Supporters’ Devo: The Death of Judas
I hope this week's devotions on Judas have been helpful to you. As we close out this series, I want to address something that sceptics often bring up when trying to discredit the Bible - the supposed "contradiction" between Matthew's account and Luke's account of how Judas died.
Matthew 27:5 tells us: "So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself."
But in Acts 1:18, Luke writes: "With the payment he received for his wickedness, Judas bought a field; there he fell headlong, his body burst open and all his intestines spilled out."
Now, for many sceptics, these two passages contradict each other. Did Judas hang himself… read or listen to this full devotion on my Patreon page here – for a monthly amount of your choice.
Paul's vision in Romans 6 is breathtaking - a life died to sin and raised again in Christ. Ask yourself today whether you are truly living as a new creation, or still sitting in the old life that Christ came to set you free from.
Two criminals hung beside Jesus on the cross, but only one received salvation - the one who repented and trusted in Him. On this Good Friday, consider where your trust truly lies.
As He was nailed to the cross, Jesus cried out for the forgiveness of His enemies - practising to the very end what He had always preached. Consider today whether there is someone in your life you need to forgive.
Like Pilate, many of us see the truth about Jesus but fear the crowd more than we love Christ. Ask yourself today: are you compromising the Jesus way because of what others might think?
Pilate saw the truth about Jesus but rejected Him anyway to please the crowd - a mistake many of us still make today. Consider whether you are compromising what you know to be true about Christ.
A stubborn refusal to examine the evidence for Jesus is as dangerous today as it was for the Sanhedrin. Ask yourself today: have you genuinely considered the claims of Christ with an open heart?
An extra devotion to thank you for your support! Let me share a story that reminds me of Peter’s staying away from Jesus in fear of condemnation. I hope it will inspire you to go back to Jesus, if you need to, today.
Jesus promised to strengthen Peter's faith after his denial – and He will do the same for you. Will you return to Jesus and find strengthening too?
Peter’s sorrow at his sin pushed him further from Jesus. Instead, he should have run TO Jesus!
Jesus called Judas friend as he betrayed Him. What did He mean?
Peter made a mistake when Judas betrayed Jesus. He reacted without listening to Jesus’ guidance. DO we do the same?
In the last hours of Jesus’ life, the people around him made some awful mistakes. Let’s not fall into the same traps.
The Bible gives us two accounts of Judas's death that may seem contradictory at first glance, but a closer look reveals they tell complementary parts of the same tragic story. When you encounter difficult passages in Scripture, take time to read carefully and trust that God's Word is reliable and true.
If Judas had repented, he surely would have found forgiveness. No betrayal is too big for Christ to forgive – if we come back to Him in repentance.
Peter had the right foundation in Christ, but his faith didn't stop him from repeatedly getting it wrong. Take heart today if you feel like you keep failing - there is always hope and forgiveness in Jesus.