“When it was early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people plotted against Jesus to execute him. They tied him up, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate the governor. Now when Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus had been condemned, he regretted what he had done and returned the thirty silver coins to the chief priests and the elders, saying, ‘I have sinned by betraying innocent blood!’ But they said, ‘What is that to us? You take care of it yourself!’ So Judas threw the silver coins into the temple and left. Then he went out and hanged himself.” —Matthew 27:1–5
Want to know what Satan’s response is to our surrendering to his temptations? Here it is: It’s your problem, it’s your responsibility. He does not care about us; he never has, and he never will.
The way of sin is always downhill. We should not for a moment assume we will be victorious if we choose to deal with the devil. He is crafty and boastful, the father of lies, and a murderer from the beginning, ever seeking our destruction no matter what other promises he may whisper in our ear.
Scripture tells us:
“Be sober and alert. Your enemy the devil, like a roaring lion, is on the prowl looking for someone to devour. Resist him, strong in your faith, because you know that your brothers and sisters throughout the world are enduring the same kinds of suffering.” —1 Peter 5:8–9
“Finally, be strengthened in the Lord and in the strength of his power. Clothe yourselves with the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens. For this reason, take up the full armor of God so that you may be able to stand your ground on the evil day, and having done everything, to stand.” —Ephesians 6:10–13
Contrast Satan’s desire to destroy us with our heavenly Father’s never-ending love. It is God who always has our best interest at heart. We can trust Him. Our Father loves us with an everlasting love. He has engraved us on the palms of His hands. He longs to be gracious to us and has wonderfully great plans for us. He is constantly with us and holds us by our right hand.
“For I know what I have planned for you,” says the Lord. “I have plans to prosper you, not to harm you. I have plans to give you a future filled with hope.” —Jeremiah 29:11
In our verses for today we find the religious elite scheming to put Jesus to death. The Romans had taken away the Jews power of capital punishment and therefore these leaders had to deliver Jesus over to Pilate so that he might execute the sentence. Roman writers Pilate as a man with a rough and haughty spirit. The Jews had a great hatred for him, yet they used him as a tool for their hatred against Jesus. The chief priests and elders tied our Lord’s hands behind Him and led Him forth as a convicted criminal—as a lamb to the slaughter—to receive His sentencing.
And in the midst of all of this, we see Judas, filled with remorse over his actions, returning his pitiful payment—thirty coin— to the religious leaders.
Their response is indicative of the condition of their cold and hardened hearts. They bore neither responsibility nor compassion for Judas’ remorse.
Too bad for Judas, he chose the wrong people to repent to. He should have gone to Jesus in full repentance. Instead, he leaves the scene and hangs himself. He can’t handle the heaviness of his remorse and ends his earthly life only to wake up in the unquenchable fires of hell. Surely our Lord’s words ring true:
“No, I tell you! But unless you repent you will all perish as well!” —Luke 13:5
Each one of us needs to go directly to Jesus for forgiveness, healing, and hope. Only He can grant us the forgiveness we desire.
Become More
“Serious and sincere repentance routes us back into God’s will.” —Robert J. Morgan
“Acknowledge your enemy, but keep your eyes on the Lord.” —Robert J. Morgan
Further Reflections
“What can be deeper than His Presence and constant care? In a world in which multitudes feel isolated and alienated, we have the permanent companionship of the most loving and powerful Being in the universe. Nothing could be more important and life shaping than that. Whatever difficulty we go through, He nevertheless holds us by the hand.” —Chris Tiegreen
“It
is His love for man, His compassion for the human race, that prompts God to
hate sin with such a vengeance. He gave Heaven’s finest that we might have the
best; and He loathes with a holy abhorrence anything that would hinder our
being reconciled to Him.” —Billy Graham