Lent - Pt 37

Then one of the twelve, whose name was Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, “What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?” And they paid him thirty pieces of silver. And from that moment he sought an opportunity to betray him. (Matthew 26:14-16 ESV).

Even when Jesus’ life was slipping away from him, he remained remarkably in control. He predicted his arrest and crucifixion before the religious leaders met to conspire against him. He knew that Judas, one of his trusted apostles, would betray him. How disturbing that must have been to Judas to know that Jesus could see right through his charade. Though humans have their plots and schemes, it is God’s plan that always prevails. Nothing can interfere with what he has purposed to do. And nothing is more central to God’s eternal plan than that Jesus, the Son of Man, would be delivered up to be crucified. The amount paid to Judas was a prophetic fulfillment (cf. Zechariah 11:12-13) that should be understood. By God’s direction the prophet demanded wages. He was basically asking, “What am I worth to you?” Zechariah may not have understood the meaning or significance of what happened next. He received 30 pieces of silver. Likewise, Judas approached the Jewish leaders and asked what they were willing to pay him to betray Jesus to them. He was also asking, “What is He worth to you?” You’d think they’d be willing to pay anything to be rid of Him; however, they gave what had been foreordained, unknowingly fulfilling Scripture. They thought they were being sly. This was the price to be paid for a slave who died (cf. Exodus 21:32) It showed how little they thought of Jesus. Little did they know the final outcome of their act would be the crowning even of history. Our encouragement from this event is in the midst of our own chaotic journey. When things seem not to cohere, when life seems unmanageable, great comfort may be found in remembering Jesus’ own experience at the end of his life. Though humans plotted against him and succeeded in executing their plan, nevertheless they could not thwart the plan of God. This is our hope. There is great contentment to be found in knowing that nothing can interfere with the plan of him who is in control! He is at work in all the particulars for his good purposes. By looking to Jesus, particularly his death for us, we discover what is central to God’s plan for us: through Jesus’ death we find life, through his blood, which is shed for us, we experience the exodus from enslaving sin and the freedom of living in his love.