The Unthinkable

0:00You're listening to the Experiencing God Day-by-day podcast brought to you by Black and Me Ministries International. March 22, the Unthinkable, Mark 14, verse 18. While they were reclining and eating, Jesus said, I assure you, one of you will be betray Me, one who is eating with Me. Surely I would never betray the Lord. Each disciple earnestly pled his loyalty to Christ. As they reclined together in the comfort and security of the upper room, in the presence of their Lord, the disciples could not imagine themselves ever wavering in their loyalty to Christ. Yet Jesus looked at them and said, one of you who eats with Me will betray Me. How was it possible to share such an intimate and profound moment with the Savior, and

1:03then rush so quickly toward betrayal and spiritual failure? During the intense pressures of Gethsemane and the Cross, the disciples did things they never thought they would do. They had no idea how cruel and hateful the world around them would be to their Lord. Jesus had cautioned them that the world would hate them because it hated Him. John 15 verses 18 to 21, John 16 verse 33. But only Jesus knew the full extent of the temptation they would face. In the pressure of the moment, the heart does surprising things. Scripture had predicted Judas would betray Jesus, despite having walked with Him for over three years. But Peter too would deny Him, and all would forsake Him. How quickly the surroundings of your life can shift from the security and tranquility of an upper room to the harsh reality of Gethsemane and the Cross? Guard your heart. Listen now to the Lord's gentle warning.

2:04The failure that was possible with His first disciples is also possible with you. You too are capable of forsaking Jesus, just as the first disciples did. If Jesus is warning you of an area in your life in which you could fail Him, heed His words today. This podcast is based on the book Experiencing God Day by Day by Henry and Richard Blackaby, published by B&H Publishing Group, Music by Mark Brown.