Lent Day 37
Matthew 26:47–56
While he was still speaking, Judas came, one of the twelve, and with him a great crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the elders of the people. Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I will kiss is the man; seize him.” And he came up to Jesus at once and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” And he kissed him. Jesus said to him, “Friend, do what you came to do.” Then they came up and laid hands on Jesus and seized him. And behold, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear. Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?” At that hour Jesus said to the crowds, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me? Day after day I sat in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me. But all this has taken place that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples left him and fled.
While he was still speaking, Judas came, one of the twelve, and with him a great crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the elders of the people. Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I will kiss is the man; seize him.” And he came up to Jesus at once and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” And he kissed him. Jesus said to him, “Friend, do what you came to do.” Then they came up and laid hands on Jesus and seized him. And behold, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear. Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?” At that hour Jesus said to the crowds, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me? Day after day I sat in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me. But all this has taken place that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples left him and fled.
The suffering Jesus experienced at the hands of the Jewish leaders was nothing compared to what he experienced with his disciple, Judas. It’s unclear at what point and to what degree Jesus chose Judas to betray him. But Jesus certainly knew this was coming and that Judas’s betrayal would lead to Jesus’s crucifixion.
Still, Judas was a friend to Jesus. Long before Judas had committed in his heart to betray Jesus, Judas went out with the other disciples to perform the works of God. He was full of the Holy Spirit, casting out demons and proclaiming the Kingdom of God.
Eventually, Judas got greedy and stole from the disciples’ money bag. We assume this description came from Satan. At the Last Supper, when Jesus calls out Judas as the betrayer, we’re told, “Satan entered him” (John 13:27), but even before that, “the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas, Simon Iscariot’s son, to betray him” (John 13:2). However it went down exactly, we do not know, but some kind of demonization occurred where Judas became the agent of Satan’s activity against Jesus.
You might have questions about this. Why didn’t God stop Satan’s deceit? Why didn’t God send down legions of angels to stop Judas’s betrayal and to fight off the angry mob? Why did God let Jesus be taken into custody and eventually crucified?
According to Jesus, it is to fulfill the scriptures. In other words, this was the plan of God. You can smell God’s plan all over this situation. Jesus notes, “Day after day I sat in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me.” Why didn’t they? “All this has taken place that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.”
The Apostle Paul wrote, “We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). God’s ways are higher than ours. His wisdom is greater than our wisdom. Often life seems bleak, and God’s purposes seem to be failing, but we have this sure promise, demonstrated in the suffering of Jesus, that “all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.”
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, we believe you are working all things for good even when we cannot see it. Give us the courage to stand firm in times of trial and exhibit Christ's character, not to raise a sword or flee, but to submit to your plan as it unfolds in our lives. Amen.
Still, Judas was a friend to Jesus. Long before Judas had committed in his heart to betray Jesus, Judas went out with the other disciples to perform the works of God. He was full of the Holy Spirit, casting out demons and proclaiming the Kingdom of God.
Eventually, Judas got greedy and stole from the disciples’ money bag. We assume this description came from Satan. At the Last Supper, when Jesus calls out Judas as the betrayer, we’re told, “Satan entered him” (John 13:27), but even before that, “the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas, Simon Iscariot’s son, to betray him” (John 13:2). However it went down exactly, we do not know, but some kind of demonization occurred where Judas became the agent of Satan’s activity against Jesus.
You might have questions about this. Why didn’t God stop Satan’s deceit? Why didn’t God send down legions of angels to stop Judas’s betrayal and to fight off the angry mob? Why did God let Jesus be taken into custody and eventually crucified?
According to Jesus, it is to fulfill the scriptures. In other words, this was the plan of God. You can smell God’s plan all over this situation. Jesus notes, “Day after day I sat in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me.” Why didn’t they? “All this has taken place that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.”
The Apostle Paul wrote, “We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). God’s ways are higher than ours. His wisdom is greater than our wisdom. Often life seems bleak, and God’s purposes seem to be failing, but we have this sure promise, demonstrated in the suffering of Jesus, that “all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.”
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, we believe you are working all things for good even when we cannot see it. Give us the courage to stand firm in times of trial and exhibit Christ's character, not to raise a sword or flee, but to submit to your plan as it unfolds in our lives. Amen.
Posted in Lent 2024
Recent
Archive
2024
February
2021
2020
September
October
November