A Plan
Thursday, April 14
A Plan
Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver Him to you?” And they counted out to him thirty pieces of silver. Matthew 26:14, 15
The question posed in the verses for today sets in motion the act that will soon ultimately come to define his life. As Jesus agonizingly wrestles with His Father, and disciples lie exhausted around Him, Judas Iscariot is seeking his moment. He is watching and waiting, the action of his betrayal approaching. Here is a man who was called by Jesus and in Luke 9 we read he was filled with power and authority. A man who gave up everything to follow the Messiah is now giving up everything to betray Him. We often ask ourselves, why would he do it? Greed? Jealousy? Disillusionment? Fear? Whatever the reason he had and whatever anger we may have toward him it is safe to say, when Judas betrayed Jesus, he made the biggest mistake any man has ever made.
We live and worship Jesus in a world that seeks to draw us away from him with many distractions. They appear satisfying in the moment but we soon quickly discover, as Judas did with his bag of silver, that they are not. The good news to this tragic ending is this, although Judas succumbed and fell to his own desires, we live in the light of a Father’s mercy: a mercy that is freely available to us no matter our past or how grievous our sin. We live in a time where the Savior’s mercy exceeds judgment and gives us a starting place as we seek to remain rooted in Christ, guarding our hearts through the treasure of his Word. His grace affords us the right to go to our Savior and love Him without reserve.