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Matthew 26 Commentary
by Brad Boyles
Judas Iscariot is an interesting person to study. There are so many questions that center around his existence and ministry alongside Jesus.
First, we must realize that even before Satan entered him, Judas had already resigned his allegiance to Christ and His ministry within his heart.
But Judas Iscariot, one of His disciples, who was intending to betray Him, *said, 5 “Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and given to poor people?” 6 Now he said this, not because he was concerned about the poor, but because he was a thief, and as he had the money box, he used to pilfer what was put into it.
John 12:4-6 NASB
Ironically, this short story from John is the same story we read here in Matthew 26 just before reading of Judas’ betrayal. In Matthew’s account, it says all the disciples were upset about the wasted perfume, but apparently, Judas was the one who spoke up about it.
The tactic used here is common among Satan’s bag of tricks. Judas’ response is masked by a social cause. Satan will often deceive others into believing they are upholding a higher standard when, in fact, they are only thinking about themselves. Judas probably thought he was being a wise, financial steward.
We see the exact same thing from Korah in the book of Numbers when he publicly confronts Moses about his leadership. Korah actually uses Scripture to try and disqualify Moses’ authority, and in the end, God swallows him and his followers up in a massive earthquake.
The same problem is evident in modern-day Christians who go to extreme lengths to justify their decision not to support their church financially. It reminds me of the ridiculous J.G. Wentworth commercials of the early 2000s in which random people would open their windows and yell the phrase “It’s my money and I need it now!!!”
In all of these examples, the heart was exposed. Judas valued money over honoring Christ. Korah valued power over submission to authority.
Some people have suggested that Judas believed Jesus would overthrow Rome and his choice of betrayal was just speeding up the process of putting Jesus in that position. Others have speculated that Judas, like many, didn’t really believe that Jesus was the true Messiah.
Looking back in hindsight, it’s obvious that Judas didn’t have faith. Money was never going to be a problem for the Son of God. His Father owned cattle on a thousand hills. After Jesus was handed over, Judas couldn’t live with his shame. He probably believed he had screwed things up so bad they could never again be restored. But our God is a God of restoration and second chances. He never fails!
Isn’t it ironic that Christ allowed Judas to have authority over the money box knowing that money would be the very thing that Judas would choose over Jesus?