The Ultimate Betrayal

April 15, 2022
by Rodney Olsen
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We’ve all been let down. People close to us have hurt us. We’ve been disappointed by those we thought we could depend upon.

Have you ever come to a moment of great need and found yourself alone? Have you had to face trials on your own while those who have previously pledged their friendship and loyalty have scattered?

That’s the kind of thing we remember on Good Friday. Imagine facing the following scenario on your own.

So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.

And the soldiers led him away inside the palace (that is, the governor’s headquarters), and they called together the whole battalion. And they clothed him in a purple cloak, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on him. And they began to salute him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they were striking his head with a reed and spitting on him and kneeling down in homage to him. And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes on him. And they led him out to crucify him. – Mark 15:15-20

The most amazing thing in all of this is that amidst the torture, the pain, the horror of a barbaric death, Jesus was thinking of others. He even prayed for forgiveness for those who had caused his pain. I don’t know about you but I tend to get angry when someone causes me pain or discomfort. I can forgive them later, but at the time I can get pretty annoyed. Jesus was still in the middle of being tortured to death while he was offering forgiveness. Makes the ‘injustices’ I suffer seem fairly inconsequential.

Incredibly, he even promised forgiveness to a common criminal who was suffering the same fate that he was. There were two criminals being slaughtered alongside Jesus. One hurled insults. One asked to be remembered by Jesus. The one who asked to be remembered could see beyond the grave. He could see that death was not the end. He talked about Christ entering his kingdom. Jesus promised him a direct trip to paradise.

A lot of pictures that depict the life of Jesus show him as an otherworldly kind of figure, detached from the worries of our day-to-day lives. It’s good to remind ourselves that he knew what it was like to suffer pain and betrayal of the worst possible kind.

Even if you’re the kind of person who really can’t identify with Jesus, it may help you to remember that he can certainly identify with us and everything we’re facing.

The greatest news is that the betrayal and suffering of Good Friday was not the end. Sunday was coming; a day that would change our world forever.



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Markus Watson – False Witness

March 17, 2021
by Rodney Olsen
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Markus Watson was investigated for a sickening crime with no knowledge of who had made allegations against him, what evidence they claimed to have, and not even knowing the crime he was alleged to have committed.

He faced accusations that threatened to destroy his livelihood and trash his reputation. He was betrayed, investigated by the FBI and forced out of a job.

My time at that church was a wonderful experience for most of my time there. Unfortunately, my last year was very painful. Betrayal, false accusations, and eventually being voted out of that church left me reeling. My professional, emotional, and spiritual life was turned upside down.

And, yet, that experience drew me closer to God than I had ever been in my life. It left me with some scars, but those scars have helped me become more fully the person I was created to be.

I explored his story on my podcast, Bleeding Daylight, this week.

You can hear Markus talk about what happened to him on Bleeding Daylight wherever you find podcasts or use the media player below to listen.



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Sandy Phillips Kirkham – Innocence Betrayed

October 5, 2020
by Rodney Olsen
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Sandy Phillips Kirkham is the author of the book Let Me Prey Upon You. It details how a youth pastor preyed upon her, a betrayal that left her broken, with a shattered faith, and the ultimate shame of being blamed and forced from the church she loved.

From their very first meeting, the new youth minister slowly and methodically turned the sacred relationship of a trusted spiritual leader to one of abuse: sexual, emotional, and physical. When his actions were discovered, he was simply moved to another church, leaving Sandy to pay for his deeds. She was not his first victim, nor would she be his last.

Despite a successful and happy life as a wife, mother, and friend, Sandy successfully concealed her abuse for twenty-seven years until a trigger forced her to face the truth. Sandy’s story will take you on her journey of healing which began in 2004, first by seeking justice and closure from both the pastor and the church. Her strength and courage will inspire you.

It’s a story of sexual abuse which may be confronting for some people. It’s also a story of hope and healing.

Sandy spoke to me for this week’s episode of my podcast, Bleeding Daylight.

You can hear Sandy’s story by searching for Bleeding Daylight wherever you find podcasts or simply click play on the player below.



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