Judas. We hear his name and we wince.

We know what he did. And we can’t believe it.

Jesus’ own disciple. Selling Him out.

The chief priests didn’t go to Judas. Judas went to them.

He approached them. He opened the door for the betrayal. He sought them out.

It had to happen. Jesus had to be betrayed. Had to suffer. Had to die.

It was the only way.

But to have someone who walked with you everyday. Who heard your words.

Who saw the miracles. To have that person willingly go and look for a way to hurt you. It seems unfathomable to us. We would never.

Except we do. Every day.

We hear about Judas and it shocks us. But it shouldn’t.

Because we openly betray Jesus too.

We run to hand Jesus over for our pleasure.

We want to walk with Him. We want to stay in the company of His Word. We want to witness the miracles. But we are drawn by the pull of the world.

We desire to know what it can give us. We want to know our options.

So we hand Jesus over.

And act as if our sin is not even close to being like Judas.

Except it is.

God sees what we say. God sees what we do. God sees how we act.

Around those we love. And those we don’t.

We can argue. And justify. And disagree. But God knows our heart.

He sees how our pride won’t let us forgive. He sees how our arrogance won’t allow us to believe we are wrong. He sees how we puff ourselves up. How we choose to honor ourselves first. He is not fooled by the facade.

And He longs for us to turn back.

We cannot live for the world and live for Him too. There is no middle ground.

And so, like Judas, we have a choice.

Will we willingly hand Jesus over, so that we can please ourselves?

Or will we choose to put His desires above our own?

This Easter Week, we see Jesus headed to the Cross.

Willingly.

So that we might have life.

May we see this sacrifice. May we allow it to change us.

And may we choose, always, to live that life for Him.

Colleen LaQuay Urbaniuk

2026