Easter Devotional - Day 4 - Wednesday of Holy Week
The Worst Trade Ever Made
Scripture: Matthew 26:14–16
"Then one of the Twelve — the one called Judas Iscariot — went to the chief priests and asked, 'What are you willing to give me if I deliver him over to you?' So they counted out thirty pieces of silver for him. From then on, Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over." — Matthew 26:14–16
Of all the stories in Holy Week, this one might be the hardest to understand. Judas wasn't a stranger. He wasn't an enemy from the outside. He was one of the Twelve, one of Jesus' closest friends. He had walked with Jesus, eaten with him, seen the miracles, and heard the teachings. And yet, for thirty pieces of silver, he agreed to hand Jesus over to people who wanted to kill him.
Thirty pieces of silver. That was the price of a slave in those days. Not a king's ransom. Not a fortune. Just thirty coins. It's hard not to feel sad reading that someone would trade their friendship with the Son of God for so little.
Now, it's easy to read this story and think, 'I would never do that.' But if we're being honest, we all have moments where we choose something over Jesus. Maybe it's not thirty silver coins. Maybe it's choosing to fit in with a crowd instead of doing the right thing. Maybe it's lying to get out of trouble. Maybe it's staying quiet when we should speak up. In small ways and big ways, we all know what it's like to let something else come first.
The good news, and hold on to this as you read the rest of the week, is that Jesus knew what Judas was going to do. He knew it was coming, and he didn't run away. He didn't call down fire from heaven. He stayed. He loved. Jesus actually moved toward Judas. Because here's the thing about Jesus: he doesn't turn away from us when we fail. When Jesus died on the cross for us, He knew we would continue to sin and fall short but Jesus died for us anyway! Jesus is perfect and He knows that we aren’t perfect but He loves us anyway. That's not just a nice idea — that's the whole story of Easter.
Today is a day to be honest with God about the times we've chosen other things over him, and to let him remind us that his love is bigger than any of our mistakes.
PRAYER
Jesus, we're sorry for the times we've chosen other things over You. Thank You that You already knew our weaknesses and came for us anyway. Help us to be faithful — to choose You, even when it's hard. Amen.
DISCUSSION
Why do you think Judas made the choice he did? What do you think he was feeling?
Have you ever chosen something that felt good in the moment but later regretted it? What happened?
Jesus knew Judas would betray him and still loved him. What does that tell us about how Jesus feels about us when we make mistakes?