Wilderness Wanderings

Yesterday we heard that the enemy came with a kiss. Today we hear that a friend comes with a sword. Jesus stops both of them: the betrayal and the violence. His kingdom has room for neither.

Jesus' kingdom is a kingdom of light that operates in the open of the day. Jesus intends for his work to be seen and heard plainly. No sneaking around. No tricks or traps. No underhanded deals. No coercive uses of intimidation, bribes, or violence. None of that. Jesus is the light of the world that reveals the motives of every heart, the actions of every hand, and the loving grace of God that comes to confront, forgive, and heal them both.

But as Jesus himself proves on this night, it is not terribly advantageous to limit oneself to pure and innocent means. In a forceful, violent world—living as children of the light is a good way to wind up dead, defeated, left behind and relegated to irrelevance. The deeds of darkness are far quicker, more efficient and effective at achieving desired outcomes. A sword, an army, or a bribe of 30 pieces of silver gets things moving in a way that the slow kingdom wheels of justice, discipleship, and relationships just can't hack.

That said: to be effective, many of these deeds of darkness have to stay in the dark and remain a secret. They can't be exposed by the light of day or they will be seen for what they are: lies, injustice, and violence used to help us pursue our own ways at any cost. Their validity vanishes in an instant.

In this particular case: it was the insiders who did it. The clergy: the pastors and elders of the church. The people who should've known better if anyone did. But clergy and other leaders are no less prone to the sins of the darkness than anyone else. We also seek out our own ends, and when the ways of Jesus' Kingdom of Light doesn't quite seem powerful enough to win the day, sometimes we wait for the sun to set and resort to lesser things. So enters infighting, abuse, self-righteousness, slander, and church splits.

To all of these things, Jesus says: "No more of this!" Then Jesus picks our ears up off the ground, sticks them back on our heads, and attempts to get us all—the Judases and sword-wielding disciples alike—to hear his correcting, revealing word of truth.

Jesus' kingdom is not a rebellious kingdom that marches onward to conquer the world with swords. Nor does his kingdom operate in the darkness of divisive and deplorable means. No: it is a kingdom of light and of the way of peace; of truth, justice, and righteousness that judges the hearts of all people and that would reconcile all of them together under one King: Jesus Christ.

This means of course, that Jesus will not fight back. He will submit to this hour of darkness and wind up dead. Counterintuitively, this is the very way that his ways prevail. Rather than join the darkness, Jesus, the light, shines in the darkness—proving once and for all that the darkness cannot overcome him.

In today's text, we see just how deep and depraved sin can be. Judas' betrayal of Jesus was of the worst sort. But we also see just how determined Jesus is to bring redemption to the cosmos. He is willing to accept the betrayal from a friend so that all, including us, can be named his friends.

In those days, it was not unusual for men to exchange a kiss when they met. It was a convenient way for Judas to identify Jesus for those who had come to arrest him. It would have been very dark and those with only a cursory knowledge of Jesus and his band of twelve, could easily have arrested the wrong man.

This kiss of greeting expressed friendship and esteem, even love. Not romantic love, to be sure. But the love of friends who will go to all lengths to help each other. Giving this kind of kiss was a powerful symbol to everyone who saw it. Strangers would never greet each other with a kiss. It was a greeting reserved only for the most special of relationships. Later, Paul told the church "To greet one another with a holy kiss" (Romans 16:16).

On the very night of his betrayal, Jesus served the Passover to His disciples, including Judas. That meal was an affirmation of His covenant with them. Jesus understood what it meant to be in covenant. He knew He would have to lay down His life to empower that covenant and make it real. And just as Jesus affirmed His covenant to the other disciples that night, He confirmed it to Judas. Jesus extended His genuine love and commitment to Judas as He offered him the bread and cup, and Judas feigned commitment by accepting the bread and the cup as symbols of the covenant.

Accordingly, this method of betrayal was particularly heinous. Betraying Jesus with a kiss was about as low as a person could go. It was like saying, "You and I are best friends forever. Now please turn around so I can stab you in the back!" The kiss Judas gave was false. It revealed insincerity, bogus love, and a phony commitment. The fact that it was premeditated made it even worse. This was no last-minute, accidental betrayal; it was well-planned and very deliberate. Judas played the game all the way to the end, working closely with Jesus and remaining a part of His inner circle. Then at the appointed time, Judas drove in the dagger as deep as he could!

Judas's actions were hypocritical in the extreme—his actions said, "I respect and honor you," at the exact time he was betraying Jesus to be murdered. Judas's actions illustrate Proverbs 27:6, "Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses." Often, foes disguise themselves as friends. Evil often wears a mask to conceal its true purpose. Such deception and hypocrisy often lie at the base of sin. Sin works hard to disguise itself.

But Jesus knows what is happening, as his question, "Are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?", indicates. However, it also offers Judas one last opportunity to change course. Just hours earlier Jesus had warned his followers, "The Son of Man will go as it has been decreed. But woe to that man who betrays him!" (22:22).

Jesus will walk this road. He will accept his friend's betrayal, "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost" (19:10). And the way of salvation was through betrayal and death, "The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life" (9:22).

As Stuart Townsend sings, "Through the kisses of a friend's betrayal, He was lifted on a cruel cross; He was punished for the world's transgressions, He was suffering to save the lost; He fights for breath, He fights for me Loosing sinners from the claims of hell; And with a shout our souls are free - Death defeated by Immanuel!" (From the squalor of a borrowed stable [Immanuel] ©1999 Thankyou Music).

So, sit in that garden with Jesus, Judas, the other disciples, and the crowd coming to arrest him. See Jesus extending his hand of friendship to Judas to the very end. See that same hand extended to you. Reach out and grab hold. It is the hand of life, the hand that was dead, but is now alive, to give life to all who will take hold of it.

Gethsemane is not a word that Luke uses. But it's not that he doesn't say it.

Gethsemane is a word that translates to "oil press." Presumably the garden grove of Olive Trees on the Mount of Olives had an oil press within it, such that it was called by that name. "Gethsemane." Oil press: it is the best description not just of the place, but also of what happens here, especially as Luke tells it.

But again, Luke doesn't use that word. He just says "the place." Upon reaching "the place," Jesus told the disciples to pray so that they would not fall into temptation.

Why? Because temptation was pressing in. Satan had asked to sift the disciples like wheat. Peter had been told that he would soon disown Jesus. And they still didn't understand anything about greatness, violence, or power when it came to the kingdom of God.

Some of this had perhaps become apparent to them as Jesus rebuked and warned them while they were still at table in the upper room. Luke reports that they were exhausted from sorrow, and maybe that's why. In any case, as the press of temptations and forces hardened around them: the disciples went limp in their emotional exhaustion, desponding in sleep rather than responding in prayer.

But strong pressures were also pressing in on Jesus. Out of his humanity, he pleads for mercy. Instead, he receives strength. But it does not stop him from praying even more earnestly in anguished cries to his Father. It is here, in anguish, feeling the crushing press of Judas' betrayal, the disciples' emotional exhaustion, and the rejection and crucifixion that lay ahead that Jesus' sweat falls like drops of blood.

Luke doesn't use the word Gethsemane, but he does give the most vivid example of it. The law of firstfruits said that the first pressing of oil from one's olives belonged to God, and the second to us. So it is here.

Jesus is pressed like olives at 'the place' of Gethsemane to the point that his blood begins to drip to the ground. This first pressing is for God, offered up in anguished cries of prayer and surrender.

Of course, the second pressing on the cross would be for us. "Drink from it, all of you: this cup is the new covenant in my blood," Jesus said, after all.

This gift pressed from Jesus and given to us is exactly what strengthens us today for the prayerful battle against temptation. So: receive Jesus' gift and hear his command—it is time to awake and pray.

In chapter 9, Luke recorded how Jesus sent his 12 disciples into the villages to proclaim the gospel of the Kingdom, to cast out demons and to cure diseases. For the journey, Jesus instructed them to take nothing along. They were to depend on the hospitality of the people they encountered. Amazingly, it all went according to plan; they were well provided for as they did kingdom work, as referred to in our text.

Throughout the centuries, some Christian groups have attempted to replicate this mission, assuming that this is the normative method of proclaiming the kingdom. That is a misreading of Jesus intention. Most of the church has understood that this was a onetime mission with a onetime methodology. This conclusion is rooted in our text in which Jesus tells his disciples things are about to change.

Trouble is coming quickly. Perilous and difficult days are ahead. They will now have to fend for themselves. They can no longer depend on the good will of others.

It is important not to miss the rhetorical character of these remarks. The disciples take the comment about the sword literally—one of the disciples will even wield his sword at Jesus' arrest, a reaction Jesus rebukes as he heals the damage the sword has done. His reply, "That's enough", is a dismissal. The disciples still do not understand the nature of Jesus kingdom.

In the past it was an eye for an eye, tooth for tooth, sword for sword. You responded to danger by becoming dangerous yourself. But in his kingdom, one does not respond to violence with violence, rather, you turn the other cheek.

Jesus is about to be numbered among the sinners. He will be condemned to death as a criminal and allow himself to be crucified. Thus, the disciples are in trouble as well. He needs them to understand, and he needs us to understand, that his followers must be prepared for opposition. The Lord has in mind a toughness of character; a capacity to stand strong in the battle. He wants us to be focussed on his mission without the need for accolades nor the world's acceptance and care. What is needed is the courage of a soldier in battle, fight until you win, or you die.

As disciples, we serve as aliens in a strange land (1 Peter 2:11), as citizens of heaven (Phil. 3:20-21). We will need to draw together to support one another, while not expecting support from those who do not share our devotion to the Lord. We need to encourage each other not to pick up the weapons of the world, such a swords or guns or fists or angry words.

We are called to be wholehearted followers of the Crucified One. But the world in which we live is in the power of sin and the Evil One. Thus, it is unavoidable that scorn and hatred will be hurled towards us from those who reject God and His Christ. And the only way to remain firm in such a world is to be spiritually equipped with His power and armed with the sword of His Word.

The use of force in the vindication and extension of His church on earth has been advocated by some sections of Christendom. However, it is quite foreign to the teaching of Jesus as his rebuke, "That's enough" indicates.

Years ago, early in my years as a pastor, I used to get asked a question about marriage. All sorts of occasions gave rise to the question. Yet, each situation had a common element: husband and wife were having a disagreement. The question I got asked was always the same, "Who gets to make the final decision?"

I admit that at first, I got taken in by the question and attempted to respond with a sound biblical and theological answer. After some years of experience in preaching and pastoral care, I came to realize that the question itself was a problem. The question I was being asked, "Which of us gets the final decision?" is in essence the same as the one Jesus' disciples were debating, "Which of us is the greatest?"

It's the height of irony. As Jesus faces his death and Judas engages in betrayal, the disciples worry about their status before Jesus. Which one of them is the greatest. They are concerned with their role in any future kingdom Jesus brings in. Power, not service, dominates their thinking.

It's the same everywhere. Why all the division in our society today? Is it not about power? Why so many heated debates in the church? Is it not that each of us wants our ideas to win the day? We may say that they are about biblical truth and the purity of the church which are important matters in and of themselves. However, our debates quickly leave the high-mindedness of these virtues and descend into power plays and backroom dealings and extra meetings in the church parking lots (well, that was before ZOOM).

The dispute is significant because it impacts the unity of the community. Jesus' disciples are to be different from the world in the way they exercise their roles. Kings and rulers wield power and "lord it over" the people. That is not the type of leadership Jesus calls for. Ruling in Jesus' dictionary means service, not power. Elitism and debate about status are out.

The disciples have a special role to play in Jesus' kingdom. They will sit at the banquet, and they will rule, but not because they are the greatest. They are to lead by serving. In the world, the leader gets all the perks and receives service. She wields power and authority with a recognition that rank gives the right to direct and coerce into action.

Jesus' approach is the exact opposite. Leadership is not attaining a rank that allows one to exercise authority with one's own interests in mind. Leadership is a responsibility and a trust to exercise one's skills and energies to serve those who are led. To our shame, the church still does not understand this. Jesus' own ministry indicates how central this perspective was in his thinking. He ministered to the poor, the rejected of society, the sick, those of different race and gender, children, or anyone who had a need. Position and status meant nothing to him. The church still needs such service and such an attitude today.

The question regarding marriage is rooted in Ephesians 5:22–33. I needed to notice that it says nothing about the exercise of power. Rather, the passage exhorts husbands to mirror Christ, who gave his body for his bride and the passage calls on them to nourish and cherish their partners.

Leadership, and headship for that matter, do not call for the raw exercise of power, but a sensitive display of compassion, care, and service. Real leadership serves, even when no one is looking. God exalts those who humble themselves, even as they lead by serving.

To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca

1. Who struggles with the sin of greed?
2. Is money a sin or even a problem?
3. What is greed? Where does it come from? How does it show up in your life?
4. What are some of the consequences of greed?
5. Name some antidotes to greed.
6. How will you re-arrange your life to stem the growth of greed?
7. How much is enough?

It's reminiscent of the opening scene of the book of Job where Satan is a member of God's royal court who holds the role of accuser (which is what the title "Satan" means in Hebrew). You could think of Satan as the Crown Prosecutor. And this prosecutor wants authority from the Crown to investigate the faith of Jesus disciples. This very much is the Old Testament view of who "the Satan" is.

Of course, in New Testament accounts of "the Satan," we realize that this particular prosecutor does not necessarily have the cause of justice in mind. He doesn't just want to investigate, he wants to sift the disciples like wheat: perhaps engage in less-than-noble schemes of entrapment, coercion, and other forms of temptation. In other words, he is the spiritual embodiment of evil and lies. He doesn't merely want to discover whether or not the disciples are unfaithful, he would like to ensure that they are. But he still has to ask permission from the crown.

And that finally confirms again that God, while not sparing us from the evil and temptations of this world, is still finally in control. And while Satan may be granted permission to "sift you all like wheat," all the while Jesus prays. He is interceding for us now at the Father's right hand.

Jesus tells Peter plainly that his faith will fail. Peter will betray Jesus. Judas is not, apparently, the only disciple who would. After Peter remarks that he will go to prison and death for Jesus, Jesus switches from calling him Simon to calling him Peter, harkening back to when Jesus first gave him this new name. On this rock—Peter—Jesus would build his church, yet in the very next moment Jesus says to him: "get behind me, Satan!" Similarly here: Jesus tells Peter: "you will deny three times that you know me."

But Jesus is also praying. And Jesus has confidence. Not only in Peter's failure, but also in the fact that Peter will turn back. "When you turn back," Jesus says, not "if." And that turning around that Peter will do is what we might call "repentance."

Repentance at the invitation, prayer, and enabling power of Jesus is what undoes the work of sin and Satan. Though we may stand tempted, entrapped, and accused: Jesus continues to pray for us and to invite us to turn around—to repent and to believe. Satan's power is never stronger than the word and work of Jesus. He remains subservient to the Crown.

And so as Paul writes in Romans: "if God is for us, who can be against us?" Indeed, nothing can separate us from his love for us in Jesus Christ, our Lord!

This text is at the heart of our Christian practice. It is Jesus' gift of a ritual act to remind his church of what he was about to accomplish in his death and resurrection. Of course, it was not a new act, but a reinterpretation of a much older ritual act: the Passover.

In that sense, it's interesting to note that the Passover lamb was not an atoning sacrifice for sin. It was a sign of faithfulness to the covenant promises that God had made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It was also a sign of God's saving action on behalf of his people, saving them from the destroyer (death) and freeing them from their slavery in Egypt.

We have come to understand Jesus' work on the cross as setting us free from sin and death too: but again, it is more than that. Jesus calls it a new covenant made in his blood: a new relationship established on the firm and unshakable work of Jesus that yes, saves us from our bondage to sin, but that also gives us hope and a future in restored relationship with God and the promise of life with him in his Kingdom. Our celebration of the Lord's Supper should never say less than that we are forgiven our sin, but it should also always say more!

I'm reminded of Romans when I hear these words again, that "while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8b). The first work that Jesus does is establish a relationship with his disciples: then he saves them. The best example of this is Judas sitting at the table with Jesus.

Jesus knows that Judas is about to betray him and that the devil is already at work within him. No matter: Judas is seated at the meal. Jesus invites him to the table of fellowship and relationship just as much as the others. Jesus does not bar Judas from the table because his conduct is unworthy, sinful, un-understanding, or un-discerning. Jesus invites. Jesus gives. Judas has every opportunity to accept the invitation freely given him.

I think this fact is one of the best reasons never to refrain from partaking in the Lord's Supper, contrary to popular belief among many of us. Even if you've sinned and your life is an unreconciled mess, even if you've screwed up, or aren't in the right head space or heart space—even if you are Judas himself!—even still, Jesus invites you to eat at his table. His grace comes first. Always.

While we are still sinners—repentant or unrepentant—Jesus comes to us and seeks to establish his covenant of grace with us: inviting us to repent, respond, and believe again no matter where we're at or what we've done. So: do this, in remembrance of him. And let his gift of grace awaken, enliven, and even nourish and enable your response of grateful thanks.

In yesterday's passage, Satan makes his move, enticing Judas to betray Jesus. First time readers of this gospel will recognize that the tension has just been ramped up: one of Jesus' chosen twelve has turned against him. Will the devil's move derail Jesus from his mission? Will he deviate from the plan laid out before him? Is redemption in jeopardy?

When writing a novel, an author will usually allow this tension to build and intensify. But Luke is not interested in causing us elevated heart rates. He wants us to know that Jesus is fully in control of the situation. Jesus has already laid plans for the celebration of the Passover and sends Peter and John ahead to prepare the room and meal.

The preparations for the meal symbolize what is happening in the larger story. A divine plan was being unfolded which Satan's counterplot could not disrupt. Everything is going according to plan, God's plan. Jesus directs it all, knowing how each detail will fall into place.

The disciples faithfully follow the instructions of their teacher. He, in turn, leads by example, trusting that the Father will lead him to complete his course. Two things are central: God's sovereignty and Jesus' faithfulness in the face of it. Jesus walks into Jerusalem, fully aware of what is about to take place. He goes to meet his death. He goes to bring redemption.

On the surface, the Passover meal is being celebrated, but underneath, the Passover Lamb is preparing to offer himself after this one last meal with his disciples. This meal will forever be a reminder of our deliverance and Jesus deep trust in God as he walked towards the cross.

He meets his call with a total commitment to walk in God's way. We too face situations where God's sovereignty calls us to walk a path where he leads, though the outcome for us may be unclear. God calls us to seek his face and direction amid the questions. We are called to imitate Jesus by trusting like he does here.

Facing betrayal and death, Jesus calmly leads his disciples into the celebration of God's goodness in salvation. Though he will soon go to the cross and experience rejection, he leads his disciples in worship and reminds them of their call to follow in his steps.

Jesus rests in the knowledge that God cares for him. There will be moments in which tensions and anxieties are poured out to God through prayer, but at the base there is a sense of God's being in control and of Jesus' awareness of what is going on. All of this is reassuring to those who read Luke's account. God's control even during dire circumstances is important to recall as we face the painful circumstances of our own lives.

There are moments where we face desperate circumstances. We may struggle with God's activity in our lives, where trust is hard to come by. Perhaps we are suffering from health problems that cause us to turn more fervently to God. The way in which Jesus faced the ultimate end of his ministry is not unlike coming to grips with the hard curves that often throw trauma into our lives.

Biblical scholars enjoy debating the theories about how Jesus' death dealt with our sins. Many of them are profoundly moving, drawing together deep spiritual insight and a commitment to bring God's saving love to the needy world. Many of them have inspired Christian people with a new view of God's grace and mercy. Theories have their place. But they weren't the main thing that Jesus gave his followers.

He gave them an act to perform. Specifically, he gave them a meal to share. It is a meal that speaks more volumes than any theory. In its simplicity it reminds us that salvation is accomplished and God is in control.

Now begins the passion narrative proper. The night of Jesus' last supper with his disciples is quickly approaching.

Now, the religious leaders had been attempting to win the hearts of the crowds or catch Jesus in some heresy or political offence against Rome. But to no avail. Jesus eluded their traps and the crowds only loved him more. So the plot thickens. The leaders seek to find some way to get rid of Jesus when the crowds aren't present to see it.

Jesus had just gotten done exhorting his disciples to stand firm in their faith, keep watch, and pray so that they might be able to stand before the son of man, but apparently Judas' heart was like the hard path in the parable of the sower: Satan was able to swoop in snatch that word of Jesus away before it had chance to sprout (Luke 8:12).

"Satan entered Judas" says Luke. Way back at Jesus' temptations in the wilderness, we heard that the devil left Jesus until an opportune moment. And while those same temptations and demonic work had continually pelted Jesus all through his ministry, now the opportune moment fully arrives. Satan shows up and finds a ready host and partner in Judas.

Whatever else we may say or think about Judas, in the very least it can be said that he was not prepared for the spiritual battle of keeping watch in prayer. Somehow he became confused, mistaking Jesus for the enemy instead of the devil. Jesus would have brought Judas to life. The devil would lead him on the path of death: Jesus' death, but also his own. The words Jesus spoke over Jerusalem at his triumphal entry come to mind: "if you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes."

Did Judas do it for the money? Did he do it because he wanted to usurp Jesus' place of authority? Did he do it because he was fed up with Jesus' lack of ambition in being a political Messiah? What made his heart hard ground for the Gospel, but fruitful ground for the devil's thorns? We never do find out.

Ultimately of course, this text invites us to look not at Judas, but at ourselves. The fact that one of Jesus' closest followers and disciples betrayed him is an invitation to pause and reflect on the spiritual battle of our own discipleship. Are we softening our hearts to hear and respond to the word of Jesus? To watch and pray so that we might stand firm before him? Or are we becoming callous, allowing the small, slow sins of pride, envy, sloth and others to give the devil a foothold?

Wherever we are: Jesus' word of grace comes to us today anew: repent and believe, he says. Die in my death that you might live.