Who Is Jesus part 11: Spy Wednesday, The Betrayal

 

Yesterday we saw that the Jewish leadership sent spies to try to trap Jesus in His words. "Spy Wednesday," as it is called, is about the turncoat Judas who agrees to be a spy for the chief priests in order to betray Jesus (Luke 22:1-6). Luke is very sketchy about Judas, so we don't get many details about what might have motivated him to betray Jesus. Verse 5 does tell us there was money involved. We learn later in the chapter that Judas leads a group of the temple guard to Jesus. Judas was aware that Jesus and the disciples were spending the evenings on the Mount of Olives (21:37), so he knew where He would be. 

Somehow Judas had come to the conclusion that he was on the wrong team. Luke says that "Satan entered him." Satan is the Hebrew word for "adversary" or "accuser." In chapter 4, Luke uses the Greek term "devil" (Slanderer), which basically means the same thing. In the temptations, the devil tried to trip up Jesus as His adversary by suggesting He leave the way of love and mercy, and choose the way of power. Now he betrays Him to the "powers that be" so He can be falsely accused and slandered. 

Have we taken Satan's side? Do we choose the way of power and accusation instead of mercy and love? Are we on team Love, or team Power?