Daily Verse | 2 Samuel 9:1
David asked, “Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul
to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?”

It’s mid-Holy Week and the last day of March 2021. We’re tracking with Jesus as he makes his way toward the cross.

Today we’re looking at Judas’ betrayal of Jesus.

We don’t know much about Judas (also known as Judas Iscariot) but what we do know suggests he wasn’t a man of great character. For instance, Judas was the treasurer for the twelve disciples, which meant he carried the money bag. The Gospel of John says that when Mary anointed Jesus’ feet with perfume, Judas objected.

“Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” He did not say this because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.

John 12:5-6

Ouch—to be remembered not as a disciple of Jesus, but as a thief. And not only that, but there’s a hint that Judas didn’t actually believe that Jesus was who he said he was—the Son of God. In Matthew’s gospel, note the difference between how Judas addresses Jesus and how the other disciples address him.

When evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the Twelve. And while they were eating, he said, “I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me.”

They were very sad and began to say to him one after the other, “Surely not I, Lord?”

Jesus replied, “The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me. The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.”

Then Judas, the one who would betray him, said, “Surely not I, Rabbi?”

Jesus answered, “Yes, it is you.”

Matthew 26:20-25

“Rabbi.” That suggests that Judas did not consider Jesus his king or Messiah, i.e. “Lord,” but only his teacher.

To top it all off, Judas agrees to betray Jesus to the religious authorities. We will never know exactly what motivated him to betray Jesus, but betray him he did. And he did it for thirty pieces of silver.

Perhaps he decided that being a part of the Jesus Jamboree wasn’t what he thought it was going to be. Maybe he imagined, like most of the crowd in Jerusalem that week, that Jesus was going to lead a rebellion against the Romans and, as part of the inner group he, Judas, would be a leader in the new government.

But Jesus had been predicting his coming death, and maybe Judas decided to bail out before he got caught up in the aftermath. Play double-agent, grab some cash, and avoid being rounded up as one of those closely associated with the leader.

We’ll never know.

But his act of sabotage led directly to Jesus’ arrest, trial and crucifixion. It’s clear that the next morning, once Jesus had been condemned to death, Judas realized what he had done. He returned the money to the religious leaders and confessed that he had betrayed innocent blood.

The religious leaders didn’t care—they got what they wanted. They told Judas he was on his own. So he hung himself (Matthew 27:3-5) and his name is forever associated with betrayal.

What an ignoble end for a man who walked with Jesus for three years and listened to him teach, watched him perform miracles and observed him confound the Pharisees.

The question for us to consider is what we’re willing to sell out for when it comes to our relationship with Jesus. If you’re a follower of Christ, are there times when you are tempted to trade Jesus for something else, like money or power or prestige? Comfort instead of inconvenience? Self-gratification instead of self-discipline?

What’s your price?

For those of you who still aren’t sure Jesus was who he said he was, what keeps you from accepting him as more than just a good man or a wise teacher? How long have you studied and understood his teaching? Are you sure you know him as well as you think you do? What else do you need?

This week is a good week to think deeply about not only what Jesus taught, but what he did—for all of us.

[Image: “Thirty Pieces of Silver” by John Charles Dollman (1851–1934) | Brighton and Hove Museums and Art Galleries]