How would you react if you knew you were about to be betrayed? Would you be joyful about it? Or would you be planning a vengeful counterstrike? Would you look forward to it. Or would you cringe in anticipation of the fall out? Jesus reacted in an unexpected way.
Being betrayed into the hands of those who want to harm us can cause fear and anxiety. It can be especially upsetting if we have done nothing to deserve the harm nor the betrayal. If you have ever been betrayed in this way, you know the pain that comes with it.
Jesus was betrayed in just this way. Just prior to this passage, Judas has left to go betray Jesus. He is about to lead the soldiers to capture Jesus so He can be turned over to the Jewish leadership who will condemn Him to death. Yet, look at Jesus’ response. He states that He has been glorified and God has been glorified in Him.
Jesus, rather than mourning over the betrayal, states that He will be glorified in God. He knows it will happen within the next few hours. He knows He is about to face excruciating pain. Yet, He is speaking of God’s glory. Jesus will soon ask the Father to remove this suffering from Him, but He will submit to the Father’s will. Jesus is focused on glorifying God rather than satisfying His human desires.
We may never be betrayed to such a painful death as Jesus was. It is likely we will be betrayed by someone in some way, even if small, during our lifetimes. If we are betrayed because of our faith in Jesus, we should glorify God. Not only has Jesus set this example for us, but so have the apostles and many other Christians before us.
I pray we all know that Jesus focused on glorifying God. I pray we see His example and choose to follow it. I pray each one of us will use even the smallest of betrayals to glorify God. Focus on glorifying God. Follow Jesus’ example. Hold on to your faith.
John 13:31-32 When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once.”
Marty Pressey 