His Betrayer

His Betrayer

"Then one of the Twelve—the one called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests  
and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?” So they counted out for him thirty silver coins.  
From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over. 
On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do you want us to make preparations for you to eat the Passover?” 
He replied, “Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, ‘The Teacher says: My appointed time is near. I am going to celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your house.’ ”  
So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover. 
When evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the Twelve.  
And while they were eating, he said, “I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me.” 
They were very sad and began to say to him one after the other, “Surely not I, Lord?” 
Jesus replied, “The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me.  
The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.” 
Then Judas, the one who would betray him, said, “Surely not I, Rabbi?” Jesus answered, “Yes, it is you.”
Matthew 26:14-25.
From the moment Jesus entered Jerusalem that day the die was cast. Events would take place that would lead to the most monumental events in history.
It seems from the text that Jesus knew Judas was to betray him.
Judas had been with Jesus from the early days of his ministry. He had seen the Myricales. He had sat under the teachings of Jesus yet he doesn’t appear to have learned anything or believed anything Jesus said.
Judas wanted a conquering messiah he didn’t see Jesus as a saviour. A prince of peace.
Judas it appears wanted to get out from under the Roman boot. He was blind to see that Jesus wanted to come and live in the hearts of man.
It’s the same today the Jews are looking for a mighty King a conquering king one who will rule the world with justice.
They fail to see Jesus is that king.
In the gentile world, the none Jewish world Jesus sadly is seen only as a good man.
Yet Jesus and his followers have transformed the world. Napoleon said of Jesus,
“I know men and I tell you, Jesus Christ is no mere man. Between him and every other person in the world there is no possible term of comparison. Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and I have founded empires. But on what did we rest the creations of our genius? Upon force. Jesus Christ founded his empire upon love; and at this hour, millions would die for him.”
P. Carnegie Simpson wrote,
“The sages and heroes of history are receding from us, and history contracts the record of their deeds into a narrower and narrower page. But time has no power over the name and deeds and words of Jesus Christ.”
Judas and the men that plotted to kill Jesus on that eve of Passover had no idea what they were truly doing.
But we as followers of Jesus do. We understand that they were preparing the way for the most monumental time in human history. The death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ.
In doing what he did Judas put in motion a sacrifice that had to be. A sacrifice that if accepted by the individual paves the way for them to have eternal life.
Think about it.