The Faithful & The VileSample

Judas, the Betrayer

The glow from the torches and lanterns snaked along the road from Antonia’s Fortress toward the Garden of Gethsemane. The speckled line of light grew brighter and the marching footsteps grew louder as they drew closer to Jesus and his disciples.

Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, knew the place Jesus liked to go to pray. Under the cover of darkness, he led a small army into the grove of olive trees to arrest Jesus.

They came with torches to apprehend the Light of the World with clubs and swords to carry away the Prince of Peace. Judas’ betrayal was thick with irony and revealed how little he understood who Jesus was. He had been looking for the right moment to hand Jesus over to the Sanhedrin, and now, being possessed by Satan, his time had come.

Judas was only following Jesus for what was in it for him. He wanted money, fame, and power. When Judas realized Jesus’ way of ushering in the kingdom was going to be through men’s hearts and not a government overthrow, he was furious. Since he had wasted three years of his life with Jesus, he might as well get something out of it, even if it was only a few bucks.

Judas’ betrayal reminds us that we can be in close proximity to Jesus and miss him altogether. We can even act as one of his disciples and fool other people, but we can never fool God. Jesus knew Judas would betray him and told him to do it quickly (John 13:27). Yet, even under the gloom of betrayal of the perfect Son of God, there is a beam of light and hope for you and me. 

Greg Morse said, “Jesus absorbed the traitor’s heel so that he could heal traitors.” By his grace, he heals all traitors who come to him in repentance at the foot of the cross. It’s there that the wretched and vile place their trust in Jesus, and by his grace, become transformed into the faithful.