Two Different Preparations
Read: Matthew 26:14-25
Today’s reading explores two very different preparations: while Jesus and the disciples prepare to celebrate the Passover feast together, Judas Iscariot makes preparations to betray Jesus. It can be very tempting to place sole blame on Judas for Jesus’ death, but there are two reasons why we should resist this urge: First, because of Jesus’ radical message and the animosity He caused toward the religious establishment, He probably would have been captured anyway, even without Judas’ betrayal. Second, by placing Jesus in a position with His back against the wall, Judas was likely hoping to kickstart a rebellion against the Roman oppression. Unfortunately, that uprising was not a part of Jesus’ plan. Judas ultimately repented of his mistake, but his guilty conscience led him to take his own life (Matthew 27:3-5).
So why all this discussion of Judas? His story is important because sometimes our own plans and preparations end up falling apart too. Like Judas, we might miss what Jesus is trying to prepare in our lives and do the exact opposite. We can have the best intentions and the right motives, but if we don’t include Jesus into our plans, we might still hurt people—including ourselves!—along the way.
Take a moment to reflect. Are there any plans or preparations that you are trying to make without Jesus? Could there be any preparations that Jesus might be longing to make in your life? Make sure that you aren’t missing what Jesus is wanting to do in your life by creating your own plans without Him.