Session 7

You’re one of the bad guys

From Mark: A 6-Week Devotional

It’s easy to see Judas as a greedy, thieving betrayer. He was one of the bad guys. We’re Christians. We’re the good guys, right?

The truth is Judas isn’t so unrelatable. Judas betrayed Jesus for money, or to put it another way, self-gain. That’s no different than when we sin. Regardless of how we sin, we do it for selfish reasons, typically for personal gain or some fleeting self-gratification. No matter how sincerely committed we are to following Jesus, we sin almost every day because we’re still human.

God made humanity knowing we would fall to the temptation of sin, and Jesus chose Judas to be one of His 12 disciples, knowing Judas would ultimately betray Him. God doesn’t love us because we’re good or we deserve it. He loves us because we’re His.

God doesn’t love us because we’re good or we deserve it. He loves us because we’re His.

Mary and Judas both saw Jesus for who He really was — not a political or physical rescuer, but a spiritual one — and had a choice about how to respond. Where Judas saw a letdown and gave Jesus up for temporary political gain, Mary saw a Savior and poured her most valuable possession on Jesus’ feet. The depth of Mary’s gratitude moved her to trust Jesus with all that she had.

When we understand who Jesus is we face the same choice that Mary and Judas did. Will we trust Jesus with our future, our hope, and our joy? Or will we settle for the temporary satisfaction that comes from seeking joy on our own?

Reflect:

• What’s one area of your life where you’re struggling to believe that Jesus has your best interest in mind?
• What’s one area of your life where you’ve experienced God’s unconditional love? How did that experience change your opinion of God’s trustworthiness?
• Has there ever been a time when you settled for less than God’s best? What did you learn from that experience?