The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Matthew 26:20-25, “Now when evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the twelve disciples.”
21 As they were eating, He said, “Truly I say to you that one of you will betray Me.”
22 Being deeply grieved, they each one began to say to Him, “Surely not I, Lord?”
23 And He answered, “He who dipped his hand with Me in the bowl is the one who will betray Me.
24 “The Son of Man is to go, just as it is written of Him; but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born.”
25 And Judas, who was betraying Him, said, “Surely it is not I, Rabbi?” Jesus said to him, “You have said it yourself.”

Here’s an old saying: “Sometimes silence is golden; sometimes it’s yellow!”
Judas Iscariot would have done well to have been “golden” in that moment. Yet, he was not. Why are those who are guilty always the first to proclaim their innocence? –and they do it without thinking!

It was one of the most solemn moments Jesus ever had with His 12 disciples. It must have crushed His heart to even mention disloyalty in a moment like that one! Oh, it had to be disclosed. Yet to those of us who read the account in the Scriptures, it is heart-breaking!

Those of us who have harbored a secret and then shared it within a group, have noticed that just keeping silent is often sufficient to prompt the guilty party to be the first to speak up. In this instance, it was Judas Iscariot, who blurted out, “Surely it is not I, Rabbi?” Oh, but it is! “It’s the squeaky wheel that has gotten the grease.”

The disciples were in the upper room, when the 120 decided to select someone to take Judas Iscariot’s place, and they spoke of him as one who “turned aside to go to his own place” (Acts 1:24). Yes, sadly, Judas Iscariot “hanged himself” (Mat. 27:5). He was obviously unable to contend with the consciousness of what he had done. How is your conscience? Will it stand in the presence of God? It can; but you must first turn your heart over to Christ!

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.
Springdale, Arkansas 72764
United States of America

“We never know that Christ is all we need until He becomes all that we have.” – Corrie ten Boom