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43说话之间，忽然那十二个门徒里的犹大来了，并有许多人带着刀棒，从祭司长和文士并长老那里与他同来。44卖耶稣的人曾给他们一个暗号，说：“我与谁亲嘴，谁就是他。你们把他拿住，牢牢靠靠地带去。”45犹大来了，随即到耶稣跟前说：“拉比”，便与他亲嘴。46他们就下手拿住他。

背叛竟然通过亲吻的举动发生。我想不出比这更可耻的行为了，本来是表现朋友之间友谊的举动，却被用来背叛耶稣，把他出卖给敌人。在一些关于耶稣受难的电影中，犹大被描绘成一个困惑的门徒，他希望通过把耶稣交给罗马人，从而把以色列从罗马人的手中拯救出来。但是圣经的记载并不支持这种观点;旧约中的预言也没有这样的记载，反而是详细描述了背叛的行为和动机。

旧约中有一个故事就是预言犹大的背叛，就是大卫和亚希多弗的故事。亚希多弗是大卫信任的谋士和朋友。他的建议就像上帝自己的建议一样(撒母耳记下16:23)。但是当大卫的儿子押沙龙反叛，想要夺取他父亲的王位时，亚希多弗就叛变了。他对大卫失去了信心，转而支持胜利的一方。我想犹大也是这样。他对耶稣失去了信心。他认为跟随耶稣是赚不到什么钱的，而犹太领袖和罗马人是更强大的一方，是胜利的一方。大卫曾经在诗篇41篇谈到亚希多弗对他的背叛，这段记载，也帮助我们理解耶稣被犹大背叛，他所经历的痛苦的是多么深。“连我知己的朋友，我所倚靠吃过我饭的，也用脚踢我。”(诗篇41:9)。每一种背叛都会给人带来伤害，但对亲密朋友的背叛是最伤人的。

今天我们从这个故事中学到了什么?我们在生活中也会经历背叛，来自朋友、商业伙伴等等。耶稣比我们更了解那是什么感觉。在耶稣身上，我们找到了一个真正的朋友，一个永远不会背叛我们、让我们失望的人。

祷告:主耶稣啊，你是我最亲爱的朋友，因为借着你的恩典，你使我属于你自己。尽管在生活中，我经历许多伤害和失望，但你却从来没有离弃过我，也永远不会离弃我。求你藉着你的恩典，使我永远忠心信靠你。阿们。

Mark 14:43-45:  Just as he was speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, appeared. With him was a crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests, the teachers of the law, and the elders. ⁴⁴ Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: “The one I kiss is the man; arrest him and lead him away under guard.” ⁴⁵ Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, “Rabbi!” and kissed him. ⁴⁶ The men seized Jesus and arrested him. (NIV)

Betrayed with a kiss. I don’t think we could imagine a more ignominious act than this, an act of friendship offered by a friend that was used to betray Jesus to his enemies. In some of the movies you see about the passion, Judas is portrayed as a confused disciple who hoped to push to redeem Israel from the hands of the Romans by betraying him into their hands. The Biblical narrative does not support this; nor do the prophecies from the Old Testament, which detail both the action and the motive.

There was a prophetic type of Judas in the Old Testament. Ahithophel was David’s trusted counselor and friend. His advice was like the advice of God himself (2 Samuel 16:23). When Absalom rebelled and wanted to take his father’s throne, Ahithophel switched sides. He lost faith in David as the king and went over to the winning side. I think that the same happened with Judas. He lost faith in Jesus. There was no money to be made in following him and the Jewish leaders with the Romans were the winning side. David spoke of his betrayal by Ahithophel, and in doing so, gives us the depth of the pain that Jesus experienced as well. “Even my close friend,someone I trusted, one who shared my bread, has turned against me” (Psalm 41:9). Every betrayal hurts, but the betrayal of a close friend hurts the most.

What do we learn today in this story? We will also experience betrayal in our lives, from friends and business associates and the like. Jesus knows what that is like in a far greater way than we will ever experience. In him we find a true Friend, one who will never betray us or disappoint us.

Prayer:  Lord Jesus, I can count you as my dear Friend, because by your grace, you have counted me as yours. In all of life’s disappointments, you have never forsaken me, and you never will. I pray that by your grace I will always be faithful to you as long as I live. Amen.