A KISS

“Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and you perish in the way…” -Psalm 2:12
“Judas, would you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?” -Luke 22:48

No two kisses could be so different! One reflects so much good, life-saving, and genuine delight of the heart, while the other reflects great betrayal with a depravity and poverty of heart. These are the only two mentions of kissing the Son in the Bible. They establish a good comparison of two drastically different kisses.

In some versions of Psalm 2, the translation “kiss the Son” can mean “give Him homage” or “kiss His feet,” but such are poorer translations by far. This translation gets to the crux of the meaning of the Psalmist. It means essentially to draw intimately near to the Son and love Him with all your heart.

Kissing may take on many forms, but the truest is that it is a strong expression of love and intimacy. “Hug the Son” is not quite so intimate nor as endearing. There is no sexual innuendo in this statement. This truly speaks about intimately drawing near to Christ with an everlasting love in your heart. It is the fruition of Romans 8:38-39, which says that nothing in all creation can separate me from Christ’s love for me or my love for Him. This is the type of bond found in the words “Kiss the Son.”

On the other hand, a “Judas kiss” betrays the worst in any soul. It exposes the true nature of a heart given over to sin. As Jeremiah speaks through the Holy Spirit, “The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately sick; who can know it?” This reflects the great contrast of two vastly differing kisses.

Which one will you give the Son? Careful study will bring you to the correct conclusion that there is no in-between kiss. Lukewarm is still a depraved kiss. Your kiss is either all-in or something less which describes all of those lesser type kisses, from the warmest but still not all-in kiss to the coldest “Judas kiss.” Because of who He is – and to truly kiss the Son means you know very well who He is – your kiss must declare you are all-in with your whole heart, soul, and strength. It cannot mean anything less.

Think of Jesus’ letter to the church in Laodicea in Revelation 3. He writes, “I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.” Any not all-in kisses are some temperature of lukewarm, which may just as well be cold as ice because in the Lord’s eyes lukewarm is the absolute worst.

I know we are often on the fence as we seek more knowledge, experience, confidence, whatever, but Jesus is not looking for equivocation. He is looking for decisive determination; sincere faith demands it.

In this day and age, many millennials as well as others choose to move in with a potential spouse, live together, test the waters before getting married. Some never take even that step, and most never last “till death do us part.”

This is what Jesus is talking about when He declares “Kiss the Son!” It is either all-in or nothing at all. Either He is who He says He is, or He is not. Either He is God, the only Savior of your soul, your only path to the Father, to an eternal home, to forgiveness of sin, to your salvation, or He is not. Once you really kiss the Son, you marry your soul to His enveloping arms, you find forever refuge in Him, and there is no divorce. No one can pluck you out of His hand.

This is what it is all about. Either kiss the Son, or do not. Do not try to play both ends against the middle. Jesus is either your all-in-all, or He is not. He will not play second fiddle to anyone or anything. “You will not take any other gods before me.” Your answer is only one; kiss the Son with all your heart, soul, and strength. Consequently, you will not perish in the way.

“That soul that on Jesus has leaned for repose, I will not, I will not desert to his foes; that soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake, I’ll never, no never, no never forsake.”

(Sixth verse of anonymous hymn in Rippon’s Selection of Hymns, “How Firm a Salvation,” 1787)