Jesus had to go.
He had become too much of a “troublemaker” and the chief priests and scribes were scheming in the shadows to find a way to take a hold of Him and put Him to death. But how? Enter Judas.
This man had walked with Christ and the other disciples for almost 3 years now. He had front-row seats to everything—from listening to Jesus’ sermon on the mount to witnessing Him walk on water and multiplying the loaves and fish. Jesus even washed his feet. To experience all of these and yet…no amount of teaching and miracles was enough for him.
In reality, Judas had always treasured something else in his heart. And because his heart was not truly taken captive by the person and lordship of Jesus, he had allowed something else to steal it away. His greed and love for money had actually taken hold of him (John 12:6). Eventually, it is in this condition of his sinful heart that Satan had entered him (Luke 22:3) and led him to betray his Master and turn Him over to His enemies (Luke 22:4).
Now, it is easy to judge Judas’ actions and say: “If I was in that position, there’s no way I would do that! I can’t imagine betraying Jesus!”
But if we truly search and examine our hearts, we would find that there are areas of our lives that we too have allowed sin and idolatry to take hold of us. That given the chance—with the right price and the right bargaining chip—we would turn against Jesus in a heartbeat. Our betrayal may not be as big and “dramatic” as Judas’, but it is all the more damaging and dangerous.
For Judas, all it took was 30 pieces of silver. For us, it can be something as subtle as compromising our faith for personal gain, seeking approval from the world rather than Christ, or prioritizing temporary pleasures over things of eternal value.
Judas’ life is a cautionary tale for all of us. That “proximity” to Jesus—simply being born to a Christian family or fulfilling all our religious “responsibilities”—does not guarantee or even equate to complete submission and obedience to Him. That our hearts are prone to wander and if we’re not vigilant, we would give ground for sin and temptation to consume us.
It’s time to really ask ourselves: Who/what has taken our hearts captive? Like King David, ask God to search our hearts and know us. To see if there are any grievous ways in us (Ps. 139:23-24). Where have we allowed temptation or worldly desires to lead us away from our commitment to Christ?
If you’re struggling with any sin or temptation, reach out to one of our elders or your Life Group leader. Share your prayer concerns with a trusted friend in church and be accountable to each other.