⏱ 8 min read

• Have you ever had a target on your head or back? Like people scheming against you? Or it’s happening and we do not know?
• The prominent religious people of Jesus’ day (the pastors), were trying to find a way to murder Jesus and get away with it:

The chief priests and the scribes were looking for a way to put Him to death; for they were afraid of the people [who listened devotedly to His teaching, and who respected His spiritual wisdom]. ~ Luke 22:2

• One of their options was to turn popular opinion against Jesus so that they would easily arrest and kill him.
• This was why they asked Jesus about paying taxes, divorce, etc. These were the popular heated debates of their day and why they chose those topics to trap Jesus.
• What do you think they would have tested Jesus with if it was in our day? (Those will be our tests to handle)

Another option was perhaps to find a way to isolate Jesus from the crowds (who were devoted to Jesus), kidnap Him, carry Him somewhere and finish Him off (Remember Judas had not yet come along to offer a solution to their problem).

I find a couple of things quite surprising and unsettling that I want to share with you and then we end with Judas’ involvement in the whole plot:

First, how did the crowds – ‘who listened devotedly to Jesus’ teaching, and who respected His spiritual wisdom’ so much that the Pharisees were afraid to try to arrest Him in their presence (v6) – later turn against this same Jesus? Based on the words of these same Pharisees?

• I don’t know about you, but this is very some way. It makes me wonder, when will someone who loves, honours, and respects turn to the complete opposite side and want to have me ‘crucified?’
• Can innocent loving people be influenced by other people (in this case the chief priests and elders) to turn against a person? The answer is yes! (If you are a leader, pray about it).
• Remember that if we are following Jesus’ path, it is almost certain that you and I will also go through all these things He went through (Mercy!)

On the flip side: can it also be that we have ‘crucified’ or are crucifying people wrongly because we have been influenced negatively by the words and schemes of others?
May the Lord have mercy on us and may we have the wisdom to discern when we are innocently being influenced into evil.

Judas holds secret discussions to betray Jesus (under Satan’s influence):

• Satan’s part in the betrayal of Jesus does not remove any of the responsibility from Judas.
• It simply means Judas submitted to Satan’s temptation to betray Jesus.
• He became one in mind, purpose and life with Satan – just like we become one in Spirit with God when we’re joined to Him in consecration (1 Cor 6:17).

• Judas made the Pharisees delighted! They perhaps threw a party and promised to give him money!
• He just made their very difficult problem easy (now this means if you are a problem solver, you will do well; but make sure it’s an honest living).
• So now they could arrest Jesus when He was not with the multitudes, and then sway the multitudes to their side when Jesus was being tried by the Romans.

May you and I never be known as a Judas or a traitor. Jesus said woe to that person; it would have been better if he had not been born). Avoid this at all costs.
We can only speculate Judas’ reasons for succumbing to this temptation, siding with Satan and turning against Jesus:

1. Jesus had been talking about dying rather than about setting up His Kingdom, and Judas may have been trying to force Jesus’ hand and make Him use His power to prove He was the Messiah.
2. Or perhaps Judas, not understanding Jesus’ mission, no longer believed that Jesus was God’s chosen one.
3. Or perhaps he was offended that Jesus allowed the prostitute to use the expensive perfume to honour Him and He explained that it was more important than giving that money to the poor.

Whatever Judas thought, it seems Satan must have also assumed that Jesus’ death would end His mission and thwart God’s plan. Both of them did not know that Jesus’ death and resurrection were the most important parts of God’s plan all along.

• I want to encourage you, dear friend, that the enemy is not aware of God’s mysterious plan for your life.
• They will rather push you into your divine purpose. When they think they are bringing you low, you will rather go up higher and be exalted by the Lord!
• Let’s end with two of our victory cards against the enemy! (How to overcome murder I guess!)

And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He said, “Take this and share it among yourselves; for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine from now on until the kingdom of God comes.” And when He had taken bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”

Thanksgiving! “And when He had taken a cup and given thanks”

In 1 Corinthians 10:16, Paul says: Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? (NIV). The KJV says: The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ?

• Do you see what is happening, thanksgiving is a blessing and our blessing is in our Thanksgiving!
• This is a victory card! Have you made preparations to thank God for His grace, mercies and goodness this year?
• Do you not have testimonies to share? “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony;“ (Rev 12:11).

The blood and body of Jesus! The communion!

Jesus asked us to eat His broken body and drink His blood to remember Him and the victory over the enemy on Calvary. What a powerful spiritual fortification; eating the body and drinking blood! (Hehehe). Dear friend, there is power mighty in the blood of Jesus!

• Jesus wanted us to remember His sacrifice, the basis for the forgiveness of sins, and His friendship or fellowship (which we can continue to enjoy through the presence of the Holy Spirit).
• We need to place great reverence in the Lord’s Supper and take the bread and fruit of the vine with meaning and faith (remember the Bible didn’t say wine; go and read it).
• Let us take it as often as we meet (remind me and let’s do this when next we meet) to remember our Lord and Savior and to appropriate great power to work on our behalf!

Do not neglect participating in Communion. Let it remind you of what Jesus did for us! Believe strongly in it! It is one of our victory cards! We have victory through the power of the blood! Heyy… you’re blessed!