Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread, called the Passover, was approaching, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some way to get rid of Jesus, for they were afraid of the people.
Then Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, one of the Twelve.
And Judas went to the chief priests and the officers of the temple guard and discussed with them how he might betray Jesus. They were delighted and agreed to give him money.
He consented, and watched for an opportunity to hand Jesus over to them when no crowd was present. Luke 22:1-6
Questions:
- What were the chief priests and teachers of the law wanting to do? Why?
- Who entered Judas?
- Who was Judas? Do we know anything about him? (remember John 12:4-6 - But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected,"Why wasn't this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year's wages." He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.)
- What seems to be most important to Judas?
- What did Judas agree to do?
Thoughts:
To betray a friend is one of the most hurtful things we can do. And for Judas, who was one of Jesus' twelve closest friends, to do this is hard to believe. His greed and love of money opened the door for Satan to actually enter him and whisper in his heart the thoughts of betrayal toward Jesus. Judas was willing to hand over the Son of God, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords for money. May we never do this! May we never turn our backs on Jesus and on our Christian faith in order to become rich and powerful. The Bible says: For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. 1 Timothy 6:10. Instead, we need to remember what Hebrews 13:5 says: Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, thank You for Your promise that You will never leave us or turn Your back on us. Please help us to never leave You. Help us to be content and at peace with what You have given us and not be greedy for more. Thank You for Your love!
Song: Lord, You are More Precious than Silver
Lord, You are more precious than silver.
Lord, You are more costly than gold.
Lord, You are more beautiful than diamonds,
And nothing I desire compares to You.
Who can weigh the value of knowing You?
Who can judge the worth of who You are?
Who can count the blessings of loving You?
Who can say just how great You are?
Here is a link for the music: Lord, You are
For Further Study:
There are many children throughout the world who are very bold in their faith in Christ, especially in nations where it is hard to be a Christian. Sharing their stories can encourage a bolder faith in your children. A wonderful resource is Kids of Courage
* Some of the content of this blog is based on the book Family Celebrations at Easter by Ann Hibbard.*
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