Luke 22:47-53 Betrayed with a Kiss
Format for Your Devotions
Instructions: Do not read my example devotion until you have completed your own devotional time in the scriptures. Reading my thoughts first may limit your own understanding. Let the Holy Spirit speak to you alone before looking to see what anyone else has to say, whether it is me, a Bible commentary, or a friend. Let God speak to you before you let another person speak to you. I have provided a format, but modify it to fit your needs. For example, I usually combine my application and prayer together talking to God about the application to my own life. You can go through this devotion process mentally, speaking out loud, or in writing as you wish. Don’t worry if you are not following this process exactly. Sometimes, I add extra information and sometimes I emphasize one part more than others. However, you should always think about what you learn about God from this passage.
Step 1: Pray–Ask for the Holy Spirit’s guidance first of all and that God may reveal the lessons that He wants you to have that day. Request that God protect you from Satan’s distractions (and the devil will try to distract you whether it is pinching the baby or putting you to sleep). Ask to see God more clearly as you read and think about the passage.
Step 2: Read the passage–Read to get an overview of the information first. Then start looking at specific parts after the first reading. You may read a larger or smaller section than I have here because you do not have to follow my organization at all.
Step 3: Understand the passage–You can summarize, ask and answer your own questions about the passage, visualize the story, analyze the characters, and relate this passage to other scriptures and personal experiences.
Step 4: What does this reveal about God?–What do you learn about the Father, Son, and/or Holy Spirit from this passage?
Step 5: Apply this to your own life.
Step 6: Prayer
My Example Devotion: December 9, 2018 Luke 22:47-53
Note: In the devotion examples, I leave my questions and thought processes in the text because I am trying to demonstrate that a devotional time is a dialogue with God about what you are reading from His word. As such, any questions or ideas that you have should be explored by talking it out with God. These example devotions are not my attempts to teach you what the meaning of a particular scripture is. They are an attempt to teach you the process of devotions, which is a combination of prayer and Bible study where you explore ideas with God as you read His word.
While he was still speaking, there came a crowd, and the man called Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He drew near to Jesus to kiss him, but Jesus said to him, “Judas, would you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?” And when those who were around him saw what would follow, they said, “Lord, shall we strike with the sword?” And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear. But Jesus said, “No more of this!” And he touched his ear and healed him. Then Jesus said to the chief priests and officers of the temple and elders, who had come out against him, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs? When I was with you day after day in the temple, you did not lay hands on me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness.”
(Understanding the Text) What was Judas thinking as he led the crowd of soldiers and chief priests and their servants, officers of the temple, and elders through the dark streets of Jerusalem and on up the Mount of Olives to the garden of Gethsemane? Was he proud of himself that he had the attention of important men? Was he imagining Jesus smiting down the Roman soldiers? Was he troubled by what he was doing at all? I am sure that the Holy Spirit had been trying to reach him all along, but Judas had hardened his heart so much that he might have heard nothing. Doubts may have arose, but he brushed them aside and went back to dreaming of whatever convoluted goals that he was trying to achieve with this betrayal. That is, until the final step of betrayal when he stepped up to his Master and tried to kiss Him in the normal friendly greeting. Then, Jesus looked into Judas’ eyes and opened his soul and Judas was exposed to himself for what he was. Jesus showed with His words and look that the earlier hints at the supper were true. Jesus had known Judas’ plans all along and let them go forward not because He was cooperating with Judas, but because He was letting Judas have his choice to reject God.
Peter, James, and John were there. We know that Peter had a sword, and earlier the disciples said that they had two swords, so I wonder if James also had a sword, and maybe James was the one who asked if they should use their swords while Peter simply reacted to a situation that he had feared, and maybe he dreamed of being the hero of the situation. He was ready to defend his master to the end, but His Master refused the service.
Here, Jesus practiced the very advice that He had given. He did good to the ones who had come to persecute Him. He healed the servant’s ear. I wonder what the servant thought during the following events as he watched the man who had miraculously healed him being tried, whipped, and crucified. Was the servant so hardened that he did not care, or was the healing a turning point in his life? After the resurrection, did he change allegiances and become a follower of the Messiah?
(Revelation of God) Jesus states His innocence and their guilt here and only here. Later, He will not defend Himself, but here in the beginning He shows them their hypocrisy and evil intents. “But this is your hour, and the power of darkness” With these words, Jesus began the process of letting Satan have unlimited access to do with Him whatever Satan wanted. This seemed to be Jesus’ trial, but in reality, Satan was just as much on trial here, and as the universe watched, Satan revealed what would have happened to heaven under his rule. He revealed his methods which were in stark contrast to those of God. As the events played out and Satan used every weapon in his arsenal to attempt to get Jesus to misstep and sin or else give up on humanity and return to the Father’s bosom, the universe was sure not only that they were right to reject Satan’s alluring words, but also that the God that they served was worthy beyond anything they had imagined. It was Satan’s hour and he failed. He may have succeeded in small ways with me and others, but he utterly failed to keep the rulership of this world. By letting him do his worse, Jesus won the world back for humans.
(Application / Prayer) My application for myself is that the worst has happened. God was dead, killed by Satan, but God did not stay dead. Death became meaningless for me, and every other human, at the cross. Unfortunately, we forget that too often. Out of the worst came the best that could have happened. Jesus rose from the grave and is now my king and elder brother. He is my representative before God. I need to be confident that Jesus loves me and is taking care of me right now. I always forget Your love. Help me to remember that You love me, and I can trust You to always love me and care for me. I need confidence in You and Your love because I am so weak in faith.