The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born. Matthew 26:24.
The disciples knew nothing of the purpose of Judas. Jesus alone could read his secret. Yet He did not expose him. Jesus hungered for his soul…. His heart was crying, How can I give thee up? The constraining power of that love was felt by Judas. When the Saviour’s hands were bathing those soiled feet, and wiping them with the towel, the heart of Judas thrilled through and through with the impulse then and there to confess his sin. But he would not humble himself. He hardened his heart against repentance; and the old impulses, for the moment put aside, again controlled him. Judas was now offended at Christ’s act in washing the feet of His disciples. If Jesus could so humble Himself, he thought, He could not be Israel’s king. All hope of worldly honor in a temporal kingdom was destroyed. Judas was satisfied that there was nothing to be gained by following Christ…. He was possessed by a demon, and he resolved to complete the work he had agreed to do in betraying his Lord.15The Desire of Ages, 645.
Judas the betrayer was present at the sacramental service. He received from Jesus the emblems of His broken body and His spilled blood. He heard the words, “This do in remembrance of Me.” And sitting there in the very presence of the Lamb of God, the betrayer brooded upon his own dark purposes, and cherished his sullen, revengeful thoughts.16Ibid., 653.
At the Passover supper Jesus proved His divinity by revealing the traitor’s purpose. He tenderly included Judas in the ministry to the disciples. But the last appeal of love was unheeded. Then the case of Judas was decided, and the feet that Jesus had washed went forth to the betrayer’s work.17Ibid., 720.
Until this step was taken, Judas had not passed beyond the possibility of repentance. But when he left the presence of his Lord and his fellow disciples, the final decision had been made. He had passed the boundary line.18Ibid., 654, 655.
How many today are, like Judas, betraying their Lord? 19The S.D.A. Bible Commentary 5:1102
Conflict and Courage p. 319
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Prayer Requests
—-Please pray for E and children. R
—-Please pray for Joyce who recently had surgery. Rose
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dear Friends,
Thanksgiving—a time that is set aside to reflect on the blessings that God has given us. When our Pilgrim Fathers fled the old world and its persecution, they came to the new world unprepared for its hardships. About half of them died that first winter. If it had not been for kindness of Massasoit the Wampanoag Sachem (and my eighth great-grandfather), no doubt the rest of the Pilgrims would have perished the next year. In the first Autumn harvest, those Pilgrims were filled with thankfulness to the Great Giver of all blessings. As they and their Indian benefactors sat down to a feast of thankfulness, their hearts swelled with love and gratefulness.
As the years passed, Thanksgiving became a tradition. It became such a part of life, that eventually it was established as a national holiday. President Lincoln set aside the last Thursday of November as a day for giving special thanks to God.
Sadly, President Franklin Roosevelt added another dimension to the day by moving it to the next to the last Thursday. This he did so there would be a longer time for Christmas shopping. (In those days, stores didn’t start displaying Christmas items until after Thanksgiving.) Today, this day established to remember God and His blessings has become a day filled with too much food, men sitting around the TV watching football, their wives and daughters in the kitchen cleaning up from the meal and complaining about what their husbands and sons are doing. Sad.
Let us, this Thanksgiving Day, remember its real meaning. Let us look to the Giver of all good blessings and not the things of this world. Let us, from our heart, “give thanks unto the LORD, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people. Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him, talk ye of all his wondrous works. Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD. Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually. Remember his marvelous works that he hath done, his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth.” 1Chr 16:8-12
Rose