It has been said that “those who hurt us the most are those closest to us.” Surely, it is painful and discouraging to be betrayed by a close relative or friend. However, our experience doesn’t even compare to the betrayal and arrest of Jesus. We often concentrate on His death, burial, and resurrection– and rightly so, but from His betrayal and arrest, there is a wealth of information that we can learn from.
First, Jesus’s betrayal and arrest reveals God’s knowledge and wisdom. Before He ever came to earth, God foretold, “Even my own familiar friend in whom I trusted, Who ate my bread, Has lifted up his heel against me” (Psalm 41:9). Through the prophet Zechariah, we learn the Jesus was sold for “thirty pieces of silver” (Zech. 11:12-13), the legal compensation for the loss of a slave. Therefore, even before He was crucified, Jesus knew He would be betrayed, and by whom (John 6:64, 70-71). Before it even happened, Jesus confronted Judas (Matt. 26:25). All of this was within God’s foreknowledge as He planned for our redemption, just as Peter preached on the day of Pentecost.
Additionally, Jesus’ betrayal and arrest exposes the sinfulness of mankind. Majority of the time in the Scriptures, darkness is used to represent evil (1 Thess. 5:7). Therefore, consider that the disciple who betrayed Jesus planned in secret (Luke 2:1-6) and did so by the cover of night (Matt. 26:55). Even more so, Judas took a kiss, a sign of greeting and brotherly love, and turned it into a sign of betrayal (Luke 22:48), and those who came to arrest Jesus treated Him like a vile and dangerous criminal. As a result, the Lord said, “When I was with you daily in the temple, you did not try to seize Me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness.”
Finally, the betrayal and arrest of Jesus demonstrates His sacrificial love. In His infinite love, He did nothing to strike back or even defend Himself (Is. 53:7; Matt. 26:51; John 18:18) though it was within His power to escape it (John 10:18). In the end, we all understand why Jesus had to do this. It was for our sins (Eph. 5:1-2). He could not save Himself and save us at the same time. Therefore, He chose to save us.
-John Garza