Dave's Diary

As Holy Week begins, we watch in deep sadness as one of the Twelve Apostles, Judas, betrays the Lord Jesus Christ and agrees terms to hand Him over to the religious rulers for 30 silver coins.

Daily Reading: Luke 22:1-6

The Passover Week has begun. Jerusalem is jam-packed with pilgrims. The streets are abuzz with gossip about the way Jesus arrived in town and how the crowds lauded Him as the “One who comes in the Name of the Lord” and “the Son of David”. Expectation on the streets is massive, and there’s a palpable sense that something huge is about to happen. The name Jesus is on everyone’s lips as they shop for their Passover supplies.

Meanwhile, in the private chambers of the Temple, the chief priests and teachers of the Law are firmly resolved to get rid of Jesus to protect their own power and positions. Their overriding emotion is not excitement but fear. They are desperately afraid of the possible Roman reaction to Jesus’ entry and ‘antics’, and deeply committed to silencing Him for good. But they are also afraid of His current popularity and of what the reaction of the general population might be if they should try to arrest Jesus in public. They are desperate to shut Jesus up, but they are also desperate not to make themselves targets of the crowd’s ire. In a week that should be all about them serving God’s people well and helping them to encounter God in the remembrance of His deliverance at Passover, they are plotting to murder an innocent man.

Enter Judas. Can you see the excitement on their faces as they realise that an Apostle of Jesus has just come to them of his own volition to agree terms for handing Jesus over to them when no crowd is present. I’m sure they think this is a “heaven-sent” answer? In truth, its origin is the pit of hell.

All we are told by Luke about Judas’ motive for betraying Jesus to the chief priests for 30 silver coins is that “Satan entered him”. This can only mean one thing: For a while now, under the influence of Satan’s accusations and temptations, Judas has been gradually drifting away from his resolve to follow Jesus as his Teacher and Lord. Day by day he has become progressively less convinced that Jesus knows what he is doing and less committed to Jesus’ cause. Then, in a moment of clarity this week, he has realised that, in fact, he no longer believes that Jesus is the Messiah at all. And even if Jesus is the Messiah, it actually no longer matters to him. He has given up a lot to wander around with Jesus for three years, and it has come to nothing. Jesus has made it abundantly clear that He has no intention of being the sort of Messiah they have been expecting! So now Judas reckons its time to cash in and recoup some of his losses! Of course he does not realise it, but the moment Judas decides to take a position of active opposition to Jesus, he is aligning himself with the Opponent, the Adversary, the Enemy of all things holy and good and beautiful – Satan. He has become a pawn in the hand of spiritual darkness.

As 21st Century followers of Jesus, Judas stands as a stark reminder to us that we are either for Jesus or against Him; we are either in full surrender to Him or in opposition to Him; we are either on the narrow way that follows in His footsteps and leads us to eternally abundant fullness of life, or on the broad way that leads us gradually (and merrily) away from our Saviour into the fulfilment of our own base desires for the “30 silver coins” of this world’s pleasures and comforts. Judas is not an anomaly. He is a warning sign to all followers of Jesus.

Never forget that Jesus is currently saving you out of the grave danger of sin’s allure by leading you as your Loving Lord. Whatever you do, don’t fall into the Judas-trap. Don’t stop following Him as closely as possible. Fix your eyes on Him and follow with all your might!

Amen.