Judas, the one who betrayed him, realized that Jesus was doomed. Overcome with remorse, he gave back the thirty silver coins to the high priests, saying, “I’ve sinned. I’ve betrayed an innocent man.”
They said, “What do we care? That’s your problem!”
Judas threw the silver coins into the Temple and left. Then he went out and hung himself.
Matthew 27:3-5 (The Message)
Everyone of us will feel grief and sorrow at some point in our lives. There is an old statement our there. "It is not what happens to you, it is how you deal with it that matters." Judas is an excellent study on how we can set ourselves up for failure in dealing with the powerful emotions of grief and sorrow.
First, Judas never really connected to Christ. Jesus said of Judas, "Have I not chosen you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil!" (John 6:70) Jesus made connections that healed the brokenhearted and set people on the path of freedom. Judas never got that. Though he went with the 12 and was a disciple of Jesus, yet he never took of the life that Jesus offered Him. Many people call themselves Christians, but they have never connected to Christ in sincerity and truth.
Second, Judas remained in His brokenness though He was in the presence of Christ. When people came to bring gifts to Jesus, Judas was stealing the money. John 12:6 states plainly, "This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it." When we choose to stay in our brokenness, we will miss out on the things that will strengthen us and give us the ability to face the storms of life. (Matthew 7:24-27)
Third, Judas let himself be controlled by the devil. Jesus pointed out how wrong Judas was in dealing with the woman who anointed His feet with oil. And the Bible says "And from that time, he was seeking an opportunity that he might betray Him." (Matthew 26:16) The enemy seeks to twist every emotion that God has given to us. When we listen to him and try to find self-fulfillment, we will be unequipped and lost when it comes to the painful emotions of grief and sorrow.
Finally, Judas allowed his grief to overwhelm him. When Jesus was arrested and condemned, Judas saw how much he had messed up. He regretted what he did, but it was too late to fix it. He could find no place for repentance. The grief and sorrow that he felt overwhelmed him and he had no answer and no strength to face the overwhelming guilt and sorrow. The devil has come to kill, steal, and destroy. Many have felt overwhelmed with sorrow and grief and have taken their own lives because they could not find the solution to their brokenness and the pressures of life. The sorrow of this world produces death, but Jesus came to bring life.
Jesus is the Answer. Connecting to Him is the solution. When we truly come to Him as Savior and Lord, He will give us rest. He will give us the strength. He will turn our sorrows into joys so that we may be able to comfort those who are going through any trouble.
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