PLOTTING FOR BETRAYAL
Opening Prayer
Almighty God, thank you that there is only truth in your Word, truth that gives me life; truth that enables me to stand, no matter what are my circumstances.
Read LUKE 22:1–13
Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus
22 Now the Festival of Unleavened Bread, called the Passover, was approaching, 2 and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some way to get rid of Jesus, for they were afraid of the people. 3 Then Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, one of the Twelve. 4 And Judas went to the chief priests and the officers of the temple guard and discussed with them how he might betray Jesus. 5 They were delighted and agreed to give him money. 6 He consented, and watched for an opportunity to hand Jesus over to them when no crowd was present.
The Last Supper
7 Then came the day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. 8 Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover.”
9 “Where do you want us to prepare for it?” they asked.
10 He replied, “As you enter the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him to the house that he enters, 11 and say to the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ 12 He will show you a large room upstairs, all furnished. Make preparations there.”
13 They left and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover.
New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Meditate
‘Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good.’1
Think Further
The passion narrative2 begins with the plot of the religious leaders to kill Jesus during the Passover celebration. Their earlier attempts were unsuccessful because of the crowd.3 They needed another scheme to get rid of Jesus. Judas became the solution, after Satan entered him. He agreed, with the exchange of money, to help the religious leaders get hold of Jesus in the absence of the crowd.
The gospel of Luke is explicit in revealing Satan as the driving force behind Jesus’ betrayal. The passage does not explain what may have led Judas to do this. What is important is that Satan is portrayed as having his way and he seems to be triumphing. Earlier in his earthly life, Jesus had encountered Satan in his temptation.4 At the end of Jesus’ temptation, Satan left him until an ‘opportune’ time.5 That moment had arrived: Satan entered Judas, leading to the arrest, trial, and crucifixion of Jesus. Yet, as dark as the night may seem, we must not forget that evil does not have the final say. The emphasis of the gospel of Luke is that the death of Jesus is the heart of the divine plan of salvation. It is repeatedly mentioned in Scripture that the Messiah must suffer and rise again.6
We see so much evil in our world today. The rise of injustice, wars, killing of innocents, and the displacement of people are some of the troubling news stories confronting us on a daily basis. While we may feel helpless, we must not lose hope. The days of evil are numbered. God will put things right. Let us be vigilant as we wait patiently for the return of Christ to rule and reign.
Apply
‘Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.’7
Closing prayer
Gracious God, thank you for those times in my life when you proved that you are trustworthy. Increase my faith to believe that you will fulfill every one of your promises.
1 3 John 11 2 Luke 22:1 – 23:56 3 Luke 19:47, 48; 20:19 4 Luke 4:1–12 5 Luke 4:13 6 Luke 9:22, 44; 18:31–33; 24:7, 26, 27, 46, 47 7 Rom 12:9
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