How much do you value Jesus? What is he worth to you? To some, he’s worth laying everything on the line. To others, he’s worth a few pieces of silver.
Jesus enjoys the company of his friends. Warmth fills their hearts, and everything seems perfect. However, hidden under the cloak of night, the High Priest and his servants conspire against the Son of God, and an unexpected ally creeps in from the darkness, prepared to sell out Jesus for a few pieces of silver. Go to JesusPodcast.com and learn more about the podcast.
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Today's Bible verse is Revelation 4:11 from the King James Version.
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<v Speaker 1>Worthy. Are you, our Lord and God, the Holy One,
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<v Speaker 1>to receive the glory, the honor, and the power, for
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<v Speaker 1>you created all things Romans four eleven. Dear Lord, I
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<v Speaker 1>declare to day that you are worthy of any praise
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<v Speaker 1>I can give. I could live a thousand lifetimes and
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<v Speaker 1>still never be able to provide you with the honor
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<v Speaker 1>you deserve. All I have is all I am, and
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<v Speaker 1>all I am is all I have to give to you.
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<v Speaker 1>Help me to give up my pride, time, and resources
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<v Speaker 1>for your kingdom. I know you can do far more
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<v Speaker 1>with what I give than I can do myself. I
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<v Speaker 1>offer myself to you Lord in Jesus name. Amen. Thank
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<v Speaker 1>you for joining me in prayer today. Stories from the
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<v Speaker 1>Gospel unfolding and away that's never been told before. Stay
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<v Speaker 1>with us to explore the depths of Christ's story and
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<v Speaker 1>find inspiration in every episode. The moon's silvery beams slithered
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<v Speaker 1>through the cracks, and the cloud covering the air was
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<v Speaker 1>wet and frigid, signaling an incoming storm. Shrouded in night's
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<v Speaker 1>cover was the temple court. The courtyard outside still had
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<v Speaker 1>broken pieces of heavy stone tables lying on the floor.
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<v Speaker 1>Down the polished halls of the temple was the hall
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<v Speaker 1>of polished stones, the dwelling and governing place for the
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<v Speaker 1>high priest, and sanhedron. Torches mounted on each corner of
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<v Speaker 1>the court illuminated the grimaces of the pharisees and priests.
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<v Speaker 1>They sat at a round table, conspiring against the one
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<v Speaker 1>who claimed to be the son of God. Chiavus, the
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<v Speaker 1>High Priest, presided over them, with his hands folded over
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<v Speaker 1>his mouth. His hatred for the carpenter of Nazareth grew
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<v Speaker 1>hotter by the minute. His rage was more faithful than
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<v Speaker 1>a well stowed fire.
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<v Speaker 2>We cannot list him in secret. One of them whispered,
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<v Speaker 2>we could kill him if what he has a chance
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<v Speaker 2>to gain more followers.
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<v Speaker 1>Chiavus rolled his eyes eyes and scoffed.
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<v Speaker 2>Your tomb, simple mind.
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<v Speaker 1>Being, he said pretentiously. The torch light flickered, illuminating the
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<v Speaker 1>precious stones on his priestly breastplate.
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<v Speaker 2>The people will know it was us.
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<v Speaker 3>Besides, we must make an example of him so his
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<v Speaker 3>disciples don't carry on in his place. We must do
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<v Speaker 3>it snowily, but legally. We will go through the Romans
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<v Speaker 3>and have his blood on their hands. One man should die,
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<v Speaker 3>so the rest of Us might be saved from Roman recourse.
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<v Speaker 1>They conspired against Jesus under the guise of righteousness. Caiaphus
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<v Speaker 1>had no idea how right he was. One man would
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<v Speaker 1>die to save others.
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<v Speaker 2>Just now he expected.
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<v Speaker 4>How much value do you put on Jesus? What is
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<v Speaker 4>he worth to you? To some he's worth everything. He's
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<v Speaker 4>worth laying everything on the line. To others, he's worth
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<v Speaker 4>a few bucks. The trick for us as followers of
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<v Speaker 4>Jesus is to continually remind our hearts of what his
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<v Speaker 4>life is worth and the great cost it took for
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<v Speaker 4>him to gain access to us. Welcome to the Jesus Podcast,
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<v Speaker 4>dramatic sagas of Jesus's triumph over sin, darkness, and shame.
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<v Speaker 4>I'm pastor Zach from pray dot Com. This week we
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<v Speaker 4>are traveling down the Road to Resurrection, highlighting stories leading
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<v Speaker 4>up to Jesus's death, burial, and resurrection. If you've enjoyed
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<v Speaker 4>the podcast so far, make sure to follow and subscribe
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<v Speaker 4>so you never have to miss an episode. Today's story
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<v Speaker 4>is about betrayal. We will follow Judas down the dimly
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<v Speaker 4>lit hall of polished stones, where the priests and pharisees
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<v Speaker 4>conspire against Jesus. This dramatization of Judas's encounter with Caiaphas
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<v Speaker 4>gives us a glimpse into what his heart may have
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<v Speaker 4>been like during this time, cold, calloused, calculated. Ultimately, we
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<v Speaker 4>aren't sure exactly what Judas was thinking at the time,
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<v Speaker 4>but we do know that he opened himself up to corruption.
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<v Speaker 4>The same can be true of our hearts if we
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<v Speaker 4>aren't careful. Proverbs four twenty three says keep your heart
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<v Speaker 4>with all diligence, for out of it is the wellspring
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<v Speaker 4>of life. We rarely grow up dreaming to commit evil acts.
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<v Speaker 4>Sometimes atrocities and evil are a result of small compromises
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<v Speaker 4>over time. If we aren't careful, we end up doing
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<v Speaker 4>something that we never imagined we do. When we aren't
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<v Speaker 4>diligent and tending to our hearts, we slowly open ourselves
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<v Speaker 4>up to our evil potential. Weep for Judas, for his
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<v Speaker 4>story mirrors our own.
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<v Speaker 1>Meanwhile, outside the city of Jerusalem and Bethany, Jesus reclined
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<v Speaker 1>at the table among friends in the home of Lazarus,
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<v Speaker 1>Mary and Martha. He and his disciples enjoyed a beautiful
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<v Speaker 1>respite from the barrage of pharisees, crowds, and curious onlookers.
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<v Speaker 1>They filled their bellies with warm food and their souls
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<v Speaker 1>with pleasant conversation. They would treasure this splendid pocket of
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<v Speaker 1>peace forever. A singular moment of bliss in the center
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<v Speaker 1>of another wise contentious wink, Lazarus was reclining next to him. Martha,
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<v Speaker 1>the sister of Lazarus, had finished preparing the meal. The
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<v Speaker 1>table was set, and everyone ate to their heart's content.
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<v Speaker 1>Martha felt the tension in her shoulders slowly released. She
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<v Speaker 1>looked to her master and sighed, should I sit now?
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<v Speaker 1>She asked Jesus with a ride grin. Jesus knew what
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<v Speaker 1>her question was referring to. It had taken Martha quite
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<v Speaker 1>a while to pause and enjoy the of her labor.
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<v Speaker 1>She forced herself to sit down and sang a playful.
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<v Speaker 2>Hymn, He makes Me Lie down in green pastures.
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<v Speaker 1>Martha had learned the art of slowing down to enjoy
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<v Speaker 1>moments with her Lord. She basked in his presence, Filled
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<v Speaker 1>with appreciation and love. Food, wine and delight enveloped the
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<v Speaker 1>room like a warm blanket. Martha leaned over to Lazarus
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<v Speaker 1>and asked, where is Mary.
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<v Speaker 5>I would have expected her to be here eating with
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<v Speaker 5>our teacher the second he arrived.
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<v Speaker 1>Just as Martha inquired about her sister, she appeared from
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<v Speaker 1>the corner of the room. Everything was suspended in time
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<v Speaker 1>as Mary entered the room with tears streaming down her cheeks.
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<v Speaker 1>She approached the lord with reverence, knelt at his feet,
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<v Speaker 1>and greeted her sister. Here I am, She whispered, with
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<v Speaker 1>the softness of someone saving her voice for something else.
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<v Speaker 1>She tilted her head to her master and smiled hello.
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<v Speaker 1>The bony she greeted Jesus with reverence, and all around
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<v Speaker 1>Mary's neck was an alabaster flask. It had no handles
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<v Speaker 1>and was furnished with a long neck. Sealed at the top.
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<v Speaker 1>Within the flask was precious ointment spikenard. The flask was
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<v Speaker 1>her livelihood, an investment in her future, and an assurance
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<v Speaker 1>of her security. Mary's value was wrapped up in the flask,
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<v Speaker 1>which made what happened next so disarming to everyone in
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<v Speaker 1>the room. Mary removed the flask from around her neck
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<v Speaker 1>and broke the top. The fragrance of spikenard filled the
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<v Speaker 1>room immediately. She carefully tilted the jar over her master's head,
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<v Speaker 1>then She knelt at his feet and rubbed the oil
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<v Speaker 1>with her hair. Tears streaked down her cheeks and on
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<v Speaker 1>to his feet. She was broken and filled with gratitude
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<v Speaker 1>for her teacher and friend. The entire room was silent,
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<v Speaker 1>suspended in awe as Mary poured her entire worth on
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<v Speaker 1>to her master's feet as an offering. Kneeling on the ground,
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<v Speaker 1>washing his feet with her tears, she expressed true and
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<v Speaker 1>unabashed worship. However, this tender moment of intimate surrender was
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<v Speaker 1>cut abruptly by a voice at the corner of the table.
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<v Speaker 1>What a waste, the voice protested.
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<v Speaker 6>Spite not is worth at least three hundred dinari.
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<v Speaker 1>Every One looked at Judas, who was dismayed at the
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<v Speaker 1>squandered opportunity for more money. A man who had been
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<v Speaker 1>silent for so long and was content to hang back anonymously,
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<v Speaker 1>had finally spoken. His words were a frenetic response stemming
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<v Speaker 1>from a greedy heart. Judas looked round the room, sensing
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<v Speaker 1>their displeasure. He composed himself briefly and added, we.
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<v Speaker 2>Could have sold it and given the money to the poor.
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<v Speaker 1>Judas flashed an innocent smile, a mask to hide his avarice.
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<v Speaker 1>Mary flashed a shameful gaze up at Judas. He was
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<v Speaker 1>one of the honored twelve, and his disapproval cut like
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<v Speaker 1>a harsh blade.
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<v Speaker 2>Ay, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to.
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<v Speaker 1>She held back him back tears, looking up at Jesus
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<v Speaker 1>to see if she had done something wrong.
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<v Speaker 5>I thought I leave her alone, Jesus interrupted.
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<v Speaker 1>He knew why Judas protested. His conflicted pupil didn't have
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<v Speaker 1>the slightest concern for the poor. His hand had been
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<v Speaker 1>dipping into their purse for quite some time, and he
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<v Speaker 1>saw a lost opportunity to gain another coin. Jesus looked
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<v Speaker 1>down at Mary and placed a reassuring hand on her head.
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<v Speaker 5>You will always have the poor to tend to, Judas,
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<v Speaker 5>if that's what your heart desires, But you will not
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<v Speaker 5>always have me. Consider the spike night as preparation for
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<v Speaker 5>my burial.
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<v Speaker 1>As the words left his lips, he flashed Judas an
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<v Speaker 1>intense stare, one that would haunt him until judas dying breath.
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<v Speaker 1>It was not a look of spite or disapproval. It
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<v Speaker 1>was a look of pity. For Jesus knew what lay
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<v Speaker 1>within Judas's heart. The tension dissipated as Jesus smiled and
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<v Speaker 1>turned his attention elsewhere. The party resumed, and Judas felt
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<v Speaker 1>himself slipping into a different state of mind. An ancient
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<v Speaker 1>and sinister spirit coiled around his heart. The small, gradual
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<v Speaker 1>compromises of self indulgence and bitterness gave way to one
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<v Speaker 1>colossal slip into darkness. Judas stood up from the table
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<v Speaker 1>and slipped out of the house, unseen by every one
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<v Speaker 1>except the one he was planning to betray. The moon's
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<v Speaker 1>silvery gleam left the temple court yard, leaving it soaked
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<v Speaker 1>in complete darkness, except for the faint torchlight emanating from
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<v Speaker 1>the hall of polished stones. The cold halls carried muffled
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<v Speaker 1>whispers of murder. Caiaphas and the chief priests conspired into
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<v Speaker 1>the night, desperate for a chance to seize Jesus. They
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<v Speaker 1>argued deliberated for hours, frustrated and flustered about how to
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<v Speaker 1>get rid of him. Jesus had a knack for escaping arrest.
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<v Speaker 1>They needed to know where he would be alone, away
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<v Speaker 1>from the eyes of the crowds. Their bickerings ceased when
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<v Speaker 1>they heard a knock on the door. The temple guards
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<v Speaker 1>entered with a hooded figure standing between them.
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<v Speaker 3>Lord Caiaphas. This man claims to have information about the Nazarene.
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<v Speaker 1>Judas stepped out of the darkness and into the torchlight.
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<v Speaker 1>Caiaphas laughed, ha ha ha ha ha ah.
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<v Speaker 2>I know you, he sneered.
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<v Speaker 3>You are one of his twelve disciples.
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<v Speaker 1>Judas ignored laughter and went straight to the point.
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<v Speaker 2>What will you give me if I deliver him to you?
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<v Speaker 1>He said? Quickly, caiaph as smile disappeared. He stood to
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<v Speaker 1>his feet and circled Judas like a wolf does to
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<v Speaker 1>its prey.
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<v Speaker 3>Tell me, Judas, what did your master do to you too?
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<v Speaker 3>Warrant his betrayal.
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<v Speaker 1>Judas clenched his fist and shrugged.
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<v Speaker 6>My reasons are my own not good enough?
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<v Speaker 1>Caiaphus yelled, slamming his fist on the table.
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<v Speaker 2>Why should I trust you?
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<v Speaker 6>M M.
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<v Speaker 1>Judas closed his eyes and drew a deep breath. The
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<v Speaker 1>slithering presence of Satan coiled around his heart, prompting him
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<v Speaker 1>to near madness. Although he had the choice to turn back,
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<v Speaker 1>he felt helpless to do anything else. He opened his
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<v Speaker 1>eyes and rolled his shoulders back with confidence.
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<v Speaker 6>He said, I have what you want, which is information
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<v Speaker 6>on the whereabouts and weaknesses of Jesus. You have what
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<v Speaker 6>I want, which is silver in my purse. Do you
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<v Speaker 6>want to be partners or not? Kiah for smile return.
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<v Speaker 1>Oh so.
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<v Speaker 3>You're a simple man, he teased, very well, thirty pieces
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<v Speaker 3>of silver should be more than enough for your services.
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<v Speaker 1>He gestured for one of the priests to retrieve the
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<v Speaker 1>money for Judas. They handed him a sack of thirty
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<v Speaker 1>pieces of silver. Judas held it in his hand. The
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<v Speaker 1>bag was heavy, heavy enough to drag his entire soul
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<v Speaker 1>into darkness.
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<v Speaker 4>You know, it's easy to judge Judas. It's easy to
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<v Speaker 4>look at villain in the Bible, like Goliath, the Philistines,
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<v Speaker 4>King Saul, and raise our noses at them. We like
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<v Speaker 4>to think that we're more like David, a flawed but
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<v Speaker 4>brave hero, or Peter, an outspoken leader of the church.
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<v Speaker 4>But can I be honest with you for a moment.
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<v Speaker 4>Sometimes I am far more like Goliath than I am David.
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<v Speaker 4>Often I can slip into the patterns of Judas more
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<v Speaker 4>than the redemption of Peter. Judas sold Jesus out for
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<v Speaker 4>thirty pieces of silver. At the most that would be
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<v Speaker 4>between one hundred and five hundred dollars. Today, the Son
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<v Speaker 4>of God was arrested and hung on across to die, all.
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<v Speaker 1>For a couple hundred bucks.
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<v Speaker 4>But I want to challenge you to reserve your judgment
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<v Speaker 4>of Judas for a moment. Why, because we've all sold
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<v Speaker 4>Jesus out for far less than thirty pieces of silver. Remember,
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<v Speaker 4>Jesus died for all of our sins, great and small.
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<v Speaker 4>He died for the lies you've told your spouse. He
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<v Speaker 4>died for the hatred you've had for someone who's different
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<v Speaker 4>than you. He's died for the moral compromise at work,
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<v Speaker 4>and that moment of weakness in front of a computer screen. Yep,
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<v Speaker 4>Jesus died for all of it. He died not just
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<v Speaker 4>because Judas was corrupt. He died because you and me
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<v Speaker 4>were sinners in need of saving. We'll never fully understand
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<v Speaker 4>Judas's true motives, but we can speculate a little bit.
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<v Speaker 4>We can find a couple of clues from Judas's surname,
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<v Speaker 4>which was Escariot. The name of Scariot may mean that
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<v Speaker 4>he was from Carryoff, a city in southern Judea. This
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<v Speaker 4>would mean that Judas was the only Judaean among the
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<v Speaker 4>other disciples, who were all Galileans. I won't go into
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<v Speaker 4>the nitty gritty details of this geographical difference, but some
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<v Speaker 4>wonder if Judas resented the leadership of all these Galilean
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<v Speaker 4>fishermen among the disciples, and he was, after all an
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<v Speaker 4>educated man from Judaea, he should have been ruling over
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<v Speaker 4>all of them. Why was Peter, James and John the
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<v Speaker 4>most favorite. They were uneducated fishermen, not worthy to be
0:17:53 --> 0:17:56
<v Speaker 4>followers of the Messiah. Others think that the name of
0:17:56 --> 0:18:00
<v Speaker 4>Scariot is linked to the word sikarius, meaning assassin, a
0:18:00 --> 0:18:04
<v Speaker 4>connection to the Jewish zealous who carried out underground warfare
0:18:04 --> 0:18:07
<v Speaker 4>against the Roman occupiers. But it also might be the
0:18:07 --> 0:18:11
<v Speaker 4>Judas follow Jesus for selfish motives, expecting to receive a
0:18:11 --> 0:18:15
<v Speaker 4>position of great status and prestige when Jesus triumphantly came
0:18:15 --> 0:18:18
<v Speaker 4>into Jerusalem and took the mantle as king. But when
0:18:18 --> 0:18:20
<v Speaker 4>Jesus came it was evident that he was not going
0:18:20 --> 0:18:23
<v Speaker 4>to be the kind of Messiah the Judas and the
0:18:23 --> 0:18:25
<v Speaker 4>rest of the Jews hoped for. He may have lashed
0:18:25 --> 0:18:28
<v Speaker 4>out against Jesus and opened this door up to Satan
0:18:28 --> 0:18:31
<v Speaker 4>out of spite Jesus didn't give Judas what his selfish
0:18:31 --> 0:18:35
<v Speaker 4>heart wanted, so Judas felt his ties to Jesus were broken.
0:18:35 --> 0:18:38
<v Speaker 4>In essence, Judas might as well have said, you betrayed
0:18:38 --> 0:18:40
<v Speaker 4>me by not being the kind of Messiah I wanted,
0:18:40 --> 0:18:43
<v Speaker 4>so I'm going to betray you. We don't know for sure,
0:18:43 --> 0:18:46
<v Speaker 4>but the bottom line is this Judas sought the priests out.
0:18:47 --> 0:18:50
<v Speaker 4>They didn't seek him out. They didn't point Judas out
0:18:50 --> 0:18:52
<v Speaker 4>and say, hey, that's the man who's going to betray Jesus.
0:18:53 --> 0:18:55
<v Speaker 4>It says that Judas went to them. That means Satan
0:18:56 --> 0:18:59
<v Speaker 4>coiled around Judas's heart somehow, and that led to a
0:18:59 --> 0:19:03
<v Speaker 4>pre meditated, an intentional act of betrayal. That might mean
0:19:03 --> 0:19:06
<v Speaker 4>that Judas would have done it for less than thirty
0:19:06 --> 0:19:10
<v Speaker 4>pieces of silver. Our theme for today's episode is value, specifically,
0:19:10 --> 0:19:14
<v Speaker 4>how much do we value Jesus. Let's go back to
0:19:14 --> 0:19:17
<v Speaker 4>the upper room where Jesus is reclined with his disciples.
0:19:17 --> 0:19:20
<v Speaker 4>Mary comes in and anoints Jesus's head and feet with
0:19:20 --> 0:19:24
<v Speaker 4>a precious oil spikenard. For Mary, her value of Jesus
0:19:24 --> 0:19:27
<v Speaker 4>became evident when she poured out this very expensive thing
0:19:27 --> 0:19:30
<v Speaker 4>she owned on his head and feet. To her, Jesus
0:19:30 --> 0:19:33
<v Speaker 4>was worth more than anything she could ever hope to gain.
0:19:34 --> 0:19:37
<v Speaker 4>The spikenard Mary poured out on Jesus was most likely
0:19:37 --> 0:19:40
<v Speaker 4>one of her most prized possessions, her life's savings. To her,
0:19:41 --> 0:19:45
<v Speaker 4>Jesus was worth giving it all away. This, in essence,
0:19:45 --> 0:19:49
<v Speaker 4>is true worship. To worship something or someone gives them
0:19:49 --> 0:19:53
<v Speaker 4>ultimate value over every other thing. Mary worshiped Jesus by
0:19:54 --> 0:19:57
<v Speaker 4>placing a higher value on him than her most prized possession.
0:19:57 --> 0:19:57
<v Speaker 3>CS.
0:19:58 --> 0:20:00
<v Speaker 4>Lewis once said this, the gap betw those who worship
0:20:00 --> 0:20:03
<v Speaker 4>different gods is not so wide as the gap between
0:20:03 --> 0:20:06
<v Speaker 4>those who worship and those who don't. What we worship
0:20:07 --> 0:20:11
<v Speaker 4>in this life forms our characters. The moment we grasp
0:20:11 --> 0:20:14
<v Speaker 4>that Jesus is worth everything, we discover the endless possibilities
0:20:14 --> 0:20:17
<v Speaker 4>of our faith. In contrast to Mary, who put it
0:20:17 --> 0:20:19
<v Speaker 4>all on the line for Jesus, Judas put his greed,
0:20:19 --> 0:20:22
<v Speaker 4>his own selfish ambitions, and his desires above his love
0:20:22 --> 0:20:26
<v Speaker 4>for Jesus. Yet, even though we were still sinners, Christ
0:20:26 --> 0:20:30
<v Speaker 4>died for us. His goodness prevails over whatever darkness coils
0:20:30 --> 0:20:33
<v Speaker 4>around our hearts. Let's meditate on his goodness despite our
0:20:33 --> 0:20:37
<v Speaker 4>brokenness today and ascribe to him the most extraordinary worth
0:20:37 --> 0:20:40
<v Speaker 4>and value in our lives. Our next episode will be
0:20:40 --> 0:20:43
<v Speaker 4>a whirlwind, to say the least. We're going to go
0:20:43 --> 0:20:45
<v Speaker 4>from a quiet meal Jesus shares with his disciples to
0:20:45 --> 0:20:48
<v Speaker 4>a brutal betrayal and arrest in the garden of Gosemine.
0:20:49 --> 0:20:52
<v Speaker 4>Buckle up because the Jesus Podcast is just getting started.
0:20:52 --> 0:20:55
<v Speaker 4>If this podcast has offered value to your life and
0:20:55 --> 0:20:57
<v Speaker 4>enriched your faith, we would love it if you left
0:20:57 --> 0:21:00
<v Speaker 4>us a review. Doing so gives us insight and how
0:21:00 --> 0:21:03
<v Speaker 4>our podcasts are affecting people and changing lives. You can
0:21:03 --> 0:21:05
<v Speaker 4>engage with more of our content by looking up Prey
0:21:05 --> 0:21:07
<v Speaker 4>dot com on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen
0:21:08 --> 0:21:11
<v Speaker 4>to podcasts. And for more inspiring stories, life changing sermons,
0:21:11 --> 0:21:14
<v Speaker 4>and truth to last a lifetime, download the Prey dot
0:21:14 --> 0:21:17
<v Speaker 4>Com app today
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