Many commentators have examined the "motive" if you will, behind the betrayal of Judas. Of course we know that his betrayal was satanically induced and sponsored, but from more of a humanistic standpoint, what was going on with Judas that would allow him to betray His Master and Lord? Some commentators have suggested that Judas was "politically" motivated in terms of trying to "push" Jesus towards a showdown with the Roman government. This would incite the rebellion and "force" Jesus, if you will, to at that point set up His Davidic Kingdom and restore the kingdom to Israel (Acts 1). Others of course, have simply reasoned that Judas was basically a traitor, a "Benedict Arnold", and that no matter what, he was going to sell out Jesus. I think both of these perspectives have some merit, but there's another perspective I would like to propose.
If you look at the timing of Judas' betrayal of Jesus, it took place immediately after he had been rebuked by Jesus (Matthew 26). Remember the story where Jesus and His disciples went to dinner over Simon the leper's house, and the woman came out and anointed Jesus' feet with an alabaster box of precious ointment? The disciples were indignant at this "act of waste", and Jesus immediately "checked" them, or rebuked them. The direct rebuke of Judas by Jesus is found in The Gospel of John chapter 12; but in Matthew 26, immediately after the rebuke from Jesus, the scripture says that "then...Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests". I'm of the persuasion that part of what incited Judas to his dastardly act of betrayal was his Response to Rebuke.
When Jesus rebuked Judas and the disciples (but I believe particularly Judas), it exposed that the Lord and the disciples were "not on the same page". Judas was exposed that his agenda and the Agenda of Christ were not synonymous. Saints, this is what we have to check and be mindful of. There are many times where what we want to do and what we're reaching for, does not reflect the agenda and divine will of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ. This is a problem. Note that what Judas was proposing was not "bad". His issue was that instead of the woman "wasting" the ointment on something for which he didn't understand nor had received adequate revelation, she should've sold the ointment and the money given to the poor. Not a bad idea per se. But it wasn't The Will of God. Saints, there are some things that some of us are doing right now, and they really aren't that bad. But they don't represent The Divine Will of God.
The God we serve is Faithful. Which means, if we find ourselves doing something or complaining about something that seems right but doesn't reflect His Will, He's going to rebuke us. He's Faithful to do it, because He loves us. He will rebuke you through a dream, through a sermon, through a prophetic word, through a scripture, or even through a conversation with someone or something you hear, you think "arbitrarily". God is Faithful to rebuke us when we're straying away from His Divine Will, regardless of what we think.
Then here comes the test. What will be our Response to the Divine Rebuke? This, my brothers and sisters, is where the rubber meets the road. What we are supposed to do is Submit and Repent. If God says it, our response should simply be "Yes Sir". You don't need to understand it, you don't need to comprehend it, you just need to believe that if God said it, then it's the Right Way, period. Judas didn't do this. Neither did Peter do this when he was rebuked in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26). And because they did not have a proper Response to Rebuke, it led to betrayal and denial. Saints, there are some of us, whether we can see it or not, that are on the verge of either betraying Christ or denying Him. Remember, these men were disciples, committed followers of Jesus. But it did not preclude them from betraying or denying Him. Why? I believe, in large part, because they did not offer a proper Response to Rebuke. Let us not be guilty of this sin and this flaw. When God rebukes us, let us humble ourselves and govern ourselves accordingly. Let us repent and allow the Holy Spirit to renew our minds so that we can think with the Mind of Christ. Let us be mindful to offer unto the Lord a proper Response to Rebuke.
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