.png)
Matthew 26:14-16
Message No. 0555 | Twitter @GodandUs | www.wisdom-speaks.ca
Parents name their children many things, including Covid, by the way, but in recent times, I am yet to see a parent who named their child Judas. While I do not live in Israel and do not know what names are prevalent there, I would expect my observation to remain fairly true. Without doubt, the loss of count that this name suffered can be deemed to have been directly related to what one Judas, surnamed Iscariot, did in the Bible, to our Savior.
Though both David and Zachariah predicted Judas’ role in the ‘mother of all betrayers,’ his actions still shocked the world, and the betrayer himself. It is clear, from Judas’ behavior after Jesus was arrested by the soldiers, that He had no intention in harming Jesus. The story was told of a man whose mom lived abroad for many years and had come back home to settle down. In order to grab the mom’s assets for himself alone, the man connived with a gang of robbers to visit his mom at night and take all her money, jewelries, and other valuables that she had come back home with. There was a stern warning from the man that the mom was not to be harmed in any way. By the time the robbery ended, however, the mum ended up dead from gunshots, because she created a scene during the robbery, instead of keeping silent as commanded. The man wept bitterly and regretted his actions, but it was too late to cry.
Judas did not mean to harm Jesus. He had seen Him escape riotous situations, unscathed. He knew that He had the power to disappear without being seen or noticed. He had seen Jesus cast out devils and he expected that He would do the same when the soldiers showed up. This was the reason why he was the one who volunteered to betray Jesus – he was not approached to do this, he offered to do it. In Matthew 26:14-16, the Bible says:
Then one of the Twelve—the one called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver him over to you?” So they counted out for him thirty pieces of silver. From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over
Judas thought that he had outsmarted the chief priests by tricking them into giving him money. He knew, in his mind, that Jesus would simply disappear or command the soldiers to fall down and be weakened and confused and that would be the end of the adventure. Just like the man who betrayed his mom to armed robbers wept bitterly, when Judas saw that Jesus was really arrested and began to be tortured, he also wept bitterly and went back to the chief priests to return the money, but alas, it was too late!
By the way, one of the questions I have asked myself over and over is, why did God need Judas? No one needed to betray Jesus. There had been many attempts at killing Him in the past, without anyone betraying Him to the enemies. They had seen Him minister in the Synagogues, they had seen Him throw out the money changers, they had seen Him talk to disciples and other followers, they had seen Him cast out devils and perform miracles, all done openly. They knew Him by now and all they needed to do was go to one of those rallies of His and arrest Him. Why was Judas even necessary?
To be sincere, I do not know the accurate answer to this question. However, I know that nothing happens without a reason. Jesus had told His followers that a disciple is not greater than his Master and if the world had done these evil things against Him, the disciples should expect that they would suffer similar fate also. In Matthew 10:36, He told His disciples that a man’s enemies will be those of his own household. The gravity of Judas’ betrayal left a permanent mark on the world. Could it be that Jesus was warning us to be watchful of the people we associate with? At the time Jesus selected Judas into His inner caucus, He already knew that he would be the betrayal. In our own case, we won’t know who would betray us. Have we not seen Judas showing up among our friends, among our colleagues, in our neighborhoods, and among family members? Could Jesus be telling us to be prayerful when selecting our friends and associates?
Who could be closer to a mother than her own child, but see what the man in our example did to his mother. In the name of Jesus Christ, your child will not betray you! Your child will not cause your death. Your children will not be named among thieves, robbers, and cheats. Your descendants will not look for money through evil means, they will work with diligence and the Lord shall prosper the works of their hands. Mothers, the Lord shall reward you for being excellent mothers to your children, and fathers, the Lord shall bless you for being excellent guides to your children. You will not find Judas among your close associates. As you select your friends, God will grant you discernment and you will not make a mistake that will cost you your life. As you step out this week, may your paths be blessed, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
To leave a comment for this message, add new subscribers or share through social media, please follow these steps:
1. To leave a comment, please use the comments box below.
2. To add new readers, please use the Subscribe Form below or click on the Subscribe menu and enter your email address.
3. To share through social media, please use one of the relevant icons below.
PLEASE ACT NOW:
If you are yet to give your life to Christ, you do not have a covenant with God and His promises do not apply to you. To come under these promises, please surrender your life to Christ today, by praying this prayer:
Lord I know that I am a sinner and I am unable to save myself. I am sorry for my sins and I pray that you please forgive me. I am aware that Your Son Jesus died for my sins and I accept Him as my Lord and savior. I surrender my life unto you from this moment. Please take control of my entire being and help me to be obedient to your Word, going forward. Thank you, Lord, for hearing me. I have prayed in Jesus’ name. Amen.
If you prayed the foregoing prayer, you have just been born again. Please find a Bible believing church in your area and ask to see the pastor. Let him or her know that you have just given your life to Christ and s/he will guide you on next steps in your journey as a child of God. The Lord bless you!
Σχόλια