The Final Lessons: A Holy Week Planنموونە

Betrayal

Betrayal is heart wrenching.

Have you experienced betrayal? How did it affect you then? How does it still affect you?

In His final hours, Jesus experienced two separate blows of betrayal.

Read John 13:21-30, 36-38.

How are the two situations similar? How are they different?

Knowing Jesus was fully man and He experienced real emotions, how do you think this affected Him?

Matthew 27:3 tells us that Judas was paid 30 pieces of silver for Jesus. 30 pieces of silver to totally sell Him out. He tried to give the money back, but it was too late, Jesus had already been delivered over to the authorities.

It is easy to gasp at Judas, in shock that someone would sell out Jesus.

And what about Peter? Was walking on water (see Matthew 14:22-32), and being rescued when he sunk, not enough to secure his love and devotion? Would he really deny the Christ that had just washed his feet?

Yes. We are in familiar company.

But there is very good news for us:

Read Romans 8:38-39.

You can’t mess this up. Nothing you could do would change His love. Nothing you could do could change the work that He has done in you. Nothing you could do will separate you from Him.

We’ve been having a really hard time with parenting lately. We're at the end of ourselves, crying out to God for Him to lead us in parenting. One thing I started doing a few weeks ago was adding 2 chocolate hearts into the lunch boxes each day. Inevitably we have issues getting out of the house and to school on time; tantrums and tears abound. Before walking into school, I grab my girl’s hand, lean down and whisper in her ear, “What do the two chocolate hearts in your lunch box remind you of?” She knows now. She smiles her sweetest smile that melts this mama’s heart back to grace, and tells me, “That you and Daddy love me and nothing I do will change that.”

I don’t know what choices you’ve made or betrayals you’ve experienced, but I know this:

That your Daddy loves you and nothing you could do will change that.