Luke 22:35-71 - Loved and Forgiven

In these verses we see Judas betray Jesus with a kiss. As a result, the trust is broken between Jesus and one of His disciples. Judas’ greed takes over, and he is willing to sell out one of his friends. We see how greed, amongst other things, can easily get in the way of our relationship with Christ.

This passage is a reminder of how, on the outside, people may appear to love and follow Jesus, but in reality they are far from Him. Our relationship with Christ shouldn’t change depending on who we are with or whether we are behind closed doors.

Even though Christ experienced so much pain from the betrayal of Judas, He doesn’t become bitter. He forgives him, and His unfailing love shines through. This passage reminds us that although we fail Christ everyday and make so many mistakes, we are still forgiven and loved. We should live our lives in the same way, as 1 Pet 2:21 says, “For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps.” It is important to remember this in difficult times where we are faced with a similar situation: we should forgive as we have been forgiven, and love those who may have hurt us - just like Jesus, who died on the cross for us, has done.