The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Matthew 27:3-5,
"When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders. 'I have sinned,' he said, 'for I have betrayed innocent blood.' 'What is that to us?' they replied. 'That's your responsibility.' So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself."
I can't even begin to conceive the destruction this man Judas brought upon himself! In his avarice he sold out Jesus by conspiring with the Jewish leaders to bring them to him in the dead of night, to have him arrested and taken for crucifixion. This man who followed Jesus for 3 years without apparently ever understanding who he was, and never embracing him in faith, got 30 pieces of silver for the deed.
Jesus said of Judas earlier that night, "But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born." Matthew 26:24. What horrific words!
Judas didn't enjoy his 30 pieces of silver for long. He became seized with remorse, took the silver back to the chief priests and found anything but sympathy: "What is that to us?" His partners in crime had little use for him now. All alone and seized with such great remorse he threw the silver into the temple, went out and hanged himself and discovered what it means when the Son of God says it would have been better for you had you not been born in the first place!
Here is a man who made appalling choices that led to his miserable demise and discovered what it means when 'it can't get any worse than this!'
Yet, so many today share in a similar fate. Given Jesus' words, I suspect Judas' eternity is one of the worst anyone exists in, but look at the choice: "They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." Matthew 13:42, or "... you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand." Psalm 16:11b.
It's a choice we all get to make. Let's hope we all choose better than Judas!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
"When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders. 'I have sinned,' he said, 'for I have betrayed innocent blood.' 'What is that to us?' they replied. 'That's your responsibility.' So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself."
I can't even begin to conceive the destruction this man Judas brought upon himself! In his avarice he sold out Jesus by conspiring with the Jewish leaders to bring them to him in the dead of night, to have him arrested and taken for crucifixion. This man who followed Jesus for 3 years without apparently ever understanding who he was, and never embracing him in faith, got 30 pieces of silver for the deed.
Jesus said of Judas earlier that night, "But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born." Matthew 26:24. What horrific words!
Judas didn't enjoy his 30 pieces of silver for long. He became seized with remorse, took the silver back to the chief priests and found anything but sympathy: "What is that to us?" His partners in crime had little use for him now. All alone and seized with such great remorse he threw the silver into the temple, went out and hanged himself and discovered what it means when the Son of God says it would have been better for you had you not been born in the first place!
Here is a man who made appalling choices that led to his miserable demise and discovered what it means when 'it can't get any worse than this!'
Yet, so many today share in a similar fate. Given Jesus' words, I suspect Judas' eternity is one of the worst anyone exists in, but look at the choice: "They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." Matthew 13:42, or "... you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand." Psalm 16:11b.
It's a choice we all get to make. Let's hope we all choose better than Judas!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
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