What Jesus Did! 'Treachery Lurks Below the Surface' — John 6:70-71

Wednesday, May 18, 2022

ToGather: Freed to Serve

Jesus paid the price to free us from sin, death, and hell so we could serve others in love.

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Then Jesus said, "I chose the twelve of you, but one is a devil." He was speaking of Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, one of the Twelve, who would later betray him.
— John 6:70-71 NLT

Key Thought

We know the story before we read it. Lurking in the shadows was the traitor. Treachery was afoot. Scripture doesn't explicitly tell us why Judas betrayed Jesus, but at least part of the motivation may have been just the money.  [1] The Holy Spirit tells us that Judas did betray Jesus — and already, Jesus knew that Judas would betray him. Quite remarkably, Jesus did the heart of his ministry and offered his deepest and most genuine service to his disciples knowing all the while that one of them would hand him over to be tortured and crucified. I don't know about you, but that is a bittersweet comfort to me. Bitter, because I hate that the Lord Jesus, who created all that is in our world, had to face such a heartbreaking breach of trust. Sweet, because I know he knows what betrayal and suffering are like — not just as God, but also as a brokenhearted friend who has been betrayed for inexplicable reasons. Sounds like my world. Sounds even more like my Savior!

[1] Matthew 26:14-15; John 12:6, 13:27-30.

Today's Prayer

Holy God, Creator and Sustainer of all that is, thank you. Thank you for not being a god who is far off. Thank you for living in my world and bearing the brunt of its brokenness. Please bless me with confidence as I approach you and may I always remember that you know the deepest pains of my heart from experience and not just from omniscience. Thank you for revealing yourself in Jesus, in whose name I pray. Amen.

Related Scripture Readings

  • John 13:1-5
  • Matthew 26:16
  • John 13:21-30

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Illustration

Illustration of John 6:70-71 NLT — Then Jesus said, "I chose the twelve of you, but one is a devil." He was speaking of Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, one of the Twelve, who would later betray him.

About This Devotional

What Jesus Did! is a series of one-year devotional guides through each gospel, using one short scripture passage each day and following the Gospel in sequential order. Each devotional consists of a scripture passage and a reflection and a prayer which open up the day's scripture and show how it challenges you to live for Jesus.

What Jesus Did! is written by Phil Ware and is available in book form.

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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