Today's Scripture:

John 13:21-30 After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, “Very truly I tell you, one of you is going to betray me.” His disciples stared at one another, at a loss to know which of them he meant. One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him. Simon Peter motioned to this disciple and said, “Ask him which one he means.” Leaning back against Jesus, he asked him, “Lord, who is it?” Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.” Then, dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him. So Jesus told him, “What you are about to do, do quickly.” But no one at the meal understood why Jesus said this to him. Since Judas had charge of the money, some thought Jesus was telling him to buy what was needed for the festival, or to give something to the poor. As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out. And it was night.

Read: Reflect on a story in your life that pertains to this scripture.
This scripture shows Jesus loving on Judas even though Jesus knew the sin Judas was soon going to commit. This displays the incredible forgiveness that our God has for us. With Easter approaching, it’s hard not to be reminded of the redemptive power of the cross that displays God’s forgiveness even more. Beyond forgiveness, the story of Judas is pivotal to Jesus being led to the cross to die for our sins. God uses human brokenness every day so that He can show us compassion in the middle of all of it.

Reflect: What is this scripture telling you during this season?
There have been parts of my life where I have been living the highest highs and then the lowest lows. (Currently living a high). During one of my lows, a group of people had made plans to do some really fun things together. Leading up to the event, the group decided that I would not be a part of the event and excluded me entirely. My feelings were hurt, and I was confused but still cared for them. We distanced ourselves, and it gave me more time for myself and what God might have in store for me elsewhere. During that timeframe, God was setting up big parts of my life. I was able to pass my CPA exams, get a promotion at work, and began dating my now wife, Elizabeth. There were several other significant relationships that were growing or being built in this timeframe to create an incredible community around me. Though I felt betrayed by a group of people, the time spent “picking up the pieces” was actually one of the most wonderful times of my life.

Respond: How is this scripture calling you to respond?
I think this is a great example as to how to love those around you who are the hardest to love. When Jesus shares the bread with Judas, in that time, it was a sign of close friendship. Jesus knew that Judas was going to betray Him and still continued to love Judas up until the end. For myself, my way of showing close friendship is by spending time with people. I can look for opportunities to spend time with people I wouldn’t typically spend time with or to fix relationships with people who didn’t treat me well. During the timeframe of the story I mentioned, I made sure to pray for that group of people even during the hardest times which I want to do going forward for similar situations.

About Grant Kay:
My name is Grant Kay, and I grew up in Houston and then left to College Station to attend Texas A&M. I returned to Houston to work at KPMG in tax. I am married to Elizabeth, the energetic and silly student minister. I love to play golf and tennis.
I have been attending Grace since I was little, and I have been a covenant partner for about 14 years. For the past 3 years, I have been involved with student ministries as a volunteer.