Luke 22:47
“While he was still speaking, behold, a multitude, and he who was called Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He came near to Jesus to kiss him.”
What does Luke 22:47 mean?
In this moment, Judas arrives with soldiers and temple guards to arrest Jesus, and he uses a kiss as the signal to identify him. A kiss was a common greeting among friends and teachers and students in that culture, which makes Judas's action deeply painful, a betrayal wrapped in the language of affection. Jesus had just been praying with his disciples when this happened, so the contrast between that intimate moment and this act of treachery would have hit hard. For anyone who's ever been hurt by someone close to them, this scene captures something we understand: the sting of betrayal cuts deepest when it comes from someone you trusted.