Have You Betrayed Jesus?

With great triumph, in full majesty, the victory of all victories, Jesus suffered, was crucified, buried, and then He got up.  We've celebrated another season of Easter, and the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  We've been reminded of the events leading up to the crucifixion beginning with the betrayal by one of His inner circle of 12 disciples, Judas Iscariot. And I had to think and consider if Judas' demons of greed and envy were any different from my own, or even yours.  Have I betrayed Jesus? Have you? When was my last betrayal? Why did I do it?  What about you?  You may even be thinking, what is betrayal?  Glad you asked.  Betrayal is to be disloyal, act treacherously or deceitfully toward another, sell out, double cross, delude or mislead.  What will it take for me to betray Jesus?  Is it 30 pieces of silver, as was the case with Judas?  Will I betray Jesus for more? Or even for less? Remember, if we betray one of the least of these, His people, we have betrayed Him.

Have I asked for forgiveness?  I wonder how things would have been different had Judas asked for forgiveness. Would Jesus have forgiven Judas' sins?  Could Judas have done things differently, so much so that he would not have taken his own life?

We've all been reminded of Jesus' prayer as He hung on that old rugged cross.  He said "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." (See Luke 23:34.)  Who was Jesus praying for?  Was I included in that prayer? Were you? Yes, thank you Jesus.  All too often, we mindlessly do and say things that are so ungodly, so unbecoming a Christian, so unkind, so disobedient. We can and must ask for forgiveness.  Jesus has promised that He will forgive us in the same measure that we forgive others.  When you pray the Lord's prayer, be mindful of that condition -- "and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors" (see Matthew 6:12).