Wednesday: Judas Agrees
to Betray Jesus
Scripture: Matthew 26:14-16, Luke 22:1-6
Key verse: Matthew 26:15— “[Judas] asked, ‘What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to
you?’ So they counted out for him thirty silver coins.”
Judas Iscariot was one of the Twelve disciples; he was the
accountant of the group, keeping the money bag for Jesus’ traveling ministry.
The Bible tells us that this responsibility turned out to be too much of a
temptation to him, and he began embezzling money by helping himself to the
donations that came in. Perhaps he knew about Mary’s alabaster jar and hoped to
take advantage of its proceeds once she donated it to the ministry. When Jesus
instead praised her for her “waste,” it pushed Judas over the edge. He was
ready to cash out his relationship with Jesus.
Because Judas eventually felt so much remorse for his
actions that he killed himself, it is tempting to find a more noble reasoning
for Judas’s betrayal, but the reason the Bible gives is that he loved money
more than Jesus. Judas went to the chief priests himself with a proposal.
Although these religious leaders were looking for a way to get to Jesus, it was
Judas who came up with the plot. After the incident with the perfume, Judas
decided he could make more money betraying Jesus than stealing from him.
Judas is not alone in his sin; the choice of silver over
Jesus is not uncommon among people. Many people would have done the same thing
in Judas’s place, and the temptation always remains to choose silver and safety
over Jesus. Judas’s sin lurks in the hearts of us all.
That’s why when, at the Last Supper, when Jesus announced
that one of them would betray him, the disciples all asked, “Surely not I?”
Judas was not obvious then, and there is enough sin in each of us to create
doubt. Judas serves as a cautionary tale. It is possible for you to be near
Jesus, listen to his teachings, be a part of his ministry, and still never
truly put your faith in him. Ask the Lord today, “Surely not I?”
Prayer:
Jesus, I don’t want to
be like Judas. Deliver me from the lies and power of Satan.
I don’t want to just
know about you. I want to trust you, love you, and be loyal to you.
Forgive me for ways I
have chosen safety and silver over you.
I receive your
forgiveness today, and give my full devotion to you. Thank you, Jesus. Amen.
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