The Great Betrayal

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 deliver him over to you?” So they counted out for him thirty pieces of silver. From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over.

- Matthew 26:14-16

The Wednesday of Holy Week is known as “Spy Wednesday” by some scholars and churches. While scripture isn’t clear on the exact timeline of events leading up to the crucifixion, many reflect on “Spy Wednesday” as the day Judas Iscariot chose to betray Jesus.

So today we make space to reflect on this great betrayal. Judas, one of the twelve disciples, decides to choose thirty pieces of silver (around 5 weeks’ worth of money) over the life of Jesus. He disregards the many miracles he has watched Jesus perform. He drowns out the many words he’s witnessed Jesus preach. Satan takes a foothold in the heart of Judas, and he chooses greed over the Son of God.

It may not be worth our time to try and decide exactly why Judas did this. Was it just greed? Was it doubt? Was it a selfish desire for power?

We may not understand why, but we do know this betrayal was perhaps the most infamous of all time. What always strikes me is that the person who initiated Jesus’ crucifixion wasn’t a religious leader who hated Him or a political leader who wanted Him dead. It was His dear friend. It was someone who had heard all of His sermons and sat across from Him at the dinner table.

I wonder why God chose to have the story to play out like this. Why did He have one of the twelve do the betraying? Perhaps it was to challenge us to face the gravity of our sin and the insidious nature of Satan.

We can sit through every sermon, we can know every word to every worship song, and yet, if our hearts are not fully aligned with Christ, we can fall into betrayal.

While our betrayal may not be as obvious as Judas’s, we still choose it every day. It may not be thirty pieces of silver, but I’m sure there’s something that takes a foothold in your heart. It’s when we truly begin to see our sin as personal betrayals against God, that we realize the gravity of our brokenness. And - we can only truly appreciate the triumph of Easter when we recognize our grave need for saving.

So what do you choose over Jesus? What knocks God off of His rightful place on the throne of your heart? Is it thirty pieces of silver? Is it financial stability? Is it the appearance of success? Is it lust? Is it vanity and affirmation? Is it perfectionism?

My prayer today, as painful as it might be, is that you might consider how you play Judas in your own life. How do you choose sin over Jesus and betray Him, despite all He has done for you?

It’s when we do this that we find the truly desperate need for Good Friday. It’s when we own our sinful nature that we can whole-heartedly celebrate Easter Sunday.

Today may we grieve the betrayal of Judas. And today, may we repent of our own struggles with picking the silver over our Savior.

You’re not alone, friend. We all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). But, good news, Sunday is coming!

Cristina Schmitter

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