Path of Betrayal

Path of Betrayal
Words of Faith 3-20-24
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2024
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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Mark 14
[10] Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them. [11] They were delighted to hear this and promised to give him money. So he watched for an opportunity to hand him over.

Why did Judas offer to betray Jesus? Perhaps it was because Judas was the only non-Galilean member of the Twelve. He responded to the official order to report the location of Jesus (John 11:57). Or perhaps Judas was disillusioned by Jesus' failure to establish a political kingdom. Maybe his hopes for material gain seemed doomed, so he tried to salvage something for himself out of a love for money. Some matters of the heart we may never know.
Ultimately, Judas surrendered to evil and came under satanic control (Luke 22:3; John 13:2, 27). It is a sad story in which we observe a combination of divine sovereignty and human responsibility. According to God's plan, Jesus had to suffer and die (Rev. 13:8), yet Judas, though not compelled to be the traitor, was held responsible for submitting to Satan's directives (Mark 14:21; John 13:27).
Did Judas go to hell? Could he have gone to heaven? What if he repented before the moment of death? We don't know the answers, but the Book of Acts is helpful. Acts 1:25 says, "... Judas left to go where he belongs." Judas is where he belongs. We can trust that this is the case.
So how did Judas get to such a terrible place of betrayal and despair that he killed himself? He probably did not set out to betray the Son of God. He likely would have denied the possibility if asked. But along the way, Judas gave in, not to a big betrayal but a small one. Bit by bit, the Enemy worked on Judas, perhaps creating doubts, insecurities, resentments, rationalizations, selfish ambitions, and justifications. Bit by bit, he sold out to the Enemy rather than commit to the King.
Judas may have even reasoned that this was part of some divine drama that had to occur, but in the end, Judas still made a choice. He made the decision. Even though Jesus knew about it and saw it coming, Judas was the betrayer.
Could we ever come to such a place of betrayal? Don't answer too quickly. Of course, we would never set out to betray the Master, but, bit by bit and choice by choice, compromise by compromise, could we wake up one day and find ourselves sold out? None of the famous leaders or pastors who have fallen away ever set out to do so. None of the denominations or groups that drifted into heresy set out to do so. Yet, slowly but surely, a disciple becomes disillusioned. And the disillusioned become compromised. And the compromised becomes a betrayer.
We must beware that many who set out to follow the Lord wake up one day and discover that money has become more important than truth. Appearance can suddenly become more important than substance. Expedience grows to be more important than integrity. And we can find ourselves gripping a fistful of silver that we never set out to hold.
How do we avoid becoming a betrayer? Draw near to Him, and He will draw near to you. Resist the Devil, and he will flee. Don't compromise, even a little bit. Honor Him, ESPECIALLY in the little things. Honor Him, ESPECIALLY in the obvious stuff. Don't sell out.

Lord, give me eyes to see the first step in betrayal and the strength to resist that step. Give me wisdom to spot the pitfalls and compromises and the resolve to resist. Give me the courage to do what is right. In Jesus' name, Amen.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2024
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail, excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2024 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.