On Palm Sunday, we normally have sermons that celebrate Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, and that will be a part of our service, but sometimes that feels a little out of sync to me. We know how the week is going to end. We know that Jesus will be going to the cross becuase of our sin. These days people don't get to Holy Week services on Good Friday like they used to and we don't even have one at our church. In church tradition, this Sunday is called Palm/Passion Sunday because we recognize both the Triumphal Entry and the Passion of Christ (the cross). So this year we're going to focus a little more on the Passion, the events leading to the cross. Specifically, we're going to focus on the betrayal and on what Judas did to Jesus. Here is the scripture passage:
Matthew 26:14-25
14 Then one of the Twelve—the one called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests 15 and asked, "What are you willing to give me if I deliver him over to you?" So they counted out for him thirty pieces of silver. 16 From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over. 17 On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Where do you want us to make preparations for you to eat the Passover?" 18 He replied, "Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, 'The Teacher says: My appointed time is near. I am going to celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your house.' " 19 So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover. 20 When evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the Twelve. 21 And while they were eating, he said, "Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me." 22 They were very sad and began to say to him one after the other, "Surely not I, Lord?" 23 Jesus replied, "The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me. 24 The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born." 25 Then Judas, the one who would betray him, said, "Surely not I, Rabbi?" Jesus answered, "You have said so.
So, what do you think of Judas? The church has always loved to hate him, to make him the ultimate villan? Do you think we can get away with that, or do we have to deal with the possibility that we see a little of ourselves in Judas? I want you to think about that question and if you can leave a comment about it or about any of your other thoughts about this passage, please do.
-Pastor Eric