In these verses we have the set up to Judas eventually betraying Jesus. It's sad that this man had once stood by and followed Christ and sometime or another he decided that Jesus had gone too far, or that he felt betrayed for some reason. These verses come right after a woman pouring expensive perfume on the head of Jesus, and maybe it was this that Judas couldn't understand, or maybe he thought that Jesus' teachings were just a little to radical.
I think that we are all just a few steps from doing what Judas did, and as the saying goes, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. This is in no way trying to make light of anything that he did, but this is a warning to check our attitudes when it comes to our sin. I do think that it was the teaching that drove Judas to what he did, he did not come to grips that Jesus as the Son of God. .. he was the Messiah.
It's not the only time that someone chose to do something so bad so wrong for their beliefs, think about the crusades, think about the tension between Protestant and Catholic churches and how easily Satan comes and tempts people to harm each other over belief systems.
And if Judas decided to betray Jesus primarily for money, it's another warning that Satan will use our weaknesses to try and thwart the work that God wants to do.
In the end, I believe we need to protect and guard our hearts against temptations that can so easily entangle us. To think that Judas walked with Jesus, talked with him, learned from him and still fell so far, how much more easily is it for anyone of us to fall as well. A sad and urgent warning for all of us.
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