Betraying Jesus

I feel like I once betrayed Jesus by....

 

Mathew 26:1-16

When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he said to his disciples, “As you know, Passover begins in two days, and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.”

At that same time the leading priests and elders were meeting at the residence of Caiaphas, the high priest, plotting how to capture Jesus secretly and kill him.  “But not during the Passover celebration,” they agreed, “or the people may riot.”

Meanwhile, Jesus was in Bethany at the home of Simon, a man who had previously had leprosy.  While he was eating, a woman came in with a beautiful alabaster jar of expensive perfume and poured it over his head.

The disciples were indignant when they saw this. “What a waste!” they said.  “It could have been sold for a high price and the money given to the poor.”

But Jesus, aware of this, replied, “Why criticize this woman for doing such a good thing to me?  You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.  She has poured this perfume on me to prepare my body for burial.  I tell you the truth, wherever the Good News is preached throughout the world, this woman’s deed will be remembered and discussed.”

Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples, went to the leading priests and asked, “How much will you pay me to betray Jesus to you?” And they gave him thirty pieces of silver.  From that time on, Judas began looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus.

Mark 14:1-11

It was now two days before Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread. The leading priests and the teachers of religious law were still looking for an opportunity to capture Jesus secretly and kill him.  “But not during the Passover celebration,” they agreed, “or the people may riot.”

Meanwhile, Jesus was in Bethany at the home of Simon, a man who had previously had leprosy. While he was eating, a woman came in with a beautiful alabaster jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard. She broke open the jar and poured the perfume over his head.

Some of those at the table were indignant. “Why waste such expensive perfume?” they asked.  “It could have been sold for a year’s wages and the money given to the poor!” So they scolded her harshly.

But Jesus replied, “Leave her alone. Why criticize her for doing such a good thing to me?  You will always have the poor among you, and you can help them whenever you want to. But you will not always have me.  She has done what she could and has anointed my body for burial ahead of time.  I tell you the truth, wherever the Good News is preached throughout the world, this woman’s deed will be remembered and discussed.”

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.

 

The woman with the perfume recognized Jesus for what He was, the Son of God.  She worshipped Him by anointing Him with oil.  There are a lot of thoughts, by folks a whole lot smarter than me as to whom this woman was and at what point in Jesus’ ministry this happened, but I’m pretty simple.  If the bible says it happened at during the Passover, then that’s what I believe.  I just don’t over think it.  I believe the point of this is that the woman was worshipping Jesus, pure and simple.  Obviously the disciples didn’t like it and if you read John 12, Judas Iscariot is named as the one who actually said it; which brings us to last few verses, where Judas starts looking for a time and place to betray Jesus.

I think Judas is sorta interesting.  Think about this, how could a man who has followed Jesus, seen all of the miracles that Jesus did; still get to the point where he sold Jesus out for 30 pieces of silver.  In modern terms these 30 pieces of silver are worth anywhere between $3000 to $6000 dollars (depends on your sources).  Either way, this is a pittance compare to the life of a man.  The world kinda likes to judge Judas, don’t get me wrong I think it was a terrible thing, but sin is sin is sin.  It’s all the same in God’s eyes.  But this is a thought to marinade in your mind, how often do we sin for free?  How often do I betray Jesus and do it for nothing other than a small amount of pleasure?  Am I a whole lot different than Judas?  Aren’t we all a little more like Judas than we want to admit?

But God...gives us grace.  Jesus obediently hung on that cross as payment for my sin debt.  I have accepted that fact, that I am a sinner and my sins were bought with Jesus’ blood.  Even today, when I screw up and willingly crawl into the pit of sin, I know that I am His.  Do you accept these terms?

 

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