Slices
Prepare
Call to mind people who were once close to you, but are not any more: there may now be awkwardness, avoidance and pain. Pray: ‘Lord, have mercy on me and those with whom I once shared my life.’
Bible passage
Matthias chosen to replace Judas
12 Then the apostles returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day’s walk from the city. 13 When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying. Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. 14 They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.
15 In those days Peter stood up among the believers (a group numbering about a hundred and twenty) 16 and said, ‘Brothers and sisters, the Scripture had to be fulfilled in which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago through David concerning Judas, who served as guide for those who arrested Jesus. 17 He was one of our number and shared in our ministry.’
18 (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. 19 Everyone in Jerusalem heard about this, so they called that field in their language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.)
20 ‘For,’ said Peter, ‘it is written in the Book of Psalms:
‘“May his place be deserted;
let there be no one to dwell in it,”
and,
‘“May another take his place of leadership.”
21 Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus was living among us, 22 beginning from John’s baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection.’
23 So they nominated two men: Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias. 24 Then they prayed, ‘Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen 25 to take over this apostolic ministry, which Judas left to go where he belongs.’ 26 Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles.
Explore
A sensational autobiography by a member of the royal family accuses others within his family of conducting media briefings against him and his wife. Betrayal. Judas Iscariot’s name is synonymous with going behind Jesus’ back. He is one of the most troubling and fascinating characters in the Bible. His act of betrayal by making a deadly deal with the Jewish authorities is well known. And the ‘Judas kiss’ in the Garden of Gethsemane has a cultural resonance way beyond the pages of the Gospels (Luke 22:47,48). He is portrayed as a man doomed by his own choices and Jesus comments that it would have been better if he had not been born.
But there is another side. He was one of the original apostles, appointed by Jesus (Luke 6:16), and Peter here refers to him as ‘one of us’, who had a personal stake in their shared ministry. And yet it all went badly wrong. Even though Judas later shows remorse for his actions (Matthew 27:3,4), he is for ever remembered as a guilty man.
Respond
Pray: ‘If I’m truthful, Lord, I can see myself in Judas. There have been periods when I have been full of faith, but plenty of others when my loyalty has been torn. I turn back to you now.’
Bible in a year
Read the Bible in a year: 2 Samuel 19,20; 1 Corinthians 8
Pray for Scripture Union
The Development Hub and Digital Solutions team are working together to make major changes to the resources section of our website, to enhance the experience for users and help them understand better how they can use the Revealing Jesus framework to reach the 95. Pray for the team as they turn ideas and designs into working solutions.
