Night of Betrayal

The hour was late when we left dinner; he took us to the garden.

He took me with James and John in deeper, we left the others then.

He asked us to stay awake in prayer, while he went on further

But we were so troubled and exhausted, we soon dropped off to sleep.

He returned, awakened us, but twice again we failed him.

The third time, a crowd of men appeared, Judas had betrayed him.

I tried to fight them with my sword, but he wouldn’t let me.

They made a mockery of my Lord, and led him off to die.

I followed them from well behind, for my knees were shaking.

I had told him I would die with him; instead I quaked with fear.

Later I managed to gain entrance to the High Priest’s palace

I lingered a while around the courtyard, warming by the fire.

One of the serving girls approached me, and said, “You have been with him.”

My anger rose hot as I denied it, “I never knew the man.”

The rooster crowed, and twice more I denied my only Lord and Savior

And as it crowed a second time, the Lord looked sadly toward me.

The very words he’d said just hours before flashed back to my memory

And I ran off to hide away, and drowned in my own tears.

The next day, late in the afternoon, John sought me out to tell me

They’d crucified my only Lord, and now all hope was gone.