Isaiah 11-13, Psalm 118, Matt 27
when Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he changed his mind ~Matthew 27:3
Today, in Matthew 27, we read about Judas’ victory. Or, at least, what Judas thought was going to be his victory. He finally achieved what he set out to do. There are two reasons, I surmise, for Judas’ choices. One is money and the other is acceptance.
Consider first that Judas was the keeper of the purse for the apostles. Not because he was specially gifted with finances, but because was concerned with the amount of money in the purse. Not for the benefit of Jesus, or humanity, but for his own gain. John 12:1-8 tells us that Judas was greedy for monetary gain. His relationship with Jesus was nothing more than a vehicle to gain wealth. Is that why he gave up Jesus’ location for 30 pieces of silver? Maybe, but 30 pieces of silver is only about $600, in todays dollars. There must be another motivation for his choices.
Perhaps Judas was also looking for the respect of men. Looking back to Matthew 26:14-16, Judas was hanging out with men opposed to Jesus. Given his position, I imagine that they did not fully trust him. Maybe they made fun of him for being with Jesus. Maybe Judas wanted to be liked by them. We all do stupid things when we are seeking the approval of men. I imagine Judas puffing himself up with stories about Jesus and the Apostles. To build creditability, he chooses to make a grand gesture. In this case, it was about selling Jesus’ location.
Then one of the twelve, whose name was Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, “What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?” And they paid him thirty pieces of silver. And from that moment he sought an opportunity to betray him. Matthew 26:14-16
Once Jesus was condemned, however, Judas rethought his choices. Realizing his fault, Judas “changed his mind.” Matthew 27:3. I can only guess why. Honestly, its like most things of this world. We make choices to satisfy our desires and build our own influence, often at the cost of God’s Kingdom. Seriously, think about a time when you were tempted to compromise your values for something that you would gain. Maybe its an oversight on your taxes, or taking credit for someone else’s work so that your boss will see you in a better light. Maybe, like Judas, we are ok with your choices. Truth is, we are ok with our choices until there are consequences. That’s what happened to Judas.
When Judas saw that Jesus was condemned, he changed his mind. Matthew 27:3
Perhaps we have all experienced what Judas felt in Matthew 27, realizing that our gain is actually a huge loss. When that happens, don’t we do exactly what Judas did in verse 3? We change our minds! Sadly, for Judas, it was too late. He could not see past his betrayal. The only restitution he could think of was death.
We do have an option. Today, and everyday, we can choose life. Simply put our faith in Him and His goodness. Nothing else. Before, it’s too late.