What Does It Take For You To Betray Jesus?

 ¹Now the feast of unleavened bread drew nigh, which is called the Passover.

 ²And the chief priests and scribes sought how they might kill him; for they feared the people. ³Then entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve. ⁴And he went his way, and communed with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray him unto them. ⁵And they were glad, and covenanted to give him money. ⁶And he promised, and sought opportunity to betray him unto them in the absence of the multitude.

-Luke 22:1-6 (KJV)

Many of us look at Judas Iscariot as being the evil, betrayer of Jesus. After all, he is the one who betrayed Jesus into the hands of the religious leaders of His time. In today's reading, we read where the plot to kill Jesus thickens. 

Verse 2 of Luke 22 says, "And the chief priests and scribes sought how they might kill Him; for they feared the people." The chief priests and the scribes wanted to do away with Jesus. They didn't see Jesus for who He is, because they were more concerned with their own doctrine and teachings than to see Jesus as the Son of God. They wanted to kill Him, to get Him out of the way, yet they feared the great multitude who was praising Him and worshipping God because of the things they saw Jesus do. They knew if they tried to kill Him, they would probably be killed. Verse 3 says, "Then entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve." Here is Judas, one of the twelve disciples of Jesus. He saw the miracles of Jesus, he saw the things that Jesus did. Maybe his faith in Jesus wasn't strong. Maybe he was just a follower of Jesus on the outside, but inside he was full of envy and jealousy. Maybe he was just doing what he was put on this earth to do. Maybe he fulfilled the calling of God on his life. Anyway, Scripture says that Satan entered Judas. Verse 4, "And he went his way, and communed with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray him unto them." I'm sure this brought joy to the chief priests that someone close to Jesus, someone on the inside was willing to betray Him. Verse 5 teaches that they paid him to betray Jesus.

Let me ask you this personal question. What will it take for you to betray Jesus in your life? For Judas, it was 30 pieces of silver. What would it be for you? The fact is, we betray Jesus each time we "give in" to our sin nature. Jesus paid the penalty for your sins and mine, and each time we "give in" to the sin nature that battles us, we are, in essence, killing Jesus over and over again. So, I ask again, what does it take for you to betray Jesus in your life? Think About it.