Holy Week
Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called the Passover. And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to put him to death, for they feared the people. Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was of the number of the twelve. He went away and conferred with the chief priests and officers how he might betray him to them. Luke 22:1-4 ESV
When you take what each of the Gospel writers says about the events of Holy Week, it’s difficult to say with certainty what exactly happened each day. We shouldn’t let this bother us, because it matters less when these things took place than the fact that they did.
Judas Iscariot had been a disciple of Jesus for some time. He was sent out by the Savior to preach the Good News of the Kingdom with the others. He witnessed many of the miracles of Jesus. He heard Jesus’ word for perhaps 3 years. While we are given little insight into what was happening in Judas’ head, it seems clear that he no longer believed that Jesus was the Messiah and instead money had become his god. He went to the chief priests and scribes and discussed how he might betray Jesus to them.
It's easy for us to look at Judas with contempt. It’s easy for us to tell ourselves that we would never have betrayed Jesus. If we think such things because we rest on our strength and willpower, let us beware. Satan is more than our match should we try to go one on one. There is a traitor within each of us. We call him the old Adam and he needs to be beat back every day.
Praise God that the Spirit of God enables the new man to do just that by taking up the sword of the Spirit. Let us seek His help halfway through the week, that we may be prepared to witness the ultimate sacrifice and to rejoice in our freedom.
Oh, let Thy sufferings give me pow’r To meet the last and darkest hour!
Thy blood refresh and comfort me; Thy bonds and fetters make me free.
The Lutheran Hymnal 148:4