Good evening y’all. Today we are studying Mark chapter 14.
Be blessed 🙂
“Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples, went to the leading priests to arrange to betray Jesus to them. They were delighted when they heard why he had come, and they promised to give him money. So he began looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus. (Mark 14: 10 – 11 NLT)
Judas betrayed Jesus. Not for anything else but for the love of money. He wasn’t content with what he had. He was a man who lived and walked with Jesus. He had access to everything that Jesus had, yet He wasn’t content. I am almost tempted to believe that He never loved or truly understood Jesus in the first place. He might have just been going with the flow, because if he truly knew Jesus, he would have known that all his needs are provided for in Jesus. Once you have Jesus, you have it all.
It’s interesting that when the schemes to kill Jesus was being plotted, the religious leaders didn’t go looking for Judas. They would never had have expected one of Jesus’ disciples to betray Him. As it happened, Judas went to them and sought payment for his betrayal.
For a few minutes of personal gain, Judas chose money over Jesus….
It’s very easy for us to judge Judas and point fingers at him, but truly if we are honest with ourselves, we will admit that we do the same every now and then.
How often do we allow ourselves be used by the enemy to betray Jesus? Every time we do the wrong thing purposefully or shy away from an opportunity to tell someone about Jesus, is that not the same as what Judas did? It’s like we betray Him over and over… sending Him to the cross again — sort off.
What are we choosing over Jesus?
For the first time, since I’ve been reading the account of Judas’ betrayal, something new caught my attention. It suddenly occurred to me that Jesus gave Judas an opportunity to change his mind about the betrayal. The reason I say this is found in verse 17 – 21 of the same chapter.
“In the evening Jesus arrived with the Twelve. As they were at the table eating, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, one of you eating with me here will betray me.” Greatly distressed, each one asked in turn, “Am I the one?” He replied, “It is one of you twelve who is eating from this bowl with me. For the Son of Man must die, as the Scriptures declared long ago. But how terrible it will be for the one who betrays him. It would be far better for that man if he had never been born!” (NLT)
Judas was at this meal with Jesus and the rest of the disciples and he still went ahead with the betrayal. If it was me in Judas’ shoes, I would have backed out asap, seeing as Jesus already knew that one of us would betray Him… “Who can say He doesn’t already know it’s me?” Those are the thoughts that would be running through my mind. I would have gone back to the priests immediately to tell them that I no longer want their money! But our brother, Judas, did not. His heart must have been so hardened for him to sit there with Jesus and eat.
Yeah, I know that the prophesy about Jesus’ death would have had to happen, but did it have to happen through Judas? I might be wrong but I believe Judas allowed himself be used by the enemy. He took his focus off Jesus and decided to focus on money. The enemy is always looking for someone to work through and if we make ourselves available, he will come in and take over.
That’s why Jesus told them to stay awake and alert lest they fall into temptation.
“Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”(Mark 14:38 NLT)
Let’s check ourselves today and identify those things that we are choosing over God and ask for grace to repent and follow Jesus wholeheartedly.
Thanks for joining today. Please feel free to share your thoughts on the chapter 🙂
Have a blessed evening 🙂
***With God all things are possible***
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