Happy Easter readizens. This is indeed a great time to reflect on the great prize christ paid for the reconciliation of man back to God and also to utilize this great opportunity to return to God if we have backslided. Even as great as the sacrifice of Jesus is, it will make no meaningful impactation in one's life if one fails to change one's mindsets and deliberately choose to accept the lordship of Christ and his principles.

An example from the Bible

Yesterday, while we were in church for the good Friday service, the pastor when preaching made a striking point about mindsets when he pointed to an example from the Bible. Judas was a relative a Jesus. He was what we can call Jesus's cousin and when Jesus would begin his ministry, he made sure to call him not necessarily because Judas was relative to him but because he had made himself available and useful in the ministry of Christ. You know it's not really an easy task to leave all things behind, become a public enemy and most importantly not getting paid. I don't know if Judas had had the mindset of betraying Christ from the moment he surrendered all to follow him, but what I do know is that in that surrendering there as an iota of truth in it!

But true to an old saying 'if you don't deal with your weakness now it will deal with you later', and that was exactly what happened to Judas Iscariot. I mean, we all have our weaknesses and shortcomings but if we fail to change our mindsets and rather succumb to the pressing needs of evil passions we are bound to encounter defeat, pain and regret. That was exactly what happened to Judas.

It's bad enough to have wanted to betray the Lord whom you had plegde allegiance to, but then the same Lord whom Judas knew to be omniscient, said it directly to you him that 'you said it!' when Judas asked if he was the one that was going to betray him and yet he still went out anyways to carry his mission. Let me share the story

Luke 22:1-6

[1]Now the feast of unleavened bread drew nigh, which is called the Passover.

[2]And the chief priests and scribes sought how they might kill him; for they feared the people.

[3]Then entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve.

[4]And he went his way, and communed with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray him unto them.

[5]And they were glad, and covenanted to give him money.

[6]And he promised, and sought opportunity to betray him unto them in the absence of the multitude.

From the above scripture, it can be clearly seen that Judas was not acting of his own accord in trying to betray the Lord. As I have said Judas couldn't have gone ahead to betray the Lord again after he had told him face to face that he(Jesus) knew of his(Judas) mission. But there was already a devil or demon influencing his mindset. This beings a question to mind;

Who is responsible for betraying the Christ? Judas or Satan?

If you'd ask me I'd say Judas! My reason is found in the quote I shared earlier that if you don't deal with your weakness now, it is bound it deal with you later. As cunning as satan is, he won't come to you unless you have his goods. For example, satan won't tempt a person who isn't hungry with food. We are all been tempted by the very desires of our hearts

James 1:14

[14]But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.

Judas, been the treasurer of Jesus's ministry, had been stealing from the purse. Then came the Pharisees with their proposal telling him to betray Jesus for a huge amount of money. He saw that as a way to achieve financial freedom and would not even change his mindset of 'easy money' even when Jesus directly confronted him twice. First at the supper and next at the very spot where he was going to betray the innocent man.

Conclusion

Many of us laugh and castigate Judas Iscariot and openly label him a betrayer, an infidel and a glutton who sold the saviour of the world for peanut, but here were are going the very thing he did; betraying Jesus with our actions and mindsets. We also fail to deal with our weakness and rather hide under 'the grace that abounds in sin' forgetting that God can not be mocked. Hence, this is a Clarion call for us to change our mindset and deal with our weaknesses before they deal with us.

Thanks for reading this article. Happy Easter once again. May the peace of Christ reign sufficiently in our minds. Amen❤️