Daily Devotions
Mark
Acts 3:12 "Peter�¢?�¦responded to the people: 'Men of Israel, why do you marvel at this? Or why look so intently at us, as though by our own power or godliness, we had made this man walk?'" Acts 3:12"
Day 299 – Mark 14
“Peter…responded to the people: ‘Men of Israel, why do you marvel at this? Or why look so intently at us, as though by our own power or godliness, we had made this man walk?'” Acts 3:12
THE GLEE OF THE ENEMIES OF JESUS
How the enemies of Jesus must have been glad at heart when Judas approached them one day. The chief priests had never attempted to infiltrate the ranks of the Twelve. They would have to face Jesus first, and they had had enough experiences with Him to last them a lifetime!
“Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve,
went to the chief priests to betray Him to them.
And when they heard it, they were glad, and promised
to give him money. So he sought how he might conveniently
betray Him.”
MARK 14:10-11
The gladness felt may be along the following lines:-
1. Betrayed by “one of the twelve”
The chief priests must have smirked as they listened to Judas offering to betray Jesus. Never would they have thought that one of the Twelve would turn out to be a traitor. Surely this act of betrayal would bring pain and anguish to Jesus, their hated enemy. They could not penetrate the ranks of the Twelve! Now, they did not even have to figure how to lay hold of Jesus. One of His own trusted lieutenants would betray Him. What irony! What a blow to Jesus!
2. Promised to give him money
The price agreed upon, just thirty pieces of silver, must have brought glee to the chief priests. They would recoup this paltry sum after they got rid of Jesus. They would make many times more this amount in a single day in their Temple market. Even if Judas had asked for a higher amount, they would have agreed.
3. All Judas’ work
The chief priests did not dare to arrest Jesus publicly. He had too much support from the multitudes. They had no idea how they would ever capture Jesus, until now! Judas would find a way of betraying Jesus “conveniently”. This turn of events suited the chief priests perfectly.