Soon after Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist, he began to preach, so the Bible tells. At the Sea of Galilee, Jesus invited two sets of brothers, fishermen busy with their nets, to follow him. They left their boats and nets behind and even without knowing anything about him, they followed. These four, Peter and Simon, then James and John became the first of the Twelve Disciples, and were with Jesus until the end.
Jesus' ministry was magnetic. Twelve men following the One, learned to heal as He healed, teach as He taught, love as he loved. Many others began to follow, women as well as men. Goodness and mercy was their ambition; the Pharisees their adversaries. But Jesus continued to minister to those who had no names, to those who needed love, or healing, or miracles. Jesus loved the people, and especially those who had no chance for fulfillment of health or heart other than from his own touch.
His name became one to call out for help. Jew and stranger, all the same, needed His touch.
Wherever Jesus went He worked miracles. Yet even His own disciples were confused about where his power came from. And his destiny. They could not totally comprehend that He was truly of God. How could he walk on water? Calm the storm? Feed thousands with nothing but a couple old fish and a loaf or two of bread? Yet they followed. And they wanted to be like Him, although they did not at all understand his mission in the world.
The disciples were common men who made mistakes. They got jealous of each other. They could be stubborn. And Jesus stories frustrated them as they so often could not understand them. Yet the parables proved effective for teaching and have been remembered for centuries.
Jesus' years on this earth were not many, but the changes wrought from His days here have never before or since made an impression such as Jesus years made.
But Jesus was to be betrayed by one of his own. And it happened in this way:
The Thursday before Judas' betrayal of Jesus, Jesus made a triumphant entry into Jerusalem. People cried out, "Hosanna in the Highest" and "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord" They spread palm branches before Him as he rode in on a borrowed donkey.
Their joy lasted through their supper together. Jesus spent the time giving them one last lesson and one last reminder. First, He washed their feet to remind them to always have a servant-heart for others. Later, they ate their bread and drank their wine to acknowledge that Jesus Himself was broken bread and poured-out wine. They should always remember him through those two things.
After dinner, they left to go to the Garden of Gethsemene on the Mt. of Olives. as Jesus wanted to pray to the Father. Jesus knew His time had come.
Before long, Judas came with a group of men who had come to arrest Jesus. But Judas came to him as a brother, and kissed Jesus......a kiss of betrayal long remembered in the world.
May you and I never betray our Savior with a lie such as the kiss of Judas!
Through this weekend of Jesus' crucifixion, let us be reminded .....He hung on a cross...for you and me. ...Let us remember the love for us He has given by dying so that we might live in Him!
Now, all for Him!
Jo in MN
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