Think of all
Judas betrayed in betraying Jesus:
Judas
betrayed the One Who loved him to a greater extent than anyone had ever loved Him.
The love Jesus had for Judas was a demonstrated, felt love. A powerful love of
healing, restoration, and of wholeness and peace.
Judas
betrayed the One Who rescued him from his banal, pointless, merciless life, and
restored him and brought him into greatness of life. (The greatest life anyone
could possibly live.) In following Jesus, Judas’ life-potential was fully realized.
Judas had
witnessed so many great things if all the libraries of the world were combined
they could not contain all the glorious works Jesus had performed in his sight.
(John 21:25.)
One thing only
Judas had NOT seen. He had not seen Jesus even begin to act as a political
figure, as a conquering king. Judas was such a political zealot he saw
everything through the lens of defeating Roman rule. This was The Messiah he
sought. Jesus presently was not living up to that expectation. Judas desired a
king who would defeat, drive out, and deliver Israel from the tyranny of
oppression.
He had not
imagined The One Who would deliver Israel - and indeed the whole world – from the
tyranny and oppression of sin.
He wasn’t
thinking about that when he allowed Satan to enter his heart.
Once Judas
allowed Satan to enter his heart he followed a path of destruction. Judas had
no way of knowing even this act of unholy sedition had been prophesied in scripture.
(Psalm 41:9.)
In the strangest
and most detestable way, we are reminded even under Satan’s influence our
actions are controlled by God for His purposes. It was necessary for Our
Passover Lamb to be slain – and Judas unwittingly and foolishly became the
instrument.
Was Judas
then not responsible for his actions? Jesus said it would have been better for him
if he had not been born. (Matt 26:24.)
-Pastor Bill
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