BETRAYING JESUS

The bible recorded, “Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Him to them.  And when they heard it, they were glad, and promised to give him money. So he sought how he might conveniently betray Him. (Mark 14:10-11)” Three points stand out in the above scriptural verse to talk about: Judas Iscariot was one of the twelve; Judas Iscariot went to betray Him; Judas sought convenient way of betraying Jesus.

Judas, one of the twelve: Imagine Judas, one of the closest to Jesus, answering as a betrayer of Jesus. Are you an acclaimed believer whose day would not pass without having betrayed Jesus by the word of mouth; by conduct; by thought or by what is seen? Falling for temptation in daily walk or despising the word of God testifies to being a betrayer of our Lord Jesus just like Judas.
The truth is that one would expect being around Jesus to be the last place for man to become a vessel that betrays Jesus, but it is not true. The route taken by Satan to use Judas is the same he is still using today to capture man and use man as a betrayer. Luke 22:3-4 identified the route for Satan, “Then Satan entered Judas, surnamed Iscariot, who was numbered among the twelve. So he went his way and conferred with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray Him to them. (Luke 22:3-4)” The heart of man is the only route for Satan to get hold of him as a vessel for betraying Jesus.
Satan gaining entrance into man is also man entering in with Satan. Jesus gave the word that it makes it impossible for Satan not to enter when He commanded, “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. (Mark 14:38)” Satan entering into man is the same as man entering in with Satan. The only way for man not to become a victim of Satan gaining entrance is clearly in watching and praying as commanded by Jesus. The command of Jesus is in place for man to know and to offset Satan’s agenda. A failure not to watch and pray is a passage to becoming Satan’s victim.
Jesus’ command to watch and pray is not a confirmation that temptation is not going to show up at our doorstep, but it is a command for man to engage watching and praying so that Satan will not enter. Temptations will not stop coming at every opportune time; they will come but should not enter just as he entered into Judas. Jesus our Lord and Savior, on His way from watching and praying for forty days, was approached by Satan with a barrage of temptation but could not enter. After Satan’s final attempt to tempt Jesus and failure to enter, the Bible recorded Satan’s response, “Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time. (Luke 4:13)”

Judas went his way: The Bible stated that Judas “went his way and conferred with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray Him to them. (Luke 22:4)” Man’s way is not God’s way but God’s way is for man. Man’s way is always a way that seems right. Proverbs 14:12 identifies the way that seems right, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” Are you taking to your way outside of God’s own way? As a believer, it is important you watch the way you take and let it not be outside of God’s way. Judas took to the way that seemed right for his sudden riches but it ended in death.
Judas sought to conveniently betray Jesus. Today’s convenient way of betraying Jesus is the same as it was in the times of the Bible. Today, deception, lying, and manipulation are conversant in the church and among believers. Deception, lying, and manipulation have become identities of many that claim Jesus as the Lord and Savior just as Judas was around Him. Indeed, Judas conveniently betrayed Jesus when he pointed Him out with a kiss. It is written, “And while He was still speaking, behold, a multitude; and he who was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them and drew near to Jesus to kiss Him. But Jesus said to him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss? (Luke 22:47-48)” Are you betraying Jesus? Betraying Him will do Jesus no harm but instead the betrayer, setting oneself for self-destruction eternally.
It is time to come out of religion and into Jesus reality. Be numbered for Jesus, live life to be counted when it is counting time before Him. Repent and renounce your convenient way of betraying Him.
Jesus is Lord.