Why a kiss?

September 2, 2011
The Life of Jesus; read today: Judas betrays Jesus with a kiss; Matthew 26:48-50, Mark 14:44-45; Luke 22:47-48

I wonder about things sometimes.  Why was a kiss used by Judas to betray Jesus? Why use Judas at all.  Why not just have someone come and arrest him.


ESV: Luke Chapter 22
 [47] While he was still speaking, there came a crowd, and the man called Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He drew near to Jesus to kiss him, [48] but Jesus said to him, Judas, would you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?

Then one day I head a song the late Michael Card called ‘Why’.

Why did it have to be a friend who chose to betray the Lord?
and why did he use a kiss to show them, that's not what a kiss is for?
Only a friend can betray a friend, a stranger has nothing to gain.
and only a friend comes close enough to ever cause so much pain.

It all kind of makes sense when you think of those word.  Strangers would not betray Him, they would not be able to get close enough to identify Him.  For Jesus to have the full effect, it would have to be done by a friend.  A mob coming after Him would not have done it.

I have felt the betrayal of a friend, and I know I am not perfect by any means.  How much more painful would this have been, coming from one who loved Him.

I can only imagine what that paid was like.


Read for next time: Jesus answers the mob with authority; John 18:4-9