Wanting...

I am so proud of my husband! He did an awesome job last night with the high school message. As this is the season of "wanting", he talked about wanting and asking things from God. We are always wanting God to do what we want, in our timing, and in the way we think is best. We barter with God saying, If you do 'this', then I will do 'this'. He had us look at Judas and his betrayal of Christ.

Matthew 26:14 says, "Then one of the Twelve—the one called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests 15and asked, "What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?" So they counted out for him thirty silver coins. 16From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over."

John 13:21-28 says, "

21After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, "I tell you the truth, one of you is going to betray me."

22His disciples stared at one another, at a loss to know which of them he meant. 23One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him. 24Simon Peter motioned to this disciple and said, "Ask him which one he means."

25Leaning back against Jesus, he asked him, "Lord, who is it?"

26Jesus answered, "It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish." Then, dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, son of Simon. 27As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him.

"What you are about to do, do quickly," Jesus told him, 28but no one at the meal understood why Jesus said this to him. 29Since Judas had charge of the money, some thought Jesus was telling him to buy what was needed for the Feast, or to give something to the poor. 30As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out. And it was night.

The perspective Matt gave last night is that Judas was wanting something from God as well. As a Jew, the messiah he desired was one of force and power. Christ came living peace and forgiveness, which was not what Judas wanted at all. So Judas "bargained" with God..."If I hand over your son, then he will have to prove himself as powerful and use force, which will reveal him as the true messiah which is what I want him to be."

Matthew 27: 3-5 says, "When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty silver coins to the chief priests and the elders. 4"I have sinned," he said, "for I have betrayed innocent blood."

"What is that to us?" they replied. "That's your responsibility."

5So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.

Judas realized he had gone about things in the wrong way by negotiating with God. I believe that Christ was supposed to die for us no matter what, that he is the living sacrifice for man kind's sins, so whether or not Judas had betrayed Christ, it still would have happened. However, it then brings the thoughts of predestination...was Judas predestined to be the betrayer of Christ?

Thats a topic for another day!