When we read how Judas walked with Jesus, but betrayed Him with a kiss for 30 pieces of silver – it can be easy to vilify him.
After all, this man WALKED with Jesus and WITNESSED His miracles firsthand, yet still betrayed Him.
While the story of Judas shows us the ultimate act of betrayal – it should serve as a sobering reminder to us all that we too could end up like Judas.
It’s important to remember that Judas was not a known enemy of Christ.
He did ministry with Jesus and His disciples.
And having sat directly under the teaching of Jesus himself, Judas knew the Truth.
But then he made a choice.
He walked away from Jesus, choosing sin and darkness over the light of Christ.
“Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was of the number of the twelve. He went away and conferred with the chief priests and officers how he might betray him to them. And they were glad, and agreed to give him money. So he consented and sought an opportunity to betray him to them in the absence of a crowd.” Luke 22:3-6
Judas sinned by plotting and conspiring with the priests to betray Jesus.
After Judas did this, he still sat down with Jesus and His disciples at the table for Passover and refused to repent or confess his sin.
And so Judas continued on with his plan, ultimately betraying our Lord with a kiss.
Only after Jesus was condemned to die did Judas realize what he had done.
But by then, it was too late.
“Then when Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he changed his mind and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders, saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” They said, “What is that to us? See to it yourself.” And throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple, he departed, and he went and hanged himself.” Matthew 27:3-5
Sin always leads to death.
Of course, it was God’s plan that Jesus should lay down His life to pay the price for the sins of the world, and Jesus willingly submitted when the soldiers came to arrest Him.
But the story of Judas should serve as sobering reminder to us all.
If a man who actually walked with Jesus and served with Him in ministry could betray Him…
… how much more could we?
If you have unconfessed sin in your life – repent!
Turn to God, cry out to Him, ask Him to work on your heart.
Even if you’ve walked away from the faith for years – you can always turn back to Christ with a true heart.
Do not give the enemy a foothold.
If you are living in unrepentant sin and walking in darkness and choosing to turn away from Jesus, you are essentially inviting Satan to wreak havoc in your life.
The good news is, Jesus has promised He will be there when we cry out to Him and has vowed to never leave or forsake us.
It can be easy to swell with pride and look down on Judas thinking we could never do something like that…
…failing to realize we may be betraying Jesus every day through our words and actions.
May God forgive us for those times we’ve turned from Him and help us fully submit our minds, hearts, and lives to His perfect will.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” – John 3:16-17
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