The Cost of Love
The house in Bethany was alive with laughter and chatter. Plates clinked against the table. The smell of roasted lamb and fresh bread filled the air.
Jesus sat among His friends — including Lazarus. Not long before, Lazarus had been wrapped in burial cloths and laid inside a tomb. He had been dead for four days. But now he sat at the table, alive, speaking, eating, and smiling — because Jesus had called him out of the grave.
Martha, his sister, moved gracefully between the table and the kitchen, serving everyone with a smile. She always made sure everyone was cared for.
Meanwhile, Mary, his other sister, slipped quietly out of the room.
When she returned, she carried a small alabaster jar in both hands. It was sealed and heavy. A rare thing to see in those days.
She knelt at Jesus’ feet.
For a moment, the room kept buzzing with conversation.
Then she broke the seal.
The scent rose almost at once — thick and strong. Earthy. Sweet, but deep and musky. It filled the house so completely that everyone stopped and noticed. This was pure nard, a very costly perfume worth nearly a year’s wages.
Mary carefully poured it over Jesus’ feet.
The oil ran over His skin and then — without hesitation — she lowered her head and wiped His feet with her hair.
The room had gone still now and everyone was watching intently.
Some were confused. Some uncomfortable unsure what to make of what was happening.
Then a voice broke the silence.
“Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?”
Judas Iscariot’s words sounded reasonable and even compassionate.
But Judas wasn’t truly concerned for the poor. He kept the money bag for the group, and he had grown accustomed to helping himself to what was placed inside it. As the perfume was all poured out, he saw only what would never pass through his hands. What a loss!
But Jesus responded.
“Leave her alone! She has done a beautiful thing for me. She has kept this for the day of my burial. You will always have the poor with you. But you will not always have me.”
That day, in the house of Bethany sat two kinds of hearts.
One that poured out love without counting the cost.
And one that counted love as too costly.
This is the story of that second heart.
Who Was Judas Iscariot?
Hi, Sojourners!
Have you ever heard the name Judas Iscariot? Most people think of him as the ultimate villain — the man who betrayed Jesus. But Judas wasn’t a monster hiding in the shadows. He was a close disciple, a friend of Jesus. A man who left everything to walk with Him.
At least… that’s what it seemed from the outside.
Judas was called to be one of the twelve disciples. We don’t know exactly what he did before meeting Jesus, but like the others, he left his old life behind to follow Him. And he didn’t just watch miracles happen — he helped make them happen.
Once, Jesus sent the twelve out in pairs. The Bible tells us they healed the sick, cast out demons, and proclaimed the good news of God’s kingdom. Judas would have been right there, helping, teaching, and witnessing God’s power firsthand.
He must have been responsible and trusted, because he was put in charge of the money bag for the group. He seemed ordinary, just like all the other disciples. And yet, none of them could have guessed what was hidden in his heart.
Judas Iscariot’s story is tragic — and unsettling. He didn’t seem too different from the other disciples. Let’s continue his story and see how it all unfolded.
Thirty Pieces of Silver
Not long after the dinner when Mary anointed Jesus, Judas made a plan to betray Jesus. He went to the chief priests and asked, “What will you give me if I deliver Jesus over to you?”
The priests were glad to hear it. They had been plotting to kill Jesus, and now someone was willing to help them. They promised him thirty pieces of silver. Judas accepted their offer. And from that moment on, Judas began watching for the right time to hand Jesus over to them. He wanted to do it when no crowd was around.
On the evening of the Passover, Jesus reclined at the table with His twelve disciples, sharing the meal. Something heavy weighed on His heart.
“Truly, truly, I say to you,” He said, “one of you will betray me by handing me over to my enemies — one who is eating with me. The Son of Man will go to His death, just as God has already decided. But woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had never been born.”
The disciples looked at each other, confused and sorrowful. One by one, they asked, Lord, is it I?
Jesus replied, “It is the one I will give this piece of bread to. I will give it to him after I have dipped it in the dish.”
After dipping the bread, He gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. Judas said, “Teacher, is it I?”
And Jesus answered, “You have said so.”
In that moment, Satan entered Judas. And then Jesus said quietly, “Do quickly what you are going to do.”
No one else at the table understood what He meant. Since Judas was in charge of the money, some of the disciples thought Jesus was telling him to buy something for the feast or to give something to the poor.
As soon as Judas took the bread, he went out. And it was night.
The Kiss of Betrayal
Later, in the dark of night, Judas found Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. But he did not come alone. He led a crowd armed with swords and clubs — soldiers sent by the chief priests and the elders.
Judas had arranged a signal with them and told them to arrest the man he kissed. He went to Jesus at once.
“Greetings, Rabbi!” he said. And he kissed Him. Jesus looked at him and said,
“Judas, would you betray the Son of Man with a kiss? Friend, do what you came to do.”
Immediately, the men stepped forward, grabbed Jesus, and arrested Him.
Judas Made His Choice
Wow, Sojourners… that was a dark night in the garden. But now let’s pause for a moment. I want you to think about something: how did Judas get to that place? Was he born to be a traitor? Or did he make choices that led him there?
Did you know that some of the Old Testament prophets actually talked about Judas, even hundreds of years before he was born?
King David said something that sounds a lot like Judas: “Even my close friend, someone I trusted, has failed me. I even shared my bread with him.” And the prophet Zechariah talked about “thirty pieces of silver thrown to the potter in the house of the Lord” — the same amount Judas would be paid when he betrayed Jesus.
Even Jesus knew what was going to happen. He said He came this world to suffer and die, and that His death was part of God’s plan.
But here’s something really important: God’s plan and human choices work together in ways that are sometimes hard for us to understand, but they are not in conflict. Just because God knew it would happen, that doesn’t mean Judas wasn’t responsible for making his choices. God can know and use what happens for His purposes — but our choices still matter and contribute to the outcome.
In fact, Judas experienced incredible privilege. Jesus chose him to be one of the twelve. He lived with Him, learned from Him, and saw His miracles up close. Judas watched the blind receive sight, the sick be healed, and lives transformed. He sat at the same table with Jesus. He was trusted with the moneybag. He even participated in ministry and saw God’s power at work. Judas was surrounded by light — but being near the light is not the same as loving it.
Jesus showed Judas kindness one last time at the supper. But Judas’ heart had already turned away. He wasn’t forced to betray Jesus. He made that choice freely. But he made it from a heart that did not truly love Christ. When the Bible says Satan entered him, it doesn’t mean Judas was an innocent victim. It means he had opened himself to evil, and now had fully given himself over to darkness.
Judas didn’t accidentally make one big mistake; it was a gradual process. At first, it started small — taking from the money bag, thinking only of himself. Then it grew — complaining, arguing, plotting. Each wrong choice made the next one easier, and over time, his heart hardened. It shows us how sin can take root little by little if we keep choosing it instead of turning to God. And that’s why Jesus said, woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had never been born.
God showed Judas extraordinary grace — but he loved something else more. Judas’ story teaches us how important our choices are, and how patient God is.
What Happened to Judas?
The Bible tells us that after Judas saw that Jesus was sentenced to die, he felt deep shame and sadness for what he had done.
He went to the chief priests and elders and said, “I have sinned. I handed over a man who is not guilty.”
But they didn’t care. They said, “That’s your problem.”
Judas threw the thirty silver coins into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.
The chief priests picked up the silver coins Judas had thrown into the temple. Because the money had been used to betray an innocent man, they decided it could not go into the temple treasury. Instead, they used the thirty pieces of silver to buy a field that had belonged to a potter. It became a burial place for foreigners, and from that day on it was called the Field of Blood.
And this fulfilled the prophecy about the thirty pieces of silver being thrown into the house of the Lord and in connection to a potter. Even in this tragic moment, God’s Word was coming true.
Now, here’s something important to understand: There’s a difference between feeling bad and repenting. Judas felt sorry for what he did. He was full of shame and he knew what he did was wrong. That’s called remorse — feeling bad about your actions. But remorse by itself is not the same as repentance.
Repentance is more than just feeling bad and knowing you did something wrong— it’s turning to God, asking for His forgiveness, and letting Him change your heart. We know that Jesus has the power to forgive any sin. But the heartbreaking reality is that Judas did not ever turn to Jesus, instead he chose death.
Was Judas Ever Saved?
A big question many people ask is: Was Judas ever saved?
Like I mentioned earlier, many people find Judas’ story heartbreaking because he seemed like any ordinary person. If that could happen to him… could it happen to me?
The Bible makes it clear that Judas was never saved, meaning his heart never truly loved Jesus.
- John 17:12 – Jesus says, “I lost none of those you gave me, except the one who was doomed to be lost, so that the Scripture would be fulfilled.”
- John 13:27 – After giving Judas the bread at the Last Supper, “Then Satan entered Judas.” This shows that he chose to let sin control him instead of turning to God.
- Acts 1:25 – Judas is described as someone who went “where he belongs,” meaning his path ended in judgment, not salvation.
In fact, John calls him the “son of perdition” (John 17:12), meaning he was marked out for destruction, and his rejection of Christ revealed what was already true of his heart. So Judas’ story reminds us how serious rejecting God can be.
Why Judas Iscariot’s Story Still Matters Today
Proximity is not salvation
Being close to Jesus didn’t mean Judas truly loved Him. Judas was right there with Jesus. He ate at the table with Him, followed Him everywhere, saw miracles happen, and learned directly from the best teacher ever. He even handled important responsibilities, like the money bag.
Did you notice something about how the disciples spoke to Jesus at the Last Supper? When He told them someone was going to betray Him, they all said, “Lord, is it I?” They called Jesus Lord — showing respect, trust, and honor.
But Judas didn’t call Him Lord. Instead, he said, “Teacher”. He acknowledged Jesus’ role as a teacher, but he didn’t recognize His authority or submit his heart to Him. That small difference shows a lot about where Judas’ heart really was.
Today, this means:
- You can go to church every week and know all the Bible stories.
- You can serve in youth group or Sunday school.
- You can be part of ministry and help others.
But none of that guarantees salvation. Truly following Jesus isn’t about what you do or know; it’s about who you trust and who rules your heart.
Sin hardens gradually
For Judas, it started with greed. Then it grew to complaining and plotting. Finally, it became full betrayal and surrender to darkness.
Today, it might look like:
- Telling little lies and thinking no one will notice.
- Letting selfish choices slide because “it’s no big deal.”
- Ignoring God’s warnings about anger, envy, or disobedience.
Sin rarely explodes overnight — it creeps in and hardens the heart over time. That’s why it’s important to notice your sins and repent daily.
Remorse is not the same as repentance
Judas felt terrible for what he did. But feeling bad by itself isn’t enough to save anyone. Without turning to Jesus for forgiveness, remorse can lead to despair — as it did for Judas, who ended his own life.
Today, this might look like:
- Saying “I’m sorry” only because you got caught or want the consequences to go away, not because you truly care about disobeying God.
- Feeling really bad about sin, but letting shame and hopelessness take over instead of reaching out to Jesus.
Repentance, on the other hand, is a change of heart that focuses on Christ. It means asking Him to forgive you, trusting His grace, and letting Him help you turn away from sin and live differently. Repentance brings hope and new life.
Key Scripture
2 Corinthians 7:10 says: For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.
Judas’ story warns us: it’s not enough to feel sorry for sin — we have to go to Jesus and let Him save us. But here’s the good news: if you come to Jesus and repent, you are secure and never have to despair like Judas Iscariot. Those whom Christ saves, He keeps. He does not lose His sheep. John 10:28 says: “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.”
And Romans 8:38–39 (NIRV) says: “I am sure that nothing can separate us from God’s love. Not death, not life, not angels, not demons, not the present, not the future, not powers, not height, not depth, and nothing else in all creation can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Judas Iscariot’s story isn’t just about betrayal. It’s about the condition of the heart. Judas saw Mary’s devotion to Jesus and called it a waste. He measured everything by how it could benefit him. But God wants hearts that are wholly devoted to Him.
The good news is that God gives us new hearts — hearts that can love freely, trust fully, and follow Him without fear. When we belong to Christ, He changes our hearts from counting the cost to pouring out love, just like Mary did.
And remember… there are two kinds of hearts. One pours out love without counting the cost. One counts love as too costly. God wants your heart to be the first kind—devoted fully to Him, trusting Him, and giving your all. When you do, you get to experience the life and joy that comes from following Jesus.
Links to podcast:
