Easter Family DevotionalParaugs

The Betrayal

So here we are, at the start of Passover week, when Jesus knew what was ahead for Him in the following days - He would give up His life for the salvation of every man, woman, and child. That is how great His love is for us.

However, as He prepared to face this agony, the people He had gathered closely around Him let Him down in a personal, hurtful way. The Bible even says, “Then all His disciples deserted Him and ran away.” (Mark 14:50) Can you imagine all your friends doing that to you?

Betrayal means to hurt a friend on purpose.

Judas betrayed Jesus by choosing money instead of being a loyal friend. He chose worldly treasure instead of eternal treasure. We have all had times when there is a sparkling, golden temptation in front of us, but let’s learn to choose Jesus instead of earthly treasure.

Peter was embarrassed by the chaos and gossip about Jesus; it was awkward, and he pretended he didn’t know Jesus. The moment he said it, Peter must have felt sad that he wasn’t loyal to Jesus and that he didn’t stick up for his friend. Poor Peter. Now he was in a challenging situation. One lie led to the next, and he kept saying, “No, I don’t know that man.” It’s hard to stop lying once you start!

Have you ever felt betrayed by someone? Have you ever betrayed someone’s friendship and trust? Jesus says in this scripture:

Matthew 6:14 (NLT)
"If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you.”

Do you think you can forgive people who have hurt you?

Colossians 3:13 (NLT)
“Make allowance for each other’s faults and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.”

It’s not easy to forgive, but it is an important thing to learn to do.

RESPONSE/ACTIVITY

Who can you be LOYAL and KIND to today? Your brother or sister or someone at school? Can you think of someone who is having a hard time, or going through something? How could you be an incredibly kind friend to them today? Even if they have hurt you sometime in the past, today you could turn that all around by being a faithful friend. Jesus was a faithful friend when He went to the cross for us, even though we have not always been faithful to Him.

Can you think of something special you could do for that person today to show them love and show that you are a faithful friend? Could you make them a nice card, or give them a little Easter treat?

TODAY’S PROMISE

Psalms 34:18 (NIV)

“The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”

Being betrayed is tough! We feel so hurt, confused, and disappointed. But God promises to be near us when we are broken-hearted and when we feel crushed. Jesus must have known that His Father would be with Him as He was betrayed, and this would have given Him courage to face the cross.

PRAYER

Jesus, thank You for being so faithful to us. Thank You for going to the cross even when some of Your friends had betrayed You. I want to be a faithful friend. God, please be near me when I feel hurt, so that I can forgive people who hurt me. Please help me be a kind friend to those around me and stand up for my friends when they need help. Amen.