Live to Love Scripture Encouragement John 18.2

John 18:2 “Now Judas also, who was betraying Him, knew the place, for Jesus had often met there with His disciples.” Yesterday we saw from John 18:1 that Jesus knew where to meet up with the devil in Judas. Today’s verse reveals that Satan in Judas also knew where to find Jesus at that hour of the evening because Judas knew where they usually rested. Some commentators suggest that Jesus and His disciples perhaps slept there when visiting Jerusalem. For whatever reason, the Holy Spirit wants us to know that Judas knew where to find Jesus in order to betray him. What encouragement to live to love with Jesus can we glean from this verse? Jesus had told the disciples that He was going to be betrayed, that those who hated Him would hate them, and that in this world there will be tribulation. As we live with Jesus, we can expect that there will be some people in whom Satan has entered their hearts, or at least have captured them for his use, who will resist and attack us. We must not be afraid of them. In that hour of darkness, when God so wills that we be accosted by those who wish to silence us, let us remember what John learned from Jesus. “The one who loves his brother abides in the Light and there is no cause for stumbling in him.” As long as we purpose to love in that dark time, we won’t be overcome by the darkness. We have Jesus abiding in us, so we can take great encouragement from Jude 24. “Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy.” Living to love with Jesus will prepare us for the encounters with our Judases just as Jesus, living to love with His Father, was prepared to meet His Judas. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com