Now His betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him.” Immediately he went up to Jesus and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed Him. But Jesus said to him, “Friend, why have you come?”
Matthew 26: 48-50 (NKJV)
Scripture: Matthew 26: 47-56
Friends enrich our lives greatly. While we normally think of Jesus as Master and Teacher, He has called His disciples (and us) friends. This devotion looks at Jesus calling Judas friend while he was betraying Him.
Jesus and His disciples must have had an awesome relationship. Just think about it — being able to spend day after day with a Friend like Jesus. They must have spent some really good times together, even considering how rough the life of travel must have been.
Usually, the disciples considered Jesus their Master or Teacher — as they should. They gave Jesus the reverence that He deserved.
Then, during Passover, Jesus told them He would call them friends instead of servant. John 15: 14-15 says, “You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you” (NKJV).
Did Jesus Call Any Specific Person Friend?
Jesus talked about friends occasionally. Surprisingly, Jesus didn’t call many people “friend.” There are only two verses that I have found where Jesus specifically refers to someone as His friend.
Nope, it wasn’t Peter. Yep, sometimes your problem child unconsciously becomes your favorite; but Jesus didn’t individually call Peter His friend. Good guess, though.
I, too, thought John would have been one of the two people. He was the beloved disciple. Some believe he and Jesus were cousins, also. But it wasn’t him.
Yep, James was His brother, and we hear siblings are considered your first friends. But nope, maybe there was a touch of sibling rivalry.
Give up? One friend was Lazarus. “After he had said this, he went on to tell them, ‘Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going to wake him up” (Jn. 11: 11 NIV). Okay, so Jesus didn’t call Lazarus “friend” to his face, and He called him “our” friend. But it is more than Peter and John got.
We know that Jesus valued His friendship with Lazarus. Even though He knew He was going to raise Lazarus from the dead, He still wept at the thought of Lazarus dying (Jn. 11: 35).
The other one was Judas. Yep, the guy who betrayed Him. And He not only called him friend, but Jesus said it to the guy who betrayed Him while he was betraying Him.
Doesn’t that give you chills? It does me.
What do these two men have in common? Both were used “… so that God’s Son may be glorified through it” (Jn. 11: 4, NIV). Both instances showed that Jesus was God’s Son.
But let’s focus on on Judas. I know we have looked at him before, but we haven’t touched on the Garden scene yet.
To read Who Was Judas Iscariot? and Why Was It an Honor That Judas Was Jesus’ Betrayer?, click the appropriate button below.
More on Judas
To recap, Judas was the radical. He wanted a political overthrow. He seemed diametrically opposite of Jesus.
But Jesus called Judas “friend,” and Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss. We have already talked about the hospitality customs. When someone came to a Jewish person’s house, they were greeted with a bow, greeting, kiss, and feet washing.
To read Why Did Peter Want Jesus to Wash More Than Just His Feet?, click the button below.
It just seems to me that, in like one minute, Judas trashed a lot of things we hold dear — relationships, courtesy, hospitality. So, Jesus lit into him, right. Chewed him up one side and down the other, then spit him out?
Nope. Jesus called Judas “friend.” Jesus didn’t change the relationship from His end.
What Does This Mean?
But then, isn’t Jesus following God’s example. When Adam and Eve committed the original sin, God expelled them from the Garden of Eden (Gen. 3). However, God still looks at mankind as He made us — in His image. God sees us as “… a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that [we] may proclaim the excellencies of him who called [us] out of darkness into his marvelous light” (I Pet. 2: 9 NIV). He doesn’t see our faults.
Jesus also knew that Judas was in a bad position. One of His friends had to betray Him to fulfill scripture (Ps. 41: 9). No, it probably would have been better if Judas hadn’t been born (Mt. 26: 24). But Jesus knew somebody had to betray Him to get the plan rolling at full speed. Just like Jesus honored Judas with the dipping sauce (Jn. 13: 26), He honored him now by calling him friend.
How Do We Apply This?
We can probably apply this two ways. We can apply it to our friends — and to the friends we haven’t met yet.
We may think we are not, but sometimes we can really be judgmental. We frequently judge people for their actions. We need to be more forgiving. “Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, ‘Lord, if my brother keeps on sinning against me, how many times do I have to forgive him? Seven times?’ ‘No, not seven times,’ answered Jesus, ‘but seventy times seven’” (Mt. 18: 21-22 GNT).
No, that doesn’t mean you need to stay in a toxic relationship. There are many relationships that can end up emotionally or physically damaging — spousal, parental, friendship, work relationship, etc.
The Bible cautions believers to avoid those types of relationships. Romans 16:17-18 says, “I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naïve” (ESV). God wants us to be in relationships that honor Him.
For the friends we haven’t met yet, when we do meet them, our opinion of them shouldn’t necessarily be based on them. So they talk differently from us, look differently from us, and act differently from us. It shouldn’t be based on us or them; it should be based on God.
Isn’t it amazing that the King of kings calls us His friend? Isn’t it mind boggling that His continued practice of calling us friend is based on how He sees us, and not on us? Yes, this is another way we need to follow His example.
Father. We stand in awe. Jesus is our Brother, our Redeemer – and our Friend. May we, too – as Lazarus and Judas – advance Your kingdom. Amen.
What do you think? When someone has done something to hurt you, what process do you use to get over the hurt? Leave me a comment below (about this or anything else) or head over to my Facebook group for some interactive discussion.
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Some very good observations.
The word Jesus used when calling Judas “friend” was not the same word for “friend” that Jesus used for His disciples after Judas left. It’s the same word Matthew said Jesus used in the parable, “Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?”
That is very good information to know. Thank you.
Yes, being capitalized it stood out to me too so saw it was a different word in Hebrew.
My understanding Judas was possessed by satan and this same uninvited guest will not be able to come to the wedding party.
What if Jesus saw through Judas and in His divine nature recognized and greeted satan ultimately in this verse? Selah
Thank you this was very encouraging. Had never noticed Jesus said that to Judas!
You’re welcome.
Jesus led by example, he said love your enemy and again he demonstrated that when his enemy betrayed him and he addressed judas as his friend because that’s what he was before and after the betrayal
That is a great comment! Jesus did come to be a role model for us. We needed to see love your enemy played out. Thanks!
Thank you for this. Its encouragement I need for some friendships.
I am glad God used these words to speak to you. Blessings. Elaine
Yes, that reference by Jesus to Judas, as Friend, when Judas betrayed him, caused me to look for insight and you did well. It may be that Jesus demonstrated the Grace and Mercy He offers each of us and we decide to recieve or deny His offer. Judas later experienced intense remorse and chose to end his Life rather than repent and receive the Friendship ( Forgiveness) offered Him and therefore chose His own destiny. Just a thought, Roger
Yes! Judas may have had remorse, but he did not ask for forgiveness. We must always ask because God does not just automatically forgive us. We have to have a repentant heart and a willingness to submit to Him. From the little that was written, Judas did not get past the remorse. He may have, and it just isn’t recorded in Scripture. But from the way it looks, he didn’t. Judas wasn’t going to get a pass just because someone had to betray Jesus so that His blood was shed to pay the penalty for our sins. It was all Judas’ choice to betray Him. Thanks for the comment! Elaine
This was really interesting. Did I miss where you explained in the blog how the friend he called Judas later was different from the one at the last supper?
Sorry it has taken a bit to get back an answer to your question. I really don’t think the “friend” Judas is any different from the last supper “friend.” Yes, Judas betrayed Jesus, but Jesus still loved Him. He knew someone was going to have to betray Him. That was His path to the cross, which was needed. Satan found that person in Judas. So personally, I don’t think Jesus’ feelings for Judas changed.
We know God loves non-believers. He wouldn’t have sent Jesus to die for us while we are still in our sin if He didn’t love us.
Elaine.