The Fourth Sunday in Lent (GA)

Mark 14:10-16

¹⁰ Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went to the chief priests in order to betray him to them. ¹¹ And when they heard it, they were glad and promised to give him money. And he sought an opportunity to betray him.

¹² And on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the Passover lamb, his disciples said to him, “Where will you have us go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?” ¹³ And he sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him, ¹⁴ and wherever he enters, say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says, Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ ¹⁵ And he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready; there prepare for us.” ¹⁶ And the disciples set out and went to the city and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover.

There are many people who have written their own ideas about what actually was going through the mind of Judas as he sets up to prepare Jesus.  Judas, one of the Twelve, is not just a random disciple but even one of the chosen twelve.  He makes a deal with “devil?” He makes a deal with those who are looking to kill Jesus.  They will pay him good money, and Judas looks for the opportunity to present itself.

Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Jesus follows this rule. The one who would betray him is part of his inner circle.  There are even that would go so far to suggest, replace Judas with Peter and Peter with Judas and how much really does the story change? It doesn’t.  Jesus Christ is still betrayed by one of his chosen twelve.  Jesus still goes to the cross and dies for every sin every committed and our sinful nature.  Jesus still will rise on Easter morning.

If Judas was the one chosen by God to betray his only begotten Son, should it be all that difficult for us to look at a Pastor or Church Leader and see them as corrupt sinful people. It is important to pray for God to help us forgive our neighbors no matter what sin they may commit.  It is important for us to remember that Christ died even for the sins of Judas.

When we think of all the corruption and false teaching within the church, we need to remember that Christ died for these people.  Christ died for your sins.  Christ died for all people’s sins.  When we teach falsely, God calls us to repent and turn from our false doctrine.  God offers us his truth to speak to us in every time of need.