Good Friday 2010

#1 The Betrayal John 18:1-11

It’s so easy to pass judgment on Judas for his betrayal.

It’s straightforward.

Judas told the guys who were after Jesus where and when they could find him.

He points Jesus out and they drag Jesus away.

Judas was evil, right?

We think so anyway.

We never really do find out what Judas had on his mind.

Did they offer him tons of money or a powerful seat on the Budget Committee or something?

Was he an evil guy?

Or did the devil make him do it?

Apparently that’s not really the point of the story but it is the part we tend to focus on.

Is that because we want to be confident that we don’t have any Judas tendencies ourselves?

True, maybe we’re not the followers of Jesus that we would like to be ideally.

But we’re working on it and that’s what counts, right?

Have you ever paid much attention to Peter here?

Peter cuts off the high priest’s slave’s ear and Jesus is mad at him.

Jesus tells Peter to back off because Jesus is not going to be stopped.

Jesus is going to let himself be bound and questioned and beaten.

And ultimately crucified.

Jesus is single minded in offering up his life as a sacrifice for us.

Nothing is going to stop Jesus from surrendering to the cross.

How can we even comprehend that?

Because that hasn’t changed from then to now.

Jesus is still single minded in offering to us salvation.

Not a real popular word nowadays.

Because in order to need saving we have to think about what’s wrong with us…

Why we can’t just fix it ourselves, and what we might need saving from.

Think about this.

Jesus didn’t get mad at Judas for betraying him

But Jesus did get mad at Peter for trying to stop Jesus from giving himself over.

Peter betrayed Jesus in a way that was more dangerous than what Judas did.

Judas knew he was betraying Jesus.

But Peter thought he knew what was best for Jesus.

Peter was wrong though…he didn’t know.

Jesus knows that we are broken inside and that we can’t fix ourselves.

Jesus knows that only the love and grace and mercy of God are big enough and powerful enough to fix what’s broken inside of all of us.

We cannot come up with a good enough plan to do what Jesus does for us on the cross.

If only we would stop trying to figure out how to do it ourselves….like Peter.

If only we would surrender.

Who is our example?

Peter, drawing his sword?

Or Jesus, rebuking the very idea of getting in the way of surrendering to the plan for salvation?

Are you getting in the way of what Jesus has in mind for you?

If you are, stop.

Let go, step back.

Put your sword back in its sheath.

On Palm Sunday we sang the song All For Love.

This is part of that song:

What would make You turn away from glory

Laying down your life to save the world

Giving up your throne, giving up your throne

For a crown of thorns.

All for love, you gave it all for love…with every drop of blood…

You gave it all for love.

Jesus gave it all for love…surrender to his love.