The How is it possible that someone from Jesus' inner circle betrayed him, one of the

12 who had spent time with him learning directly from him.

We'll learn the answer today on Truth for Life.

Alistairbegg looks at the confusion, corruption, and compassion displayed on the night Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus.

We're continuing our study in chapter 22 of Luke's Gospel. In coming to verses 47 to 53 we move from a distressed Christ to events which produce a deserted Christ.

Mark in his reference to this in chapter 14 and verse 50

in five words gives us the summary of the event when he says they all deserted

him and fled. Now in trying to come to terms with the seven verses that are before us, I finally decided

that it fell into three tidy sections.

And I wonder if you'll agree with me.

There are three questions here in these seven verses. First in

verse 48 there is a question for Judas. Then in verse 49 there is a question for

Jesus and then in verse 52 there is a question for the chief priests and the

officers and the elders of the people and by means of each of these questions we can get a handle on the material before us.

Question number one introduces us to what we might refer to as an awful treachery. And of course this treachery is famous throughout the world. People who

only know a little bit about the Bible will probably know the name of Judas. They may refer

to a friend who has backstabbed them as being of Judas. They may refer to a friend who has back stabbed them as being a Judas.

And they may even do so without understanding the derivation of their epithet.

Well in point of fact it comes from the Bible here and it is the

recounting of the fact that Judas comes into the darkness of this garden scene

ready to give the predetermined signal to the accompanying crowd of who Jesus was.

Now he's very skillful in what he does.

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