Then one of the twelve followers went to talk to the leading priests. This was the follower named Judas Iscariot. Judas said, "I will give you Jesus. What will you pay me for doing this?" The priests gave Judas 30 silver coins. After that time Judas waited for the best time to give Jesus to the priests.
—Matthew 26:14-16
Key Thought
It appears that Judas would be remembered too! Wherever the Gospel is told, Judas is also remembered.
Judas is not just famous; he is infamous! How many mothers want their son to be named Judas? How many dads want their son to be known as a sell out? So the antithesis of the woman who anointed Jesus with costly ointment is Judas, who betrayed Jesus for
thirty pieces of silver.
While these are the extremes, those of us who follow Jesus are confronted by these two powerful images and asked to choose the way we will live our life: will we live extravagantly for Jesus or will we live seeking to get extravagant gifts from Jesus?
Today's Prayer
Father and Almighty God, I confess that I have sometimes been very selfish in the way that I have looked at you and prayed to you. I've presented you with my wish lists hoping that you would grant the wishes of my heart. But in this powerful collision of lives in the shadow of Jesus' cross, I am convicted of what you have sacrificed for me and the incredible extravagance you showed me in sending Jesus, not to mention that you had him die for my sins! I can never fully thank you, but I want to strive to serve you and love you and honor you with faithful extravagance as long as I live. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Today's Verses in Context
After Jesus finished saying all these things, he said to his followers, "You know that the day after tomorrow is Passover. On that day the Son of Man will be given {to his enemies} to be killed on a cross." Then the leading priests and the older Jewish leaders had a meeting at the palace where the high priest lived. The high priest's name was Caiaphas. In the meeting, they tried to find a way to arrest Jesus without the people seeing it. They planned to arrest Jesus and kill him. The men in the meeting said, "We cannot arrest Jesus during Passover. We don't want the people to become angry and cause a riot." Jesus was in Bethany. He was at the house of Simon the leper. While Jesus was there, a woman came to him. She had an alabaster jar filled with very expensive perfume. The woman poured this perfume on Jesus' head while Jesus was eating. The followers saw the woman do this and became upset at the woman. The followers asked, "Why waste that perfume? That perfume could be sold for much money and the money could be given to poor people." But Jesus knew what happened. Jesus said, "Why are you troubling this woman? She did a very good thing for me. You will always have poor people with you. But you will not always have me. This woman poured perfume on my body. She did this to prepare me for burial after I die. I tell you the truth. The Good News will be told to people in all the world. And in every place where the Good News is told, the story of what this woman did will also be told. And people will remember her." Then one of the twelve followers went to talk to the leading priests. This was the follower named Judas Iscariot. Judas said, "I will give you Jesus. What will you pay me for doing this?" The priests gave Judas 30 silver coins. After that time Judas waited for the best time to give Jesus to the priests.Matthew 26:1-16
Related Scripture Readings
One of Jesus' twelve apostles was named Judas Iscariot. Satan (the devil) went into Judas and made him do a bad thing. Judas went and talked with the leading priests and some of the soldiers who guarded the temple. Judas talked to them about a way to give Jesus to them. The priests were very happy about this. They promised to give Judas money {if he would give Jesus to them}. Judas agreed. Then Judas waited for the best time to give Jesus to them. Judas wanted to do it when there were no people around to see him do it. — Luke 22:3-6
After Jesus said these things, he felt very troubled. Jesus said openly, "I tell you the truth. One of you will be against me." Jesus' followers all looked at each other. They did not understand who the person was that Jesus was talking about. One of the followers was next to Jesus and was leaning close to him. This was the follower that Jesus loved. Simon Peter made signs to this follower to ask Jesus who the person was that he was talking about. That follower leaned closer to Jesus and asked, "Lord, who is it that will be against you?" Jesus answered, "I will dip this bread into the dish. The man I give it to is the man that will turn against me." So Jesus took a piece of bread. He dipped it and gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. When Judas took the bread, Satan (the devil) entered him. Jesus said to Judas. "The thing that you will do—do it quickly!" None of the men at the table understood why Jesus said this to Judas. Judas was the one that kept the money box {for the group}. So some of the followers thought that Jesus meant for Judas to go and buy some things they needed for the feast. Or they thought that Jesus wanted Judas to go give something to the poor people. Judas accepted the bread Jesus gave him. Then Judas went out. It was night. — John 13:21-30
While Jesus was speaking, a group of people came. One of the twelve apostles was leading the group. He was Judas. Judas came close to Jesus so that he could kiss Jesus. But Jesus said to him, "Judas, are you using the kiss {of friendship} to give the Son of Man {to his enemies}?" — Luke 22:47-48
Ⓒ 1996-2017 Heartlight, Inc. This material may not be reproduced in part or whole for commercial use without written consent. What Jesus Did! is written by Phil Ware. Easy-to-Read Version copyright © 2001 by World Bible Translation Center. All rights reserved.
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—Matthew 26:14-16
Key Thought
It appears that Judas would be remembered too! Wherever the Gospel is told, Judas is also remembered.
Judas is not just famous; he is infamous! How many mothers want their son to be named Judas? How many dads want their son to be known as a sell out? So the antithesis of the woman who anointed Jesus with costly ointment is Judas, who betrayed Jesus for
thirty pieces of silver.
While these are the extremes, those of us who follow Jesus are confronted by these two powerful images and asked to choose the way we will live our life: will we live extravagantly for Jesus or will we live seeking to get extravagant gifts from Jesus?
Today's Prayer
Father and Almighty God, I confess that I have sometimes been very selfish in the way that I have looked at you and prayed to you. I've presented you with my wish lists hoping that you would grant the wishes of my heart. But in this powerful collision of lives in the shadow of Jesus' cross, I am convicted of what you have sacrificed for me and the incredible extravagance you showed me in sending Jesus, not to mention that you had him die for my sins! I can never fully thank you, but I want to strive to serve you and love you and honor you with faithful extravagance as long as I live. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Today's Verses in Context
After Jesus finished saying all these things, he said to his followers, "You know that the day after tomorrow is Passover. On that day the Son of Man will be given {to his enemies} to be killed on a cross." Then the leading priests and the older Jewish leaders had a meeting at the palace where the high priest lived. The high priest's name was Caiaphas. In the meeting, they tried to find a way to arrest Jesus without the people seeing it. They planned to arrest Jesus and kill him. The men in the meeting said, "We cannot arrest Jesus during Passover. We don't want the people to become angry and cause a riot." Jesus was in Bethany. He was at the house of Simon the leper. While Jesus was there, a woman came to him. She had an alabaster jar filled with very expensive perfume. The woman poured this perfume on Jesus' head while Jesus was eating. The followers saw the woman do this and became upset at the woman. The followers asked, "Why waste that perfume? That perfume could be sold for much money and the money could be given to poor people." But Jesus knew what happened. Jesus said, "Why are you troubling this woman? She did a very good thing for me. You will always have poor people with you. But you will not always have me. This woman poured perfume on my body. She did this to prepare me for burial after I die. I tell you the truth. The Good News will be told to people in all the world. And in every place where the Good News is told, the story of what this woman did will also be told. And people will remember her." Then one of the twelve followers went to talk to the leading priests. This was the follower named Judas Iscariot. Judas said, "I will give you Jesus. What will you pay me for doing this?" The priests gave Judas 30 silver coins. After that time Judas waited for the best time to give Jesus to the priests.Matthew 26:1-16
Related Scripture Readings
One of Jesus' twelve apostles was named Judas Iscariot. Satan (the devil) went into Judas and made him do a bad thing. Judas went and talked with the leading priests and some of the soldiers who guarded the temple. Judas talked to them about a way to give Jesus to them. The priests were very happy about this. They promised to give Judas money {if he would give Jesus to them}. Judas agreed. Then Judas waited for the best time to give Jesus to them. Judas wanted to do it when there were no people around to see him do it. — Luke 22:3-6
After Jesus said these things, he felt very troubled. Jesus said openly, "I tell you the truth. One of you will be against me." Jesus' followers all looked at each other. They did not understand who the person was that Jesus was talking about. One of the followers was next to Jesus and was leaning close to him. This was the follower that Jesus loved. Simon Peter made signs to this follower to ask Jesus who the person was that he was talking about. That follower leaned closer to Jesus and asked, "Lord, who is it that will be against you?" Jesus answered, "I will dip this bread into the dish. The man I give it to is the man that will turn against me." So Jesus took a piece of bread. He dipped it and gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. When Judas took the bread, Satan (the devil) entered him. Jesus said to Judas. "The thing that you will do—do it quickly!" None of the men at the table understood why Jesus said this to Judas. Judas was the one that kept the money box {for the group}. So some of the followers thought that Jesus meant for Judas to go and buy some things they needed for the feast. Or they thought that Jesus wanted Judas to go give something to the poor people. Judas accepted the bread Jesus gave him. Then Judas went out. It was night. — John 13:21-30
While Jesus was speaking, a group of people came. One of the twelve apostles was leading the group. He was Judas. Judas came close to Jesus so that he could kiss Jesus. But Jesus said to him, "Judas, are you using the kiss {of friendship} to give the Son of Man {to his enemies}?" — Luke 22:47-48
Ⓒ 1996-2017 Heartlight, Inc. This material may not be reproduced in part or whole for commercial use without written consent. What Jesus Did! is written by Phil Ware. Easy-to-Read Version copyright © 2001 by World Bible Translation Center. All rights reserved.