I have often thought about the truth that there was a woman who gave birth to the man who betrayed (ie. rebelled against) Jesus. He had a father, and perhaps siblings, and other extended family. We do not know for certain what his family life was like, but in the least, he had parents. It is possible they had died prior to this event, but again, we do not know for certain.
Judas was fully convinced he was doing what was right, and then at the last moment remorse (it doesn’t appear to be repentance) overtook him, he gave the blood money back, and committed suicide.
If they were alive at the time of the betrayal, can you imagine being the parents of Judas? The heartache would have been immense.
Consider John the Baptist. He had parents, and we know they loved Jesus (Luke 1:13-16).
Judas betrayed Jesus and committed suicide, while John offered his own life for service to Jesus, and died a martyr.
In each situation, a son died in what we would deem as “prematurely”. In each case, parents would grieve.
But God can bring hope in both situations.
If we were in control of writing a child’s story, that child would be bold for Jesus, but live a very long life, certainly never passing away until after the older generations had died.
But God did not plan it that way for every parent who is committed to following Him. For those whose children are walking with Jesus, praise God! That is an amazing blessing. For those whose children are still living in rebellion to Him, I pray that God would comfort and encourage our hearts, and give you hope in Him.
I don’t think there is anything more challenging in life than to be a parent (or any believing family member) of a child who was raised to know and love Jesus, but has chosen not to carry through with that commitment.
But God reminds me that there is hope….always hope in Him. Always hope that before that rebellious child takes his or her last breath, that God’s Spirit will interact with the child’s spirit to lead him or her into eternity with the Lord.
Resting in the character of our God gives my heart encouragement when I consider how many people I love, who know the words of the Gospel, but have chosen to make up their own truth about salvation and eternity. In the same way that Judas Iscariot believed the lie, and was carried away by worldly desires, many of our family members have chosen that same path.
But God. Those are two of the most important words in my life.
But God…those words were also meaningful to many in Scripture:
To Joseph, in Genesis 50:20: You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.
To Noah in Genesis 8:1: “But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and the livestock that were with him in the ark, and he sent a wind over the earth, and the waters receded.”
To Abraham in Genesis 21:12: “But God said to him, “Do not be so distressed about the boy and your slave woman. Listen to whatever Sarah tells you, because it is through Isaac that your offspring[a] will be reckoned.”
To Jacob in Genesis 31:5: “He said to them, “I see that your father’s attitude toward me is not what it was before, but the God of my father has been with me.”
If you do an internet search using “but God” you will find dozens of verses that will give you encouragement to rest and trust in God when life is challenging.
Please remember, Jesus knows betrayal:
John 13:21-26: “When Jesus had said this, He became troubled in spirit, and testified and said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, that one of you will betray Me.” The disciples began looking at one another, at a loss to know of which one He was speaking. There was reclining on Jesus’ bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved.”
But Jesus knows how to encourage us:
Deuteronomy 31:8: “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”
Isaiah 43:2: “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.”
2 Corinthians 1:3-4: “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”
Matthew 11:28: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
What also helps me is to know that the Lord will not do anything to harm me – He promises that in Jeremiah 29:11. He wants to bless me and the best blessings are those we will experience when we live with Jesus forever.
I also remind myself that Jesus loves every one of those I love and pray for more than I do. He gave His life for them, I didn’t. His death was more than the death people experience. His death meant bearing the wrath of God because I sinned, because you sinned, because every person sinned. Jesus, the sinless God-Man, willingly went through agony for us. Since He did all of this, I know I can trust Him with the eternal destiny of those I love and pray for. Will you choose to trust Him with me?
A Biblical teacher has said: “The most challenging things in your life become the sweetest tools of grace in his [God’s] wise and loving hands.”
If you are having trouble believing that your current heartache can become that tool of God’s grace, ask God to help you trust Him with that.
If you are struggling to trust Jesus with the eternal destiny of your loved ones, please contact me, I’d be glad to pray with you.
Living for Jesus, Donna
P.S. If this has helped you, please feel free to share it with others!
Note: If the verses for Bible references do not appear when you hover over them, go directly to the website, and they should appear for you.
Copyright 2020 Donna Shappy
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other – without the prior permission of the author.
I do not feel that linkedin is the proper platform for anyone to share their own religious beliefs. This platform was designed to connect companies with employee prospects and commendations by individuals who subscribe, not to expound on personal religious beliefs.