“… on the night He was betrayed….”

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“…on the Night in Which He was Betrayed….”

Hindu Smart Girl 0:00-2:35

Intro:

Have you ever been betrayed? Betrayal is defined as: to be unfaithful, to violate a confidence. Many of us have felt the sting of betrayal. Betrayal can come from a loved one, a company we’ve worked at for years, or even other believers.

Jesus was not the first person to suffer from betrayal in Scripture. Abel, Joseph, and Moses knew the taste of being betrayed.

David wrote a psalm where his emotions come through clearly on the topic:

“Malicious witnesses testify against me. They accuse me of crimes I know nothing about. They repay me evil for good. I am sick with despair. Yet when they were ill, I grieved for them. I denied myself by fasting for them, but my prayers returned unanswered. I was sad, as though they were my friends or family as if I were grieving for my own mother.” Ps. 35:11-14 (NLT)

Here is David again, in Ps. 55:12-14,

“For it is not an enemy who reproaches me; then I could bear it. Nor is it one who hates me who has exalted himself against me. Then I could hide from him. But it was you, a man my equal; my companion and my acquaintance. We took sweet counsel together, and walked to the house of God in the throng….” Put another way, “If a stranger had done this I might have been able to accept it. But I trusted you!”

“This isn’t the neighborhood bully mocking me—I could take that.
This isn’t a foreign devil spitting invective—I could tune that out.
It’s you! We grew up together! You! My best friend!
Those long hours of leisure as we walked arm in arm, God a third party to our conversation.” (Message)

QUESTION:    How do we handle being betrayed?

Do we isolate, strike back, get depressed? Do we put up walls; barriers to make sure no one can ever again hurt us?

 One thing we don’t want to do is lash out at others because we were betrayed. “Hurt people hurt people!”

Another lady who felt the sting of betrayal was Mary, the brother of Lazarus. She felt betrayed by the Lord! Can you hear the pain in her voice: “If you had been here my brother would not have died.”?  Don’t let the betrayal change you! You cannot control being betrayed, but you can control your reaction to it.

HERE IS HOW THE LORD WANTS US TO DEAL WITH BETRAYAL:

  1. Kept Being Thankful. (I Cor. 11:24)
    1. Jesus gave thanks and broke the bread, which represented His life. I spoke on this a few months ago during communion. But how special that He is giving thanks “on the night in which He was betrayed….”
    2. Like the 10 lepers, it’s hard to find people who are grateful even when they get good news, like being healed. Imagine how difficult to find those who are thankful even when they are being betrayed! Not thankful for the betrayal, but thankful through the treachery.
  2. Kept Being Connected
    1. Jesus ate with His friends. He did not fear further rejection (though it came- all but one abandoned Him at the Cross, and His closest three friends slept while he was in agonizing prayer). He stayed open to them. Not only that, but in Jn. 15:15, He strengthens their relationship from Teacher/ Student to “Friends.”
  3. Kept Serving (Jn. 13:1-10)
    1. Jesus stayed “outward looking.” When we are hurt, often we wish to turn inward. That’s understandable, but not healthy.
    2. Jesus did not just serve- He took the most menial duty of a servant. If we are hurt, sometimes we respond by trying to convince everyone of our importance. Jesus didn’t want a title, He wanted a towel.
    3. When we are hurt, one of the best things we can do is find someone we can help. Help in Children’s Church, go with our team to the Nursing Homes, bring food to someone who is sick, or go volunteer where there is a need. It will get our eyes off our problems and hurts, and back on a needy world that the Lord loves.
  4. Kept Believing
    1. Jesus knew the Father would be there for Him. He said He could ask and receive a legion of angels to come help Him if He wanted.
    2. That Hindu girl we saw in the video kept believing. And this is what happened: 2:35-5:45
  5. Kept Singing (Matt. 26:30)

Can you imagine, in the middle of being deceived, an object of treachery, finding those you trusted to be disloyal, can you imagine singing???

Singing is a powerful thing.

  • We can receive direction from the Lord (II Ki. 3:15)
  • We put down roots in the Word of God (Col. 3:16)
  • We testify to the lost (Ps. 105:1-2)
  • We are strengthened for future trials (Ac. 16:25)
  • We receive joy (Ps. 5:11)

What did Jesus and the disciples sing?

  1. They sang Ps. 118, the last “Passover Song” of the night. Look at some of these verses, that had been sung for Passovers for hundreds of years prior to that nigh
  2. In the middle of Jesus’ greatest trial, He sang,
  3. (have the congregation stand and recite these verses)
    1. 6 “The Lord is on my side, I will not fear. What can man do to me?
    2. 17 “I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord!”
    3. 24  “This is the day the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it!”
    4. 26 “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! We have blessed you from the house of the Lord!”
    5. 28 “You are my God, and I will praise you. You are my God, I will exalt you!”
    6. 29 “Oh, give thanks to the Lord for He is good! For His mercy endures forever!”

     

    Singing songs of victory in the middle of betrayal testifies of God’s faithfulness. Ps. 30:11-12 “you have turned for me my mourning into dancing, you have put off my sackcloth, and clothed me with gladness, to the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever!”

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