What Will Ye Give Me?

Text: Matthew 26:14–16 (KJV)

“Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver. And from that time he sought opportunity to betray him.”

Introduction

There are moments in life when a decision reveals what is truly in a person’s heart. Matthew 26:14–16 gives us one of the saddest decisions ever made. Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples, walked away from the presence of Jesus and went to the chief priests to make a deal.

Judas had heard Jesus teach. He had watched Jesus heal the sick, open blinded eyes, calm storms, feed multitudes, and raise the dead. Yet, with all he had seen and heard, he still asked one terrible question: “What will ye give me?”

This passage teaches us that when a person values temporary gain more than Christ, he is headed toward spiritual ruin.

Sermon thought: Never trade what is eternal for what is temporary.

One of the Twelve

Verse 14 begins, “Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests.”

The painful part of this verse is not merely the name Judas. It is the phrase, “one of the twelve.”

Judas was not a stranger. He was not an outsider. He was not someone who had never heard the gospel. He was one of the disciples. He was close enough to hear Christ speak, close enough to see His power, and close enough to sit at the table with Him.

But being around holy things is not the same as having a holy heart.

A person can attend church and still be far from God. A person can sing the songs, quote the Scriptures, hold a position, wear the right clothes, and still have a heart that is not surrendered to Christ.

Judas teaches us that proximity to Jesus is not the same as relationship with Jesus.

Some people know about Him, but do not know Him. Some can talk about Him, but do not walk with Him. Some have religion in their head, but not salvation in their heart.

We must ask ourselves: Am I merely around Jesus, or have I truly given my life to Jesus?

A Heart Turned by Sin

Judas “went unto the chief priests.” He made a deliberate move away from Christ and toward those who wanted Christ destroyed.

Sin always takes us in the wrong direction. It may begin quietly. It may begin with a thought, an attitude, a temptation, a secret habit, or an unresolved hurt. But if it is not confronted, confessed, and forsaken, sin will pull us farther than we intended to go.

Judas did not wake up one morning and suddenly become a betrayer. Somewhere along the way, he allowed something to grow in his heart.

The Gospel of John tells us that Judas had a problem with money. He carried the bag, and he was dishonest with what belonged to the group. Before Judas betrayed Jesus publicly, he had already been compromised privately.

That is how the enemy works. He starts with what we think is small:

A hidden bitterness.

A private addiction.

A dishonest word.

A little pride.

A jealous spirit.

A compromise nobody else knows about.

But what is hidden in the heart will eventually show itself in the life.

Do not let sin live in your heart unchecked. Bring it to God. Confess it before it grows. Repent before it controls you. The enemy wants you to hide it, but Jesus wants to heal it.

The Question That Exposes Us

Judas said to the chief priests, “What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you?”

This question reveals the condition of Judas’s heart. He was not asking, “What is right?” He was not asking, “What does God want me to do?” He was not asking, “How can I honor my Master?”

He asked, “What will ye give me?”

That is the language of selfishness. Judas was willing to sell Jesus if the price was right.

The devil still asks people to make that same kind of trade.

He says:

“Give up your integrity, and I will give you money.”

“Give up your marriage, and I will give you pleasure.”

“Give up your witness, and I will give you popularity.”

“Give up your prayer life, and I will give you comfort.”

“Give up your obedience, and I will give you what you want right now.”

But anything the devil offers is too expensive if it costs us fellowship with Christ.

There are things money cannot buy: peace of mind, a clear conscience, the trust of your family, spiritual power, and the presence of God in your life.

Judas received thirty pieces of silver, but he lost far more than he gained. He gained coins but lost companionship. He gained money but lost peace. He gained a temporary reward but rejected the eternal Son of God.

Never allow a temporary offer to cause you to make an eternal mistake.

The Price of Betrayal

Verse 15 says, “And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver.”

Thirty pieces of silver was the price of a slave according to the law. The chief priests placed a low value on Jesus, but the real tragedy is that Judas agreed with their price.

Jesus is worth more than silver and gold. He is worth more than our possessions, careers, ambitions, relationships, and personal preferences.

He left the glory of heaven. He took upon Himself the form of a servant. He was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities. He gave His life so we could be forgiven, redeemed, and restored.

Yet Judas traded Him for thirty pieces of silver.

We may never take money from chief priests to betray Christ, but we can betray Him when we place other things ahead of Him. Whenever we knowingly choose sin over obedience, comfort over conviction, or the approval of people over the will of God, we are treating Christ as though He is worth less than what we are choosing.

The question is not whether Jesus has value. The question is whether we value Him properly.

What is Jesus worth to you?

Is He worth obeying when obedience is inconvenient? Is He worth trusting when the future is uncertain? Is He worth serving when no one notices? Is He worth forgiving someone who has hurt you? Is He worth turning away from the sin you secretly enjoy?

Jesus is worthy of our all.

Seeking Opportunity

Verse 16 says, “And from that time he sought opportunity to betray him.”

Judas did not merely make an agreement; he began looking for the right time to fulfill it. Once sin gets a foothold, it seeks an opportunity to become an action.

That is why believers cannot play with temptation. We cannot entertain what we ought to resist. We cannot hold hands with what God told us to flee from.

If you keep feeding the wrong desire, it will eventually demand more. If you keep revisiting the wrong place, you will eventually stay too long. If you keep answering the wrong call, you will eventually follow the wrong voice.

The Bible tells us to “flee also youthful lusts.” It tells us to resist the devil. It tells us to make no provision for the flesh.

Do not seek an opportunity to sin. Seek an opportunity to pray.

Do not seek an opportunity to compromise. Seek an opportunity to obey.

Do not seek an opportunity to get even. Seek an opportunity to forgive.

Do not seek an opportunity to serve yourself. Seek an opportunity to serve the Lord.

The enemy is looking for an opening in your life, but God is calling you to close every door that leads you away from Him.

The Contrast of Worship and Betrayal

Just before Judas went to the chief priests, a woman came to Jesus with an alabaster box of very precious ointment and poured it upon His head.

She gave Jesus something precious because she believed He was worthy.

Judas went out and sold Jesus because he did not value Him as he should.

The woman poured out her treasure upon Christ. Judas sold Christ for treasure.

The woman gave what she had to honor Jesus. Judas gave Jesus up to satisfy himself.

One act became a memorial of worship. The other became a warning of betrayal.

Every day, our lives answer the question: What is Jesus worth to me?

We answer it by how we live, how we speak, how we treat people, how we spend our time, what we do in private, and what we choose when temptation comes.

May our lives declare, “Lord, Thou art worthy.”

There Is Mercy for the Fallen

The warning of Judas is serious, but the gospel is still good news. Jesus came for people who have failed, fallen, wandered, and sinned.

Peter denied the Lord, but Peter repented and was restored. Thomas doubted, but Jesus met him in his doubt. The Samaritan woman had a troubled past, but she found living water in Christ. Saul persecuted the church, but grace transformed him into Paul.

If you have allowed something to come between you and the Lord, you do not have to remain there. You can turn around. You can repent. You can return.

The devil says, “You have gone too far.” Jesus says, “Come unto me.”

The devil says, “Hide your shame.” Jesus says, “Bring your burden.”

The devil says, “There is no way back.” Jesus says, “I am the way.”

Do not be like Judas, who moved farther away. Be like the prodigal son, who came to himself and went back to the father.

Conclusion

Judas asked, “What will ye give me?” But the better question is, “Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?”

Judas sought an opportunity to betray Christ. But we ought to seek opportunities to serve Christ.

Judas traded Jesus for silver. But Jesus gave Himself for our salvation.

Do not sell your peace for pleasure. Do not sell your integrity for advancement. Do not sell your testimony for acceptance. Do not sell your relationship with God for anything this world can offer.

Jesus is worth more.

Closing Invitation

Today, the Lord is calling us to examine our hearts.

If you have been around Jesus but have not truly surrendered to Him, come to Him.

If you have allowed secret sin, bitterness, pride, lust, greed, or compromise to grow in your heart, bring it to Him.

If you have been asking, “What will this give me?” it is time to ask, “Lord, what would please Thee?”

Let this be your prayer:

“Lord, search my heart. Remove every desire that would pull me away from Thee. Help me to value Thee above money, pleasure, position, and people’s approval. I surrender myself afresh to Thee. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”