As the Lord began His public ministry, after having chosen His twelve Apostles, He began to reveal details to them concerning His purpose for coming to the earth.

HE REVEALED HIS DEATH.  We read in Matthew 16:21, “From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.”

HE REVEALED HIS BETRAYAL.  Matthew 17:22-23 tells us, “And while they abode in Galilee, Jesus said unto them, The Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men: And they shall kill him, and the third day he shall be raised again. And they were exceeding sorry.”

HE REVEALED THAT IT WAS ONE OF HIS APOSTLES THAT WOULD BETRAY HIM.  Matthew 26:20-21 says, “Now when the even was come, he sat down with the twelve. And as they did eat, he said, Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me.”

Of course we know that it was Judas who betrayed the Lord.  Since, through his act of betrayal, the Lord died on the cross for our sins, was his betrayal an act of sin?  Let’s hear the voice of the Lord Jesus Himself as He says in Matthew 26:24, “The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed!  IT HAD BEEN GOOD FOR THAT MAN IF HE HAD NOT BEEN BORN.”  Judas’ sin would not be excused, nor lessened, by fulfilling the prophecies of the Bible.  It was prophesied in Psalm 41:9, “Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me.”  The Lord Jesus applied this verse to Judas in John 13:18, “I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen: but that the scripture may be fulfilled, He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me.”

Even though Judas was the one who fulfilled this prophesy by betraying the Lord Jesus, that does not mean that God MADE him do this.  Judas, being led by his unbelief in the Lord Jesus and by his desire for money betrayed Him.  Matthew 26:14-15, “Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver.”  Judas sinned and was accountable for his sin…just like you and I are accountable to God for every single sin we have ever committed.  How blessed it is to know that the Lord Jesus Christ died for us on the cross so that we might be set free from the penalty of sin.  Christ gave Himself for us so that through faith in Him, we can be saved.  1 Timothy 1:15 tells us, “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.”  Have you put your faith in Him and received forgiveness for all your sins?  (214.2)