I found a few quotes about a “Kiss”…
- Who would have thought that something so small could be so everlasting. Something so minute, yet I spend most days waiting for.
- One day you’ll kiss someone and know those are the lips you want to kiss for the rest of your life.
- A kiss seals two souls for a moment in time.
And there are some famous kisses in history:
The sailor and nurse at Times Square after World War 2- Rhett Butler & Scarlet O’Hara in Gone with the Wind
- Spiderman’s upside down kiss
- Lady & the Tramp
- Sleeping Beauty
- The rock band, KISS
- And of course a Hershey’s Kiss.
According to Webster’s Dictionary, a kiss is ‘to touch someone with your lips as a way of showing love’. But it was a kiss that was given to betray Jesus – the kiss of Judas. You can read the story in Mark 14:43-52.
We find four characters in this scene. From these four, we might discover something of ourselves.
PETER – How easy to be out of step with Christ when we think we are serving Him.
Mark omits the names, possibly because it was not yet safe. It was Peter who drew his sword to cut off the head of Malchus, but he ended up cutting off his ear. Jesus performed His last miracle and healed it. Perhaps remembering his own words that he would never deny his Lord, Peter attempts to defend Jesus. It may be wrong to draw a sword and hack at a man to kill him, but somehow we are glad that there was one man there who, at least on the impulse of the moment, was prepared to stand up for Jesus. But it easy to think we are serving Jesus, when we are actually serving ourself.
JUDAS – How easy to show love to Christ when we are actually betraying Him.
In the Greek language (original New Testament writings) when Judas says, ‘Whom I shall kiss, that is he,’ he uses the word phileo which is the ordinary word. But when it is said that he came forward and kissed Jesus the word used is kataphileo. The kata is intensive and kataphileo means to kiss as a lover kisses his beloved. The sign of the betrayal was not a mere formal kiss of respectful greeting. It was a kiss of love. It is easy to outwardly show signs of love for Jesus, but our heart is filled with bitterness, hatred and anger.
MARK – How easy to follow Christ in the shadows but run in public.
Only Mark records this unidentified young man. The most probable and popular view is it is Mark and this is his way of saying, ‘I was there.’ We know as we read Acts that the meeting place of the Jerusalem church was in the house of Mary, the mother of John Mark. It may be that they had the Last Supper in her home as well. Maybe Mark was there in the shadows listening, watching, and following them to the Garden. This would explain where the Gethsemane story came from since the disciples were asleep. One thing is certain, Peter would not have remembered this incident because he and the other disciples ran away. But this incident is a reminder that Jesus was all alone. No one was there. He faced His enemies and the cross alone. It is easy to be a silent Christian, but the light of Jesus in our life is meant to be seen.
JESUS – How easy to walk alone when you know you are following God’s will.
Jesus had already struggled with God’s will in His prayers in the Garden of Gethsemane. He know what His Father wanted Him to do. So He was willing and almost eager to stand alone against all odds to fulfill God’s will. When you know, really know, what God wants you to do, nothing will stand in your way. You never stand alone. Jesus stands with you.
As I conclude this event, I see an interesting indictment against modern Christianity. Our society is all about ‘me’. It’s the ‘selfie generation’. As a matter of fact, this consumer approach to living has creeped into the church. Congregational life tends to be based on meeting people’s felt needs. But the story of Jesus’ arrest and betrayal reminds us that none of His followers felt the need for a Savior who would die for them. We cannot forget that the salvation that Jesus bought and paid for is much more comprehensive than the relief of the temporary needs we feel. We need to decide if our church will be built around our assessment of ourselves and how our needs will be met or around the mission of God and the salvation of souls.
Remember, it’s not about you… or me… It’s about Him (Jesus).