THEN....Judas went...He wasn't tricked into betraying Jesus; he sought it out.
WHY? What happened right before that prompted this "then Judas" moment? According to Matthew and Mark's accounts, we find the woman with an alabaster jar anointing Jesus with her expensive perfume. Likely, her dowry was poured out on Jesus, creating an undeniable scent that would linger on his hair and waft into the noses of each person who participated in His death.
It was such a shocking expression of faith, yet we learn that many of the disciples were indignant. Judas, however, took it a step further. Judas was offended, and Jesus' wisdom and revelation was no longer given the authority to realign his heart.
This sounds so foreign it's easy to be convinced we would never....but the
reality is, at some point in our faith, we each have to face the "then Judas" moment:
Jesus will disappoint us.
Do you ever wonder how Judas' heart shifted from believer to betrayer? I imagine the trigger is different for each of us: trauma, fear, disappointment, etc...But a thread woven through free will in each human heart allows us in our own
critical moment to decide: Is our faith in Jesus or the idol of expectation? When Jesus stopped making sense within the limits of Judas' expectations, I believe he chose his idol.
John the Baptist, locked in a martyr's holding cell, wrestled with disappointment. Testimonies of miracles shook the streets, but his jail door remained firmly closed. In his confusion, he sought answers:
"What about me?"
The baby who proclaimed Jesus' deity while locked in birth's holding womb faced a Judas Moment: How do you respond to a Lord not bound to your plans or assumptions?
Jesus' tender response to John's confusion (and ours) removed all doubt that we are lapped in wisdom by a savior we can trust.
"Blessed is the one who is not offended by me."
Matthew 11:6
Wrestling with confusion, discouragement, hurt, and even disappointment is not the problem.
Offense was the line in the sand.
Blessing and surrender cannot co-exist with offense. Do we trust him enough to cast down the idol of expectation?
Easter is an annual reminder that His ways often confuse our human logic. Circumstances will not always make sense or align with our hopes or desires. Life will offer many "then Judas" moments: will offense lead or will humility?
Judas and John were on the cusp of explaining their choice to God's face. Entering the reality of eternity must make even our biggest grievances on earth feel shockingly small and insignificant.
What offense in our right now needs to follow Jesus straight into the grave so his
resurrection can transform the things in us of eternal value? What idol of expectation do we need to cast down and repent? What big feelings do we need to wrestle out with God? He invites us to do that. He is tender and wise. He will answer our questions and give us wisdom when we ask.
I hope your Easter is full of glorious new life resurrected from broken buried pieces.