Matthew 26:47-50

Jesus and his disciples were standing in the Garden of Gethsemane, when a mob emerges through the trees, and Judas is leading them. He walked up to his Master and greets him with a kiss. This was not unusual. No doubt he had done it before. But this time there was much more to this common greeting. Judas hoped that the kiss would give the other disciples the impression that nothing out of the ordinary was happening, but at the same time it was his prearranged signal to the mob to step forward and take hold of Jesus. Deceitfully, Judas used the kiss of friendship as the way to betray his Lord into the hands of his enemies.

If you are like me, you probably marvel that a man with all his advantages could turn his back on them and allow himself to fall so terribly.  Yet it is a startling truth that Judas’ sin is not beyond the capabilities of any Christian.  It is so easy to think that we are strong enough and good enough to be the kind of people that will belong to Jesus forever.  However, it is precisely when we think these thoughts that the devil has us in a position to trip us up, just like Judas.

Jesus wanted Judas to repent, to confess his sin, to see the depths to which his greed and coveting had taken him, and to understand the horrifying consequences of sin. He wanted Judas to turn back to him and become a member of his kingdom. If Judas had repented of his sins, looked to Jesus as his Savior, and rested in Jesus’ forgiveness, he could have experienced the peace and hope that comes from a restored relationship with God.  

If we are troubled about falling as Judas fell, we must look outside of ourselves and look at the cross. When Jesus carried his cross to Calvary, he was also carrying on himself the sins of the entire world. He took Judas’ greed and Judas’ sin of betrayal. He took our conceit and our self-righteous pride and everything else by which we offend a holy God. He took it all! And then he willingly offered his own life as a sacrifice and payment for sin—the payment that you and I should have had to bear.

Our sins are gone! Our past is forgiven and forgotten! We know that God will keep us as his own in Christ.  With that assurance, we can live every day with the peace and hope that fills our hearts by faith in Jesus!