Mensa Otabil - The Betrayal
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This is the sacred week of Christendom, and this week we contemplate all the events leading to the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. The events of this week are so important to our faith and how we understand our redemption.
So let's go to the different accounts from the Bible that reference this week: Matthew chapter 26, verses 14 to 16: "Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said,'What are you willing to give me if I deliver him to you?' And they counted out to him thirty pieces of silver. From that time, he sought opportunity to betray him."
Last week, we looked at Judas and his comment about the sacrifice of Mary and how he tried to appear very spiritual. But now we see his real motive: he's a money grabber, and he looks for every opportunity to make money, even if it means selling his Master, his Lord, his Teacher. Unfortunately, there are people like that in our world today. When we look at the events of the Passion of the Lord Jesus Christ, it starts with betrayal-betrayal from an apostle, a disciple of His, somebody He had personally chosen. This betrayal opened the door to all the other events that would take place in the life of Jesus Christ. It opened the door for the enemy to come in, but it was necessary for the enemy to come in because part of redemption required that Jesus had to suffer, die, and resurrect.
So Judas's role, as terrible and painful as it was, God used it for His purposes. That's how God works; He uses the negatives of our lives- things that are horrible-to work out His purposes. It doesn't mean He approves of it or endorses it, but He uses it because all things work together in accordance to His purposes, including the betrayal of Jesus by Judas. When Judas betrayed Him, the chief priests, who had been looking for an opportunity to take Jesus out, came in. Then the Romans, who felt very insecure about this Jewish rabbi whose teachings seemed to disturb their sense of hierarchy, also kicked in. So every enemy of Jesus had the chance to get a goal at Him, but the door was opened by Judas.
In our lives, each one of us sometimes encounters a character like Judas-a person who is close, a person you share so much with, a person you believe in, who unfortunately contends against you. So today, as we contemplate the betrayal of the Lord Jesus Christ, I just want to assure you: if you've also suffered betrayal, remember this: for a season, it may seem that the betrayal has opened the door for every bad thing to happen to you. But God will use the betrayal for your resurrection; He will use it to work out His purposes in your life.
So being betrayed by people is bad, it's terrible, it's painful. But as we can see in the life of Jesus Christ, God is able to work out His purposes through it all. For those of us who choose to betray other people, we can also learn from the end of Judas that betrayal, no matter how it seems, for a season may work; the end, as it ended for Judas, is not a good place to be. I trust that God will help each one of us not to betray the trust of those we are committed to and for those of us who feel betrayed, that we will trust that God is able to use even the betrayal to work out His purposes in our lives.
Let us pray. Heavenly Father, help me to remain true and faithful to those who trust me. In Jesus' name, amen and amen. Well, I'll catch you again tomorrow. I'm Pastor Mensa Otabil. Shalom, peace, and life to you.