He Calls Him Friend

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He Calls Him Friend
50 But Jesus said to him, “Friend, why have you come?” Then they came and laid hands on Jesus

and took Him.

Matthew 26:50

After what you can argue is the worse betrayal in history, especially done by a kiss as we mentioned last week, it is shocking to see how Jesus reacts. From one extreme to the other, we see hate combated with love.

Every word that Jesus ever spoke here on this earth was never just an accident or off the cuff. Being the Son of God and having to be on mission his entire life, Jesus always thought before he spoke. That is why his response is so amazing. As Judas betrays him, Jesus calls him friend.

There are people in this world that relish the comeback line. There are people who actually take time to practice and think of responses when they are insulted. Others angrily grumble, only thinking of a good response after the fact.

Jesus is completely different from those types of people. He knew exactly why Judas was there. He knew that he was being betrayed to his death and yet it didn’t change his heart or perception of Judas. Jesus still loved him. He still considered him a friend, until the very end.

How quickly we can lose or give up on friends. When someone wrongs us, especially someone close, he hurts very deeply. Make no mistake, Jesus felt that hurt. While we could easily reject and turn our back on someone like Judas in our lives, Jesus still embraces them in friendship.

Judas is never given a chance to respond to Jesus’ question, instead being taken by the guards and chained up. We know from the Bible that Judas was a broken man after this event. One has to wonder if Jesus’ words of love actually only added to his turmoil that ultimately led to his death. How strangely an evil heart can react to a loving one.

We are told to be like Christ. We are told to follow his example. Has your relationship with Christ and your transformation of character allowed you to go this far? Are you able to forgive and love a friend who has wronged you? If Jesus could call Judas friend, should we not also be able to do the same? May God help you in this work.

God bless,
Pr. Steven Couto

The Judas Kiss

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The Judas Kiss

48 Now His betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him.” 49 Immediately he went up to Jesus and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed Him.

 Matthew 26:48-49

Hollywood couldn’t have done a more dramatic scene and in fact has copied this aspect of Jesus’ life in many films. Known as the kiss of death, it takes something that should be positive, heartfelt and loving and turns it into an act of betrayal, pain and death. What could have gotten into Judas’ heart to think of a kiss as a way to betray his master? Although not in the Bible, I would suggest it was Satan himself who put that in his heart. You can easily imagine a similar scene in heaven when Lucifer first began to doubt and question God. As his heart hardened and began to hate, how many times did he smile and show kindness to his God, while only wishing evil for him?

44 You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.

John 8:44

How painful must it been for Jesus to say these words. The Jews were his people, the very ones he protected, saved and deliveries from enemies. He loved them and blessed them like no other people on earth. But once he was standing in front of them, they not only rejected him, but also planned his death. That is why his words are truth.

When we are born in this world, we really are sons of the devil, born in sin and enemies of God. But God works with all his strength to adopt us into his family. He tries everything to make us sons of God.

If we don’t bend and allow God to enter, we remain children of the devil and act out his evil wishes. How many times have we given a Judas kiss in this world? How many times have we betrayed Christ for earthly gain or pleasure? When we do, we are puppets of the devil and reenact all the things he would like to do himself to God.

May we chose to not be imprisoned by the deadly ruler of this current place! We have a deliverer who can free us from this sinful bondage. Let us give our hearts to God and live a life that praises him and honors him. May we kiss his check, not in a sign of death but with eternal gratitude and love.

God bless,

Pr. Steven Couto

Hey Judas

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Hey Judas

47 And while He was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and elders of the people.

 Matthew 26:47

Next to the Devil himself, no one person is more hated in Christianity than Judas. He lived with Jesus for three years. He saw all the miracles at his hands. He was entrusted with the money purse, respected by the others and still he did what he did. It’s amazing how closely he models after Lucifer in heaven.

What could drive Judas to do such a thing? Many theologians have speculated. Some say he was always a wolf in sheep’s clothing, connected to the devil and just waiting for the right moment to pounce out for the kill. Once the work was done, as always the devil distanced himself and made Judas feel like the empty, foolish man he was- leading him to cry in despair and kill himself.

Others claim the very opposite. Some say he was a loyal believer in Jesus, though only in the traditional Jewish view. He wanted to see Jesus take his place on the throne. He wanted to be there with him at his right hand. When Jesus apparently delayed himself from the crown, or even hid away in some cases, Judas put it in his heart, “I will be the savior and force Jesus to take his place.” By trapping Jesus in a corner, Judas believed that Jesus would be forced to use his miraculous powers to save himself and finally take the throne. When Jesus, once again, refused to fight for his right, Judas realized that he had made a huge mistake and with a bitter heart hung himself.

You can study for yourself and try and see what was in Judas’ heart but in the end it is a great warning for us. If a man, who lived with Jesus, saw his miracles and knew his sermons could so dramatically reject and even attack Jesus- what is possible with us?

How careful should we be with our own connection and relationship with our Lord? Could we also give the kiss of death to Jesus? God forbid but let us work even the more to have a loving and true relationship with him.

 

God bless,

Pr. Steven Couto

God Accepts Our Limitations

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God Accepts Our Limitations

42 Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done.” 43 And He came and found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy. 44 So He left them, went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words. 45 Then He came to His disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 Rise, let us be going. See, My betrayer is at hand.”

 Matthew 26:40

How confused must the disciples have been, waking up to Jesus saying that he was being betrayed into the hands of sinners? How low their spirits must have been when they saw the reality happening right before their eyes- Judas among them.

How much did they regret closing their eyes and falling asleep? Perhaps we could have run away earlier if we had been awake! Perhaps we could have prepared to fight back if we hadn’t closed our eyes! What kind of statements ran through their heads?

How many times do we regret our decisions? How many times do we look back and put our face into our hands with shame? What would we change given the chance?

What I love about this story is that Jesus isn’t angry. He doesn’t curse them or speak down to them. He simply sees the truth in the situation- their eyes were heavy. He knows our limitations having lived in our frail bodies. He knows that we carry regret and pain inside of ourselves because we too often fail.

Jesus loves us anyways. He wakes us up and stand s beside us anyways. The one thing you can be certain about is that Jesus regrets none of his decision. Jesus faced the cross, carried it and died on it and would do it again if given the chance. Although his fear and humanity shone out while he prayed to his Father, it never overtook him.

Jesus knew what he was getting into and went ahead because of us. We may fail but he never will. Even with our limitations, Jesus proudly stands beside us.

God bless,

Pr. Steven Couto

Can You Not Pray With Me?

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Can You Not Pray With Me?

40 Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “What! Could you not watch with Me one hour?

 Matthew 26:40

It is amazing how much humanity tends to fail in the presence of God. Out of every tree in Eden, we only had to not eat from one. That was our first test. Seemed easy enough and yet we failed miserably. The world’s first brothers ends up in murder of one. Out of an entire planet only 8 are saved in the flood. God blessed an entire nation in a dessert with food, water, shelter, warmth and purpose and yet an entire generation died, minus a handful, before entering the Promised Land. The twelve tribes surrounded by enemies couldn’t still help but fight each other. The Israel Kingdom was broken up by the fourth king generation. And we could go on but instead let’s look at our verse.

All the disciples had to do was stay awake and pray. The Bible makes it very clear that they could see the anguish in Jesus. They could see that he needed them for the first time instead of them needing him. He had always been there for them. He calmed the sea. He fed the multitude. He raised the dead. He was always there but when he needed us- we went to sleep.

If Jesus was to ask us this same question, could we do it. Could we stay up an entire night and just pray silently among ourselves?

41 Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Matthew 26:41

Thank goodness that Jesus knows our weaknesses. He knows that we may even desire to do something in our hearts but our flesh just is too corrupted by sin to accomplish even the simplest of goals. But does that mean we are doomed to always be failures in God’s eyes?

Let’s look at the disciples again. They failed miserably many times while with Jesus but everything changed when they received the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Cowards became stalwarts, liars became truth preachers. It’s not that became perfect, they still had there falls, but now they did have the same power that Jesus himself had. He gave us what carried him.

We too can have this Holy Spirit and grow. We don’t have to be disappointments.

God bless,

Pr. Steven Couto

Take This Cup From Me

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Take This Cup From Me

39 He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.”

 Matthew 26:38-39

Was there another way that God could have saved humanity? Even if there was, none would be as effective and wide reaching as God’s original plan. No other plan would save more people from eternal death while also teaching the other worlds of God’s love for all of his children.

But another way or another plan was exactly what Jesus was asking from his father. As he began to feel the pain, sorrow and emptiness of all of our sins on his person, Jesus realized just how hard the next few hours would be for him. Our confident Lord, ready to leave all of heaven to die for us, now feeling what exactly that would entail was now looking for a way out.

How close did we get to being eternally lost? Just how much fear and dread was swirling inside Jesus’ soul? He did ever think that he just couldn’t do it?

These are all questions that we can only truly know the answers too when we see him face to face in heaven. But we can already know that it was extremely painful for Jesus. Our sins, the ones we continually do even after giving our hearts to him was part of the pain he felt. How sad to know that even knowing this truth we will undoubtedly sin again tomorrow and the next day.

We truly are unworthy of the gift he gave us. We daily add to the affliction he has already felt yet he saw worth in us. Jesus saw what we could be. Jesus saw who he wanted us to be. He saw us all together in heaven and even with a heart full of pain continued on.

That is the God and Lord we serve. Let us think about that in our daily lives and as we make our decisions.

16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

John 3:16-17

 

 

God bless,

Pr. Steven Couto

If It Is Possible

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If It Is Possible

38 Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me.” 39 He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.”

 Matthew 26:38-39

Just how much did Jesus suffer while praying in Gethsemane? While many people believe that the death of Christ started with the whips of the roman guards or when Jesus had to carry his own cross, I would argue that it began here in Gethsemane. I say this, not because of how we see death but how God sees it.

16 Now behold, one came and said to Him, “Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?” 17 So He said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”

Matthew 19:16-17

You will notice in this story that while the rich young ruler was desiring eternal life, Jesus claims that a person doesn’t even begin to live until he is connected to God (Jesus talks about keeping the commandments but with context you realize that it isn’t in the earthly way the Jews kept it but in the relational way Jesus could keep it because of his connection to the Father). That would mean that you lose your life the second you are separated from God. And how are we separated from God? It is by sin.

When Jesus began to accept the sins of the world upon himself in Gethsemane, he became separated from his Father. That is why he becomes unsure of God’s will including whether there could possibly be another way outside of the cross to save humanity. That is why it is an angel who must come down and answer Jesus question and not the Father telling him directly. This is why Jesus cries out ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’

More than the nails, whips, thorns, kicks, punches, spit or words, Jesus was most injured and pained by the gulf that separated himself from his Father. Never in the universe in or outside of time had there been a gap between them. This is what Jesus was willing to go through for you. This is the love of God.

 

God bless,

Pr. Steven Couto

Deeply Distressed

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Deeply Distressed

36 Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, “Sit here while I go and pray over there.” 37 And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed.

Matthew 26:36-37

This next section of Jesus’ life, I believe, is where his humanity was truly front and center. We don’t see a man who stands tall in the face of violence and pain. We don’t see a man who can, even while hungry, outwit the devil in the desert. No, we see someone who is deeply distressed. We see someone afraid and in anguish. We see someone trying to bargain with God.

But just like Job, we also see someone pushed to the every limit and yet still staying true to God and his purpose. At his lowest point Jesus prevailed and not because he was the Son of God, but because of the relationship he was able to create with his Father during the time he was a man.

That’s what makes Jesus our example. As a human being he was able to overcome through his relationship with the Father and his connection through the Holy Spirit.

There is another lesson here that we also need to understand. Jesus was desperate for help from his friends. He asked, and after almost even begged that they stay up and pray for him. How he longed for their prayers to strengthen him and perhaps for a brief moment while still awake they did.

But in the end, all of his faith and trust had to be on God. That is our reality as well. We all know the benefits and strength we get from family and friends when they help us on our spiritual journey. I’m sure all of you can think of someone who was vital in your growth as a Christian. All of that help is great but in the end, humans cannot ultimately do what only God can do for you. At some point, people will either fail you or simply not be there. At some point, your complete and utter dependence has to be put on God.

Jesus was in deep distress. We too will face these moments, but unlike Jesus we will have another helper. While Jesus could only depend on the Father and Spirit, we can also depend on Jesus himself. We can depend on the part of God which has felt our pains and worries.

And so, we don’t have any excuse to fail. If we follow His footsteps and build that same relationship, we not only can have what Jesus had while a human, but also a loving, compassionate God who has walked in our shoes.

God bless,

Pr. Steven Couto

If I Have to Die

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If I Have to Die

34 Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you that this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” 35 Peter said to Him, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!” And so said all the disciples.

Matthew 26:34-35

There is such a big difference between speaking and doing. When Jesus, very bluntly, proclaims that Peter will betray him three times we see a classic Peter reaction. He strongly disagrees, even proclaiming that he’d rather die than betray him.

Of course we all know the story. Even when just a few servants ask about his connection to Jesus, Peter shy’s away from his own words. Of course Peter isn’t alone in this. The text makes it very clear that all the disciples agree with Peter and also pledge their undying allegiance- right before running away in all directions.

That is why we must always resist judging others and their actions. I knew of a conference president from Eastern Europe who would fire any and all pastors under him who would get a divorce while employed. You can imagine the shock when he asked to be transferred to become a regular pastor in a small town in the USA only so he himself could divorce his wife and escape the consequence that he would have to do to himself. He thought himself superior in morality to the pastors below him until he himself was in their situation.

The truth is that we don’t know exactly what we would do in a situation that is only theory to us. If someone held a gun to our heads, would we be able to stand faithful to Christ or would we deny him? If we had to choose between our loved ones and salvation, could we still choose God? If tempted in the same degree as a brother who sinned, would we come out faithful or would we too fall into the same sin?

All the disciples thought they were faithful and courageous. All failed.

So what is the remedy? What is the thing that they were missing to keep them from failing?

The Holy Spirit. When they received the power and connection to God through the Holy Spirit, it changed their characters. The same Peter who denied Christ later would encourage being crucified upside down. John who kept his distance when Jesus was arrested, would be boiled in oil and imprisoned on an island for his master. All the apostles would die because of the name of Jesus. All the apostles could stand tall because God was with them in their hearts. The Holy Spirit was their strength and hope.

If we are to stand in the same way, we must carry the Holy Spirit as well.

God bless,

Pr. Steven Couto

I Will Never

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I Will Never

33 Peter answered and said to Him, “Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble.”

Matthew 26:33

Peter had a bad habit of speaking first, thinking second. He was one of the most passionate of disciples, one of the most fervent and he truly believed what he said but rarely could actually commit to his words.

In this verse Peter makes two big mistakes. The first is comparing himself to others. He somehow thought he was more than the rest. He thought he could do what none of the others could. We should never define our faith in God by how it compares with others. Our relationship and faith with God is unique. It doesn’t matter how others are. It doesn’t matter whether we are more of less than them, salvation is individual with God.

The second mistake is in using the word ‘never’. Humans should never try and live in the absolutes. We must always remember that we were born into sin and no matter how much we may want or desire something, we cannot in ourselves guarantee anything. That is why Jesus says not to make promises but to simply say yes or no. Absolutes are for God. His promises are sure and trustworthy, ours if when done with a pure heart can never be guaranteed. That is also why Jesus says just a little down the text:

41 Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Matthew 26:41

In the end, Peter denies Christ more than any other disciple. Although he tried his best, following along from a distance and wanting to know what is going to happen to Christ, he ultimately fails in living up to his words. This is course happens because he has still not received the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. When Pentecost did come, we begin to see a new Peter.

We begin to see a man who he thinks more, analyses the situation and his words to give a good and true report to whomever might be around him. We also see a man whos flesh better matches his spirit. This is something we all can experience. The Holy Spirit is waiting to create a better you if you are willing.

God bless,

Pr. Steven Couto