Is Jesus Truly Your Lord?

Today, I was reading through the final chapters of Matthew and a scene I’ve read countless times struck me anew.

Jesus had been praying in the Garden of Gethsemane when Judas led a riled-up crowd armed with clubs and swords into the garden to arrest Him. As the betrayer approaches Jesus and identifies him with a kiss, Judas calls Jesus, “Rabbi”—not Lord, not Savior, not Messiah. He considered Jesus just another Jewish teacher.

What stood out to me today is not Judas’s title for Jesus, but rather, Jesus’ name for Judas. In Matthew 26:50, Jesus calls Judas “friend.” The Greek word for friend is hetarios and it means comrade or clansman.

Now, let’s get this straight: Judas had been following Jesus as closely as the other eleven disciples, but he was not a true follower, rather he was an acquaintance.

On the outside, Judas appeared to be a true disciple—after all he walked, talked, and broke bread with them. Judas had a front-row seat to Jesus’ teachings and miracles. Yet, Judas could not acknowledge Jesus as Lord, because he had reserved the place of ownership in his heart for himself.

How can I say that? Because Judas, looking to add to his personal gain, sold out the Messiah for the mere pittance of thirty pieces of silver. That was the equivalent to four months of wages for a laborer in that time.

Most of us would not reject Jesus for several months salary but how many times do we find ourselves ascribing greater importance to things other than Him? For Jesus to be Lord in our lives it means He has the highest place of honor and importance in our hearts. It’s okay for family and friends to be cherished, but for Jesus to be Lord, he must be our greatest love—above everything else. I wonder how many people are sitting in churches on Sunday mornings walking and talking like disciples but they are simply nothing more than acquaintances of Jesus.

Verse 50 was a wake-up call for me—a reminder to daily surrender my plans to His Lordship. When my life comes to a close and I stand before Jesus, I want to be identified as a disciple—one of His followers who wasn’t perfect but was in constant pursuit of the Lord and committed to keeping Him first.