14 Then one of the twelve, whose name was Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests 15 and said, “What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?” And they paid him thirty pieces of silver. 16 And from that moment he sought an opportunity to betray him.
The Passover with the Disciples
17 Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Where will you have us prepare for you to eat the Passover?” 18 He said, “Go into the city to a certain man and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, My time is at hand. I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.’” 19 And the disciples did as Jesus had directed them, and they prepared the Passover.
20 When it was evening, he reclined at table with the twelve. 21 And as they were eating, he said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” 22 And they were very sorrowful and began to say to him one after another, “Is it I, Lord?” 23 He answered, “He who has dipped his hand in the dish with me will betray me. 24 The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.” 25 Judas, who would betray him, answered, “Is it I, Rabbi?” He said to him, “You have said so.” Matthew 26: 14-25
Matthew 26: 14-25 Passover and Betrayal
Then one of the twelve - One very close to Jesus, in His group of disciples, one who had been in Jesus' School for the last 3 years. This man had witnessed the miracles, knew the teaching about the kingdom, had been sent out with authority to preach, cast out demons, and carry the purse as the treasurer for the group.
Judas Iscariot went to the priests - His name will forever be associated with the greatest betrayal ever known. Remember, we just read about his disgust with the woman who anointed Jesus for His burial. He was mad about the money, but he spun it as a virtue signal, as if this greedy man loved the poor. This is his reaction, his response to that prior episode, Jesus is going to the cross, has promised that His followers will be persecuted, and Judas did not sign up for that. The priests, especially Caiaphas, have been plotting to kill the Messiah, and He is coming willingly because this is His destiny. Before time began, from eternity past, an agreement was made between the Father and the Son, sealed by the Holy Spirit, that Christ would be the Lamb without spot, the Passover. Every breath that you or I take as believers or unbelievers has only been allowed because it was under this note, for those before Christ it was the promise, and for those after it was still contingent upon this one moment in history. The flood revealed God's opposition to sin, His loyalty to His holy nature, and the ark revealed His mercy to those who believe. You can see the cross from here, the pace is rapid now. The stakes are high, if God does not give His Son to be killed then sin has been allowed to prosper without reason, and all of history must come to an end. If Jesus did come to die for our sins according to the Scripture then the implications are eternal.
…21In the same way, he sprinkled with blood the tabernacle and all the vessels used in worship. 22According to the law, in fact, nearly everything must be purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. 23So it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.… Hebrews 9: 21-23
They paid him thirty pieces of silver - Not much, that's not even the worth of the nard that Judas was so angry about. All of his treasure, everything Judas wanted was here; he had no eternal perspective. This was foretold by the prophet Zechariah.
…12Then I told them, “If it seems right to you, give me my wages; but if not, keep them.” So they weighed out my wages, thirty pieces of silver. 13And the LORD said to me, “Throw it to the potter”— this magnificent price at which they valued me. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them to the potter in the house of the LORD. 14Then I cut in two my second staff called Union, breaking the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.… Zechariah 11: 12-14
The Teacher says, My time is at hand - He had come to be the Passover, every year they celebrated the commemoration of the supper that their forefathers had in Egypt, the night of the Angel of Death, the night the angel passed over the houses marked with the blood of the lamb. History has waited for this day, has hung upon this day, the angels have stared in wonder at this moment, closely following every step their Lord has made. It is right around the corner, and He must be lifted up, yet there are no words to exhaust the explanation of these moments. He says, "My time is at hand", what an understatement, how have we become so hard of heart?
…13No one has ascended into heaven except the One who descended from heaven—the Son of Man. 14Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life.… John 3: 13-15
Truly I say to you, one of you will betray Me - Jesus knows what has been prophesied about Him, and He has chosen to come here willingly.
And they were very sorrowful - They weren't sure even of themselves, yet Judas knows what he has already committed to. Our confidence should not be in ourselves, all their confidence needs to shift to Him, yet they still haven't fully comprehended the necessity of His death. Judas, I think, understands that it's close and he wants no part in suffering. He is willing to walk into a kingdom, but not into persecution. He would fit in well as a preacher in many of the evangelical churches today, where they are all for prosperity, but if the true gospel brings opposition, then they fold and preach another gospel.
…23But I see another law at work in my body, warring against the law of my mind and holding me captive to the law of sin that dwells within me. 24What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25Thanks be to God, through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with my mind I serve the law of God, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.… Romans 7: 23-25
Woe to that man - Jesus has to go to the cross, but this does not negate the evil of Judas' actions. He acts upon the idols of his heart, the love of money, the love of comfort, the pride of life. In his twisted mind, as in so many, he probably feels as though he is the one being betrayed because this is not the Messiah that he wants. He doesn't hate, and so he doesn't sorrow over his own sin.
If he had not been born - Please think about eternity, don't be so easily swayed and dazzled by what you see here. Don't think lightly of this moment, all of eternity hangs upon the sacrifice of Christ.
12See to it, brothers, that none of you has a wicked heart of unbelief that turns away from the living God. 13But exhort one another daily, as long as it is called today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. 14We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly to the end the assurance we had at first.… Hebrews 3: 12-14
You have said so - I am not sure what to say here, it's such a cryptic table to sit at, and yet the rest of the disciples still don't suspect him.
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