WEDNESDAY March 27, 2024
Jesus’ Hour Had Come
“The hour has come; behold, the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going. See, My betrayer is at hand.”
Mark 14:41-42
In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus agonized in prayer. His hour had come––the time of His suffering. The scale of what He was about to face caused Him to pray even more intensely: And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground (Luke 22:44). Through the power of prayer, Jesus was able to endure all that would soon happen to Him.
Jesus had asked His Disciples to be watchful and pray, but three times He found them sleeping. His betrayer was approaching. Jesus’ hour was at hand. He would be betrayed by Judas, one of the Twelve who was with Him in His ministry. Jesus would be handed over to sinners.
Judas’ disloyalty is written in Psalm 41:9: Even my own familiar friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted up his heel against me. Do you think Jesus treated Judas any differently from the others? Consider the Savior’s actions:
Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end (John 13:1).
Jesus loved all His Disciples, even Judas. His love has no end––it is an everlasting love. He loved all the people, but in His love, He calls all sinners to repentance: ...I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance (Mark 2:17). Those who respond to His love and repent are called His own. They belong to Him.
Judas, although he walked with Jesus, was not saved. He was not one of His own. He willfully chose to reject Jesus’ love and mercy and betrayed Him instead. His was a sad end. What will be your end?
The reason we have this inner conviction that death is not the end––and that Heaven exists––is because we were created in the image of God.
~Billy Graham~
For more from Raul Ries, please visit SomebodyLovesYou.com!
