Dear BPCWAians, Over the past week, announcements and flyers have been publicising invitations to worshippers and friends to come to our Good Friday and Easter Services. This is a significant event in the Christian calendar, marking the completion of Christ’s work for us. However, let us not approach this season in the same spirit of the world where it is about Easter eggs and mere joviality. It is a time when believers should meditate upon what our Saviour did for us.

The pain of betrayal. At the last Passover, Christ declared, “Verily I say unto you, One of you which eateth with me shall betray me.” (Mk 14:18) Parents, how do you feel when your child rebels against you despite your love to them? How do you feel when someone that you had done much for betrays you? We are upset and filled with resentment when a friend betrays our confidence – when we tell someone a secret and they don’t keep it a secret. We feel that they have betrayed our trust in them. Or we feel hurt when we go through much effort to show someone we care for our concern for them, but it is not reciprocated. As one might say, without even so much as a “squeak of gratitude”. But what Christ experienced was infinitely more than that. It wasn’t a secret that was “leaked”. It wasn’t just a lack of appreciation. All this cannot be compared to what Christ experienced.

To one less familiar with the Bible, they would think that this was said perhaps either to strangers, or to a crowd that Christ was preaching to in the fields, or just to a general group of disciples. But Christ was betrayed by someone close to Him – from within the group of 12 apostles. The Apostles would have seen Him every day. They would have witnessed Christ’s tender words to the woman caught in adultery “go, and sin no more” (Jn 8:11). They would have seen Christ preaching with earnestness, and seen Christ weary, thirsting and hungry – all for the lost sheep, and for no personal gain. Judas, numbered among the 12 Apostles, would lift up his hand against his Master. Judas had intimate knowledge of Christ and His doctrines. He heard Christ preach. Watching the miracles, he could testify with absolute certainty that it was indeed miraculous. He even went out evangelising with the other Apostles, 2 by 2. In short, Judas knew Christ… But yet used that intimate knowledge to betray Christ. Judas ate with Christ. He was the one that carried the treasury bag, their daily living would be from that which Christ provided, whether directly or indirectly. As the saying goes, he bit the Hand that fed Him. It was more than the lack of gratitude. Betrayal means “to give over into “one’s” power or use”. It wasn’t secrets that Judas gave over. It was the Lord, the Person, Christ Jesus, who offered him salvation.

Christ knew. We are man. We cannot read man’s minds, nor their hearts. But Christ, Son of God and Son of man, knew with unshakeable certainty what He would face. As He walked with the Apostles, He knew exactly what was in Judas’ heart. It was in Christ’s omnipresence that Judas went over to the Jewish leaders and bargained with them. Being God, Christ witnessed this betrayal even as it happened in secret away from Him. Christ knew that Judas had such a low view of Him that he would even betray his Master for just 30 pieces of silver (Matt 26:15) – the lowly price of a slave. Christ knew what was in the heart when Judas protested about the waste of the ointment being used to anoint His feet (Jn 12:4,5), but yet bent over to wash Judas’ feet (Jn 13: 11). Yet all the while, Christ continued to warn Judas with great tenderness. In His final warning and with His gracious love, Christ sought to move the heart of his betrayer to repent by even placing him in a place of honour as He “dipped the sop, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon” (Jn 13:26). When the act of betrayal materialised, Christ yet allowed Judas to give to Him that hypocritical kiss of betrayal, saying “betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss?” (Lk 22:48) Despite all this, Christ offered him forgiveness, if Judas would repent and come to Him to seek it… but Judas never did.

Are we any better? “Betray”… that word screams of treachery. “I am no betrayer of Christ”, we say as a believer, “I don’t sell out my Lord Jesus!” Really? We betray His selfless love for us when we “trade Him” in for many things in life. Believers betraying Him is the most treacherous. Because after knowing what Christ has done in detail today, which is much more than the unregenerate Judas saw and knew in his day, betrayal is most terrible! Yes, Judas was not a true believer and he betrayed Christ because he loved money. As believers, we may not blatantly do such things. Yet when we need to be a witness for Him, we are ashamed to speak of Him. How often have we not rather have the world’s friendships, good grades, promotions, luxuries, self-ambitions, and fame, and readily forego our fellowship with our Lord? We readily forsake our quiet time, our time to worship and serve Him for all these. We despise Judas, but let us look at the mirror and ask – have I in any way betrayed my Lord who has never and will never forsake me? Is it not most frightening when we have chosen other things or someone above Christ and like Judas, still sit and eat with Christ at the table?

Let us search our hearts even as we approach Good Friday. As we partake of the Lord’s Supper in remembrance of Him, let not the familiarity of these verses breed contempt in our hearts. May this be the time that you will give your heart to Christ, forsake your sin and follow Him.

“1 Corinthians 11:25-27 After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. 26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come. 27 Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.”

Yours in our Lord’s service

Pastor