And immediately coming up to Jesus he (Judas) said,"Hail, Rabbi, and covered him with kisses." - Matt 26:49
I've always thought that Judas betrayed the Lord with one kiss (Lk 22:48). Only yesterday did I realise that he actually kissed the Lord repeatedly or covered the Lord with kisses. It's the same word used in the father's welcome of the prodigal son (Lk 15:20), in the woman's worship of the Lord (Lk 7:38,45) and in the elders' farewell for the apostle Paul (Acts 20:37). All done out of love for the object kissed. Oh how different was Judas' motive! While to the others the kisses were priceless, Judas valued his lot at 30 pieces of silver! Can't help but think of how much I too 'betray' and 'sell' the Lord for little, worthless, empty pleasures of this world.
But see the mercy of the Lord Jesus. It's one thing to allow Judas to land a peck on the cheek while fully knowing that he has the tracks of betrayal burnt in his unrepentant mind but this is a whole different level. The Lord allowed Judas to kiss Him repeatedly. How much it must have cut the Lord's heart as He would have seen right through every touch of the betrayer's lips upon His pure skin. Seeing right through the hypocrisy. No amount of kisses could hide it from omniscience. But what grace! The Lord allows him the kisses and the Lord still calls him friend. This one who never fully understood how the Lord was guiltless until too late. He who dipped his hand into the money bag but whose greed was still not satisfied that he had to betray the Lord for the price of a slave.
If the Lord showed such mercy to Judas, how much more for us? We who have been redeemed by the price of His guiltless blood. We who have found rest and shelter under His finished work. We who are now called sons of God because we know the Son of God, welcomed and loved by the Father. We whose sins have been forgiven by the grace of God. We who are brought in to be part of the body of Christ, to be conformed to the image of Christ. May we learn to love the Lord more and more, 'covering' Him with the 'kisses' of an adoring heart and praising lips!
2 comments:
How much it must have cut the Lord's heart as He would have seen right through every touch of the betrayer's lips upon His pure skin. Seeing right through the hypocrisy. No amount of kisses could hide it from omniscience. But what grace! The Lord allows him the kisses and the Lord still calls him friend.
could it be that during those times before Judas came, the Lord might be thinking of Judas as well, what Judas might do which He already knew.
imagine knowing the other disciples who would desert Him later, and already the disciples were falling asleep and cannot keep watch.
and He also knows that Judas was gonna do the things u mentioned.
and yet the Bible tells us
Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:2)
JOY.
what an altogether lovely Saviour.
yes the Lord's grace baffles me at times.
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