Written ~ 02-05-2024
Read Matthew Chapter 26
Matthew 26
This chapter is packed full of details concerning the last days before Jesus is crucified. The tension was mounting with the leading priests and elders desire to kill Jesus, Judas will agree to betray Him and the disciples will see their beloved teacher and friend bound and dragged away as they scatter for fear of their lives. We also see the Last Supper and the anguished prayer of Jesus at the olive grove called Gethsemane.
Today we are going to discuss the betrayal of Jesus. The leading priests and elders were plotting for ways to kill Jesus, but didn’t want to cause a riot by doing anything during the Passover celebration. But look what we see happening in verses 26:14-16,
14 Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples, went to the leading priests 15 and asked, “How much will you pay me to betray Jesus to you?” And they gave him thirty pieces of silver. 16 From that time on, Judas began looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus.
Judas Iscariot – he was one of the twelve. He followed Jesus, he sat under His teaching, saw the healing of the sick and the casting away of demons. Judas would have witnessed Jesus’ compassion to the needs of everyone He came in contact with. But, somewhere deep inside, there was unbelief, Judas had never given his heart, mind and soul to becoming a true follower of Jesus. He must have been pretty good at pretending, because none of the other disciples guessed he was the one who would betray Jesus. Just 30 pieces of silver satisfied Judas enough to turn over the Messiah to His enemies.
When we read about this betrayal, you and I might think we could never do such a horrible thing, even the thought of betraying Christ is something we just cannot imagine. So let’s think about this for a moment… we may not betray Jesus, but could we deny knowing Him like Peter did (see verses 26:69-75)? Really what’s the difference? Have you ever acted in such a way that those around you would never know you had Christ living within you? Is your behavior still rooted in the pleasures of the world and when confronted by those you want to impress, you don’t fully come forward with the knowledge of Jesus Christ?
Here we have Judas who was living a lie, he didn’t have a repentant heart, it’s possible he didn’t even see Jesus as the Messiah. Maybe he got caught up in the fanfare and the admiration of others who were also following Jesus, but he didn’t believe it for himself. Maybe Judas thought making a quick buck wouldn’t lead to Christ’s death, maybe he only imagined Him being arrested and that’s it.
When we give our lives to the Lord and become a follower of Jesus, we need to understand everything that comes with that decision. Having the joy and peace that exceeds our understanding is wonderful, it’s marvelous! But there is the side of standing for Christ that will bring persecution, teasing, hateful words from those who think you are crazy for believing in this man Jesus. At those times we need to stand firm on what we believe and fight the temptation to betray or even deny the Son of God. This can be ever so slight. If you are fearful of what others will think if you talk about Christ openly and honestly, you risk denying Him by your omission of knowing Him.
Look at verse 26:16,
16 From that time on, Judas began looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus.
From the moment Judas agreed to betray Jesus, to when it actually happened, I don’t know how much time had passed. But think about Judas… here he is sitting with all of his friends having a wonderful Passover meal and in the back of his mind he is thinking about the perfect time to lead Jesus to His enemies. Instead of celebrating the Lamb of God, he was plotting, he was devising his own plans to have Jesus arrested. What do you think would have gone through Judas’ mind when Jesus said in verse 26:21, “…I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me.”
Was he truly shocked by what Jesus said, or did he just play it off as though he had no clue as to what Jesus was talking about? By Judas questioning Jesus in verse 26:25, maybe he was trying to throw off any suspicion that it was actually him who was going to betray their teacher…
“Judas, the one who would betray Him, also asked, ‘Rabbi, am I the one?’ And Jesus told him, ‘You have said it.’”
By the response Jesus gave to Judas, he had to know right then and there, that Jesus knew it was him. When all of the disciples heard Jesus say that He would be turned over to His enemies and betrayed by one of them, each person at that table was astonished and even asked, “Am I the one, Lord?” Can you imagine… what if you were sitting around the table for that Passover meal with Jesus and the rest of the disciples and you truly didn’t know if you were going to be the one who would betray your Lord? Would you be thinking about your dedication to the Lord? Would you be thinking about the sincerity of your heart? Or would you know it couldn’t possibly be you, because of the love you have for your Messiah? But here you are questioning yourself.
None of us want to think we could ever betray Christ. And I think it’s good to ponder the state of mind Judas had during this time. Are any of us pretending? Do we put on a spiritual mask when we are around other Christians? But when we are around non-believers does that spiritual mask get thrown aside and our true self becomes quite evident?
When I read the verses 26:49-50, I have often wondered what was going through Judas’ mind… Judas walked up to Jesus, as he would a long lost friend, with what seems like a very sincere greeting. I would like to think in that moment Judas regretted what he had done.
49 So Judas came straight to Jesus. “Greetings, Rabbi!” he exclaimed and gave Him the kiss.
50 Jesus said, “My friend, go ahead and do what you have come for.”
Then the others grabbed Jesus and arrested Him.
Can you visualize the love and compassion in Jesus’ voice? In the look on His face? I really do hope it broke Judas’ heart.
I would imagine, our hearts would have to be in a very hardened place if we were willing to betray Christ… Or deny knowing Him. That’s why as we study the Word of God together, it is so important to meditate on the words we read. To really ponder each passage and ask the Lord to help you etch the Scriptures into your heart, mind and soul. That way there should be no question in your heart and mind when the notion of betrayal or denial comes up, you have confidence in the Lord that you will stand firm.
The Lord knows our hearts. Any one of us could struggle with the sincerity of our hearts when challenged. But we have a Savior who is going to help us during those challenging moments. If you ever come to the point where you are not sure how to defend your faith and trust in the Lord, look back at Matthew 10:19-20…
19 “…don’t worry about how to respond or what to say. God will give you the right words at the right time. 20 For it is not you who will be speaking—it will be the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.”
Let’s learn from the example we are given through the life of Judas. He was curious about Jesus, so he decided to follow Him. But he did not give his life over to the Lord. He did not have sincere devotion. He did not have a repentant heart. It would seem he only followed Jesus to see what he could get out of it. My prayer is that all of us examine our own lives, measure our sincerity by what we have learned about Judas. Are we just going through the motions? Or are our hearts, minds and souls completely sold out for Jesus? Is our devotion complete and firm by what we have learned from Scripture? I pray that none of us would have to make the choice to betray or deny Christ… But if that time were to ever present itself that we would all stand firm on the foundational Cornerstone who is Jesus Christ our Messiah.
~AMEN~