Fake Friends

Mark 14: ⁴³ And immediately, while He was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders. ⁴⁴ Now His betrayer had given them a signal, saying, “Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him and lead Him away safely.”

⁴⁵ As soon as he had come, immediately he went up to Him and said to Him, “Rabbi, Rabbi!” and kissed Him.

⁴⁶ Then they laid their hands on Him and took Him. ⁴⁷ And one of those who stood by drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear.

⁴⁸ Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to take Me? ⁴⁹ I was daily with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize Me. But the Scriptures must be fulfilled.”

⁵⁰ Then they all forsook Him and fled.

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“He called me the wrong name again!” I said to myself. He would greet me with the warmest greeting, but when someone important walked in the room, he would leave our conversation. This, however, was the guy to know. “How can I get noticed by him?” was my thought.

• Sometimes I have sought out fake friends.
• Sometimes I wanted to be in the “in” crowd so much that I would settle for fake friends.
• Sometimes I was popular enough that I was a fake friend to people.

Hundreds of people are pictured here in this passage, yet JESUS had no friend. The army of hundreds had no feeling towards HIM and Judas put on the act of love when his heart was filled with deceit. Not even the disciples acted like a friend as they forsook HIM and fled. BUT JESUS does something different.

• JESUS says to me “Greater love hath no man than this, that a MAN lay down HIS life for HIS friends.”
• JESUS says to me ”I have called you friends, because everything I have learned from MY FATHER I have made known to you.
• JESUS says to me “I will never leave you or forsake you.”

At times JESUS has been my only friend. When the winds of life are blowing hard against me and those around me are questioning me, JESUS has been right there comforting me and lifting me up. HIS love endures forever and HE shows me that friendship is not about leaving it is about loving.

• Has everyone left you?
• Do you feel alone?
• Can you take some time to be a friend to someone today?”