It Happened One Wednesday

Wednesday of Passion Week was the day Judas decided to betray Jesus. This betrayal doesn't occur until Thursday night, but His meeting with the chief priests colors everything we read about the Last Supper, which we will look at tomorrow.

Here is how it all came down: "Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, 'What are you willing to give me if I deliver Him to you?' And they counted out to him thirty pieces of silver. So from that time he sought opportunity to betray Him" (Matt. 26:14-16).

Once one of Jesus' most trusted disciples, numbered among the Twelve, he turned on Jesus and become the poster child of treachery. Why? Why would he do this? Who is Judas anyway?

There is little background information given about Judas in Scripture. He is the only one of the Twelve that is possibly identified by his home town. It may be that his surname, "Iscariot," refers to Queriot (or Kerioth), a town located south of Jerusalem in Judea. Jesus is from Galilee to the north from Jerusalem, as are the other disciples, making Judas a little bit of an outsider.

Judas never truly bought into what Jesus taught. He was never faithful at the level of the other disciples. It is also noted that Judas "was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it" (John 12:6). But most importantly, we are told that when Jesus identified His betrayer during the Last Supper on Thursday night, that "Satan entered him" (John 13:27).

"Satan entered him!" He was demon possessed! In fact, Satan himself entered Judas. No wonder he betrayed Jesus to the chief priests. He was controlled and driven by Satan. When you flirt with sin, Satan gets a hold of you and tries to push you over the brink. He shoves you down that slippery slope and into the pit of sin.

After Judas betrayed Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane later that night, we are told, "Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, 'I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.' And they said, 'What is that to us? You see to it!' Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself" (Matt. 27:3-5).

Sin and rebellion against Jesus is never good. And, apart from repentance, it never ends well. But when a sinner repents, there is great joy and celebration in heaven: "I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance" (Luke 15:7).

Don't fall in to Satan's trap. Trust Jesus. Should you fall into sin, repent, get right with Jesus and live by faith in Him. He will reward you. Amen.