Holy Week Prayer Guide: Wednesday

Wednesday: Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus

Scripture: Matthew 26:14-16, Luke 22:1-6

Key verse: Matthew 26:15— “[Judas] asked, ‘What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?’ So they counted out for him thirty silver coins.”

Judas Iscariot was one of the Twelve disciples; he was the accountant of the group, keeping the money bag for Jesus’ traveling ministry. The Bible tells us that this responsibility turned out to be too much of a temptation to him, and he began embezzling money by helping himself to the donations that came in. Perhaps he knew about Mary’s alabaster jar and hoped to take advantage of its proceeds once she donated it to the ministry. When Jesus instead praised her for her “waste,” it pushed Judas over the edge. He was ready to cash out his relationship with Jesus.

Because Judas eventually felt so much remorse for his actions that he killed himself, it is tempting to find a more noble reasoning for Judas’s betrayal, but the reason the Bible gives is that he loved money more than Jesus. Judas went to the chief priests himself with a proposal. Although these religious leaders were looking for a way to get to Jesus, it was Judas who came up with the plot. After the incident with the perfume, Judas decided he could make more money betraying Jesus than stealing from him.

Judas is not alone in his sin; the choice of silver over Jesus is not uncommon among people. Many people would have done the same thing in Judas’s place, and the temptation always remains to choose silver and safety over Jesus. Judas’s sin lurks in the hearts of us all.

That’s why when, at the Last Supper, when Jesus announced that one of them would betray him, the disciples all asked, “Surely not I?” Judas was not obvious then, and there is enough sin in each of us to create doubt. Judas serves as a cautionary tale. It is possible for you to be near Jesus, listen to his teachings, be a part of his ministry, and still never truly put your faith in him. Ask the Lord today, “Surely not I?”

Prayer:

Jesus, I don’t want to be like Judas. Deliver me from the lies and power of Satan.

I don’t want to just know about you. I want to trust you, love you, and be loyal to you.

Forgive me for ways I have chosen safety and silver over you.

I receive your forgiveness today, and give my full devotion to you. Thank you, Jesus. Amen.