even though we disappoint Him

1. He STILL loves us
2. He still CARES
3. He still WANTS a relationship
4. We ALSO need to make sure we are not REBELLING against God ourselves!
1. We are NOT perfect
2. We will mess this up
3. Failure is not FINAL!
5. We MUST Change
1. He calls us to accountability

                                                 i.      We MUST repent

1. We must CHANGE our rebellious attitude
1. NOTE:  Peter did, Judas did not

 

1 John 1:5-10 "This is the message he has given us to announce to you: God is light and there is no darkness in him at all.  So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness. We are not living in the truth.  But if we are living in the light of God's presence, just as Christ is, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from every sin. If we say we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and refusing to accept the truth.  But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong.  If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts."    NLT

 

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