1 Early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people made their plans how to have Jesus executed. 2 So they bound him, led him away and handed him over to Pilate the governor.
3 When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders. 4 “I have sinned,” he said, “for I have betrayed innocent blood.”
“What is that to us?” they replied. “That’s your responsibility.”
5 So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.
6 The chief priests picked up the coins and said, “It is against the law to put this into the treasury, since it is blood money.” 7 So they decided to use the money to buy the potter’s field as a burial place for foreigners. 8 That is why it has been called the Field of Blood to this day. 9 Then what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: “They took the thirty pieces of silver, the price set on him by the people of Israel, 10 and they used them to buy the potter’s field, as the Lord commanded me.”[a]
This may be one of the great tragedies in scripture. But, it’s instructive.
Judas is a man who spent a great deal of time with Jesus. He was intimately familiar with Christ’s teaching and intent. Nothing was clouded in mystery. He was privy to teachings that were reserved only for the disciples.
And yet…he couldn’t cooperate with the son of Man.
An obvious analogy is sitting in the front row at church every Sunday in an Evangelical church…and Rick Porter is preaching. We aren’t saved by our proximity to the truth. We are saved by a gift of grace that allows us to recognize the truth of Christ’s claims and follow them.
What is most instructive about Judas is two things…we all have a bit of Judas in us, where we believe we have a better way. And, that belief in our own judgment is fatal. We can see glimpses of Judas in nearly every one of Jesus’ parables. If Judas surprises us we aren’t paying attention.
It’s a great spiritual war we are fighting. Satan is a formidable foe. He knows all he needs to do to defeat us is plant a seed of doubt. As the man in scripture said…”I believe. Help me in my unbelief!”
Live boldly out there today…
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