This week has been a special week; it's been Holy Week. Personally, I've always found it funny that Easter and Holy Week don't seem to get the same sort of attention as Christmas and therefor don't always feel as 'special' as Christmas, but I think it's important to remember that without Easter and Holy Week, there wouldn't really be a reason to celebrate Christmas. I've tried to keep that in mind this week as I've gone about acknowledging the fact the the weight of eternity stems on the events that happened this week 2,000 years ago, and it's been helpful.
This Holy Week has been different than others. I've come to see it in a new light, and I've participated in new aspects of it, such as Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. Along with celebrating new aspects of it, a new viewpoint of the Easter story became clear to me, and that's the view point of Judas Iscariot in the Easter story. A simple phrase found in John 13 totally connected me with one of the most misunderstood people in the whole Bible.
John 13:2 says, "During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him."
That's it. That's the whole verse, and that has been the verse that has flipped this Holy Week on its head for me. The simple phrase of "when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him," completely connected me with Judas because I know that feeling. I know the feeling of being so dead set on committing a sin that no matter what anyone says, I'm going to do it. I can totally relate to the thought process, the feeling and the temptation that Judas felt that night when the devil put the betrayal of the Savior of the World in his heart. I can understand how he felt inside and how that sin and thought had such a grip on him that he didn't care what anyone said to him to try to make him stop- even Jesus Himself. He was absorbed with selfishness and greed and was probably fueled by one of those 'sin highs' that we all get momentarily when we enjoy doing something 'bad.' I understand Judas.
This whole idea has made me realize that more times than not in my relationship to Christ, when we're sitting at a table together, I'm not Jesus and I'm not a disciple, but I'm Judas; I'm on the verge of betraying my Savior to pursue some sort of fleeting selfish act.
This is why I need grace more than I ever thought I did. This is why Jesus had to be betrayed and had to be put to death and suffer for my sins- because I'm Judas, and so are we all; however, unlike Judas, we don't have to take our lives and end it all. We can repent and turn to our Lord, just as Peter did when he had his 'Judas' moment of denying Christ three times. We can acknowledge our betrayal, repent and accept the grace offered to us, oh, so unfairly.
-Cliff
Cliff's Note: It's because of Judas that when we become Judas, we have a chance for redemption.