What do I know with Isaac Carroll
What do I know with Isaac Carroll
Love So Complete Even Your Betrayer Can't Be Spotted matthew 26
The betrayal of Jesus stands as one of history's most profound acts of disloyalty. What drives someone who walked alongside a miracle worker, who witnessed healings and transformations, to turn against him for mere silver? This question forms the heart of our exploration into Matthew 26.
The religious establishment's conspiracy reveals a chilling truth about human nature. These weren't simply "bad men" but leaders whose way of life felt threatened. As we examine their conversations recorded in John's Gospel, we discover their fear that "if we let him go on like this, the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation." Rather than trusting God—whose pattern throughout Israel's history was to use foreign powers as instruments of discipline when His people strayed—they chose self-preservation through murder. The irony is staggering: they failed to recognize that Rome's presence was already evidence of their broken relationship with God.
The narrative draws a stark contrast between the woman who anoints Jesus with expensive perfume—an act of profound devotion—and Judas who sells him out immediately afterward. What happened in Judas's heart? Perhaps, like Peter who rebuked Jesus for predicting his death, Judas felt betrayed himself when his vision of a conquering Messiah collapsed. His expectations shattered, resentment grew where devotion once lived. This psychological transformation speaks to anyone who has felt God didn't fulfill their expectations.
During the Last Supper, Jesus gives Judas a final opportunity for repentance, publicly announcing someone would betray him without exposing Judas directly. This moment teaches us something profound about Jesus's character—he loved so completely that even his betrayer remained protected until the final moment. "I want to love so well," our host reflects, "that no one would ever know when someone has mistreated me or fallen short in my eyes."
Have you experienced the disappointment of shattered expectations with God? How might your response differ from Judas's? Join us as we continue exploring these profound questions in our next episode. Subscribe now and share your thoughts on what this ancient betrayal teaches us about our own hearts.
May God bless you and lead you always.
Welcome to the podcast. I'm Isaac Carroll, and this is what Do I Know? Alright, in today's Bible study we are going to be in Matthew 26. Starting at verse 1. When Jesus had finished all these words, he said to his disciples you know, after two days the Passover is coming and the Son of man is to be handed over for crucifixion. At that time, the chief priests and the elders of the people were gathered together in the courtyard of the high priest named Ciphas. They plotted together to arrest Jesus covertly and kill him, but they were saying not during the festival, otherwise a riot might occur among the people. All right, let's stop here at verse 5.
Speaker 1:I thought it hit me as I was reading over this passage over the last couple days these men who had conspired to have Jesus killed, these chief priests and elders, they're so ready to take a life. I mean, it's like life had no meaning or no worth. It made me wonder. Governments, you know how they are so ready to send out military or to attack a group of people or an individual, Anybody they feel has a danger to their way of life. Well, I see these men as the same way. The Gospel of John. He says this in chapter 11, starting in verse 47.
Speaker 1:Therefore, the chief priests and the Pharisees convened a council meeting. They were saying what are we going to do in regard to the fact that this man is performing many signs? If we let him go on like this, all the people will believe in him and the Romans will come and they will take both our place and our nation. But one of them, Cephas, who was the high priest that year, said to them Now, he did not say this on his own, but as the high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation, Not for the nation only, but in order that he might also gather together into one children of God who are scattered abroad. From that day on, they planned together to kill him.
Speaker 1:We can see that these men had really never put their trust in God. They are plotting to save Israel from the destruction by the Romans. Were they so blind to their past? Had they forgotten their own history? Were they so blind to their past? Had they forgotten their own history? I mean, we can read how God had sent other nations to punish Israel whenever they had strayed from God, Whenever they started serving other gods or they were straying from what he had asked them to do. He told them that he would send other nations to punish them, that he would fight against them, and the very fact that Rome was there in the first place should have been a very good indicator that something had gone wrong. Sadly, like most people, they go from bad to worse. Here they are plotting to kill the man who was performing signs. Jesus had told them many times that if you don't believe me, at least believe in the works that I am doing. These work for the signs that he was from God. I mean, no one who could perform these things could not have been from God, and they were plotting to kill the very one that the science proved was from God, which showed that they never really trusted God or never really wanted God. They just wanted to preserve their way of life, so much so that they were willing to kill Jesus. All right, let's continue in verse 6.
Speaker 1:Now, when Jesus was at Bethany, at the home of Simon the leper, a woman came to him with an alabaster vial of very expensive perfume. She poured it on his head as he was reclining at the table. But the disciples were indignant when they saw this and they said why this waste? For this perfume could have been sold for a high price and the money given to the poor. But Jesus, aware of this, said to them why are you bothering this woman? For she has done a good deed for me, For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me. For when she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. Truly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will be also told in memory of her.
Speaker 1:Then one of the twelve, named Judas Isagrat, went to the chief priest and said what are you willing to give me to betray him to you? They set out for him thirty pieces of silver. From then on, he looked for a good opportunity to betray Jesus. Now, on the first day of unleavened bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked when do you want us to prepare for you to eat the Passover? And he said Go into the city to a certain man and say to him the teacher says my time is near. I am keeping the Passover at your house with my disciples. The disciples did as Jesus directed them and they prepared the Passover. Alright, let's stop here at verse 19. Jesus directed them. They prepared the Passover. All right, let's stop here at verse 19. We know that Jesus had warned the disciples that many times that he was going to be killed in Jerusalem. He was going to be turned over to the religious leaders.
Speaker 1:I've often wondered about Judas. What would cause a man who knew Jesus personally, who walked with him daily, saw the kind of man Jesus was, saw the miracles that he performed? He saw him walking on the water. He saw him heal the blind, cleanse the leper. He saw all these things firsthand. If Jesus was anyone, he was a man to be admired, a man to be loved. He gave himself tirelessly for the people. What would drive a man to seek to betray this kind of a person? And it struck me that Simon was angry. I know that Peter got angry with Jesus when he told him that he was going to be killed. And Peter took him aside and he rebuked him and he said this must never happen to you. And then, Jesus, you hear Jesus tell them at Simon's house that this woman was preparing him for burial.
Speaker 1:We see that Judas goes to the chief priest and asks what they would give him for him to betray him. I don't know what was going through his mind, but his actions speak of a man who feels betrayed himself. His Messiah was going to lead Israel into a new age. No-transcript, it didn't compute and it still doesn't compute with the people of Israel today. They don't understand because it didn't meet all the expectations and all the prophecies that they felt needed to be met, and Jesus wasn't fulfilling all these things by dying, at least in their eyes. And I wonder if this is what drove Judas to betray Jesus.
Speaker 1:Let's continue in verse 20. Dipped his hand with me in this bowl is the one who will betray me. The Son of man is going away, just as it is written about him. But woe to the man by whom the Son of man is betrayed. It would have been good for that man if he had never been born. And Jesus, who was betraying him, said Surely, it is not. I, Rabbi Jesus, said to him you have said it yourself Now.
Speaker 1:While they were eating, Jesus took some bread and, after blessing it, he broke it and gave it to the disciples and he said Take and eat. This is my body. And when he had taken a cup and he had given thanks, he gave it to them saying Drink from it all of you, For this is my blood of the covenant, which is being poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until the day when I drink it with you, new, in my Father's kingdom. And after singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. All right, let's stop here at verse 30.
Speaker 1:I've heard many people say many times and that's why I'm bringing this up now that Jesus washed Judas' feet, that Jesus included Judas in the taking of the wine and the breaking of the bread, which was the marriage proposal of the new covenant. He did not exclude Judas during this time. But let me challenge you with a thought. You see, Jesus teaches us with this as well. Up until now, this is just an intent in Jesus' heart, which we know is sin. But if we read this in Genesis 4, starting in verse 6, it says why are you angry, said the Lord to Cain, and why has your countenance fallen? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you refuse to do what is right, sin is crouching at your door. We know that we all have things that we struggle with, but we can't allow them to rule over us.
Speaker 1:And we can see here that Judas wants to betray Jesus. He has a thought in his mind and a desire in his heart to betray Jesus, but he hasn't done it yet. And Jesus has given him the opportunity here to repent by calling it out and saying it out loud in front of everyone. And he goes on a little further and he says A son of man will go, just as it is written about him, but woe to the one whom he has betrayed. It would be better for him if he had not been born. Jesus gives a warning, a very dire warning.
Speaker 1:If this is coming from Jesus, that it's a very dire warning, and I challenge you that Jesus gives Judas an opportunity to repent, to think about what he's about to do and repent Now. Jesus knows that all these things must take place for the will of God, and it happens to fall on Judas to be the one who betrays him. It happens to fall on Judas to be the one who betrays him, but in this he teaches us that God gives us an opportunity and he warns us that when we're heading in the wrong direction to think about what we're doing, and I'd just like to point that out that Jesus may have included him because Jesus loved so well that no one knew that it was Judas who was the one who was going to betray him. And I would love very, very dearly to become like Jesus in this, To love so well that no one even knows when I have an issue, If someone has mistreated me or if someone has insulted me or if someone has fallen short in some way.
Speaker 1:In my eyes, no one would ever know, Because I love them too much to say anything negative. I hope and I pray that one day I get to that level of love. All right, I knew this was going to be a long one, so I'm going to end this one here. We'll pick up again in verse 27. Until then, I love you guys. God bless.